Spring Clean Your Eating Habits with Michigan Apples

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The spring season typically spurs on our desire to clean the house, clear out winter clothes, and spruce up the yard. Spring is also a perfect time to take a look at your eating habits and “clean up” those dietary behaviors that aren’t serving you well. Simple changes like making nourishing food swaps and managing portions, for instance, can result in big benefits to your health and wellbeing.

Start by cleaning out your kitchen. When you go through your pantry, refrigerator and freezer, do you see an abundance of nutrient-rich foods, and just a few “extras”? If not, it’s time to change the balance. Start by making sure you are stocked with healthy basics including plenty of fresh fruits, like Michigan Apples, vegetables, fiber-rich grains like cereals, bread, crackers, pasta and rice, nuts and seeds, beans, canned vegetables and low sugar canned fruits, low-fat dairy products like yogurt, milk and cheese, and lean meats, fish and poultry.

Adopt a Mediterranean diet pattern. While many fad diets come and go, the plant-forward, Mediterranean diet, and its proven health benefits, have stood the test of time. Year after year, it is rated as one of the healthiest dietary patterns to follow and for many good reasons. This dietary pattern has been show to reduce your risk of heart disease, can help with the management of type 2 diabetes, lower cancer risk and support brain health. The Mediterranean diet is not restrictive, and while there is no single definition for this eating pattern, it is particularly high in fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and a variety of seasonings. While it is focused on plant-based foods, it is not exclusively vegetarian. Some other elements of the Mediterranean diet/lifestyle include sharing meals with family and friends, enjoying wine in moderation, if you drink alcohol, and daily physical activity.

Available year round, Michigan Apples are a delicious, and affordable addition to the Mediterranean diet, with many proven health benefits of their own. Apples can be eaten as they are or as ingredients in many Mediterranean diet meals and recipes. Click here to get more Mediterranean diet eating tips along with delicious plant-forward recipes featuring Michigan Apples.

Always stay hydrated. Drinking enough water each day is critical for many reasons: to keep organs working properly, prevent infections, regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, and deliver nutrients to cells. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, brain function, and mood. While experts recommend drinking about 11 cups of water per day for the average woman and 16 for men, all of that does not have to come from plain water. Flavored water, coffee and tea can all count, but make sure you think about what you drink. Minimize sugar-sweetened beverages that have a lot of calories and little nutritional value.

Cook more meals at home. Restaurant meals often have more sodium, fat and calories and tend to be more expensive. Home cooking is key to understanding more about the nutritious foods your body needs, and for practicing portion control. It’s also a fun way to connect with family and friends.

Starting with these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to nutritious new habits that will support better health and keep you energized for the long summer days ahead. The sample menu ideas below show you just how easy it is to assemble quick, affordable, nutrient-rich meals

that include the delicious healthy benefits of Michigan Apples: