Dr. Luise Light

About Dr. Light

Luise Light, EdD, is former USDA Director of Dietary Guidance and Nutrition Education Research, responsible for the original food guide pyramid and revamping USDA's nutrition communications. Hired as an expert to guide development of new nutrition and cancer prevention efforts, she developed the National Cancer Institute's first diet and cancer prevention guidelines, and national health promotion programs with supermarkets, the American Cancer Society, the Red Cross and others. She has been health editor of Vegetarian Times and executive editor of New Age Journal, and now teaches, counsels and writes in Vermont, where she is an elected town official.

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Portable Snacks & Mini Meals

Dairy
 Yogurt (without the jam or excess sugars), Hard cheese: cheddar, gouda, Swiss, Havarti , String CheeseMozzarella
Fruit
 Apple, Blueberries, Cherries, Grapefruit, Melon wedge or slices, Orange, Peach, Pear, Plums,Tangerine

Nuts & Seeds
Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachio nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds

Protein
Egg, hard boiled or deviled, Turkey, sliced,Chicken breast, skinless, Roast beef, sliced, Shrimp, boiled

Vegetables with Fillings, Dips & Spreads
-Celery stuffed with flavored cream cheese, soft cheese or nut butters
-Hummus (chickpea spread) stuffed cherry tomatoes
-Lettuce-wrapped sliced meat, cheese, pickle combinations
-Pita pocket half stuffed with mixed vegetable salad
-Cucumber slices spread with tangy cream cheese or port wine cheese spread
-Cooked broccoli with Balsamic Vinaigrette dipping sauce
-Raw veggie strips & chili sauce for dipping

Crackers & Novelty Breads
 Ry-Vita and Ry-Krisp, Wasa Crispbread, Whole wheat pitta bread, Artisanal Multigrain breads

©Copyright Luise Light 2006

Tip of the Month  March 2006
Concerned about your weight? Here's something you can do that can help:
Eat 1/2 grapefruit or an orange a half hour before a big meal. A natural chemical in grapefruit and oranges boosts metabolism so you burn calories more efficiently.

January 2006
Stay True to Your Dietary Truth Wherever You Are


“The majority of packaged or processed foods with long shelf lives have very little 'chi' or life energy. Food that is fresh from the garden is alive and brimming with chi. Likewise, food that is prepared with love and care will have more chi than food prepared by people who dislike what they are doing.”
-Christiane Northrup, M.D. Empowering Women's Wisdom

It is Sunday morning and I am preparing the little sandwich bags and containers of portable meals and snacks that I will take out of the fridge and freezer to carry with me on the road and to work in the coming week. I don't like this kitchen duty. I'd rather be outdoors or lazing around reading the Sunday papers, but if I don't prepare my food in advance, I won't eat properly and I'll feel like a failure because I've succumbed to what's convenient instead of what's good for me. Too many times in the past I've taken good care of everyone else but failed to do the same for myself with distressing consequences.
Now that I know that, I'm out of excuses.

Munches and Lunches on the Run

My stash of meals and snacks for the coming week includes pieces of broiled or baked chicken, roast turkey slices, deviled eggs, nuts, cut up raw vegetables and lettuce leaves, cheese chunks and fruit, mini containers of salad dressing, dipping sauces, almond butter and whole grain crackers. Dinner leftovers will add more variety to my collection from day to day. Having some bottled water and this quick and ready food on hand in my cooler/lunch bag will cut down on temptations to visit a nearby vending machine or a local eatery for fast, ready-to-eat food that I won't enjoy because the offerings are wanting in taste and nutrition.
     Many of the chains now offer salads, fruits, and less greasy, starchy menu choices. Still, I like and trust my own food because I know where it comes from, how it's been kept (chilled or warm), what's in it, and how many hands have touched it-only mine.
     I always thought it was a pain traveling with my own version of take-out-“taken from home.” But on a day when there isn't time to stop for lunch or snacks, I really appreciate opening up my cooler bag with one hand on the wheel and the other fishing out a nibble or bite to calm the flutter of hunger. What I prepare is bare bones. You might be much more inventive and creative about it and pack fancier food for taking on the road. If you've got small kids, you'll need to carry along some of their favorite foods and drinks. You can use a road trip as an opportunity to introduce nutritious snacks and drinks they might turn up their noses to at home.
     The right snack or mini meal can keep you firing on all your burners and protect you against the temptation. The wrong meals and snack will sabotage your good intentions to keep your metabolism in high gear and your body safe from harm. Here are food items you can find in most grocery stores that are easy to keep around you during the day so you can munch when you need to. Not everyone's the same or needs the same types of meals and snacks. Pick the ones that fit your needs and avoid the rest. And remember, the objective is to choose local, natural and organic foods for snacks as well as meals. That will take planning so pencil in the time to do that. These are just examples. Add your own favorites to the list.

Tip of the Month June 2006
If you're having trouble fitting in 3-4 fruits and 4-5 veggies daily, here are some warm weather ideas:
· When you're tempted to drink a cold glass of orange juice, eat a cold, juicy orange instead;
· When time is short in the morning, throw a handful of berries and half a banana into some organic milk, almond milk or yogurt, add a few ice cubes, blend and drink;
· For a dessert treat, seedless grapes or fresh fruit salad in a parfait glass, topped with marscapone cheese!
· Portable snacks can include mini-whole wheat pitta breads stuffed with shredded veggies and bite size lettuce, topped with hummus;
· A salad or a cup of soup to start a meal will help you resist buttery starches and extra large helpings of the main course;
· Too busy to cook a hot meal? How about a bowl of homemade chili made in the slow cooker the night before--and don't stint on the beans!
· Make your own whole wheat pizza with plenty of cut up veggies: mushrooms, onions, eggplant, spinach, sliced fresh tomatoes, or whatever!
· Have you tried mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes with your Sunday dinner?


If you have veggie or fruit ideas to share, write me at: luvalu365@yahoo.com , and I'll add the good ones to this site with your name (or not).