by Phyllis Pellman Good, author of Fix-It and Enjoy It! Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-Top and Oven Recipes
Are you stuck in a food rut and having a hard time changing to healthier eating habits? If you want to make lasting changes to the way you eat, you need a plan. Follow these steps for changing an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one:
1. List your behaviors that you think are unhealthy. For example, maybe you eat too fast, or snack throughout the day instead of eating regular meals, or eat whenever you’re under stress.
2. Choose one behavior that you would like to change. (Trying to change everything on your list at once can feel overwhelming.)
3. As you think about strategies for changing, try to figure out how you developed the behavior. For example, do you tend to snack all day because you’re under constant stress?
4. Brainstorm about ways to change your behavior. Think of five to seven possible solutions. Then pick one strategy that you think is practical and doable. For example, choose a healthy habit that you can substitute for an unhealthy one.
5. Figure out a way to make your new behavior easy to do. For example, how can you eat more fruit? Maybe you can make sure that a well-stocked bowl is always on your kitchen counter.
6. Identify obstacles that might get in your way. What conflicts might interfere with your strategy? What plans can you make to work around those possible hindrances?
7. Set a date for when you want to achieve your goal of changing your behavior and routine. Establish a comfortable pace for making the change.
8. When you reach the goal date, evaluate your success. What worked and what didn’t? What would you do differently?
9. Consider what you need to do to maintain your new approach to food. Think about what you need to do to make your healthy behavior a permanent one.
10. When you’re ready, select another behavior you’d like to change and restart the process.
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Basil Chicken Strips, Maple-Glazed Salmon, and Herb Marinated Steak by Phyllis Pellman Good, author of Fix-It and Enjoy It! Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-Top and Oven Recipes
BASIL CHICKEN STRIPS
Mary Fisher
Leola, PA
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken strips
4 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. tub-style margarine, non-hydrogenated (choose a nondairy margarine
for the kosher kitchen)
1 clove garlic, minced, optional
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, optional
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
1. In a large re-sealable bag, shake chicken strips in flour until coated.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt margarine.
3. Add chicken, and garlic if you wish, and saute 5 minutes.
4. Stir in vinegar, basil, and parsley, and cilantro, if you wish. Cook until chicken juices run clear.
5. Serve over brown or wild rice (not included in analyses).
Per Serving
Calories 257, Kilojoules 1075, Protein 27 g, Carbohydrates 7 g, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 66 mg, Sodium 230 mg, Fiber none
*****
MAPLE-GLAZED SALMON
Jenelle Miller
Marion, SD
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8-9 minutes
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt, optional (included in analysis)
6 4-oz. salmon fillets
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Heat grill to medium.
2. Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle fillets with salt if you wish. Rub with paprika mixture.
4. Place fish on grill rack. Grill 7 minutes.
5. Drizzle fish with maple syrup.
6. Grill 1-2 minutes more, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Per Serving
Calories 221, Kilojoules 925, Protein 23 g, Carbohydrates 3 g, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 66 mg, Sodium 397 mg, Fiber 0.5 g
*****
HERB MARINATED STEAK
Linda E. Wilcox
Blythewood, SC
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 6-8 hours
Cooking/Baking Time: 12-18 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic minced
1 Ib. London broil, or chuck steak
1. Combine onion, parsley, vinegar, oil, mustard, and garlic in a bowl.
2. Place London broil or chuck steak in a sturdy plastic bag. Add onion mixture, spreading it on both sides of the meat. Close bag securely.
3. Place filled bag in a long dish in case of any leaks. Marinate in refrigerator 6-8 hours, or overnight. Turn it over at least once while marinating.
4. Pour off marinade. Place steak on rack in broiler pan so meat is about 5″ from heat source. Broil about 6-8 minutes on each side for rare; 9 minutes on each side for medium.
5. When finished broiling, allow meat to stand for 10 minutes.
6. Then carve diagonally across the grain into thin slices.
Per Serving
Calories 210, Kilojoules 879, Protein 23 g, Carbohydrates 4 g, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 64 mg, Sodium 132 mg, Fiber trace
Tip: You can grill the steak, rather than broiling it.
Dietitian’s tip: Marinating meat before grilling not only adds flavor but also reduces the chance that cancer-causing substances will form on the meat during grilling. Marinating also helps keep meat from burning and charring.
* * * * *
Reprinted from Fix-It and Enjoy-It! Healthy Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good. Copyright by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
(Fix-It and Enjoy-It is a “cousin” series to the Fix-It and Forget-It books.)
Good’s cookbooks include Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook: 1400 Best Slow Cooker Recipes!, as well as four additional titles in the Fix-It and Forget-It series.
Fix-It and Enjoy-It! Healthy Cookbook
By Phyllis Pellman good with nutritional expertise from Mayo Clinic
Published by Goodbooks
Hardcover Gift Edition: $24.95, 7¼ x 9¼, ISBN: 978-1-56148-643-4
Order Now from Chapters.Indigo.ca or Amazon.com
Bring New York Times bestselling author Phyllis Pellman Good together with the prestigious Mayo Clinic, and that’s what you have — irresistibly tasty food that’s easy to prepare and nutritious in the bargain! Just “fix it and enjoy it!” Fix-It and Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook is packed with more than 400 recipes for stove-top and oven cooking.
“I am dedicated to offering recipes that make it possible to eat at home, even if you don’t have much time, or radiant cooking skills!” says Good. “Here are hundreds of ‘make-it-again’ recipes from great home cooks—with nutritional punch! I am delighted to have teamed up with Mayo Clinic, whose dietitians have analyzed all the recipes for their nutritional value. Together, we’ve adapted the recipes to fit within Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Weight Pyramid.”
Each delicious recipe includes Prep Time, Cooking/Baking Time, its own nutrient analysis, and its number of Pyramid servings.
Phyllis Pellman Good is Executive Editor at Good Books. (Good Books has published hundreds of titles by more than 135 authors.) She received her B.A. and M.A. in English from New York University. She and her husband, Merle, live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of two young-adult daughters.