Authors: Mary Helen Bowers
Fruits
When choosing fruit, remember that it’s always best to eat what is in season!
Blueberries Raspberries Strawberries Grapefruit Apples Oranges Bananas (in moderation because bananas are relatively high in sugar—and the riper they are, the higher the sugar content) Avocados | Kiwis Pears Peaches and nectarines Plums Cherries Melons Tropical fruits (fresh mangoes, papaya, pineapple) Watermelon |
Spices
Spices are a great way to add flavor and avoid salt. The following are some of my favorites—but use what you like! I find the taste for herbs and spices to be pretty individual. Experiment, but don’t force yourself to eat something you don’t like. And remember, these are guidelines—you don’t have to walk through the grocery store with this list in hand! Fresh spices have a slightly different taste and flavor in foods and dishes, but they are not always available. Fortunately, the many high-quality dried spices available can bring a dish alive!
Cilantro Garlic Spicy red pepper flakes Rosemary Dill Lemon pepper | Ginger Cayenne pepper Parsley Cumin Fresh basil |
Condiments and Dressings
With a base of olive oil, vinegar, and a little Dijon mustard, you can make most any sauce or vinaigrette!
Extra-virgin olive oil Canola oil Balsamic vinegar Red and white wine vinegar Fresh lemon (delicious squeezed over a steak or grilled chicken) Spicy French mustard (Dijon) Cream-free, vegetable- or bean-based spreads like tapenade, hummus, and baba ghanoush | Dark honey (buckwheat is my favorite) Maple syrup Fat-free plain yogurt as a base for healthy herb-flavored sauces and dips Dill sauce made with plain fat-free yogurt |
Spice Up Your Meals in a Healthy Way
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any prepackaged salad dressings, dips, and marinades are full of saturated fats, sugar, and a long list of other ingredients that I cannot even begin to pronounce. Avoid them by making your own! Adding spices to plain yogurt is a great, simple way to make a dip or sauce. And a simple French vinaigrette can go a long way to add flavor to fish and meat without a lot of calories. Here are two of my favorites that take no time to prepare.
Quick and Easy Yogurt Dip
Great as an alternative to hummus for dipping fresh veggies or as a substitute for mayo on your favorite sandwich!
Combine a cup of nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt with the juice from half a fresh lemon, a small chopped cucumber, a small clove of garlic, chopped, and fresh herbs of your choice.
French Vinaigrette
Not only good on a green salad but a delicious marinade for fish
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Mix equal parts extra-virgin olive oil, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Add a sprinkle of fresh pepper and one chopped clove of garlic, and whisk together.
Drinks
Spa water (Making your own doesn’t take much time, and it really feels like a treat! Combine filtered water with ice and fresh lemon or cucumber slices in a beautiful glass pitcher.) Sparkling water | Organic coffee or tea (I drink tea with caffeine and also herbal teas, but avoid decaffeinated teas because of my concerns about the process of removing caffeine.) Red wine (in moderation) |
Prepared and Packaged Foods
While “clean eating” means passing up prepared and packaged foods, I believe in everything in moderation. Listed here are the foods I keep on hand that are healthy and quick to prepare. Keeping your home stocked with these foods makes it easy to say no to fast food and delivery. Notice that the list includes frozen fruits and veggies; if you can’t find them in season, frozen can be a great substitute—just be sure to check package labels to make sure you’re buying pure produce and avoid those with added sweeteners or salt. Speaking of salt, some of the items on this list are fairly salty, so enjoy in moderation.
Canned albacore tuna in water or olive oil Low-sodium, organic canned soups (especially Health Valley Organic’s no-salt-added or low-sodium choices like lentil soup and vegetable medley) Canned or jarred Greek or Italian olives Jarred artichoke hearts Jarred roasted peppers Cornichons (as appetizers before dinner) Whole-grain, trans-fat-free crackers (such as Wasa Crisps and Kavali Rye Crackers) Brown rice cakes Suzie’s Multi-Grain Thin Cakes | Frozen vegetables (green peas, lima beans, spinach, broccoli, carrots) Frozen fruit (berry mixes for smoothies) Premade pasta sauces that don’t use sugar (read the labels) or too much salt Fresh whole-grain pasta and ravioli (buy extras and keep them in the freezer) Organic, low-sodium deli meats Three Sisters Organic Oatmeal Half Naked Olive Oil Popcorn Green & Black Organic Dark Chocolate (60 percent cacao or higher) |
PORTION CONTROL
There are lots of little ways to control your portions when you are adjusting to a new eating plan. One of my favorites? Use small plates and bowls for snacks and never eat out of the box or bag! You may have heard this before, but it really does work. One of my favorite tricks when I’m eating sweet treats is to use a teacup—I’ll place a few ginger snaps and a section of dark chocolate in a teacup and fill a larger bowl with berries for desert. It prevents mindless eating and helps me to be mindful of my portions without obsessing. If I want a second serving of dessert, I really think it through.
Cooking and Meal Preparation Tips
As you can see, my food list covers a lot of food! I try to stick to fresh, whole, nutrient-rich foods that, incidentally, don’t require as much fussing when it comes time to cook. It’s unrealistic to make everything from scratch, and Ballet Beautiful is about attaining a healthy and realistic lifestyle! So when I do choose and eat packaged foods, I carefully read the labels to make sure that, like the whole foods in my diet, they’re high in fiber and nutrients while low in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
Most of the foods on my list are easy to prepare. In general, with meats, fish, and poultry, I do a lot of grilling and quick sautéing. I use my mom’s rule of thumb for using the oven: avoid it in the summer months, when the kitchen is already warm, and roast and bake more frequently in the cold winter months when you are happy to heat up the house. When it comes to cooking time, you can’t beat the speed of steaming vegetables—or the health benefits! Sautéing is fast too, but go easy on the oil, especially if you’re preparing vegetables that tend to be very absorbent, like broccoli or mushrooms. If the grill is already hot, I almost always throw a veggie side on to save time.
