March is National Nutrition Month, a perfect time to check in with your eating habits. Consider this: If you are what you eat, what do your daily eating habits say about you? Does your eating reflect the body you say you want to have? Are you trying to be "fatty, processed or junk food"? Or would you rather be "clean and lean"?
I'm assuming clean and lean is your answer!
So, how do you do that?
The theme for the month, as determined by the American Dietetic Association, is "Eat Right with Color." The goal is to fill you daily diet with nutrient-rich, clean (as in as unprocessed as possible) foods from the colors of the rainbow and beyond. If the food comes in a box or package, check the label for "normal" sounding ingredients, with few syllables (like those on our list below). Some to avoid include hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oil, monosodium glutamate, high fructose corn syrup, sodium/calcium caseinate, sodium nitrite, butylated hydroxyanisole (say that three times fast, or just look for BHA), butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) and potassium bromate.
Here are some great ingredient ideas that can help you eat for the body you desire. You'll find a link with some great recipe ideas below as well:
Red: Tomatoes, apples, peppers, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, salmon, red beans
Orange: Peppers, carrots, oranges, cheese, sweet potatoes
Yellow: Peppers, bananas, lemons, peaches, nectarines
Green: Broccoli, green beans, kale, lettuce, avocados, zucchini, parsley, cilantro, brussel sprouts, peas, kiwi
Blue/Purple: Blueberries, grapes, plums, eggplant, red cabbage, cherries
White: Cauliflower, eggs, yogurt, milk, white beans, poultry, fish, mushrooms, potatoes, tofu, feta
Brown: Whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, nuts, brown rice, meat, mushrooms
Click this link for Superfast 20-Minute Recipes from Cooking Light.
