HEALTHY EATING: How’s your New Year’s diet going?

BY CAROLYN O’NEIL

So how are you doing on those resolutions that you may have made back in January to eat more healthfully?

If the answer is “Oh yeah, I kind of lost steam and got a little sidetracked” you’re in the majority.

Turns out that you need to treat every day as New Year’s Day and give yourself the option to start all over again.

So with summer fading and fall on the horizon, let’s hit the reset button to launch a fresh start.

Fall cleaning

Start at home with a clean sweep of the fridge and pantry and a vow to toss more salads and toss out the potato chips.

Stocking a kitchen with a cast of figure friendly vegetables, fresh fruit, lean meats, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy is the best foundation for sticking to a weight-loss diet.

Have some fall fun at a local farmers market and take advantage of autumn harvests of gorgeous greens, late season tomatoes, tender carrots and crunchy apples.

Dining out

Because the average American eats out at least four times a week — with certain age groups such as those in their 30s dining out up to 30 times a week —  you’ll have to make some healthful changes in your restaurant habits if you want to see a smaller number when you step on the scale.

Know which flavors are free —  There are plenty of ways to jazz up steamed vegetables, grilled fish and other menu choices you might normally garnish with a high fat sauce. Lemon juice, salsa, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce and vinegars are low- or no-calorie options for adding flavor without fat. If you’re watching your sodium intake, go easy on soy and steak sauces.

Read between the lines — Menu descriptions don’t always tell the whole story about the added fat in a dish. If it says “crispy coating,” it probably means fried. Always ask the server about how the sauces are made. For example, is it a “light” tomato sauce because it’s made with cream and the color is lighter? It can happen!

Skip the extras — It wasn’t the craving for pizza that “done your diet wrong,” it was the decision to add extra pepperoni or double cheese that sent the fat and calories over the limit. Watch out for extras such as fried croutons on salads, bacon slices on burgers and cheese sauce slathered on steamed broccoli. Think of these high-calorie additions as accessories to use sparingly.

Go green — No matter where you’re dining, resolve to add more vegetables to your menu choices. Even if it means asking to supersize the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on your fast food hamburger, you’re adding more veggies to your diet. This adds low-cal or no-cal nutrients to your daily intake, and the fiber in cooked vegetables and salads helps you feel full.

Find farms on the menu — The good news is that eating more healthfully has never tasted better because a growing number of chefs are enthusiastic about featuring the most flavorful farm fresh produce on their menus.

Carvel Gould, executive chef at Canoe in Vinings, buys as much as possible from local farmers and has added raised garden beds around the restaurant. Executive chef Johannes Klapdohr of the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, N.C., is so passionate about sharing his fresh finds with guests that menus include enticing descriptions such as “Brussels sprouts surprise” and “lifecycle of peas.” Farmer David Taylor of Lakemont  even finds his name on the menu at Madison’s restaurant at the Old Edwards Inn, right next to the eggs and salad greens he supplies.

Want to eat more?

Well, then you’ll have to move more. Whether it’s a morning jog before breakfast, a lunchtime yoga class or dancing after dinner, exercise not only helps you maintain the weight loss you achieved, it allows you to eat more without regaining.

Carolyn O’Neil is a registered dietitian and co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at carolyn@
carolynoneil.com.