A Healthier Eating Guide to What's On Your Plate

There has been much debate over the validity and usefulness of the new food guideline called MyPlate. Developed to replace, or at least augment, MyPyramid, MyPlate continues the personal approach (My), but dialed the complexity back several notches. This was intended to provide a more easily understood diagram, especially targeting children. With the simple diagram of a plate and cup divided between five food groups, children could take part in their own healthy eating patterns.

As simple concepts go, this is great. But, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Where are the oils? What kind of grains should you eat? Are any proteins a good choice? Is milk necessary at every meal - or at all?

By just putting a little more thought into the MyPlate graphic, we can come up with a more detailed nutritional guide. Let's take a look at the divided plate and see how we can improve it.

Vegetables

A variety of healthy foods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Divide your plate in half, and fill most of that half with very colorful vegetables. Bright colors equal nutrient rich foods. Do not include white potatoes in this portion of your plate, unless it's a small amount. Better yet, make those potatoes sweet potatoes. Remember, it's all about the color! Also, be sure to choose organic wherever possible. Check out the "Dirty Dozen" to find out which veggies and fruits you should always buy organic.

Fruits

Fill the rest of that half of your plate with brightly colored fruits and berries. You want to choose a wide variety of colors in order to receive lots of nutrients. Bananas and apples are good, but they are not colorful. Branch out beyond these familiar fruits and explore all the colors you can find. Remember, frozen fruit and berries are a healthy option.

Whole Grains

You'll notice we changed the name from the MyPlate group called 'grains.' We want grains to be whole and as unrefined as possible. Limit refined grains (like white bread or white rice) to a bare minimum. An occasional cupcake is fine, but on a daily basis, keep your cereals, breads, pasta, and rice brown and whole for optimum nutrition. Whole grains should make up no more than one-quarter of your plate - and if you (like many Americans) suffer from gluten sensitivity, you will want to avoid whole wheat or any of its derivatives.

Healthy Protein

Again, you'll notice a name change. The food group 'protein' is way too general. You should strictly limit red processed meats such as bacon and cold cuts. Red meat should be consumed in moderation, and ONLY from grass-fed animals - preferably organic. This one-quarter of your plate should be filled mostly with wild-caught fish, grass-fed/pastured poultry, beans, and nuts. Keep your red meat consumption to an occasional treat - and remember to buy grass-fed.

Water

Yes, we've done it again. That glass of milk has been changed to water. It is not that milk should be totally avoided - unless you're lactose-intolerant. However, one or two servings of dairy is sufficient, while water should be on the table at every meal. If you have problems with milk tolerance, you should avoid it altogether. You may also want to have one glass of juice per day, but should avoid sugary drinks, including sugary fruit juices. Vegetable juices are great for your health, and you can add a bit of fruit in for flavor if you like.

Olive oil from Imperia in Liguria, Italy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Healthy Fats & Oils

We have actually added a 'food group' to our plate. Now we have a little bottle of oil on the table. This signifies 'healthy oils' that should be included in our diet. Olive oil, coconut oil, or cold-pressed avocado oil are all good to use. Natural animal fats like butter are okay in moderation. You should avoid all highly processed vegetable oils, including cottonseed, soybean, canola, corn, and other such oils, which have been proven to be carcinogenic and very bad for your health. (See our recent post here on which cooking oils you should never use.) Remember, natural is always best! If you can eat an oil that is straight from the source and minimally processed, this is more likely to be a healthy oil.

Stay Active

Many of the earlier food group guidelines added exercise, or staying active, as an important part of healthy living. Eating healthy is only part of the equation. Staying active, having a fitness routine, or just moving around, completes a well-rounded nutrition program, and that is why we added staying active back into our guideline. Check out our Fun Ways to Exercise blog for some helpful tips on quick, fun ways to fit more exercise into your day.

MyPlate is a good tool to get kids and adults thinking about how their meal should look. But, it doesn't go far enough. Each individual should design their own plate with more specific, healthier choices laid out in more detail. You can call it My Own Plate, or My Own Pyramid, or whatever you choose. No matter what you call it, just start making healthier choices now to live a healthier life from now on!

Clearing Up the Confusion: New Nutrition Labels Explained

We've gotten so used to seeing nutrition labels on our food, does anyone even pay attention to them? Actually, the answer is; "Yes."  Since the 1960s, food labeling has become the norm, rather than the exception. In the beginning, we saw foods mostly labeled for additives. The idea was to inform the consumer of ingredients they might prefer to avoid.

