3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas
Some days, it can be hard enough to figure out what you want for lunch, never mind your kids. And, let’s face it, sometimes healthy and exciting lunch box ideas can be hard to come by. You know you need to pack a nutritious lunch for your kids in order to keep them sharp and help them power through their day. But whatever you put into their lunch box better also be tasty, or they won’t give it a second look and will gladly munch on their friends’ extra cookies and crackers instead. So, what’s a time-pinched, busy mom with school-aged kids who need to eat healthy, delicious meals to do? Check out our three simple lunch box ideas, of course! 3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids Peanut Butter & Jelly Old school processed peanut butter and sugary jelly squished between white bread is a nutrition nightmare. However, this lunchtime staple can be transformed into a nutrition powerhouse before you can say YUM! Here’s how to make over this old standby: Upgrade the sugar-heavy processed peanut butter with a natural peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (think almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter). Swap ultra-processed white bread for whole grain bread, Ezekial bread, or high-fiber crackers. While you’re swapping, why not switch out a store-bought, sugar-filled jelly with freshly sliced strawberries, an all-fruit spread, or even dehydrated fruit for a little crunch? Dehydrated fruit pulls out a bunch of the sugar and takes nutrition up a notch with vitamin C and fiber. Just be sure to watch for added sugars in store-bought varieties—if you can dehydrate the fruit at home, that’s even better. Rice & Beans It’s challenging to improve on rice and beans, but even the most devoted legume and whole grain lover has to admit that cooking time is a factor in making this perfect pair. Not only that, but white rice and your same ole beans deserve to be leveled up a notch. If your modern self doesn’t have hours to labor over those beans, whip up some quinoa in the 20 minutes it takes to help your daughter decide on her outfit du jour and pair it with faster-cooking legumes, like lentils or peas, for a delicious balance of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense flavor. In a real time crunch? Lean on BPA-free canned lentils. They’re just as delish, and it doesn’t get much faster than opening up a can. Top your concoction with avocado, salsa, sriracha (if you have a daring kid!) or sour cream to turn it into a meal. While this speedy-prep option is a time saver, it also offers all the fiber, B vitamins, and nutritional benefits of the classic version, so you’re not losing a thing by taking a shortcut. RELATED: Try These 5 Healthy Snack Ideas that Require NO Skills Milk & Cookies While nothing could possibly replace the taste and comfort of this yummy duo, nutritional improvements are easy to sneak in with no loss of flavor. Small swaps and substitutions go a long way, and your kiddos will never notice the difference. At the very least, make your cookies at home versus leaning on store-bought varieties. This small trick alone is a major healthiness upgrade. Halve the sugar in your cookie recipe. Spoon in some flax meal and replace all-purpose flour with almond flour. Upgrade your milk by making it organic or switching to unsweetened almond milk. Ready to take things a step further? See if you can get your kiddos on board with Three-Seed Energy Balls and a beautiful green Iced Almond Matcha Latte for a combo full of plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Sweet, satisfying, and healthy—sounds like a win to us! If you’re looking for a smarter, faster swap for traditional packaged snacks, Sunnie Snacks is a game-changer. These on-the-go snack kits bring together real, wholesome ingredients with kid-approved flavors (think pizza dippers and hummus plates). They skip the refined sugar, seed oils, and mystery ingredients you don’t want in your child’s lunchbox while still delivering the convenience every parent needs. While not every lunch box idea will be a home run, we bet these three options will end up on regular rotation. Here’s to happy, healthy kiddos… and happy, healthy mamas!
