Easy Ways to Eat Healthy(er)

By: Leah Shannon

“Eating healthy” has major pejorative connotations to a lot of people. The noun “cardboard” becomes a simile used way too often — and unfortunately with quite good reason sometimes. There is also the impression that one’s diet has to undergo some sort of revolution. Not quite. Baby steps. A slow burn can be had. Here is where I would start.

1. Buy organic
Yes, it should be called “Whole Paycheck” not “Whole Foods”. But its worth it. Organic produce, for one, has no pesticides and organic meat does not contain added hormones or antibiotics. I mean, no one asks you ” would like a side of Malaoxon with that strawberry smoothie?” Also, organic produce is less likely to contain GMO material. And organic farmers typically practice more sustainable farming methods than conventional ones. If you would like to prioritize what produce to buy organic, the Environmental Working Group releases the “Dirty Dozen” list of most contaminated produce every year (there’s even an iPhone app for it!) http://www.foodnews.org/

So, before you spend on those next pair of shoes, just put it in the organic bank. And you don’t have to buy from Whole Foods either. Most metropolitan areas have a co-op and farmers’ markets abound.

2. Eat Whole Grain
Throw out the white bread. Please . Whole grain bread nowadays does not taste like hardcore wheat. They even make whole grain white. Try to make sure that you get at least 3 g. of fiber per slice of bread. And always make sure that the first ingredient is WHOLE WHEAT or other whole grain. (Multigrain does NOT mean whole). Brown rice, if you grew up on white rice, may be a little harder to switch to but I really honestly can say that I do not miss white rice. Do the 50/50 transition. Mix white and brown for a week then slowly ease out the refined stuff.

Whole grain packs more fiber. And the benefits of fiber range from digestion to cancer prevention.

3. Limit sugar
Okay, I admit, this is even harder than number 2 (at least for me). But there are many alternatives out there (and the DO NOT include carcinogenic artificial sweeteners). Honey, maple syrup, STEVIA. Please use Stevia if you use aspartame or sucralose. If you bake, halve the sugar content and replace the rest with stevia. I tell you, no one will notice. Eat more fruit for dessert. Say no to soda. A GREAT alternative is juice mixed with seltzer (this is the only soda my kids know) — think Orangina or Pellegrino Soda but made at home. Rather than candy, give fruit leather, raisins, dried plums (formerly known as “prunes”), other dried fruit (preferably naturally dried without sulfur). Of course, there is no substitute for chocolate, but if you must, try to get dark chocolate.

4. If you eat meat, replace at least one red meat meal with white meat. (Or better yet with beans or tofu!)
I think that there has been enough consumer education about the health benefits of reducing red meat and meat intake in general. I am not asking you to go vegetarian but there are great facts on the effects of saturated fats on heart health from the American Heart Association and the effect of meat consumption on cancer/diabetes prevention and survival are discussed on The Cancer Project’s website.

5. Eat vegetables.
Eat a rainbow! If you must choose one color, make it green. If you really, really hate it — try this toddler technique: Buy bags of frozen organic vegetables (spinach, broccoli, squash, etc.). Steam and puree (separately, not together). Place in ice cube trays. Freeze. Defrost a few each day. Mix into your food e.g. If you are having pesto, just throw a couple of cubes of defrosted pureed spinach in your bowl. You won’t even know its there! Choose a vegetable closest to the color of your food (a tip from Jessica Seinfeld). Now try it. And say it with me. “Thank you, thank you, Sam I am!”

And like I said, baby steps.

Leah Lizarondo Shannon is an Integrative Nutrition Counselor and Food Educator. She founded FullWell and works with the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine as a Food for Life instructor. More information at www.befullwell.com