Eating Healthy Shouldn't Be That Hard

Forget everything you have ever heard about healthy eating for a moment.  Chances are much of what you think you know about healthy eating is more fiction than fact. People are bombarded with messages of what not to eat or what to eat that are often conflicting and confusing.  So let’s back up a few steps and boil healthy eating down to 3 easy steps to start with.

Planning the Meal

Choose at least one food from four of the key food groups of MyPyramid: protein, whole grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy and healthy fats. This will help assure you have a balanced meal.

Sample Healthy Meal:

• Cheese-filled whole wheat tortellini (dairy and whole grain)
• Topped with chunky vegetable pasta sauce (vegetable) and a drizzle of olive oil (healthy fat)
• Side of grilled chicken breast (protein)

Portioning appropriately

Often it is not just what we eat but how much we eat.  An easy way to get used to eating the right portions is to use a divided picnic plate.  The meat and starches go in the two smaller sections, while the fruit and veggies fill larger half plate section.  What about mixed dishes like the one above you say?  Get a cereal bowl that holds no more than 2 cups. Fill the bowl once and avoid going back for seconds.

Vary the Colors You Eat By Adding More Fruit and Veggies

• The more variety of color you eat over the day, the more likely you are getting a variety of health promoting nutrients.
• Red fruits and vegetables are a good source of the antioxidant, lycopene, for cancer prevention.
• Deep orange veggies are good sources of vitamin A for healthy eyes and skin.
• Dark greens are good sources of lutein, an important nutrient for eye health.
• Blue and purple fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants that support brain and heart health.

The Challenge

For the next four weeks, try adopting these simple steps into your daily routine. Once you have mastered these, you will be ready for the next level.