Toward better habits, one step at a time

March 01, 2006|By Renee Enna, Tribune staff reporter

National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association each March, puts a spotlight on healthful eating in an effort to help Americans improve their diets. Visit the site,, for dozens of articles with advice on nutrition, exercise and food-related concerns. In the meantime, here are a few ideas that can ease you into better habits:

- Jim Romanoff, author of "The Eating Well Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook," offers these guidelines: Select a variety of foods in sensible portions; consider no food as "either a magic bullet or a forbidden fruit"; choose whole foods over processed as often as possible; embrace plant foods like vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains; include low-fat dairy products, fish and shellfish, lean meats and poultry; and rely on seasoning and cooking with olive oil and other "good fats" to make food satisfying.

- "Cut back, cut out, trade up!" Kathleen Daelemans advises in "Chef Kathleen's Cooking Thin Cookbook." "Choose one food item you need to cut back on and, starting now, switch it out for something you need to work in." For instance, that bag of M&Ms you eat every afternoon? She offers three approaches: How about eating half a bag--or eating trail mix with a few M&Ms throw in--or eating a piece of your favorite fruit instead?

- Snack smarts: Keep healthful nibbles on hand. Baby carrots with roasted red pepper dip, low-calorie fruit sorbet and high-fiber microwave popcorn (especially the 100-calorie bags) are better choices than cookies, ice cream and potato chips.

- Slow down. If you gobble two slices of pizza in 10 minutes, how about eating one slice in the same amount of time, and having a salad replace Slice No. 2? You'll be focusing on the flavor and savoring your meal--and, honest, you'll feel just as full when you're finished.

- Make the most of extra cooking time, Daelemans writes, so healthful entrees are at the ready. "Choose recipes that will allow you to get ahead and make a double batch of everything for the purpose of freezing it."

- "Switch from low-fiber breakfast cereal to lower-sugar, higher-fiber alternatives," advises "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." Not only is fiber good for you, but it also helps you feel full--and less inclined to snack unwisely as the day goes on.