I try to balance my days eating out and eating in, and I don’t eat whole-wheat pasta for dinner, for instance, on days when I have a sandwich or bagel for lunch. I’ll opt for a salad or greens with lean protein, and vice versa. If I don’t have time to cook brown rice, I’ll make quinoa or steam or roast sweet potatoes. In other words, I use the principle of flexibility in preparing meals to help me reach my goals each day.
Shopping Tips
When buying groceries, I always start with the fresh foods, fill up my cart, and go from there.
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First stop—produce!
Stocking up on lots of fruits and vegetables is the perfect starting point for my healthy shopping cart. To make my life easier during the workweek, I include items like precut celery and baby carrots (a favorite afternoon or predinner snack with hummus), peeled garlic, and organic packed salads. I also love apples, pears, clementines, plums, and basically any fruit that I can throw in my bag or car in the morning and eat during the day when I am out. I know it sounds silly, but I’m a lot more likely to eat fresh citrus if I have easy-to-peel clementines on hand instead of navel oranges, so that’s what I buy! Think easy, fast, and fresh.
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Second stop—whole grains
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I love the sustained energy that whole grains give me! Carbs are good, remember? I find that they satisfy me even more when I mix them with a bit of protein and healthy fats—such as adding walnuts to breakfast oatmeal, having some cheese, olives, or natural peanut butter with Wasa Crisps, or eating avocado slices on whole-grain toast.
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Next up—high-quality, lean proteins
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My favorites are organic chicken, eggs (I keep hard-boiled eggs in the fridge to toss in salads or eat while I’m prepping a meal if I’m starving!), lean cuts of red meat, wild salmon, lentil soup, beans, and snack or breakfast foods like non- or low-fat Greek yogurt.
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Don’t forget healthy fats
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I find that eating some variety of olive oil, nuts, and avocados every day is a key to feeling satisfied.
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Top up your cart with a few high-quality treats
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Dark chocolate is one of my favorite daily indulgences. (You know by now that my current favorite is Green & Black’s Dark, either 70 or 85 percent cacao mix.) I also really love cheese—mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and blue cheese are all favorites. Living Ballet Beautifully doesn’t mean giving up brie (I adore triple cream cheese!), but indulge in moderation. You can have treats while living the Ballet Beautiful lifestyle—absolutely! Again, moderation and flexibility are key.
MY FAVORITE SNACKS AND MEALS
Breakfast: The Must-Eat Meal
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I try to start my day with a green tea with fresh lemon, though I often have coffee with skim milk instead.
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My go-to breakfast is old-fashioned oatmeal with walnuts and a little bit of dried fruit mixed in. I add dried, naturally sweetened cherries and prunes to my shopping cart.
Lunch
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Fresh salad greens with mozzarella and tomatoes or grilled salmon, with whole-grain crackers or a whole-wheat pita and hummus on the side. I generally dress my salads with olive oil and vinegar or a bit of fresh lemon juice.
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I like to finish off lunch with fresh fruit and a hot tea or coffee.
Snacks
Depending on how hungry I am, I choose one of the following afternoon snacks:
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A piece of fruit with some raw almonds or cashew nuts
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A cereal bowl of fresh popcorn with olive oil and a little salt with an orange or fruit in season.
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A few whole-grain crackers like Wasa Crisps with yogurt cheese
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Sprouted cinnamon toast with peanut butter (works for breakfast or lunch too, with fresh fruit!)
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Dried fruit, especially naturally sweetened cherries and prunes
Dinner
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I like to include a fresh salad and lots of veggies, whenever possible, especially in the summer months.
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My favorite is organic roast chicken with salad and a quick veggie side like sautéed or steamed spinach. On weeknights I grab a prepared chicken from a store like Whole Foods. If I have time on the weekend, I might roast a chicken or pork tenderloin from scratch, with sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and celery.
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If I want a vegetarian option, I try to think about protein, especially if I worked out in the afternoon. Beans and quinoa are great ways to get protein. My brother John’s vegetarian chili with a big salad and sautéed greens on the side is a favorite choice. (See his recipe on
page 230
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Eating Out
Eating out can really be challenging because the food is often full of fat and salt and temptation abounds! But the principles of flexibility and preparation will help keep you connected to your Ballet Beautiful lifestyle, no matter where you choose to eat. Learning how to make dining out a healthy experience is a skill, but one that is easy to learn and apply.
Before the meal, avoid sugary cocktails. Order a glass of wine or just drink sparkling water. Drinking a sugary drink (with fruit juice or soda) before dinner sets you up to overeat. If you want a cocktail, have some soda water with a splash of vodka and a slice of lime.
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Start with a salad
: Always start with a salad, avoiding the salad dressing dump that many restaurants unfortunately do by ordering yours with olive oil and vinegar on the side. I sometimes use this technique when I order a wedge salad at a steakhouse: get some blue cheese on the side instead of blue cheese dressing and order the salad with olive oil and vinegar. I get to enjoy the freshness of the greens and tomatoes and the tanginess of the blue cheese (which I love!) without the guilt of consuming a heavy, creamy dressing. I can then build the salad my way and enjoy every bite!