Healthy Eating 101: How to Eat Healthy in College
For those headed to college, it can be a nerve-racking time of change. New housing, new friends, new classes—essentially a new start. I may not be able to help you decide which sorority to rush, or if he is really into you, but I can definitely help you avoid the freshman (or sophomore, junior or senior) 15. I want to give you a little gift that I hope will keep eating healthy high on your priority list since your brain is bound to be overloaded with many other things. Really, you’ll come to find out that being prepared is 90% of what you do in life. So, if you’re prepared to eat well and know where healthy foods are always available, the follow-through will come easily. The same lesson can be applied to your schoolwork, but I’ll let your parents point that out to you. Here’s how to prioritize your well-being in order to thrive in college this semester. How to Eat Healthy in College 1. Eat breakfast, even if you wake up at lunchtime. Even if you get up at noon, begin every day with a healthy breakfast that includes a high-fiber carbohydrate (fruit and/or whole wheat toast, for example) and a lean protein and/or healthy fat. Not only will it help to rev your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar, control your hunger and boost your energy, but studies have shown (over and over) that students who eat a healthy breakfast do better in their classes. Even if you don’t have time to sit down for breakfast, keep healthy items in your dorm room for on-the-go breakfasts. For example: Single-serve oatmeal (easy to pop in the microwave and add your own berries and spices). Try Quaker Original, 365 Everyday Value Original. Feeling adventurous? Add some protein to your oatmeal for a fulfilling breakfast. Individual containers of milk (or almond milk) Natural peanut butter (also try packets of nut butters) Fruit (grab a piece from the dining hall to save as a snack later) Healthy, hot cereal cups, such as Wildway (you can always find some hot water!) Greek yogurt Individual hummus containers. Individual portions of cheese. Try Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Snack Bars Hardboiled eggs (can buy pre-cooked or hard boil a big batch in your dorm’s kitchen at once) Individual chia seed packs Nuts (such as individual packets of raw cashews, almonds and walnuts). For makeshift breakfast ideas, try: Hard boiled eggs, cheese stick and a piece of fruit Oatmeal, packet of nut butter Apple, piece of cheese Yogurt, nuts and chia seeds 2. Navigate the dining hall with healthy finesse. When you head to the dining hall, think of a meal game plan. Are you headed to the salad bar or the sandwich station? Are you going for the hot entree or the soup? Whichever you choose, prep yourself before you walk in and stick to the game plan. Treat this like you are prepping to write a paper or studying for your chemistry test. It’s just as important and definitely more fun! Some tips for whichever way you go: Eat grilled: Ask for grilled chicken (or burger or veggie burger) with a whole wheat bun or bread. Add some veggies from the salad bar and a side of brown rice. These healthy, fiber-filled carbs will keep you satisfied while providing more nutrients than other options like white bread or white rice. Add extra veggies: Add extra vegetables, such as beets or roasted peppers, from the salad bar to an open-faced turkey sandwich or wrap. This will make it more filling without loading up on empty calories. Eat the rainbow at the salad bar: See how many colors you can throw on top of your leafy greens and pair it with a good protein source. Keep this tip in mind if you have an exam after lunch! Foods like leafy greens, avocados and blueberries are great for helping you stay focused and boosting brain function. Avoid the rich sauces: If the hot entree appears uber-loaded with some buttery sauce, then skip it. Grab the hot veggies instead and add lean protein from the sandwich station to your plate. Control your portions: Pour cereal in a small coffee cup instead of those family-sized bowls and couple it with protein. It’s hard to judge how much to pour when cereal is served in huge, self-serve dispensers. Better yet, go for hot cereal like oatmeal, which is a better choice than most of the cold cereals. Choose seltzer over soda: Always choose seltzer instead of sodas and juices from the drink dispensers. Hydrating with water is also super important; it makes up 60% of our body, but can also help beat that seasonal slump in the colder winter months. Don’t hang in the dining hall. Use it to eat. Lingering can cause you to eat more than you need just because you are there. Don’t forget to look around and assess what is really available. Often there are many options that are baked, broiled, steamed, roasted, or grilled. This will make it easier to avoid foods that are fried, sautéed, breaded, crispy, creamed, batter-dipped, or buttered. 3. Make sure you take exercise 101. When you plan your semester and know your schedule, plug in where and when you’ll exercise, just as if it were a class you couldn’t miss. That’s right, treat physical activity in your schedule with the same importance as your classes, study sessions, group meetings, social events, and other appointments. Whether you go to the gym, walk to class, join an intramural sports team, take a fitness class for credit, or set up a workout corner in your room, daily exercise can improve your mood, help relieve stress and anxiety, increase your energy, promote better sleep, and help you maintain your weight. 4. Keep your caffeine in check. While 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day are fine, don’t depend on soda, coffee or energy drinks as a substitute for sleep. This can actually backfire and cause
