Brandywine Area Nutrition

Nutrition Counseling for food sensitivities

meal plans

Recurring Meal Planning On Auto Pilot

Recurring Meal Planning is a great way to save time, money, and stress throughout the week.

 

meal planning saves time and moneyHaving a meal plan goes a long way to making your life simpler and run more smoothly. Without a meal plan, it’s easy to buy groceries you don’t use, resulting in wasted food. Or not having the ingredients on hand you need, making it more difficult and frustrating to prepare a meal. It is also easy to order take-out more often than your health or budget might like!

Recurring meal planning can be challenging but it is possible to make it easy and recurring.  It is definitely worth the work up front to have a stress-free week getting meals on the table.

Getting Started

The first step in recurring meal planning is deciding which days of the week you want to cook what type of meals. Depending on your available time, you may have some nights where the cooking is more involved than others.

Plan Ahead and Get Creative

Think about what meals you like. Gather favorite meal ideas and/or recipes. Once you know what type of meals you want to make each week, get creative with how you prepare them. For example, if tacos are one of your go-to meals for the week, switch up the protein or try different spices or toppings. This will give you various flavors and textures while still sticking to the basics of your regular meal plan.

Take Advantage of Leftovers

Leftovers are a great way to save time and money. Once you have cooked a meal, think how those ingredients could be used in other dishes. For instance, if you roasted chicken for one night’s dinner, shred some extra chicken for salads or sandwiches for during the week. This will help stretch your ingredients so that they last longer and give you more variety than just having the same dish every night/week.

Make Use Of Your Freezer

Freezing food is a great way to ensure that nothing goes bad before its expiration date. However, freezer meals can make meal prep so much easier. If something on your meal plan freezes well, you can double the batch and freeze half for later in the month. You can also prepare “freezer dump meals” for busy days. This will give you a break from prepping and cooking while ensuring that something nutritious is available.

It is essential to stick with your meal planning even when things get hectic. Simplifying life in the long term often requires some planning and forethought in the short term.

Having a long-term, rotating master meal plan in place makes recurring meal planning easier.

I have put together a free recurring meal planning template you can use to create your own master meal plan. 

Grab it here!

 

 

 

 

Mindful Eating for the Holidays

Mindful eating allows you to naturally control portions, choose healthy options, and avoid emotional eating.

Mindful eating has been shown to reduce the amount of calories people eat, as well as improve food choices and increase satisfaction with their choices. Mindful eating is great for the holidays, letting you fully enjoy your celebration meals and balance pleasure and health.
The following tips can help you eat mindfully for the holidays:

Start your day with activity.

On the morning of the holiday party or holiday meal, move your body. For example, go for a brisk walk or run, or participate in a fun activity. This will reduce cortisol levels which can help prevent holiday stress eating. 

Make a plan for social distractions. 

When we are engaged socially we cannot be completely focused on what we are eating and drinking. As you gather with family and friends during the holidays try some new behaviors. For instance:

      • alternate drinking glasses of adult beverages with drinking glasses of sparkling water. 
      • move away from the food table at cocktail parties while socializing
      • at a sit-down dinner, put your fork down between bites of food while conversing

Assess your hunger before you take your first bite. 

Be aware of your hunger and fullness cues before you begin eating. Ask yourself how you will feel if you eat the food in front of you. Will you feel satisfied and content? Or, will you feel full, bloated, and exhausted? Now you can choose if you want to eat, what you want to eat, and how much you want to eat.

Eat slowly and savor the food. 

The most important thing you can do to eat mindfully is to learn to slow down and really taste the food. Before you begin to eat take a moment to smell the aromas and see all of the colors on your plate. Chew thoroughly savoring the experience. Aim to chew each bite 30-40 times. This practice will give your gut time to tell your brain that you are full.

Check-in with your body during the meal or during the party. 

As you eat, pay attention to any signals from your body. Recognize when you feel comfortably satisfied. 

Eating can become a mindless act during the holiday season causing bloating, fatigue, and unwanted weight gain. Eating mindfully takes practice before you begin to see the benefits. I recommend you start using some of the above strategies at meals and snacks now so that you are more aware of your body’s signals before the start of the holiday meals and parties.

Would you like to feel great this holiday season? No more overeating, feeling stuffed, and gaining 5-10 unwanted holiday pounds?

Sign up for my free 14-Day Mindful Eating Challenge – Receive daily strategies and practice exercises straight to your inbox.

Meal Planning: 3 Reasons Why It Rocks

Meal Planning may seem like just another chore. But…

Have you ever looked at the clock, saw “dinnertime” and you have nothing prepared? Then, you hoped you have all the ingredients that you need to throw a meal together or you will have to opt for the drive-thru!

meal planning saves time and moneyThis last minute scramble is actually more of a chore than meal planning.

There are many reasons why meal planning rocks. Here are the top 3:

It Saves Time

Your set grocery lists will prevent you from wandering aimlessly around the grocery store. Your pre-planned menu will save you from having to think about what you are going to eat every day.

If you find some work days are busier than others, take some time out of the weekend to prepare most of your meals. 

A few ideas include oats and frozen berries with yogurt in mason jars serve as great to-go breakfasts. Prepared quinoa with mixed veggies and beans serve well as a work lunch.

Cook one or two larger dinners on the weekend so you will have something for those days you are exhausted and don’t feel like cooking. 

This could include soups, chili, meatballs, and marinated chicken breasts. Pre-portion and freeze them. Then, you can re-heat while you prepare a quick salad or veggie slices.

Meal Planning Saves Money

When you meal plan you will have less of those costly “take out” nights. It is expensive to eat out.  Meal planning allows you to take advantage of weekly sales. These sales can give you ideas for what to have for meals that week. 

