In a recent study?published in?in the journal?Diabetes Care,?experts found that?people who ate lots of?fish and limited their?intake of poultry and?red meat lowered their?risk of heart disease?and type 2?diabetes. People in?the study who were?vegetarians in the?study saw the greatest?drop in risk, but you?don’t have to stop?eating animal products?to enjoy improved?health. Here are a few?ways to start to eat like?those in the study.

Q: HOW DO I EAT?MORE FISH?

Many of the people in?the study who lowered?their risk of diabetes?and heart disease ate?a lot of fi sh. Fish only?takes a few minutes to?prepare. Bake, broil,?grill or poach your?fish, but don’t fry it.?Fried foods provide?extra calories you?don’t need and may?have unhealthy trans?fats. Find ways to?enjoy heart-healthy?fish, such as tuna,?salmon, herring and?sardines at some of?your meals. Some?people start their day?with a piece of heart-healthy?herring at breakfast or enjoy it?for a snack. For lunch,?have tuna or salmon?salad made with a?fat-free or low-fat?mayonnaise. Make the?sandwich on whole?grain bread or add the?fi sh to a tossed green?salad.

Q: HOW DO I?STILL GET ENOUGH?PROTEIN?

Protein foods include?red meat, poultry,?beans, nuts, fish,?tofu, eggs and low-fat?cheese. Think about?how much protein?you eat at meals. The?amount of healthy?protein you eat should?fit into ? of a 9-inch?dinner plate and be?about the size of a?deck of cards. If you?want to limit your?meat or poultry intake,?eat them in the correct?healthy protein serving?size. Don’t take a large?chicken breast that?fills your plate or a big?steak that spills over?the sides.

Q: WHAT ARE?GOOD WHOLE?GRAIN CHOICES?

Some good choices are?brown rice or whole?wheat pasta and nonstarchy?vegetables,?such as broccoli,?cauliflower, tomatoes,?lettuce and zucchini.

Q: CAN I STILL?EAT EGGS?

If you are an egg lover,?you may be able to eat?eggs as your protein?option at some of your?meals. A large, multi-year?study showed?no link between the?eggs people ate and?their cholesterol?level or risk for type?2 diabetes. Ask your?healthcare provider?or registered dietitian?how many whole eggs?are right for you, and?how you can fit them?into your meal plan.

Q: HOW DO I EAT?MORE LOW-FAT?CHEESE?

Replace some or all?of the meat in your?sandwich or salad with?a low-fat cheese. If you?make a sandwich, feel?free to pile your fresh?vegetables up high.?Veggies are great for?your health and are?very low in calories.

Q: WHAT ARE?SOME MEAT?ALTERNATIVES?

The word seitan may?sound funny, but it?is a great vegetarian?product. It replaces?meat in just about?any recipe, such as?stews, chili and other?dishes. Seitan is made?from wheat protein.?It looks like meat?and has a meat-like?texture.?Most health food?stores sell it. You may?also find it sold as?mock meat crumbles?in the freezer section?of your local market.

Tofu is another protein?product you can use?in place of meat. Tofu?picks up the flavor?of the foods you?cook with it. It can?be prepared in many?ways: You can panbrown?it, put cubes?into soup, bake cutlets?in a sauce or stir-fry it.

Q: WHAT?ABOUT BEING A?VEGETARIAN?

If you want to become?a vegetarian and cut?some or all animal?products from your?meal plan, do so with?the help of a registered?dietitian. Animal?products provide?your body with many?important nutrients,?such as vitamin B12?and iron, that are?impossible or difficult?to get from plant?foods alone.

By Janis Roszler?RD, CDE, LD/N