Kitchen makeover makes healthy eating hassle-free

Simply rethinking how you shop and store groceries could help your family eat healthier, say nutritionists with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"Expecting busy family members to stop and peel a carrot or remember apples stashed in the crisper is unrealistic," said Becky Gorham, a research dietitian with Baylor's USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center.  "The snacks that are usually eaten are quick, easy-to-find and easy-to-eat."

To help improve your family's diet, Gorham offers these "kitchen makeover" tips:

Easy does it:

• Bulk purchases might cost less per pound, but individual portions are more attractive to the "eat-it-now" crowd. 
   
• Stock the refrigerator with "grab-and-go" plastic pint bottles of flavored low-fat milk and water, boxes of 100% calcium-fortified juice, easy-to-eat "tubes" of yogurt, cubed cheese, low-fat string cheese, and snack bags of mini carrots.
   
• Pack pantry shelves with mini boxes of raisins.  Re-portion packages of whole-wheat crackers and trail mix into easy-to-grab snack bags.
   
• For faster, healthier family meals, stock no-fuss "salad in a bag" salads, individually frozen poultry pieces and plenty of canned and frozen vegetables. 
   
• Consider grilling extra chicken to slice and freeze for quick chicken quesadillas, barbeque chicken sandwiches or to add to soup.

Create attention-grabbing snacks: 

• Place a bowl of tempting easy-to-eat fresh fruit on the kitchen counter. 
   
• Snip washed grapes into snack-size portions. 
   
• Keep pre-cut fruits, ready-to-eat vegetables and a small bowl of low-fat dip on the most visible shelf in the refrigerator.

Make small healthy changes: 

• Switch to 100% fruit juice, 100% whole-grain bread and ready-to-eat cereals, soft or liquid margarine, and low-fat milk and dairy products. 
   
• Add nuts, seeds or fruit to salads. 
   
• Select more fish, poultry and leaner cuts of meat. Incorporate vegetarian entrees, stir-fries or other dishes that feature vegetables and grains into your menu planning.

Downsize treats:

• Super-size bags of snack foods are no nutritional bargain.
     
• Help your family practice restraint by downsizing the packages you buy.
   
• Consider limiting the variety of snack foods to reduce temptation.

Consider advertising:

• Post  "ads" on the front of the refrigerator and inside the pantry door to let your family know what healthy foods are in the house.   Don't be afraid to be flashy and creative.  You might even entice the kids to help design signs and "promotions."

Try a marketing campaign:

• Place a chart on the front of the refrigerator and encourage family members to track their progress toward eating two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables, at least one serving of whole grains and three or more servings of dairy foods or other high-calcium food each day.  Mark progress with stickers and establish a reward system.

"For many families, healthier eating starts when the healthy choice is the most obvious, convenient and tempting one," Gorham said.