Lunchable Vegtable

As we add fruits and veggies to our diet to meet the five (or more) a day goal, let’s look at lunch.

• Salad bar? Stack on the dark green leaves and other vegetables instead of so many of the extras like eggs, bacon and cheese.(keep the dressing ON THE SIDE)
• Add frozen veggies to any pasta. (Even the canned stuff.) You get more good stuff and more flavor too.
• Skip the fries and add a vegetable. Most all restaurants will do that. (Even the fast food places offer a value size salad.)
• SMACK! Have a V8!
• Have fresh fruit for desert.

TODAY: LOOK FOR WAYS TO ADD MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO YOUR LUNCH.

5 A Day Help

Eat your vegetables! I’ve never had to be told more than once. I’ve always like veggies, but I couldn’t be a vegetarian. (Have you ever seen an overweight vegetarian?) Three servings used to be the norm. Now the USDA says eat five. That’s a good thing. Though you may think it’s a lot, it’s easy to do. I’ll give you some suggestions over the next few days.

Let’s start with breakfast.

• Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles or pancakes.
• Punch up you eggs with fresh sliced veggies or some frozen spinach.
• Top whole grain toast with raisins and cinnamon.
• Create your own yogurt flavors with plain yogurt and different of fresh fruit.
• Wrap a banana in a whole wheat flour tortilla with some peanut butter for a quick grab and go meal.
• Don’t forget the juice!

Lunch tomorrow.

TODAY: START ADDING MORE FRUIT AND VEGGIES TO YOU DIET.

Give Yourself A Treat

Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites just because you’re dieting. You can eat anything you want. Just do it every now and then rather than all the time. Keep the portions reasonable too. No huge bowls of ice cream with chocolate sauce every night! A scoop or so every now and then is okay. If you deny yourself all  the time you’ll end up resenting your healthier lifestyle. Just continue to eat les and exercise more and it will all work out. So go ahead, have a treat this weekend, and even during the week sometimes. Make sure you enjoy it. You may find it better than you remember when you were having it all the time.

TODAY: DO JUST A LITTLE MORE WALKING THAN YESTERDAY.

Bulk Up To Slim Down

Eating less doesn’t mean you will weigh less. Starving yourself isn’t healthy and can lead to craving and binging. (Followed by severe guilt.) A moderate, healthy diet is best. So stay satisfied by eating food that is low in calories but high in bulk anD fiber like veggies, whole grains and low fat soups. Add a reasonable amount of healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and protein with some cheese and you are on your way. By the way, that’s sometimes called a Mediterranean diet. In addition to being satisfying it’s very healthy.

TODAY: TAKE THAT WALK… EVEN IF IT’S A LAP AROUND THE MALL.

For God’s Sake, Eat A Piece Of Fruit

Remember the Tim Allen movie “The Santa Clause” when he was gaining all the weight and he went to a business meeting? His boss noticed how it appeared he was “letting himself go”. His advice was one hilarious line that has always stuck with me. “For God’s sake, eat a piece of fruit once in a while.” It’s true. When those carvings hit for something sweet, a piece of fruit instead of a donut, cookies or a candy bar is an excellent choice. Fruit can be a diet saver. It satisfies and levels out your blood sugars to knock out hunger for a longer period and also gives you valuable fiber.

So set out a fruit bowl for yourself instead of cookies and milk and stay on Santa’s “good” list for next Christmas.

TODAY: SHOP FOR SOME FRESH FRUIT

A Good Snack In A Bag

This one is a bit of a trick. Yes there are snacks that are good for your diet. Those bags of little carrots are right up there with the best of them. Crunchy, satisfying, tasty, full of good fiber. Keep some on hand to grab instead of high calorie snacks. Then the next time you get a check-up and weigh in you can say “What’s up Doc?”

TODAY: GET SOME CARROTS FOR SNACKING.

Put Oats In Your Cold Morning Feedbag

A hot stick to the ribs breakfast doesn’t have to be loaded with fat, calories and sugar. Good old fashioned oatmeal is a great source of complex carbohydrates (the good kind) that will get your day of to a great start and curb potential cravings in the first part of your day. Plain instant oatmeal in a cup with some added raisins and even a few walnuts makes a great quick breakfast. Try some other dried fruits for variety. The oats also add some other healthy benefits to your diet. Don’t do it every day, but it’s a great treat on a cold morning.

TODAY: DON’T FORGET TO EXERCISE, EVEN IF IT’S JUST GOING UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS A FEW TIMES.