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"Diets" Grains & Seeds Three
Bites II
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I understand that it's impossible to whip up healthy meals every day of your life. As much as I love to cook, there are nights I come home from a long, hard day at work and don't want to even think about preparing a meal. And sometimes I forget to brown bag my lunch so I have to order out. Here are some healthy alternatives and some advice on "eating out". Protein Powder - I add the vanilla flavored protein powder to a glass of orange juice and it tastes like an orange dreamcicle (remember those?). It's actually decent tasting- not like those chalky powders added to milk that taste like liquid cardboard. And studies have shown that when used to replace one or two meals at most per day, it is a healthy diet considering the nutrition that is packed into each shake. Even Slim Fast has been praised by doctors and nutritionists (when combined with healthy meals each day).
Nutrilite® Protein Powder (A7451) Protein Bars - I actually have 2 favorites: Zone Bars (available in most supermarkets) and Trim Advantage Protein Bars. Trim Advantage® Protein Bar – Mixed Berry Smoothie Flavor (102857)
My first choice is a delicious meal but since it's not always possible, these are some good alternatives. My husband and I drove to North Carolina from New York awhile back and our food options were either fast food chains or expensive eat-in places. We brought along some of the protein bars to keep our hunger at bay for the long trip so we weren't eating Big Mac's on the road. Don't get me wrong, I love a Big Mac, but there is no way I'm eating only half a portion! And yes, I'd take fries with that.
Eating Out When eating out, it's important to not get caught up in the moment- it's ok to eat what you want but it's not ok to eat everything that is put in front of you. It's always a good idea to either pass on the bread or just take a small piece (and don't go back for more). Personally, I love bread with butter so I will have a small piece rather than deny myself one of my favorite things. And there's a part of me that believes if I eat a small piece of bread, I won't be famished once the meal comes so I can eat slowly and eat less. It's never a good idea to let yourself get to a state of severe hunger. When ordering, pick something you love- I'm all about not denying yourself an enjoyable meal. But if you're choosing between Pasta Milano (remember the 1700 calorie meal?? It's full of cream and butter!) and shrimp scampi over linguini and you consider both to be delicious, why not pick the lighter of the two and only eat part of the meal. Doggie Bag at least half of it and you can have a second (and sometimes third) meal from it. If you do pick the Pasta Milano, eat no more than 1/3 of what is served to you and eat slowly. And if you do have a small portion, go ahead and split a dessert with someone. Fast Food Although I hated the Zone, one good thing I took away from it is a "zone burger". The proportion of protein/carb/fat was exactly 40/30/30 and it was extremely satisfying. It doesn't seem like it when you're staring at it in your hands but believe me, it will take care of your hunger if you just give it some time (and eat slowly). Only McDonald's hamburgers (not cheeseburgers) can make a zone burger. Here's how: Purchase 2 Regular Hamburgers (usually on the dollar menu). Open one of them and remove the meat patty. Toss the two bun halves. Put the patty on top of the one on the second burger and you've got a perfect zone. Two slices of bread and two meat patties. Even though I'm not doing the Zone (I hated that diet), I do use this as one of my secret weapons on the road. Another meal that is perfectly in "the zone" is Wendy's chili. The large has a perfect zone of 3 blocks while the small has 2 blocks. It's not as good as homemade, but it's tasty and satisfying and a great option on the fly.
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Recipes:******************* Appetizers
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