The Change to a Healthier Diet

By Traci P.

Growing up on a small farm, I learned the importance of being practical and frugal with food. I also learned a lot about where food comes from. My family had a large garden, fruit trees, and berry patches, and we even harvested wild mushrooms from our woods. You would think that I’d always eaten healthy, having so much great fresh produce all the time. But food and I did not always have a good relationship. It was only the most starchy ‘vegetables’ that ever crossed my lips, as a child and young person.

Corn? Sure! Potatoes? Of course! Green beans? Lettuce? Peas? Broccoli? No way! Though our family’s garden contained all of these healthy veggies (and many more!), and everyone in my family loved them, I just could not bring my taste buds to appreciate them. So, as you can guess, I was not a very healthy kid. Every illness that came around, latched on to me.

It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I finally tasted my first salad. Of course it was loaded with crispy chicken, croutons, and Caesar dressing… But it was a start! I didn’t love it, but I liked it, and I felt good eating something ‘healthy’, so I persevered! As time went on, I found myself making slight modifications, and over many years(and many salads!), I have reached the pinnacle of green veggie consumption: cooked spinach. And I LOVE it! (check out the Healthy Eats section for this recipe – and many others! :)

Even my salads have evolved, from toppings like meat and bread and creamy dressings (to hide the taste of the lettuce) – to fresh baby greens, with a few nuts and berries, topped with a light oil and flavored vinaigrette (again – see the recipe section!). So I am proof that tastes change over time. (Though, my taste for mushrooms has yet to evolve…)

This all means that you should not pigeon-hole yourself into a food ‘pattern’ because you’ve “always hated beets”, or “never liked Brussel sprouts”. You may have just not had them prepared the right way? Be open to trying new things and things you haven’t historically liked – in new recipes – because you never know.

Many people feel that changing their diet for the better seems daunting and unattainable. But, like anything relating to change, small steps over time prove most effective. Consider the things you can do, and the changes you can make. And try not to think in terms of deprivation (or what you’re “not allowed to have”) Think instead, about the benefits of adding something really healthy to your diet. Once you swap in healthier foods, you may find that there’s less ‘room’ for the unhealthy things…

A few small changes to incorporate into your diet:

• Eliminate or cut back on processed foods – Anything with the words “instant” in the description, frozen meals, crackers, cookies… you get the picture.

• Add more greens – Salads!!! J Spinach, Dark Lettuces - such as green or red leaf, romaine, as well as spring mixes. Try to avoid iceberg – as it contains very few nutrients, and is mostly water. *A rule of thumb for fruits and veggies: The darker the color, the more nutrients they contain.

• Add more vegetables in general. Keep in mind that the new dietary guidelines are for half of your plate to be vegetables, the other 2 quarters: whole grains and protein. Look for recipes (even old favorites) that you can ‘hide’ veggies in – or just add them – to increase your nutrient intake.

• Make more meatless meals – Meat is not only hard for the body to digest, it also contains animal fats, which are the most unhealthy. There are awesome meat substitutes that taste a lot like the ‘real thing’. These are a great place to start.

• Swap out butter for a non-animal fat, plant-based substitute, such as *Earth Balance

• Swap out cooking oil for olive oil, coconut oil, grape-seed oil, etc.

• Switch to half whole wheat flour in your recipes when you bake. You’ll be adding beneficial whole grains to your diet.

• Swap starches (potatoes; pasta) with whole grains, such as brown rice, barley, whole oats, quinoa, wild rice.

• DRINK MORE WATER! If you don’t love water try switching, first, to water with a splash of fruit juice in it; then reduce the juice gradually, over time. Sub in ‘flavors’ – add a drop or 2 of essential oils, such as tangerine, lemon, lime, or peppermint in your water. I also like to use a few drops of a good clear, flavored balsamic vinegar in my water. Or, fill a pitcher with water, and drop in a few slices of orange, lemon, lime, a mint leaf, or cucumber; Chill in your fridge overnight, and enjoy the next day. These are all super refreshing, and a great tonic for your digestive system!

• Eliminate or cut back on drinks containing sugar.

• Eliminate artificial sweeteners. Studies prove that they actually ‘trick’ your brain into wanting more sugar; and the potential side-effects are too numerous to mention!

We’ll discuss these swaps in more depth – as well as add other suggestions – in a later installment.

Remember that these are beginning changes to start with. As you find them becoming habits, try taking it up another notch, by letting go of other things that you can replace with healthier options.

Keep in mind that changes are a process, and take time; and that any forward movement is still progress. :)