Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, Co-authors, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers
The Meal Makeover Moms have created a series of online videos featuring cooking demonstrations and mealtime/pantry tips. Discover easy ways to improve your family's diet by watching more of their how-to videos.
By now, you may have heard the advice to switch from white bread to fiber-rich 100% whole wheat and to cut some of the saturated fat in your diet by replacing whole milk with 1% or skim. These changes make a lot of sense because each brings a big nutritional benefit to the diet. To build on those mealtime modifications, try some of these other smart switches.
Instead of regular eggs, switch to omega-3 eggs: Omega-3 fats are heart healthy. And when hens are fed a special diet including algae, fish oil, or flaxseed, they lay healthier eggs. These super eggs each contain anywhere from 100 to 200 milligrams of omega-3 fats -- 10% to 20% of what's recommended daily.
Instead of vegetable oil, switch to canola oil: Vegetable oil is fine for cooking but canola oil is even better. Canola oil is rich in good-for-you monounsaturated fat as well as omega-3 fat (both have been shown to lower cholesterol levels). Canola oil holds up well under high heat and has a mild flavor that works well in stir fries, baking, and salad dressings.
Instead of table salt, switch to kosher salt: Regular everyday iodized table salt has 2,325 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Certain brands of kosher salt (Diamond Crystal to be exact) have half that amount at 1,120 milligrams. To put those numbers in perspective, consider that experts advise kids and adults to consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. Kosher salt is light and flaky and has a clean crisp flavor. Try sprinkling a pinch or two (and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil) over a side of plain vegetables to kick up the flavor.
Instead of frozen French fries, switch to frozen sweet potato fries: French fries are the most popular "vegetable" among the under five crowd. While potatoes can be a nutritious addition to a child’s diet, when they are deep-fat fried the benefits are overshadowed. Consider sweet potato fries from companies like Ian’s. A serving has over a day's worth of vitamin A versus virtually none in regular fries.
Instead of an apple a day, switch to an orange, an apple, and some cantaloupe: Only four percent of children eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables a day. And sadly, the number-one vegetable consumed by children every day is French fries! The fallout: lots of kids don’t get enough fiber and vitamins such as immune-boosting A and C. So while "an apple a day" is great advice, you can't stop there. No one fruit provides the wide spectrum of nutrients important for good health. For example, apples are a pretty good source of fiber (one medium-size apple has 3 grams). Oranges are notorious for their vitamin C content -- there's almost a whole day's worth in one orange alone. And cantaloupe rocks when it comes to vitamin A with more than half the daily requirement in half a cup.
