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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Get Healthy
  3. Small Realistic Changes for Better Eating Habits

Small Realistic Changes for Better Eating Habits

It’s the New Year and everywhere there are advertisements for weight loss. “New Year, New You” screams out at you from pages of magazines and on Facebook. Frankly, I’m usually trying to get back to the “old me,” not find a new one!

Getting healthy isn’t about a lot of sacrifice and punishment. In fact, that can lead to disordered eating. I don’t want that for you. I’d prefer that you make some small changes to help you eat better.

Did you know that a serving of non-starchy vegetables only has about 25 calories in it? That’s about a cup of raw vegetables or ½ cup cooked. When you’re talking about leafy greens, that’s 2 cups raw – about the size of a dinner salad! These foods are high in volume and nutrient dense, leaving you feeling full without a lot of calories.

Think about ways you could add 1-2 vegetables to your daily diet.

  • Make a vegetable soup in a clear broth
  • Make zoodles instead of noodles and serve with your favorite red sauce or roast some spaghetti squash
  • Add spinach to your smoothie – you won’t even taste it
  • Snack on raw or steamed vegetables and hummus
  • Add veggies to your sandwiches – sliced zucchini, tomatoes, red pepper, cucumbers, red onion, mushrooms, etc.
  • Make a veggie omelet or scrambled eggs
  • Double the veggies in any recipe – especially spaghetti sauces, casseroles, and soups
  • Add veggies to your meatloaf or burgers
  • Make lettuce “wraps”
  • Commit to Meatless Monday and eat less meat once a week

Adding vegetables to your diet is easier than cutting out favorite foods. Once you have gotten into the vegetable habit, try to add another good habit, like cutting back on sugary drinks – including sweet tea and juices.

James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” asks: “How long does it take to build a habit? 21 days? 30 days? 66 days? The honest answer is: forever. Because once you stop doing it, it is no longer a habit. A habit is a lifestyle to be lived, not a finish line to be crossed. Make small, sustainable changes you can stick with.”

Let’s try a recipe that adds vegetables to one of my favorite meals – breakfast!

Recipe:

Veggie Scromblet from Health Meets Food

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
2 cups washed, and dried spinach
1/8 tsp salt, kosher
1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tbsp rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill or parsley, fresh, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp salt free seasoning blend of choice
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 each onion, diced small
1/2 large tomato, diced small
1 tbsp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation:

  1. Gather all ingredients and equipment.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add the spinach, salt, pepper, herbs and seasoning of choice. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Heat a medium saute pan on medium-high. Add oil. Add onions and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and pour egg mixture into a pan. Fold eggs with a spatula or spoon. Continue folding until eggs are almost set.
  5. Turn off heat and please cheese in an even layer over top of eggs. Cover pan and allow to sit for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Serve.

Variation: You can mix and match your veggies in this recipe. Broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, peppers and just about any type of greens would all taste great in your scromblet. You can also try different cheeses. For heat, add hot sauce to the veggies when sauteing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Stay tuned for more recipes and videos in the future. In the meantime, did you know that employees on UMR insurance can be seen in the Employee Nutrition clinic? UMR participants get a free visit annually with a dietitian. UMR may cover further visits for you and your family. Call 501-526-6477 or go to http://inside.uams.edu/employeenutrition/ for more information.

Posted by Natalie Cannady on January 14, 2020

Filed Under: Health Resources

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