Nutritional Tips For Beginners!

So you have decided you want to shape up and loose a few pounds or maybe this year your New Years Resolution is to begin a healthier life style with better food choices but you don't know were to begin. Well here are a few tips to get you started to reaching your fitness goals.

• Begin by setting your eating pattern to include 5-7 small meals evenly spread out 2 1/2 to 3 hours apart.
• Never skip breakfast
• Include a protein, carbohydrate and healthy fat source with every meal.
• Examples of good protein sources are: Chicken breasts, tuna, whey or soy protein powder, eggs, small amounts of lean red meat, turkey, cottage cheese, protein bars
• Healthy Fats: Natural peanut butter, flaxseed oil, olive oil, hempseed oil, or any oil rich in omega 6 & 3 and monounsaturated fats.
• Switch from starchy carbs to fibourous carbs after lunch:

Examples of starchy carbs to fiberous carbs:

Lower Calorie Fruit Choices: Apple, Pears, Nectarine, Strawberries, Raspberries

• If you have a craving for breads or pastas, go with wheat breads instead of white breads or 12 grain.
• Limit pop intake, but if you must have a cola choose diet instead of regular
• Try Crystal Light for a low-calorie flavored drink - you can even make Popsicles!
• Drink minimum 8 glasses of water a day to keep you hydrated and it helps keep you feeling full.
• Allow yourself one cheat meal a week to have whatever you have been craving. This is the problem with crash diets they fail to realize that people have cravings and can't stick with a program if they aren't allowed to splurge once in while. Plan this meal around special outings, occasions, parties, etc.
• Switch to low calorie dressings or sauces
• Try some fat free products - Such as fat free cheese or ice-cream
• Try having sugar free jell for dessert instead of cakes, chocolate or pie.
• Try sweet n' low or nutra-sweet instead of regular sugar
• Limit salt intake
• Use a variety of spices to make your food less bland

Example Of A Healthy Meal Plan

Tips for Eating Out

• Ask for dressing on the side
• Order Salad instead of french fries
• Order grilled not deep fried
• Choose poultry over high fat red meats (like burgers)
• Make sure to ask what the meal comes with (ex. Mayonnaise, gravy or other high fat condiments)
• Limit alcoholic beverages
• Ask for a Nutrition Guide

My Favorite" healthy" take-out foods:

• Subway - Chicken or turkey sub, mustard instead of mayonnaise, no cheese
• McDonalds - Whole-wheat Chicken McGill
• Wendy's - Mandarin Chicken Salad
• Harvey's - Grilled Chicken
• Burger King - Grilled Chicken Jr.
• Swiss Chalet - Soup & Salad or Salad & ½ Chicken

• A great way to spice up your oatmeal is to add vanilla whey, a teaspoon of peanut butter or a dash of cinnamon!
• Add Mrs. Dash to grilled Chicken for some added flavour
• Eggs taste great with a shake of low fat parmesan cheese and some salsa sauce
• Try adding Tabasco sauce and lemon juice to tuna or fat free mayo and diced green onion
• A teaspoon of Atkins or Keto baking mix turns egg whites into a nice fluffy pancake

Chocolate Protein Cookies

Ingredients

6 egg whites
7 scoops oatmeal (1 3/4 cups)
2 tsp brown "Sugar Twin" (brown Sweet 'n' Low)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup un-sweetened apple sauce
4 scoops chocolate (or vanilla) whey powder
2 dashes cinnamon
1 tsp virgin olive oil
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325, bake for 20 minutes Makes 1 dozen cookies... each cookie has 14g of protein

Take a few of these with you to school along with a cup of low fat yogurt. Add a couple scoops of whey to some skim milk and wash it down. It's a pretty easy (and tasty) way to get 50-60g of protein in a quick fix.

Spicy Crispy Chicken

Ingredients

6 (approximately 1 1/2 lbs.) chicken breast halves, boned, skinned
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup (2 oz.) Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper or Italian Seasoning
Vegetable oil spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dip chicken in egg; coat with combined remaining ingredients. Place in greased shallow baking dish, sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Prep time: 5 minutes / Cooking time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Information

1/6 of recipe (1 breast) = 213 calories, 33 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate, 6.3 grams fat, 276 mg sodium. Exchanges = 4 lean meat, 1/2 bread/carbohydrate choice

Lemon Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 whole graham cracker, crushed, or 2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
1 pkg. (4-serving size) lemon flavor sugar free gelatin
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 container (8 oz.) light process cream cheese product
2 cups thawed light whipped topping
1-cup reduced-calorie cherry pie filling (or use fresh fruit)

Directions

Spray 8- or 9-inch pie plate lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom and side with graham cracker crumbs. Completely dissolve gelatin in boiling water; pour into blender container. Add cottage cheese and cream cheese products; cover. Blend at medium speed, scraping down sides occasionally, about 2 minutes or until mixture is completely smooth. Pour cheese-gelatin mixture into large bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Chill until set, about 4 hours. When ready to serve, cut into 8 wedges; top with pie filling.

Nutrition Information (1/8 recipe)

160 calories, fat = 7 g, carbohydrate = 16 g, protein = 8 g, sodium = 330 mg, cholesterol = 15 mg

Diabetic Exchange

1 medium - fat meat, 1 fruit or carbohydrate choice, 1/2 fat

Tuna Dip

Hey everyone I tried this really great recipe out of Muscle and Fitness by Laura Creavalle.It is so good and an easy way to get some extra protein in with lots of taste at the same time.

Ingredients

1 6oz can of tuna drained
16 oz fat free cream cheese
1-2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tsp horseradish
2 tbsp grated onion (I used green)
1 tsp lemon juice (I used lime)
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash herb seasoning

Directions

Blend everything together in a blender (I just mixed it by hand). Put in the fridge for 2 hours and serve with fresh veggies

1 serving (a little over 1/4 cup) 65 cals 10gr protein 4 carbs and under 1 gr fat