Healthy eating and happy holidays can be a joyful combination
Company Website:
http://www.healthnet.com
LOS ANGELES -- (Business Wire)
Sitting down to a high-fat, high-calorie holiday meal is a longstanding
tradition that Health
Net, Inc. hopes Americans are willing to rethink. According to the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Americans – on average – gain one to
two pounds during the holidays. While that sounds like a manageable
increase, research has shown that this added weight tends to take up
permanent residence and accumulates every holiday season.
However, by embracing some simple, health-focused changes to the
traditional holiday meal, good health and good times can joyfully
coexist.
Rethink your Plate
As a starting point, Health Net suggests visiting the United States
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) “Choose My Plate” website at http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov,
where you can better visualize what your holiday-plate portions ideally
should look like.
A traditional holiday meal is likely to be heavy on protein and grains –
think prime rib and gravy-drenched stuffing.
Applying the “MyPlate” approach, half of your holiday plate should be
home to fruits and vegetables. The other half of your plate should be
devoted to lean protein and grains. And don’t forget to include dairy –
preferably of the fat-free or low-fat variety – with your holiday meal.
In an effort to promote healthy eating in California, Health Net
developed and distributed a detailed MyPlate poster for display in the
offices of its contracting health care providers, as well as a “Rethink
Your Drink” poster that features thought-provoking beverage facts such
as:
-
20 ounces of non-diet soda can equal 22 packets of sugar;
-
20 ounces of a sports drink can be equivalent to 12 sugar packets; and
-
six ounces of a juice drink can contain the equivalent of some six
packets of sugar.
Making Healthier Holiday Choices
The USDA also offers these tips to increase the health quotient of your
holiday meals:
- Switch up the sweets – Serve up bowls of fresh fruit – or baked
apples with cinnamon – rather than slicing them into calorie-heavy
desserts. Or set up a dessert bar where guests can create their own
fruit and low-fat yogurt parfaits.
- Give butter the boot – When holiday baking calls for butter or
oil, pureed fruits – such as unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas
– can be tapped as healthier alternatives.
- Reach for wheat – Wherever possible, opt for whole wheat flour
rather than white flour.
- Show eggnog the exit – Traditional holiday beverages can weigh
you down. Instead, say cheers with low-calorie options, such as water
with lemon or lime slices, or seltzer water with a splash of
100-percent fruit juice.
- Look for sugar and salt stand-ins – In recipes calling for
sugar and salt, spices and herbs – such as cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg
or sage – often can step in as sound replacements.
- Know that skim is in – While the holidays and heavy cream seem
to go hand-in-hand, in the interest of improved health, switch to skim
evaporated milk.
- Go easy on the gravy – Because it’s an unassuming liquid,
there’s a tendency to forget that gravy is far from calorie-free.
Consequently, think of a drizzle – rather than a downpour – when
dipping the gravy ladle.
- Pick a lean protein – When selecting a meat to serve for your
holiday meal, lean toward lean proteins, such as turkey, roast beef,
fresh ham, cod or flounder. And, before cooking your chosen protein,
be sure to trim any excess fat.
- Visit MyPlate for a makeover – If you have a favorite holiday
dish that you’d like to makeover with better health in mind, visit: http://www.supertracker.usda.gov/myrecipe.aspx.
Medical Advice Disclaimer
The information provided is not intended as medical advice or as a
substitute for professional medical care. Always seek the advice of your
physician or other health provider for any questions you may have
regarding your medical condition and follow your health care provider’s
instructions.
About Health Net
Health Net, Inc. (NYSE: HNT) is a publicly traded managed care
organization that delivers managed health care services through health
plans and government-sponsored managed care plans. Its mission is to
help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. Health Net provides and
administers health benefits to approximately 5.9 million individuals
across the country through group, individual, Medicare (including the
Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as “Part D”),
Medicaid, U.S. Department of Defense, including TRICARE, and Veterans
Affairs programs. Health Net also offers behavioral health, substance
abuse and employee assistance programs, managed health care products
related to prescription drugs, managed health care product coordination
for multi-region employers, and administrative services for medical
groups and self-funded benefits programs.
For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit Health Net’s
website at www.healthnet.com.
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contain content that is not owned or controlled by Health Net. Please be
aware that references and links to other websites are provided for the
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in connection therewith.
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Contacts:
Lori Rieger
(602) 794-1415
lori.rieger@healthnet.com
www.twitter.com/hnlori
Source: Health Net, Inc.
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