For the New Year, skip the vague resolutions and ignore the hype, hysteria and relentless misinformation about food and nutrition. Let this be the year you adopt science-based healthy habits that are both sustainable and enjoyable. As a practical dietitian, I’d love for everyone to get back to enjoying and savoring food, rather than feeling fearful and guilt-ridden about certain choices. Everything fits with a hefty dose of balance and moderation in my dietitian book.
Canned counts. If one of your goals in 2017 is to eat more fruits and vegetables, you’ll find it totally achievable if you remember all forms count: fresh, frozen, dried, 100-percent juices and canned, like the canned diced tomatoes and jarred red bell peppers in the crab cake recipe. Fruits and vegetables are picked and packed (canned or frozen) at their peak, so that means valuable nutrients are retained. Just rinse canned beans and vegetables to slash sodium up to 45 percent. And choose canned fruits in light syrup or 100-percent juice to keep excess calories under control. Ignore claims that “fresh is best” because all forms of fruits and vegetables are nutrient-rich.
