Consumer_Reports_Eat_Healthy_and_Love_it_July_2017 (1)

Eating Plans That Work
7 | Enjoy More of
the Right Kind of Fish
Oily fish such as salmon,
sardines, mackerel, and tuna
have the most omega-3 fatty
acids, a type of polyunsaturated
fat, so keep them high on your
rotation, along with shellfish,
which have moderate amounts.
“There’s very solid science
showing that omega-3s can
6 | Replace One Sugary Drink
Per Day With Water
We all know that soda isn’t the healthiest
beverage choice, and a recent study suggests
that exchanging one serving per day for
a glass of water could help reduce overall
calorie intake and subsequent risk of obesity,
lowering your risk of developing type 2
diabetes by 14 to 25 percent. Take a look at
your fruit juice intake, too. Even 100 percent
fruit juices can contribute a lot of calories
and sugars to your diet. Limit yourself to one
4-ounce glass per day.
help reduce inflammatory
factors associated with
a variety of chronic diseases,
including heart disease,” says
Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D., R.D.,
of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center in Seattle.
8 | Be Grateful
A recent study found that
improving your mood even
slightly may lead to healthier
eating. How? “Right before
they served themselves a meal,
we asked people to think of
one positive thing that had
happened that day that they
were grateful for,” says Brian
Wansink, Ph.D., director of
Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab
and author of “Slim by Design”
(William Morrow, 2014). “Those
who did ate 9 percent fewer
calories at that meal and chose
a healthier mix of foods that
included more vegetables and
fewer processed carbs.”
9 | Start With Veggies
If you’re not eating enough
vegetables (and most of us
aren’t), it could be because
you put them in a contest
they can’t win. “Research has
shown that when vegetables
are competing with other—
possibly more appealing—items
on your plate, you eat less
of them,” explains Traci Mann,
Ph.D., assistant professor
of psychology at the University
of Minnesota and author of
“Secrets From the Eating Lab”
(HarperCollins, 2015). “But
when you get the vegetables
alone, you eat more of them.”
Mann has studied this strategy—
serving veggies solo before
the rest of the meal—with
college students and preschoolers,
but she reasons that
it would work for anyone.
“Make a salad and sit down
to eat it before you put any
other food on the table,”
she suggests. “You’ll not only
eat more vegetables, you’ll
also fill up a bit so that you
eat less later.”
The Secret to Perfect Portion Control
“Research consistently shows that when
we’re presented with a big portion, we eat
more—even when we are not hungry,”
says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., author of
“The Portion Teller Plan” (Morgan Road
Books, 2005) and an adjunct professor
of nutrition at New York University. But
you can train your brain so that you feel
satisfied on fewer calories. Here’s how:
Scoop and pour. Use measuring spoons
and cups to dole out precise portions for
a few weeks. You might be surprised to see
that a serving of the cereal you eat most
days is ¾ cup, but filling up the bowl to
what looks like a reasonable portion puts
you closer to 2 or 3 cups. (For a guide to
serving sizes, go to choosemyplate.gov.)
Share with a friend. When dining out,
start with your own healthy appetizer and
split the entrée. It’s also wise to go halfsies
on extras such as french fries and dessert.
Watch portions of healthy foods, too.
Plenty of nutritious foods, such as almonds
and dates, are also high in calories. And
people tend to underestimate calories
of foods they think are good for them,
according to a study from Cornell
University. The researchers found that
diners eating in a restaurant they thought
of as healthy believed they were getting
151 fewer calories than they really were.
Focus on fiber. Simply choosing foods
that are rich in fiber can help fill you
up. Fiber-rich choices include beans, fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains.
Take smaller bites. That can help you
keep portions in check. For example,
research from the Netherlands found that
people who took tinier sips of tomato
soup ate about 30 percent less than those
who gulped it. (The researchers said that
the finding applies to solid food, too.)
PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
14 EAT HEALTHY CR.ORG