Q. I want to go on a diet to be healthy, but I don't want it to have to be too hard. I work out a lot, and am very fit, but I feel that I am not making the healthiest choices when it comes to eating. What should I do when it comes to disciplining my food choices?
A. Thats great that your active and want to eat healthy :)
Go for natural, organic foods. Eat smaller portions more often rather than big portions less often. Avoid things like soda, diet soda or any diet drinks, artificial colors or sweeteners, too much sugar, overly processed foods. Remember to drink plenty of water. Green tea is great to =) As well as water with lemon which is cleansing, good for your skin, digestive system.
You can also try out healthier alternatives with food.
Examples:
- Replace fast food french fries with homemade sweet potato or regular fries (made with a touch of olive oil, salt)
- For chips, you could try natural sweet potato chips, pita chips, fat free popcorn, pop chips or a natural potato chip brand like Kettle. You can also make your own chips by thinly slicing potatoes or sweet potatoes, glazing with olive oil, sprinkling with salt (pepper, basil if you'd like - cinnamon goes well with sweet potatoes) & baking them.
- Replace candy with things like frozen grapes or banana slices, dried mango strips, dried blueberries/cranberries/cherries/papaya, raisins, etc.
- Try a veggie burger on a whole wheat bun, topped with some things you like.
- If you want soda, try cold sparkling water with lemon or mixed with 100 % organic fruit juice instead
- Replace white pasta with whole grain in pasta dishes + add veggies (for example adding baby spinach to pasta, grilled vegetables to lasagna, broccoli/grated carrot/spinach/kale to pasta salad, etc.
- For a creamy pasta sauce try tomato sauce with goat cheese mixed in, for a healthier dish
- Enjoy pizza, try it on thin multigrain crust topped with fresh veggies.
- For healthier treat options try things like: frozen yogurt, vanilla greek yogurt with berries & grated dark chocolate, whole grain baked goods, etc. Desserts are fine in moderation :)
Here is a list with some healthy food ideas :)
~ Greek yogurt or yogurt (nonfat) - Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt
~ Eggs, cheese, cottage cheese (2% is fine), goat cheese, skim milk or goat milk, etc.
~ Vegetables
~ Fruit & Berries
~ Beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, mixed beans, etc.) - full of fiber and protein :)
~ Veggie burgers (Amy's makes great veggie burgers)
~ Whole grain breads: multigrain bread, ezekiel bread, rye bread, whole wheat pitas, whole grain tortillas or bagels, etc.
~ Whole grain pasta or brown rice pasta, brown/wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.
~ Sweet potatoes or potatoes
~ Hummus
~ Oatmeal - great source of fiber, you can add toppings like: almond butter or peanut butter, nuts, fresh berries/fruit, raisins, dried fruit like cherries/cranberries/blueberries, cinnamon, skim milk or non-dairy milk, nonfat greek yogurt, jam, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc.
~ Healthy cereals (Kashi, Nature's Path Organic, etc..high in fiber like raisin bran)
~ Nuts, seeds, almond butter, peanut butter
~ Non-dairy milks like soy, almond or rice milk
~ Ground flax seed to add into a smoothie, top yogurt, etc.
~ Olive oil, good healthy fat, great for stir frys with lots of veggies.
~ Salmon & Tuna
~ Tofu & Tempeh - are great in sandwiches, wraps, on salads, etc.
~ Whole grain crackers
~ Whole grain waffles or pancakes
~ Dark chocolate
Website with great nutrition information, healthy recipes, meal ideas, snack ideas, etc
Building blocks for good nutrition:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/building-blocks.php
Four pillars of healthy eating:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/fourpillars.php
I hope this helps :)
♥
Go for natural, organic foods. Eat smaller portions more often rather than big portions less often. Avoid things like soda, diet soda or any diet drinks, artificial colors or sweeteners, too much sugar, overly processed foods. Remember to drink plenty of water. Green tea is great to =) As well as water with lemon which is cleansing, good for your skin, digestive system.
You can also try out healthier alternatives with food.
Examples:
- Replace fast food french fries with homemade sweet potato or regular fries (made with a touch of olive oil, salt)
- For chips, you could try natural sweet potato chips, pita chips, fat free popcorn, pop chips or a natural potato chip brand like Kettle. You can also make your own chips by thinly slicing potatoes or sweet potatoes, glazing with olive oil, sprinkling with salt (pepper, basil if you'd like - cinnamon goes well with sweet potatoes) & baking them.
- Replace candy with things like frozen grapes or banana slices, dried mango strips, dried blueberries/cranberries/cherries/papaya, raisins, etc.
- Try a veggie burger on a whole wheat bun, topped with some things you like.
- If you want soda, try cold sparkling water with lemon or mixed with 100 % organic fruit juice instead
- Replace white pasta with whole grain in pasta dishes + add veggies (for example adding baby spinach to pasta, grilled vegetables to lasagna, broccoli/grated carrot/spinach/kale to pasta salad, etc.
- For a creamy pasta sauce try tomato sauce with goat cheese mixed in, for a healthier dish
- Enjoy pizza, try it on thin multigrain crust topped with fresh veggies.
- For healthier treat options try things like: frozen yogurt, vanilla greek yogurt with berries & grated dark chocolate, whole grain baked goods, etc. Desserts are fine in moderation :)
Here is a list with some healthy food ideas :)
~ Greek yogurt or yogurt (nonfat) - Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt
~ Eggs, cheese, cottage cheese (2% is fine), goat cheese, skim milk or goat milk, etc.
~ Vegetables
~ Fruit & Berries
~ Beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, mixed beans, etc.) - full of fiber and protein :)
~ Veggie burgers (Amy's makes great veggie burgers)
~ Whole grain breads: multigrain bread, ezekiel bread, rye bread, whole wheat pitas, whole grain tortillas or bagels, etc.
~ Whole grain pasta or brown rice pasta, brown/wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.
~ Sweet potatoes or potatoes
~ Hummus
~ Oatmeal - great source of fiber, you can add toppings like: almond butter or peanut butter, nuts, fresh berries/fruit, raisins, dried fruit like cherries/cranberries/blueberries, cinnamon, skim milk or non-dairy milk, nonfat greek yogurt, jam, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc.
~ Healthy cereals (Kashi, Nature's Path Organic, etc..high in fiber like raisin bran)
~ Nuts, seeds, almond butter, peanut butter
~ Non-dairy milks like soy, almond or rice milk
~ Ground flax seed to add into a smoothie, top yogurt, etc.
~ Olive oil, good healthy fat, great for stir frys with lots of veggies.
~ Salmon & Tuna
~ Tofu & Tempeh - are great in sandwiches, wraps, on salads, etc.
~ Whole grain crackers
~ Whole grain waffles or pancakes
~ Dark chocolate
Website with great nutrition information, healthy recipes, meal ideas, snack ideas, etc
Building blocks for good nutrition:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/building-blocks.php
Four pillars of healthy eating:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthstartshere/fourpillars.php
I hope this helps :)
♥
How to eat healthy and loose weight when you do not cook?
Q. After finding out that I weight almost 30 pounds more than I thought I have started to exercise in the evenings and drink more water ( which I hardly drank before ). I know that I also need to eat healthier but I find it hard because I do not cook. Also, It's expensive to buy fresh vegetables and meats. So being broke and an awful cook what should I do? Right now I basically live off tv dinners maybe fast food once every week.
A. First off, I would highly recommend stopping the TV dinners. Most of them contain extremely high fat and salt content.
You need to be willing to spend at least a little more time to eat healthier. I'd like to share the few tips I know of with you:
Most fast food restaurants offer healthier choices now. IE:
Wendy's: Stick to their chili or a baked potato. Put on light butter and no-fat sour cream @ home. Also, eat their salads with low fat dressing.
Taco Bell: They have a FRESCO menu. This is basically with no cheese or sour cream. This cuts a TON of calories. Order off this menu only.
Anywhere else--stick to grilled chicken instead of fried.
AT HOME: You will need to buy at least some groceries at the beginning of the week. I would recommend going to your supermarket's deli section and buying a whole rotisserie chicken. They cost between $5 and $7 dollars.Use the HECK out of that chicken--eat it for meals, use it for sandwiches, then throw the carcass into a pot and make chicken soup. It will probably give you 5 meals if you are one person. Buy some brown rice from the store, as well as frozen veggies (about $1.25 per box). (CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP) Boil the rice according to the directions on the bag. Add some salt and pepper, and olive oil. Add some lo-salt canned tomato sauce if you want more flavor ($.49 cents). Stick the veggies in the microwave for as long as the box says.
My estimation: 2 chicken pieces from the big chicken, a serving of brown rice, and frozen veggies will cost you about $2.75 TOPS for a dinner. You can't even get a fast food combo for that price. That meal I just described will probably take you 5 minutes to put together once the rice is cooked.
