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Eating healthy can be easy and simple to implement. Once you start making choices that are healthy and incorporate the habit into your life, it becomes second nature and you won't have to think about it much again. Make sure you always have healthy food choices available and the rest is a piece of cake.
When thinking about a meal or a snack, it needs to incorporate a proper balance between a protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Have you determined for yourself your daily caloric consumption needs? I know that for myself if I'm trying to lose wight, I cannot consume more than 1200 calories per day. On the other hand, if I'm trying to maintain my current weight, I'm allow to consumer 1500 calories per day.
Once you find out how many calories you should be eating, you then need to space them over 5-6 small daily meals/snacks through the day. The meals and or snacks should compliment each other with the proper balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein. I will give you an example of these choices to make during the day.
I should quickly mention something about portion sizes. Do you know what a serving of protein looks like? No, it's not the 16 ounce Prime Rib at your local steak house. A portion of protein is 3 ounces, the size of a woman's palm.
VISUAL EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT FOOD PORTIONS:
* 1 medium fruit -- tight fist or tennis ball
* 1/2 cup of fruit, veggie, cooked cereal, rice or pasta -- cupcake size or tight fist
* 1 cup of tossed salad -- the amount you can hold in two hands cupped together.
* 1 medium baked potato -- computer mouse
* 1 cup of cold cereal -- large handful or tight fist
* 3 ounces of fish, meat or poultry -- deck of cards or a palm of a woman's hand
* 1 ounce of cheese -- 4 dice or the top half of your thumb
* 1 ounce of fish, meat, chicken or poultry -- 1 egg
* 1 tsp -- the tip of a medium-framed woman's thumb. 3 tsp is equal to 1 tbsp
BREAKFAST:
A good breakfast is key to starting your day off right. Skipping breakfast is a surefire way to setting ourselves up for failure to maintain level blood sugars. I suggest keeping breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same calorie count and then adding two smaller snacks between meals.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced breakfast.
Protein: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup low fat yogurt, 1 oz of low fat cheese
Carbohydrate: 1 slice of whole grain toast, bagel or muffin, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal or oatmeal, or granola bar.
Fruit: 3/4 cup of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, 1/2 banana, small apple, orange, grapefruit,
LUNCH AND DINNER:
Preparing lunch and dinner is very simple. Pick a lean protein, add some vegetables and top it off with some fruit for dessert.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced lunch or dinner.
Protein: Lean beef, pork, beans, chicken, fish, turkey, etc.
Vegetable: Salad greens, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans, etc. For a serving size, fill about 1/4 of your plate with protein, 1/2 of your plate with vegetables, and the other quarter with healthy carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate: Brown rice, corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, 1 slice of whole grain bread etc.
Dessert: 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries or raspberries with a dollop of nonfat whipped topping, pear, apple.
SNACKS:
Snacks are essential to successful weight loss. In order to maintain your metabolism in between meals, healthy snacks are essential. For your snack, consume between 100 to 125 calories.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced snack.
Protein: 1 oz. low sodium, low fat luncheon meat, low fat string cheese, hard boiled egg, small yogurt cup, 1/4 cup of low fat cottage cheese.
Carbohydrate: Baby carrots, 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1/2 banana, apple, grapes, plum, etc.
Healthy fats: Handful of almonds, walnuts cashews or mixed nuts, 1 slice of avocado, 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
This is easy! Remember, these are just guidelines for healthy foods. You do not have to eat the same thing every day. There are so many more foods then what I listed here but be creative. Make healthy choices that are exciting. Try a new fruit and vegetable every week. Remember, this is easy! - 24553
When thinking about a meal or a snack, it needs to incorporate a proper balance between a protein, carbohydrate and fat.
Have you determined for yourself your daily caloric consumption needs? I know that for myself if I'm trying to lose wight, I cannot consume more than 1200 calories per day. On the other hand, if I'm trying to maintain my current weight, I'm allow to consumer 1500 calories per day.
Once you find out how many calories you should be eating, you then need to space them over 5-6 small daily meals/snacks through the day. The meals and or snacks should compliment each other with the proper balance of carbohydrates, fats and protein. I will give you an example of these choices to make during the day.
I should quickly mention something about portion sizes. Do you know what a serving of protein looks like? No, it's not the 16 ounce Prime Rib at your local steak house. A portion of protein is 3 ounces, the size of a woman's palm.
VISUAL EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT FOOD PORTIONS:
* 1 medium fruit -- tight fist or tennis ball
* 1/2 cup of fruit, veggie, cooked cereal, rice or pasta -- cupcake size or tight fist
* 1 cup of tossed salad -- the amount you can hold in two hands cupped together.
* 1 medium baked potato -- computer mouse
* 1 cup of cold cereal -- large handful or tight fist
* 3 ounces of fish, meat or poultry -- deck of cards or a palm of a woman's hand
* 1 ounce of cheese -- 4 dice or the top half of your thumb
* 1 ounce of fish, meat, chicken or poultry -- 1 egg
* 1 tsp -- the tip of a medium-framed woman's thumb. 3 tsp is equal to 1 tbsp
BREAKFAST:
A good breakfast is key to starting your day off right. Skipping breakfast is a surefire way to setting ourselves up for failure to maintain level blood sugars. I suggest keeping breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same calorie count and then adding two smaller snacks between meals.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced breakfast.
Protein: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 cup low fat yogurt, 1 oz of low fat cheese
Carbohydrate: 1 slice of whole grain toast, bagel or muffin, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal or oatmeal, or granola bar.
Fruit: 3/4 cup of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, 1/2 banana, small apple, orange, grapefruit,
LUNCH AND DINNER:
Preparing lunch and dinner is very simple. Pick a lean protein, add some vegetables and top it off with some fruit for dessert.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced lunch or dinner.
Protein: Lean beef, pork, beans, chicken, fish, turkey, etc.
Vegetable: Salad greens, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans, etc. For a serving size, fill about 1/4 of your plate with protein, 1/2 of your plate with vegetables, and the other quarter with healthy carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate: Brown rice, corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, 1 slice of whole grain bread etc.
Dessert: 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries or raspberries with a dollop of nonfat whipped topping, pear, apple.
SNACKS:
Snacks are essential to successful weight loss. In order to maintain your metabolism in between meals, healthy snacks are essential. For your snack, consume between 100 to 125 calories.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced snack.
Protein: 1 oz. low sodium, low fat luncheon meat, low fat string cheese, hard boiled egg, small yogurt cup, 1/4 cup of low fat cottage cheese.
Carbohydrate: Baby carrots, 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1/2 banana, apple, grapes, plum, etc.
Healthy fats: Handful of almonds, walnuts cashews or mixed nuts, 1 slice of avocado, 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
This is easy! Remember, these are just guidelines for healthy foods. You do not have to eat the same thing every day. There are so many more foods then what I listed here but be creative. Make healthy choices that are exciting. Try a new fruit and vegetable every week. Remember, this is easy! - 24553
About the Author:
Marilou Lissandrello is fervent about cooking healthy recipes in order to perserve her and her husbands current weight loss and to live a improved lifestyle together. Her very no-nonsense guide on how to cook healthy recipes for dinner is available free from her blog, Eat Right Tonight.
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