5 Heart-Healthy Foods You’ll Really Love
Heart-healthy foods are the most important foods you can eat. There’s no way to explain it other than to say your heart is the heart of your body. It’s so important it is the metaphor used to explain how important other things are. What else could beat the power of pumping blood to sustain life? Plus, heart disease is still the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US, so embracing habits that reduce your risk is a really good idea. Here’s what you can do: avoid foods that harden arteries and block blood flow (like fried foods and trans fats) and fill your plate with produce and whole grains. These five heart-healthy foods, in particular, have major circulatory cred. 5 Heart-Healthy Foods 1. Salmon Wild salmon is rich in omega-3s, fatty acids that are associated with reducing various risk factors linked to heart disease, like high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and blood clotting. 2. Almonds Research has shown almonds are associated with lowering levels of bad LDL cholesterol, a marker linked to heart disease. 3. Tomatoes Tomatoes contain lycopene, a natural carotenoid that’s been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in many studies. That may be because it affects risk factors like blood pressure and chronic inflammation. Tip: Cooked tomatoes contain more lycopene than raw. 4. Berries You’ve probably heard blueberries and strawberries are one of the best sources of antioxidants. Studies have also shown they may protect heart health on many different levels. 5. Whole grains Fiber found in whole (and ancient!) grains is great for your heart. In fact, a research review of 45 studies found eating three servings a day could reduce your risk of heart disease by 22 percent.
What Are Antioxidants and Are They Really That Important?
Ask Keri: What Are Antioxidants, and How Do They Fit Into My Healthy Lifestyle? Keri says: Over the past decade, the term “antioxidant” has basically become shorthand for healthy. Ask someone to explain why a superfood is super? Antioxidants. How to reduce inflammation in the body? Antioxidants. How to prevent disease? Antioxidants. But people often ask me this question: What are antioxidants, really? And are they as important as food manufacturers, nutritionists and scientists make them out to be? Here are the basic facts on the powerful nutrients, which, yes, you really do want all up in your diet 24-7. What Are Antioxidants, and What Do They Do? Many nutrients fall into the category of antioxidants (the “good guys”). These include vitamins A, C and E, and minerals such as selenium, copper and zinc. Most are found in plants—including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, herbs and spices—and in foods with healthy fats like nuts, and beverages like tea and coffee. Put simply, antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from the harmful effects of molecules called free radicals (the “bad guys”). Free radicals are produced when your body breaks down food. They can also be the result of environmental exposures such as tobacco smoke, the sun, radiation, or chemicals found in food and skin-care products. Think of a free radical as a pinball careening around inside your body, constantly smashing into other cells, disrupting normal cell functioning. The cells can’t do their jobs properly because these guys keep storming the gates. If the body isn’t able to defend itself and the free-radical production becomes excessive, it leads to damage that contributes to aging (yes, including wrinkles), heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Antioxidants are the first line of defense to prevent that from happening. I like to think of them as little molecules flying through our bloodstreams wearing capes, like superheroes. When they encounter free radicals, they neutralize them (by using their powers to do things like donate electrons to balance out the unpaired electrons that cause the free radicals to wreak havoc, but that’s getting technical). How To Include Antioxidants in Your Diet All of that is to say that these molecules really are pretty incredible, and eating foods that contain them as often as possible is a great idea. One way to determine a food’s antioxidant power is by checking its ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) score. The ORAC scale is a way to determine which foods are richest in antioxidants. It essentially measures how well the components of a food mop up free radicals in the bloodstream. It’s not a perfect scale, but it is a reference point. Here’s a tip. You’ll find the highest antioxidant values attached to colorful, plant-based foods such as blueberries, kale, cinnamon, turmeric and … dark chocolate! In other words, most antioxidants are found in the healthy foods you should be eating anyway for other important nutrients. This is why your overall focus should be on maintaining a nutrient-dense diet that’s filled with a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and spices. This way, you’ll be taking in a variety of powerful antioxidants naturally, without going overboard at every meal. (Images: Adam Jaime, Mikey Boyle via Unsplash)
