Dietitians offer tips, recipes

Detroit Free Press

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services’ recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide a path to improving public health and reducing chronic disease.

They come “when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese, and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

The main focus of the recent guidelines is on weight management through reducing calorie intake. Here are some key recommendations:

Enjoy your food, but eat less of it.

Avoid oversized portions.

Eat more vegetables and fruits. Fill half of your plate with them.

Eat more whole grains. They should constitute at least half of all the grains you eat.

Switch to and increase your intake of fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Increase the amount and varieties of seafood you eat as a substitute for meat and poultry.

Compare sodium in foods such as soup, bread and frozen meals; opt for those with lower numbers.

Cut back on solid fats, using oils if possible.

Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Balance calories with exercise.

Few Americans will read the government’s entire dietary guidelines report, so here is some easy-to-follow advice from registered dietitians on how you can achieve some of the key recommendations:

SODIUM

Consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about 1 teaspoon of salt). If you’re 51 and older, African-American or have hypertension, cut that to 1,500 milligrams (about 3/4 teaspoon).

Why? It’s estimated Americans consume more than 3,400 milligrams a day (about 11/3 teaspoons), mainly from processed foods.

Dietitian Aarti Batavia says to get creative with herbs and spices as a way to reduce sodium and provide flavor and health benefits. “Herbs and spices are excellent antioxidants and work to neutralize attacks made by free radicals against the body,” Batavia says.

VEGETABLES

Americans should consume 21/2 cups of vegetables a day, raw or cooked. When planning meals, your plate should be half full of vegetables.

Dietitian Susanne Consiglio says if you think you dislike certain vegetables, try them again. Eat veggies without salad dressing so you keep the sodium down. And keep bags of veggies already cut up, ready for snacking.

“If you’re not used to eating them without dressing, try dipping them in hummus,” Consiglio says.

WHOLE GRAINS

Americans eat enough total grains; unfortunately, we’re mainly eating refined grains, not whole grains and, at 6.3 ounces a day, too much of them.

The recommendation is no more than 3 ounces of refined grains a day plus at least 3 ounces of whole grains.

Dietitian Kathleen Poore says one way to get more whole grains is to simply include rolled oats.

“It’s a pantry staple for many, and all by itself, it’s a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast,” Poore says. “Added to cookies, quick breads and other desserts, it can boost the nutritional value of almost anything — even meatloaf.”

Poore recommends rolled oats because they contain soluble fiber, which she says “is very good for helping to keep your cholesterol level healthy, and it’s low in sodium, fat and calories.”

FRUIT

Dietitian Letitia Warren says an easy way to eat more fruits every day is to have them readily available and easy to grab.

“Many times I clean the fruits, such as grapes, apples, pears, berries or bananas, and have them in a bowl on the kitchen counter,” Warren says.

Have more perishable fruits cleaned and ready to grab out of the refrigerator.

SEAFOOD

Replacing some meat and poultry with seafood is a top recommendation. Look for seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. It’s estimated that Americans consume just 31/2 ounces of fish a week. Try to increase that to 8 ounces.

Dietitian Bethany Thayer says omega-3 fatty acids are associated with reduced cardiac deaths among individuals with and without pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

And if you are worried about seafood and mercury, Thayer says, there is evidence that the health benefits of eating a variety of seafood outweigh the risks.