Color Your Lunch & Dinner: Ideas, Tips & Resources

Last post, I discussed how to Color Your Breakfast in celebration of March's National Nutrition Month theme, "Eat With Color."  This post will feature the other two meals of the day - lunch and dinner.

Lunch
Lunch happens in a variety of places for most people – it could be at home, but many times it is in the school cafeteria, at your desk at work, at a restaurant with co-workers or clients or even in your car from one appointment to the next. Lunch is one of those meals that need to be easily navigated so you can get it done quick and onto your next task for the day. Here are some suggestions to make your lunches colorful regardless of where you are.

School Cafeteria
I am a big fan of empowering your child to make their own choices at lunch, which is a good training ground for the real world when they are older. Depending on where you are on what I call the Three E’s of Optimal Child Nutrition, this can be more difficult or easy. Print off the school menus each week and spend some time doing meal scenarios with your child. Most school districts are trying to improve the quality of their offerings and most have to comply to USDA nutritional standards if they participate in the Free and Reduced Breakfast and Lunch Programs. There are always at least 2 produce colors served with each meal – it’s a matter of selecting them. Encourage your children to participate in this fun Color Challenge so they can be even smarter and stronger!

If you choose to have your child to bring a lunch from home, I still encourage you to bring your child into the choice selection. Please note that I am not suggesting that you simply ask your child what they want – that is what we call short order cooking (or bagging in this scenario!). It should be an effort that you and your child do together. Provide your child two acceptable choices to choose from when it comes to food and you will be more successful with acceptance. Provide one item that they choose on their very own so they don’t feel too controlled. Be sure to review my blog post entitled School Lunch vs. Brown Bag: Obvious Choice? You will find many food suggestions there and also some below at the ideas below packed up for the kids.

Whenever possible, have your children be
part of the food production process!

Lunch At Or From Home
Lunches from home can be easy, quick and healthy. Here are some ideas from the Nutrient-Rich Foods Coalition that are even broken down by *calorie amounts:

200-300 Calories
Tuna on Toast: Mix 3 ounces water-packed tuna with 1-1/2 tablespoons light mayonnaise. Spread on 2 slices toasted whole wheat bread and top with romaine lettuce and 2 slices tomato. Serve with a small orange.

Pita and Peanut Butter Surprise: Spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter inside a 4-inch whole wheat pita pocket and stuff with 1/2 cup sliced strawberries. Serve with 1 cup fat-free milk.

300-400 Calories
The Comfort Zone: Spread 2 slices whole wheat bread with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter. Make a sandwich with 2 ounces sliced reduced-fat cheese, such as smoked mozzarella, and grill. Serve with 1 cup tomato basil soup.

Dressed-Up Leftovers: Slice 3 ounces leftover grilled or roasted sirloin steak. Mix with 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

400-500 Calories
Decision-Free Favorite: Place 3 ounces lean ham and 2 ounces low-fat Swiss cheese on a whole grain bun. Top with 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard and romaine lettuce. Accompany with a small sliced apple.

Bistro Bite: Layer 3 ounces sliced lean roast beef on a sourdough roll and top with spicy arugula leaves and 2 tablespoons mashed avocado. Serve with 1 ounce sweet potato chips (about 10 chips).

Restaurant or Catered Meals
Restaurants and corporate sponsored catered meals have a tend to make many of my adult patients nervous. No need to fear! The first thing you want to do is look for color. On restaurant menus, you can search down vegetable side dishes made with minimal fats like oils and butters. Salads are wonderful choices as long as you are careful with the dressing amount. Choose at least 2 produce colors! My two favorite resources for healthy eating while dining out is the American Heart Association’s page that lists tips by cuisine and a fairly new site called Healthy Dining Finder where you can plug in the zip code you are at and it lists restaurants that fall within their healthy criteria. Save both those sites as your favorite!

Catered meals can be a bit more complicated. Before I went into dietetics, I was in corporate marketing and I saw the catered meals firsthand. And yes, there are certainly meals that do not have one produce item like the traditional barbecue (that may have coleslaw) with high fat meats and sides. But often times you get the sandwich and chips meal boxes. If you don’t have low-fat and colorful choices, I do not suggest that you skip the meal. Instead, keep the lunch well-portioned so you don’t break the bank on calories.

Dinner
Dinners can be a struggle for many families, especially those with children going to this activity and that after school. In my home, we all get there and my young children are like little chicks with their mouths open looking at me! They are already ready to eat. That is why dinners need to be quick, easy, but also healthy and tasty. That can be a tall order.

