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Wonderful
Soy
| Revisiting Oatmeal
by Nikki Goldbeck
There
is nothing novel about making food resolutions each January
- and abandoning them before spring arrives. But with a new
millenium upon us, this year anything seems possible.
If
one of your life goals is to remain vital, active and healthy,
the dawn of 21st century is a superb time to take stock.
Trying
to change your eating habits may seem like a huge undertaking.
Not so! You may be surprised to discover that sometimes just
a few simple modifications can dramatically improve your health
and cut your risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
On the other hand, if you think your diet needs a total overhaul,
you don't have to tackle it all at once. Making changes at
your own pace is the only way to arrive at a healthy way of
eating that becomes a routine way of life. Remember, no single
food provides all the elements you need for good health. This
is why a varied menu was, is and will always be important.
Throughout the coming year we will explore many steps you
can take to optimize your diet. To begin now, here are some
actions you can take with surprisingly little effort at mealtimes.
2000
STARTS WITH BREAKFAST
It
could be that eating any breakfast at all is a big change
for you. If skipping breakfast is part of your routine, this
is the place to start. Going for long stretches without eating
puts your body in "starvation" alert, which means it tends
to hold on to stored fat. Not surprisingly, people who eat
in the morning have less trouble managing their weight. They
perform better at work, at school and at the gym. Reports
also indicate that breakfast-eaters handle stress better and
are less depressed. Preparing breakfast doesn't have to be
time-consuming. Moreover, if you are already in the habit
of eating breakfast, there may be some things you can do to
improve this meal.
- To
save time, prepare for breakfast the night before. One
executive I know lays out his breakfast table when he
clears up the dinner dishes.
- Buy
ready-to-eat cereals that are made from whole grains and
not loaded with added sugars. Look for someting that you
like with at least 4 grams of fiber (2) and no more than
6 grams of sugar per serving (4 grams equals one teaspoon).
- Oatmeal
is one of the easiest ways to get a whole grain at breakfast,
even when you eat out. Another good choice is Wheatena,
the whole grain form of farina. There is also a creamy
brown rice cereal that can take the place of refined cream
of rice at breakfast time.
- Fortify
hot and cold cereals by adding a tablespoon or two of
wheat germ and some chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds
(with their "good" fats).
- Top
cereal or pancakes with fruit and yogurt.
- Instead
of pastries for breakfast, spread whole grain toast or
crackers with skim milk ricotta cheese and top with fresh
berries or sliced bananas.
- Bring
some vegetables to breakfast by adding mushrooms, onions,
green peppers or leftover cooked vegetables to omelets
and scrambled eggs.
- Many
people think bagels are a smart choice. But bagels seem
to grow bigger every year. Some now weigh as much as 5
ounces, which is the equivalent of eating 5 pieces of
bread! And even those that are called "whole wheat" are
made mostly with refined grains. Whole wheat pita is a
better bet.
 FAVORED
LUNCHES
So many people are away from home at lunchtime that this meal
is often problematic. If there is no place to go for a lunch
you can live with, you might need to plan ahead and pack one.
But no matter where it comes from, it doesn't take much to
improve your options.
- Eat
sandwiches on whole grain bread. When you shop, you can
tell if breads are whole grain by reading the ingredients.
Make sure you see the word "whole" before wheat; plain
wheat flour is the refined version.
- When
preparing sandwich fillings, like tuna salad, add chopped
sweet pepper, celery, cucumber, radish, jicama, and similar
crunchy vegetables. Use nonfat yogurt to replace at least
half the mayonnaise.
- Load
sandwiches up with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, cucumber
slices, avocado, and the like.
- Use
mustard on sandwiches instead of butter or mayonnaise.
- Take
half the meat or cheese from overstuffed sandwiches and
save for another meal.
- Replace
the jelly in peanut butter sandwiches with sliced fresh
banana, apple or pear.
- Instead
of sandwiches, try bean - and vegetable - containing soups.
- Add
raw vegetable sticks or a salad to the meal.
- When
you go out for pizza, order it light on the cheese and
add some vegetable options to the topping.
- If
it's Chinese take-out day, concentrate on dishes that
include vegetables and use this as an opportunity to try
tofu (ounce for ounce, just as much protein as meat, yet
low in saturated fat and high in healthful phytochemicals).
- Drink
water with your meal rather than a soft drink .
DOING
IT RIGHT AT DINNERTIME
After
a long day, many people are too beat to put in much effort
at dinnertime. It really doesn't take extra time, though,
to put more emphasis on plant-based foods. In fact, one of
the easiest ways to get a well-balanced meal on the table
is to prepare one-pot or one-bowl dinners with lots of tasty
ingredients all in the same dish. Add a whole grain bread,
and dinner is ready.
- Add
vegetables to soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries, pasta
sauce, and all combination dishes.
- Make
salads with a variety of "greens" such as romaine and
leaf lettuces, arugula, endive, spinach, radicchio, shredded
red cabbage, as well as iceberg lettuce.
- Enhance
salads by piling on additional vegetables, beans, nuts,
fruit, and other fanciful ingredients.
- Make
your own salad dressing with a flavorful vinegar such
as balsamic, raspberry or a variety steeped with herbs
or fruit. This way you can use less oil. Extend dressings
by adding nonfat yogurt to make them creamy.
- Poach,
steam, bake, roast, broil, grill or stew foods instead
of frying.
- Planned
"leftovers" make the next lunch or dinner easier.
- When
you prepare beans or grains, make enough to last for several
meals.
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Wonderful
Soy
| Revisiting Oatmeal
|
