Food is fuel. The human body—composed of eleven highly complex organ systems—is in a constant state of cellular regeneration and repair. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to forget that everything we eat directly helps or harms this life-giving process.
Continually working to keep us in a state of homeostasis and health, our bodies are infinitely more valuable than the most expensive, high-performance vehicles ever designed, and deserve the purest, and most high-quality food-fuel possible.
But in a hectic and busy life, our food-fuel can so often become more about a desperate bid to keep ourselves running in the moment rather than the long run.
More coffee? Yes, please! A gallon would be great! Donut? Don’t you know it!
Expediency for the win.
So goes life. Who has time to make and eat a healthy farm-to-table meal when rushing from deadline to deadline? On the weekend? Yes, maybe. Three times per day during a busy work week? Far trickier.
But seeking a balanced approach can be the key. Working to find simple, easy ways to incorporate and increase healthy food into our daily diet can help us to achieve our goals.
The beautiful thing about the body’s desire to survive and thrive is that even the smallest changes we make can end up making a big difference over time. Every little nutritional add-in helps. Every healthy swap-out counts.
Simple Add-Ins:
We all know that we should be getting at least 3-4 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of vegetables per day. But according to the CDC, “Only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits or vegetables.” It is hard to believe that a whopping 90% of us are not getting the recommended amount.
So what are some tips for eating more fruits and vegetables?
Summer is a superb time because garden-fresh produce is plentiful. But if life is extra busy or a sudden time-crunch makes washing and prepping fresh produce challenging, one of the quickest and easiest ways to bump up your daily intake is to use frozen veggies and fruits.
Produce that is frozen retains the most nutritional value after fresh. Frozen vegetables and fruits are economical, hassle-free, and versatile, and can be added to just about everything.
Any type of frozen vegetable can be steamed or microwaved and added to a rice or quinoa bowl for a quick and nutritious lunch. Top with either a dollop of hummus or a sprinkle of feta and a dash of olive-oil-vinaigrette for a fueltastic veggie meal.
Try sneaking more frozen vegetables into everyday pasta dishes. Experiment with gradually increasing the veggie to pasta ratio over time until it is at least 50/50. This method is especially useful with kids or picky eaters.
• Peas & carrots or broccoli added to mac and cheese.
• Italian blend vegetables added to spaghetti or baked ziti.
• Peas, broccoli, corn or mixed vegetables added to macaroni salad.
• Summer squash or spiralized zucchini, carrots or beets added to linguini.
• Spinach, carrots, or zucchini added to lasagna.
• Broccoli or cauliflower added to fettuccini.
Consider adding a bag of frozen greens to any soup. Whether the soup is homemade or canned, throw in frozen kale, spinach or chard to amplify the goodness. Dark, leafy greens are high in vitamin B5, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium and phytonutrients. Simply add a bag to your soup of choice and then add in a little extra salt and herbs to season the greens.
Or try adding a bag of frozen butternut squash to the pot the next time you serve chili. The sweetness of the squash pairs beautifully with the spiciness of the chili, and it is packed with potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and many different B vitamins. Add it to your regular chili or find one of the chili recipes in CCFL’s Healthy Recipe Box.
The same goes for adding frozen fruits and berries to your morning protein shake, cereal, or yogurt. Turn a plain protein shake into a smoothie by blending in 1 to 1 ½ cups of frozen fruit, and easily account for 2-3 of your fruit servings for the entire day, all while adding extra vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet.
Top your instant oatmeal or yogurt with sugar-free frozen berries and boost your antioxidant consumption. The polyphenols found in berries can help to protect cells from oxidative stress and free-radical damage. Stir in a spoonful of natural, sugar-free nut butter, (almond, walnut, cashew, hazelnut, or peanut) high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber for an instant and nutritious complete meal.
Experiment with using fresh or frozen fruit for dessert in sugar-free, naturally sweetened parfaits, fruit salads, cobblers, crisps, and pies. Serve fruit kabobs using four or five different colorful fruits on individual skewers for a fun and fancy indulgence.
Make fruit your favorite summertime snack. Enjoy it fresh and whole. Cool down when temperatures soar with homemade fruit popsicles. Or nosh on tiny DIY snack-packs of frozen grapes or berries for a quick and healthy treat.
Easy Swap-Outs:
Whether cutting back on carbs, calories, refined sugar, saturated fats or just wanting to switch things up for greater nutritional impact or more variety, consider trying these easy swap-outs:
• Plain yogurt in place of sour cream.
• Applesauce in place of oil in baking.
• A flax seed “egg” in place of a regular egg in baking.
• Homemade baked tortilla chips in place of store-bought chips.
• Hummus or guacamole in place of mayo.
• Apple, grape or pineapple juice concentrate in recipes in place of refined sugar.
• Fresh or dried fruit in recipes in place of refined sugar.
• Carrot-sweetened marinara sauce in place of marinara sauce with refined sugar.
• Raw honey or organic pure maple syrup in recipes in place of refined sugar.
• Homemade chia jam in place of jam with refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
• Homemade yogurt or fruit juice popsicles in place of store-bought popsicles.
• Avocado chocolate mousse in place of regular chocolate pudding.
• Baby carrot “Pigs in a Blanket” in place of regular “Pigs in a Blanket.”
• Low-fat mushroom and veggie tacos in place of regular tacos.
• Apple donuts in place of regular donuts.
• Mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes.
• Cauliflower au gratin in place of potato au gratin.
• Lettuce-wrapped hamburgers in place of hamburger buns.
• Collard green wraps in place of flour tortillas.
• Spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti pasta.
• Zucchini oven fries in place of potato fries.
• Sweet potato nachos in place of regular chip nachos.
• Cucumber or zucchini sushi in place of regular sushi.
Find more information and recipes for these swap-outs in CCFL’s Healthy Recipe Box on Box.
Have a nourishing add-in or swap-out you like to use? Be sure to upload your recipes and share your healthy eating tips in CCFL’s Healthy Recipe Box!
Using the shared link emailed to you on CCFL’s listerv, simply click on “Join Folder” in the upper right-hand corner to become an editor. You will then be able to upload, view, and comment on all the recipes in the box.
Whether we are working on fitness goals, improving a medical condition, or just looking for ways to eat a more nutritionally diverse diet, we can give simple add-ins and easy swap-outs a try.
Our bodies run best on high-quality, highly-nutritious, and fueltastic food. We deserve the best. Our bodies deserve the best.
Works Cited:
1. “Only 1 in 10 Adults Get Enough Fruits or Vegetables.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed and Updated: 16 Nov. 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html.
Works Consulted:
1. “Human Body Organ Systems.” Anatomy & Physiology: A Learning Initiative. 17 May, 2013. https://anatomyandphysiologyi.com/human-body-organ-systems-an-orientation.
2. Wikipedia contributors. "Regeneration in humans." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 8 May. 2019. Web. 22 May. 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regeneration_in_humans.
3. Brown, Mary Jane. “Fresh vs Frozen Fruit and Vegetables — Which Are Healthier?” Healthline. 15 June 2017. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables.
4. “Fruits and Vegetables Serving Sizes.” American Heart Association. 2017. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/add-color/fruits-and-vegetables-serving-sizes.
5. Jennings, Tasha. “Vitamins Guide.” Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing Pty Ltd, 2013. Print.
6. Ware, Megan. “What's to know about butternut squash?” Medical News Today. 18 May 2017. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284479.php.
Disclaimer: These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Always check with your doctor before making dietary or lifestyle changes, especially if you have a medical condition.