Here are some ideas by *calorie level, once again, by the Nutrient-Rich Foods Coalition. Check out their website for more ways to eat nutrient rich.

300-400 Calories
Good-for-You Grill: Marinate 3 ounces salmon in orange juice. Grill with 1/2 cup baby red potatoes, 1/2 cup onions and 6 asparagus spears tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Serve with a crusty whole grain roll.

Palate-Pleasing Primavera: Sauté 2 teaspoons garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss in 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup asparagus, 1/2 cup mushrooms and 2 tablespoons shredded carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Mix with 1 cup cooked penne pasta and top with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

400-500 Calories
Very Veggie Pizza: Spread a 3-ounce whole grain pizza crust with 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Layer with thin slices of the following: 1/2 cup roasted potatoes, 1/2 cup red onions and 1/2 cup green and red peppers. Top with 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. Bake according to crust package directions.

Family Favorite: Top 1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta with 3 ounces cooked ground skinless turkey breast or very lean ground beef mixed with 1/2 cup Italian-style tomato sauce. Serve with 1 cup spinach salad tossed with 1 tablespoon low-fat Italian dressing

*To find your calorie needs based on your age, gender and activity level, go to MyPyramid.gov and choose “Get a Personalized Plan” in the top right list of selections.

Colorful Meal Resources
By now, you probably know that The Six O’Clock Scramble newsletter is one of my favorite recipe resources. If you didn’t, check Aviva Goldfarb’s service out that achieves the impossible trifecta – quick, healthy and tasty. When you subscribe, you get 5 recipes in your e-mail inbox once a week and it comes with a shopping list for all the ingredients. Don’t think one of the recipes looks good to you? No problem. Log into your account on her website and pull that recipe off and search her database for a recipe you would like to try. You can regenerate the shopping list with your 5 recipes! All her recipes have nutritional information and suggestions for side dishes. There are additional features being added to The Scramble newsletter, so keep a lookout.  Aviva has published two cookbooks that feature many of the newsletter recipes if you choose to have a book rather than the weekly newsletter.

Meal Makeover Moms: Healthy Meals with Kid Appeal website is a must save in your favorites. Janet Newel Bissex and Liz Weiss, both registered dietitians, have developed this website chocked full of free recipes, tips and commentary on producing kid-friendly meals. I will admit that I just ordered their two cookbooks myself – the most recent one entitled, No Whine with Dinner and their original book The Mom’s Guide to Meal Makeovers so I haven’t reviewed them yet. But if they are as good as everything on their website, we will have some great cookbooks for our own families and to suggest to others.

The Nutrient-Rich Foods Coalition is a great website resource on keeping color in your meals throughout the year. Also, the Fruits and Veggies More Matters continues to add awesome tips to their website including gardening tips, ways to get your children involved with food and of course, meal and shopping tips.

Mommy Dietitian Color Challenge Winners Kit

There is only 5 days left to participate in the Mommy Dietitian Color Challenge! There is still time for you. Post your colorful family plates on the Mommy Dietitian Facebook page and you can be the one that receives the winner’s kit I revealed this past week. It contains Eat Right With Color-themed apron and wooden salad spoons and a wonderful book for your family library entitled 365 Days of Healthy Eating by the American Dietetic Association. This books shows you how to combine nutrition with taste, give tips on grocery shopping and also has over 60 recipes to try on your family.  But we all know the real gift to you is better nutrition and health, right?

As always, if you have any tips or colorful recipes that you would like to share, I would love to hear from you!

Color Your Breakfast: 10 Quick Ideas

By now, hopefully you are well into taking my Color Challenge in celebration of National Nutrition Month. But there may be one meal that you may be struggling to color over the other – especially 2 colors of ½ cup equivalent in produce. Breakfast is often that meal for people. I have to admit that lately I have only had one produce color with my breakfasts, so this message is for me as well.

The key with breakfasts is that they need to be quick and easy since we are all so busy and my nutrition platform is all about practicality. Here are 10 ideas to get you and your family going each day:

- Scramble an egg with 1 or more choices of veggies (any leftover potato from dinner, peppers, onions, mushrooms), an ounce of mozzarella cheese rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla served with fresh berries.

- Crockpot steel cut oatmeal topped with small amount of cranberries, an ounce of nuts served with a ½ cup of vegetable juice.

