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Eating Healthier, The Achieve-Life Way
| Posted on Jul 26, 2011 |
Congratulations on your plan to eat healthier! You probably already know the three enemies to a healthy diet; fat, salt and sugar. Fortunately there are many ways to create great tasting meals with less fat, salt, sugar and calories by making some simple changes. Here are some helpful hints that you can use to make a tasty AND healthy dish for each meal of the day. 1. Breakfast: Do you feel rushed in the morning and seldom have time for a nutritious breakfast? A healthy fruit smoothie can be just the answer. Just blend together fresh or frozen berries, ice, lowfat vanilla yogurt and a teaspoon or two of Splenda and you have a great start to the day!
Are you the person who likes a hardy meal of bacon, eggs and toast on occasion? No problem! Instead of bacon try turkey bacon or smoked turkey. Try a piece of whole wheat toast instead of white bread.
If you like cereal in the morning – eat one with whole grains and at least 5 grams of fiber per serving like Grape Nuts. You can also cut down on the amount of sugar you sprinkle on top or try a sugar substitute such as Splenda or Stevia. Treat yourself with fresh berries in your cereal for added color, flavor and healthy nutrients.
2. Lunch: One of the easiest lunches is the leftovers from your healthy dinner the night before. Make a little extra and enjoy the fruits of your labor again!
If you’re craving soup, try a fat-free milk based soup or a low-sodium version.
If you’re in the mood for pasta or rice, remember to use whole wheat pasta or brown rice and mix in some steamed vegetables. Instead of grabbing that salt shaker, try sprinkling on a little salt-free seasoning mix or herb blend.
If you’re a dairy lover, avoid the heavy creams and whole milk and try fat-free milk, yogurt or cottage cheese. You’ll be surprised at the flavor without the fat.
Salads are a great healthy lunch! A mix of healthy greens with colorful vegetables is a great way to limit the calories and fat but still enjoy flavor with all the vitamins and minerals. To cut down on the calories and fat even more, limit the amount of dressing or even better – make your own salad dressing with balsamic vinegar and some olive oil.
3. Dinner: A healthy dinner can start with a protein such as chicken or fish – grilled or broiled. Try to avoid the extra fat and calories in frying.
For a tasty side, avoid the refined white rice and have brown rice, quinoa or soba noodles. They are loaded with nutrients and have great flavor! Add a colorful vegetable. Instead of sautéing your vegetables in butter, try steaming or roasting them in the oven. Add some olive oil with salt-free seasoning mix. By steaming or roasting the vegetable you save all the nutrients and really bring out the flavor.
Does your family love pasta for dinner? Avoid the refined pasta and use whole wheat pasta. You can now find whole wheat pasta in just about every shape and size. Limit the amount of meat and cheese and bump up the vegetables. But if your family loves cheese with the pasta, try a low fat cheese.
For the meat lovers in the family, try extra lean ground beef, chicken or turkey instead of high fat ground beef. Same idea if you were planning on a casserole for dinner – cut back on the ground beef and try one of the alternatives, with less cheese and more vegetables.
Sometimes eating healthier and cutting back on calories is as simple as slowing down when you eat. When we’re hungry, our tendency is to eat fast. Learn to slow down and savor your food. When you eat slower, it gives your body time to understand when you’re full. Take a short break between each bite – take a sip of water or put your spoon down for a couple seconds. In the long run, you will end up eating less which of course means consuming fewer calories.
Lastly, pay attention to portion sizes – too many recipes are super-sizing it and not staying true to a normal serving size. Verify the correct portion you should be eating. Since we tend to eat everything on our plates, try using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Although it may sound like nonsense, it really works!
These are just a few of the ways you can eat healthier and not sacrifice quality and taste. For more ideas, check out the healthy, delicious recipes at Achieve-Life.
A simple plan for healthy, permanent weight loss. Visit us to learn how the Achieve-Life weight loss program can help you achieve the life you've always wanted.
All articles on Achieve-Life.com are written by board certified physicians.
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