Tips to Spring Clean Your Diet
Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
mcdanielnutrition@gmail.com
Spring is finally here! As you swap out your winter wardrobe for springtime attire, those summer shorts hopefully fit just as well as they did last year! However, if they are just a bit more snug, I've got a couple of tips to "spring clean" your diet and shed that unwanted winter weight.
Cut out Processed Carbs from One Meal
Processed carbs like bread, pasta, pretzels, crackers, cereal, and chips, (the list goes on) are easy foods to over eat, and typically don't offer much in terms of nutritional value. Remove those foods from one meal, each day. For example: at breakfast, swap out refined grains like Special K cereal and toast for two hardboiled eggs and a bowl of fruit. Perhaps at dinner, double up on the vegetables and leave out the white rice or bread. Instead of pretzels for a salty snack, substitute edamame for a similar satisfying, yet, healthier snack. Keep your goal reasonable by only focusing on these changes at the one meal in which carb control seems to be more of an issue.
Be Aware of and RE-WRITE your "Eating Scripts"
In Brian Wainsink's book, Mindless Eating, the food psychologist describes repetitive and unconscious eating patterns as "eating scripts." An example of an eating script might be the bowl of ice cream you always serve yourself after dinner while you wind down watching TV. Maybe it's the post-work pantry raid you do before dinner is ready.
What are your "eating scripts?" How can you re-wire that script to help you eat less or eat better? Maybe taking a post dinner walk with your spouse 2-3 nights a week can replace the TV eating?
Add in More Fruit
Dieting is often associated with "removing" foods from our diet, but let's change the mindset and "add-in" something healthy. How many servings of fruit do you eat a day? Shoot for 3 servings. This goal works even better if a bowl of strawberries replaces ice cream for an after dinner treat or an apple replaces an afternoon candy bar. Prep those fruits so they are easily accessible and in your line of vision when making food choices. For every piece of fruit you add to the kitchen, remove a less healthy "sweet" food like those Oreo cookies or pop tarts. Check out the delicious recipe below: Spinach and Strawberry Salad for ways to add fruit to dinner.
De-Clutter That Kitchen
There is no doubt that dieting takes work, and if you're disorganized or stressed, arranging
your personal environment (and kitchen) can create a space that makes it easier to do what you aim to achieve. Cleaning and organizing your eating and cooking space can make preparing healthy foods easier.
Here are some simple de-clutter tips:
• Get rid of expired items and "trigger foods" (you know what those are...)
• Re-group like foods together and make healthy foods easily accessible so that you reach for them first.
• Create an easy-to-use spice section. Spices make bland foods taste great, and should be used as part of your cooking process.
• Clean out that refrigerator door. I promise you aren't going to change your mind about that expensive salad dressing you thought you'd like!
Chicken and Strawberry Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
4 cups torn romaine lettuce
4 cups arugula
2 cups quartered strawberries
1/3 cup vertically sliced red onion
12 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted cashews, halved
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Preparation
1. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring constantly with a whisk.
2. To prepare salad, combine romaine and next 4 ingredients (through chicken) in a bowl; toss gently. Place about 2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cashews and 2 tablespoons cheese. Drizzle about 4 teaspoons dressing over each serving.
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 333
Fat: 16.4g
Saturated fat: 4.9g
Monounsaturated fat: 8.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 2.1g
Protein: 32g
Carbohydrate: 14.8g
Fiber: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 83mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 347mg
Calcium: 156mg
Source: Cooking Light MAY 2009