Recommendations for Healthful Eating Habits
Eat Well for Energy: Refuel by eating consistent, well-balanced meals through the day
Include Food Variety: Include at least 3 different food groups at mealtimes. Vegetables and / or fruit should take up half of your plate
Drink Water: Hydrate with water instead of sweet drinks like soda, juice, lemonade, sports drinks
Eat Mindfully: It takes a few minutes for you to feel full after eating, consider waiting up to 30 minutes after your first serving of food before getting seconds. Put away your screens and electronic devices and take about 15 – 20 minutes to eat your meal
Minimize High-Fat Meals: Try to eat less foods that are greasy or fried
Balanced Snacks: Pair complex carbs + proteins for a balanced snack. High fiber snacks such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, beans, and whole wheat products are a great option to eat during the day
Baking Tips:
● Reduce Fat: Replace half of the butter or oil in baked goods with unsweetened applesauce or other pureed fruit. Using applesauce / pureed fruits in place of fats lowers the fat and calorie content and adds extra moisture
● Use Less Sugar: Reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by one quarter. This will reduce calories, and you probably will not notice the difference
● Choose Whole Grains: Replace up to 75 % of the white flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is higher in fiber, which helps you to stay fuller longer
● Add flavor: When reducing fats and sugars in recipes, add spices and flavorings to give foods extra flavor. Try adding cinnamon, maple extract, almond extract, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, lemon, or orange peel
Cooking Tips:
● Add veggies: Add extra vegetables to casseroles, soups, and other dishes
● Use less fat: Use non-stick cooking sprays, use less oil and butter and choose low-fat or fat-free products.
○ Examples: choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products and lean meats. Instead of using cream to thicken soups and sauces, try adding pureed white beans or thicken 1 % milk with cornstarch( equal parts cornstarch and water or 1 Tbsp cornstarch thickens 1 cup of 1 % milk)
● Canned foods: If using canned fruits, vegetables, or beans, rinse with water 1-2 times to remove excess salt and sugar
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