Apple a day — just do it

Summary

Procrastination comes in many forms. We even talk about a very personal form of procrastination in our book, Body Clutter (see www.flylady.net). But there is a type of procrastination that I know we all suffer from that needs addressing and that is good nutrition.

Sometimes the culprit is a little sentence in your head, "just this once." You know what I'm talking about. You bargain with yourself that you're going to start eating healthier, you even buy a boatload of fresh produce to seal the deal and then, "just this once," you decide you're too tired to cook, you'd rather eat out so you don't have to deal with picky kids, and if you eat off the .99 menu, it's really not too expensive.

Next thing you know, you're suffering from a full-blown case of Nutrition Procrastination. The good green stuff sitting in the produce bin of your refrigerator becomes a drawer full of green sludge; your jeans are too tight, and your face looks puffy. And yet you still keep procrastinating about eating healthy. Why?

Time for an intervention! I don't have to give you all the gory details on obesity, heart conditions, cancer and diseases implicated by poor nutrition. You know it! It's time to stop living in the fast food lane and get a reality check — you need real food to feed real people, yourself included.

Real food is easily identifiable. It comes with a minimum of packaging — if any, you know what it is at first glance without a TV commercial selling you on it (an apple, for example) and you know also, that not only does it taste good, it's good for you, too!

Apples are starting to come into season — watch for falling prices and the announcements in your grocery store flyers letting you know they have a fresh crop in. There is really nothing like the snap of a crisp apple when you bite into it. Here is a very simple recipe utilizing the bounty of apples and making your house smell wonderful!

Crock Cooker Applesauce

(Smells and tastes like Mom's homemade apple pie!)

3 pounds apples, peeled and quartered (I use Gala or another sweet apple so I don't have to add sugar.)

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder)

In a crock pot, place prepared apples and cook on high for about 3 hours, or until "fork tender." Make sure the apples fill your crock at least half way so there is no burning. Serve in bowls warm. Makes 1 quart.

For an extra special touch, sprinkle with a little bit of brown sugar and a splash of cold milk. YUM!

This week, try to add two healthy foods to your nutritional arsenal and give Nutritional Procrastination the heave ho! Baby step your way to better nutrition and add an apple to your snack list a few times this week (or make the applesauce recipe above and snack on that this week). Throw a salad on the table at dinner time, too (skip the iceberg lettuce — it's just about devoid of any nutrition) and watch how much better you feel when you love your body with good food.

Leanne Ely, a k a Dinner Diva, is the author of the best-selling "Saving Dinner" and "Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way" (Ballantine). What's for dinner? Go to www.savingdinner.com and find the solution!