Then during the 1990s, a new focus was added: the idea that nutritional data was also important to consumers. New labeling terms were standardized so we could compare the claims made by food manufacturers. Terms like "low fat," "light," and "no sugar added" were investigated and new guidelines were created.

All this led to the nutrition label we see today. Now we find facts for fats, calories, and percentage of dietary values for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients based on a specific caloric intake. This is all well and good, but we all know how confusing all of this information can be. We also know there are still some bits of information missing.

The New Nutrition Label

US Nutritional Fact Label (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the FDA, change is good, especially when it comes to clarifying nutrition labels. The last update was in 1994, and a lot has changed since then. Popular opinion, common sense, and scientific studies all played a part in these changes.

Here is an example of common sense. If you've ever struggled with calculating serving sizes, you are not alone. The new labels are designed to take the fractions of servings out of choosing a food product. This change was brought about by one common sense notion; when we sit down with a soft-drink, we don't care if it's 16 ounces, 12 ounces, or 20 ounces. We are most likely going to drink the whole thing.

It's simple. The old labels assume a certain number of ounces was a 'serving.' The new labels take into account that we are not drinking part of a bottle of soda at one sitting; we are drinking it all. The new label will read "1 serving per bottle" and list the ingredients, calories, and nutrient information for that one bottle, not a portion of it. Common sense and no more math.

Larger packages which you would divide will have two column labels; one with "per serving" and the other with "per package" information. Think about a bag of chips or pint of ice cream. A person may choose to eat the entire package. If so, that person may want to be aware of what is being ingested. On the other hand, that person may wish to divide that bag of chips into the serving sizes on the package so he or she can limit their caloric, or sodium, or sugar intake to the "per serving" amount.

Speaking of sugar, labels will now show "added sugars" as a separate category so the consumer won't have to try to calculate natural sugars that occur in a product versus added sugars. Until now, "sugars" was a combination of added and natural sugars. Consumers said they wanted to know how much of each, and this new label will address that issue.

Science is playing another big role in these new labels. Since a lot of recent studies show that many Americans are currently deficient in Vitamin D and potassium, these two nutrients will now have a featured spot on the new label. Vitamins A and C may keep their place if the food manufacturer wishes to highlight them, but they are not required any longer. The 'daily values' will change for things like sodium, lowering the percentage to reflect a recommendation to lower sodium to reduce high blood pressure.

The ever popular "calories from fat" will be eliminated. This is due to studies that indicate that - as we often discuss - weight gain is caused by the type of fat consumed, and not by the amount of calories from the fat! You will still find the boxes for "total fat," "trans fat," and "saturated fat" so you can make an informed decision about what sort of fat you want in your meal.

You will also see calories take center stage. With the new enlarged font, you won't have to search for the number of calories in that bag of cookies. And, as mentioned, the package will take into account most consumers habits and assume that most people don't stop at just one cookie.

These are all good changes. From the common sense soda serving example, to the scientific research regarding calories from fat and vitamin D deficiencies, the labels will give the consumer more up to date information. And, with the more visible calorie count, it will be rather difficult to explain away eating an entire box of cookies or bag of chips and pretending you didn't know how many calories you just ate. I'm sure that never happens, but it is good to know. :-)

And, the more we know, the more likely we are to make healthier choices. And of course, be sure to keep educating yourself on making truly healthy choices - just visit our main blog for the latest updates on health & nutrition!

And remember, when you cook your own meals at home from scratch, you won't have to worry about labels anyway!

A Quick Look At Solving The Nutrition Puzzle

Ask a dozen people what their definition of nutrition is and you will likely get a dozen different answers. Is it really possible that nutrition is that difficult to figure out? Or is there another reason why such a wide range of answers should exist?

The answer is both. Nutrition can be puzzling and there are several good reasons why nutrition cannot be generalized. Let's take a look at this complicated and puzzling question.

Complications and Changing Times

Human bodies are complicated. We are made up of many 'systems' that form our one body. I know you learned these in school, but let's recap just to remind ourselves of all the ways we need to feed our body.

Our body's systems are: skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, endrocrine, nervous, respiratory, lymphatic, urinary, and reproductive.

