Redefining healthy eating

January is a time when many people strive to begin healthier habits, and Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietitian and founder of Street Smart Nutrition, encourages everyone to look at nutrition from a different perspective this year.

“One of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves is to broaden our idea of what healthy eating looks like,” Harbstreet says.

For starters, she says emotional eating is completely normal, and it is natural to use food as a coping mechanism. 

“Food is more than just nutrition,” she says. “It serves many purposes, one of which can be comfort.” 

To illustrate how restrictive diets are generally ineffective, she often tells clients not to think about the color orange. When given this prohibition, the first thing someone likely thinks about is something orange. She says it is the same when one tries to completely eliminate a certain food from their diet. The mind fixates on what it cannot have, making it more difficult to say no. 

Along these lines, she often asks clients about their favorite food they might consider to be less than healthy. She then asks her clients to imagine how they would feel if it was the only thing they ever ate. Through this exercise, clients realize they will likely crave something that contrasts the favorite dish. For example, if the favorite dish is a creamy pasta, they will likely desire something crunchy for contrast. 

Harbstreet says when it comes to moderation, it is not just about taking foods away but also about adding foods in for balance. Removing shame and judgment about eating is also key.

Despite what some recommend, Harbstreet also encourages people to take advantage of the convenience in the grocery store. If it is something that fits your budget, saves time, and limits trips to the grocery store, it might be a good choice.

“We have the ideal version of eating, but we need to balance that with reality,” she says.

Harbstreet also says people have developed a fear of foods that are packaged, which has led to the popular mantra encouraging people to “shop the perimeter” of the grocery store. While there are highly processed foods in the center of the store, she says it is important to reframe what processing means.

Specifically, when it comes to produce, the perception is often that fresh or organic is always better, but the actual differences between those options and frozen or canned offerings is small and insignificant. Additionally, most Americans are not getting the recommended servings of veggies every day. Considering all this, if a canned or frozen option simply works better for someone, and it is something they will eat, then Harbstreet says is a success. 

To meet the recommended amount of daily fruits and vegetables, she suggests adding frozen veggies to canned soup or reheated leftovers, serving them as a side dish or having canned fruit as a mid-day snack.

She also encourages people to embrace what she calls the “snack meal” as these offerings have a variety of flavors, textures and nutrients. These mini-meals save time because they don’t require cooking, and they can consist of foods such as string cheese, deli meats, crispy raw veggies, dips and spreads, crackers or pita chips, dried fruits, nuts and the like.

Harbstreet also advises families to develop a structure for eating, especially during this era of working and schooling from home. Structured eating involves creating a specific meal plan and generally following it. This involves considering how you feel at certain times of day, recognizing when you feel tired or hungry and using that to analyze if you need more carbohydrates or proteins at specific times of day. 

She says one of the biggest mistakes people often make when they set out to eat healthier is to follow the advice of various online sources, including social media and celerity influencers. She warns that many of these sources are not sharing scientifically backed advice. She encourages people to follow information from experts with credentials. 

Overall, Harbstreet says her mission is to help people rediscover the joy in eating nourishing meals without fear or restriction. Reframing how we think about comfort and convenience foods as well as structured eating can help accomplish that goal.

For more tips and advice on healthy eating and living, visit Cara Harbstreet online at streetsmartnutrition.com and instagram.com/streetsmart.rd . Her books include Healthy Eating for Life: An Intuitive Eating Workbook to Stop Dieting Forever.

SLOW COOKER KOREAN-INSPIRED BEEF AND RICE BOWLS

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups U.S. grown short-grain white rice uncooked

• 3 cups water

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast trimmed

• 2 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth

• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed

• 1 tbsp minced ginger

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Garnish

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

• 3 green onions thinly sliced

• 1 cup kimchi store-bought or homemade

• gochujang or sriracha sauce optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Beef

1. Gather all ingredients except the uncooked rice and water. Place the beef chuck roast in the center of your slow cooker or crock pot.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a measuring cup or small bowl. Pour over the beef chuck roast, place the lid on the slow cooker, and seal. Cook on HIGH for six hours. 

3. When beef is finished cooking, remove the lid and transfer the roast to a large bowl. Use tongs and fork to shred the beef (it will be very tender). Use a ladle or large spoon to add some of the cooking liquid or "sauce" onto the beef. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

 Rice

1. Measure and wash the rice by rinsing under cold water. Drain the cloudy water and repeat several more times until the water runs clear. 

2. Add water to the rice cooker basin. Seal the lid, adjust settings if needed and cook during the last hour of the slow cooker timer. Once the rice is finished, hold on the WARM setting and fluff before serving.

3. To build the Korean Beef and Rice Bowls, serve the white rice in bowls topped with the Slow Cooker Korean Beef, fresh kimchi, and garnish.

BALSAMIC STRAWBERRY AVOCADO TOAST

INGREDIENTS

1. 4 slices whole grain, seeded bread

2. 1 large avocado

3. 6 large strawberries thinly sliced

4. 1/4 cup feta cheese

5. 1 tbsp balsamic glaze

6. 1/2 tbsp bagel seasoning

Instructions

Toast the bread. Meanwhile, slice the avocado and scoop into a small bowl. Mash lightly, then spread onto each slice of the toasted bread.

Top with  sliced strawberries and feta cheese crumbles. Top with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and bagel seasoning. Serve immediately.

LENTIL SALAD WITH FETA AND GRILLED VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 2 tsp whole grain mustard

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 clove garlic minced

• salt and pepper to taste

Lentil Salad

• 1/2 cup lentils dry, uncooked

• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water

• 1 medium eggplant

• 1 medium zucchini

• 1/2 red onion

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 cups arugula or salad greens

• 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

• 8 thin slices ciabatta bread or baguette slices

• fresh thyme for garnish, optional

• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Dressing

1. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, whisk together, then set aside until ready to serve. 

For the Lentil Salad

1. To cook the lentils, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Add the dry lentils, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside to cool. 

2. Prepare the vegetables. For the onion, slice crosswise to create thin slices, removing the outer skin. For the eggplant, slice crosswise to create thin, flat pieces. For the zucchini, slice in half lengthwise, then again into quarters to create long strips.

3. Bring your grill to medium-high heat. Brush the vegetables with olive oil, then lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, rotating as needed to avoid charring. 

4. Repeat these steps with the ciabatta or baguette slices. Brush lightly with olive oil, then grill 1-2 minutes on each side to create grill marks. 

5.  Prepare the salad by arranging the arugula or salad greens on a large platter. Cut the zucchini strips in half, then arrange over the salad greens along with the grilled onion and eggplant. Sprinkle with feta cheese and fresh sprigs of thyme.

6. To serve, plate with two slices of the grilled bread, drizzle with the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, and garnish with fresh lemon slices.