Healthy Meals in 5 Simple Steps

Do you think you're eating healthy meals, but still question your methods?

Have you been working on losing weight, and found it challenging or even seen a decrease in the amount of weight you're losing? If so, there's a good chance that you haven't been eating as healthy as perhaps you could be.

There are 5 simple guidelines you can follow that will ensure your meals are both healthy and fitness-friendly. If weight loss is a goal for you, these steps may also result in a healthy weight loss!

Five Simple Steps to a Healthy Meal:
Step #1: Quality Ingredients
Quality ingredients are the building blocks to a healthy meal. You most definitely don't need to dine in gourmet restaurants or shop at health food stores all the time, but it is important that you pay attention to the quality of the foods you eat.

Choose foods that are:

• Fresh and organic (not all fruits and vegetables need to be organic. Visit the following website for a shopper's guide to the "dirty dozen" and "clean 15" fruits and vegetables: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
• Pronounceable ingredients
• Whole foods

Step #2: Cooking Method
The way a meal is cooked determines how many calories, how much added fat, and the number of nutrients that survive. This simple factor will make or break your weight loss goal.

Avoid foods prepared like this:

• Fried and battered
• Processed and packaged
• Doused with cream sauce
• Sautéed

Choose foods that are prepared like this:

• Grilled
• Baked
• Broiled
• Steamed

Step #3: Mostly Protein
The bulk of your calories should be coming from a quality source of protein. With the first 2 guidelines in mind, these will be high quality, healthfully prepared.

Good choices of protein include:

• Fish or shellfish
• Chicken breast
• Turkey breast (can use deli meats, but buy brands without nitrites - ask the person at the deli counter. Also, be aware of sodium as most deli meats contain a lot of salt.)
• Eggs
• Lean red meat (sirloin, flank, fillet, or 93% lean ground beef)
• Pork (tenderloin - do not buy pre-marinated, boneless top loin roast, bone-in sirloin roast, boneless top loin chop, and bone-in sirloin roast.)
• Bison/Buffalo Medallions (steaks) - ground okay too, but be mindful of portion
• Game meats - venison, moose, rabbit, etc.
• Tofu, seitan, tempeh
• Vegetarian burgers made with soy protein or beans

Step #4: Lots of Fiber
Fiber is a huge part of eating healthy and being lean. Fibrous foods will fill you up while delivering vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants in low-calorie packages. Fill at least two thirds of your plate with fibrous vegetables.

Try these forms of fiber:

• Salad - try mixed greens, spinach, romaine and other darker green leafy salad options
• Seasonal vegetables
• Fruit
• Legumes, lentils and peas

Step #5: Lay Off the Starches
This is where many well-meaning individuals lose the eating healthy game. The fact is, in order to maintain a healthy weight for your lifetime, it is imperative that you be mindful of where your carbohydrates are coming from. Carbohydrates are essential for our bodies, but it's the type of carbohydrate that you consume most often that will determine whether or not you are able to get the weight off and keep it off! Too many starchy foods = excess weight and body fat storage.

Starches to Avoid or Limit:

• Potatoes - opt for a small sweet potato on occasion instead
• Pasta (unless bean pasta) - when you have it, consume whole grain and stick to no more than 1 cup per serving. Consume with a protein source such as ground beef or diced chicken
• Rice and cereal - when you have it, limit your intake to 1/2 cup for rice and 3/4c-1c for cereal. Consume whole grain rice and cereal.
• Bread and crackers - when you have it, limit your intake to 1-2 slices. Look for breads high in fiber and protein (such as Arnold Double Protein or Fiber) and look for whole grain crackers that do not contain hydrogenated oils (avoid the words partially hydrogenated oil listed on the ingredient label)

For long-lasting weight management results, be sure to include some form of regular exercise. It is recommended to move our bodies in some way at least 5 days per week. Not exercising right now? That's okay! Start small. Set a goal of including some form of exercise (such as walking up and down your stairs) 1-2 days per week and build from there. Tip - plan your exercise into your day and be sure to set this time aside as a priority - not just something you hope to get to.

Eating Out Successfully

Temptations are inevitable when you eat out. There are bread baskets, chip baskets, appetizers, and desserts. In order to maintain your healthy diet, you'll have to have a plan in place before arriving at the restaurant.

Here's how you stay on track while eating out:

• Don't eat extras: Ask for the bread basket or chip basket to be removed from your table and stick to eating only what you ordered. With others who want the bread/chip basket? Have them put it on the other side of the table so you're less likely to reach for it.
• Don't drink calories: Stick with water, unsweetened ice tea, club soda or seltzer water in order to avoid a few hundred extra calories.
• Get it plain: Ask for sauces and dressings on the side to cut down calories. Have mustard instead of mayo on your sandwich.
• Get healthier sides: Just because the grilled fish comes with a side of potatoes doesn't mean you have to get it that way. Ask for a side of steamed veggies or a side salad instead.