Some easy ways to eat healthier

What is “Healthy Eating”?  Ask some of your friends and you will get so many different answers.  Some may say stop eating “junk food”, but what is “junk food”?  It means something different to whomever you ask.  Some may say, “cut back on carbs”.  Why?  We want good carbs in our diet – whole grains, fruit and vegetables.  So, what are some easy things for you to do to eat healthier? I like to tell my students to eat healthier, there are foods you should be adding to your diet.  What are some of those foods and things you should be doing to eat healthier?

  • Stay hydrated - -drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.  If you are thirsty, your body is becoming dehydrated.  It doesn’t have to be water.  You can hydrate with real juice, ice tea (unsweetened to avoid the added sugar), coffee.  As noted in my blog, How to Stay Hydrated this Summer, real milk and real orange juice are beverages that are actually more hydrating than plain water.  I am always surprised when parents give their kids water at meal time for “hydration” but not real milk.  Real milk is more hydrating and provides important nutrients kids need for growth.  Between meals, water is a good choice as it has no calories and no added sugar.  Adults may want to drink some water before meals to help cut your appetite and reduce your hunger cravings.  

  • Eat breakfast and include some protein.  This will get your day off to a great start and the protein takes longer to digest so you will not be as hungry all morning.  The carbs in your breakfast will give your bran a boost to start the day.  My husband likes to eat some Greek yogurt with fresh fruit at breakfast to boost his protein.  I make my oatmeal with a cup of fat-free milk in place of water.  Then I know I am getting protein but also some calcium and vitamin D.  Adding real dairy to your breakfast is a great way to add protein.  Eggs provide an excellent protein and are also a good breakfast choice.  Add some real cheese, like cheddar cheese, to scrambled eggs for an additional protein boost.  Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on your oatmeal to add some protein.  Put some peanut butter or nut butter on your morning toast.  Make some frittatas, freeze them and enjoy some throughout the week.  My sister does this on a weekend and then during the week she has an easy ready to eat breakfast loaded with healthy protein.  Go to Family Food on the Table for ideas on how to vary making the frittatas. 
Frittatas add high quality protein to your breakfast. 
  • Enjoy healthy carbs at your meals.  Healthy eating doesn’t mean cutting back on carbs.  Yes, cut back on carbs with lots of added sugar like sodas/pop.  But you want healthy carbs in your diet.  Carbs are energy foods that fuel your body throughout the day.  Choose the healthy carbs like fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  At least half the grains you eat each day should be whole grain.  (See How to choose some healthy carbs.)  Be sure to get enough fruits and vegetables in your day as they not only add many vitamins and minerals and fiber to your diet, they also add those important antioxidants that promote good health.  Aim for at least 5 A Day – five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  I say “at least” as more than 5 servings is even better for your health.
  • Portions – the portion sizes most of us eat are huge.  So many times, I go to a restaurant and have to bring half of what they served me home as the portion size is so big.  These larger portion sizes lead to more eating and more calories.  An interesting article, The History of Portion Sizes:  How They’ve Changed Over Time , states: “In 1970, Americans took in an average of 2,160 calories per day.  Today, it has skyrocketed to 2,673 daily calories a person.”  This means “we are now eating 20-25 percent more calories than we did in 1970.”   In the article, they note that some restaurant meals now provide as many calories in ONE MEAL as we need for the entire day.  No wonder I often need to take half the meal home to eat later.  The graphic in this article is fascinating as even the bagels we eat today are twice as large as those in 1970.  The soda/pop used to come in small sizes about 6.5 ounces.  Now soda/pop usually comes in 20-ounce bottles.  Cutting back on portions can cut those extra calories.

The above are some “DO’s” you can adopt to eat healthier.  Next week we will talk about some “Don’ts” for healthier eating.

Sources:  eat healthier , How to Stay Hydrated this Summer , How to choose some healthy carbs , The History of Portion Sizes:  How They’ve Changed Over Time  Image Sources:  Portion distortion , Frittatas , Stay hydrated

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