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The Healthy Way to Eating this Fall
BY ROSLYN FRANKEN
As our family’s fall schedules get busier with
summer behind us and kids back to school,
the allure of fast, easy and convenient meals
becomes harder and harder to resist. We may
find ourselves ordering in pizza more frequently
or picking something up on the way
home from the store that is frozen or already
pre-prepared and packaged. Just pop it in the
microwave for a few minutes and, voilà, you
have a whole meal. Sure, this may be quick,
easy and convenient, but how healthy is it?
Let’s look at this situation and some
healthy alternatives to help you eat healthy this
fall.
When grabbing for fast, easy and convenient
foods without much forethought, the last
thing on your mind may be the calorie, fat,
salt, sugar and preservative content in the
choices you’re making. Instead, you’re
focused on how good it tastes and how quickly
it can go from package to plate. By the time
you sit down and eat, you may also be so hungry
that monitoring your portion sizes may be
out of the question. The problem with most
pre-packaged and processed meals is that they
are higher in fat, calories, salt and sugar than
what you would prepare from scratch yourself.
They also have far too many preservatives,
such as MSG, which aren’t great for your
health either. In fact, many people are
unknowingly sensitive to too much MSG,
which has been shown to cause health issues
like migraine headaches and upset stomach.
To improve your health, weight and
lifestyle, you need to consider all of your mealtime
options. If your priority is fast, easy and
convenient and you think that the only
options are the usual pre-packaged, processed
meals, then I ask that you think again. In the
time it takes to drive to the restaurant or store,
park your car, make your choices, wait for your
food or wait in line to pay, go back to your car
and then drive home, you could have prepared
something healthy at home. Even when
you order in pizza or other restaurant food,
you still have to wait for it.
The bottom line is that if your current
habits aren’t health-friendly, then it’s time to
look at making some changes. Here are some
tips to consider. Do they require some extra
continues on Ottawa page 12
Due West/Due East Magazine • Fall 2008 Ottawa Page 10