4 Superfoods You Should Definitely Be Eating
When you hear the word superfoods, your mind probably goes right to kale and blueberries, right? Well it’s time for some other “new” superfoods to make it to your Instagram feed. I recently shared four of my faves with Rachael Ray, and you may want to add them to your repertoire of nutritional superheros in place of your old worn out go-tos. Because let’s face it, you can never have enough superfoods on your plate! 4 Superfoods You Should Definitely Be Eating Matcha: Use this bright green powder to replace your morning coffee. Matcha is made from whole tea leaves that are ground into powder form. Since you’re consuming the whole tea leaf (versus steeping and dumping a tea bag) matcha provides you with a super dose of antioxidants – 10 times the amount of traditional green tea. The high levels of both ECGC (a type of catechin) and polyphenols will provide you with anti inflammatory benefits, may improve your blood pressure and play a role in cardiovascular health. Matcha contains caffeine as well the amino acid known as l-theanine. This combination will help to improve your mental alertness and help you focus without the 3:00 p.m. crash you usually get from downing your daily dose of java. Add this powder to warm almond milk to replace your morning latte, blend with Greek yogurt, add to smoothies or even sprinkle on popcorn. Ghee: Use this to replace traditional butter. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that you’re definitely going to want to add to your grocery list. This creamy spread has more short and medium chain fatty acids than traditional butter. What does this mean for your bod? The calories from these fats are burned faster so the energy the ghee provides is more quickly utilized. These healthy fats also benefit your gastrointestinal health and ghee also has more vitamin A, D, and E than the traditional stuff, meaning it can help repair damaged skin, improve your vision, and even help balance your hormones. Use ghee anywhere you would typically use butter. Swipe a teaspoon on a slice of Ezekial toast in the morning, or drizzle a tablespoon over veggies before roasting. The higher smoke point makes it safe to cook at high temps, too. Black Rice: Toss the white stuff, and go for this instead. Slightly lower in calories and higher in protein, white rice pales in nutritional value (and color) compared to its darker rice counterpart. It’s packed with antioxidants called anthocyanins (this is what gives it the dark color) that have been shown to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and can improve cognitive function and mental decline. Use black rice to replace white or brown rice. Top a cup of black rice with beans, diced tomatoes, roasted corn, avocado, and grilled peppers to make a super fast and nutrient-packed burrito bowl. Chickpea Flour: This flour could be the new whole wheat. Made of nothing more than simply ground chickpeas, this flour is versatile, wheat free, gluten-free, high in protein, and a wallet friendly option compared to other gluten free flours (I’m looking at you, almond flour). So you can try chickpea flour if gluten makes your stomach turn, or even simply to keep you fuller longer after meals, thanks to its high protein content. Commonly known as ‘socca,’ this chickpea flour crepe recipe is simple, healthy and delicious and the perfect vehicle to be topped with veggies and enjoyed (or try it sweet by adding a little vanilla and cinnamon to your batter).
2 Farro Salad Recipes You NEED in Your Life
Kale salad, check. Three berry fruit salad, check. Cucumber salad, check. Farro salad? Hmmmm. You’re eating clean. Getting in those greens. Drinking your tea. And, chowing down on nuts and avocado. But, you still need a little substance. Something solid as a side dish (or even a main meal) when salmon and spinach alone don’t do the trick. Rice? Pasta? No, thank you, refined starchy evildoers. Quinoa? Been there, done that. Enter your new friend farro, also known as emmer or “true farro’. Sometimes this ancient grain gets confused with spelt, worthy of praise too, but different in taste, texture and nutrients than the real deal variety. When you need a hearty side dish that you can feel empowered eating, give this really retro grain a try. Farro is a whole grain loaded with vits and mins, fiber and a little protein. Its also your new grain friend-with-benefits; it’s lower in calories than brown rice and quinoa, and higher in fiber. Queue the mic drop. Here are two of my fave go-to farro salad recipes for you to give a try: Fresh Mozzarella Farro Salad – Get the Recipe! Asparagus Farro Salad – Get the Recipe!