This prevents you from throwing out ingredients you forgot you had in the fridge. You can create meal plans that specifically allow you to use up whatever you have on hand.

It’s Healthier

By meal planning, you can aim to have nutritionally well-balanced meals throughout the week.  You control the ingredients so you know exactly what is going into the meal.

If you have to come up with something to eat last minute, you will find yourself going out for dinner instead. As a result, you are most likely to end up exceeding your calorie intake. Even just stopping at the grocery store to pick up a last minute dinner may lead to poor choices. When you shop hungry, you are more likely to throw junk food into your cart.

There are many ways to meal plan. Whatever method you choose will save you time, money, and it will result in healthier fare. You can always reuse meal plans and grocery lists to help cut down on planning and prep time. A two-week seasonal meal plan may be enough variety for you.

 

Still think meal planning is a challenge?  Let me design a guide for you with the three key components to do your own meal planning. Just click and plan!

Call/Email or Schedule to get the easiest way ever to meal plan!

 

Heart Healthy Foods for Your Heart Health

Heart Healthy foods can easily be included into your daily meals.

Keeping your Heart Healthy and how you can eat healthier is top of mind during February – American Heart Month.heart healthy foods

We all know the basic heart healthy diet: fruits & vegetables, whole grains, lean & healthy proteins and healthy fats…but do you know how to easily incorporate these foods into your daily meals?

Today I would like to offer some ideas for how you can include heart healthy foods in your diet every day.

Fruits & Vegetables

The following fruits and vegetables are especially high in antioxidants and are very heart healthy:

– apples, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, oranges, pineapples, raspberries, and strawberries

– carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, red, yellow, orange and green peppers, spinach, kale

For breakfast:

– Add whole or diced fruit to Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or whole grain cereal; add them to a smoothie; eat them plain as a side

– Add chopped vegetables to your omelettes; saute and add to your breakfast sandwich, eat them in a rice/breakfast bowl

For lunch or dinner:

– Add fruits as a side to your lunch or dinner dishes or add them to salads

– Add vegetables to your sandwiches, soups, and add extra to your salads

Whole Grains

The following whole grains will help maintain a healthy heart:

– whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, soluble & insoluble fiber

For breakfast:

– Add whole grain bread, oatmeal, or use whole wheat flour to make pancakes, waffles, or muffins

For lunch or dinner:

– Use whole wheat bread, whole wheat bread crumbs, whole grain pastas, quinoa, brown rice

Lean & Healthy Proteins

The following are good sources of heart healthy proteins:

– salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna, skinless chicken, skinless turkey, lean beef (no more than 15% fat), lean pork (avoid bacon, sausage and other high sodium items)

– meat substitutes – eggs, dried beans, peas, lentils, or tofu

For breakfast:

– Add chicken to waffle, or egg dishes, breakfast bowls, breakfast burritos

For lunch or dinner:

– Eat fish 2-3 times per week, bake, broil, or grill rather than frying, use low-sodium as a rule (no more than 1500mg per day

Heart Healthy Fats

When eaten in moderation, healthy fats fit a heart healthy diet:

– almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, avocado, ground flax seed, olive oil

For breakfast:

– Add to oatmeal, homemade granola bars, smoothies, or smoothie bowls

For lunch or dinner:

– Use ground nuts as breading, use avocado oil for cooking

– Add nuts and seeds to side dishes, salads, soups

– Eat nuts and seeds whole as a snack 

It is also important to avoid certain foods, such as, sugars, fast foods, and refined/processed foods. The best way I know to get the needed heart healthy nutrients into your diet is clean eating. I have a short program (21-Day Clean Eating Transformation) that removes the biggest obstacles for folks trying to transition to healthier eating.

So, what does this mean for you? It is never too late to begin. Start by writing a list of the heart healthy foods you love and make your meal plan around them.

Here is a complimentary 7-Day meal plan for you to try:

Eat Healthier for Your Heart

 

 

 

 

Smarter Snacking: 5 Tips for Healthier Snacks

Smarter Snacking means healthy snacking but that doesn’t mean it has to be small or boring!

tips to help you stay on track with your snacksSnacking can give you the energy boost you need in the afternoon to make it through the rest of the day. It can satisfy your cravings. It can feel like a well-deserved treat. However, what you snack on and how often you snack can have a big impact on your overall health. And that means smarter snacking.

Here are 5 tips for smarter snacking:

  1. Determine the kind of “snacker” you are. Understanding why and how you snack will help you identify any bad habits that you need to change. For example, if you snack when you are upset or angry, you might need to find a different outlet to process those emotions, like going for a walk instead.
  2. Think mini meals. If you treat snacking like you are eating a mini meal, you can be more mindful about what you are eating and eliminate mindless snacking throughout the day.
  3. Combine protein and fiber. Eating snacks that contain protein and fiber will help you feel full longer and will provide the energy your body needs. 
  4. Stock your pantry with smarter snacking options. If you only have healthy snack options at home, you will not be able to snack on “junk” food! You can portion out these healthier snack options so that you can just grab-n-go.  Therefore, you will not be tempted to purchase unhealthy snacks.
  5. Stay hydrated. You might think your body is hungry when really it just wants a drink. Be sure to drink water throughout the day. You can also pair your snacks with more exciting drinks such as, herbal tea or sparkling water.

 

Now that you have some tips for smarter snacking, I’d like to share some smarter snack ideas.   Smarter Snack Ideas

If you are serious about looking for a better way to snack,  I will create personalized meal plans, including snacks for you based on your specific dietary requirements and preferences.  Try my platform free.

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