Nutritious Foods When Eating Out
It can be difficult to maintain your health if you dine in restaurants frequently, especially fast food restaurants that serve huge greasy burgers and gobs of French fries. If you can't hold your resolve to order just a salad, then compromise. Pick out an appetizer that you love, combine it with a salad or a cup of soup, and skip the larger entrees. You can also share a meal or take half of it home. You could just die for dessert? Order as small a size as possible, or maybe just one scoop of ice cream, rather than a larger, heavier dessert. Try a dish of mixed berries topped with nuts and a small bit of whipped cream. Be careful with the after-dinner drinks as well. Maybe just have one glass of wine with your meal instead.Nutritious Foods at Home
If you hate to cook, all that fresh produce you bought may just rot in your refrigerator. You might prefer to purchase prepared foods from markets that specialize in healthier whole foods, or even hire a personal chef to prepare meals that only need to be heated and served. If you have a tighter budget, perhaps you can set aside some time on weekends to prepare meals and freeze them to be reheated later that week.Don't Skip Meals
If you skip breakfast, you may find that you lose energy by midmorning. Rather than skipping breakfast completely, split it in half. Eat a small breakfast early, such as an egg, small serving of oatmeal, or a slice of whole grain bread. Have a small snack on hand such as raisins and 10 or 12 almonds to eat at midmorning. This split breakfast is a much better solution than reaching for coffee and candy bars to perk yourself up.Control Portion Size
Our stomachs really aren't that big. Without stretching, the stomach will hold about two cups of food, but because the stomach will stretch, it can hold considerably more food than we need at any given meal.When you eat at home, serve your meals on individual plates rather than family style at the table. You will be less likely to reach for "seconds" that way. At restaurants, ask for "take home" containers and take half of your meal home to heat up tomorrow. Avoid buffets, unless you are very disciplined. It is way too tempting to load up three or four plates plus dessert.
