We're one week into the new year and already the resolutions are starting to pile up. Al's gym at the Y is jam-packed with new faces all intent on treating their bodies better this year. Chef Jerry Pellegrino and Jerry note, a lot of resolve goes into changing our eating habits, which is why we invited nutritionist Courtney Ferreira to join us for today's Radio Kitchen.
One major piece of advice Courtney offered was to set small realizable goals, not big unlikely targets. A resolution to lose twenty pounds in twenty weeks is laudable, but not likely to happen. Better to focus on small but meaningful changes to your behavior.
Courtney feels that a well-balanced diet with well-conceived meals will be a good start. Protein, fat and carbohydrates need to be part of your diet, but all in proportion. An easy way to accomplish this is to be vegetable and fruit heavy. Also try eating less red meat, more poultry and seafood.
Foods made from refined sugar or refined flour are not healthy. White bread should be avoided, dark whole wheat, multi-grain or pumpernickel are much better choices. Likewise, substitute brown rice for white rice. Another strategy is to "rice" cooked cauliflower and mix it with white rice.
Portion control is another good move. It's amazing how fast our bodies get used to smaller portions and begin to refuse over-filled plates of food.
Courtney is very big on eggs as a source of protein. Old fears about cholesterol may be overblown, she explains, so feel free to start your day with an egg dish.
Lunch time is a particular trap for people who dash out at noon. Get in the habit of packing your lunch, and including containers of vegetables and fruit to chow down on.
One dish that would check off a lot of boxes would be a breakfast fritata. Try adding in cooked veggies, cubed meat, and some cheese. Here's a delicious recipe to try at home.
Easy Any Time Frittata
Ingredients
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp kosher salt
olive oil
1/4 cubed cooked ham
2 small yellow potatoes, cubed and blanched
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°. Whish eggs and cream together, add about half the salt.
2. Heat about 2 tbs of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the ham, potatoes, and peppers. Sauté until tender. Stir in the garlic, season with the herbs de Provence, and sauté for another minute.
3. Scoop the sautéed ingredients into a small baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients and stir it all to blend evenly. Add the shredded cheese and again stir to evenly distribute.
4. Put the dish into the pre-heated oven and cook for about 10 minutes, until the eggs set. To brown the top, place the dish under the broiler for just a few seconds.
Cool and serve.