One Surprising Reason to Have a Healthy Sex Life
I talk a lot about having a healthy sex life and the benefits of sex, but today’s reason might surprise you. Did you know that having sex improves your sense of smell? After sex, there is a surge in the production of the hormone prolactin, which causes your brain’s stem cells to form new neurons in the olfactory bulb, also known as the brain’s smell center. Why am I talking about this? Well, you know I always support having a healthy sex life, because research shows it’s a best way to lose weight. And we know that how well you can taste your food is tied to how well you can smell. Research also shows that there are certain aromas that will actually curb your appetite. So, the more sex you have, the better your ability to smell these foods, the more weight you may be likely to lose! Now if that’s not a beautiful trifecta of benefits, I don’t know what is. How a Healthy Sex Life and a Better Sense of Smell Relate One study showed that strong aromas can cause you to grab a smaller forkful of food, so think chiles and onions if you need a little help in the not devouring-your-meal department. Another study found that the smell of bananas and green apple can actually curb your appetite, so reach for a whiff of these when you’re trying to lessen the amount of times you open the pantry door every afternoon. Licorice works well here, too. Grapefruit has been shown to lower appetite and weight. I love having my clients eat half of a grapefruit with cinnamon as a snack when they are cleansing or trying to lose weight. And here’s a fun fact: my mom started dinner every night with a half grapefruit on all of our plates. I have no idea why, and it had nothing to do with weight loss, but there is a special place in my heart for these citrus powerhouses. So, back to why I originally started writing this. You should have more sex. It’s part of a Nutritious Life, and there are so many other benefits we didn’t cover here today. Clients always raise their eyebrows when I ask them about sex in our nutrition counseling sessions but it truly does have a place in a nutritious life. I don’t want the private details – I want to know they are using it as a secret weapon to manage stress, burn some calories (sexercise, anyone?), and in the end, lose more weight. See, it’s not all about the food.
2 Reasons to Have a Healthy Sex Life
Q: You’re a nutritionist. Why in the world do you talk about sex? A: Having a healthy sex life means different things to different people. So when I ask my clients about theirs, I’ve seen more than a few jaws drop in my days. Why am I digging into this topic? As part of a whole person and Nutritious Life approach to wellness and weight management, it’s important to look at what’s happening between my clients’ sheets. But the dirty deets aren’t what I’m after. Scientists have linked feel-good hormones with achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. We all have stressors and stress hormones that build up in our systems and act like toxins in our bodies. But there are also hormones that do exactly the opposite – they make us feel good. These hormones deserve just as much attention, which is why I’m chatting it up about your sex life. 2 Reasons to Have a Healthy Sex Life 1. Oxytocin Oxytocin is well studied for its calming effects. It’s released from the pituitary during orgasm, hugging, touching, breastfeeding, bonding, and feel-good moments. It floods the body with relaxation messages and lowers anxiety and the brain’s natural resistance responses. It’s also associated with increasing feelings of trust and generosity. Why is this so important for anyone trying to live a healthy life or eat a healthy diet? Because we all know there is so much research linking stress to weight gain. So if having a healthy sex life increases your oxytocin which lowers your stress, it can help you actually lose weight! Boom. 2. Endorphins Endorphins are linked to feelings of well-being. They are naturally released from the brain and spinal cord during sex, exercise, physical activity, positive thinking, and emotional stimulus. They’re also associated with lessening feelings of pain and depression by triggering positive feelings and reducing feelings of stress. Why is this so important for anyone trying to live a healthy life and eat a balanced diet? Again, that stress and weight gain thing. Having a healthy sex life releases endorphins, which lowers stress, which helps you lose weight. Double boom. So there you have it. Having a healthy sex life in this case has nothing to do with Rated R details. It has everything to do with hormones, and it’s one of the best ways to lose weight. Oxytocin and endorphins stimulate a metabolic process to reduce the intake of calories, reduce hunger and slow the digestion of fat. The more you feel good, the greater your health, weight management, and wellness benefit, the smaller your pant size, the more you want to have sex…it’s a cycle that just keeps on going! Now go get busy…
3 Ways to Stop Eating Late Night Snacks
