Quick Meal Makeovers All Day Long
Making simple food swaps--yogurt instead of skim milk, olive-oil vinaigrette instead of fat-free dressing--can pack more nutrients into every meal. And adding fresh fruits and vegetables is the easiest way to improve any meal, since most are low in calories but high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
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Certain food pairings improve a meal's overall nutritional value by "unlocking" other nutrients, says Elaine Magee, M.P.H., R.D., author of Food Synergy: Unleash Hundreds of Powerful Healing Food Combinations to Fight Disease and Live Well. Try these:
PREWORKOUT BREAKFAST
Meal: Oatmeal with milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar
Makeover: Oatmeal with almonds, strawberries, and low-fat yogurt
Nutrition Boost: Oatmeal's whole-grain carbs are rich in B-vitamins, which may help build and repair muscle and red blood cells. Substitute low-fat or fat-free yogurt for milk: Cup for cup, yogurt delivers more protein, potassium, and calcium. Skip the brown sugar and sweeten your oatmeal with fresh or frozen strawberries, which are high in vitamin C and will boost calcium absorption from the yogurt. Add crunch with almonds, a good source of vitamin E and monounsaturated fats.
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POSTWORKOUT LUNCH
Meal: Turkey sandwich on a baguette with lettuce and light mayo
Makeover: Whole-grain wrap with turkey, spinach, tomato, and pesto
Nutrition Boost: Whole-grain breads contain more fiber and B vitamins than white varieties--even crusty baguettes. Instead of sliced bread, choose a wrap, which makes it easier to fold in more vitamin A and K-rich spinach. Eaten with tomato and turkey, spinach completes a trio of B vitamins that's been shown to help build red blood cells and protect against heart disease. Pesto, made with olive oil, basil, and pine nuts, adds a healthy serving of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. A recent study showed that when eaten with vegetables, these fats improve the absorption of beta-carotene (found in spinach) and other nutrients.
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CELEBRATION DINNER
Meal: Ribeye steak, salad with fat-free dressing, and diet soda
Makeover: Top sirloin steak with capers; mixed greens with carrots, sunflower seeds, and vinaigrette; red wine
Nutrition Boost: A recent study showed that antioxidants found in capers may help prevent cell damage that results from digesting meat--damage linked with a higher risk of cancer. Choose round or sirloin cuts, which are lean but still high in iron. Use an olive-oil vinaigrette on your salad to improve the absorption of nutrients in carrots and greens. Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E, an antioxidant that's valuable for active people because it protects cells from oxidative stress. Red wine may boost the antioxidant effects of vitamin E and may inhibit the growth of certain cancers.
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Now tell us: What's the best little diet change you've ever made?
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