In my last blog, I mentioned how we have choices as they relate to our nutrition, activity, level and posture, etc. To get you thinking about what sorts of choices you might make about nutrition, I thought I would give some tips on good nutrition for a healthy body. So here we go:
Nutrition Tips
• Your Goal is to EAT CLEAN – think foods from our earth, limiting foods with added sugar and other ingredients that you don’t recognize. This leaves no room for chips (baked chips are the exception), mac & cheese, crackers, most cereals…basically anything packaged.
• Let Breakfast and Lunch be your bigger meals and your dinner should be a lighter meal compared to the previous two. Think like this…Breakfast= Protein+Carb+Fruit, Lunch= Protein+Carb+Fruit, and Dinner=Protein+Carb+Vegetable
• Snacks are good around 10 and around 2:30 (give or take) IF you are not cheating with high calorie and processed foods. If you cheat, skip the snack!
• Always have fresh fruit in the house: have ½ cup with every breakfast and every lunch! Oh, and don’t forget that fruit with a little protein via nuts or cheese or a nut spread is a perfect snack.
• Decide what veggies you will eat and plan at least ½ cup of veggies every night with dinner.
• Allow yourself one dose of chocolate (preferably dark chocolate) per day.
• Do NOT drink your calories. No soda – choose tea, coffee, or water.
• Never stuff yourself – eat as if you are going to workout in about an hour.
• Recognize Food as Fuel – eat to fuel yourself for the day ahead, to fortify your body to help fight off illness, and to supply your body with the nutrients to replenish the water loss and muscle breakdown from the day.
• Good Protein choices – chicken, pork, lean turkey, fish, egg whites, and beans.
• Good Carbohydrates – potatoes, multi-grain toast/bread, brown rice, whole wheat noodles.
• Good Fats – avocados, olive oil, nuts – fats help to keep you feeling full longer!
• No room – eating all the fruit and veggies you should eat, leaves no room for cookies, cakes, etc.
Breakfast: Protein+Carb+Fruit+Milk or OJ
Examples:
• Toast with natural peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella + ½ cup fruit + glass of milk or OJ
• Toast with scrambled egg whites (2) + slice cheese or 1 cup yogurt + ½ cup fruit + milk or OJ
• Can substitute a low fat Nutrigrain Eggo Waffle for toast above. Good with honey.
• 1 cup yogurt with granola or some other carb + ½ cup fruit + milk or OJ
• Fruit Smoothie – Good with frozen fruit + 1 cup yogurt + 1 cup pineapple or OJ + 1 banana
• Oatmeal with brown sugar + ½ cup fruit + milk or OJ
Snack options: Focus on light carb with protein at both 10am and 2:30pm.
Examples:
• Smoothie – frozen fruit, yogurt, juice and banana
• Carrots or any veggie with balsamic vinaigrette dip, hummus spread, or nut spread
• Apple with almond butter or Nutella dip (limit to 2 tablespoons)
• Celery with natural peanut butter or almond butter
• Hand full of pretzels with tablespoon of natural peanut or almond butter
• Hand full of almonds or walnuts – can mix with a few cranberries for added taste
Lunch: Protein+Carb+Fruit
Examples:
• Turkey or Ham or Tuna Sandwich (1/2 or full depending on sides – for instance if you have a couple of red potatoes with your sandwich, then you would go with ½ a sandwich because the potatoes would be extra carbs) + fruit or veggie
o Can have handful of baked chips with sandwich…or
o Can have 1 cup yogurt…or
o Can have any of the snacks listed above with your sandwich
• Salad – a salad anytime with balsamic vinaigrette is a good choice. Need to have protein with this – good source is avocado, tuna, turkey, ham, beans, or hardboiled egg minus the yoke. Easy to add veggie to this with cucumber, carrots, red bell pepper, tomato etc.
• Fish of any kind with sides including a veggie and a carb
Afternoon Snack: Many options of light protein and carb listed above.
Dinner: Protein+Carb+Vegetable
Examples:
• Soup – with side of toast or another light carb. If there is no vegetable in your soup, then have ½ cup on side.
• Turkey or chicken or bean taco – serving size would be one soft shell tortilla or if you want a hard shell, you could have 2. Easy to include veggie in this.
• Whole wheat noodles with chicken or turkey and sauce. Serving size should be one cup of cooked noodles. Don’t forget your veggie.
• 5 oz. Ahi tuna steak or salmon filet that cooks easily. With veggie & carb (toast, potato, rice)
• Chicken breast or Pork chop with veggie and carb
• Could make your own mini pizza. You can eat ¾ of this and save other ¼ for lunch the next day with apple slices 🙂
• Turkey, chicken, pork, fish – make them any way you like and add a carb and veggie
• Salad with added veggies and an added protein
• Many, many options as long as it is a lean protein, a whole wheat carb, and a vegetable