Healthy nutrition pyramid. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whew! Is it any wonder why finding the right nutritional balance is a bit confusing? And, even though we all share the same systems, we all start out genetically different, we live in different climates, and we live in different cultures. This all complicates things further by predisposing us to a vast range of nutritional needs.

We must add to this confusion the fact that our understanding of science changes. What is believed to be nutritious one year, decade, or century, may be considered less than healthy during another time. Browse any of the popular ephemera websites to see just how far health and nutrition changes throughout the centuries. It wasn't long ago that alcohol and tobacco were used in elixirs and powders claiming to promote good health.

In recent years, "low fat" was all the rage, but now we are discovering that a more traditional form of eating, including lots of good fats and even animal products, is actually a much healthier way of eating.

As you can see, our perception of nutrition and health changes over time - sometimes with scientific studies and sometimes with common sense. Either way, we live and learn and slowly we become more knowledgeable about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

Piecing Together The Puzzle

With all those systems in our body and so many changes in what nutrition really involves, how can we ever figure out how to eat a well balanced diet? You may be disappointed to hear that there are no simple answers. Remember, the body is complicated and science changes facts on us all the time.

So, how DO we piece together the nutrition puzzle? The best answer we have is to take one piece at a time and see if it fits our particular lifestyle. There is a reason why a wide range of definitions for a nutritionally balanced diet exists, and that reason is we are individuals. Each person possesses a particular set of nutritional needs uniquely their own.

For example, modern scientific studies have shown that a person who exerts a lot of energy either working or playing needs complex carbohydrates to burn. A person who is building muscle needs a lot of protein. A person with a weakened or compromised immune system will need extra antioxidants in their diet. People who get limited sunlight would need a food-based source of vitamin D.

This is just a small example of how individuals might benefit from specifically designed diets focusing on certain nutrients. Within each of these groups, you may have people of varying ages, too. A child's nutritional needs are definitely different from an older person's needs. Women and men have different nutritional needs, as well.

If you're ready to launch yourself into eating the most nutritionally balanced diet known to man, you just have to remember that one person's super-nutritional diet may not be right for you. Begin your research by first piecing together your body's own unique needs. Then take a good look at your lifestyle. Only then will the nutritional puzzle come together for you!

Be sure to stay tuned this month as we explore some of the intricacies of good nutrition, and also share some healthy and delicious recipes!

Tips for Eating Healthy On The Run

Whether you're traveling or rushing around taking care of your daily tasks, you don't need to give up healthy eating simply because you are on the run.  The fact is, healthy eating is even more important when you're trying to keep up with a busy schedule.

Eating a good diet will help your body handle stress better.  As you hustle about your daily routine, a healthy meal is probably the last thing you think about, but it's important.  The following tips can help you eat well no matter where your busy day takes you.

Restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Restaurants
With tempting menus, large portions, and a festive atmosphere, it's easy to skip healthy eating.  It's okay to splurge every now and then, but you'll pack on a lot of weight if you make it a habit.  When you eat out at restaurants, always be smart about it. Choose restaurants with healthier options, such as salads and fresh sandwiches, or one of the popular new "pick your ingredients" chains, like Chipotle or Piada - that way you can choose the ingredients you want in your food. And if they serve large portions, take half home for lunch tomorrow - you'll get two meals in one!

Airports
An airport can be a very stressful place, but you shouldn't scrap your diet because of it.  Eat because you are hungry, not because of stress, boredom, or to kill time. It's not always easy, but try to find places with healthier options that aren't fried or dripping in grease.

Nuts & dried fruit. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Your Car
Keep some healthy snacks in your car at all times, so that when you get hungry, you have them on hand. Nuts are great for this - they pack a nice punch of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, and they have enough protein to satisfy any hunger pangs until you get a real meal. If you have a sweet tooth, try a trail mix with nuts and dried fruit for a savory and sweet treat that will satisfy all your cravings at once!

At Home
Evenings and mornings are busy times in most homes. Making the time to eat can be hard, but you shouldn't run out the door without eating breakfast first.  Cereal with milk, a banana, muffin, or yogurt is a great way to start the day.

Anytime you are on the go, always make sure that you make the right food decisions.  You can take healthy food with you if you need to, so that you have it on hand when you need it.  Eating healthy on the go isn't that hard to do, once you know how.  Never sacrifice healthy food for junk, as your body will regret it later.

And be sure to check back Wednesday for some healthy sandwich ideas that are great to take with you on the run!