Healthy chicken soup with the remaining carcass: peel the carcass and throw the chicken pieces in a pot. Buy cheap chicken broth with low sodium/low fat. Fill the pot up with the chicken broth and some water. Throw in some rice and veggies-carrots, celery, whatever you want. Even buy frozen veggies if you have no time to cut them up. Boil it till the veggies are soft. EASY. It will probably take you 15 mins to make a whole pot of soup.
Other suggestion:
Turkey burgers. Buy the cheapest ground turkey you can find. Chop a small onion. Mix it with the turkey with some pepper and a tad of salt. Make a patty shape with your hands. Cook the patties on a frying pan with a bit of oil. Stick it on a whole grain bun with lettuce and ketchup. EASY. You will be able to make 5 burgers with that one pack of turkey meat.
Snacks: Bananas ($.69 cents a pound), Nature Valley granola bars, light popcorn, cucumber and dip/salad dressing. All very cheap.
Lunch: lunchmeat on whole grain bread.
My point is--If you know how to shop, easy cooking will actually be less expensive than fast food and TV dinners. Here is a link to my favorite recipe site for "cooking on a budget"
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cooking-on-a-Budget/Detail.aspx
Go to your supermarket's website, or look at their store circular before you go shopping and see what's on sale that week. Cut out coupons, and look for their buy one, get one free deals.
I hope this helped. Ultimately, if you take those few minutes a week to cook a simple meal, you will be a much healthier person. Being healthy will save you from many expensive medical bills later on. I wish you the best!
You need to be willing to spend at least a little more time to eat healthier. I'd like to share the few tips I know of with you:
Most fast food restaurants offer healthier choices now. IE:
Wendy's: Stick to their chili or a baked potato. Put on light butter and no-fat sour cream @ home. Also, eat their salads with low fat dressing.
Taco Bell: They have a FRESCO menu. This is basically with no cheese or sour cream. This cuts a TON of calories. Order off this menu only.
Anywhere else--stick to grilled chicken instead of fried.
AT HOME: You will need to buy at least some groceries at the beginning of the week. I would recommend going to your supermarket's deli section and buying a whole rotisserie chicken. They cost between $5 and $7 dollars.Use the HECK out of that chicken--eat it for meals, use it for sandwiches, then throw the carcass into a pot and make chicken soup. It will probably give you 5 meals if you are one person. Buy some brown rice from the store, as well as frozen veggies (about $1.25 per box). (CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP) Boil the rice according to the directions on the bag. Add some salt and pepper, and olive oil. Add some lo-salt canned tomato sauce if you want more flavor ($.49 cents). Stick the veggies in the microwave for as long as the box says.
My estimation: 2 chicken pieces from the big chicken, a serving of brown rice, and frozen veggies will cost you about $2.75 TOPS for a dinner. You can't even get a fast food combo for that price. That meal I just described will probably take you 5 minutes to put together once the rice is cooked.
Healthy chicken soup with the remaining carcass: peel the carcass and throw the chicken pieces in a pot. Buy cheap chicken broth with low sodium/low fat. Fill the pot up with the chicken broth and some water. Throw in some rice and veggies-carrots, celery, whatever you want. Even buy frozen veggies if you have no time to cut them up. Boil it till the veggies are soft. EASY. It will probably take you 15 mins to make a whole pot of soup.
Other suggestion:
Turkey burgers. Buy the cheapest ground turkey you can find. Chop a small onion. Mix it with the turkey with some pepper and a tad of salt. Make a patty shape with your hands. Cook the patties on a frying pan with a bit of oil. Stick it on a whole grain bun with lettuce and ketchup. EASY. You will be able to make 5 burgers with that one pack of turkey meat.
Snacks: Bananas ($.69 cents a pound), Nature Valley granola bars, light popcorn, cucumber and dip/salad dressing. All very cheap.
Lunch: lunchmeat on whole grain bread.
My point is--If you know how to shop, easy cooking will actually be less expensive than fast food and TV dinners. Here is a link to my favorite recipe site for "cooking on a budget"
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cooking-on-a-Budget/Detail.aspx
Go to your supermarket's website, or look at their store circular before you go shopping and see what's on sale that week. Cut out coupons, and look for their buy one, get one free deals.
I hope this helped. Ultimately, if you take those few minutes a week to cook a simple meal, you will be a much healthier person. Being healthy will save you from many expensive medical bills later on. I wish you the best!
