Healthy Eating Tip: Look for Nutrition Boosters

In honor of National Nutrition Month®, my colleague Kathy Siegel shares her tips to help you boost nutrition and savor the flavor of eating right.

Boost Nutrition Simply

When I am asked how to eat healthfully, many times the focus of the question is what not eat. My answer is always the same: focus on adding nutritious foods to your diet. I call these nutritious foods “nutrition boosters” – foods that are packed with nutrients, protein, healthy fats and/or fiber. Everyone should add nutrition boosters to their meals and snacks. The extra bonus: these boosters add great flavor! Who knew?

When I cook meals and prepare snacks for myself and for my family, I readily think about boosting nutrition.

Tips to Boost Nutrition

I boost a traditional meatball recipe for my kids with shredded zucchini and carrots, which adds fiber and other nutrients. Having more veggies equals less meat and less fat. The extra veggies naturally make for a moister and more flavorful meatball.

Another booster is adding oats and cottage cheese to pancake batter, which provides an instant boost of fiber and protein in a traditional refined carbohydrate meal. Focus on the positive, not the negative!

Here’s a favorite recipe – Pumpkin Oat Muffins.

They’re made with many nutrition boosters including: oats, almond flour, and flax seed. Oh, and of course pureed bananas!

Find more nutrition booster recipes at www.triadtowellness.com

Kathy Siegel, MS, RDN, CDN is a New York-based registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communication consultant.