- Spread a whole grain bagel with your favorite nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) and serve with a side of apple and orange slices.

- Layer your favorite low-fat yogurt (regular or Greek) with crunchy cereal or reduced fat/sugar granola and mixed berries.

- Top your favorite low sugar, high fiber cereal (<10g sugar, at least 3 grams of fiber) with raspberries, chopped apples and low-fat milk.

- Stuff a whole wheat pita with a sliced, hard-boiled egg and low-fat shredded cheese and a side of kiwi and a ½ cup orange juice.

- Make a low-fat smoothie with yogurt and a variety of fruits such as banana, kiwi, berries and mango. Serve with a couple slices of rye bread with margarine.

- Top a whole grain waffle with yogurt, cinnamon and 2 different colors of fruit.

- Add lean ham or turkey with swiss cheese to a whole grain English muffin. Serve with ½ cup of cranberry juice and a 1/2 sliced melons.

- Peanut or almond butter sandwich with banana on whole grain bread and a side of grape tomatoes.

Remember, there is no breakfast police! If you don’t prefer breakfast food then just eat some healthy leftovers from dinner for breakfast or even a sandwich with spinach, tomato and sprouts with a side of fruit. This is the most important meal of the day, so don’t skimp too much on time and not get it in.  Wake up 15 minutes earlier if you must. What is your favorite breakfast? I’d love to hear from you.

We’ve got about 12 days left before the Color Challenge is over. Remember to post your colorful plates on the Mommy Dietitian Facebook page and you just might be the one that wins the mystery prize. Even if you don’t post, check out the page because others are and are giving some great ideas for us all!  Special thanks to Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RD with Wellness News at Weighing Success and Dietitians-Online who made an inspiring video of how her family with many special needs members are taking the Mommy Dietitian Color Challenge. I encourage you to watch for many reasons, but I want to point out that she mentions a great healthy cookbook that you can get for free - no strings attached - through a governmental website. For those getting this post in an e-mail, log onto my blog to watch this video which I posted below.

Take the Color Challenge -- Dietitians, Too!

March is National Nutrition Month and the theme this year is “Eat Right with Color.” I absolutely love this theme because it crosses over all ages, genders, health levels and socioeconomic levels. It really emphasizes the nutrient-rich approach to healthy eating, which has been my platform from the start. Don't think of food as just a means for weight control.  Food is such a powerful tool in your life toolbox that can help you achieve all your goals in life, not just your health goals. Our minds and bodies work better when we eat lots of colors.

Why colors? Check it out – every color represents a health benefit in your food! Produce for Better Health Foundation really does a wonderful job at listing out each color and the health benefit associated with that color. And then they list all the produce under that color for ideas! I don’t know about you, but this really drives home the reason in my mind why our bodies we need food variety. Even if we think we eat a lot of healthy foods, they may be the same foods day after day. Change it up, go to your local farmers markets, or spend more time in the produce section and browse the selections. Make a point of choosing new produce for your family to enjoy.

We are into day 11 of National Nutrition Month and this is a perfect time to issue you a challenge. Why?  Because Registered Dietitian Day was on March 9th and we celebrate our profession for all the efforts put forward to keep consumers healthy. There are dozens and dozens of blogs that are written by dietitians that are currently blogging about National Nutrition Month. That means there is a lot of evidence-based, practical ways on how to get more colors in your family’s diet.

So here’s my challenge to you: Between NOW and March 31st make it a goal to get at least 3 different colors on your meal plates. Try to make at least 2 of those colors to be of produce. You can count the other color as a lean meat or a low-fat dairy or even some type of whole grain because those are important complements to the perfect plate. Post your colorful plates on the Mommy Dietitian Facebook page and anyone that does, will be given a chance to win a mystery prize at the end of the month! I'll grab everyone's name again and put them through randomizer.org.  Hmmm…what could it be?  And dietitians, don't think you are exempt from my challenge.  My family and I will be taking the challenge on and I'd love to see your colorful plates on the Mommy Dietitian Facebook page as well!  Feel free to include recipes. :)

In honor of the recent Registered Dietitian Day, here are my favorite dietitian-associated websites that will provide great ideas on coloring your plates and learning more about nutrition:

American Dietetic Association
EatRight Kids
Professional Nutrition Therapists Blog
Robinsbite
Jennifer Neily Newsletter
Wellness News at Weighing Success
SuperKids Nutrition
Raise Healthy Eaters
Just the Right Byte
Meal Makeover Moms
Healthcastle Nutrition
Nutrition Unplugged

Two great sites that have a dietitian blog directory!

