Dorothy: A taste for healthier fare

One of the biggest surprises for me over the course of the A New Way to a New You program is how my palate has changed for certain foods.

If I don't make myself a big salad every day, I feel like I'm missing something. Being creative has really helped a lot - there are so many good veggies you can put in a salad. I always buy three colors of peppers, cucumbers, celery, carrots, red cabbage, red onions, flowering kale, spinach, tomatoes, sprouts - anything that looks good to me.

I've figured out that if I do a lot of prep work upfront, loading up on a filling salad is just a matter of grabbing ingredients from the fridge and throwing them together. I cut up enough for a couple of days of salads for the whole family. I'm also getting better with portions. I'm able to eyeball it and I'm reaching for a proper portion without even thinking about it now.

Now that I'm consistently eating better, I'm also less tempted to choose things that aren't as healthy for me. With eating the right proper foods, your body will let you know what's good for you - that was reassuring.

I'm really excited that my daughter Julia also seems to be on board with healthier eating. She's actually asking for salads - it's not something we're having to force on her.