Transcript Chapter 12 Eating Healthy for Live

Chapter 12
Healthy Eating for Life
Any change, even a change for the
better, is always accompanied by
drawbacks and discomforts.
Arnold Bennett
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Taste, cost, and convenience are
the main reasons many people
struggle to eat good foods
Which of these statements
describes you?
I already eat a healthy diet.
 Some of the foods I eat are healthy,
and I’m willing to try other things to
improve my diet.
 I’m not sure I really want to change my
diet; I like the way I eat.
 I don’t care what I eat.
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What Benefits of Good
Nutrition Do You Like?
___ I feel better.
 ___ I can prevent many serious chronic
diseases.
 ___ I can lose weight or maintain a
healthy weight.
 ___ I feel like I’m doing the right thing.
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Reasons Why It Is Hard
to Eat Healthy Foods
___I don’t like the taste of healthy food.
 ___Healthy food is expensive.
 ___Unhealthy food is convenient, and I
don’t know how to cook.
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Taste Trumps All
Taste is one of the most important
factors to consider when you try to
adopt a healthy diet.
 The trick is to find the healthy foods
you like and make them a regular
part of your diet.
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Healthy Eating Ideas You Might
Like
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Eat fruit with your breakfast every day. Nothing
wakes up your mouth in the morning like a glass of
fresh fruit juice or a piece of fresh fruit.
Add more vegetables to your meals until vegetables
gradually become the focus of the meal; try doubling
the vegetable portion and reducing the red meat
portion by half.
Make substitutions—instead of adding lots of cheese
to your baked potato, try adding green onions,
chives, chili, or even a salad dressing made from
healthy oils.
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There’s nothing like a bowl of hot vegetable stew on a cold
winter day. Add lots of vegetables and let it cook all day.
Serve slices of fresh fruit as an appetizer to start a meal; fruit
also makes a great dessert.
Try different cooking techniques. Root vegetables, such as
sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and acorn squash,
can be oven roasted, cooked in the microwave, or steamed.
Try stir-frying vegetables. It’s pretty difficult to stir-fry
vegetables and ruin them. Try cooking peppers, onions, pea
pods, zucchini, and summer squash; add a little meat and rice,
and you’re ready for a great meal.
Experiment with new cooking methods, spices, and ethnic
foods. If you really want some great-tasting, healthy foods, try
Thai food.
Cost
Cost determines what we do and
don’t eat
 Does it cost more to eat healthy
foods? Some say yes, and some
say no.
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Cost Tips
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Shop on a full stomach; you are likely to buy less food
and make purchases based on good nutrition rather
than the need to feed your hunger.
Shop from a list and try to stick to it.
There are a lot of coupons and discounts for highly
processed foods, especially foods that are new or are
being aggressively marketed.
Use your discounts and coupons to pick healthy
processed foods.
Watch for advertisements in your local newspaper or
in the mail from grocery stores offering sales on fresh
fruits and vegetables. When they are on sale, buy as
much as you and your family can eat and keep them
handy.
Continued…
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When you eat out, chances are you will receive an
enormous plate filled with food. Next time you eat out,
split a meal with a friend or partner. You get plenty of
food for half the price, and you won’t be pressured to
clear your plate.
When eating away from home, commit to eating
healthy.
Don’t order an unhealthy dinner just because you are
eating out. If someone else is paying, order the
salmon!
Start a small garden and plant only the foods you like
to eat. You don’t need lots of expensive gardening
tools or fertilizer; work the soil, plant the vegetables,
water them, and keep the weeds out.
Convenience
In 1995, 40% of the money
Americans used to purchase food
was spent on ready-to-eat foods
away from home.
 Most fruits are also foods of
convenience, but they are not as
highly promoted
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Tips to Make Foods
Convenient
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Use the microwave to prepare veggie-friendly
meals, such as a baked potato with salsa and
broccoli.
Serve low-fat frozen yogurt with berries or
peaches for a fast and easy dessert.
Eat pre-cut veggies with dip.
Try apple or banana slices with peanut butter.
Eat dried apricots and other dried fruits.
Keep a bowl of washed fruit on your counter in
plain sight where anyone can reach it.
Try frozen or canned fruits and veggies.
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Try pre-cut and washed fruits and vegetables if
you prefer them fresh.
Buy bagels when they are fresh and store them
in the freezer. For lunch grab a frozen wheat
bagel when you leave the house in the morning
and by the time you eat it, it will be thawed out.
Take lunch rather than buying something.
Go to www.fastfoodbook.com, It has the Stop
and Go Fast Food Guide to help you select
healthy fast foods.