What is your favourite quick, easy to follow, and non labour-intensive vegetarian recipe?
Q. Also, must be healthy and non-greasy!
Recipe for a full-blown meal, not merely a snack.
Recipe for a full-blown meal, not merely a snack.
A. farmers market sandwich
1. Wash a zucchini, some button or baby portobello mushrooms, and some cherry or grape tomatoes. Red bell pepper is also optional.
2. Slice and dice everything, and set the tomatoes aside. Fry the rest of the veggies in butter, garlic, and basil until tender.
3. Melt a little cheese (optional) on a bagel or toast, and layer the veggies on. If you dice instead of slice, this makes a great baked potato topping. Serve with orange or grapefruit juice for an amazing breakfast.
Burrito Bowl
1. Make white or brown rice.
2. Pan fry black beans and corn together in olive or vegetable oil with chili powder, cumin, turmeric, crushed black pepper, and onion or garlic to taste. Pour this onto the rice.
3. Top with your favorite salsa, along with cheese/cheese replacer and lettuce if you'd prefer. You can add diced chili peppers to spice it up, or diced green bell peppers to cool it down.
My Favorite Stir Fry
1. Fry broccoli florets and sliced carrots in garlic butter/olive oil and minced garlic until tender.
2. Add baby corn spears and your favorite stir fry sauce. (I prefer House of Tsang Classic.)
3. Meanwhile, make udon or soba noodles, fettuccine noodles, or rice.
4. Add noodles/rice to stir fry and toss to coat.
5. Top with peanuts and enjoy.
Another Good Stir Fry
1. Press tofu and slice into small rectangles or cubes.
2. Wash snow or sugar snap peas and thinly sliced carrot sticks.
3. Fry until heated through, adding tofu near the end of frying, with your favorite stir fry sauce and maybe a little minced garlic.
Mediterranean Wraps (or Pita Pockets)
1. Gather a few of your favorite Mediterranean veggies (peppers, squashes, snow peas, potatoes, garlic, onions, etc.) Wash and slice them.
2. Put them in a container and add olive oil and Italian seasonings. (I just buy an Italian seasonings grinder, but feel free to improvise.) Toss to coat.
3. Bake, covered, at 350 until tender. The timing depends on what veggies you choose, but it should be between 20 and 45 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and put in wraps, pitas (with hummus of course), or serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.
Veggie Chili
1. Heat either tomato juice or chunky style tomato sauce, depending on how thick you want your chili.
2. Add beans and select veggies (frozen bags of veggie soup veggies work well). Optional: add tempeh, seitan, or TVP ground beef replacer.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and any other spices you'd like.
4. Simmer and serve with corn bread, on fries, or on veggie dogs.
Rice Pilaf
1. Prepare vegetarian friendly rice pilaf. (I use Near East.)
2. Steam broccoli, and tofu cubes if you'd like.
3. Combine, and top with slivered almonds or pine nuts if you're feeling fancy.
A Vegetarian's Steak Dinner
1. Grill or saute a portobello mushroom cap with minced garlic, sea or Kosher salt, crushed black pepper, and soy sauce (or balsamic vinegar.)
2. Serve with a baked potato and green vegetables.
OR put in on a hamburger bun and serve with baked fries or sweet potato fries.
For a super-light dinner . . .
1. Slice cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions. Add baby spinach.
2. Toss with fresh lemon juice and fresh basil. Serve fresh.
OR
2. Toss with olive oil, garlic crushed black pepper. Bake at 350 until warm.
3. Serve with whole wheat toast and avocado slices.
Tofu scramble
1. Press a block of extra firm tofu with you was and cut your vegetables (potatoes, bell peppers of any colour, carrots, and mushrooms.)
2. Lightly oil a large skillet with olive or vegetable oil and add a little garlic, crushed black pepper, and cumin. Add potato cubes and carrot sticks, and stir constantly until heated through.
3. Next, add the mushroom slices and diced pepper. Season with basil and a little more garlic. Continue stirring until heated through.
4. Crumble the pressed tofu on top, adding more cumin and black pepper, as well as a little chili powder. Stir while adding a dash of soy, and sprinkle in turmeric until desired colour is achieved. Continue heating and stirring until the tofu has mixed well with the vegetables and heated through.
5. Serve in place of scrambled eggs, or wrap in a tortilla with salsa for the best breakfast burrito ever.
(I make this the night before, since I never have enough time in the morning. Just place it in the fridge in a tightly sealed container and microwave it or heat it in a skillet the next morning. It's meant for breakfast, but a large enough serving makes a great lunch or dinner on its own.)
