MayoClinic.com reprints
This single copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. For permission to reprint multiple copies or to order presentation-ready copies for distribution, use the reprints link below.
· Order reprints of this article now.
Healthy eating: 10 ways to add pizazz
By Mayo Clinic staffNutrition basics (18)
- Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet
- Added sugar: Don't get sabotaged by sweeteners
- Caffeine: How much is too much?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (7)
- DASH diet: Top 5 tips for dining out
- DASH diet: Top 5 tips for shopping and cooking
- Sample menus for the DASH eating plan
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (15)
- Meatless meals: The benefits of eating less meat
- Healthy meals: Cooking for 1 or 2
- Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (9)
- Thanksgiving recipes: Delicious options for healthy eating
- Menu planning: Eat healthier and spend less
- Healthy savings: The art of frugal food shopping
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (2)
- Herbal supplements: What to know before you buy
- Dietary supplements: Nutrition in a pill?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Healthy eating: 10 ways to add pizazz
If you think healthy eating is boring, you may simply need to get your creative juices flowing. Try these 10 simple ways to stick with your healthy-eating plan.
By Mayo Clinic staffWhether you're just starting a plan for healthy eating or have been following a healthy diet for years, sticking to it can sometimes be challenging. But healthy eating doesn't have to be boring or tiresome. Flavorful food combinations, new cooking ideas and an inventive spirit can add pizazz to your meals and snacks and keep you motivated to meet your goals for healthy eating.
Here are 10 ways to keep you on course toward healthy eating:
- Get out of the rut. Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange or peach slices into a salad.
- Think beans. Add chickpeas (garbanzos) or black beans to your lunch or dinner salad. If you typically buy a salad at work and no beans are available, bring a container of beans from home.
- Try tofu. Stir-fry with extra-firm or firm tofu rather than meat in Asian-style dishes. Freezing and then thawing tofu before use gives it a firmer, chewier texture.
- Go short. Make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal when time is tight. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or low-sugar, spreadable fruit. Or try low-fat corn muffins with apple and cheese slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of low-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips.
- Be sneaky. Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products, such as meatloaf, breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes and cookies. Also, use bran products as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads or cooked vegetables.
- Go greener. Vary your salad greens and enjoy the multitude of flavors and textures that are available besides plain iceberg lettuce. Choices include arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress. Buy a different variety each week or just mix and match.
- Multitask. Choose a dish that serves as a full meal for quick and simple cooking. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole with tomatoes; or vegetarian chili with diced vegetables.
- Spice it up. Use salsa for more than just chips. Whether it's mild, fruity, hot, smooth or chunky, salsa is a great companion for potatoes, vegetables, fish, chicken, meats and even eggs.
- Go herbal. Use herbs and spices to add color, savory taste and sensational aroma. Add cilantro to rice or bean dishes. Sprinkle rosemary on roasted potatoes or grilled meats. Add freshly chopped chives to omelets or pasta salads.
- Explore the world. Discover and enjoy foods from around the world: Mexican, Latin American, Indian, Greek, French and Asian cuisines, just to name a few. Some of the world's most intriguing ingredients — quinoa, edamame, bok choy, bulgur — are as healthy as they are delicious.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 30, 2008.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 30, 2008.