Q: Late night snacks are my downfall. How can I beat the nighttime munchies? A: Do you hear the ice cream calling you at 9 o’clock when the kids are in bed and you’re snuggled down for a Netflix binge? Is the kitchen clean and “closed” but you find yourself opening the refrigerator in your pjs — not hungry, but searching for something that will ‘do it’ for you? I have some strategies to help you stay on track with your healthy diet and all of the good nutrition work you did during the day. These tips will squash the nighttime eating desire, and the side effects aren’t bad, either. Read on. How to Stop Eating Late Night Snacks Go hands free. It’s pretty hard to open a bag of munchies or scoop a bowl of rocky road without your hands. Paint your nails when the cravings start. By the time your polish is dry, 20 minutes or so will have passed, which is long enough to squash your temporary obsession for salt or sweet or crunch… If you prefer, use a deep moisturizing treatment on your hands and slide them into some gloves. Hard to eat anything without your digits, and you’ll feel fancy. Brighten your smile. I’m not saying you’re not sporting a million dollar smile already, I’m just suggesting that the benefit of whitening strips on your chompers is that you can’t eat. So you’ll have a brighter smile and kill your snacking desires with one easy activity. Brushing your teeth has the same effect, so brush, floss, gargle and spit out your urge to snack. Your dentist will be so impressed that you might even get the sparkly toothbrush at your next visit. Get hobby happy. Practice 10 minutes of a new language using an app, journal, knit, learn one new yoga pose, plan your next vacation or play a round of Wii when you feel the urge to snack in the evening. It will distract you long enough to be so over that need for something and add to you feeling good (from all that you accomplish) versus ugh from what you chow down on. The added benefits may include a new winter scarf, nailing a headstand, and telling your mother you love her in German. What’s better than all that?! So there you have it. Sometimes silencing cravings is strictly behavioral, and I promise when you adopt these new behaviors you’ll eventually stop needing the sleeve of Oreos to make it past 10pm.
How to Eat Healthy Without Getting Bored
So you either already learned how to eat healthy, or you’re now learning to eat healthy, but you can’t possibly eat another carrot stick or suck down another green juice and don’t even get you started on scrambled egg whites for breakfast every.single.day. Sound familiar? Ever wish you could just invent new foods? It’s something I hear about often from my clients. They are b-o-r-e-d with their healthy routine. After a few weeks or months of following various diet plans, it’s easy to lean too heavily on the same few healthy foods and meals. (Your refrigerator just called, and it’s really tired of yogurt, too!) So while I can’t conjure up a variety of broccoli that tastes like chocolate or transform salad greens into pasta or create a new fat burning food, I do know there are hundreds of tricks to put new zing in your old healthy eating standbys. Learning how to eat healthy doesn’t have to be the most boring thing you’ve ever done, and staying healthy doesn’t have to be an exercise in monotony. How to Eat Healthy Without Getting Bored Shake up your yogurt routine Make it savory: Instead of adding fruit, cinnamon or honey to your yogurt, add ¼ cup of chopped cucumbers, ¼ cup of tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and a dash of red wine vinegar for a tangy, Mediterranean-inspired snack. Pair it with raw veggies. Make it dessert-worthy: Add 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter and 1 tsp cocoa powder for a peanut-buttery chocolate treat. Note: you can do this with oats too! Make it tea-licious: Green tea doesn’t just belong in a mug. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of matcha powder and stir some antioxidants right into your bowl. Add sex appeal to sandwiches Try something richer: Spread on a little healthy fat, from hummus, mashed avocado or a nut butter. Crunch it up: Sprinkle sliced almonds, finely chopped walnuts, or cashews on turkey or grilled chicken wraps. Make it ethnic: Mango chutney or spicy salsa can give your sandwich some flavor pizzazz. Un-blah food with more flavor Turn up the heat: Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, wasabi or hot sauce make so many dishes more interesting, from your morning eggs to your evening chicken breast. Diet food does not mean tasteless food. Remember this always. Rediscover zest: Add fresh lemon or lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, pomegranate champagne vinegar or ginger rice vinegar to kick up the flavor profile of savory dishes, especially fish. Make it earthy: Add mixed mushrooms (shitake, Portobello, Oyster) to tomato sauce, stir fries or tacos for a woodsy, hearty flavor, or if you’re sick of lettuce wrapped turkey burgers try portobello mushrooms with the turkey burger in between.
