Part 2: How Do I Start Eating Healthy?

As a child, your parent or guardian is responsible for what you eat and drink. Unfortunately, childhood malnutrition is not exclusive of American children. For one reason or another, parents don't always provide their children with the proper nutrition. I was one of the lucky ones who's mother always set a balanced meal on the table. Dinner usually consisted of vegetables (including salad), starch (potatoes, rice, or pasta), meat, and dairy (milk or cheese).

When you become a teenager, you may have some input into meal choices. Unfortunately, most teens go for quick and tasty, not necessarily healthy. My daughter was an exception and even tried a 21-day vegetable fast at one time.

Now you're an adult and more aware of what you eat. You are the one in charge. How do you start eating a healthy, balanced diet if you weren't raised that way or you just got lazy and ate whatever? I have good news! You don't have to make some drastic change - you know, paleo (whatever that means) or gluten-free or fat-free or whatever the latest trend they're pedaling on the media.

Take your basic menu and adapt. Add good things and remove the unhealthy. That sounds simple enough doesn't it? Don't go cold turkey or chances are you won't stick with it.

Here are a few changes I would suggest. Add one or two at a time and before you know it, you'll be wondering why you ever ate your old diet.

My first change would be to add vegetables. If you're not in the habit of eating a salad with your meals, start. Salads or raw veggies of any kind add bulk causing you to eat less and still feel full. They also add fiber which improves digestion. Another way to eat more vegetables is to add them to whatever you are cooking. For instance, I have a Sausage Pasta recipe that calls for bell pepper, onion, and garlic with a pound of Italian sausage and a pound of fresh pasta. I add mushrooms, spinach, and sometimes zucchini. Just by eating more vegetables, I started losing weight. What recipe do you like that could improve by adding more vegetables?

Another way to add more vegetables is to grow your own. If you're anything like me, you're more likely to eat something you grew for yourself. If you don't want to be bothered with a garden, make it a point to buy vegetables from your local farmers' market. If that alternative is not available, find a store with a large selection in their produce department. The fresher the vegetables, the better they taste and the better their nutritional value.

 On the flip side, I also lower the amount of sausage to one-half pound and use about half the pasta called for in that recipe. (Another benefit to using less meat, is a lower grocery bill - meat is expensive!) Don't completely remove an ingredient, especially one you really like, just cut it in half. If you have a dish that calls for 1 cup of cheese, use 1/2 cup. You're not as likely to feel deprived.

I tend to think of potatoes, rice, and pasta as 'filler food'. My mom could stretch a pound of hamburger to feed ten people by adding more pasta and sauce until you could hardly find the meat. Cut down on your carb consumption by replacing potatoes, rice and pasta with a different vegetable or just leave them out. Some replacements could be sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, mushrooms, etc. Replace your white bread with whole grain. Why cut down on carbs? Carbs change to sugar. (If you're active and just wanting to eat healthier, don't worry about the carbs; you probably need them.)

I like to stick to natural foods so replace sugar with honey. Honey is so much better for you. Excessive use of sugar has been linked to problems with arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and shocker of all shockers, obesity. Artificial sweeteners aren't much better.  I still love a good dessert and enjoy baking cookies, pies and cakes. I just don't indulge that often. I've noticed that I just don't feel as good when I eat too much sugar.

Sodas! My mother seldom bought soda and it's not a habit I've developed, but there are healthy alternatives such as water! Drink more water! I try to drink 2-3 liters of water daily. Your body needs plenty of water to function correctly. So next time you're thirsty, reach for water instead of soda. (If you're a hard-core addict, try drinking fruit cordials mixed with club soda or if you need the caffeine, try iced green tea.)

What other changes would you suggest to improve your eating habits?

*Disclaimer* I still eat the occasional burger and fries and this blog is just my opinion. Study and research the benefits of a healthier diet for yourself.