Choose Healthier Meats
There’s nothing wrong with a little red meat in your diet, but most of us get too much. Cut down to red meat once a week (and keep your portions in control — a serving size is about the size of a deck of cards). Look for fish and chicken instead.
If you’re worried about mercury in your diet from sea creatures, opt for “light” tuna over “white” tuna. White tuna is albacore, which is larger and older when caught, so it’s had more t
ime to accumulate mercury (three times as much)!
When selecting your cuts of chicken, don’t automatically go for white meat. While it’s true that white meat has fewer calories, it also has less iron, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin and vitamins B6 and B12. And as any chef will tell you, it also has more flavor!
If you’re just craving beef, avoid the drive-through and make it at home. Choose cuts with the least amount of visible marbling (fat). The leanest cuts are top sirloin steak, top and bottom roast or steak, eye of round roast or steak, and sirloin tip side steak.
Sneaking Healthier Foods into your Diet
We’re sure there were more than a few of the spring superfoods you just don’t like. But there are several ways you can sneak them into your diet.
- Use spaghetti squash instead of pasta and top it with a homemade tomato sauce with spinach and artichokes.
- Make a pesto using spinach, radish leaves and arugula, which is much more flavorful than the traditional pesto. Toss it with some whole-wheat pasta and a lean protein like shrimp or chicken.
- Make a puree of yellow squash and heat it with a few ounces each of sharp cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta (another surprising superfood), Parmesan and your favorite spices. Toss it with some tricolor pasta for a healthier mac and cheese.
- Make a salad of leafy greens, arugula, diced radishes, broccoli florets, green onions, fresh spinach, cooked artichoke hearts and fava beans, and top it with homemade strawberry or raspberry vinaigrette. No need for croutons; the radishes will provide plenty of crunch.