Nutritionist Shares Their Simple Healthy Diet
What you eat everyday has a major impact on the entirety of your health. This means that most of us look for guidance from nutritionists, like Carissa Galloway, for guidance. According to CNBC Make It, Carissa Galloway has been a registered dietitian nutritionist for 10 years
Galloway was a sideline sports reporter prior to career as a nutritionist. During this time she realized what her own eating habits were like and noticed their effects on her health. This led her to an extreme interest in nutrition and caused her to not only her job, but also her diet. This is the diet that Galloway follows that has led her to feel both healthier and happier.
Simply, Galloways diet is set up with an aim to get three types of foods in each meal, a protein, produce, and fiber rich foods.
Protein
Galloway says that protein is “hugely important for muscle growth and repair.” She states that protein helps with weight management because foods filled with protein can “help you feel full and satisfied.” She then added eating protein in every meal and snack helps keep your blood sugar more stable throughout the day.
Produce
“I want a fruit or a vegetable anytime that I eat anything,” says Galloway. She also says that you want to make sure that you have fruits and vegetables of various colors. This is because varying colors means that you’ll have a lot more different kinds of antioxidants and vitamins. Galloway’s favorite fruits to eat in the morning are berries, but she’s also a huge fan of leafy greens like kale, spinach, and arugula. She also suggests eating broccoli and cauliflower for their proven ability to fight cancer.
Fiber-rich
Most adults in the United States aren’t even getting half of the amount of fiber that is recommended per day. Due to this, Galloway tries to have fiber-rich foods in every single meal. Foods with high fiber content include apples, leafy greens, almonds, avocados, and seeds.
Foods You Should Probably Skip Air Frying
Large Bone-In Meat
We’re not talking about chicken wings here, we’re talking about large whole chickens. You’re better off sticking to an oven when it comes to cooking them. If you’re wondering why, chicken must be cooked to a specific temperature internally before being consumed. According to the USDA, all poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, air frying this food item doesn’t guarantee an even cook. But hey, at least chicken wings are small enough to get an even crisp. Just make sure you line the air fryer basket first if it’s raw meat.
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Wet Batters
An air fryer is not a deep fryer. So, if you’re looking to toss battered fries, meat cutlets, or battered veggies, think again. There’s a big chance the batter will drip down the base of the machine, causing a big mess and major cleanup after. Bad enough, some people didn’t know you even had to clean an air fryer regularly. No really, someone on Reddit shared that they didn’t wash their air fryer basket after each use. “I don’t think I’ve ever washed it lol. I’ve had it for 8 months and decided to finally wash it today,” they wrote. They continued to say how there was a bunch of “solidified juices” and “fat/ grease” from steak and chicken.
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Cheesy Foods
It’s possible to make your favorite cheesy snacks in an air fryer. But it can get messy. AllRecipes cautions against air frying cheese. This isn’t because of health reasons but for cleanup purposes. They point out that cheese melts fast. The outlet suggests sticking to foods that effectively hold the cheese in place. Maybe, just stick to frozen cheeses like mozzarella sticks.
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Leafy or Chard Greens
Sure you can go ahead and put those Brussels sprouts or broccoli in the air fryer. But skip putting spinach, collard, or chard leaves in. If you haven’t tried it already, light leaves might move and shift around during the cooking process. You may also come across a fairly dry vegetable if you don’t put a little oil with it. And, of course, you don’t want to forget the seasonings.
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Popcorn
Some people have tried it but you probably shouldn’t. Most air fryer models won’t reach the required temperature to pop the kernels. According to Jolly Time Pop Corn, the best popping temperature is between 400 and 460 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, popcorn kernels can become lodged within the air fryer’s heating element, which can potentially cause it to short.
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Pasta, Quinoa, Rice, Grains
Some grains like bread can be cooked in an air fryer. However, it can get a little tricky with lighter breads like toast and English muffins due to the air making them fly around. But anything like pasta, quinoa, and rice doesn’t do too well. Raw grains need to absorb water to cook. But there is some good news. If you have rice that’s already cooked, just add a little oil to reat in the air fryer.
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