>Bites: October 2025 - The Healthy Harvest
As the seasons change, it’s the perfect time to refocus on nourishing habits that support long-term health. In this edition, we’re exploring the powerful connection between diet and breast cancer prevention, breaking down what it really means to eat a plant-forward diet, and sharing tips to find balance when fruits and veggies feel like too much of a good thing. Settle in for a little fall inspiration—and practical ways to feel your best with every bite.
Power to choose: diet and breast cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and While you can't control every risk factor for breast cancer, eating well can lower your risk and even improve outcomes. There's no magic "breast cancer diet" or a single "superfood" that can prevent or cure it. The key is a healthy, balanced, plant-forward diet. Try to cut back on alcohol, trans-fats, and keep your saturated fat and added sugar intake low. This kind of eating, combined with exercise and aiming for a healthy weight, offers tons of benefits for your overall health and can really make a difference with reducing breast cancer risk and improving outcomes.
Advocacy groups always remind us to get to know our family's health history, understand our own risk, tell our doctor about any breast changes we notice, and get screened in an age-appropriate way. We know that if you do get breast cancer, early detection absolutely saves lives. Healthy lifestyle choices are even more proactive, reducing your risk of having breast changes or cancer in the first place. What steps will you take today to protect your breast health?
What on the green earth is a plant-forward diet?
Have you heard of the term plant-forward? Perhaps you thought it referred to a vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact, though a plant-forward diet does contain lots of plant foods, it still allows some animal products in moderation.
Plant-forward is a pattern of intake, not a list of specific rules. Several well-known diets that are considered plant-forward include the Flexitarian diet, the Pescatarian diet, the Mind Diet, and the Mediterranean Diet.
In addition to the obvious fruits and vegetables, a plant-forward diet includes plenty of whole grains, nuts, and seeds. People emphasizing plant foods in their diet choose beans, lentils, hummus, and tofu as protein sources more often than meat, poultry, or fish.
What are the benefits of a plant-forward diet?
A plant-forward diet tastes great and is packed with nutrients! It’s a great way to support a healthy gut, and to reduce risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and dementia. But you might give up some of the benefits if you overdo so-called “plant-based” alternative foods like non-dairy cheese, oat milk creamers, or faux chicken nuggets. While these foods are OK to have occasionally, they are ultra-processed and may not be as good for you as the real thing.
Making it work
You can take small steps toward a plant-forward diet! It can be as simple as switching out the meat in your breakfast for some spinach in your eggs a few days a week or adding some frozen broccoli to tonight’s evening meal. Next week, add a piece of fruit at snack-time instead of something out of a box or bag. Day-by-day and week-by-week you'll get closer to the plant-forward diet and better health.
Here at ModifyHealth, we are all about helping patients and customers eat more real plant foods. Our meals make it easy to enjoy whole grains, vegetables, beans, and other plant-forward ingredients in every meal.
When fruits and veggies are too much of a good thing.
Moderation. That’s always the rub, isn't it? While some people struggle to eat enough fruits and veggies, other people overdo it. We can't help loving the idea of “all you can eat”, and old-fashioned diets have promoted unlimited fruits and vegetables for years. Large restaurant meals are another American favorite. People with iron stomachs might be able to get away with eating platefuls of Brussels sprouts, 1 ¼ pound sweet potatoes, and blenders full of fruit smoothies. But these are likely to cause digestive distress for people with IBS—that bloated feeling, reflux, gas, diarrhea or constipation. If you’ve had this experience on a regular basis, you might benefit from trying a low FODMAP diet.
What are FODMAPs?
FODMAPs are certain sugars and fiber in food that can cause GI distress. Most fruits and vegetables are sources of FODMAPs, but here’s the thing: The same exact food can be high, medium, or low in FODMAPs depending on the serving size. On a low FODMAP diet, you try to choose more balanced meals, with low FODMAP servings of fruits, vegetables, and other foods. Most people with IBS have fewer IBS symptoms when they eat this way.
What do low FODMAP meals look like?
Low FODMAP meals look great and taste satisfying! Here are a few of our favorite combinations. Only the items that are portion-controlled for the sake of FODMAPs have serving sizes suggested. The other food in these meals can be eaten in amounts that are right for your other health goals, like managing your weight. (And no, you can’t eat unlimited amounts of them, either, or you’ll run into other problems!)
Grilled salmon with herbs and lemon wedge; salad with 2 cups lettuce, 7 pistachios, 5 medium strawberries, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, baked potato, butter.
Fajitas, including 2 small tortillas, shrimp, ½ cup red bell pepper strips, ½ tomato, 2 tablespoons refried beans; rice, 2 tablespoons mild salsa
Grain bowl with 1 cup brown rice or quinoa, roasted chicken or tofu, 15 green beans, 1/3 cup roasted butternut squash, 5 cherry tomatoes, garlic-infused oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh garden herbs, salt and pepper.
