By Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, LD
The saying goes “you are what you eat.” Can you think of anyone that wants to admit that they are a greasy cheeseburger and fries or an empty diet soda? Isn't the image of a bright green, crisp salad or a fruit smoothie much better? It brings to mind cleaner, fresher images. Clean, fresh food is powerful and can help the body in many ways, whereas junky foods harm the body whether it is visible on the outside or not.
Here is my challenge to you. Take a look at your own diet and decide if you are doing everything possible to eat healthy. If, yes, then congratulations! You are among the few who choose their foods wisely.
If, no, then find the areas that need improvement and write them down on a sheet of paper. Choose the one problem area that seems the most troublesome to you right now and circle it. It's up to you to decide how to adjust your eating. Make two suggestions/ substitutions for your current style and write them down. Take the next week to follow through on your ideas — remember; no one is perfect so make your expectations of yourself realistic. After the first week goes by, reevaluate your progress and set a new goal. The new goal may focus on another problem area or continue on the same area as before.
Here's an example of the whole process. Stacy drinks three regular sodas every day, she loves desserts and she doesn't eat enough fruits and vegetables. The first thing she wants to work on is reducing soda from her diet because she knows it fuels her sweet tooth and has no nutritional value. She writes down these two suggestions for herself: 1) drink water or unsweetened tea with her meals 2) keep flavored sparkling water at work. During the first week Stacy was able to follow her own suggestions except on two days when she had one soda. The next week she continued working on her goal to eliminate soda and was able to do so for all seven days. Having accomplished this, she then set a new goal for the third week to work on eating more fruits and vegetables.
You can improve your diet by doing this same exercise. Every small change you make creates a healthier you. You will start to notice the way this makes you feel better. Feeling better is the best motivation to continue down this healthier road.
The recipes and suggestions for substitutions below are quick and simple, but they sneak in extra nutrients to maximize your meals. You are what you eat, so make the most of the food you put in your body.
This spread is great in a wrap, sandwich or used as a dip for carrots or whole wheat pita wedges. Roasted red pepper can be added for flavor variation.
Nutritional Analysis: 173 calories; 7 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrate; 10 grams fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 313 mg sodium; 4 grams fiber
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Combine the first five ingredients (chickpeas through lemon juice) in a blender until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix thoroughly. Makes 1 quart.
This chicken salad is very refreshing in the summertime and is a great way to use up leftover chicken from dinner. Walnuts or almonds can be substituted for the pecans, if desired, and apples can replace grapes.
Nutritional Information: 235 calories; 23 grams protein; 19 grams carbohydrate; 7 grams fat; 60 mg cholesterol; 293 mg sodium; 2 grams fiber
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Combine all ingredients and serve alone or in a tomato. Serves 4.
During a busy week, this fish recipe is a snap. Any white fish will work in place of sole.
Nutritional Information: 165 calories; 26 grams protein; 2 grams carbohydrate; 5 grams fat; 66 mg cholesterol; 273 mg sodium; 2 grams fiber
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture. Layer on bottom of a small baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and top with the fish. Season as desired. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serves 4.
