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Our Tips and Tricks for Making Healthy Eating Fun and Tasty

"If a food tastes good, it must not be good for you." You may have this perception about food that leads you to reach for that bag of potato chips instead of an apple. But what if there's a way to make healthy food absolutely delectable? The following tips provide ideas on how to savor healthy foods that taste great.

Add fresh-squeezed lemons and limes to your cooking. Citrus fruits are naturally low in sodium and high in vitamin C. Their flavorful juices provide an extra boost to any meal.
Experiment with herbs and spices such as rosemary, oregano and basil to enhance vegetable stir-fries and fish dishes. Don't be afraid to try new things!
Fried chicken is crispy, but oven-fried chicken can also give you that crunch and tastes good, too. To make this, simply coat drumsticks with egg whites and crushed whole grain cereal; then bake until crispy. This heart-healthy alternative is lower in calories and fat without sacrificing taste. Two fried drumsticks have 240 calories and 14 grams of fat, while two oven-fried drumsticks have 184 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.
Instead of store-bought guacamole, make your own. Add your own personal touch to enhance the flavor, such as red onions, garlic and chili pepper. Experiment with either lemons or limes, or both! And wait to add salt until after you've tasted it.
Eat a minimum of two servings of fruits daily. An easy way to do this is to cut up a banana and some berries and add them to a fiber-rich cereal. The fruit provides a sweet, distinctive contrast to the crunchy cereal.
On that note, get at least three servings of vegetables daily. If you like eggs for breakfast, a great way to increase your fiber, potassium and vitamin intake all in one meal is to add as many vegetables as you can in an egg white omelet. Think egg whites taste too plain? Adding veggies such as spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions will definitely enhance the flavor. And throw in different spices to mix it up.
Instead of buying processed trail mix from the store, which is usually high in saturated fat, make your own! You can use cereals such as Fiber One® Honey Clusters or Kashi® Heart to Heart along with different types of nuts and dried fruit. Or try a trail mix recipe from Cooper Clinic Nutrition.
Want to eat vegetables without even knowing it? Try kale chips instead of potato chips. They're naturally high in potassium, iron, fiber and vitamin A and much lower in calories than potato chips. And they taste delicious!
Not all salad dressings are created equally. Two tablespoons of ranch dressing has 144 calories and 14 grams of fat. Instead, try a creamy Greek yogurt salad dressing. Two tablespoons has only 80 calories and six grams of fat. Also try the dressing recipes created by our registered dietitian nutritionists.
Do you ever get tired of cooking and eating vegetables in the same way? There is always something new you can try to make vegetables more fun! Use a spiral slicer to make squash, carrots and zucchini into noodles. Or make a stuffed bell pepper with your favorite ingredients. Add mushrooms, onions, spices and low-fat cheese for a healthy, hearty meal.
And for dessert, instead of buying chocolate-covered almonds or a chocolate bar, try making your own cocoa-dusted almonds. Simply toss almonds in sweetened and unsweetened cocoa powder with a little bit of canola oil and bake until toasted for about 15-20 minutes. This sweet treat will surely satisfy your chocolate craving.

There are endless possibilities and combinations in creating foods that are both delicious and healthy. Now it's your turn to transform healthy foods into enticing, mouth-watering meals!

To learn more about services provided by Cooper Clinic Nutrition, visit cooperclinicnutrition.com.

Article provided by Cooper Clinic Nutrition Services.