Danville chef offers 5 ways to eat healthier

A local chef showed 45 people Tuesday that cooking and eating healthy is not only possible, but also delicious.

Chef Dennis Moreland and clinical nutrition manager Caron Sharp of Danville Regional Medical Center served up low-calorie dishes incorporating a variety of options from across the food group spectrum to attendees of the final session of a diabetes health education series. Sixty people participated in the series.

When finishing a Mediterranean orzo and vegetable pilaf dish, Moreland told attendees they can mix up the veggies with a staple like orzo (pasta). If you don’t like zucchini, put in asparagus.

“It’s just all about moderation,” he said. “Things you can’t have — be smart. Don’t put them in there.”

Moreland and Sharp offer five tips for healthy eating:

1. Eat a variety of foods from all of the basic food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and meat and beans. Learn how to eat choices like sweets in moderation.

2. Portion control: watch the serving sizes. Put yourself in control. Take the serving size of chips out of the bag before eating, rather than eating from the bag. A 3-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Meat doesn’t need to be the centerpiece of the plate. Emphasize the vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Eat smaller meals five to six times a day instead of not eating all day then having a large meal. This will prevent your body from going into conservation mode and storing calories because it thinks it’s starving.

3. Exercise: It’s like the essential other nutrient you need for a healthier lifestyle. Not only do you have to eat healthy, but you have to be active.

4. Reduce high-fat, low-sodium foods by limiting highly processed foods, which are usually high in fat, sodium and/or sugar. Eat whole fresh foods. Fresh or frozen foods are preferred over canned foods.

5. Don’t drink your calories away. When 16-ounce soft drinks contain 200 calories each, five of those drinks in a day can cost you 1,000 calories. Those are “empty calories” with no nutritional value. Choose unsweetened iced tea or iced tea with sugar substitute.

The public may purchase healthy choices at the DRMC cafeteria. Look for another series in January.

Mediterranean orzo and vegetable pilaf
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (4 ounces) uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (about 14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Sliced black olives (optional)
Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting any salt or fat. Drain; keep warm. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook about five minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir one minute.
Add zucchini and chicken broth to skillet. Reduce heat; simmer about five minutes or until zucchini is crisp tender.
Add orzo, artichokes, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook and stir about one minute or until heated through. Sprinkle each serving with feta cheese. Top with black olives, if desired. Makes six half-cup servings.

• Dietary exchanges: 1 ½ vegetable, 1 starch, ½ meat, 1 fat
• Calories 168, fat 7 g, protein 7 g, carbohydrate 23 g, fiber 3 g, sodium 516 mg