Choosing Healthy Foods

Did you start the year out with big resolutions to improve your health? Have some of them started to slip? March is National Nutrition Month® and a perfect time to recharge your resolutions. Be Realistic Setting big health related goals can be motivating, but if the goals are too lofty it can backfire. Instead of setting yourself up for failure with goals that are too hard to reach, consider breaking them into steps. For example, if you need to eat more vegetables, becoming a vegan may be too big of a first step. Instead, start with the flexitarian approach of choosing some meat-free meals each week. Need ideas for realistic goals? Choosemyplate.gov has a section on starting with small changes and celebrating them as “MyPlate, MyWins.” Consistency vs Perfection When it comes to your health, what you do most of the time is more important than the occasional slip. If you have been working on eating less sugar and indulged in a big dessert over the weekend, let it go and get back on track...

The end of the semester is approaching.  Which means more time studying and the need for quick food options.  Here are some easy convenient meal and snack ideas to ensure you are continuing to eat healthy while you finish out the semester. Some of these can be made in your dorm room- so there is no need for a full kitchen.  All you need is a refrigerator and maybe a microwave!  Meal and Snack Ideas Grains : Great source of B vitamins, fiber and important minerals (iron, magnesium..) Hot oatmeal – Microwave ½ c. oats, 2/3 c. water (or with milk to add protein, calcium and vitamin D) for 2 minutes. Top with granola and some blueberries or raisins. You can also add a scoop of Greek Yogurt for added protein.  Overnight oats – Mix oats, milk, fruit, chia seeds and nut butter. Let sit overnight. Grab & go in the morning. Whole grain bread – Make sandwiches with sliced turkey or tuna salad or toast (try topped with peanut butter & banana). Whole grain wraps/pit...

If you follow food trends, you’ve surely noticed that plant-based foods, recipes and restaurants have been getting a larger share of the spotlight lately. Does this mean that more of us are becoming vegetarians? Should we be? Why more plants? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, nuts and seeds are key features of some of the healthiest diets in the world. Plant based foods are a common theme in the Mediterranean Diet, the DASH Diet and most dietary guidelines. The balance of health promoting nutrients with moderate calories and less of the stuff we should be limiting make plant based foods an easy fit for most people. Looking beyond personal health, to the health of our planet, plant based foods tend to more sustainable and less taxing on the environment. What is a flexitarian? Or a pescatarian? With the expansion of plant foods on our plates has come an expansion of how we refer to the way we eat. Vegetarian still refers to people who don’t eat meat, fish or poultry, but the...

Recent studies focus on the benefits of whole grains in lowering risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic conditions. But what types of carbohydrates should you choose for workouts and for keeping your energy high throughout the day? Incorporating grains into a healthy lifestyle Carbohydrates act as the primary fuel for your brain and muscles. Remember those pasta nights before the big game? The reason for the “carb load” was to increase your glycogen, or your stored carbohydrates, to be available as energy while you exercise. Fast-acting energy sources, such as refined grains, can provide quick energy before, during and after a game or workout. But what about energy over the course of the day, while you are at work or taking care of the kids? Throughout the day, active men and women should consume 6-8 ounces or servings of grains. What kind of grains should I look for? According to the Dietary Guidelines, at least half of your grains should be whole ...

Up to 40% of the food in the US is wasted and never eaten. Considering how many people don’t have enough to eat, the idea of so much food ending up in landfills is startling. Here are some tips on how you can do your part to reduce food waste: Plan Ahead There are two rules of shopping that can help you reduce food waste, save money and improve how well you eat – don’t shop when hungry and bring a list. A good shopping list is based on what you plan to eat for the next week or so. Remember though, that meal planning doesn’t mean you have to cook from scratch every night. Map out days for quick meals, new recipes and no-cook nights of leftovers or eating out. If your shopping includes the local famers’ market, go there first and then make any adjustments to your meal plan and shopping list to include any great finds you weren’t expecting. Choose Wisely Buy what you need. While bulk discounts can seem like too good a deal to pass up, if you end up buying more than you need, the deal may ...

