Hi all! I know, like me, a
lot of you made resolutions (or at least tossed the ideas around) to be
healthier in 2018. If I had to bet I’d say most of us are already struggling to
stay on track. It’s hard, right!? I mean, how can we eat right when we live
such fast lives? How do we enjoy life with our friends and family in the real
world, like eating out or going to a family get-together and stay on track?
Well, good ol’ Google is full of tips -some good and some that are terrifying!
So I’ve weeded them down for you all. And, as always, here’s the links incase
you’d like to read the full articles.
- Ask for it your way. Dining out is no time to be a meek
consumer, notes Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and coauthor of the book
Restaurant Confidential. “You need to be an assertive consumer by asking
for changes on the menu,” he says. For instance, if an item is fried, ask
for it grilled. If it comes with french fries, ask for a side of veggies
instead. Ask for a smaller portion of the meat and a larger portion of the
salad; for salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried.
- Beware of the low-carb options. Restaurant chains have jumped on the low-carb bandwagon, offering numerous low-carb options on their menu. But low-carb doesn’t mean low-cal. For instance, at Ruby Tuesday the Low-Carb New Orleans Seafood packs 710 calories and 42 grams of fat—ouch! A much better bet—the Low Carb Veggie Platter—leaves you with just 297 calories and 16 grams of fat.
- Ask to box half your entrée before it ever gets to the table. Or
split an entrée with your dining partner. A CSPI survey found that
restaurants often serve two to three times more than food labels list as a
serving.
- Consider
your drink. Choose water, fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea,
and other drinks without added sugars to complement your meal.
- Pack your
snack. Pack fruit, sliced
vegetables, low-fat string cheese, or unsalted nuts to eat during road
trips or long commutes. No need to stop for other food when these snacks
are ready-to-eat.
- Quit the
"clean your plate" club. Decide
to save some for another meal. Take leftovers home in a container and
chill in the refrigerator right away.
- Eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for your
brain to get the message from your stomach that you are no longer hungry.
Fast eaters often are overeaters, while slow eaters tend to eat less and
are still satisfied.
“The
Groundwork for all happiness is good health.” -Leigh Hunt
Thank you,
Wenona Mertens
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