Dietitians Online
Nutrition Blog Network

I know I am missing more great of my great colleagues blogs, so if you are an RD, feel free to leave your blog in the comment section or post it on the Mommy Dietitian Facebook page.

For my family, one of our favorite multicolor easy meals is good ‘ole fajitas. We live in the heart of Texas where Tex-Mex is plentiful. This recipe is controlled on calories and explosive on nutrients and flavor.

You can get traditional fajitas very colorful by adding your
favorite sauteed veggies and topping with fresh corn salsa.

Colorful, Very Veggie Fajitas

1 lb of your favorite protein (lean beef, buffalo, fish, pork, soy or chicken)
½ each of yellow, red, green bell pepper, cut into long slices
1 small purple onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 T canola or olive oil

Directions and suggestions: Heat oil in a sauté pan. Add all the vegetables and sauté until soft. Add protein choice and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Wrap fajitas in whole wheat tortillas along with ripe tomatoes, spinach leaves topped with your favorite corn salsa and low-fat shredded cheese. Serve with some black or refried beans with dallop of low-fat sour cream.  Serves 4.

Spring time is coming and it’s a perfect time to get nutrition maximized – Happy National Nutrition Month, Everyone.  I will be featuring colorful plates all month long.   Next week, we'll start with breakfast ideas.  Let me hear from you that you are taking the challenge!

Healthy Habits Giveaway – Amazing Package!

We are all about healthy family habits here on Mommy Dietitian, so we wanted to keep them going with a fabulous giveaway. The National Pork Board recently did a Healthy Habits 2011 Survey and learned that 60% of those surveyed believed that sticking with healthy habits can be more difficult than learning a new language, quitting smoking or even winning the lottery! Because of this, The National Pork Board has graciously provided a wonderful gift package which will assist you with your family’s healthy habits, that includes:

Enter to win this wonderful package.  Act quick!
This contest ends at midnight on February 28, 2011.

• $25 of complimentary pork cuts of your choice
• A large assortment of spices to complement lean pork cuts and inspire flavor-filled healthy meals
• A sauté pan for cooking your favorite lean pork recipe
• A digital meat thermometer to ensure that your healthy meals are delicious yet safe
• BPA-free glass food storage containers
• A digital pedometer to help you measure your success in the new year
• Eating Well’s 500 Calorie Cookbook that includes healthy pork recipes

Pork: The Other White Meat
Pork really is the other white meat. Just like any meat, the key is leanness. Here are some tips:
• Choose cuts of pork that come from the loin – including chops and roasts – and 96% lean ground pork, which are the leanest cuts of pork available.
• In addition to protein, look for foods high in fiber like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains to help keep you fuller.
• Ham It Up - What’s the key to long-term dieting success? Finding healthy foods that taste great and make you feel fuller, longer. Yet, only 30% are aware that pork can increase the feeling of fullness.
• Meat-Myth Busters - Reducing fat is essential to healthy eating. Too bad that nearly half of Americans (46%) don’t know that pork tenderloin is as lean as a skinless chicken breast, and 23% mistakenly think it is fattier than chicken.
• Swine Sans Salt - There’s no rule that diets can’t be delicious. Cut out the salt without forgoing flavor. Only a third (33%) of Americans know that fresh pork is low in sodium. Its versatile cuts pair well with a variety of flavors year round.

NEW Recipes:

One-Skillet Pork with Wild Rice and Herbs
Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers
Game Day Pork and Chile Wraps

How The Giveaway Works

Get one entry for doing one or more of the following:

- Take the Mommy Dietitian Family Nutrition Survey (only 5 questions!): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7PMY7RQ Comment below to let me know you did this anonymous survey.

- “Like” the Mommy Dietitian Facebook Fan Page. If you get one of your friends to “like” it, then you will both get an entry! In other words, for every person you get to “like”, you can an entry. Document this on the Facebook page or comment section below this post.

- Follow Mommy Dietitian on Twitter! We are getting close to 1000 followers and we’d like to surpass it with this giveaway. If you are already following, get others to follow and document this via a direct message on Twitter or mentioning the giveaway with @MommyDietitian handle and a link to this giveaway post. For every person you get to follow Mommy Dietitian on Twitter, you also get an entry. For every tweet where you mention @MommyDietitian along with the giveaway link, you get an entry.

