Anna Montage, Health and Wellness Editor
Meal and Snack Ideas!
In this month’s article we’re going to cover some simple,
easy meal and snack ideas to help you achieve inner body balance and outer body
beauty. Although I love to cook a fancy meal for my family or
guests at times, if you’re like me, you probably don’t have a lot
of time to spend shopping, planning, and preparing meals. So in this article
we’ll focus on meal and snack ideas that you can easily make part of
your everyday routine.
Eating Out
Depending
on how many meals you eat away from home each week, this category can be a
really important one to tackle! But if you eat even one meal a
week away from home, it can easily sabotage your weight loss plans if the meal
is too rich or extravagant.But don’t worry—this doesn’t
mean you can’t
enjoy yourself when you eat out!
Just follow these simple guidelines/suggestions:
- The salad bar is a great place to look for a healthy meal away from home.
Load on the fresh veggies—not only are vegetables slimming, they add
a variety of taste and are loaded with health benefits. Olives contain antioxidants
and good fats that won’t make you fat. Feta cheese and shredded
mozzarella (in moderation) add lots of flavor and just a moderate amount of fat. Nuts
and seeds at the salad bar are probably roasted in hydrogenated fats, so you
may want to skip those (or take a moment to ask). Avoid
oily and creamy salad dressings, which will definitely put on weight and also aren’t very
healthy. Try splashing some balsamic vinegar on your salad, or a light vinaigrette.
- Soup has been found to help reduce overall calorie consumption—probably
because it’s so nourishing and filling. Look for vegetarian soups;
cheese or milk in your soup is fine.
- Sandwiches can be tasty, healthy, and slimming if you know how to order.
For example, many restaurants now offer wholegrain breads, which you can
top with cheese, veggies, and your favorite condiments. Even regular white
bread is fine on occasion. But it’s best to skip the chips!
- If you have a yen for pizza, have a big tossed salad with a light dressing
first. The salad will refresh your taste buds and help satisfy your appetite.
Choose a pizza without the oily crust. Remember to pile on the veggies—they
add the flavor and nutrients that help fill you up without making you fat!
- Don’t forget to skip the diet soda. Researchers have found that
artificial sweeteners actually cause you to consume more calories by the
end of the day. The best choice is water, either plain or with a splash of
lemon or fruit juice. Sparkling water with a little fruit juice makes a refreshing
natural soda.
- The best dessert is fresh fruit. If you want something a little more decadent,
try some frozen yogurt. However, other than fresh fruit, it’s best to
get out of the habit of always finishing a meal with something sweet. I often
read articles that say “anything is fine on a diet in moderation,” but
many desserts are so loaded in calories (and the kind of calories that really
make you gain weight) that it’s just not realistic to eat them on any
kind of regular basis and expect to lose weight! If giving up sweets seems
like an insurmountable task, just remember that what tastes so good right now
will taste too sweet and too rich after a month or two of balanced, healthy
eating. Oftentimes you may desire sweets when really you’re just hungry—try
satisfying your appetite with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt or some other
healthy snack.
Snacks
Snacking can be either a great habit that can help you lose weight, or it
can really sabotage your weight loss goals. It all depends on how you approach
it! Here are some specific suggestions:
- Low-fat yogurt has both the protein and the carbohydrates that help stave
off a snack attack. It also tastes delicious. Researchers have found that
eating three servings of low-fat dairy can help you to lose weight (and fat).
- Whole wheat crackers or toast can be accompanied by a little avocado,
nut butter, fruit, or yogurt. You may want to become acquainted with your
local health food store in order to try some new brands of wholesome wholegrain
crackers and breads.
- Fresh fruit, of course!
- Low-fat cottage cheese is a satisfying snack, especially with some fresh
fruit, crackers, or toast.
- A small handful of dry-roasted nuts provides heart-healthy fats and, ironically,
is a very good choice for weight loss. Although nuts are high in fat, research
has found that a diet that includes a small serving of nuts each day is
associated with a lower body weight.
- Sometimes even a little fruit juice diluted in water will be enough to
hold you over to the next meal.
- Freshly prepared juices and smoothies are loaded with nutrition and taste
and will really invigorate your desire to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Check out Wai Lana’s Favorite
Juices for mouthwatering suggestions.
- Now comes the obvious: avoid hydrogenated fats, excess
sweeteners, etc! Work with Mother Nature by eating wholesome natural foods to achieve the
body balance and beauty you’re looking for.
Meals
All of the suggestions in the “Eating Out” section can also apply
to making meals at home. Remember, the most important place to start in making
your meals balanced and healthy is with your shopping. You’re going to
prepare what you have in the house, so making wise shopping choices is the
easiest way to eliminate the bad stuff! Think of the five S’s: stir-fries,
salads, soups, smoothies, and sandwiches. These are all very easy to prepare
and are naturally full of slimming ingredients! Ultimately, your meal choices
are unlimited once you get a handle on using wholesome, nourishing ingredients.
Yoga, Yoga, Yoga!
Yoga is an important part of any weight loss plan because yoga
helps relieve the stress and anxiety that cause us to make poor food choices
in the first place. Yoga cultivates the peace of mind and body intuition that truly make
it easy to lose weight and enjoy excellent health over a lifetime. At Wai Lana
Yoga, we truly enjoy introducing you to the innumerable benefits of yoga.
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