Food News: Shop with 3

Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD,  has a great strategy for shopping when you don’t have time to plan meals or make a list - it is what she calls 3 simple changes that can make a big difference:

  1. Monitor your salt intake.

    • Check labels for sodium and shoot for nothing over 480 – 500 mg of sodium per serving. 

    • When you add salt to home-cooked meals or at restaurants, taste the food first – it may not need salt.

  2. Buy drinks without calories.

    • Liquid calories account for a big part of the average American’s caloric intake. 

    • Not only does it contribute to overweight and obesity, but it displaces other nutritional calories.

    • Here are some ways to make lower-calorie beverage choices:

      • Choose skim/low-fat lattes versus drinks with cream and whipped cream

      • Drink mineral water with a twist of lemon, lime, or orange instead of regular or diet sodas.

      • Incorporate unsweetened tea into your daily regimen – as it’s a great low-calorie, nutritious way to begin and end the day (as long as you don’t add a lot of cream and sugar!)

  3. Eat less meat and more plants.

    • Not only will you be helping to save our planet by eating more plants, but people that eat more vegetables typically get more fiber, potassium, and anti-oxidants in their diets when they forgo animal products.

    • Designate weekly meatless days, experiment with roasting different vegetables (asparagus, leeks, Brussels sprouts, string beans, and squash), and visit farmers’ markets.

Print Friendly and PDF
Stephanie Ronco

Stephanie Ronco has been editing for Food and Health Communications since 2011. She graduated from Colorado College magna cum laude with distinction in Comparative Literature. She was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2008.

Previous
Previous

High-fat Diet May Lead to Overeating

Next
Next

3 Cancer Risk Reduction Strategies