Enter to win through Monday, February 28th at midnight. One winner will be selected using Randomizer.org. Good Luck!

Disclaimer:  Mommy Dietitian and Angela Lemond, RD, CSP, LD has not received any monetary compensation from the National Pork Board, nor is employed in any way by this organization.  They only supplied the prize pool.

Food Quantity: Portion Control or Intuition?

As I continue my years in the nutrition and wellness industry, I find that there is often a division between dietitians that subscribe to one or the other philosophy when it comes to food quantity: portion control or intuitive eating. I see blogs and articles heavily promoting one or the other. But I would argue that these two approaches are not mutually exclusive of each other. They are both important approaches that can be used together for optimizing health. I was recently interviewed by a company called Healthy Steps by Jokari – a company that sells practical kitchen tools, including very useful portion control gadgets. They asked me what portion control means to me. The interview is provided here, although the video interview did not allow for me to expand on these concepts. So let’s explore this discussion in a bit more depth as we look at portion control, intuitive eating and another important eating approach – meal frequency.

Portion Control: Portion control is a tool that is used to show standard and appropriate serving sizes of foods. Examples of portion control tools would be comparing a deck of cards to represent 3 ounces of meat, or a baseball to represent a serving of starch or starchy vegetable. Or, even the useful products that companies like Healthy Steps sell to consumers that help load your plate with standard portions.  Portion control tools are meant to be a guide to what the USDA decides is an appropriate portion for most Americans based on research. Again, it’s merely a guide. In fact, I wish we renamed this to a more friendly approach – portion guidance. The word “control” seems so militaristic in nature and that is what turns many intuitive eating promoters off to this helpful tool. This approach was never meant to be something that would relinquish our right to listening to our own bodily cues. Portion guidance systems also help us to make sure we are eating enough of a given food. We are encouraged to eat a certain amount of fruit and vegetable servings each day (go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to get your own custom plan by plugging in age, gender, weight, height and activity level) so we need to know how much a serving is.  Portion guidance seems to be especially helpful for my patients that were raised in the "clean plate club" and are now psychologically unable to end a meal until their plate is cleaned. They need to have a jumping off point to set up their plates, and then dial in the intuitive eating concepts. We use standardized portions when prescribing constant carbohydrate diets for diabetics in order to optimize blood sugars.  For instance, one portion of carbohydrate for diabetics is 15 grams, and they must know what those portions are in order to dose insulin and/or to stay within their carbohydrate prescription.  As you can see, portion guidance is a very useful tool in a variety of situations.

But before we talk about intuitive eating, let’s insert another eating approach here that sets us up well – meal frequency.

Meal Frequency: Americans are leading busier than ever lives and often times we go way too long to eat. Most of my weight management clients either skip meals or go way too long between meals. Many times this causes a person to not be satisfied by an appropriate meal portion. In fact, this can cause them to overeat in order to make up for the lost calories earlier in the day. My recommendation, consistent with current research, is to make sure you eat three solid meals and also include 1-2 in-between those meals in order to decrease your risk of (or treat) obesity. That way, you never come too hungry to a meal. Let’s be honest, it’s difficult to make optimal food choices when you’re starved. More than weight control, the correct meal frequency optimizes energy levels and  promotes both normal blood sugars and cholesterol levels. I do find that my patients get used to not eating breakfast and they ask me if they should eat even when they don’t feel like eating. This is the one meal of the day where I would say...yes. Your body needs to be re-trained to eat with regular frequency, and this will help start the progress.

And now we have intuitive eating.

Intuitive Eating: Meal frequency and portion guidance set-up allows us to practice intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is a nutrition philosophy or approach that encourages us to tune into our bodies more and eat for simply the feeling of hunger. Living in a world of multi-tasking, it can be difficult to do what seems like such an obvious thing. But we do. We eat because the clock tells us to do so (and we try to push our kids to do the same!), or because of stress, or boredom or a variety of emotional reasons. This approach is very important and something that all people should look at in their own lives. Many times people are not overweight because of food, but because of outside influences that drive us to eat in order to soothe our feelings or emotions. Obesity caused by emotional eating can dredge up fear around food because emotional eaters don’t feel in control in its presence. Intuitive eating concepts are important for the ex-clean plate clubber or the busy parent or the emotional eater. Let’s get back to the basics and eat for real physiological reasons. If you find that you are an emotional eater, consider getting support by a counselor or psychologist that specializes in this field.

