15 Tips for Better Family Nutrition

This list of tips for better family nutrition is a compilation that have worked with numerous patients over the years in a variety of settings with a myriad of backgrounds. Not every tip may work for you but focusing on one or two will still help you to stay healthy.
(1) Know yourself, find out how many calories you need for a day. 2,000 calories a day is an average, you may be more or less.
(2) Enjoy your food but pay attention to what you are eating. I love my food and you should too, building a good relationship with food is essential to maintaining balance.
(3) Avoid oversized portions of food that involve very little chewing. Many families ingest massive calories eating foods that start to vanish once you put them in your mouth, this can lead to overeating.
(4) Eat lean proteins and vegetables more often. It can take up to 30% of the calories you eat from the protein to digest it.
(5) Make half your plate vegetables.
(6) Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk; especially in your coffee. Some people don't like the change in texture when you switch milk but in coffee and tea you may not know the difference. Give it a try.
(7) Make half your grains whole. Whole grain breads, brown rice.

(8) Rinse canned foods before cooking or eating. This helps to eliminate the sodium that is used to keep the vegetables fresh.
(9) Make your own flavored waters using herbs and fruits. Water can get boring so make your own flavors so you're not tempted to drink higher calorie drinks throughout the day.
(10) Cook fresh or frozen vegetables in the microwave to speed up cooking. Even gourmet restaurants have microwaves, so don't be afraid to cook healthfully in yours and speed up your cooking time.
(11) Pre-package fresh vegetables for snacks throughout the day. Cut up some veggies in the morning and keep them in plastic wrap for later in the day. You'll never scramble for a snack.
(12) Choose vegetables rich in color.
(13) Get frozen vegetables since they store well and are just as nutritious as fresh. The techniques to freeze vegetables are much better now then when we were kids.
(14)Eat Seasonally.
(15) Use spices to change the flavors of your favorite meals.
Following these simple and easy 15 tips will allow you to keep your family healthy all year-round and may even save you some money the next time you are shopping
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