How to Revamp Our Family's Diet

You can revamp your family's diet for a healthier lifestyle with a few simple changes. Substituting tasty, low-fat options in place of high-fat content foods, lowering the amount of sugar and salt you eat or adding more fiber can improve your family's diet without sacrificing taste. Many people stay clear of "healthy" options because of loss of flavor; however "healthy" doesn't have to taste bad. Follow a few simple tips and tricks to jump start your family's diet and revamp your lifestyle.

Instructions

• 1

  Add whole wheat to your diet. This is easy to achieve by substituting whole grains in place of bleached flour. Pay attention to the packaged food you buy like bread, rice, pasta and even cakes. Replace brownies with low-fat angel food cake for a sweet treat and no guilt, use brown rice and brown rice pasta as an alternative to white rice or traditional pasta or swap your white or white-wheat bread for hearty whole grain options. You can even buy whole grain hot dog and hamburger buns at your local grocer or market. Sprinkle casseroles and salads with flax seed to increase omega-3s and make the meal more heart healthy.

• 2

  Add fresh vegetables to every meal. Cooking with fresh ingredients will actually add flavor, whereas packaged, canned or frozen foods lose flavor when processed. Increase your vitamin intake by cooking meals with two to three different types of vegetables. Try new combinations and recipes. For instance, rinse and cut carrots, parsnips and butternut squash and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and pepper to season. Roast for 35 minutes at 350 degrees in your oven. Sliced zucchini, whole cherry or grape tomatoes and button mushrooms can be roasted the same way. Or try roasting sliced carrots, sweet potato and butternut squash sprinkled with cinnamon, pepper and sugar substitute. Add chopped carrots and zucchini to spaghetti sauce for a chunky Mediterranean style pasta.

• 3

  Reduce your family's sugar intake. Replace sugar in recipes with a sugar substitute made from sugar or one you prefer. Avoid fruits packed in syrup made with high fructose ingredients and try instead to eat fresh fruit or fruit packed in water or pure fruit juice. Blend smoothies using natural yogurt and fresh fruit or juices in lieu of prepacked or flavored yogurts. Cut recipes that call for sugar by a 1/2 to 1/3 cup and replace with banana puree. Compare sugar content on cakes and cookies. Surprisingly, some items like iced animal cookies can contain less sugar than regular, non-iced cookies.

• 4

  Reduce fat by cutting portions of meats and oils. Use the rule that a portion of meat should be no bigger than the palm of your hand. Reduce meat in casseroles and soups by replacing one-third of what the recipe calls for with extra vegetables. Brown meat slowly to avoid producing extra oils and drain meats before adding them to your recipes. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil for salads, cooking and frying.