Eat Often! Part 2

Although Eating Often is important to a balanced metabolism, it's just as important to eat the RIGHT FOODS.

One of the things pointed out on the 8 Simple Changes program was that the old food pyramid recommendation of 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is outdated. With all the new research of the positive affects these items have against various forms of cancers, Alzheimer’s and similar diseases, it is now suggested we should be enjoying more like 8-10 servings a day! Who can do that much?

Anyone!

Add a fruit or vegetable (or both) to every time you eat and you're waging war against all those nasty diseases threatening to take your life.

Try some of the following:
# Pureed fruit on your pancake instead of syrup or jelly
# Veggies in your omelet or just some sliced tomato with your scrambled eggs
# Fruit in your cereal - real fruit
# Fruit for mid-morning snack or a fruit smoothie
# Salad at lunch with some protein. Add craisins or raisins as an ingredient
# Fresh, crunchy veggies as an afternoon snack
# Steamed veggies with dinner and a fruit compote for dessert
# Fruit as a movie snack such as frozen grapes or strawberries and Greek Yogurt

Let’s look at what could be a typical 3-meal/2-snack day.

Breakfast:
2 fluffy scrambled eggs, 2 strips center-cut lean bacon,
1 piece whole grain toast, 1 small tomato sliced, 4 oz. glass of Orange juice (2 serv. Fruit)

Mid-morning Snack:
An apple (1 serv. Fruit)

Lunch:
Medium salad with 1 C. lettuce, ½ tomato diced, ½ c. spinach leaves, 1 oz. grilled chicken breast, 2 T. Fat Free ranch dressing ¼ C. raisins (1.5 serv Veg. 1.5 serv Fruit)

Mid–afternoon Snack:
1 C. Baby Carrots & 1 C. Broccoli (1 ser. Veg.)

Dinner:
4 oz. Lean grilled steak (remember the center palm of your hand)
½ baked potato with fat free sour cream
2 C. steamed vegetables of choice (1 ser. Veg.)
Made fresh Fruit cup consisting 2 C. cubed Peaches, Pineapple
(1 ser. Fruit)

Movie snack:
1 C. green grapes (1 ser. Fruit)

Total for the Day: 10 Servings!

The key to all of this? Meal Planning. This is a subject all it’s own, so for now let me just say, “it’s easier than you think.”

Enjoy the Journey
Kelly