Why I'm Not A Vegan - Part 2

Last week I shared the first reason why I don't believe a strictly vegan diet is healthy for humans. But there are other reasons besides health that I don't subscribe to the vegan philosophy. And let me clarify here - I have nothing against your choice if you choose to follow a vegan diet. That is a personal choice and it's up to you. Some people may do just fine on a completely plant-derived diet, but others may find it difficult, or may even face daunting and frightening health challenges - such as the personal story that formerly adamant vegan blogger Tasha shares on her blog. For those who have similar experiences when trying to adhere strictly to the code of veganism, I feel indignant on their behalf when I hear vegans trying to make them feel bad about going back to eating meat - and many do.

Being a vegan or vegetarian is a personal choice - and that's fine if that's what you want to do. But please don't try to make others feel as though they're committing a mortal sin by not eating the way that you do. It's not even so much the vegan diet that I have an issue with - it's more the extremist creed that I find some vegans spout and try to force on others constantly. That's why I'm writing this blog series - to shed some light on the other side, so those who may have considered going vegan or vegetarian, but felt they were "too weak" to give up animal products and consistently feel guilty about it, or those who actually were vegan but gave it up due to health problems or other issues, can see that there's more than one side to the issue, and that maybe it's not the ONLY way to true health after all, and can enjoy eating a healthy and balanced diet guilt-free, even if it includes animal products.

Which brings me to Reason #2 (directed at those adamant and proselytizing uber-vegans).

Reason #2: It's Hypocritical.

vegan cheese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Okay, so you're a vegan. You think eating meat is bad for you, and that humans weren't designed to eat meat, and can't digest it properly. You say eating animal products makes the body acidic and promotes disease. You subscribe to the (now debunked) theory that animal fat is evil, and makes you fat and sick. You explain to everyone you meet that eating a plant-derived diet is the only way to go, and that it has "cured" you from such and such ailment (diabetes, obesity, etc.), and that you are now on the path to everlasting true health, because you're eating the diet that we were all meant to eat since time began.

So answer me one question:

Why do you drink Diet Coke????

The first time I saw a professed and staunch vegan drink a can of diet soda I just about fell over. He had been preaching for months about how unhealthy it is to eat meat or any animal-derived food (even vitamin supplements), and then he brazenly pops the top on a can of chemicals, and downs it without blinking an eye.

Not only that, but he regularly pushes people to try his favorite vegan "cheese" - made from hydrogenated oils, artificial flavorings, and various fillers/thickeners/gums, etc., "ice cream" - made from sugary soy-derived dairy substitute processed who knows how, and various other artificially flavored, colored, and preserved "foods" which are completely foreign to the human body - simply because they contain no animal products, so they're "better for you."

Up until this point, I had given the vegan idea some thought - not that I really was sold on it, but I did explore some of the research, and listened to some of the "experts" on why humans aren't meant to eat meat, etc.  But I'm kind of a health nut - and one of the most important things - if not THE main thing I've learned over the years is, if a food doesn't occur in nature (at least in some form), it's not something we should be eating. And the closer we can eat it to the form it does appear in in nature, in most cases, the better it is for us.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So when I saw an adamant vegan eating total junk, which our bodies certainly were never meant to ingest (tell me where in a fruit or vegetable can you find propylene glycol? how about aspartame?  Red #5?), for me that completely changed the tune, and I had to step back and go - wait a minute....  Why are these completely artificial things okay to eat, while whole, natural foods like eggs and meat are not??

Of course, not all vegans eat this way. I'm sure there are some who eat strictly organic fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, and minimally processed foods, and who avoid sugar, white flour, and diet soda. I just haven't met one yet....  But I'm sure they're out there.  And one day I may meet one and thoughtfully listen to their views on health.

But until then, don't tell me humans weren't meant to eat meat, but it's okay to have processed vegetable oil "cheese" flavored with chemicals to taste like cheddar on your soy veggie burger. Don't tell me whole raw milk acidifies the body, while you drink Diet Coke (one of the most acidic "foods" in existence) on a regular basis.  Don't try to convince me that eating animal fat makes you fat, while you stuff yourself with vegan bread made with white flour and sugar, which most people now know are the true reasons for this country's epidemic of obesity.

Just keep it to yourself, and I'll keep enjoying my organic, grass-fed beef (or venison), bright orange egg yolks packed with Omega 3's from pastured hens, and creamy yellow whole raw milk from cows eating what they were made to eat (grass), ALONG with my fresh organic vegetables and locally grown ripe fruits.

