Eating Right All The Time
Posted on 2009-06-13 23:39:37
From personal experience I understand how difficult it is to get a healthy meal. Much less 3 meals, AND SNACKS!
The supplements are awesome, but I really feel that those should be used more in case of emergency. If you're stuck in traffic for 3 hours, you know you will be at a whole day meeting, you absolutely have nothing in the kitchen worth eating and cannot get to the grocery store. For those situations, having a protein bar, or meal replacement shake can be a real life-saver. For the rest of our lives, our normal, everyday lives, we should not be drinking shakes or relying on bars. Here are some tips to help prevent the need for supplements:
#1 - Menu planning
Think 3-4 days ahead. Plan your protein first. Here's an example:
Monday
breakfast: oatmeal
lunch: turkey sandwich
snack: hummus and veg
dinner: Salmon
Tuesday
breakfast: yogurt and fruit with cereal
lunch: tuna salad
snack: peanut butter and jelly on English muffin
dinner: Chicken
Wednesday
breakfast: whole wheat waffles and fruit
lunch: green salad with chicken
snack: almonds, raisins and yogurt
dinner: Tuna Steaks
That took me about 2 minutes to write. I was also helping my daughter and letting the dog outside. It still only took 2 minutes. If you need help making a menu, talk to me or Tom (preferably Tom). Want to make it go even faster? Make flashcards! Make 10 flashcards for every meal. Look through them and pick out 3-4 days worth. It might take you 30 minutes to write out all the cards to start with, but from then on, menus are a snap!
That was just the protein. For produce turn to your grocery store and see what looks good. Tomatoes look horrible, but cucumbers look great? Get cucumbers and make a little side salad with fresh dill, green onion and a little dressing. You hate corn, but love peas? Well, get some fresh pea pods and snack on those with your dinner.
#2 - Pantry staples
There are some things that should always be in the kitchen. Make a list with a box next to each item. Photocopy it 50 times and put those in a folder in a drawer, or take one copy and keep it on the fridge. When you are almost out, put a check next to something. Everybody's staples will vary based on preferences, but here are mine to give you an idea:
Baby carrots
Celery
Pea Pods
Apples
Onions
Green onions
Egg Whites in a carton
Granola bars
Cereal - cheerios for me, frosted flakes for kids Whole wheat/grain bread Mustard etc.
I am not buying pickles at every trip to the store. But I do always want to have some in the fridge. A few times a year we run out and I go get more. The list is long, but every trip to the store I am only getting a few items.
Sort your list according to how your grocery store is set up. It will make things go WAY faster. Group things into categories: Produce, Bakery, etc, just like the titles of the isles in the store.
#3 - Short trips to the grocery store
In the long run this will keep you sane. You are better off going to the store and getting 4 days worth of protein, produce and check a few staples than waiting till Sunday and getting everything. Stopping at the store on the way home from work, or from the gym, or from First Health will be worth it. Making that extra trip on the weekend is usually a huge waste of time. I usually spend 20 minutes at the store 2-3 times a week. It feels WAY better than going for 60 minutes on Sunday. Also, my protein and produce last longer.
#4 - Prepare food ahead.
Cutting up veggies for a day or two supply (long for some veg).
Starting dinner before you leave for work (putting chicken in marinade for example).
Using leftover protein for the following day's lunch.
Be careful, not everything can get prepared ahead of time, just learn which are which and things can go fast!
Jason
Tom Williams said:
What are you using to track your caloric intake? Is there a website you recommend?
2009-06-16 21:07:23
Jason said:
Hey there Tom, I think Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice can be pretty decent choices (especially if the other option is a Big Mac). One thing to look for in any packaged food is: READ THE LABEL. Some prepared foods have LOTS of sodium. For Caloric intake I am using a website called sparkpeople: www.sparkpeople.com. They have a pretty easy interface to use, and a pretty exhaustive list of foods. Keep track of ALL portions of the nutrition is helpful, especially calories. I can't imaging a successful weight loss program that did NOT have an easy-to-use system. Overall, working with a Nutritionist has been really helpful for me to get a better idea of what to keep track of, how to do that, and where to adjust my diet. Thanks for the questions!
2009-06-17 13:57:47
Theresa said:
I love how Dr. Gruss is all about the cooking and meal planning. Thanks for being a strong resource for all of us. When I move into my NEW apartment next week and finally have to cook for myself (realistically for the first time in 23 years!), I will use your lists when I go to the store! :)
2009-06-24 19:21:20
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Shoot, who would have tohuhgt that it was that easy?
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Tom Williams said:
How do you feel about having frozen Lean Cuisines or Healthy Choice meals? They are not the freshest of ingredients however they are low calorie and convenient.
2009-06-16 20:57:34