19 Ways to Make Your Weight Loss Diet Less Boring
Almost every client who has ever come to me for a weight loss diet has tried (and often temporarily succeeded) to lose weight in the past. Giving up the burger for the turkey sandwich is popular with the guys. Replacing the bowl of ice cream with a bunch of frozen grapes in front of the TV at prime time works for my night time noshers. Pulling out the same carrots and hummus every day at 3PM does the trick when temptation to hit the bag of potato chips kicks in for others. The thing is, how many turkey sandwiches, frozen grapes and carrots can a person choke down in the name of a 32 inch waist or a size 4? If the diet you’re eating to lose weight is snoozerville, it’s time to change it up and head to varietytown. But creativity with your healthy foods doesn’t come easy for everyone. When you’re bored of your food routine, but want to stick with what works, you don’t need to reinvent your healthy diet entirely. Small tweaks can break the boredom without extra work (just a little swapping of ingredients). 19 Simple Ways to Make Your Weight Loss Diet Less Boring If your healthy breakfast is an exercise in redundancy, shake it up with an artful sprinkle of cinnamon or spoonful of seeds (1). Swap the oats for quinoa or barley (2). Try kefir (3) if you are sick of your usual yogurt. Go overnight with your eggs instead of your oatmeal (4). Try fish before noon (5). When it comes to healthy snacks, drop the baby carrots for a week and go for the radishes or jicama (8) or skip raw veggies altogether and get your steamed veggies on, even if you eat them cold the next day (9). Sub the hummus for guac (10). Make your own Greek yogurt dip with fresh herbs and spices (11) for your crudités if Ranch dressing has been on your brain. For lunchtime, sub the turkey for ham (12), or replace the bread with a big lettuce leaf (13). If your usual lettuce feels too been-there, try wrapping your lunch in collard greens or seaweed (14), and if that’s also too done-that, then get your ‘veggie bread’ on – as in use bell peppers (15) or cucumber boats (16) or portobello mushrooms (17) as the bread. When it comes to all the fixins, go wild and pick up some dried coconut if your bag of flax meal is running empty and you yawn at the thought of buying another (18). Give hemp a chance (19) just as you would peace. Jump on the chia bandwagon (18) if you haven’t already and make 2-ingredient chia pudding. Nutritional yeast (aka nooch) (19) isn’t as gross as it sounds. In fact, it’s really cool and goes perfectly on popcorn, in stir fries and pastas, and even in smoothies. Give it a try, after peace and chia. The point is, you can do what works for you and make it work for you even better if you’re open to a little excitement. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be redundant, boring, or unsustainable. Now go throw out your rice cakes and stop boiling your chicken. Let’s spice up that weight loss diet with things that make you and your taste buds happy. It won’t even feel like a weight loss diet at all after awhile. It will just be your diet.
3 Reasons Why I Love Fat
Fat doesn’t make you fat. I promise! Fat is your friend. Not your enemy. But I still get questions all the time about this. Is this too much avocado? Is it OK to eat peanut butter? Overconsuming anything, in general, will make us fat. But when you control the amount of food you are consuming, fat by itself does not make you fat. Studies have even shown that low-fat diets can actually make you gain weight! Why do I love fat so much? It tastes good! But keep in mind, not all fats are created equal. Saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature (think lard and butter). However there is a big difference between saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fat has had a bad reputation for a lonnnnng time, but there is room in your diet for saturated fat from real foods (like dairy, coconut, dark chocolate, and grass-fed butter) and it can actually be good for us. Trans fat on the other hand is just bad bad bad. People mostly get trans fat from packages of processed foods. My advice: Ditch ‘em! On the other hand, monounsaturated fats (from avocado, nuts and seeds) and polyunsaturated fats (from fatty fish, nuts and seeds) have many benefits, like boosting immunity, improving brain function, being good for our heart health, and helping us lose weight. Here’s what to focus on when it comes to fat: Fat helps you absorb vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E and K get absorbed better when there is fat consumed with them. But this doesn’t mean you should pour the ranch dressing on to your beautiful, healthy salad! Use 1 tablespoon of an oil and vinegar dressing on your greens, such as roasted broccoli rabe or mixed greens salad instead. Fat helps you burn fat. Fat helps take fat out of your cells so you can use it for energy. Again, portion control is key, but be sure to get fat in consistently throughout the day (about 30% of your calories should come from fat). Instead of having a big apple for a snack, have a small apple with 2 teaspoons of almond butter. Fat provides satiety. That’s a fancy word meaning it helps keep you satisfied. See, carbs have a single bond: Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fats have a double bond. What does this mean? It’s harder for your body to break it down, so you digest it slower, and you end up staying more satisfied. So there you have it. Three reasons why I love fat and you should, too.
