Nutritious choices made simple®
I eagerly volunteered to tackle this important topic. I love football and the big game is also a significant food event! An estimated 103 million people watched last year. Some tune in to see the game, others care more about the half-time performance and commercials. I think we can all agree, though, that the food served is equally important.
We often think of the roles of food, nutrition, and exercise in maintaining a healthy weight and overall wellness, but a regular pattern of restful sleep is just as important. A good night’s sleep is essential for many reasons from the apparent (it restores us) to the complex (it helps prevent chronic disease). Indeed, something as simple as sleep is about way more than being cozy under the covers. It’s about preventing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Many of us are seeking a better night’s sleep and turn to the pharmacy for the answer. However, we need not look any further than our kitchen.
Guacamole made with simple ingredients adds a nice boost of heart-healthy fats and produce to any wrap, and paired with this delicious pork, your friends will be fighting more over the last wrap than over whose team is better on the field.
Given all the media hoopla, you’ve likely already heard—the Mediterranean Diet snagged the top slot for “Best Diet Overall” for the first time this year. Unless you read through the whole list, you may not realize how extensive it is—41 diets were reviewed! (That’s a lot of diets…wonder what that says about dieting in general…a topic for another day.)
A basic wrap[ can be a thing of beauty. Using hummus as your spread, you can boost the protein, fiber, and flavor of a simple chicken wrap. Packed with veggies and sliced into pinwheels, you’ve got a nutritious snack that’s easy to eat, fun to look at, and completely delicious.
All recipes in Savory: Fast, Fresh and Easy magazine’s new “Foods that Fits” issue for January 2019 earn Guiding Stars! The monthly publication offers seasonal recipes, entertaining ideas, and nutrition tips to supermarket shoppers.
It’s that time of year when dieting and the bars, powders, and more that come along with it are in the spotlight. Engaging in these diets, which may or may not bring the results you’re looking for, takes a bit of learning and always leave you feeling like a tourist in your own “eating world” until it becomes natural to you. How about avoiding these diets altogether this year and just focusing on personal goals? After all, you know what you want to achieve, so why not set simple, strategic goals to get you there?
Wraps are a fantastic option for feeding a crowd of friends who have gathered to watch a game together. Make them ahead and slice into pieces for snacks, or put out a wrap bar to let guests customize their own sandwich. Look for whole-grain wraps and offer spreads like hummus and guacamole with lean protein and fresh veggies for a nutritious offering.