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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffeine can lead to weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?   The Cleveland Clinic talked to cardiologist , Luke Laffin,
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to eating habits for better sleep:         Focus on tryptopha
Read more