Healthy eating: 10 ways to add pizazz

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 staff

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-eating/NU00641

Whether 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:

1. 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.

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4. 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 Vegan sour cream and baked tortilla chips.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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