Eating well—it’s just one step on the path to better health. And the American Cancer Society is here to help you along the way, pointing you in the right direction when it comes to healthier eating. Even small changes in the way you prepare foods can have a real impact on your health!
There are lots of simple, daily steps you can take to help reduce your risk of cancer (as well as heart disease and diabetes). The good news is that these healthy choices will also help you feel better, look better, and give your body plenty of energy for your busy life.
It’s deliciously easy to start eating well and living well. Why not start today on that path to better health? Let’s get cooking!
Throughout this book you’ll find helpful ideas for incorporating these guidelines into your cooking and eating habits. The third edition of The American Cancer Society’s Healthy Eating Cookbook reflects the most up-to-date recommendations for reducing your cancer risk through healthy eating, but you’ll still find all of your favorite recipes—including many celebrities’ personal recipes for delicious, healthy dishes.
We’ve also included healthy substitutions, and added Simple Tips in the Kitchen, quick ways to judge portion sizes, and smart grocery shopping tips to help you eat and cook for better health.
The American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention are a good place to start on your path to healthy living. Following these guidelines—for example, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and limiting foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and calories— can help you eat your way to better health.
1. Eat a variety of healthy foods, with an emphasis on plant sources.
2. Adopt a physically active lifestyle.
3. Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
4. If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your consumption.
Eating more vegetables and fruits as part of a healthy diet can help your heart and reduce your cancer risk. Vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants (compounds that block damage to healthy cells), and they are generally low in fat and calories. Try to eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day. (Sound like a lot? Serving sizes are fairly small, so it might not be as tough as it seems.) Focus on colorful vegetables and fruits (for example, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, oranges, strawberries, and kiwi), which offer nutrient-packed, cancer-fighting compounds.
Think you can get the same health benefits by taking a vitamin or mineral supplement? Not so—there’s lots of evidence that eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can reduce cancer risk, but no evidence at this time that supplements can.
Here are a few ways to up your intake of fruits and vegetables:
Fruits
Vegetables
Confused about carbohydrates? Grain products like breads, rice, cereals, and pasta are still an important part of a healthy diet. Try to eat whole grains for at least half of your daily grain servings. When you look at ingredient labels, look for whole wheat, pumpernickel, rye, oatmeal, or other whole grain as the first ingredient. This is a sign that the product is a reliable source of good-for-you fiber.
The type of carbohydrates to limit are refined grains (white bread and white rice, for example) and foods high in sugar like cakes, cookies, and pastries. Replacing these carbohydrates with healthier whole grains will add more nutrients to your diet and help you cut back on calories too.
Here are some ideas to help you incorporate more healthy grains into your diet:
Try making a few simple ingredient changes to cut the extra sugar, fat, and calories in many recipes without changing the taste you love. The following substitutions let you enjoy great flavor and eat healthier.
| Instead of… | Try | And save |
| 1 cup whipping cream | 1 cup half-and-half 1 cup evaporated whole milk 1 cup evaporated skim milk |
48 g fat 53 g fat 72 g fat |
| 1 cup sour cream | 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1 cup fat-free sour cream |
12 g fat 40 g fat |
| 1 cup low-fat, flavored yogurt | 1 cup yogurt, unflavored or with non-sugar sweetener | 22 g sugar |
| 1 lb lean ground beef | 1 lb ground turkey breast | 78 g fat |
| 1 cup nuts | V2 cup toasted nuts | 21 g fat |
| 2 slices bacon, cooked | 1 slice Canadian bacon | 4 g fat |
| 1 ounce hard cheese (like cheddar) | 1 ounce reduced-fat cheese 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese |
4 g fat 6 g fat |
For years you’ve heard that low-fat diets are the way to go to improve your health. But it may be more important to consider the type of fat in your diet rather than the total amount of fat. We now know that you can do your heath a favor by limiting how much saturated and trans fat you eat and incorporating more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in your diet.
