keep your diet real

I can’t go all day without eating a snack. It just doesn’t work for me. On the days that I skip snacks, I end up wanting to kick something or let the air out of someone’s tires. Don’t worry, that has never happened….mainly for two reasons. 1. Jesus. 2. I try to keep small snacks within my reach at all times. Snacks are important and should be eaten throughout the day. One of the main reasons to small meals/snacks is to prevent over-eating later in the day. Snack foods do not always need to come from packages.  A healthy snack should include a fruit or vegetable, some protein, and/or a whole grain. I have made a list of my favorite 7 simple snacks. Take a look…

Blueberry Greek yogurt with fresh berries, 1/4 cup of Grape Nuts cereal, and a drizzle of honey.

Hummus with fresh veggies and whole grain crackers.

Ryvita or another whole grain cracker with a thin layer of reduced or low-fat cream cheese and sliced green olives.

A small bowl of vegetable and bean soup with whole grain crackers.

A Gnu bar to consider. A few weeks ago I wrote a post on snack bars. In that post I mentioned that most snack bars are complete trash. While that is largely true, I was recently introduced to Gnu bars. Gnu bars are high fiber snack bars made with all natural ingredients – no junk. I can actually pronounce all of the ingredients…and I even know where most of them come from. They are quite tasty as well and most are under 150 calories per bar. Check them out!

A classic: cheesestick, apple, pretzels, and cashews.

Brown rice cakes with freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter and sliced kumquats.

What do you eat for your snacks?

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When it comes to snack bars, I think it’s time we separated the men from the boys…

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It depends on who you ask…

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Each week I spend about 30 minutes or more talking to patients about breakfast cereal…

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I recently tasted a Concord grape. Umm, wow! Where have these little gems been hiding for the past 29 years? If you have never tasted a Concord grape I would encourage you to run out and buy a package today! They taste exactly like grape jelly…which I suppose makes sense.

…Just checking

Do you have this strainer at home?

Most of us have forgotten how to eat. We’re not sure what to eat, how much to eat, or even when to eat. Most of us have also forgotten what real food tastes like. Real food is simple, tasty, and just happens to be good for you. Real food is not artificial. It is not highly processed and preserved (forgive me for being simple but I like ingredients that I can pronounce). Real food does not require a shiny wrapper or a convincing advertisement to get you to buy it or eat it.

What are we supposed to eat when we hear confusing messages about food like…

• Don’t eat a single egg yolk or you’ll drop dead!
• Dark chocolate will save your life!
• Iceberg lettuce is bad for you!

While these messages are out there, we don’t have to be confused or swayed by them. There’s good news! Foods are not “good” or “bad”. Certainly, some foods are more nutritious than others, but there is no need to toss that carton of eggs or abandon the iceberg lettuce. I’d like to stop talking about all the foods we “can’t” or “shouldn’t” eat and talk about all the foods we can and should eat. There are literally thousands of foods out there that we have never even tasted!

For example…

• Did you know that there are more than 7,500 different varieties of apples grown in the world? 2,500 of which are grown in the United States alone?!

God has given us an outstanding variety of foods to choose from. Not only are we given this variety but also senses with which to experience the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures of food. I am blessed with the opportunity to educate and empower people to improve the quality of their diet and lifestyle. I hope that you will enjoy the photos and the food!

What’s your favorite “real” food?