In our busy lives, we often rush through our meals sometimes not even pausing to sit while we eat. This hurried way of eating certainly deprives us of the pleasure of the meal, but could it also be impacting our health? Could all of the distractions be causing us to eat more than we need? Or causing us to make less healthful choices? The philosophy of Mindful Eating seeks to reverse this habit and transform our relationship with food. Eating is one of the few activities that allow us to engage all of our senses. Mindful eating encourages you to take time to explore your food through sight, touch, smell and sound in addition to taste. Your responses to each aspect of your food, whether positive or negative, should be acknowledged, but not judged according to the principles of Mindful Eating. Learning to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to decide when to start and stop eating is also a key aspect of Mindful Eating. How do you know if you are eating mindfully? For starters, if...

Mindfulness is about paying attention. Mindfulness promotes balance, choice, wisdom and acceptance. 1 Mindful eating has benefits that will enhance health and well-being. Mindful eating also allows you to be more aware of physical hunger and fullness (satiety) cues to help determine when to begin and when to stop eating.  Although the trend these days is to eat while working, watching TV, playing video games, or even texting. This type of behavior may result in eating carelessly and more often you may not be aware of feelings fullness, which could result in taking in extra calories that may contribute to future weight gain. Health and proper nutrition may be forgotten while this type of convenience is practiced.  Some tips to help guide you to more mindful eating: Prepare meals or at the very least think about meals ahead of time. Take time to think about and/or prepare the following day’s meals. When you are busy this can take extra time, but it is worth it.   Allow 15-...

With no shortage of diets to choose from, picking the best one can be difficult. US News and World Reports recently released their list of top diets as rated by health experts. The results may surprise you. How did they choose? US News consulted a panel of experts in the fields of diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease and asked them what they thought of the most popular eating plans. The experts ranked each diet on a variety of factors including overall healthfulness, likelihood of helping you lose weight, how easy they are to follow and how beneficial they are for certain diseases like diabetes or heart disease. Which diets ranked highest? The DASH diet took the top spot for best overall diet followed by the Mediterranean Diet and the relatively new MIND diet. The MIND diet focuses on brain health and combines aspects of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. Plant-based diets scored well overall with the Flexitarian Diet taking the #4 spot overall and the V...

As you get ready to leave for Spring Break, you should also think about how you can make healthy choices while you are away and on the go. Making healthy choices will help you feel better, boost your immune system, and increase your chances of staying healthy while you are away. Keep in mind that planning ahead is one of the keys to making healthy choices! TRAVEL WITH SNACKS It is wise to plan ahead and pack snacks and beverages to take on a trip. This will help you make healthy choices and stay hydrated while you are away. There are many healthier options available at convenience stores that you may encounter on the road, such as: Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds Almonds Fresh fruit and veggies A bagel or crackers with peanut butter or another nut butter  Dry cereal Cereal and/or granola bars String cheese and yogurt (if you are taking along a cooler) Hydrating beverages such as water, sports drinks, or 100% fruit juice EATING ON THE ROAD It is important to choose foods...

With assistance from Northeastern graduate student Melissa Pryputniewicz One of the biggest challenges that people who are trying to lose weight face is dining away from home. It is very easy to control what you are eating when you are buying and preparing what goes on your dish each night. It is much harder to make good decisions when you are faced with a restaurant menu. Not only are there a large variety of options (temptation enough), but also you are often in different circumstances than when you are eating at home. You may be out with co-workers who don’t know you are on a diet or you may be over hungry after waiting for your reservation. Several studies have found that away-from-home consumption of food, especially fast food consumption, is linked to a higher intake of calories. Keep the following tips in mind to avoid diet pitfalls while you are dining out. Cut Back on Calories We all know that restaurant foods are high calorie items, so what are some ways that you can watch yo...

A college student's lifestyle can be extremely hectic, leaving little time to think about planning food options during the day. As a student it is important to have some healthy, low-cost food items on hand for snacking throughout the day especially when you have a busy schedule with very few real breaks. Choosing a snack that contains whole grains and some protein together can provide you with a feeling of fullness, which is helpful if you have long stretches between meals. Here are some examples of great snacks to have on hand: Apple or banana with peanut butter Pita chips and/or carrots and hummus Fruit and yogurt Almonds (or other nuts) and low-fat cheese or a piece of fruit Whole grain cereal with milk Tortilla chips and guacamole/salsa Whole grain crackers and cheddar cheese Granola/breakfast bar with milk or a yogurt Some of these snacks can also be great on-the-go breakfast items to fuel your body and brain as well as to ensure that you start your day off in the right direc...