Chapter 12

Healthy Eating for Life

Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.

Arnold Bennett

Taste, cost, and convenience are the main reasons many people struggle to eat good foods

Which of these statements describes

you?

I already eat a healthy diet. Some of the foods I eat are healthy,

and I’m willing to try other things to improve my diet.

I’m not sure I really want to change my diet; I like the way I eat.

I don’t care what I eat.

What Benefits of Good Nutrition Do You Like?

___ I feel better. ___ I can prevent many serious chronic

diseases. ___ I can lose weight or maintain a

healthy weight. ___ I feel like I’m doing the right thing.

Reasons Why It Is Hardto Eat Healthy Foods

___I don’t like the taste of healthy food. ___Healthy food is expensive. ___Unhealthy food is convenient, and I

don’t know how to cook.

Taste Trumps All

Taste is one of the most important factors to consider when you try to adopt a healthy diet.

The trick is to find the healthy foods you like and make them a regular part of your diet.

Healthy Eating Ideas You Might Like

Eat fruit with your breakfast every day. Nothing wakes up your mouth in the morning like a glass of fresh fruit juice or a piece of fresh fruit.

Add more vegetables to your meals until vegetables gradually become the focus of the meal; try doubling the vegetable portion and reducing the red meat portion by half.

Make substitutions—instead of adding lots of cheese to your baked potato, try adding green onions, chives, chili, or even a salad dressing made from healthy oils.

There’s nothing like a bowl of hot vegetable stew on a cold winter day. Add lots of vegetables and let it cook all day.

Serve slices of fresh fruit as an appetizer to start a meal; fruit also makes a great dessert.

Try different cooking techniques. Root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and acorn squash, can be oven roasted, cooked in the microwave, or steamed.

Try stir-frying vegetables. It’s pretty difficult to stir-fry vegetables and ruin them. Try cooking peppers, onions, pea pods, zucchini, and summer squash; add a little meat and rice, and you’re ready for a great meal.

Experiment with new cooking methods, spices, and ethnic foods. If you really want some great-tasting, healthy foods, try Thai food.

Cost

Cost determines what we do and don’t eat

Does it cost more to eat healthy foods? Some say yes, and some say no.

Cost Tips

Shop on a full stomach; you are likely to buy less food and make purchases based on good nutrition rather than the need to feed your hunger.

Shop from a list and try to stick to it. There are a lot of coupons and discounts for highly

processed foods, especially foods that are new or are being aggressively marketed.

Use your discounts and coupons to pick healthy processed foods.

Watch for advertisements in your local newspaper or in the mail from grocery stores offering sales on fresh fruits and vegetables. When they are on sale, buy as much as you and your family can eat and keep them handy.

Continued…

When you eat out, chances are you will receive an enormous plate filled with food. Next time you eat out, split a meal with a friend or partner. You get plenty of food for half the price, and you won’t be pressured to clear your plate.

When eating away from home, commit to eating healthy.

Don’t order an unhealthy dinner just because you are eating out. If someone else is paying, order the salmon!

Start a small garden and plant only the foods you like to eat. You don’t need lots of expensive gardening tools or fertilizer; work the soil, plant the vegetables, water them, and keep the weeds out.

Convenience

In 1995, 40% of the money Americans used to purchase food was spent on ready-to-eat foods away from home.

Most fruits are also foods of convenience, but they are not as highly promoted

Tips to Make Foods Convenient

Use the microwave to prepare veggie-friendly meals, such as a baked potato with salsa and broccoli.

Serve low-fat frozen yogurt with berries or peaches for a fast and easy dessert.

Eat pre-cut veggies with dip. Try apple or banana slices with peanut butter. Eat dried apricots and other dried fruits. Keep a bowl of washed fruit on your counter in

plain sight where anyone can reach it. Try frozen or canned fruits and veggies.

Try pre-cut and washed fruits and vegetables if you prefer them fresh.

Buy bagels when they are fresh and store them in the freezer. For lunch grab a frozen wheat bagel when you leave the house in the morning and by the time you eat it, it will be thawed out.

