Why as an intelligent nation do we continue to commit “nutritional suicide?” I keep asking myself this question over and over as I explore the mountains of nutrition education material, most of which is available to the general public. The facts regarding how to eat healthier for better health are everywhere, yet we either let them go in one ear and out the other or we feel that we are above it all and that poor health habits and poor nutrition will never affect us or our children. How wrong we are and how little most Americans really know about proper nutrition.
We purchase foods that are grown in nutrient‑depleted soils. These foods lack some of the basic nutrients, especially micronutrients, for which we purchase them. We are eating a diet consisting of processed foods with chemicals and additives, the effects of which are largely unknown.
Our beef comes from cattle that are hormonized to make them grow faster than the meat is nitrated to preserve it. We allow our children to eat sugar-coated cereals because we are afraid they may not eat breakfast. We drink gallons of caffeinated beverages each year to stimulate us and keep us awake, then take sleeping pills to put us to sleep.
We are a nation of people who have forgotten how to eat right. We rely too much on convenience foods and fast food restaurants. Remember: you and only you alone are responsible for your family’s health.
Our body weight is getting out of control and the realization that our health is severely affected by our weight is becoming a key concern. Weight control must be a total lifestyle change, not just a loss of a few pounds! Without a different outlook on your whole life, the weight will not remain off.
To accomplish this, it is necessary to understand the world around us and all the challenges we face to maintain a healthy body. Weight control is one of the most important health concerns in the U.S. today but needs to be viewed in a total health concept.
The following are 25 foods, which are all healthy, will help control your snacking and all are under 100 calories. Whether you are on a diet or just watching your waistline, these snacks are easy to fix or keep available. They are refreshing and totally guilt-free:
- ½ cup of strawberries with 1 tablespoon light whipping cream
- ½ cup sorbet or fruit sherbet
- 1 small baked potato
- 1 frozen pudding bar
- 1 string cheese stick
- ½ cup sliced peaches with 2 tablespoons of light whipping cream
- 1 slice whole grain toast
- Frozen fruit bar
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 hard boiled egg
- ½ English muffin with 1 tsp smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal
- 2 tablespoons soybean nuts
- 8 medium fresh shrimp
- Whole grapefruit
- 2 sesame breadsticks
- 2 grilled pineapple slices
- ½ cup frozen yogurt
- 1 medium orange
- 1 cup diet root beer with 1 scoop non-fat frozen yogurt
- ½ cup raspberry sherbet
- ½ cup Lemon mousse
- 2 cups watermelon cubes
- ½ cup low fat cottage cheese
- 8 animal crackers
