2. Eat lean protein with every meal and snack. See my blog about eating protein with your carbs.
3. Limit fried or fast food at 1 time per week.
4. Limit shopping the packaged snack aisle at the grocery store. The more fresh, nutritious foods are found around the outside perimeters of the grocery store... True Story
5. Avoid the vending machine. Bring your own fruit, nuts and bars with you from home–just leave the potato chips in the pantry.
6. Make a shopping list before heading to the grocery store–and whatever you do, don’t go there hungry.
7. Start reading and investigating ingredient lists on the foods you buy. Avoid foods with “partially hydrogenated” oils and added sugars like corn syrup.
8. Make 2-3 days worth of packable lunches at a time and just grab one from the fridge on your way out the door each morning. I usually do this Sunday afternoon/evenings.
9. Eat veggies with breakfast two times per week. Saute some spinach, peppers and onions to go with some eggs. You can even make some veggie & egg muffins for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. I like to scramble some eggs with veggies and put them in a wrap the night before. In the morning I warm it up in the microwave for 45 seconds and I have a nutritious breakfast on the go!
10. Look at food as fuel. When making mealtime decisions, focus on getting those nutrients your body needs to run its best: lean & plant-based protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins & minerals.
11. Ditch mealtime distractions. Leave your desk, put down your cell phone or turn off the television. You’ll enjoy your food more and likely eat less. Focus on the texture, smell and taste of the foods you eat instead of mindless chewing and swallowing!
12. Eat meatless one day per week. Meatless Mondays are actually quite trendy!
Half a Dozen Better Beverage Tips
1. Swap sugar-sweetened drinks for club soda with a splash of 100% juice.
2. Set a two drink maximum on beer, wine, cocktails or sugar-sweetened sodas at parties... Even during the hockey game : )
3. Bring a bottle of water with you to work to ensure you are drinking enough.
4. Limit fancy , high-calorie coffee drinks at 2 per week. Try the skinny vanilla late which uses skim milk
5. Trade soda for water or seltzer water if you're like me and need the carbonation.
6. Gradually cut down on the sweetener in your daily cup of coffee and be amazed as your tastebuds adapt. Just 1 less sugar packet per day cuts nearly 5,500 calories and almost 3 pounds of sugar out of your diet over the course of a year!
*Some information compiled form sparkpeople.com