- Get to know the foods you eat. Check out the website MyPlate.gov to get tips and support for making better food choices.
- Take your time. Be mindful to eat slowly, enjoy the taste and textures, and pay attention to how you feel. Use hunger and fullness to recognize when to eat and when you have had enough. It takes the body 20 minutes to realize it is full. This means you consume more food than you need without giving your body time to realize it.
- Use a smaller plate. Use a smaller plate at meals to help with portion control. That way you can finish your entire plate and feel satisfied without overeating.
- If you eat out, choose healthier options. Check and compare nutrition information about the foods you are eating. A lot of restaurant menus list the fat and calories in each meal. Preparing food at home makes it easier to control what is in your meals. Another good tip is to plan what you want to eat when your meal arrives and put the rest in a take-out container. This will help with portion control, and you will not feel like you are being deprived.
- Satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way. Indulge in a naturally sweet dessert dish — fruit! Serve a fresh fruit cocktail or a fruit parfait made with yogurt. For a hot dessert, bake apples and top with cinnamon.
- Choose to eat some foods more or less often. Choose more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or 1% milk and dairy products. Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.
- Find out what you need. Compare the foods you eat to the foods you need to eat. Try to plan your weekly meals in advance.
- Sip smarter. Drink water or other calorie-free beverages, 100% juice, or fat-free milk when you are thirsty. Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages contain added sugar and are high in calories.
- Make treats “treats,” not everyday foods. Treats are great once in a while. Just do not make treat foods an everyday choice. Limit sweet treats to special occasions.
- Build healthy eating habits one goal at a time! Use the Start Simple with MyPlate app to pick simple daily food goals, see real-time progress, and earn badges along the way!
I recently learned that my daughter’s boyfriend, Joe the Chef, makes a really wonderful pasta salad. When I ran into him last weekend, I asked for his recipe. He looked at me with genuine confusion. He calmly stated, “I do not use recipes. I just cook.”
Oh boy. I am sure this is true for anyone who loves to cook. He suggested using the same amount of all ingredients and after a lengthy discussion, he thought ¼ to 1/2 cup of each ingredient would be sufficient, depending on how large of a salad you want to prepare.
Joe the Chef’s Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb. of penne pasta
½ cup cherry tomatoes
½ cup diced celery
½ cup red onions
½ cup chopped banana peppers
½ cup chopped cucumber
½ cup roasted red pepper (drained)
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
For the dressing, use equal parts Italian dressing and mayonnaise.
Directions: Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Add all ingredients. Enjoy!
Fruity French Toast Casserole
Ingredients:
8 cups bread cubes (try whole-grain bread)
2 cups sliced or chopped fruit, fresh, frozen, or canned and drained.
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
½ cup flour, all-purpose or whole-wheat
Directions:
- Lightly oil an 8x8-inch baking dish or 2-quart casserole. Add bread cubes and fruit.
- In a medium bowl, blend eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Pour over bread and fruit. Stir gently to wet all bread with egg mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate until all liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes or overnight.
- Just before baking, remove casserole from refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, and flour with a fork until crumbly.
- Uncover the casserole and sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake until completely set and starting to brown, about 35-40 minutes. A longer baking time is needed when the dish is chilled overnight. Serve warm.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Interested in free nutrition education lessons from OSU Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)? Contact Nancy Lyons at 937-224-9654 or lyons.489@osu.edu.
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