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February 13, 2008
Eating whole foods for a whole day
U-M health expert offers tips on how to integrate natural foods into your life
Ann Arbor, MI – Avoiding the jar of candy on your officemate’s desk at work, passing right by the “Drive Thru” lane on your lunch break, and just saying “no” to the temptations and ease of your favorite frozen lasagna for dinner.
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 Listen to Erica Wald, registered dietitian with MFit. |
Could you do all of this every day for the rest of your life? What about just one day?
Erica Wald, registered dietitian with MFit, the University of Michigan Health System’s health promotion division, says that sticking to eating fresh and whole foods for one day can give you direction in making permanent healthy changes to your eating habits.
“Planning what you are going to eat for the day makes choosing foods a more thoughtful process,” explains Wald.
She offers these tips on how to cut out the processed foods from your life:
- Prepare. “The most important thing you can do is sit down and create a plan of what you are going to eat,” says Wald. Create a list when you go to the grocery store, package healthy snacks in small baggies for work or school, and take the time to pack a lunch instead of eating out. Try cutting up fruits and veggies and separating them up into individual portions, and buy frozen vegetables so that you will have healthy options around that won’t rot away.
- Eat breakfast. Eating breakfast will keep you from feeling famished, which means you will be less inclined to splurge on junk food later. Fruits, nuts and individual containers of yogurt are all whole foods that can be eaten on the go.
- Snack wisely. Processed foods are the worst offenders at snack time. By planning out what you eat, you can avoid processed foods and cut out calories. For example, instead of a snack pack of cookies, try eating 10 medium strawberries with one tablespoon of whipped cream. This is only around 50 calories, and the fiber in the fruit will keep you feeling full. Craving something salty instead? Eleven dry roasted peanuts are around 60 calories, as opposed to a grab bag of potato chips that is around 200 calories.
- Have a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal. Fruits and vegetables will keep you fuller longer. Wald suggests that a healthy plate at every meal should include a source of calcium, a fruit and a type of healthy fat along with half of your plate being filled with vegetables, one-quarter with grains and one-quarter with a source of protein.
- Watch out when you eat out. Checking a restaurant’s Web site beforehand is a great way to plan what you are going to eat, says Wald. Look for words on the menu like baked, grilled, broiled and roasted. “And when it comes to the bread basket, just ask your waiter to not even bring it out,” she says.
- Beware of beverages. A major source of calories can be from what you drink. Stick with low-calorie and no calorie beverages to avoid unnecessary calories and sugar. Try a glass of water or sparkling water with a lime, lemon or orange instead of reaching for a can of soda.
 Eating whole foods for a day gives you the opportunity to see what healthier, more natural options are out there. But you don’t necessarily have to avoid processed foods altogether to be healthy. Wald says that when it comes to your favorite processed treats, portion control is key.
“When you do have your favorite processed snacks, don’t eat them straight from their bag or box and don’t eat standing up,” suggests Wald. “Instead, measure your portions out in a small baggie or paper cup, and sit down and enjoy the food as you are eating it instead of doing it as a mindless activity.”
A sample meal plan for eating whole for one day:
Breakfast:
1 cup whole grain cereal
dried fruit and a few nuts
low fat milk
Snack:
8 oz. low-fat yogurt and a half cup of blueberries
Lunch:
3 oz. chicken breast
half cup brown rice
half cup cooked broccoli
Snack:
13 baby carrots and 3 tbsp. of hummus
Dinner:
3 oz. salmon or other lean meat
2 cups green salad with veggies
2 tbsp. light dressing
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tsp. margarine
half cup green beans
Snack:
1 small apple and 1.5 tsp peanut butter
For more information about nutrition, visit these Web sites:
MFit Nutrition Programs
MFit Nutrition Resources & Links
USDA Food Pyramid Plan
Written by: Laura Drouillard
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