EATING HEALTHY HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER!

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 thinking about a meal or a snack, it needs to incorporate a proper balance between a protein, carbohydrate and fat.

Have you established for yourself your caloric consumption needs? I know for myself, if I want to maintain my weight, I should not eat any more than 1500 calories per day. If I want to lose, my daily calorie intake is no more than 1200 calories per day.

Once you figure out how many calories you should be eating, you then need to divide them out over 5-6 small meals/snacks throughout the day. Remember that the meals/snacks should compliment each other with a adequate balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Let me 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 rice, pasta, cooked cereal, fruit, or veggie — cupcake size or tight fist

* 1 cup of 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 poultry, meat 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 meat, fish, 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:

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: 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: 1 slice of whole grain bread, brown rice, corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, etc.

Dessert: Pear, apple, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of strawberries or raspberries with a dollop of nonfat whipped topping.

SNACKS:

Snacks are what make or break the weight loss. You need to maintain your metabolism in between meals so that is why 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: 1/2 banana, apple, grapes, plum, baby carrots, 1 slice of whole grain bread, etc.

Healthy fats: 1 slice of avocado, 2 tbsp of peanut butter, handful of almonds, walnuts cashews or mixed nuts.

Doesn’t this sound easy? 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. Try a new fruit and vegetable every week. Remember, this is easy!