Recipes for the Woman-On-The-Go - National Women's Health Week 2023

Staying healthy, both mentally and physically, should always be a top priority for every woman.  Below are some of the best ways for women to stay healthy and focus on their whole health.

Making healthy food and drink choices can help prevent or manage many health problems that affect women. Healthy choices include choosing foods in the proper amounts from all the essential food groups and getting the right amount of nutrients through food.  When women make healthier choices, the benefits can last a lifetime.  Studies show that when a woman eats healthy, everyone in her household is more likely to eat healthy. Generally, most women do not get enough fiber in their daily diet. 

• Diets low in fiber can lead to constipation and can raise the risk for other health problems.
  • A fiber-rich diet helps lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, and colon cancer.
• Whole-grain breads, fortified cereals, beans, berries, and dark green leafy vegetables are all rich with fiber and should be added to women’s diets.
• Cooking is a great way to make healthy eating choices and there are many resources to discover delicious and healthy recipes.
  • The NHLBI provides delicious heart healthy recipes and free cookbooks full of wonderful recipes from many different cultures. 
    • Healthy recipes for smaller dinners and whole family meals and can be sorted by type of dish, like pasta or chicken.
    • In addition to great recipes, NHLBI also provides helpful cooking resources like safe cooking practices and food preparation basics.
    • Explore everything that the NHLBI offers here.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also provides healthy recipes for women on-the-go.  It includes recipes of the month and other recipe collections, like money-saving main dishes.
• HHS and the USDA collaborated to publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to help all individuals and their families consume a healthy and nutritionally adequate diet.  The main points of the guidelines are: 
  • Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every stage of life, 
  •  Customize and enjoy a nutrient-based diet based on your personal preferences,
  • Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and drinks while staying within calorie limits, and
  • Limit foods and beverages high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
• Having a healthy eating plan is a positive step towards better nutrition and should include foods from all the main food groups to ensure women are getting all of their essential vitamins and nutrients.  
  • See the recommended amounts of food from each food group that women of different age groups should eat.
• There are a lot of small changes you can make to start improving your diet now.  Below are several tips to assist with eating healthier.  Try starting with just one and add to it as you feel comfortable:
  • Buy one piece of whole fruit at the grocery store for each day of the week. 
  • Add at least one vegetable to one of your meals each day. 
  • Switch your favorite yogurt for a plain yogurt with whole fruit.
  • Drink water with lemon instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
  • Add a pre-made salad to your dinner most nights of the week. 
  • Buy one less treat or splurge food at the store than you normally would. 
  • Ask for brown rice instead of white rice when you order Chinese food.
  • Put out a bowl of whole fruit on your kitchen counter.  
  • Buy seafood instead of beef or pork for one dinner a week.  
  • Check out additional tips.

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