Back in the hectic swing of things with summer nearly over? Cook smart—even if you run in ten directions on a 24/7 schedule! Fast forward healthful eating for your family table. Stock up. Buy quick-to-fix ingredients: canned and frozen fruit, vegetables, beans; pasta and rice; yogurt and cheese; canned soup; pasta sauces; partly prepared ingredients
Did summer leisure relax your resolve to eat smart? If so, now’s a great time to get back on track, with an eat-smart strategy to try: food trade-offs. Trading off means thinking about all your food choices for a day, then substituting. For a food with more fat, sugar, salt, or calories, trade in a
This semester, why not bone up on nutrition with a reliable health guide to shelve between your favorite cookbook and your family medical book? Although covers may be eye-catching, you can’t always judge a book by its cover alone. Look deeper. Author’s credentials. Is the author a well-respected professional, such as an RD (registered dietitian)
Ready for two-way convenience in a healthful meal? Go for one-dish dining—one nutrient-rich dish to prepare, one pot to wash! In both restaurants and supermarkets, “food bowls” and other one-dish prepared meals are attracting time-pressed diners. Yet the cost for fully prepared convenience may be five to ten times more per pound for what’s inside.
Are you a coffee drinker? If you’re among the majority of Americans who are, how does coffee fit into your fitness plan? The weight of scientific evidence indicates that moderate coffee and caffeine intake (200 to 300 milligrams daily) poses no health problems. And there’s no scientific link to cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, heart disease
Need to trim a few pounds, or avoid gaining anymore? Try these tricks of the savvy weight trade: Serve on a salad plate. Less looks like more. Start low. Eat salads, vegetables, and other lower-calorie foods first. Smaller portions of higher-calorie foods follow. Pick foods you chew. Eat fruit, instead of juice. Fiber is filling.
Don’t let that big one get away! Omega-3s in fish—and some plant-based foods—help promote heart health, which is one reason why the American Heart Association (AHA) advises eating fish, particularly fatty fish, at least twice weekly. Albacore tuna, anchovies, herring, lake trout, mackerel, salmon, and swordfish are among those with the most. Tofu, other soy
What lower looks like a fruit and was enjoyed as training food and trophy by ancient Olympian athletes? Figs! Figs are a terrific source of both insoluble and soluble fiber, aiding digestion and helping to lower cholesterol levels. What’s more, they supply some potassium, iron, and calcium—more than other fruits. And figs contain polyphenol antioxidants
But . . . Remember when tap water was the only water? Now marketers tout health benefits of another so-called option: waters enhanced with vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Are they any better for you? Despite claims, probably not. First, the calories: Added sugars flavor many enhanced waters, and the calories add up. Second, the add-ins:
Bon appetito! Italian pasta, risotto, and polenta not only deliver complex carbs. They’re also perfect partners for a colorful array of veggies, fiber-rich legumes, and small portions of meat, poultry, and fish. The fat? Mostly heart-healthier monounsaturated olive oil. For an Italian-style flavor today: Add fagioli (white beans) to minestrone soup or pasta sauce. Prepare