Megan's Nutrition TIPS

Ideas for Healthier Eating
By Megan Northrup

1. Replace juice, soda, lemonade, or iced tea with WATER. Drink water with meals and throughout the day. I almost never leave the house without a water bottle!

2. Eat more fresh fruits & veggies! Aim for at least 5 servings per day – the more the better!
Think & plan to work more fruits & veggies into your families’ diet, until it becomes a habit. Have fruit out on the counter or washed in the fridge for snacks.
Frozen peas w/ butter buds, minced mint or lemon zest
Green beans w/ dried cranberries or sliced almonds
Glazed baby carrots (cook covered in a little salted water, uncover when almost done and cook off the water, adding a dash of sugar, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, and dab of butter)
Baked sweet potato (scrub, poke w/ fork, bake at 400 about 1 hr until completely soft)
Bagged salad (not iceberg) w/ bagged spinach & lowfat dressing
Sliced Tomatoes drizzled w/ olive oil (I recommend colavita or bertolli)
Sliced cucumbers sprinkled w/ rice vinegar
Apples (slice apples, cook covered with a bit of water & cinnamon, stirring occasionally)
Bowl of sliced peaches, berries or grapes

3. Commit to using more whole grains. Replace white bread with whole wheat. Look for loaf w/ 3g. fiber per slice and “whole wheat flour” as the 1st ingredient (not “enriched wheat flour”). Switch to whole wheat pasta, bagels, breakfast breads & cereals. Substitute ½ whole wheat flour in your favorite recipes, or look for recipes formulated to be 100% whole wheat.

4. Switch to low-fat substitutes. I almost always use low-fat milk, cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, salad dressing, mayo or miracle whip, butter spread. Replace the oil in cakes, muffins, banana breads, and pancakes with an equal amount unsweetened applesauce. (This works great with mixes. In your own recipes, you can usually replace ½ the fat without a noticeable difference, or all the fat for a slightly less desirable texture.) Use nonstick cooking spray, where possible, instead of pouring oil in or greasing a pan. Swith to low-fat ice-cream or frozen yogurt (Dreyers Slow Churned light is very good w/ 1/3 less calories & ½ the fat. Randalls and Kroger have good light ice cream in the store brand.)

5. Season wisely. Season food while cooking & get the salt shaker off the table. Use fresh ground pepper & fresh garlic. When using dry herbs/spices, crush them in a mortar & pestle or in your hand before adding to a recipe, to extract more flavorful oils. Add herbs/spices in the sautéing or browning step of a recipe, instead of with the liquid. Brown meats for braises, roasts & stews. Remove high fat ingredients (like cheese or nuts) from a dish & sprinkle them on top.


6. Splurge smart! Everyone has different preferences & priorities, in food as in life. I believe there is no such thing as a completely BAD food. Everyone has foods they love that are “worth” a splurge – so if you love chocolate, have a piece once in a while and don’t beat yourself up over it! Eating an occasional hot dog, or chocolate, or donut does not make you a bad person! Educate yourself—read the labels! But, if something is worth it to you, enjoy it! Use moderation (split a hamburger, eat ONE hot dog then fill up on veggies & fruit, scoop out ONE scoop of ice cream, don’t sit down with the carton). Keep eating healthfully & exercising. But don’t deprive yourself all the time and STOP FEELING GUILTY! You may have to make changes to have a healthier diet, but you don’t have to give up every food you enjoy forever! (Fretting and stressing and constantly depriving yourself isn’t good for your health either!)