Feel free to post your dissenting views below. :-)  Remember to check out Part 1 if you missed it. And check back next week for Part 3 in which I will discuss the impact on the environment of raising food for a strictly plant-derived diet, without the input of animals, and wrap up with a few concluding remarks.

Why I'm Not A Vegan - Part 1

I've been into health - eating healthy, choosing healthy foods, staying healthy via natural means - etc. for many years. From time to time, a well-meaning vegetarian or vegan friend will ask me why I'm not a vegan, as it IS the only way to true health - according to some. I disagree, and the reasons I am not a vegan, and probably never will be, are many and varied. For those that may wonder, here are the three main reasons why I don't believe veganism is the way to go. (Note: much of my studies over a number of years have led me to these conclusions. A couple of my favorite well-researched resources are pictured in this post, and you can find links to these and other sources listed below.)

Reason #1: It's Not Healthy.

Cover of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

Okay, I'm going to get yelled at for this one I'm sure. :-)  But in all honesty, I do believe that diets free of all animal products are unbalanced. Those on a vegan or strictly vegetarian diet for a long period of time must do a lot of planning and supplementing to be sure they are getting enough of a number of necessary nutrients.

Protein: This is probably the most obvious one, but there are a number of non-animal-based protein sources. Beans, soy products, and even some greens like kale and parsley are all high in protein. However, note that none of these is a complete protein source - for that, you need animal products, such as whole eggs. Also, I am not a big fan of processed soy products (or any highly processed food, for that matter, which I'll get into in a bit) - I don't think they're particularly healthy, and although there are some cultures one can point out that eat a lot of soy, it's either fresh soy beans (edamame) or fermented foods, which makes digestion easier on the body, and also introduces some helpful bacteria.

Vitamin D: It's hard to find vegetarian forms of this essential vitamin, but of course there's always the sun! Those who are vegetarian or vegan would do well to make sure they spend enough time daily in the sun (without sunscreen, and with minimal clothing) to build up their stores of Vitamin D. Deficiencies in this vitamin have recently been linked to everything from colds and flu, to osteoporosis, to cancer. It may be the most important vitamin there is for the health of your immune system - and a large percentage of the population is very deficient - even among those who eat meat. Avoiding animal products entirely just takes a further toll.

Vitamin B-12:  This one is imperative for muscle growth and health, and especially for that all-important muscle - your heart! Sorry - there are currently no known plant-based sources of this vitamin. I'm not sure if there's a synthetic version, but if so, I'm sure it's not as well absorbed or used by the body as the natural form. This is probably the most scary and wide-spread deficiency among vegans.

Cover via Amazon

Fat: Last but not least, this one is also important, despite our anti-fat bias here in the U.S.. Yes, there are plenty of plant-based fats available. HOWEVER, the healthiness of these fats is debatable at best. Some are certainly good - for example, olive oil, wheat germ oil, and various nuts and their oils. You do have to take the processing into account though. Highly processed oils such as corn oil, safflower oil, and rapeseed oil (also known as canola) are the OPPOSITE of healthy. Some of them are basically a few molecules away from plastic - which is why in some health journals you may see them called "plastic fats". Since all of your cell walls, and a large percentage of your brain, are made from fat, do you really want to be consuming these weird, unnatural substances instead of natural fats? Plus you are extracting them and separating them from the nutrients in the food that they were made in - and any time you do this you're leaving out a lot of the good stuff that helps them to be digested and used by the body.

Animal fats on the other hand can be easily consumed with a minimum of processing - often simply as part of the whole food that they come from. They often contain important stuff like Vitamin D, Vitamin B-12, and Omega-3 fatty acids. And they're natural. The fat in your body isn't canola oil - it's animal fat!! Doesn't it make sense that your body would  best assimilate and process the fat that is closest to its own type?   (And no, eating animal fat - at least in moderation - doesn't make you fat - contrary to common "wisdom." Dietary fat is mostly burned for fuel - not stored as fat in the body. Excess carbs are what is stored as fat. Just ask any conventional farmer why they feed their animals grain - because it makes them fatter! But that's a topic for another post. :-) )

Bottom Line: If you have to pop a bunch of pills and supplements to make up for essential nutrients that are lacking in your diet, you're eating an unbalanced diet - and that applies whether you're a vegan, a vegetarian, or an omnivore (and yes, many meat-eaters are unhealthy and deficient in a number of things as well, due to not eating enough plant-based foods - I do want to be fair here). But that's a big reason why I don't think a strictly vegan diet is natural or healthy - if you weren't meant to eat animal products, your body wouldn't need nutrients that are only (or mostly) found in those types of food. Period. (More on the "not natural" vein in Reason #3.)