Take lunch rather than buying something. Go to www.fastfoodbook.com, It has the Stop

and Go Fast Food Guide to help you select healthy fast foods.

Get Real—I’ve Got Kids!

Ideas to help parents eat healthier

Make funny faces on a plate by slicing apples, bananas, raisins, dried cranberries (Craisins), grapes, or any other fruit and then arranging them on a plate so they form a funny face or a picture. It doesn’t take much effort, and I guarantee your kids will love it and ask you to do it again and again.

Kids eat just about anything if it has peanut butter on it. Don’t think of broccoli as a vegetable, think of it as a

small tree. What little boy wouldn’t like to eat a tree? Find alternatives to using food as a reward or bribe. Try

stickers, hugs, or small toys, or simply say, “You did great!”

For a bedtime snack, try whole wheat crackers, whole wheat toast, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal. Sliced fruit also makes a great snack.

Kids warm up with hot chocolate made with skim milk and a piece of whole wheat toast.

No kid can resist fresh strawberries or raspberries. Make a parfait with fresh fruit, yogurt, and granola.

Make waffles and pancakes with whole-grain flour.

Make a vegetable soup bomb—hollow out a whole wheat roll, fill it with vegetable soup, and put the lid back on it.

Insist that your children eat breakfast. Substitute! Sometimes you have to resort to

subtle trickery and substitutions. My wife and I love to eat stir-fried vegetables. When we stir-fry, we sauté the meat first and set it aside. The adults eat stir-fried vegetables with rice and a little meat. The kids get the meat and a little rice, but instead of stir-fried vegetables, which they sometimes don’t like, they get fresh carrots, snow peas, peas, and sometimes sliced pineapple.

Open a can of refried beans (low in saturated and trans fats), add a bit of cheese and maybe some fresh salsa, roll it in a whole wheat flour shell, and warm it up in the microwave. It’s quick and tasty.

Establish a general structure around meal and snack times and allow eating only at these times. Offer water, fruits and vegetables, or other healthy snacks if kids are still hungry between eating times.

Eat meals as a family as often as possible. Limit soda, punch, and flavored waters to special

occasions. Teach your kids to cook healthy meals. Set limits on TV and computer game time. After one to

two hours, it is time to play something else, preferably something that involves physical activity.

Expect Setbacks

Everyone has setbacks—this is a common part of the behavior change process

Use these momentary weaknesses to strengthen your resolve

Don’t allow them to create feelings of guilt and negative emotions

Don’t allow yourself to get into situations where you are tempted

Set Realistic Goals

Use fat-free milk instead of whole milk. Drink water before a meal. Eat leaner red meat and poultry. Eat only half of your dessert. Avoid food portions larger than your fist. Increase the fiber in your diet. Drink diet soda, or try to drink more water. Eat off of smaller plates. Don’t eat late at night. Skip seconds.

Skip buffets. Grill, steam, or bake instead of frying. Use vegetable oils instead of solid fats. More carrots, less cake. Don’t skip meals. Eat more celery sticks. Keep to a regular eating schedule. Choose fruit for dessert. Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if

at all. Share a restaurant meal with a friend.

Grill vegetables. Eat before grocery shopping. Choose a checkout line without a candy display. Make a grocery list before you shop. Buy 100% fruit juices instead of soda and sugary drinks. Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low-fat seasonings. Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content. Eat before you get too hungry. Don’t skip breakfast. Stop eating when you are full. Snack on fruits and vegetables. Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas. Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.

Include several servings of whole-grain food daily.

When eating out, choose a small- or medium-sized portion.

If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer or a side dish instead.

Ask for salad dressing “on the side.” Try a green salad instead of fries. Eat sweet foods in small amounts. Drink lots of water. Limit yourself to one “treat” a day.

Points to Remember

Keep thinking about the benefits of eating a healthy diet.

Healthy foods can be tasty too. Try different recipes, make small changes, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

There is little difference in the cost of eating healthy foods versus unhealthy ones.

More Points to Remember

Convenience is not really a barrier to good nutrition. There are lots of healthy foods that are “fast.”

Kids can learn to like healthy foods. You need to set a good example and be creative.

Everyone experiences failures and setbacks. Be patient and take small steps.