Health(ier) Eating

About author / Sarah Christine Bolton

Coffee addict; professional food writer; food fusion. Her slow cooker recipes go above and beyond your normal crockpot fare.

I can tell the holidays are over.

It’s not just all the Christmas decorations and candy on sale for 99% off the original price. It’s not the leftover gift bags or crumpled wrapping paper still loitering on my living room floor. And it’s not even the feeling of closure that I always get after January 1.

No, this year, the main reason I know the holidays are over is because my gym is crowded with fitness newbies.

You can always tell who the new gym rats are. Their tennis shoes and workout shorts are really stiff and new looking. They have that deer-in-the-headlights look when they stand in front of the free weight racks. And they are usually the ones that almost fall off the stairmaster after setting it on a ridiculously high level.

Not that I haven’t made all those mistakes myself. But now, I consider myself enough of a “gym elite” that I feel I can comment on these well-intentioned but somewhat annoying people.

I do have to give them props for giving that whole New Year’s Resolution thing a shot. Hopefully, they’ll really and truly commit. However, I just have a feeling that around March, the gym will be somewhat empty again. Which is great. That way, no one will see me fall of the stairmaster.

Regardless of how healthy you are, the holidays are usually a good time to reevaluate your current diet and fitness habits. Even if you are a super health nut, chances are, you could change a couple things.

So, here are some guidelines for cooking healthier in your crockpot this year:

Salt: Yeah, this is always a biggie. We Americans eat way too much salt. I read somewhere that our daily portion of salt should be two teaspoons. I think I eat two teaspoons during breakfast. Usually, excessive salt is used to cover up mediocre food. Consider substituting more herbs and spices for salt. You can even buy a mixed spice salt substitute.

Fat: Okay, the other biggie. Choose lean meats and trim any fat off the meat before cooking. Also, if you brown your meat before putting it in the crockpot, it not only tastes better but it also gets rid of some of the fat. Cut the amount of oil or butter in a recipe in half. You’ll never notice the difference.

Whole grains: If the idea of whole grains makes you want to boycott fiber in general, I feel your pain. White stuff just tastes better. But whole grains are good for you in lots of ways, so try using brown rice instead of white. In most grocery stores you can even buy whole grain pasta that’s just as tasty as the white flour stuff.

Vegetables: We can all eat more of these. Even my vegan friend says she needs to eat more vegetables! It’s almost impossible to always eat enough vegetables, but just aiming for 3-4 servings a day is definitely doable. Crockpot cooking makes it so easy. You just throw vegetables in with everything else and they come out tender and oh so tasty. Don’t be afraid to go for canned and frozen vegetables; they have just as many nutrients as fresh vegetables.

Happy New Year and good luck with that stairmaster!