1. Wash a zucchini, some button or baby portobello mushrooms, and some cherry or grape tomatoes. Red bell pepper is also optional.
2. Slice and dice everything, and set the tomatoes aside. Fry the rest of the veggies in butter, garlic, and basil until tender.
3. Melt a little cheese (optional) on a bagel or toast, and layer the veggies on. If you dice instead of slice, this makes a great baked potato topping. Serve with orange or grapefruit juice for an amazing breakfast.
Burrito Bowl
1. Make white or brown rice.
2. Pan fry black beans and corn together in olive or vegetable oil with chili powder, cumin, turmeric, crushed black pepper, and onion or garlic to taste. Pour this onto the rice.
3. Top with your favorite salsa, along with cheese/cheese replacer and lettuce if you'd prefer. You can add diced chili peppers to spice it up, or diced green bell peppers to cool it down.
My Favorite Stir Fry
1. Fry broccoli florets and sliced carrots in garlic butter/olive oil and minced garlic until tender.
2. Add baby corn spears and your favorite stir fry sauce. (I prefer House of Tsang Classic.)
3. Meanwhile, make udon or soba noodles, fettuccine noodles, or rice.
4. Add noodles/rice to stir fry and toss to coat.
5. Top with peanuts and enjoy.
Another Good Stir Fry
1. Press tofu and slice into small rectangles or cubes.
2. Wash snow or sugar snap peas and thinly sliced carrot sticks.
3. Fry until heated through, adding tofu near the end of frying, with your favorite stir fry sauce and maybe a little minced garlic.
Mediterranean Wraps (or Pita Pockets)
1. Gather a few of your favorite Mediterranean veggies (peppers, squashes, snow peas, potatoes, garlic, onions, etc.) Wash and slice them.
2. Put them in a container and add olive oil and Italian seasonings. (I just buy an Italian seasonings grinder, but feel free to improvise.) Toss to coat.
3. Bake, covered, at 350 until tender. The timing depends on what veggies you choose, but it should be between 20 and 45 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and put in wraps, pitas (with hummus of course), or serve with spaghetti and garlic bread.
Veggie Chili
1. Heat either tomato juice or chunky style tomato sauce, depending on how thick you want your chili.
2. Add beans and select veggies (frozen bags of veggie soup veggies work well). Optional: add tempeh, seitan, or TVP ground beef replacer.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and any other spices you'd like.
4. Simmer and serve with corn bread, on fries, or on veggie dogs.
Rice Pilaf
1. Prepare vegetarian friendly rice pilaf. (I use Near East.)
2. Steam broccoli, and tofu cubes if you'd like.
3. Combine, and top with slivered almonds or pine nuts if you're feeling fancy.
A Vegetarian's Steak Dinner
1. Grill or saute a portobello mushroom cap with minced garlic, sea or Kosher salt, crushed black pepper, and soy sauce (or balsamic vinegar.)
2. Serve with a baked potato and green vegetables.
OR put in on a hamburger bun and serve with baked fries or sweet potato fries.
For a super-light dinner . . .
1. Slice cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions. Add baby spinach.
2. Toss with fresh lemon juice and fresh basil. Serve fresh.
OR
2. Toss with olive oil, garlic crushed black pepper. Bake at 350 until warm.
3. Serve with whole wheat toast and avocado slices.
Tofu scramble
1. Press a block of extra firm tofu with you was and cut your vegetables (potatoes, bell peppers of any colour, carrots, and mushrooms.)
2. Lightly oil a large skillet with olive or vegetable oil and add a little garlic, crushed black pepper, and cumin. Add potato cubes and carrot sticks, and stir constantly until heated through.
3. Next, add the mushroom slices and diced pepper. Season with basil and a little more garlic. Continue stirring until heated through.
4. Crumble the pressed tofu on top, adding more cumin and black pepper, as well as a little chili powder. Stir while adding a dash of soy, and sprinkle in turmeric until desired colour is achieved. Continue heating and stirring until the tofu has mixed well with the vegetables and heated through.
5. Serve in place of scrambled eggs, or wrap in a tortilla with salsa for the best breakfast burrito ever.
(I make this the night before, since I never have enough time in the morning. Just place it in the fridge in a tightly sealed container and microwave it or heat it in a skillet the next morning. It's meant for breakfast, but a large enough serving makes a great lunch or dinner on its own.)
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