“I have a good reason to choose healthy food. There is something really satisfying when I choose foods that I know support my brain. I might not notice right away, but I bet my brain does.” — LINDSAY, Living with MS
Make it easier to cook healthier foods. When your kitchen is easy to use, you will use it more often. Take some time to evaluate your kitchen. Are the items you need for cooking easy to get to? Can you eliminate items you never use, or put items you use rarely in the back of cabinets so that the things you use most are readily available? Store items near where they will be used. Consider having a chair in the kitchen to sit in while meal prepping or a tall stool for washing dishes. What about a chair with wheels to move around the whole kitchen? These strategies will cut down on the physical energy used to prepare meals, which will decrease the number of times that you opt for take-out.
Consider which kitchen tools may actually help based on your specific needs. You don’t want to fill the kitchen with useless gadgets, but if you have a specific concern there is probably a tool to help. For instance, if you have trouble opening jars, you can get an electric jar opener. If you have trouble keeping food steady while cutting, consider a cutting board that is designed with spikes to hold the food in place while chopping, and be sure to place an anti-slip mat or rubber shelf liner under your cutting board or mixing bowl to keep it from sliding all over the counter.
Involve the whole family. Oftentimes, support partners want to help but don’t know how. Encouraging partners and children to help with meal planning and preparation can be one way that they can help. Talk about brain-healthy foods and their importance. Have a contest to see which family members can come up with the best recipe that is both easy to prepare and supports brain health. You are not only getting help with meals, you are teaching your family valuable lessons that they will use throughout their lives to be healthier.
Approach dietary changes with curiosity and the mindset of experimentation. Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. What’s one ingredient swap that you can try to make a dish healthier? What’s one snack that you can try the healthier version of? How about one day a week that you can explore another cuisine? For instance, consider having “Mediterranean Mondays” and trying a new Mediterranean Diet meal every Monday. There’s no pressure to switch the rest of the week, but when you find a recipe that you like, put it in your regular rotation.
The Mediterranean Diet is not just Mediterranean food, and it’s not actually even a diet. It might be easier to look at what types of food make up “The Mediterranean Plate” and then see which foods you like that fit into each category. You should aim for about half a plate of non-starchy vegetables (4 or more servings per day), a quarter plate of whole grains and starchy vegetables (4 servings per day), and a quarter plate of poultry, dairy, fish, and beans or nuts (daily for poultry/dairy and 3 servings per week of nuts and beans). Consider fruit for snacks and desserts, use healthy oils like olive, season food with herbs and spices instead of heavy sauces, and limit red meat, sweets and alcohol. Always consider your own dietary needs and restrictions when creating a meal plan.
Give kids a choice when introducing new foods to them. Would they like the vegetables cut up large or small? Do they want to try the new item first, or after they’ve eaten their favorite bit? Try not to make an entire meal of new items that they might resist, introduce small changes over time.
FOR MORE ON DIET… See “Food for Thought,” and other articles in the Fall 2020 issue of InforMS. Visit MSCenter.org/informs or scan the QR code below.