When it comes to food quantity, all these 3 approaches - in my opinion – are great tools to be used together for optimal health. The right meal frequency combined with guidance using standard portions and then letting intuition do the rest. Combine that with food quality, and you are well on your way to living your best life!

New USDA Dietary Guidelines - Done Cheap!

The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released on Monday. The press conference was attended by many dietitians on the world wide web, and all the while we were discussions were in real-time on Twitter. At the press conference, one of the age old questions was raised. I am paraphrasing, “How does the average American that is struggling in this economy feed their family the way these guidelines recommend?  Healthy foods are expensive!” Many of us in “Twitterland” were wishing they would have provided the public some good examples, but they answered only in generalities. Is a bag of chips really cheaper than a bag of frozen veggies? What about a box of twinkies?

Unfortunately, the report that was put together in order to come up with the guidelines revealed that children eat the bulk of their calories from grain-based desserts, yeast breads, processed chicken, sugary drinks and pizza. In other words, our children are overfed, yet are still undernourished.  This post will list the foods the USDA wants us to eat MORE of along with some budgetary tips (utilize the active links!) on how you can do this without blowing your monthly budget.

Increase vegetable and fruit intake, which includes eating a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green and red and orange vegetables and beans and peas. My local grocery store often sells 10 bags of frozen vegetables for $10. The other day, they had a sale on canned foods where you only pay 26 cents for 20 cans! You have to watch the sales and then buy in bulk when able. But remember, frozen is about equal to fresh on nutrient quality and very low sodium canned vegetables and canned fruit in their own juices are just a close second. You can often buy bags of beans for less than $1. Consider searching out a produce co-op in your local area or visiting your local farmer’s market. Locally grown produce usually contains superior nutrient quality since it’s farm to plate distance is shortened, and you get to support your local farmer. If your funds are really tight, government programs or WIC cards encourage for the purchase of produce items through special incentives.

Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. Increase whole-grain intake by replacing refined grains with whole grains. Make your own breads! Make your own pancakes by adding half whole wheat or buckwheat flour. Start your day off with a big batch of steel cut oatmeal in the crockpot. Purchase things such as wild rice, whole wheat couscous, brown rice and barley in bulk or in the bags versus the boxed varieties. Cook them in large quantities and eat them throughout the week. Add these grains with beans, top with a low-fat cheese – serve with a side salad or frozen veggies for a super easy and nutrient-rich meal!

Increase intake of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages. Generic brands of milk are often cheaper. Look for dairy items that are on sale. Blocked cheese is cheaper than the pre-shredded. Purchase yogurts in the larger containers instead of the single serve for big savings. Use dried/powdered milk for recipes.

Choose a variety of protein foods, which include seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds. Bulk, bulk, bulk. Remember that 3-4 ounces is a portion – decreasing portion sizes for each family member is a huge cash saving!

Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry. Shop ethnic grocers such as Asian stores, as they have a tendency to have cheaper prices. Look for frozen bags and canned seafood on sale.

Replace protein foods that are higher in solid fats with choices that are lower in solid fats and calories and/or are sources of oils. Higher fat meats may seem lower in price, but how much are you paying for the actual meat of that portion? You actually get LESS protein per pound than lower fat/lean cuts. So pound for pound, you pay MORE for the nutrients found in fattier meats. Food for thought!

Use oils to replace solid fats where possible. I am sure you have noticed by now, but canola oil is much cheaper than olive oil. I like canola oil because it has the least amount of saturated fat (~7% as compared to ~15% in olive oil) large percentage of omega-3 “heart healthy” fat. Canola oil can be used for both baking and cooking, so it’s very versatile.  Again, look for savings in the generic or store brands.

Choose foods that provide more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, which are nutrients of concern in American diets. These foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and milk and milk products. Make budgetary room for low-fat dairy in your diet because dairy will help you achieve potassium, calcium and vitamin D. Beans of all kinds are a fabulous fiber and nutrient source that could be enjoyed alone, added to salads, soups and casseroles.

Other Tips

Be Flexible. Maybe your favorite food items are out of your budget. Remain patient and there will come a sale. Explore other foods. You might find something you like better! And the more variety we have, they better nourished we are.

Plan Ahead. Shop for your groceries one full week in advance in order to avoid the eating out trap. Eating out excessively leads to both budget and belt busting every time!

