Healthy Meal Planning

Eating for Health: Tips from Dr. Chung H. Wu, director of DVIF& G's PCOS Early Detection & Treatment Program:  

• Healthy foods consist of vegetables and fruits with fiber, especially  organic vegetables and fruits.  

• Protein sources consist of seafood, lean meat, non-fatty meat, and especially organic meat, chicken, seafood or beef.

• Healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil, and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Complex carbohydrates, including whole grains (healthy carbohydrates). However, carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables are much healthier since absorption of the carbohydrates is much slower.

• Refined carbohydrates, such as refined rice, noodles, and processed starches, are very unhealthy.

• Unhealthy fats include animal fat and trans-fats. They’re especially found in processed foods that contain a lot of trans-fat derived by cooked vegetable oil or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cheese, rich in animal fat and cholesterol, also is considered unhealthy. Most meat (beef, pork, chicken, even lean cuts) in general contain significantamount of cholesterol and are considered unhealthy.

 • Sugar products, including all refined sugary foods, such as ice cream, cake, cookies, or even the starchy processed foods and all drinks containing sugar, are unhealthy foods.

To eat healthy, gradually decrease carbohydrate intake and replace it with vegetable-based foods and add meat or seafood to make the vegetables palatable and enjoyable. Gradually increase the vegetable-based foods until they become the main food. Starchy foods should be gradually decreased to a minimum and considered as side dishes. For meat intake, look for natural seafood or organic meat (which is harder to come by but worthy) rather than relying on commercially processed artificial meats or even fishes (such as the recently introduced salmon fish and catfish).  As for dessert, choose fruits and cut down on sugary, sweet treats.

In addition, you may want to supplement multivitamins with additional vitamin C, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil or flaxseed oil, as an essential nutritional supplement. If you want to lose weight, learn to control portions, exercise regularly, and control stress to minimize the adverse effect of stress hormones.

Making the Right Nutritional Choices

Making the right nutritional choices doesn't have to be painful, says Melissa Bennett, RD, CDE, who developed the Stork's Nutrition Program® for DVIF& G. Here are some easy ways to make your favorite foods more healthy:

INSTEAD OF                         SUBSTITUTE

french fries                                baked " french fries"
milkshake                                  fruit smoothie (skim milk, ice, & berries)
apple pie                                    baked apple
potato chips                               air-popped popcorn
premium ice cream                    low-fat frozen yogurt
hoagie roll                                 pita or tortilla
cheese omelet                            scrambled egg whites with mushrooms & peppers
fried chicken                              baked or grilled chicken

Ways to Cut Back On Sugar

Instead of grabbing your favorite candy bar or a cupcake when you crave sweets, try these tips: 

• Wait 15 minutes to see if you can ride out the impulse.
• Keep a stash of low-fat granola or other unsweetened cereals on hand as a substitute for sugary snacks.
• Eat plenty of fruit. Banans and peaches, in particular, are high in natural sugar.