Having a Health Food Lifestyle

02/16/2011 11:18

What is a Health Food Lifestyle?

Dieting has become way too popular. It’s one of those fads that you see and hear everyone doing; and as far as I’m concerned, dieting went out of style when bell bottom jeans went out. So, let’s redirect our attention to something healthier, something that works, is low cost, and doesn’t take so much time and energy to do! Let’s focus on our health food lifestyle. That doesn’t mean you have to give up chocolate, burgers, trips to McDonalds, and ice cream, but it does mean learning what foods are good for you, how to balance your meals and figuring out good portion sizes. With that said, don’t go and grab your king size snickers bar and then follow it with a trip to the store to get some ice cream, that’s not really what I was going for. All food is good in proportion and all food is bad in proportion. 

First, let’s learn what foods are good for us. This might take you back to gym class when the teacher pulled out the food triangle chart and everyone sighed. Well, this time, don’t fall asleep and try to follow along. There just might be something you don’t want to miss this time.

Good Fats:

·         Avocado

·         Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·         Olives

·         Flaxseed Oil

·         Canola Oil

Good Proteins:

·         Boneless, skinless, chicken or turkey breast

·         Egg whites

·         Fish and shellfish

·         Ham, fat-free

·         Pork Tenderloin

·         Red Meat (Top Sirloin, Flank Steak)

·         Red Meat, lean

·         Turkey Bacon

Good Carbohydrates:

·         Bagel, whole wheat

·         Beans (Baked Beans, Kidney, Black, etc.)

·         Bran muffin

·         Bread (whole wheat, rye, pita or pumpernickel)

·         Cereal, whole grain

·         Couscous

·         Crackers, whole grain

·         English muffins, whole wheat

·         Hummus

·         Lentils

·         Oatmeal

·         Pancakes

·         Pasta or noodles (whole wheat)

·         Potato or sweet potato

·         Rice, brown or wild

·         Waffles, whole wheat

·         Wheat Berries

·         Tortillas, corn or whole wheat

 

Good Dairy:

·         Cheese, low-fat

·         Cottage Cheese, 1%

·         Feta Cheese

·         Goat Cheese

·         Mozzarella, part-skim

·         Parmesan cheese

·         Skim milk or Low Fat milk

·         Yogurt, nonfat plain

Fruits

·         Apple

·         Apricots

·         Banana

·         Cantaloupe

·         Cherries

·         Dried fruit

·         Fresh-squeezed juice (or 100% juice)

·         Grapefruit

·         Grapes

·         Kiwi

·         Mango

·         Nectarine

·         Orange

·         Papaya

·         Peach

·         Pear

·         Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries

·         Strawberries

·         Tangerine

·         Watermelon

Vegetables

·         Asparagus

·         Beets

·         Bok choy

·         Broccoli

·         Brussels sprouts

·         Cabbage

·         Carrots

·         Cauliflower

·         Celery

·         Collard greens

·         Cucumber

·         Eggplant

·         Kale

·         Lettuce

·         Marinara sauce

·         Mushrooms

·         Peas

·         Peppers

·         Spinach

·         Sprouts

·         Squash

·         String beans

·         Tomatoes

·         V-8 Juice, low sodium

·         Vegetable soup

Good Condiments:

·         BBQ and other low-fat sauces and marinades

·         Fat-free dressings

·         Mustard

·         Honey

·         Pure fruit jams

Good Snacks:

·         Cheese (string cheese)

·         Cottage cheese, 1%

·         Dried fruit

·         Frozen yogurt, nonfat

·         Frozen fruit bar

·         Fruit sorbet

·         Mini rice cakes

·         Peanut butter with celery sticks

·         Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios), no salt added

·         Turkey jerky

·         Yogurt, nonfat plain

·         Snickers bar, mini size

·         Dark chocolate, mini size

·         Pretzels, snack bag size

·         Popcorn, lite

·         Tortilla chips, lowfat

Eat everything in moderation. Don't limit yourself because you'll crave it more! Eat a few bites of the brownie you want and be done with it or get the child size ice cream and enjoy it.

Being healthy and eating healthy may not be the same thing. Although you might be eating healthier foods (like those listed above), you may not be healthier because you’re eating too much. Example: If I’m on a 2,000 calorie diet (eating only “healthy” foods) and I reduce my calorie intake to 1,700 (eating only sweets, minimal vegetables, and lots of fats) I will lose weight. What does that tell us? Portion size matters. So those “skinny chic’s” that you despise because they nibble on their salads but eat chocolate, ice cream, and everything that you have to smack your hand away from…are skinny because their calorie intake is less than the amount of calories they burn in a day. Although, the point of not eating only junk food to lose weight is to reduce health risk factors in the future and to give yourself foods that produce more energy (not that make you crash and hungry for more). Making smart choices means eating good-for-you foods (to prevent heart attacks, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, etc.) and watching your portion sizes so that you don’t gain weight.

  

For the Love of Cooking,

Aubrey Lisa