Constantly Healthy

A lot of people experience a dip in energy towards the mid-afternoon. As a response, they often resort to high-fat, high-sugar snacks to boost their energy levels. This is generally ill-advised as the sugar and calorie content of these unhealthy snacks will cause more harm than good. This is why it is necessary for us to have hearty eating habits during lunchtime to avoid this cycle.

It is always advisable to pack your own lunch for work instead of eating out. Aside from saving on lunch money, you’re also sure of what you’re stuffing your body with. Unless you yourself prepare your lunch, it would be almost impossible to determine the nutritional content of what you eat. If you have no other choice then you should choose steamed, poached, or grilled foods when eating out. Also ask the waiter to put your sauce or dressing on the side.

Here are some wonderful lunch ideas that are not only extremely healthy, but satisfying as well.

• Crab rolls: cooked lump jumbo crab meat (6 ounces), light mayonnaise (1 teaspoon), sweet pickle relish (1 teaspoon), thinly sliced scallion (½), ground pepper (1 pinch), and a couple of hotdog buns.

• Turkey wrap: flour tortilla (1), light mayonnaise (1 teaspoon), deli turkey (2 or 3 thin slices), shredded lettuce (½ cup) , tomato (2 slices), shredded cheese (1 tablespoon), and salt & pepper for extra flavor.

• Grilled chicken salad: romaine lettuce (2 cups), seasoned and grilled chicken (3 ounces), red or green peppers (2 tablespoons), tomatoes (3 wedges), cucumber (6 slices), baby corns (4 pieces), your choice of low-fat dressing (2 tablespoons).

In general you should avoid eating fast food takeout for lunch. These greasy foods have very little nutritional benefits and have loads of carbs and calories.  Also stay away from the following food items:

• French fries.

• Battered or breaded chicken.

• Caesar salad (although it is a veggie meal, the dressing is packed with loads of fat).

I’m sure you’ve already been told more than a hundred times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies have shown that breakfast is essential for those who want to have healthy eating habits. Controlling what you eat for breakfast is also crucial for your goal of shedding off those extra pounds. It is a fact that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more throughout the day as compared to those who have a hearty morning meal.
It is necessary to eat within an hour after you wake up. Doing so will maintain your hormone and blood sugar levels. This will guarantee that you have sufficient energy for the day ahead and also prevents you from overeating at lunch. Breakfast will also set your metabolism in motion to help you burn more calories throughout the day.
However, it is very important to watch what you eat as most breakfast foods are packed with unwanted calories and carbohydrates. Regular bagels, white bread, fried bacon, and canned meats are just a few examples of products you should try to avoid. Here are some healthier alternatives that should fill you up but won’t pack in as much calories and carbohydrates.

• A piece of whole-wheat bagel topped with a tablespoon of cream cheese (light) and a tablespoon of strawberry jam (light),
• 2 slices of toast (whole-wheat) with a tablespoon of apple butter (apple puree with very little fat, no actual butter, and tastes really good) or peanut butter, and a medium-sized apple,
• Half a cup of high-fiber cereal or granola mixed with 1 whole cup of fruit yogurt (fat-free).

As mentioned earlier lots of breakfast foods are loaded with sugar, calories, and carbs and have very little (if any) nutrients in them. Here are some that you should rather not include in your breakfast dish.

• Donuts
• Muffins
• Danishes
• Buttered toast

In order to have healthy eating habits it is advisable to avoid eating heavy dinners. Because of the fact that you won’t be engaging in any exercise after your evening meal, it is less likely that your body will be able to burn the calories you take in. Nonetheless, it is still necessary to have a satisfying meal for dinner to avoid the desire to snack compulsively right before you hit the hay.

Not having a hearty and satisfying dinner may make you feel hungry just before you sleep. This is one of the worst eating habits ever as these snacks often end up to be high-fat, calorie-packed quick meals. To keep away from this, it is necessary to fill your stomach with veggies, complex carbohydrates, and protein during dinner. After all, you’ve had a long day at work and you definitely deserve your reward.

It’s okay to have some dessert after dinner so long as they’re healthy. Half a cup of frozen low-sugar yogurt or sorbet, or even a cup of fruit salad shouldn’t cause too much damage. As a benchmark it is ideal to make dinner the lightest meal of the day. Here are some healthy dinner ideas.

• Pasta primavera: cooked bowtie pasta (½ cup), steamed broccoli (1 cup), carrots, zucchini, marinara sauce (¼ cup), and parmesan cheese (1 tablespoon).
• Grilled or baked seasoned chicken or broiled fish filet (4 ounces), a small baked potato with low-fat sour cream (1 tablespoon), steamed broccoli (½ cup), and margarine (1 teaspoon).
• Fajitas: a flour tortilla, grilled steak or chicken (3 ounces), grilled green peppers and onions (½ cup), salsa (¼ cup), and low-fat sour cream (1 tablespoon).

Aside from rice, bread, and other high-carb foods, here are some other things you should also try to steer clear of during dinnertime:

• Huge portions.
• High-fat, high-calorie desserts (ice cream, cookies, pastries, etc.).
• Creamy high-calorie sauces.