Healthy Food Choices
Focus on good nutrition while making use of pre-prepared foods and you’ll find that healthy eating is easier than you think!
One of the biggest complaints people have about eating healthily is the time required to make a nutritious meal. But there are so many convenient items available that preparing healthy meals is a snap. Here are some simple tips that may help.
Easy and nutritious solutions
For protein , you can buy fish or poultry that’s already seasoned and ready for fast grilling, or frozen pre-cooked shrimp that can be mixed with pasta and veggies for a quick dish. Alternatively, don’t overlook simple items such as canned tuna, salmon, or chicken breast that can be added to salad greens, rice dishes or soups.
You can also boost the nutritional value of condensed soups by mixing them with nonfat milk or soy milk instead of water. As the soup is heating, toss in some frozen mixed vegetables, or some loose pack spinach to add nutrition, flavor and bulk. Frozen-loose pack vegetables allow you to use only what you need and are ready to eat in minutes.
Salad preparation can also be quick thanks to pre-washed salad greens, all sorts of pre-sliced and chopped veggies and baby carrots. Add a splash of low-fat bottled dressing and some pre-cooked chicken or shrimp and you’ve got a quick and healthy meal.
Smarter Multivitamins
The humble multivitamin made headlines in late 2013. A widely publicized medical journal editorial concluded that everyone should stop taking multivitamins altogether, based on selected evidence from study results. The opinion piece received an unusual amount of media attention, complete with sensational headlines declaring the case against multivitamins closed.
Evolution of Multivitamins: Today, the landscape of vitamins have evolved dramatically with introduction of Smart, Synergistic, and Super food Multivitamins.
Smarter Multivitamins: In recent years a new generation of smarter, more sophisticated multivitamins has been appearing on store shelves. These combine traditionally sourced nutrients along with vitamins and minerals from whole foods. Examples of the latter include iodine from kelp, selenium from sprouts, vitamin K2 from fermented legumes, and vitamin C from amla (Indian gooseberry).
Synergistic Multivitamins: The impetus for this evolution is the growing appreciation for food synergy, an understanding that the biological constituents from food are coordinated. Food-based nutrients likely buffer and balance one another in subtle ways that enhance biological activity. By combining elements originating from nature the basic multivitamin is capturing the importance of synergy in nutrients delivery. Why not a supplement made entirely from food? These are making appearances, but so far they are cost prohibitive for many consumers.
Superfood Multivitamins: A promising feature of the new, food-based multivitamins is the inclusion of “superfood” concentrates and extracts. These potent versions of antioxidant-abundant fruit and herbs provide nutrient-dense fare from the earth and sea. Optimal nourishment is based on eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods at every meal. A daily multivitamin is a convenient way to bridge nutrient gaps. As long as we continue to view our daily multivitamin as affordable insurance for overall wellness and not as a treatment for chronic disease, the case against multivitamins is far from closed—and the case for them is wide open.