Shoppers invariably look for a “deal” when making decisions on purchasing items ranging from cars to television sets to shoes…and, yes, food.  They’re looking for the biggest “bang for the buck”!  For those products, shoppers will be looking for the best value or quality features for the dollars spent.  With foods, that value and quality are probably best embodied by the “nutrient-rich” concept.

Nutrient-rich foods are those that supply a high ratio of key nutrients to calories.  Those foods, which provide the nutrients we need for growth, development and health maintenance, form the foundation of a healthy eating pattern:

• Low-fat and non-fat milk, cheese and yogurt
• Colorful fruits and vegetables
• Lean meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts and beans
• Whole, fortified and fiber-rich grains

The Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition has assembled a number of resources that underscore this positive and inclusive approach to eating – with a focus on those foods we can include as part of daily choices. 

You might be wondering, however, if this simple approach can work for you.  Maybe you’re someone who doesn’t prepare a lot of their meals from scratch – you’re more of a “grab and go” type.  Conversely, maybe you love to cook and often experiment with new ingredients that top the latest culinary “what’s hot” list.  Rest assured that regardless of your approach to meal planning and preparation, nutrient-rich foods can serve as the anchor.

The Food Personality Quiz on Meals Matter is an easy, fun way to discover your true food personality, with profiles ranging from “Gourmets” to “Last Minute Meals”.  Upon completion of this quiz, you’ll receive personalized recipe recommendations, access to healthy lifestyle tools, and more suggestions and tips.  Regardless of your food personality type, almost all of us desire nutritious meals, and a focus on nutrient-rich foods is a great start!

Learn more about this new approach by following our blog series, Positive Eating Approach.

Mary Anne Burkman, Registered Dietitian

Find related posts on Twitter by searching #NYNA.

The first step to healthy eating is…well, eating. So, the food you have available and the amount of time you have to prepare meals are key factors in what you will eventually eat. Meals Matter can help you with both.

First, buy nutritious foods! Seems obvious but this is an easily overlooked component of good health. Keep it simple by selecting nutrient-rich foods. Here are some examples: milk, yogurt, oranges, apples, bananas, peas, carrots, potatoes, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, meat, chicken and fish. Many healthy meals can be prepared with basic and economical ingredients such as these.

Nutrient-rich foods have a high ratio of key nutrients to calories. The more nutrient-rich foods you can include in your diet the more balanced and healthy your overall diet will be. Read more about nutrient-rich functional foods and the benefits they offer.

Second, don’t put too much pressure on yourself…especially when it comes to cooking. If you don’t have time to prepare elaborate meals every day think of strategies for doing what you can with the time (and resources) you have. Our Food Personality Quiz can help!

Are you a Last Minute Meals or Gourmet personality? Or, are you something in between? The Food Personality Quiz helps you identify your cooking style based on the amount of time you have and the types of ingredients you purchase.

If you prefer not to spend time cooking we will recommend meals and recipes that are healthy alternatives to costly takeout meals. If you enjoy spending lots of time making more complicated meals, we have delicious and nutritious recipes that you can try.

These simple strategies of buying nutrient-rich foods and preparing meals in a way that makes sense for you will help you streamline meal planning and make healthy eating easier!

Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian

Find related posts on Twitter by searching #NYNA.

Whether you love cooking or dread walking into the kitchen, the free Food Personality Quiz on MealsMatter.org can help you better understand your food and cooking style while providing strategies to help you prepare healthy meals.

For example, some people enjoy spending time cooking and preparing meals with high quality ingredients that are more elaborate than routine, everyday recipes. If good food is important to you and you have a discriminating palate, Gourmet! is probably your food personality. Creating food is a pleasurable activity, so try to choose healthy foods with a large amount of vitamins and minerals for their calories. This will help ensure that the gourmet meals you prepare will also be well balanced for good health.