Bulk and freeze. This will not only save you money, but will also save you time – two precious commodities these days. Free resources for doing this can be found at http://www.menus4moms.com/bulk/index.php and http://bulkfreezercooking.com/. Be sure to choose the healthy recipes!

Grow your own garden. Again, eating on a budget demands that flexibility! There are a lot of resources for first time produce gardeners.  What a fun thing to do with your children and as a family.  Don’t have enough room outdoors? No problem. Many people are growing all kinds of produce indoors.
Brown bagged your lunches. Many of these components not only save you money, but they also help you stay on track with your healthy lifestyles. You can bag healthy food items that go on sale or even eat leftovers from last night’s dinner.

Be on the lookout for sales and good coupons. Grocery stores have weekly specials that can be found in a saver book located at the front of the store. You can also shop for coupons online at websites such as http://www.coupons.com/, http://www.couponsurfer.com/ and http://www.smartsource.com/. Consider taking a look at the coupons to help plan your weekly menu. You can search for recipes by ingredient at websites such as http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.gov/ (under Recipes) and http://allrecipes.com/search/ingredients.aspx.

You can read more about all the recommendations in the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines by going to http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/.

Are your food budgeting tricks not listed? Share them with us!

Healthy Resolutions: A Healthy Parent = A Healthy Family

Well, it’s the end of the first month of the new year. Have you set any healthy resolutions?  Have you thought about how you plan to make 2011 healthy/healthier for your family?  What message does your personal lifestyle communicte to your children?  I think these are all questions we should contemplate for the sake of our family's future wellness.

I was contacted by Everyday Health to provide answers to very important questions regarding New Year’s Resolutions and wellness goals. As a big advocate for being a healthy role model for children, I felt it was important to answer these questions for all moms and dads trying to make 2011 the healthiest year yet. Many of these questions discuss weight loss and getting fit, however, they can be used for other nutrition and wellness goals as well.  So here we go!

Make 2011 your family's heathiest year yet!

1) We all make New Year's resolutions, and often these resolutions involve weight loss or fitness goals. But many of us quickly lose traction and don't achieve our goals. What are the psychological and emotional reasons behind these failures?

A person truly needs to be ready to make changes.  Any purposeful, positive change in life is rarely an easy thing, so you must be dedicate time and effort.  In those that come to see me for nutrition guidance, I usually can tell in the first session if they are truly ready to make the changes needed to achieve their goal.  Confidence and optimism at the start of any effort are both critical. Confidence certainly feeds into optimism and vice versa. Believe that you can achieve the goals that you set before you. Check your confidence level – and make sure you go into your resolutions with the right attitude. 

2) What is the biggest mistake people make when making a resolution?

They don’t get specific enough with that their resolution(s). They cannot just say, “I want to be healthier in 2011.” Well, what does that mean? And how do you plan to go about doing that? Goals need to be written down along with a game plan on how to get there and posted with a completion date. Lastly, choose an accountability partner that knows about the goals you have set and have them follow-up with you on your progress.

Are you setting yourself up for failure when you make a New Year's resolution to lose weight or get fit?

I don’t believe so. I believe every single day brings with it a new beginning – a renewed opportunity to head down the optimal path in any area of your life. Your past mistakes should be seen as learning curves, and not as a gauge to how you will do going forward. So, whether it's a new year, a new month or even a new day - they all bring with it a chance to start fresh.

3) How do you set reasonable, healthy expectations when you resolve to lose weight or shape up at this time of year or any other time of year?

One must resolve not to fall prey of fad diets or quick fixes. Many out there are desperate to get the result and this is the cause of that temptation. Instead, set very specific, realistic and measurable goals that include just a couple impactful nutrition goals and a couple exercise goals. Again, write them down and have someone else sign the document with you for accountability. Re-evaluate those goals and objectives every six weeks or so to work through any stumbling blocks or just to adjust goals to fit your progress. This helps to keep the challenge going as you get closer and closer to your goal.

4) What kind of support should you seek to help you achieve your goals?

I truly believe the guidance of a Registered Dietitian (RD) in the area of nutrition expertise is extremely helpful. RDs are nutrition scientists that practice evidence-based nutrition that are also equipped to assist in goal setting, accountability and practical tools that will help you get there. Dietitians that work specifically in weight management and wellness have experience working with many types of people and can tailor a plan that fits your specific needs. You can find an RD in your area by going to the American Dietetic Association website at http://www.eatright.org/.

