grammiegail
Got ears will travel!
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2005
- Messages
- 142
I'll post my weekly weight loss (or gain.....hope not!) later, but I just got this from a fellow WWer. It's got to be from a magazine or paper, but I don't know the reference. So, please don't accuse me of plagiarism. I would give the reference if I knew it. Any way, it's useful news for our journey to health!
Knowledge is Power
Healthy Eating for Lifetime
Variety, Balance and Moderation
A healthy diet includes all foods. Variety is important because no one food can provide all the nutrients the body needs for optimal health. Try new foods to tantalize your taste buds and vary your nutrient intake.
We can make many possible choices within each food group. Choices may be made to accentuate specific needs like fiber. For example, in the protein-rich 'meat' group, beans are a low fat, high fiber option compared to ground beef. In the fruit group, whole fruit is usually a higher fiber choice than fruit juice.
Foods containing important nutrients can help us prevent disease and even restore our health. Striking a balance between foods that promote health and those that may be risky is important for long term well being. Choose foods that are better for your health more often.
Without a doubt, fats and cholesterol are the single most important group of nutrients to limit in your diet if you want to reduce your risk of chronic disease. Heart disease and cancer, two of this nation's leading killers, are linked to diets high in fat. Other chronic health problems may be exacerbated by high fat diets. Saturated fat, that is, fat that is solid at room temperature, appears to carry the greatest amount of risk.
Alcohol is not pictured on the food pyramid, but if it were it would be in the tip of the pyramid. Alcohol has only empty calories in the way that sugar and most fats do. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol beverages.
Foods and beverages that are less nutritious do not have to be eliminated but they should be consumed in moderation - saved for special occasions. Making healthy food choices can be the difference between health and disease.
Here are some suggestions as to how to get some variety while making sure you include those 5 portions of Fruits and Vegetables in your daily life.
Appetizing salads that go beyond lettuce.
Tossed salads, fruit salads, main dish salads, and more: great ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables! Jazz up your salads for great flavor and good nutrition with a little "salad-making 101." Remember that variety - color, texture, and flavor - is a mark of a great salad. Go beyond salad greens. Any fruit or vegetable can make a great salad ingredient. Try asparagus, cauliflower, celeriac, fennel, kidney beans, or shiitake mushrooms - or banana, berries, cantaloupe, mango, or any dried fruit. Taste the difference! Be a smart dresser. Go easy on the dressing so its flavor doesn't overwhelm vegetables and fruits. And dress it just before serving so the salad stays crispy, not soggy. Turn a side salad into a main dish salad with ease. Try canned salmon tossed with spinach salad, Smoked Chicken in a sweet potato salad, and popcorn shrimp in a fruit salad. For their fresh flavor, homemade crunch, and good-for you fiber, top your salads with croutons, made easily from any Healthy Choice Bread. Simply mix chopped fresh or dried herbs with olive oil. Brush both sides of each slice with herbed olive oil. Cube the bread, then spread the cubes, single layer, on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven on 300°F until crisp and dry.
Savory sauces with the benefits of veggies.
Love tomatoes? Tomato-based pasta sauce counts toward the 5 portions of veggies recommended for the day. For a quick, traditional dish, toss cooked pasta with a cup of any Low Fat or homemade pasta sauce. Or enjoy the convenience of these savory pasta sauces in other ways: Give baked beans a signature flavor. Mix some pasta sauce with canned baked beans, then heat in the microwave oven or simmer on your stovetop. Top your uncooked meatloaf with a little pasta sauce before popping in the oven. Braise chicken breasts or fish filets in pasta sauce on the top of your stove. Smother a baked potato (skin on) with warm pasta sauce, and top with shredded cheese. (Hint: Spray plastic bowls, spoons, and storage containers with Pam® no-stick cooking spray so tomato-based pasta sauce, tomato paste, or tomato sauce won't discolor them.
