Think about the five food groups when planning meals
Building a healthier plate can help you meet your nutrient needs and maintain your weight. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories.
When planning your meals, think about the five food groups. Most of what you eat each day should fit within one or more of these groups. You can also make smarter choices, for example, drinking skim milk instead of 2% milk, selecting unsweetened applesauce instead of the sweetened, eating 95% lean ground beef instead of regular (75% lean) ground beef.
Also think about how the food was prepared. Do you really need that greasy fried chicken? Skinless baked chicken would be a much healthier. Eating fresh fruit is a better choice than picking out a strawberry pastry from the bakery and calling it your “fruit for the day.” Steamed broccoli with low fat shredded mozzarella cheese is a much better choice than a broccoli casserole with processed cheese and crumbled potato chips on top.
Does it matter how much carbohydrate, protein, and fat you eat? Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are components of foods and drinks that provide calories. Calories matter when it comes to body weight. You should not select a diet that avoids or severely limits carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Similarly, you should not select a diet that avoids any of the five food groups. There are choices within each food group that provides the nutrients you need, without too many calories.
Get started focusing on the foods you need:
■ Eat a breakfast that helps you meet your food group needs. People who skip breakfast often weigh more. Eating a nutrient-dense breakfast may help you lose weight and keep it off.
■ Have healthy snacks available at home and bring healthy snacks to eat when on the go, such as carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter, or whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese. I always carry a small bag of unsalted almonds in my purse for emergencies.
■ Replace high-calorie foods with lower calorie foods. You can eat larger portions of these foods for fewer calories.
I am sure many of you are already saying, “This is impossible” or “it won’t work with my family.” Do any of these statements sound familiar?
I don’t like fruits and vegetables…. Explore the wide range of different vegetable that are available and choose some you are willing to try. If you do not like cooked vegetables, experiment with salads and raw vegetables. Try mixing vegetables in a stir fry or vegetable soup. Add fruit to salads, make fruit smoothies or snack on dried fruit.
I don’t/can’t drink milk…. You don’t need to drink milk, but you do need the nutrients it provides. You can get these nutrients from yogurt, fortified soymilk or from low-fat cheese. OK…I admit, I’m fairly sure I’m never going to try soymilk. Milk or other foods from the dairy group can also be incorporated into many foods and drinks, including lattes, puddings and soups.
My family members don’t like these foods…. I’m worried about spending the time and money preparing them if they don’t get eaten…. Be patient when introducing new foods to your family. I can remember having very loud, colorful conversations with my dad when he tried to get me to eat asparagus as a child. In fact, I still remember the day a bowl of spinach went flying over my head when he had enough of my bellowing about the unfairness of it all. Today, asparagus is my absolute favorite vegetable: steamed, raw, sautéed or chopped up in casseroles, I’m a huge fan. If you show you like the food, your family is more likely to like it too. Also, encourage family members to pick out a new food to try. If you have leftovers, portion them out and freeze them for another day.
Fruits and vegetables are too expensive…. It is possible to fit vegetables and fruits into any budget. Buy fresh fruits and veggies that are in season; they are easy to get, have more flavor and are usually less expensive. Also, use frozen or canned varies, just watch the sodium and sugar. Check with the produce manager at your favorite grocery store. They often have a set day each week when they “mark down” their produce.
CREAMY FRUIT SALAD
Makes 8 (½ cup) Servings 70 Calories per Serving
Wash hands with soap and water.
Put pineapple chunks in a medium mixing bowl.
Prepare apples, banana and orange as directed and add to bowl.
Add yogurt to bowl and mix gently with a spoon until fruit is well coated.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Tips: For a different taste, try adding different fruits like blueberries, grapes, melon or peach slices. Try other flavors of low-fat yogurt.