Healthy Summer Eating

Well summer is here and so are the cookouts with all the related foods such as macaroni and potato salads.  I love both of these salads and it has been a real challenge to create them in a manner that is both healthy and taste good.  I like green salad however after awhile it wears on you.  For myself I make my version of these two salads with guacamole and I really enjoy them however my family not so much.  In the summer my family loves the traditional homemade macaroni and potato salad however I know they are not the most healthy of choices.  Salads with olive oil such as pasta salad are better than the creamy based dressings that are miracle whip or mayonnaise based.  I have been eating healthy and I am trying my best to get the rest of my family on a more healthy eating path.  There are some suggestions that I use to help make the salads healthier and still acceptable by my family.  I use low fat Miracle Whip and add some milk to reduce the fat and calories associated with these salads.  So far my family has not noticed the difference.  Making little changes such as this can have a long lasting effect over time.  Any little change that you can make toward healthier eating is helpful.  Just like those I discussed in my last posting where making the changes from "white" related foods to "brown" can have a great impact on your health.  Eating whole wheat bread instead of white and eating brown rice instead of white are a few simple examples. The taste isn't that different and you should be able to make the change without your family uprising.

You don't have to sit around eating just carrots and celery like a rabbit all summer.  This is not realistic or something you will be able to maintain in the future. When you are at a picnic or BBQ you just need to make healthy choices.  The choice you make at a party may not be exactly how you would or should eat all the time however you make the best choice of what is available.   I do this all the time when I eat out at a restaurant, party, or church related function.  I look at all the choices and decide using what I know about healthy eating and choose the best of what is available.  An example would be when there are several salads that are creamy based try to choose one that isn't such as a bean salad or pasta salad.  Another choice which is better than macaroni or potato is cole slaw or cabbage salad.  Cabbage is a great food and if the choices are macaroni, potato, or cole slaw the better choice is usually the slaw.  Bean salads are also very tasty and good for you.  When I make a meat choice I go for chicken or fish if it is available and grilled.  When at home I buy lean red meat however when at a party or BBQ that usually isn't the choice.  If there is no chicken you can opt for the burger without the bun.

I was at a church function for our ladies group and I had to make some similar choices.  Every month we have a ladies meeting and have a meal together.  Every month the food is different and I need to make the best healthy choice from what is available.  This week there was pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, macaroni salad, bean salad, and a broccoli salad with cabbage.  I decided to take the pulled chicken without the bun, a small amount of the bean and broccoli salads.  I figured the chicken was better than the pork and I didn't need the "white" bun.  Usually there is a green toss salad with toppings however not this week so I made the better choice of the three with the bean and broccoli instead of the macaroni salad.  Dessert is another big issue that faces everyone who is trying to eat healthier.  There are always multiple desserts to choose from at parties and picnics and they all look so good.  The best choice if you can't resist dessert is to choose fruit salad or something that contains fruit.  Remember try to avoid sugary desserts as much as possible however a small piece of fruit pie or pudding is fine.  Another key to remember with dessert is portion size.  You may need to share or take a small piece and not the huge portion that usually the restaurant gives you.  Just remember that you need to eat healthier but in a manner that you can maintain and be happy with throughout your lifetime.  As the saying goes, "you are what you eat" and if you pack your plate you will usually be packing on the pounds.  Eat sensible, limit your portions, and make healthy choices of what is available to have a fun and healthy summer.