Get Real—I’ve Got Kids!
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Ideas to help parents eat healthier
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Make funny faces on a plate by slicing apples, bananas,
raisins, dried cranberries (Craisins), grapes, or any other
fruit and then arranging them on a plate so they form a
funny face or a picture. It doesn’t take much effort, and I
guarantee your kids will love it and ask you to do it again
and again.
Kids eat just about anything if it has peanut butter on it.
Don’t think of broccoli as a vegetable, think of it as a
small tree. What little boy wouldn’t like to eat a tree?
Find alternatives to using food as a reward or bribe. Try
stickers, hugs, or small toys, or simply say, “You did
great!”
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For a bedtime snack, try whole wheat crackers,
whole wheat toast, or a bowl of whole-grain
cereal. Sliced fruit also makes a great snack.
Kids warm up with hot chocolate made with
skim milk and a piece of whole wheat toast.
No kid can resist fresh strawberries or
raspberries. Make a parfait with fresh fruit,
yogurt, and granola.
Make waffles and pancakes with whole-grain
flour.
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Make a vegetable soup bomb—hollow out a
whole wheat roll, fill it with vegetable soup, and
put the lid back on it.
Insist that your children eat breakfast.
Substitute! Sometimes you have to resort to
subtle trickery and substitutions. My wife and I
love to eat stir-fried vegetables. When we stirfry, we sauté the meat first and set it aside. The
adults eat stir-fried vegetables with rice and a
little meat. The kids get the meat and a little
rice, but instead of stir-fried vegetables, which
they sometimes don’t like, they get fresh
carrots, snow peas, peas, and sometimes
sliced pineapple.
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Open a can of refried beans (low in saturated and trans
fats), add a bit of cheese and maybe some fresh salsa,
roll it in a whole wheat flour shell, and warm it up in the
microwave. It’s quick and tasty.
Establish a general structure around meal and snack
times and allow eating only at these times. Offer water,
fruits and vegetables, or other healthy snacks if kids are
still hungry between eating times.
Eat meals as a family as often as possible.
Limit soda, punch, and flavored waters to special
occasions.
Teach your kids to cook healthy meals.
Set limits on TV and computer game time. After one to
two hours, it is time to play something else, preferably
something that involves physical activity.
Expect Setbacks
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Everyone has setbacks—this is a
common part of the behavior change
process
Use these momentary weaknesses to
strengthen your resolve
Don’t allow them to create feelings of
guilt and negative emotions
Don’t allow yourself to get into situations
where you are tempted
Set Realistic Goals
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Use fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
Drink water before a meal.
Eat leaner red meat and poultry.
Eat only half of your dessert.
Avoid food portions larger than your fist.
Increase the fiber in your diet.
Drink diet soda, or try to drink more water.
Eat off of smaller plates.
Don’t eat late at night.
Skip seconds.
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Skip buffets.
Grill, steam, or bake instead of frying.
Use vegetable oils instead of solid fats.
More carrots, less cake.
Don’t skip meals.
Eat more celery sticks.
Keep to a regular eating schedule.
Choose fruit for dessert.
Consume alcoholic beverages in moderation, if
at all.
Share a restaurant meal with a friend.
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Grill vegetables.
Eat before grocery shopping.
Choose a checkout line without a candy display.
Make a grocery list before you shop.
Buy 100% fruit juices instead of soda and sugary drinks.
Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and other low-fat seasonings.
Remove skin from poultry before cooking to lower fat content.
Eat before you get too hungry.
Don’t skip breakfast.
Stop eating when you are full.
Snack on fruits and vegetables.
Top your favorite cereal with apples or bananas.
Try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta.
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Include several servings of whole-grain food
daily.
When eating out, choose a small- or mediumsized portion.
If main dishes are too big, choose an appetizer
or a side dish instead.
Ask for salad dressing “on the side.”
Try a green salad instead of fries.
Eat sweet foods in small amounts.
Drink lots of water.
Limit yourself to one “treat” a day.
Points to Remember
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Keep thinking about the benefits of
eating a healthy diet.
Healthy foods can be tasty too. Try
different recipes, make small changes,
and don’t be afraid to experiment.
There is little difference in the cost of
eating healthy foods versus unhealthy
ones.
More Points to Remember
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Convenience is not really a barrier to
good nutrition. There are lots of healthy
foods that are “fast.”
Kids can learn to like healthy foods. You
need to set a good example and be
creative.
Everyone experiences failures and
setbacks. Be patient and take small
steps.