Nutritious Can taste good
There seems to be a myth that healthy doesn’t taste good. Perhaps it started with those “health” bars that tasted more like cardboard.
I see a lot on my Facebook feed about the latest in wellness and nutrition. Many of the pictures I see aren’t interesting: just a bunch of veggies and a plain piece of lean meat. No flavor punch; and no variety of cuisines.
Uninteresting meals like I’m seeing may work for the short term, but I’m about life-long patterns of nutrition. what I’ve been seeing is not the kind of thing I’d want to have to consume day after day for the rest of my life. Eventually it would be back to Krispy Kreme and In ‘n Out, which I still enjoy once in a while because of my 90 percent healthy and 10 percent other philosophy.
Adding Flavor
There are many ways to add flavor to foods without adding calories. This makes meals more interesting and more delicious.
- Add red pepper flakes or a tiny bit of chili oil
- Add a hint of sesame oil or balsamic vinegar
- Add some minced ginger and/or garlic (both can be found in jars at the store to save time)
- Salad dressings often have lots of fats and sugars, wo either substitute a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or mix a tablespoon of dressing with balsamic vinegar
- Add other spices like turmeric and cumin or basil and oregano
Do Your Best but don’t obsess
One of the most important things when trying to eat more healthy is to make sure you don’t twist yourself in knots trying to eat perfectly. That mindset likely will cause more stress than it alleviates.
This same concept applies if you’re traveling, eating at restaurants or dining at a friend’s house. Try to eat lots of veggies and protein and less refined carbs and fats, but counting calories or fat grams can take away the enjoyment of eating.
Let us know if you have questions for Brad, and he’ll answer them in future columns.