S m
a r t
e a t i n g
m
a d e
s i m
p l e
Forget everything you know about
fussy m eal plans, calorie counting, and
deprivation. Building a healthy diet is as
easy as tucking a few surefire strategies
in your toolkit.
BY STEPHANIE ANDERSON WITMER
R
ead enough h ealth and n u tritio n headlines,
and you get th e im pression th a t A m ericans
can ’t do an y th in g right. T w o -th ird s o f us are
overw eight, ex p erts are quick to p o in t out.
W e eat to o m uch o f th e w rong foods, far to o
often. To h ear som e people tell it, w e’re hopeless.
But is it fair to place all th is blam e on ourselves? Just
consider th e confusing and dow nright dubious food advice
w e’ve heard over th e years: Avoid carbs at all costs. Stop
eating by
7 : 0 0
p.m. sharp. Have one m eal a day. Have
z e r o
m eals a day and d rink sm oothies instead. N o w onder so
m any o f us are struggling. Even if you forgo th e fads and aim
for a m oderate diet filled w ith fru its, veggies, lean protein,
and w hole grains, life can get in th e way. M aybe you venture
to a re sta u ra n t and eat m ore th a n you planned. M aybe your
fam ily balks at th e healthy m eals you prepare at hom e.
M aybe in your w eekly sp rin t th ro u g h th e sup erm ark et you
find yourself m aking less-th an -p erfect choices. Clearly, we
A m ericans need a get-real gam e plan th a t addresses th e
d ietary challenges we face in
a l l
th ese dom ains.
So
B e t t e r H o m e s a n d G a r d e n s
called to g eth er a panel of
nationally recognized ex p erts in cooking, n u tritio n , health,
and hum an behavior to create th e ultim ate guide to eating
right. G o ahead and dig in— it’s surprisingly easy to stom ach.
BEST YEAR EVER
6 2 . 8 %
o f
B H G
r e a d e r s
s a id t h a t e a t-
in g a h e a lth ie r
d ie t w o u ld h e lp
m a k e
2 0 1 1
t h e ir
b e s t y e a r e v e r.
B u t i t ’s n o t
ju s t a p e r s o n a l
g o a l—
5 2
.
3
%
s a id t h e y w a n t
t h e ir fa m ilie s
to d o lik e w is e .
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS |
MARCH
2011
| BHG.COM
