Recommended Healthy Meals

Recommended Healthy Meals

These are recommended healthy ideas for meals. I’m not a nutritionist, but I have just read a lot of books on nutrition and know what works for me and many of my clients. This is how I eat. These are a few ideas.  There are many other ideas you can add to this list.  Also find a healthy cookbook for a base of ideas.

Remember a serving size needs to be about the size of a deck of cards. It’s better to eat many small meals than to eat a few large meals. Don’t eat until the point you are full!

Think never hungry and never full.  Meals are about the size of your fist. Eat maybe 2 meals and 2 snacks a day or maybe 2 meals and 4 snacks a day. Judge how much fuel or calories you need by your activity each day. You don't want to feel like your are starving or full.

  

Breakfast Ideas

•  Cold Cereal. Find a cold cereal, find one you like. The cereal needs be high in fiber. Try cereals with nuts, fruit, etc. Almond milk is a really good alternative to cow’s milk. Compared to cow's milk, almond milk is the much healthier choice. Almond milk contains a wide variety of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function. Almond milk also contains high levels of antioxidants, so it can help prevent many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging. Almond milk is also great for those who can't drink cow's milk due to lactose intolerance, or a casein or gluten allergy; however, those with tree nut allergies should avoid almond milk because it could elicit a dangerous allergic reaction. While cow's milk contains high levels of calcium, and is fortified with vitamins A and D to help you meet your daily requirements of these vitamins, almond milk contains high levels of a wide range of necessary vitamins and therefore has a higher nutritional value than cow's milk. The only thing that cow's milk has more of than almond milk is protein; cow's milk has eight grams of protein per serving while almond milk has only one gram per serving.
• Oatmeal. Be sure to cook oatmeal on the stove top not the microwave.  There are many studies that show cooking in the microwave can kill all the good nutrients. Nothing starts the day off better than a big bowl of warm oatmeal. This traditional breakfast dish has many benefits, particularly for the heart, that make it a smart choice. Here are seven reasons why oatmeal should be part of your normal diet. 1. Lowers cholesterol.  2. Boosts immune system 3. Special antioxidants for heart protection. 4. Stabilizes blood sugar.  5. Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes. 6. Prevents breast cancer. 7. Gluten-friendly. I love to add almonds and apples to my oatmeal for a nutty and fruity taste.
• Smoothies. Try spinach, almond milk, any kind of fruit and vanilla protein in your smoothies. If you want a sweeter smoothie try adding blue agave nectar. Some people like their smoothies with ice. Whip all your favorite smoothie ingredients together in a blender for a refreshing and fresh whole food meal.
• Eggs. Two eggs cooked anyway you want them and one whole grain wheat toast. The eggs are quality protein and loaded with B Vitamins.  The whole wheat grain is a good source of a complex carbohydrates giving you the energy you need with a slow release of sugar. 

Snack ideas

• Smoothies. See breakfast meals.
• An apple and a hand full of raw nuts.
• Protein drinks with any fruit.
• Food bars.  Pick out a healthy food bar you like.  Look for food bars that don’t have refined sugars and has whole foods like nuts, seeds and fruit. I like Akins bars.
• Yogurt and add fruit or nuts. I like plain Greek yogurt best. Greek yogurt is higher in protein. I like to sweeten my yogurt myself to control the amount of sugar. I add blue agave nectar because it’s low on the glycemic index and is three times slower turning into sugar than refined sugar. I also add a little vanilla extract. 

Lunch Ideas

• Salad. Prepare five salads for your weekly lunches. Add all the vegetables you like. That way you are prepared for the week and less likely to stray.
•  Low Fat Cottage Cheese.  You can add any fruit or vegetable to cottage cheese.  Cottage is low in fat and a great source of protein.  
• Sandwich. Make sure the bread is 100% whole grain wheat bread. You don’t need the chips and soda, come on. Beware of what you put on your sandwich.  No processed meats and be light on mayonnaise and cheeses.
• Fruit and a hand full of raw nuts. I always eat an apple every day.
• Hard boiled eggs with vegetables.

 Dinner ideas

• Tacos. Use all the things you like with tacos. Lettuce, onion, tomatoes, etc. I like to replace beef with black beans. Use 100% whole grain whole wheat tortillas. Use white cheese rather than yellow cheese.  White cheese is healthier because it’s lower in fat and has fewer dyes.
• Beef. Try having less beef in your meals there is too much saturated fat in beef. Avoid ground hamburger beef.
• Chicken. Chicken is a very versatile meat, there are many things you can do with chicken. Tacos, salads, stir fry, soups…
• Fish and Shrimp. I love shrimp in a stir fry. Salmon is great to add omega oils in your diet.
• Add to any of these with meals:  Brown rice, steamed vegetables, raw vegetables and fruit. 

   

Gary Rumel, Physiology

Fitworks Corrective Therapy 
www.fitworksutah.com