So, what does choosing good nutrition mean to you on a daily basis? The most important part is that you plan ahead!
Make a list of meals and all the ingredients that you will need. Ensure that you have everything on hand. I like to prepare a breakfast casserole and prep for meals on Sunday for most of the week. This helps when time is of the essence! Be sure that you plan snack items in there too! You want to eat three meals per day with 2-3 snacks added in to help regulate the blood sugar and control your appetite.
Some good choices for breakfast are: plain yogurt, add your own fresh fruit, 1/2cup, sprinkle with cinnamon, chia seeds and mix in a few slivered almonds. Omega 3 eggs in omelets with lots of veggies are always a great choice. One more choice that is delicious and you can make ahead is steel cut oatmeal with cinnamon, chia seeds, walnuts and a few raisins with a hard-boiled egg on the side. There are many healthy choices to start our day and fuel our bodies for productivity! Check out these web sites for other ideas: http://www.aicr.org/healthyrecipes/breakfast.html or http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/18323/clean-eating/breakfast/.
Lunch can be a difficult if you eat out all the time. My preference is a salad packed with organic greens, grilled salmon or chicken leftover from the night before, some blueberries, part of an avocado, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, maybe some carrot or celery sticks with a vinaigrette salad dressing and a piece of fruit and a square of dark chocolate. Another healthy choice is a turkey sandwich on whole grain thin bread with greens and avocado slices with an organic apple or ½ cup of fresh berries. Now if you go out to lunch some recommended items are Chipotle’s Chicken, pinto bean, tomato salsa Veggie Salad for 355 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, (3 g saturated), 1,220 mg sodium, 27 g carbs (10 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 41 g protein . Chipotle serves non-GMO food, often locally grown and organic. Another is Panera’s Half Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT and Half Seasonal Greens Salad with Reduced-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette at 390 calories, 20 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 625 mg sodium, 35 g carbs (5 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 18 g protein. This article will give you several other ideas; http://www.eatthis.com/low-calorie-restaurant-meals.
Supper can be hectic, especially if you have children and a lot of activities. Again, I say, plan ahead and remember family meals are very important in the life of the family if you want to stay connected. When you implement your plan and have prepped ahead, dinner comes together very quickly. One of my favorite meals that is super fast is salmon with sautéed spinach and quinoa. You can turn your oven to 500* and when you are ready to put the salmon in the oven, turn it down to 350*. It will be done in about 10 minutes! Another go to meal for me is a chicken stir fry. You can buy grilled chicken breast already cut into strips, riced cauliflower and fresh cut up stir fry vegetables at Trader Joe’s. I saute’ the cauliflower, add the chicken in bite size pieces and then steam the veggies. It is a rainbow of colors that is nutrient dense and full of fiber and beautiful! You can find a treasure trove of quick and healthy recipes at http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_cooking.
What about snacks? Try not to get overly hungry or “hangry.” We need to recognize that we are hungry but it’s not good to let yourself become ravenous. It takes more food to alleviate that hunger than if you just ate a small healthy snack. So what does a healthy snack look like? Since I have breakfast around 5 or 6 most days, I’m ready for a snack by 10ish. Cottage cheese, plain yogurt with a little fresh fruit, cheese sticks or a protein bar are good choices. Then again by five I’m ready for another little snack. A handful of nuts, cheese and crackers, an apple with peanut butter or hummus and vegetables are some of my favorites. Try to keep sliced peppers, celery and carrots on hand and convenient. If we control our hunger, it’s much easier to control what we eat and you can add in more vegetables and fiber.
Remember to make this a lifestyle; it’s not a temporary fix. Make changes gradually. Each week or two add a new habit. The habits will be more lasting if you do it gradually and commit to making it a lifestyle! Try new vegetables like riced cauliflower in place of rice or sliced red peppers or cucumbers in place of crackers. You may even want to try the Halo Top ice cream instead of the regular sugar filled variety. It is higher in protein. This does not mean you can’t have an occasional treat but make it occasional rather than daily. Celebrate a birthday and then get back with it. #CommitToFit. One life, One Body, Care for it!