Eating a diet high in saturated fat increases your risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. This is the type of fat found primarily in red meats and dairy products, so cutting back on beef, lamb, and pork will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Choosing lower-fat dairy products like skim milk, fat-free yogurt, and reduced-fat cheeses will help too, and will still provide you with the important calcium and protein you need.
Trans fats are another type of fat to avoid because they are bad for your heart. These fats are found in margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, and other foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (check the label on packaged food before you buy to see if partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are listed as an ingredient).
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are heart-healthier fats and do not increase cancer risk. Monounsatured fats are found mainly in canola and olive oils, and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are found in other vegetable oils, soft (tub) margarine, tofu, and nuts. To further reduce your intake of saturated fat, substitute healthier oils for butter or lard.
Omega-3 fatty acids, another type of polyunsaturated fat, are found in high-fat fish like salmon, mackerel, and albacore tuna. Eating fish a few times a week in place of red meat is a great way to boost your health.
Bottom line: the type of fat you eat is most important to consider, but keep in mind that high-fat foods tend to be high in calories, so watch your portion sizes!
Here are some quick tips for reducing the saturated fat in your meals:
Not sure which spices will add the right zip to meals? Try spicing up your favorite low-fat dishes with these fresh herbs and spices for a punch of flavor.
Basil: tomato dishes, soups, salads
Chili powder: beans, poultry, soups, stews
Cilantro: tomato dishes, beans, salads, corn
Cinnamon: winter squash, sweet potatoes, cooked fruit, baked goods
Cloves: cooked fruits, carrots, squash, poultry
Dill: fish, rice dishes, salad dressings, potatoes
Ginger: cooked fruits, seafood, vegetable stir-fry, breads
Marjoram: fruit juice, potatoes, poultry, meat
Nutmeg: beans, apple dishes, seafood, meat
Oregano: tomato dishes, broccoli, poultry, seafood
Sage: soups, stews, stuffing, vegetables
Thyme: beans, tomato dishes, poultry
“Eat this!” “Don’t eat that!” With so much information and advice available about what we should or shouldn’t eat to improve our health, we may forget that watching calories is essential for controlling our weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is important in reducing cancer risk, and when it comes to keeping down your weight, calories count! Substituting vegetables, fruits, and other low-calorie foods for foods high in calories, fat, and added sugar can help you cut back on calories. Another key? Watching your portion sizes, especially of foods high in fat and added sugar.
Do you know what a half cup of pasta looks like on your plate? How high one cup of milk fills your glass? How many ounces of cereal you typically pour into your bowl? If not, get out the measuring cups, spoons, and scale. Measure your meals for a week or so to see what a standard portion looks like in your own plates, bowls, and glasses. Here’s a handy set of shortcuts that may help you judge how much you’re eating:
Try these other tips at home to help keep calories under control:
Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step to a healthier lifestyle. Just a few simple changes in your everyday diet can add up to better health—without sacrificing flavor or time. Let the more than 300 delicious recipes in the pages that follow keep you on track. The American Cancer Society’s Healthy Eating Cookbook can make it fun to eat right!
Most of your favorite recipes can easily be changed to include more vegetables, fruits, and fiber and cut down the fat and calories. Try the following steps when altering recipes.
Step 1: Increase the vegetables, fruits, and fiber.
Step 2: Lower the amount of fat and calories.
Step 3: Cut back on high-fat meats.
Keep in mind that healthy eating is only part of the recipe for a healthy lifestyle. Try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes on five or more days per week—walking, swimming, gardening, even dancing counts. The important thing is to find something you enjoy doing—and have fun!
For more information on living a healthier life, contact the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345 or visit us at www.cancer.org.
With these smart steps, you can look forward to a healthier future!
The first step to cooking healthy is to stock your kitchen with a variety of foods that you can throw together for healthy meals in a hurry. Keep these foods on hand for fast meals on busy nights.
In the Cupboard
In the Freezer