Nature's sweet desserts
Make dessert calories count! Desserts offer an enticing way to enjoy the nutrient-rich rainbow of fruit. The recommended goal: about 2 cups of nutrient-rich fruit a day. For a tasty and quick fruit topping or filling, puree 1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit (drained) with 2/3 cup ricotta cheese. Another option: puree fruit and ricotta cheese with low-fat yogurt for a pudding-like dessert, topped with sliced fruit or berries. Elegant but easy: berries or sliced, seasonal fruit, served in stemware and topped with a sparkling fruit-flavored drink. Hint: add elegance with a sprig of fresh mint or culinary lavender, or an edible flower. Make an easy ice cream pie. Arrange a layer of slightly softened frozen fruit in a reduced-fat graham cracker crust. Top with low-fat Ice cream, or frozen fat-free yogurt and chopped nuts. Cover well to keep ice crystals from forming on the ice cream; freeze for 2 hours or more to make the pie firm.
Taste of the tropics.
Bored by the basics: apples, bananas, oranges? Get adventuresome; experiment with the growing number of tropical fruits - avocado, carambola (starfruit), mango, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate - in your food "prep." Create a tropical fruit smoothie. Whirl any "combo" of sliced fruit (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple) with pineapple or pomegranate juice and WW Ice Cream. Enhance the flavors of chicken or fish with a tropical fruit salsa. Try chopped mango with black beans, chopped green pepper, chopped green onion, lime juice, and chopped cilantro or parsley. Garnish with tropical fruit: a starfruit slice on a smoothie, pomegranate seeds on a salad or ice cream, or an avocado slice (tossed with citrus juice to retain the color) on a bowl of Tomato soup.
Delicious New Ways To Cook With Fruits & Veggies
Dedicated fruit and veggie eater, or newcomer to the scene, there's always room for advancement. Even if you're at the top of the class for eating fruits and vegetables, how about trying new strategies to boost your fruit and veggie enjoyment? Add to Salads. To meet the fruit and vegetable challenge, add to your salads. For example, toss grapefruit or mandarin orange segments with baby spinach or romaine lettuce. Cover your iceberg with tomato slices and shredded carrots.
Roast Those Veggies. Roasting reinvents vegetables, intensifying their sweetness and other flavors. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and bell peppers are especially flavorful when they're roasted (and they're rich in vitamin A and C). Cover them with a little olive oil, spread them out on a baking sheet, and roast in a pre-heated oven (425 degree F) for 35 minutes or until they turn brown at the edges. Change flavors by adding fresh or dried herbs or spices before roasting.
Keep It Simple. If cleaning, cutting, chopping, and slicing turns you off, opt for frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables.
Knowledge is Power
Healthy Eating for Lifetime
Variety, Balance and Moderation
A healthy diet includes all foods. Variety is important because no one food can provide all the nutrients the body needs for optimal health. Try new foods to tantalize your taste buds and vary your nutrient intake.
We can make many possible choices within each food group. Choices may be made to accentuate specific needs like fiber. For example, in the protein-rich 'meat' group, beans are a low fat, high fiber option compared to ground beef. In the fruit group, whole fruit is usually a higher fiber choice than fruit juice.
Foods containing important nutrients can help us prevent disease and even restore our health. Striking a balance between foods that promote health and those that may be risky is important for long term well being. Choose foods that are better for your health more often.
Without a doubt, fats and cholesterol are the single most important group of nutrients to limit in your diet if you want to reduce your risk of chronic disease. Heart disease and cancer, two of this nation's leading killers, are linked to diets high in fat. Other chronic health problems may be exacerbated by high fat diets. Saturated fat, that is, fat that is solid at room temperature, appears to carry the greatest amount of risk.
Alcohol is not pictured on the food pyramid, but if it were it would be in the tip of the pyramid. Alcohol has only empty calories in the way that sugar and most fats do. Pregnant women should avoid alcohol beverages.
Foods and beverages that are less nutritious do not have to be eliminated but they should be consumed in moderation - saved for special occasions. Making healthy food choices can be the difference between health and disease.
Here are some suggestions as to how to get some variety while making sure you include those 5 portions of Fruits and Vegetables in your daily life.
Appetizing salads that go beyond lettuce.
