Swapping Foods
Health and you Now that the summer months are here, fresh vegetables are available at road side vendors, the watermelons and peaches of the Deep South are in abundance, and outdoor grilling is in full swing. I absolutely love it!! It’s the healthiest time of the year! I think all of us have a favorite recipe we love to prepare in the summer months. In order to be healthy, we don’t have to give up our favorite foods but, instead, we may need to change the way we prepare them. The old recipes handed down from grandma might not be the healthiest choice. We can get the same flavor, if not better, by using less butter, oil, and fat to prepare our foods. Try sautéing fresh veggies in water and then removing them from the heat and adding olive oil and seasoning. Use Balsamic vinegar and olive oil to marinade your meats and veggies before putting them on the grill. Look in vegetarian magazines and cookbooks to get fresh, new ideas. Remember, it is not about the caloric count as much as it is the nutrient value of the foods. You will soon see that, once you add up the calories to keep that “summer” figure, incorporating fresh fruits and vegetable is a no-brainer (they contain very few calories but are packed full of nutrition). All I ask is that you not ruin the vegetables by cooking them to mush or adding fat back and salt! Trust me, they taste great on their own! July 4th is America’s time for food, fun, and family. However, it can also be a time when unhealthy eating choices can easily be made. Believe it or not, with a few simple modifications, you can still enjoy bar-b-ques and burgers. So as you grocery shop for snacks and cookout grub, consider some of these healthy food swaps. Odds are, they’ll taste better and no one will recognize the difference as they polish off a platter of leaner foods.
Tailgating Food Swaps • Pork Bratwurst for Turkey Brats: It’s a difference of 450 calories and 37 grams of fat for the pork, versus 160 calories and 9 grams of fat for the turkey. Still boil in beer and soak in mustard and they’re really quite tasty. • Burgers for Chicken Sandwiches: A 6 oz. angus beef patty yields 500 calories and 43 grams of fat, whereas a 6 oz. grilled chicken breast yields 281 calories at 6 grams of fat. Season any way you like, and still add a slice of reduced-fat cheese! • Queso for Salsa: Choose a baked corn chip and feel free to dip into a fresh or store-bought salsa. Just two tablespoons of the cheese dip has 40 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Hearty salsas offer about 10-15 calories and zero fat per two tablespoons. Also consider guacamole or hummus. Party Makeover • Chips and Salsa Instead of serving nachos with highcalorie cheese, switch to the popular duo - baked chips with salsa - and reap a healthy reward of tomato-based antioxidants. Calories saved: 100 - 200 Nutrients added: Lycopene and Vitamin A • Teriyaki Chicken Skewer: Instead of serving traditional BBQ chicken wings - which are loaded with high-fat skin and not much healthy meat, try grilling skewers of skinless chicken breast meat with teriyaki sauce. These skewers are easy to grill and easy to eat. Calories saved: 300 - 400 • Hearty Chili Bowl: Instead of cream-based clam chowder, score some points with your friends with a pot of
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warming chili made with hearty beans and extra-lean ground beef. Calories saved: 150 - 250 Nutrients added: Fiber, folic acid, and various minerals • Shotgun Sandwich: Sandwiches can be very healthy, but not when you slather them with mayonnaise and load them up with layers of salami and cheese. Completely make over your party sandwiches by choosing whole grain bread and low-fat deli cuts like roast beef or turkey. And go easy on the mayonnaise and spreads – you’ll hardly even notice the difference but you’ll save a lot of calories and fat. Try low-fat mayo or spreads, or better yet, choose calorie-free mustard. Calories saved: 150 - 250 Nutrients added: Fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium • Sideline Fruit Kabob: Instead of chocolate chip cookies, try serving cut-up fruits like melons, apples, and grapes on kabobs. To add some zest, serve fruit yogurt on the side as a dip. Calories saved: 100 - 200 Nutrients added: Fiber, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and probiotics Be safe, have fun, and be healthy! Julie Mills, CMT, LLCC of Body of Health See our ad on page 4 www.bodyofhealthandlife.com
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