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Developing Healthier Options
If you would like to wean yourself from foods that add little nutrition
to your life, but you still want a fair amount of flavor, here are some
ideas to ease you into the transition. First of all, don't give up anything
you don't want to - just add other, healthier foods to the mix. See if you
like them. Try them at different times of the day; Fruit may hold no appeal
in the evening, but a banana or ripe peach might go down pretty smoothly
mid morning with half a sweet roll instead of a whole one. Substitute fresh
vegetables for frozen ones at dinnertime, or flavored fizzy water for soda
when munching on chips. If you begin to regard occasional substitutions
of more healthy components as an adventure, you'll soon discover lots of
new foods you actually like but hadn't tried for all sorts of reasons.
Snacks.
It's often easier to change our snacking habits than our meal routines,
so think of beginning there. A healthier alternative to late night sweets
could be hearty raisin bread, toasted, with butter AND peanut butter. White
bread toast, still hot, with butter and a really good preserve or jam can
hit the spot, but for a chocolate craving, instead spread on a thin layer
of hot fudge sauce on top of the melted butter. Yummm. It's still relatively
decadent, but a lot healthier than ice cream, or sugary baked goods.
For daytime snacking on the go, I've discovered that fresh string beans,
carrots, or grapes, are especially good while driving. No mess - not even
peels or wrappers. Berries in season, or fresh popped popcorn can be fun
to nibble on while working on a project or surfing the net; just keep a
damp cloth near by to keep away the sticky fingers.
When choosing snacks, remember the benefits of the incremental choice -
a bagel is healthier than a doughnut, hummus is healthier than cheese spread,
and herbal tea is healthier than coffee. If you're interested in changing
your pattern of beverage consumption, consider alternating an equal measure
of water between every serving of soda, juice, or alcoholic drink. I've
found this technique to be a real energy booster at extended social events.
The way to make these changes satisfying is to enjoy the exploration between
relatively similar foods and beverages. Slowly vary from one option to another
because each step needs to be moderately satisfying to begin with. Then,
when you not only like the new choice, but may be coming a bit bored with
it, try an even healthier alternative. One day you'll have a chance to sample
the old fare, and just like outgrowing Auntie Evelyn's bad cooking, you'll
wonder why you ever found it appealing to begin with. Just remember, few
folks are content switching directly from steak to tofu, and most of us
aren't interested in such extremes, so have fun with the variety of delicious
choices between the two.
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