This week, treat your family to a healthy, gourmet meal of Caramelized Scallops, Brussels Sprouts with Sherry-Asiago Cream Sauce and Basmati Rice Pudding with Oranges. Throughout the week, try other gourmet recipes like Tomato-Basil Soup, Peppered Beef Filets with Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Mangalorean and Strawberry Ricotta Soufflé. Register free at MealsMatter.org to add these and other recipes to your meal plan and shopping list. Be sure to follow @MealsMatter on Twitter for more healthy eating ideas, recipes and meal planning tips.

“Family Meals Matter” features recipes selected by registered dietitians from the thousands of user-contributed recipes available at our free online nutrition and meal-planning website, Meals Matter (www.MealsMatter.org), sponsored by Dairy Council of California. Healthy Eating Made Easier™

Photo Caption:   Brussels Sprouts with Sherry-Asiago Cream Sauce, EatingWell.

Meal planning can be easier if you understand how your food personality influences the way you cook. Whether you love cooking or dread walking into the kitchen at mealtime, the free Food Personality Quiz on MealsMatter.org can help you better understand your food and cooking style while providing strategies to help you prepare healthy meals. For example, if you value healthy, good tasting foods and prefer streamlined recipes to save time while using fresh ingredients as much as possible, Fast and Fresh is probably your food personality.

This week’s recipes feature fresh, seasonal ingredients that can be prepared quickly, with most dishes ready to serve in about 30 minutes or less, making it perfect for Fast and Fresh food personalities.

Be sure to add these and other recipes to your family meal plan and shopping list.

FEATURED FAMILY MEAL LINKS
Summer Vegetable Crepes
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/52030
Boston Lettuce Salad with Creamy Orange-Shallot Dressing
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/16968
Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/6870

Other Featured Recipes
Fresh Corn Chowder
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/69961
Gorgonzola Stuffed Burgers with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/44584
Whole Wheat Linguine with Green Beans, Ricotta and Lemon
http://www.MealsMatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/43246
Shrimp and Avocado with Mango, Chile and Lime Dressing
http://www.mealsmatter.org/recipes-meals/recipe/8810

Photo Caption: Summer Vegetable Crepes, EatingWell

Recently, we’ve touched a few different Food Personalities, including the Gourmets, those who tend to eat Last Minute Meals and even those who like their meals Fast and Fresh. Each Food Personality is dependent on many factors. There is, however, one theme that is prevalent among most; people are looking for easy and quick food preparation tips. This is especially common among the last Food Personality group we’ll discuss, known as "Meals in a Flash".

Today, we’ll focus on a few additional tips that can help you to make your Meals in a Flash any day of the week!

When you do have time to cook, focus on making meals that can leave you with great leftovers. Casseroles, crock pot recipes and pasta dishes tend to be the best choices. Check out this great Crock Pot Recipe that can turn One Meal into Three!

If you don’t have time to prepare meals in advance, this is where having a well stocked freezer and pantry, as well as lots of spices, can come in handy. Frozen veggies can be added to almost any meal as a healthy alternative to many side dishes. Frozen chicken or ground beef can be cooked quickly, and with a little extra seasoning, can be ready in no time and taste great! Try making quick and easy tacos with ground meat. Use lean meat for a healthier option as suggested in this Lean Beef Taco recipe.

Lasagnas are great to make ahead of time and sometimes they even taste better as leftovers. By making a few lasagna dishes in smaller pans, you will be able to store those that aren’t immediately eaten in the freezer so that they will ready to bake anytime. Browse through our Lasagna Recipes to find your favorite.

Even when you are making quick meals, don’t forget to focus on the healthier alternatives. Consider using leaner meats, reduced fat milk and cheeses, whole grains instead, and extra veggies when possible.

Learn more about your Food Personality!

You may not fit in the Food Personality for those who love to cook or the Food Personality for those who absolutely despise cooking, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not a Food Personality for you. There certainly is!

Have you found that your healthy eating or weight loss goals are fading without seeing the results you had hoped for? Or, do you find that after a long day at work, picking up the kids from school, running around to afternoon practices or going to the gym in the evening, you feel as if you don’t have time to make dinner? Are staying fit and eating healthy of importance to you even when you’re short on time?

Today we find ourselves juggling more activities than ever before. It is difficult to keep up with all of the different things we have going on, much less spend a significant amount of time preparing meals. Although this is often the case, we undoubtedly know the importance of eating healthy and encouraging our families to do the same.