5) What are three things you can do to improve your chances of success before you make a healthy lifestyle change?

1. Be motivated to live a healthy lifestyle for more than body weight only. In my experience in working with hundreds of weight loss clients, I find that most of those only motivated by weight loss or attaining a number on the scale are the least successful. But those wanting to have more energy, optimize their health, feel better – are the ones that do better. The cool thing is that the weight takes care of itself! I believe that this is true because the desperation leaves the scene and it allows a person to fully grasp healthy lifestyle concepts. Come to the realization that everything flows from a healthy body and you want to be healthy for more than a jean or dress size. Do you want to be a better parent? Do you want to climb the ladder in your profession? Do you want to positively influence others? It is all more achievable from a healthy and well body.

2. Clear the clutter out of your life. What are you involved in that is keeping you from living a healthy lifestyle? Many times we are involved in too many activities and they are not really nourishing to our lives. You may need to make a life goal list and then tailor all that you are involved in to that life goal list. Bow out of things that do not align to that list.

3. Know what a healthy lifestyle is and what it isn’t. Healthy lifestyles ebb and flow with the changes and adaptations of life. It should not be a militaristic approach that doesn’t allow for flexing. It is the simple changes made over time that have their biggest and long lasting impact.

6) Why is it so hard to keep the weight off after a diet, and what can you do to maintain weight loss?

Many people go on fad diets and they are very impractical – some 500 calories a day or less. Crash diets do nothing to train you for the real world. Again, seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian so they can put together a reasonable plan that will allow for a modest weight loss per week. Modest, but consistent weight loss preserves lean tissue – which is what drives the rate at which you burn calories. We lose lean tissue just by aging. We don’t need a fad diet’s help to do that for us!

But also, much research has shown that people that have previously been overweight need to be even more active to maintain a lower body weight as compared to others that have never been overweight. High levels of physical activity (one hour most days of the week) must be a regular part of a successful weight loser’s life. Other great things have been learned by the National Weight Control Registry out of Brown Medical School. Check it out!

7) Can you rearrange your life in any way to make it easier to avoid diet temptations?

If there is any food in your home or office that sends you into poor eating patterns then I would suggest keeping those foods away to avoid the trigger. Instead, enjoy them in moderation away from your everyday location. Also, your taste buds change as you start eating more nutrient-rich foods. After having lowered sugar and fat in your diet for a period of time, many people find when they go back to eating those foods they seem much richer and more sugary than before.

We also must dismiss all those reasons why a person may eat when not hungry. Be sure to address any emotional reasons why you might be turning to food when making changes to your lifestyle. If needed, seek the help from a counselor or psychologist and they can help you identify your deeper issues here.

8) What advice do you have for people who just don’t like to exercise or who avoid it for other reasons?

I say that a weak heart wants to stay weak. What I mean by that is that your heart is a muscle. When you are sedentary, the heart muscle gets easily fatigued. I don’t know about you, but it’s a scary concept to think about having a weak heart! It’s the organ that pumps blood to everything else. So I say, challenge yourself. Start off slow and observe the feelings after exercise. The body is made to move and must do so in order to be healthy. Don’t’ decide to work out or not to workout based on emotions. Do find something that interests you, but don’t decide to work out because you “don’t feel like it.” I absolutely love running, but there are still times that my mind tries to talk me out of it - and I teach this stuff! Set your exercise goals by detailing what days and times you plan to do them and follow through. I never regret going for a run. On the contrary - I say, “whew. I am so glad I did that!!”

9) When you’re making a resolution to improve your health, who should you recruit to be on your wellness team?

Annual medical checks by your physician are vital. In addition to being followed by a dietitian, encourage your loved ones to join you. Surround yourself with like-minded people and you will be more successful. As your lifestyle changes, you may surely find that the things you used to like to do will change as well. And that may involve a shift in the people you hang out with on a regular basis.

10) It’s easy to make excuses when you’re juggling work and family responsibilities. How can you make time for your resolutions in a hectic schedule?

Prioritize. If you truly feel something is important in your life, you will find the time. Bottom line: If you think you don’t have time for something, it’s truly not that important to you yet.  Ouch!  Yep, I said it.  It's just the truth.

If you have set any healthy New Year’s Resolutions, I would love to hear from you by commenting below. Or, if you have had past success by setting New Year’s Resolutions, let me know what component(s) of your plan helped to make you successful. Let’s all learn from each other!