I hear people say things like "well you might as well eat what you want while you're young!" which is a philosophy that will ultimately cut short the good years when you still at least FEEL young. Some health issues and diseases are not preventable, but many of them are! And if you DO have health issues later in life, they will be lessened by smart eating habits when you're young.
Eating healthy doesn't mean eating boring either: it is colorful, flavorful, and filling! Eating healthy doesn't mean going hungry either: I eat til I'm full! And then I go for desert if I want!
It's all about BALANCE.
So here is a list of items I always try to keep in my fridge. One common element you will notice is that none of my "must haves" are animal products; no, I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I understand that while we are omnivores, our bodies function BEST on a mostly plant based diet. I still eat steak & chicken, but I try to limit my meaty-meals to less than 4 times per week.
Without further adieu, here we go:
Avocados
Avocados are nicknamed the miracle fruit for a reason: you can live on a strict diet of avocados and water and have a filling, nutritionally complete diet. They are extremely full of monounsaturated fat (or "good" fat), and can replace meat or fish as a source of high protein in your diet.
The other great thing is the flavor is very subtle, and can be used in many different types of recipes & dishes as a result (I've seen a recipe for an avocado shake!). Of course, there's guacamole, but my two favorite ways to eat it is in an avocado salad (diced or mashed, mixed with spinach, red onion, & tomatos with no dressing, just seasonings!) or in Mango-Avocado Salsa (diced mango, avocado, onion, tomato, diced peaches, a little orange juice, and seasonings like red pepper & garlic salt), which can served fresh over chicken or fish, used as a dip, or eaten with crackers as a snack.
Also if you have babies under 1 (like me), avocados make GREAT baby food. The subtle flavor usually agrees with most babies, and it can be easily mashed with a fork & ready to serve right away (I always add a tiny bit of orange or lemon juice to keep it from oxidizing & turning brown too quickly).
Baby Spinach Leaves
A rich source of iron, and more tasty & versatile than most other green-leafy foods, Spinach has an abundance of uses. I use spinach in almost EVERY meal I make! I add it to pasta sauce, use it as a base for salads, and find other creative ways to get it onto my plate daily. It can be wilted (microwave it for less than 30 seconds) and mixed with sour cream to create a dip (who doesn't love spinach dip??), added to stir fries, rice dishes, or served fresh on a sandwich. Orange Juice
I still enjoy a cup of coffee every morning, but did you know a glass of orange juice will do the same job? The reason for this is it's high concentration of folic acid (aids brain function) and Vitamin B6 (this is also a great hangover cure, fyi). Additionally, orange juice is most well known for it's Vitamin C, which helps us absorb iron (found in that spinach!) and fight off common viruses like cold & flu! I make sure my daughter gets at least one 4oz bottle of OJ per day!
Whole Grain Foods
I don't claim to understand "no-carb diets" because we NEED carbs for energy! I can imagine myself feeling very slothy & exhausted if I cut out carbs. But there ARE such thing as "empty" carbs, and a large source of those "bad" or "empty" carbs come in the form of white bread, pasta, and rice. Bread, pasta and rice should be in your diet, they are staples! But only when they are WHOLE grain! If you buy wheat bread, you're still not cutting it; breads often are made with brown coloring or caramel to make it look like whole grain. Products that say they are "enriched" are also not as healthy as real, whole grain products. If you read ingredients list and there are more than one gain product listed, make sure the whole grain product is listed FIRST or it probably only contains a tiny amount of it! In addition to good carbs, whole grain foods are also another good natural source of protein!
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate is made from plants, which means it has many of the same healthy benefits as other dark veggies (like spinach!). Dark Chocolate contains flavonoids (antioxidants) which protect the body from aging caused by free radicals (often attributed to the number one cause of death: heart disease). The extreme concentration of antioxidants makes dark chocolate VERY beneficial for you even in small portions (8x more than found in strawberries). It also can help reduce & relax high blood pressure and balance certain hormones.
In addition, it stimulates endorphin production (in the same way sex does) which gives a feeling of pleasure, contains serotonin which acts as an anti-depressant, and theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants.
I hope I don't have to say that none of the above applies to milk chocolate, right? I have heard complaints from those who prefer milk chocolate saying that dark chocolate tastes bitter to them (I honestly don't taste that, but to each his own), and a good solution might be to use dark chocolate in recipes like cookies! Most do not notice a difference when it's been baked into pasties that are already sweet.
Side note: some researchers say that washing down your dark chocolate with cow's milk will prevent your body from absorbing the antioxidants! Solution might be try Vanilla Soy Milk, its delish!
Red Wine
Red Wine is good in the same way dark chocolate is: its filled with antioxidants that are heart healthy. Not to sound like a broken record, but heart disease is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE of death, more than cancer, aids, and poverty.
The key here though is moderation; alcohol has been shown to be linked to weight gain because of it's empty calories, and also linked to an increased risk of cancer when taken more than the recommended limit (1 drink per day for women, 2 for men. A drink is considered 4oz for wine).
If I haven't frightened you off, you should know that baking or simmering red wine will evaporate the alcohol and leave you with the healthy parts! Try adding it to pasta sauce for flavoring, as a marinade for red meats, flavoring in stir fries and other combination dishes. Another great one is Red Wine Pasta, which involves boiling your almost-cooked pasta in red wine!
Yogurt
Yogurt is rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin B6 and B12. It's amazing nutritional benefits surpass those of regular milk! It aids in digestion and isn't as hard on those who are lactose intolerant as milk. I usually buy a big tub of plain yogurt, which is kinda tangy in its natural form. I like to add warmed honey to sweeten it, and throw in walnuts, berries, granola, fruit, even cereal! Yogurt can also be used when baking, try Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies, and substitute in dark chocolate and whole grain flour for a healthier alternative.
Water
Yes, it's an obvious one: WATER! Life on Earth could not exist without water, and neither can our bodies! We are made up of over 70% water, and yet an estimated 75% of Northern Americans are CHRONICALLY dehydrated!! Also, our feeling of thirst is so weak that it is often mistake for hunger. When you feel hungry between meals, try drinking a glass of water first. It will make you feel fuller & is a good way to remind yourself to drink water throughout the day. Also, juice, coffee & soda cause us to loose water, so up-ing your water intake and cutting down on other beverages would also be wise.
So that's it! This is personal list of things I feel are especially important and I always keep on hand and on my dinner plate. I am NOT a professional or a nutritionist, and this is not a weight loss plan of any sorts. When you eat healthy, it should be easier to loose weight (much to do with regulating your metabolism), and some exercise should be involved.
But again, I am no professional, I'm just a mom who tries to eat healthy for myself and my family. Alright, good talk, now all this talk about food is making me hungry, so time to make some dinner! :)
