Eating Wisely: What It Is and Isn’t

By Katherine Hegemann

What exactly is eating wisely and why does it matter? Eating wisely means making sure foods you take into your body are nutritious and add to a complete, wholesome diet. Foods that give energy, contribute to a healthy weight and health, provide variety, and satisfy taste preferences are what make it possible to start and stay with eating wisely. Eating wisely does not mean cutting out everything you love to eat, becoming obsessed with a food fad, or eating bland and unappealing food.

Healthy and Wise Diets

With a little research, you will find many diets that are called the best way to eat healthy. Some examples are carnivorous (meat eating), vegetarian, Mediterranean, low carbohydrate, and raw food diets. Each one has aspects that make them tempting and healthy. However, not one alone is what most people can do or want in their lives. What you eat must meet your needs. Do you need to be on a high protein diet? Maybe going vegetarian isn’t for you. Are you suffering from fatigue? Then a low carbohydrate diet might not work. Are you living on a fixed or low income? Specialized diets may cost more than you can afford but a wise and healthy diet is balanced and inexpensive. A look at your health issues, tastes, and family will help you decide exactly what foods you should eat and in what quantities.

The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is not an absolute but does provide general guidelines for your food choices. The pyramid has been recently revised to add more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

Visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to read about what our government recommends and even develop a family diet plan to make sure you get the right kinds of food.

In the graphic of the Food Pyramid, the larger the slice, the more of a food type you should eat. Left to right: orange=grains, green=vegetables, red=fruits, yellow=oils, blue=dairy, and purple=meat and beans.

Here are a few tips from the USDA to consider:

1. Half of your grains should be whole grains;
2. Add variety to your vegetables;
3. Increase the amount of fruit you eat;
4. Calcium rich foods are essential;
5. Protein should be of the lean type;
6. Balance food intake and physical activity; and
7. Make sure your food is safe.

After the Basics

You want to eat wisely. You also want to enjoy the food you eat. The Christmas Holiday season has recently ended. Many people gain up to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s from eating all those wonderful, sweet, rich foods. You can’t watch a television program, read a magazine, or listen to the radio without the latest, greatest way to take off those holiday pounds.

Certified nutritionists say diets don’t work, but Americans spend $40 BILLION every year on diets and dieting (http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/01/the_diet_indust.html). That is A LOT of money for something that doesn’t work. “Business Week” calls all the promises of the diet industry trash and a lie. The ONLY diet ever known to consistently work is from the American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/). You can modify that diet if you’re not diabetic. You have to make your own choices but keep in mind that MOST diets don’t work.

There has to be a better way for all of us. That way is called balance. Eat that brownie but not four of them. Love fried chicken? Okay then eat it once a month. How about mashed potatoes with rich gravy? Eat that once or twice a month. Despise broccoli? Well, broccoli is in the brassica (cabbage) family, so try cabbage, collards, Brussels sprouts, or kohlrabi.

The way you don’t go overboard is to use portion control. At first you might need to measure servings, but it doesn’t take long to know how much one portion is. Many prepared foods give not only number of portions per package but also portion size. Do you really need a whole cup of mashed potatoes with a third of a cup of gravy? Perhaps a half a cup with a drizzle of gravy will do.

Whole Foods vs. Prepared Foods

Whole, fresh foods that you prepare from scratch are the best. Nobody questions that statement. But people don’t have the time or the desire to do that kind of preparation. Our opinions about food preparation are determined by time and how we view food. Also, what you know about whole and prepared foods can help decide what choices you make.

Prepared foods are a time saver and easy. However, they are often full of preservatives and taste enhancing chemicals. There are times when you will buy and eat them but try to limit that. Read the labels to see what a prepared food contains.

Does working limit your choices? Maybe not. Planning a weekly menu, buying to fulfill that menu, and being sure all the elements for a meal are ready to go when you get home makes things a lot easier.

Do you hate cooking? The answer is KIS (keep it simple). Consider this example:

Baked Mexican Chicken and Rice

Preheat oven to 350^o F

You will need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup canned (drained) or frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1 can drained and rinsed black beans
• Seasoning blend vegetables (peppers, onion, celery)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Shredded cheddar cheese

What you do:

• Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish
• Bake for 1 hour
• Remove lid and sprinkle cheese on top
• Continue baking until cheese is melted and just beginning to brown (about 10 minutes)

How do you view food? If your view of food is negative, remember a few things. Food is necessary for survival. Food is fun. Food tastes good. Food is not the enemy or a chore. Let it appeal to your senses: sight, smell, taste, and texture. It’s up to you to see food as a friend and prepare it so that it is good for you, fun and tasty.

A Few Eating Tips

1. Keep the foods you eat healthy but go for variety;
2. Find recipes that appeal to you but try something new, too;
3. Discover ways to cook food that isn’t labor intensive;
4. Keep the meals simple;
5. Prepare a weekly menu and shop from your menu;
6. Eat small portions of those foods you love that are a no-no, but only eat them occasionally;
7. Use portion control;
8. Try a smaller plate or bowl because it fools your mind into thinking you’re eating more food; and
9. Eat slowly so you enjoy your meal!

You Can Do This

The good in our lives comes with work. Eating wisely is no different, but you can do it. It is all about loving and caring for your family and yourself. Even today with our busy and full lives, meals are a time of friendship, fellowship, fun, talking, sharing, and laughing. Isn’t that the best reason for eating wisely?

© 2011, Katherine B. Hegemann