Healthy Cooking: Moderation and Variety

Food news is big news these days. Articles range from food safety and obesity rates to coverage of Michelle Obama shopping at the new Farmer's Market near the White House. Many of these articles promise to tell you how to be more healthy in your eating habits -- but they contradict each other and opinions change. Carbs are good. Carbs are bad. Good fat is good. All fat is bad. Fish is good for you. Fish has mercury which is bad for you.

What is a reader (and an eater) to do? Follow my advice:

• Eat in moderation
• Strive for variety
• Be calorie conscious.
• Exercise -- you will feel better and you will be able to eat more!!

1. Eat in Moderation
Control your portions; if you're not very hungry, you don't have to clear your plate; don't eat dessert every day (or if you are really craving something sweet, learn to eat a piece of fruit or a hard candy at the end of a meal) Remember, you don't have to eat everything today. Save room for more good food tomorrow. And if you over indulge, try to eat light the next day!

2. Strive for Variety
A varied diet will be interesting and will provide you with a broad range of nutrients. Pork has Vitamin K! Salmon is full of antioxidants. Beef is an excellent source of protein. Ricotta cheese has calcium! Broccoli has loads of fiber as well as vitamins. Choose a variety of colors in your fruits and vegetables.
Don't let food bore you!

3. Be Calorie Conscious
Spend a little time researching your approximate calorie needs per day as well as how many calories are burned by a variety of activities you engage in regularly. Check out Calorie Count Then, read a list of foods and the calories associated with a typical meal so that you have a general sense of what you can eat on a given day. This should only take about 30-45 minutes. And then, when the cheese nachos tempt you at the movie theatre, you will know that they represent about 1/2 your recommended daily calorie intake. Another good site is My Calorie Counter.

4. Exercise
Take a walk, play with your dog, go for a run, play tennis, go to a yoga class, throw a frisbee, pull some weeds. Whatever it is, get out there and do something -- it helps you stay strong and fit.

So that is how I try to choose foods for my family. If you have tips for a healthy diet I would love to see your comments.