Guess What? Healthy Eating Can Be Delicious, Too!

When most people think of dieting, they think of eating a never-ending stream of flavorless meals and unappealing snacks that are boring, bland and just plain unappetizing. That’s a shame, because losing weight isn’t about eating dull, boring food – it’s about making healthy food choices, and that means eating lots of delicious foods that are as good for your palate as they are for your waistline. In short, making smart food choices means you:

• aim to remain within your calorie intake limit for the day
• eat lots of vegetables and moderate amounts of fruit, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy foods
• include lots of healthy protein choices like lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, and nuts
• limit your saturated and trans fats, salt (sodium), cholesterol, and added sugars

It also means you eat the right amounts of healthy foods. When determining how much to eat, a good guideline is to fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with a whole grain food.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite “comfort” foods, either – you just have to learn to limit them. Let’s face it: If staying on a healthy eating plan meant giving up every food we love, very few of us would ever manage to stay the course. Making healthy food choices means you can still enjoy those favorite foods, but you need to enjoy them in moderation – which is what you should be doing anyway.

For instance, you might try:

• Eating comfort foods less often. Figure out how often you indulge, and then cut back; for instance, if you eat a food daily, try cutting that back to once a week.
• Choosing smaller portion sizes. This is a good step for most people, since we tend to have much larger portion sizes today than in past generations. When eating out, pack away half your food in a to-go container as soon as your plate arrives.
• Opt for a lower-calorie version. Love mac and cheese? Mix in some carrots and broccoli for belly-filling fiber and a healthy dose of vegetables without losing any flavor. Try substituting full fat ingredients for low-fat and fat-free options.

Depending on each person’s needs, eating healthy can mean something different to every individual. At the Clinical Nutrition Center, we provide nutrition education aimed at helping patients make the healthiest decisions for lasting weight loss.