Food
What’s on your label?
Do you know how to read the nutritional facts on the side of a cereal box? Reading the nutritional facts for the food you eat is so important when trying to maintain a healthy diet.
Check out the PowerPoint for more tips and facts about nutrition!
Out with the pyramid, and in with the plate!
What once used to be the food pyramid, the newly redesigned “Eat-Well Food Plate” breaks down the daily recommend nutritional servings for your fruits, veggies, meats, and more!
Veg-out on Veggies!
The Harvard School of Public Health states:
It’s hard to argue with the health benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits: Lower blood pressure; reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers; lower risk of eye and digestive problems; and a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.”
The recommended serving of fruits and vegetables each day is 2-3. It’s always great to eat a handful of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or snap peas; however, it doesn’t hurt to spice it up when it comes to how your vegetables come prepared. Raw and steamed veggies are always the easiest, but try changing it up a bit and check out this great website with some really tasty vegetable dish recipes so that you can get in your daily servings of those nutritious and delicious vegetables.
Get Up and Warm Up!
Remember how everyone tells you that the most important meal of the day is breakfast? You have to get your body off to the right start. It’s important to fuel your “tank” before you start your day and hit the ground running.
Similarly, warming up before a workout is just like eating breakfast in the morning. It is very important to warm up and get your body’s core temperature to rise in order to improve mobility and flexibility. Warming up helps you visualize the workout, sport, or other physical activity before you begin your full-on routine. Warming up helps prevent injuries and reduce tightness. It’s important to gradually start your body off on the right foot. Warming up helps you visualize the workout, sport, or other physical activity before you begin your full-on routine.
So, before you meet up with your personal trainer, start playing a sport, or hit the gym… remember to stop and warm up and stretch a little before you hit the ground running.
Best Breakfasts on the Go!
How many times have you heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but you just don’t have the time to fit it in? For some people, it might be hard to get in that essential meal right after you’ve woken up and the day starts moving…fast. So, what is the next step after that?
Fast Food.
Obviously fast food doesn’t necessarily have the healthiest connotation linked to it. However, CNN posted a great article about some of the best, healthiest, and tastiest grab-n-go breakfast options. Check out CNN’s website for more details!
Portion Control
Living in the society that we do today, it’s so fast-paced and on the go. It’s easy to want to stop and get fast food, eat out, and fall into temptation of the family-style dishes or the “Large”, “Grande” or “Super” options.
So, how do we do it? How do we still eat out, eat well, and eat the right sized portions. Check out this great article from Essential 2 Health with some great tips to watching your eating habits and cutting back your portion size.
Eat Healthy All Week
How does spicy steak, chicken parmigiana, and shrimp scampi sound for dinner? Are you looking for some TASTY, healthy recipes? Well, this article by Self.Com actually maps out a seven day eating plan so you can watch your calories, but not cut the taste. check out this article below for some great recipes and meal ideas for the whole week!Eat healthy all week
More from this story
Eating right just got easier! Simply buy what’s on the shopping list to make a week’s worth of tasty, low-calorie meals. Bonus: Wherever there’s a *, we’ve made the plan even more convenient with precooked ingredients to use in later dishes. You’ll gain time and may even lose a pound or two!
Sunday
Breakfast Zucchini-Spice Bran Muffin with 1 cup grapes
* Make three muffins today. Have one this morning and wrap up the other two in plastic wrap or a resealable bag for breakfast and snacks later this week.
357 calories, 9.6 grams fat
Lunch Spicy Steak Salad with black beans, dressed with either Roasted Garlic–Balsamic Vinaigrette or Carrot-Ginger Dressing
*Make and chill both dressings and use them interchangeably on your salads all week. Freeze one third of the steak you bought, cook two thirds, eat half now and pack up the rest.
463 calories, 20.6 g fat
Snack Nonfat plain yogurt (6 ounces) with 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, 2 tbsp raspberries (or blackberries) and 2 teaspoons honey
185 calories, 3.8 g fat
Dinner Shrimp Scampi With Pasta, Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
*Pack up half of the shrimp you cooked for tomorrow’s lunch, and in another container, store half of the pasta for tomorrow’s dinner.
468 calories, 15.8 g fat
Dessert Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (2) with slivered almonds, 8 oz skim milk
*Make four strawberries; eat two and chill two.
287 calories, 14.2 g fat
Monday
Breakfast Hot Autumn Apple Oatmeal with banana and berries
351 calories, 7.2 g fat
Lunch Shrimp Tacos stuffed with leftover shrimp, lettuce, carrot, goat cheese and salsa in two corn tortillas
277 calories, 7.7 g fat
Snack Half of one Zucchini-Spice Bran Muffin from the batch you made yesterday, 1 banana
232 calories, 5.2 g fat
Dinner Chicken Parmigiana With Pasta, steamed broccoli and homemade tomato sauce mixed with the angel-hair pasta you set aside on Sunday
521 calories, 10.7 g fat
Dessert Graham cracker squares (4), 8 oz skim milk
202 calories, 3 g fat
Tuesday
Breakfast Pumpkin Muesli made with oatmeal, strawberry, almonds and yogurt
377 calories, 8.5 g fat
Lunch Egg Salad Sandwich with baby spinach on whole-wheat bread, 1 cup grapes and 8 oz skim milk
665 calories, 18.8 g fat
Snack Carrot and celery sticks (1 cup each) with 1 tbsp Roasted Garlic–Balsamic Vinaigrette or Carrot-Ginger Dressing, 1 oz manchego cheese with 1/2 small whole-wheat pita, toasted
321 calories, 15.7 g fat
What’s Your Diet and Fitness IQ?
Take the test below from Health.Com to figure out your Diet and Fitness IQ!
