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We
all know weeknights can be stressful, rushed and hectic. You
may have every intention of putting a healthy meal on the
table, only to be overcome by 'real life'! Don't despair -
all is not lost! When your best efforts go awry, and you order
pizza or serve another meal that doesn't exactly fit into
a healthy diet, you still have many options for making it
healthier:
1. Start your meal with a large glass of water.
2. Blot pizza with a napkin or paper towel. This can remove
several grams of fat from each slice.
3. Opt for veggie toppings on pizza if possible.
4. Add a bag of salad (but be careful of high-fat dressings
and toppings)
5. Try adding dried herbs or other seasonings to your salads
to give them a kick without relying solely on the dressing
to do this. Eat salad dressings on the side. Use the technique
of dipping your fork in the dressing and then adding your
salad.
6. Fill half your plate with vegetables, and leave the other
half for protein and complex carbs.
7. Sneak vegetables in wherever you can - in casseroles, pasta
sauces, pizzas, sandwiches, soups.
8. Try starting your meal with a glass of vegetable juice
or vegetable soup.
9. Cut back on bread where you can. Eat thin pizza crust;
avoid garlic or cheese bread; limit servings of bread with
italian meals. If you can, opt for whole grains.
10. Eat fresh fruit for dessert, or for an appetizer.
Just
like when you fall off your exercise program and the experts
tell you to just pick up where you left off, the same can
be said for your wish to eat healthier. Make the best of the
choices you have, and don't expect to be the perfect eater
every day. It's all about making it work with the rest of
your life!
© Health-E-Meals.com,
2002
This
article may be reprinted with permission if the following
resource box is included:
Erin
Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of
Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living
resources for busy people. Visit her website
to sign up for the FREE newsletter, 'Dinners on the
Double' - offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner
idea each week. Other available services include quick
and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness
and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots
more! Erin can be reached via email here.
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