Making Healthier Food Choices
As a parent, you want to give your family the best you can. Serving healthier foods in the appropriate portions per food group and calorie level is one of the best ways to ensure that your children
are getting proper nutrition without eating too many calories. These simple tips can help you plan
and prepare meals and snacks to help your family to get the most nutrition out of the calories consumed.
What is a “Healthy Diet”?
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy eating plan as one that:
•
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
•
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts;
•
Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; and
•
Stays within your calorie needs.
We Can! has tips and tools to help you choose and prepare healthier foods for your family. Use these tips and tools to help your family eat nutritiously and help them maintain a healthy weight.
GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods
Healthy Eating Choices
From WHOA to SLOW to GO. How you choose to prepare or order your food when eating out can quickly turn a less healthy food into a healthier option. Choosing baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, and microwaved foods saves you from extra fat and calories. See the example on how similar foods can go from a WHOA to a SLOW or to a GO food.
WHOA (eat once in a while)
Calories
SLOW (eat sometimes or less often)
Calories
GO (eat almost anytime)
Calories
Fruit
Apple pie, 1/8 of 9-inch pie
296
Baked apple, 1 cup slices, with 1 Tbsp butter
193
Apple, 1 medium
72
Bread
½ plain bagel (3 ½ inch) with 1 Tbsp butter and jelly
249
½ plain bagel (3 ½ inch) with 1 Tbsp jelly
147
1/2 whole wheat bagel (3 ½ inch)
91
Meat
Fried chicken, 2 drumsticks
386
Instead oRoasted chicken breast with skin, ½ breast
f:
193
Roasted chicken breast without skin, ½ breast
142
You can go from WHOA to GO by making these substitutions when cooking. Substituting the low-fat and fat-free versions of foods as alternatives to the full fat items can help reduce overall calories of favorite foods without affecting taste. Try using low-fat mozzarella cheese in lasagna instead of the full fat variety. Your family will likely not notice the difference. Substitute applesauce for butter in baking and still get a rich, moist product. Try some of the calorie-reducing substitutions below when you cook or bake.
Instead of:
Substitute:
1 cup cream
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 cup butter, stick margarine, or shortening for baking
Tub margarine, vegetable oil, or ½ cup apple butter or applesauce without added sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute
Butter or stick margarine for sautéing
Cooking spray, low-sodium chicken broth, or a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil
Sharing is sexyare getting proper nutrition without eating too many calories. These simple tips can help you plan
and prepare meals and snacks to help your family to get the most nutrition out of the calories consumed.
What is a “Healthy Diet”?
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy eating plan as one that:
•
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
•
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts;
•
Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars; and
•
Stays within your calorie needs.
We Can! has tips and tools to help you choose and prepare healthier foods for your family. Use these tips and tools to help your family eat nutritiously and help them maintain a healthy weight.
GO, SLOW, and WHOA Foods
Healthy Eating Choices
From WHOA to SLOW to GO. How you choose to prepare or order your food when eating out can quickly turn a less healthy food into a healthier option. Choosing baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, and microwaved foods saves you from extra fat and calories. See the example on how similar foods can go from a WHOA to a SLOW or to a GO food.
WHOA (eat once in a while)
Calories
SLOW (eat sometimes or less often)
Calories
GO (eat almost anytime)
Calories
Fruit
Apple pie, 1/8 of 9-inch pie
296
Baked apple, 1 cup slices, with 1 Tbsp butter
193
Apple, 1 medium
72
Bread
½ plain bagel (3 ½ inch) with 1 Tbsp butter and jelly
249
½ plain bagel (3 ½ inch) with 1 Tbsp jelly
147
1/2 whole wheat bagel (3 ½ inch)
91
Meat
Fried chicken, 2 drumsticks
386
Instead oRoasted chicken breast with skin, ½ breast
f:
193
Roasted chicken breast without skin, ½ breast
142
You can go from WHOA to GO by making these substitutions when cooking. Substituting the low-fat and fat-free versions of foods as alternatives to the full fat items can help reduce overall calories of favorite foods without affecting taste. Try using low-fat mozzarella cheese in lasagna instead of the full fat variety. Your family will likely not notice the difference. Substitute applesauce for butter in baking and still get a rich, moist product. Try some of the calorie-reducing substitutions below when you cook or bake.
Instead of:
Substitute:
1 cup cream
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 cup butter, stick margarine, or shortening for baking
Tub margarine, vegetable oil, or ½ cup apple butter or applesauce without added sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute
Butter or stick margarine for sautéing
Cooking spray, low-sodium chicken broth, or a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil
Previous Entries
0 comments for this post
Leave a reply