Helpful tips for everyday healthy eating

The Mediterranean diet is a good guide for healthy eating. Many studies have shown the benefits of this heart-healthy diet. So, reach for olive oil and walnuts (or any other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids) and follow these helpful tips for everyday healthy eating to keep your ticker strong.

• Remove skin from chicken and turkey before eating it.
• Trim excess fat from all meats.
• Choose dressings with no more than one gram of saturated fat per tablespoon (look for versions made with canola oil)
• Replace cream in recipes with yogurt.

• Avoid packaged snacks and baked goods with partially hydrogenated fats or oils listed as ingredients.
• Switch to margarine that is free of trans fats, if possible, or use olive oil instead.
• But, if you choose to go with margarine, be careful since trans fats are still present in some low-fat, spreadable margarines.

• Invest in an olive-oil sprayer (they can be found in the kitchenware section of most department stores) to give toast and vegetables a light, tasty coating instead of using butter or margarine.
• Make olive and canola oils your first choice for salad dressings, marinades and cooking.
• Other oils have lower levels of monounsaturates.
• Try olive oil for scrambling eggs, browning meat and sautéing vegetables.
• For coating bakeware to prevent sticking, use a commercial olive or canola oil spray.

• The monounsaturated fats in nuts (and omega-3s in walnuts) make them excellent snacks.
• But to guard against overeating, only keep one serving with you to limit yourself.
• Choose unsalted nuts to help keep your blood pressure under control.

• Apart from peanuts, almonds and walnuts, try pistachios, pecans and hazelnuts.
• Sprinkle these nuts on cereal and salads and add them to cake mixes, yogurt and crumbles.

• Peanut butter has impressive amounts of monounsaturated fat, protein, vitamin E and fibre.
• Try to find a low-salt and non-trans fat brand and spread some on toast for breakfast, or enjoy a peanut butter and jelly or jam sandwich for lunch (on whole-wheat bread, of course),
• You could also use peanut butter as a dip for baby carrots, apple slices or pears as a snack.

• Toss frozen strawberries, orange juice and a banana, pear or sliced peach into the blender for a triple serving of fruit — smoothie-style.
• Add plain yogurt with a sprinkle of wheat germ or chopped nuts, and you've got breakfast.

• Buy a cantaloupe or small watermelon, cube the fruit and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for an easy, antioxidant-rich snack when you're looking for something sweet to nibble.

• Keep a bowl of cherry tomatoes or a bowl of bananas or apples on the kitchen counter.
• If you see them, you'll eat them.

Remember these helpful tips for everyday healthy eating to keep your ticker strong.