Monday, April 8, 2013

Menu Planning for Weight Loss

How do we plan our menu for a healthy lifestyle? How do we keep into account our fat intake, sodium,  and grams of sugar? The answer to this question is actually pretty simple. Let me share!

The best way to plan is by eating whole foods. If you are eating whole foods then you typically do not have to keep track of sugar, sodium, cholesterol, etc. They all kind of run together in the same pack. What are whole foods? Non-processed foods. So generally meats, vegetables, fruits, little-to-no dairy and some whole grains (this can vary if you lean towards vegetarian or paleo lifestyles).

It can be beneficial to keep track of your calories to lose weight but it is going to be easier to help your body naturally eat the right amount if you choose whole foods, drink plenty of water, eat every 2-3 hours, and eat slowly. Let me give some examples of what a day would look like (click on the underlined CAPS letters to get recipe)...

Breakfast: eggs, whole grain piece of toast, apple; or SWEET POTATO HASH, or CHUNKY CRUNCY CEREAL with fruit



Snack: SWEET AND SALTY BAGS: nuts, dark chocolate, dried fruit such as plums



Lunch: salad with grilled chicken, peppers, boiled egg, and an olive oil based dressing

Snack: carrots, cucumber with hummus and optional pita bread

Dinner: grilled bbq chicken, MAC AND CHEESE, with ROASTED VEGETABLES




Drinks: tea, water, STRAWBERRY LEMONADE




The more whole foods you eat the easier it will be to eat within the calories your body needs. You'll get more vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and more fiber to help you realize when you need to stop eating. Even my own husband comments on how he likes homemade food better than eating out (most meals) and drinking homemade strawberry lemonade is much more filling and satisfying than soda. His body registers the fiber and real sugar in it to help him not drink too much! Making your own food has many health benefits, not just tasting delicious! If you want to track your calories then I recommend sparkpeople.com because it's free and they have a great app as well. Once you track for a few days or week and would like help on your calories, just message me. For many more recipes, click on "All Things Food" at the top of my blog!

2 comments:

  1. Just checking out your blog after MOPS today. It's great - so much info to read through! I'll be pinning your recipes, and will be referring back to your blog often. Thanks :)

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  2. Great!!! Hopefully it's not overwhelming and I'm glad you can use this as a resource :)

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