Your Basic Nutrition Needs 4.15.10

I've gotten a lot of questions on what type of foods you should be consuming if you are trying to be more healthy. I understand it can feel a bit overwhelming if you've never really known what's considered truly healthy or not. Like we've said before, this is a PROCESS. It's definitely not a lifestyle either of us obtained overnight. So I am going to give you the basics and you can make this your first step in educating yourself and get moving in the right direction! Yay! Are you feeling fit and healthier already? I am!

So lets get started.... 1st of all I would like you to understand that it's important to eat 6 times a day. 3 meals and 3 snacks. Trying to eat every 2-3 hours is a great place to start. I found that if I stick to this, I am not as hungry (or EVER hungry) and so that makes it easier to refuse the bad foods.

Now the next thing to think about is WHAT you are going to feed yourself at meal/snack time. I've learned that at meals you want to eat a protein, carb, and a fat. For snack-time you want to consume a carb and a fat OR a carb and a protein. This will feed your muscles and keep you feeling fuller longer. Just what we want, right? Right!

The last thing we need to know is "what foods are good proteins, carbs and fats". This took me a long time to figure out actually. My best source of information is not on the front of a food package (like: "fat-free" or "multi-grain" or "no sugar added"). It is in the INGREDIENTS. I ALWAYS check the ingredients on every package I buy...it's habit for me now. The first few ingredients are the most important because that is what is mainly in that particular food. I stay completely away from foods that say "high fructose corn syrup", "enriched flour", "hydrogenated oil", or "sugar". These are red flags that you need to put the package back on the shelf!

Alright, now a list of some foods that will help get you started on your journey to health and wellness. I will put the foods into groups so you can easily pick and choose which foods you want to combine for each of your meals and snacks. These are all just foods that work for me. I'm not saying these are the ONLY foods you can eat, I'm just saying this is what I use and what has worked for me personally. Take what you want from this.

Proteins:
Any type of fish (canned tuna - although high in sodium, tilapia, mahi mahi, salmon, halibut)
Whey Protein Powder (watch out for high sugar content and how many calories are in it. I recommend talking with a health food supplement expert to find out which protein powder will be best for you and your goals)
Egg Whites (eating at least 4 or 5 at a time)
Ground Turkey
Chicken

Carbohydrates:
Sweet Potatoes (I like mine with cinnamon)
Oats (and not the quick oats. I buy Quaker Rolled Oats)
Spinach (frozen or fresh)
Rice Cakes (watch the ingredients when you buy flavored ones. I just buy plain ones and dip them in Peanut Butter or Almond Butter)
Wasa Crackers (in the cracker isle in any grocery store-I dip them in almond butter)
Bananas
Celery (don't go to crazy with the Peanut Butter and/or Almond Butter if you choose to use it as a spread)
Green Apples (Less sugar in the green ones)
Red Peppers
Brown rice
Quinoa
Whole Wheat Bread (if it doesn't say "100% Whole Wheat" on the package, don't eat it)
Whole Wheat Pastas (read the ingredients and make sure it doesn't say any of those red flag words)
Couscous (Reading the ingredients as well to find the healthiest one)
Bran Buds (in the cereal isle. I eat it with applesauce and cinnamon and/or strawberries)

Fats:
Almonds (12 at a time)
Almond Butter (eating no more than 2 TBS at a time)
Adam's Peanut Butter (eating no more than 2 TBS at a time)
Flaxseed (can get at health food stores - must grind it or buy it already ground. Your body won't digest the hard outer shell)
Wheat Germ Oil (health food store also. Taking about 2 TBS / day)
Avocado (eating no more than 1/2 at a time)
Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sugars:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Craisens
Honey
Agava Nector (in the syrup isle)
Applesauce (read your ingredients when choosing the right one)
Dark Chocolate (in moderation!)

Yummy spices I use:
Mrs. Dash (any flavor)
Italian seasoning (not dressing...but the dry packets)
Cinnamon
Salsa
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper (in moderation)
Fish Seasonings
Honey

Sugar-Free Jello is an ok treat as well.

As you can see, there is a lot you can eat and mix and match to make delicious meals. Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook is a great resource for meal ideas as well as Oxygen Magazine's recipe's they feature each month. These are 2 staple books you should have in your home. South Beach Quick and Easy Cookbook is another favorite of mine as well because nothing takes longer than 30min to prepare and with a family to take care of, that is sometimes a life-saver! And my kids LOVE it!

I hope this has been able to help get you started in the right direction. You can now easily choose something from each category and create a meal or a snack with very little effort or thought! I hope this proves to be useful for you!

Thank you,
Martha