If you can relate to the statements above, you may likely fall into the Fast and Fresh Food Personality. Those who fit best into this Food Personality appreciate easy-to-prepare recipes that can be ready to eat quickly. They also want to make sure that even if the meals are quick to prepare, they are healthy as well.

We at Meals Matter encourage you to eat healthy all year long, regardless of your hectic schedules. Below are few quick recipes for those who like Fast and Fresh meals. Don’t forget to take our Food Personality quiz to find additional tips specific to your Food Personality.

Recipes that may interest you:

• Updated Mac & Cheese
• Italian Bean & Grain Soup
• Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken

Browse our recipes for additional ideas!

We recently wrote about the Gourmet Food Personality, however, as we all have our own preferences and cooking styles, clearly not everyone will fall into this distinction. There is also the possibility that you are usually a Gourmet, but work and the family’s schedule may not allow the time necessary to prepare those delicious meals, and at those times you may find that you have a different Food Personality.

In this post we’ll touch on a Food Personality that is quite a bit different than the Gourmets; it is known as Last Minute Meals. Often those who fall into this category simply don’t like to cook or are often unsure of what to make for dinner. As a result, those who fall into this Last Minute Meals category may opt for the quickest and easiest choice.

The unfortunate part about the Last Minute Meals category is that fast foods or prepackaged meals are not always the healthiest options. Think about the burgers and fries that you can find at the fast-food restaurant just down the street. The fries and hamburger combined can easily reach half of your daily calorie needs in one meal, if not more!

The good news is that local grocers are realizing the need to make healthier options readily available. Next time that you find yourself in a time crunch or simply not wanting to cook, don’t forget the healthier alternatives or the even recipes that require fewer ingredients for quicker preparation. Below are a few tips that may help you to more easily focus on healthy eating if you find yourself in the Last Minute Meals category:

• Instead of a fast food restaurant, opt for a café or take-out from a restaurant where you can order salads and fresh veggies.
• Pre-cut or frozen vegetables are available in most grocery stores. Stock up on these for quick sides or to add to pizza or casseroles during the week.
• Eat cheese and crackers with a bowl of soup for lunch or dinner.
• Don’t forget that many foods can be cooked in the microwave and this can be an easier, quicker way to cook. A few ideas of food that can be cooked in a microwave are frozen veggies, potatoes, frozen burritos, pre-cooked meat, etc.

You can also browse through our Quick Meals to find delicious recipes you and your family will love!

A Food Personality can be defined by one’s cooking style and we are all unique when it comes to how we like to prepare meals. A Food Personality can be influenced by one’s lifestyle, daily schedule, and culture, all of which play a role in eating habits. For instance, not everyone views the thought of cooking or preparing meals in the same way. For some, cooking is an art, but for others it may be a chore.

Do you love to cook? Have meals always been an important part of your family or culture? Do you get excited about new cooking shows and do you look forward to trying new recipes? If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may have what is known as a Gourmet Food Personality.

Those who may consider themselves Gourmets love to try new recipes, often from scratch. Food is an important part of their lifestyle; however, healthy choices may not always be put at the forefront.

As we all know, making elaborate meals every night of the week can be time consuming and it is not realistic for many of us. That said, here are a few tips to keep your meals fresh, exciting, and most importantly, healthy throughout the entire week.

• Think of those spices in your collection that haven’t been put to use recently. What recipes call for these rarely used spices?
• Establish a themed night to help think of new ideas, such as an Italian or Greek night.
• Cut fresh veggies in advance during your spare time so that they’re ready on short notice.
• Share healthy recipes with friends and store them to create your own cookbook with your favorites. In addition, contribute your favorite recipes with other Meals Matter enthusiasts.

So, if your cooking style is to prepare meals that are more involved than basic recipes, try these ideas to help you continue keeping food an important part of your daily schedule without it becoming a chore. Also be sure to incorporate functional foods (foods that are good for your health) into recipes where possible.

If you haven’t already, find out your Food Personality today by taking our simple quiz!