Instead of scrubbing floors and rearranging closets, let’s take a look at cleaning up your eating habits just in time for spring.
Spring is a perfect time to hit “reset” and reintroduce some fresh foods and new ideas into your eating plan.
Revisit Portion Sizes
Start to familiarize yourself with the nutrition facts label. Pay special attention to the serving size. Compare your portion size, which is the amount you actually eat, to the serving size listed on the label. If the serving size is one cup and you eat two cups, you are getting twice the calories, fat and other nutrients listed.
Cut Back on Sugar & Salt
Eating less saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium may help reduce your risk for chronic disease. High levels of sodium can add up to high blood pressure, and eating too much added sugar makes it difficult to meet nutrient needs within your calorie allowances. When reading the food label, aim for 5% of the daily value, or less, for the food to be considered “low” in sugar and sodium.
Switch up Produce
There are many fresh fruits and vegetables that begin to reappear in our local grocery stores, all at a reasonable price. Spinach is a superfood, packed full of vitamins A and C. Adding spinach to salads and smoothies is a great way to incorporate it back into your diet. Also, strawberries will be back in season, and are a great addition to smoothies, cereal and yogurt. One serving of strawberries contains more than a day’s worth of vitamin C. A good rule of thumb to remember when picking produce is that the richer the color of the produce, the more nutrient-dense it is!
Superfood Slaw Recipe
Add this “Superfood Slaw” recipe to your spring clean diet!
Ingredients:
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 2 t Dijon mustard
- ¾ t grated lemon zest
- 1 t lemon juice
- ½ t ground pepper
- ¾ t salt
- 2 t honey
- 2 T olive oil
- 6 ½ oz. chopped spinach or kale
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 10 oz. slaw mix
- 2/3 c fresh blueberries
Preparation:
- To prepare dressing, combine vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, salt and honey. Slowly drizzle in oil.
- In separate bowl, toss spinach or kale, almonds, slaw, blueberries, and top with the dressing.