Three go-to health foods get a taste makeover with these flavor-building, nutrition-boosting strategies.
Eating healthier might be one of your resolutions for this
year, but it can be a tough one to stick with when you’re faced with
dull, unsavory meal options.
Perhaps you’re mustering the fortitude to face another bowl of lumpy oatmeal for breakfast. Or you’ve resigned yourself to a lunchtime
plate of wilty lettuce and low-fat dressing. Dinner? One more boneless,
skinless chicken breast. Let’s face it: These foods just aren’t that
exciting.
It turns out they aren’t all that healthy, either.
Beyond drab, these choices are relatively low on nutrition, leaving your palate uninspired and your body undernourished.
“If what you’re eating is bland and boring, then it’s not healthy —
even if it is packed with nutrients,” says Andrea Beaman, holistic
health coach and author of Health Is Wealth. “Food should satisfy you on many levels, not just physically.”
To give these health-food staples a taste
makeover, we assembled a team of nutrition experts and flavor-savvy
authors, including Beaman; Paul Kriegler, RD, assistant program manager
at Life Time Weight Loss; and Melissa Joulwan, blogger and author of Well Fed.
Their top advice: Start by reframing what you consider “good for
you.” Worry less about calories and fat, and instead focus on foods that
provide nutrient density, good blood-sugar regulation, and a healthy
dose of satisfaction that will carry you through your day.