HEALTHY EATING IS EASY!
Eating healthy does not have to be complicated nor difficult. After you begin making healthy choices, and make it a habit, you don’t have to think about it again. Just have healthy food choices always available and the decision will be easy.
When considering a meal or a snack, always strive for a proper balance between a protein, carbohydrate and fat.
What have you established for your caloric consumption needs? I know for myself, that if I want to lose weight, my caloric intake cannot exceed 1200 per day. If I’m trying to maintain my current weight, I should not eat anymore than 1500 calories per day.
After you determine how many calories you should be consuming, you then need to divide the calories out over 5-6 small meals/snacks throughout the day. Don’t forget to compliment each meal/snack with the proper balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. I will give you an example of these choices to make during the day.
I like to take a minute and quickly mention something about portion sizes. Do you know what a serving of meat looks like? No, it’s not the 12 ounce Ribeye at your local steak house. A protein of meat is 3 ounces, the size of a woman’s palm.
SOME VISUAL EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT FOOD PORTIONS:
* 1 medium fruit — tennis ball or tight fist
* 1/2 cup of pasta, rice, fruit, veggie, or cooked cereal — tight fist or cupcake size
* 1 cup of raw 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 meat, poultry or fish — palm of a woman’s hand or deck of cards
* 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. Also, 3 tsp is equal to 1 tbsp.
BREAKFAST:
It is important to start the day with a good breakfast. A good breakfast is needed to maintain level blood sugars throughout the morning. Try to keep breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same calorie count and then add two to three snacks between meals to make up the 5-6 recommended meals.
Choose an item from each of the food groups for a healthy balanced breakfast.
Protein: 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 oz of low fat cheese, 1 cup low fat yogurt
Carbohydrate: granola bar, 1 slice of whole grain toast, bagel or muffin, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal or oatmeal.
Fruit: 1/2 banana, small apple, orange, grapefruit, 3/4 cup of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries
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: Cauliflower, green beans, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, and salad greens, etc. For a serving size, fill about 1/2 of your plate with vegetables, 1/4 of your plate with healthy carbohydrates, and the other quarter with a lean protein.
Carbohydrate: Brown rice, corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, 1 slice of whole grain bread etc.
Dessert: Pear, apple, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries or raspberries with a dollop of nonfat whipped topping.
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: Low fat string cheese, hard boiled egg, small yogurt cup, 1 oz. low sodium, low fat luncheon meat, 1/4 cup of low fat cottage cheese.
Carbohydrate: 1/2 banana, apple, grapes, plum, baby carrots, 1 slice of whole grain bread, etc.
Healthy fats: Handful of almonds, walnuts cashews or mixed nuts, 1 slice of avocado, 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
This doesn’t have to hard. These are just guidelines for healthy foods. Don’t make this boring by eating the same thing every day. There are so many more foods then what I listed here but be creative. Try a new fruit and vegetable every week. Remember, this is easy!