Agree? Disagree? Want to debate the issue?  Feel free to comment below!

And if this post makes you mad, wait 'til next week for Part 2/Reason 2: "It's Hypocritical." You'll love it!  :-)


Sources & Related Resources:
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
Real Food: What to Eat and Why
Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
Former Vegan Reconsiders - Blog Post
Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food
Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life
The Meat Fix: How a Lifetime of Healthy Living Nearly Killed Me!
Ignore the Awkward.: How the Cholesterol Myths Are Kept Alive
The Great Cholesterol Con

4 Tips For Eating Healthy Every Day

Healthy eating means balancing the food you eat to keep your body in great health.  When you eat healthy foods that are fresh and contain the nutrition you need, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins and minerals you need, stay strong for activities you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 4 great tips for eating healthy on a daily basis:

1.  Don't skip meals
Eating 3 meals with light but nutritious snacks in between is the ideal way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight. When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more likely to choose foods that aren't very good for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with you or know where you can buy healthy food from when on the go.

Healthy eating pyramid similar to that of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)2.  Learn about how to prepare healthy foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying, microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should also try fresh or dried herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Check this blog on a regular basis for tasty from-scratch recipes that won't make you feel deprived!

3.  Avoid sugar (and artificial sweeteners)
Drinks and foods that contain a lot of sugar are a major source of empty calories.  What this means, is that these foods and beverages contain a lot of calories that your body may not need, and don't contain many (or any) vitamins or minerals.  However, if you absolutely must drink soda pop, stick with the regular variety - diet sodas contain a lot of chemicals that taste sweet, but which actually have been shown to INCREASE your appetite, and make you want to eat more, and they also are completely empty of any nutrition. So stick with regular, and try to cut down to once a week or save it for special occasions.

4.  Avoid fad diets
There are no good food nor any bad foods.  Just about any (real) food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation.  You don't need to buy low-carb, fat-free, or even diet foods, as these foods normally are highly processed, and have lots of other added ingredients (none of which are good for you) to replace the carbohydrates or fat. You're better off to choose plenty of whole, fresh, unprocessed foods, and make it a habit to eat a nice balance of these, and avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients as much as possible.

Not big on cooking, or don't know much about preparing your own healthy foods at home?  Check out http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html for some helpful tips and resources.

Eating Healthy For Students

Well, it's fall, and in most areas of the country, classes are back in full swing. College students can find it tricky to eat well, with so much food available (and no parents around to limit the junk food consumption!). Now is the time to learn self-control and establish healthy eating habits for your adult years.

Image via WikipediaFor many students, eating at college is a whole new ball game, with late night pizza delivery and junk food readily available just about everywhere (and most dorms don't have easy access to a kitchen, even if you wanted to cook for yourself).  Even though some of these quick and simple options taste great, many are probably not healthy for your body. 

The food choices students make can affect whether or not they are able to remain awake during class
and whether or not they will come down with mononucleosis (or the flu) when it hits campus.  But the problem is not just with eating junk food, it's more about not getting the proper proteins, carbs, vitamins, and minerals that people need to be healthy.

When it comes to defending against illnesses, vitamins and minerals are very important.  And though it may be easy to take vitamins and supplements, it's really best to get most of your nutrition from food.

Image by Calvert Cafe & Catering via FlickrYou can find vitamin C in citric fruits, Vitamin A in milk and dairy products, and vitamin E in nuts, whole wheat products, and even green leafy vegetables.  This is the ideal way to get nutrition, as your body relies on these vitamins for many reasons.

When you eat on campus, skip on the sodas and go right to the juice machines - or just drink water.  Explore the different entrees available and go to the salad bar where there are fresh vegetables.  You can also try putting some broccoli and cauliflower in the microwave for steamed vegetables.  There is usually plenty of fresh fruit available in dining halls as well.

Always remember that eating healthy isn't just about avoiding greasy foods.  Eating healthy involves eating a balanced diet and getting the right nutrients and vitamins to keep your body in peak performance - or at least awake during your classes.