Tossed salads, fruit salads, main dish salads, and more: great ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables! Jazz up your salads for great flavor and good nutrition with a little "salad-making 101." Remember that variety - color, texture, and flavor - is a mark of a great salad. Go beyond salad greens. Any fruit or vegetable can make a great salad ingredient. Try asparagus, cauliflower, celeriac, fennel, kidney beans, or shiitake mushrooms - or banana, berries, cantaloupe, mango, or any dried fruit. Taste the difference! Be a smart dresser. Go easy on the dressing so its flavor doesn't overwhelm vegetables and fruits. And dress it just before serving so the salad stays crispy, not soggy. Turn a side salad into a main dish salad with ease. Try canned salmon tossed with spinach salad, Smoked Chicken in a sweet potato salad, and popcorn shrimp in a fruit salad. For their fresh flavor, homemade crunch, and good-for you fiber, top your salads with croutons, made easily from any Healthy Choice Bread. Simply mix chopped fresh or dried herbs with olive oil. Brush both sides of each slice with herbed olive oil. Cube the bread, then spread the cubes, single layer, on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven on 300°F until crisp and dry.
Savory sauces with the benefits of veggies.
Love tomatoes? Tomato-based pasta sauce counts toward the 5 portions of veggies recommended for the day. For a quick, traditional dish, toss cooked pasta with a cup of any Low Fat or homemade pasta sauce. Or enjoy the convenience of these savory pasta sauces in other ways: Give baked beans a signature flavor. Mix some pasta sauce with canned baked beans, then heat in the microwave oven or simmer on your stovetop. Top your uncooked meatloaf with a little pasta sauce before popping in the oven. Braise chicken breasts or fish filets in pasta sauce on the top of your stove. Smother a baked potato (skin on) with warm pasta sauce, and top with shredded cheese. (Hint: Spray plastic bowls, spoons, and storage containers with Pam® no-stick cooking spray so tomato-based pasta sauce, tomato paste, or tomato sauce won't discolor them.
Nature's sweet desserts
Make dessert calories count! Desserts offer an enticing way to enjoy the nutrient-rich rainbow of fruit. The recommended goal: about 2 cups of nutrient-rich fruit a day. For a tasty and quick fruit topping or filling, puree 1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned fruit (drained) with 2/3 cup ricotta cheese. Another option: puree fruit and ricotta cheese with low-fat yogurt for a pudding-like dessert, topped with sliced fruit or berries. Elegant but easy: berries or sliced, seasonal fruit, served in stemware and topped with a sparkling fruit-flavored drink. Hint: add elegance with a sprig of fresh mint or culinary lavender, or an edible flower. Make an easy ice cream pie. Arrange a layer of slightly softened frozen fruit in a reduced-fat graham cracker crust. Top with low-fat Ice cream, or frozen fat-free yogurt and chopped nuts. Cover well to keep ice crystals from forming on the ice cream; freeze for 2 hours or more to make the pie firm.
Taste of the tropics.
Bored by the basics: apples, bananas, oranges? Get adventuresome; experiment with the growing number of tropical fruits - avocado, carambola (starfruit), mango, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate - in your food "prep." Create a tropical fruit smoothie. Whirl any "combo" of sliced fruit (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple) with pineapple or pomegranate juice and WW Ice Cream. Enhance the flavors of chicken or fish with a tropical fruit salsa. Try chopped mango with black beans, chopped green pepper, chopped green onion, lime juice, and chopped cilantro or parsley. Garnish with tropical fruit: a starfruit slice on a smoothie, pomegranate seeds on a salad or ice cream, or an avocado slice (tossed with citrus juice to retain the color) on a bowl of Tomato soup.
Delicious New Ways To Cook With Fruits & Veggies
Dedicated fruit and veggie eater, or newcomer to the scene, there's always room for advancement. Even if you're at the top of the class for eating fruits and vegetables, how about trying new strategies to boost your fruit and veggie enjoyment? Add to Salads. To meet the fruit and vegetable challenge, add to your salads. For example, toss grapefruit or mandarin orange segments with baby spinach or romaine lettuce. Cover your iceberg with tomato slices and shredded carrots.
Roast Those Veggies. Roasting reinvents vegetables, intensifying their sweetness and other flavors. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and bell peppers are especially flavorful when they're roasted (and they're rich in vitamin A and C). Cover them with a little olive oil, spread them out on a baking sheet, and roast in a pre-heated oven (425 degree F) for 35 minutes or until they turn brown at the edges. Change flavors by adding fresh or dried herbs or spices before roasting.
Keep It Simple. If cleaning, cutting, chopping, and slicing turns you off, opt for frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables.
Let's knock these pounds away FOR GOOD!!! 
!
At this rate won't make the goal but am happy for any loss.
