14 Tips to Eating Healthy

Are you in need of an easy main course, quick snack or simple ways to shop, prepare, and safely handle food? Here are 14 quick and easy ways to eat healthy, while still loving every bite. Enjoy!

Tip #1: Sweet potatoes are super nutritious and yummy to boot! They’re loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Mix in a 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1 tbsp of all-natural nut butter for extra moisture and sweetness.

Tip #2: Instead of chips, try munching on asparagus or edamame for a quick snack. Both are delicious lightly steamed. Throw some in your lunch box for a snack or add to your salad for a nutritious boost.

Tip #3: For an easy vegetable side dish, steam a bag of fresh or frozen spinach for 2 or 3 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or parmesan cheese for some added flavor.

Tip #4: For a quick, healthy pizza, buy a whole-wheat crust and top with a low-sodium spaghetti sauce, sauteed onion and red pepper, and any other favorite vegetables. Add some diced chicken and a modest amount of shredded light cheese for some protein power. 

Tip #5: Make a delicious homemade sorbet by freezing 4 cups of your favorite berries or melon chunks, then combining them with a half cup of orange juice in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Tip #6: Read nutrition labels carefully. Remember to check the serving size and consume 1 serving per sitting. Look at the ingredients list and avoid any foods containing partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or artificial flavors. 

Tip #7: Choose whole-grain breads, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta instead of the white, refined varieties. You can also experiment with other whole grains such as quinoa, teff, bulgur, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, oats, spelt, or barley.

Tip #8: If all you have on hand is full-fat salad dressing, mix it half-and-half with vinegar or lemon juice to reduce fat and calories.

Tip #9: Uncut garlic and onions lose their flavor if you store them in the refrigerator. Instead, preserve their freshness and taste by keeping them on the kitchen counter: onions in a bowl and garlic heads in a container that gives them a little air.

Tip #10: Afraid of undercooking your fish? For white fish, a fillet of 1 inch should be sauteed for 5-7 minutes total while a 1/4 inch thick fillet will take from 2-4 minutes to cook. You want the fish to be opaque and flaky, but still moist.

Tip #11: When buying chicken, stick to the breast and drumstick. They have far fewer calories and far less fat than the thigh and wing.

Tip #12: Looking for a flavorful lower-fat cheese? Jarlsberg Lite, a delightful Swiss cheese available at most deli counters, has only 2 grams of saturated fat per ounce. (Most cheeses have 5 or 6 grams.)

Tip #13: Treat all raw poultry, seafood, and meat as if they were contaminated with bacteria. Wash your hands, sponges, and serving utensils carefully in hot, soapy water after touching them and before touching anything else. Never put cooked meat or poultry back on a plate that contains raw juices.

Tip #14: Leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours of cooking the food. If cooked food has been left out for more than 2 hours, throw it away. (Reheating will not destroy some pathogens.) If refrigerated leftovers won’t be eaten within 2–4 days, freeze them.