Hello! Are you in need of some general nutrition guidelines? Here is a great summary of what your diet should look like. Of course every person is different so please feel free to email me or ask questions for a diet plan specifically for you!
In general you want to try and eat as many veggies and fruits as possible, with plenty of healthy proteins and fat (see below) and when you eat grains make them whole grain (see below). In addition to what you are eating, when you are eating is important as well. It is much healthier to eat smaller meals/snacks every couple hours than just eating three large meals per day. For example: 7am breakfast, 10am snack, 12pm lunch, 2:30pm snack, 4:30pm snack, 7pm dinner. By constantly eating (healthy things :)) your metabolism stays high and stays constant. When you go for 5+ hours without food, your body starts to go in “starvation mode” and holds onto calories rather than burn them.
Here are some healthy foods (you’ll see some in more than one category) and then some healthy meal ideas…
Protein
- chicken
- fish
- shrimp, crab etc
- black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans
- nuts
- eggs
- greek yogurt
- quinoa
- brown rice
- natural peanut butter (not the sugar loaded stuff :))
- almond butter
Healthy Fats (it is very important to eat healthy fats! Don’t be afraid to eat these!)
- avocado
- salmon
- walnuts, almonds
- natural peanut butter
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
- olive oil, grape oil, coconut oil etc. (most oils except canola or vegetable oil)
- almond butter
Healthy Grains
- oatmeal
- brown rice
- quinoa
- “9-grain” foods
- whole wheat items (tortilla, pasta, bread, etc)
Breakfast Ideas
- Greek yogurt with berries (+/- flax seed or chia seeds)
- Egg scramble with mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, + any veggie
- Oatmeal (plain or can add nuts, dried fruit, coconut flakes, chia, flax, cinnamon, blueberries, apples, peanut butter, etc.)
- Smoothie (lots of fruit, ice, coconut milk (optional) and add some spinach/kale – I promise you won’t taste it)
- Fruit salad
- 9-grain toast with peanut butter or almond butter and sliced banana or apple on top
- 9-grain toast with eggs, tomato, sprouts, sunflower seeds and salt/pepper
Lunch Ideas
- Smoothie makes a great lunch too, especially if you add veggies!
- Sandwich/wrap on health bread, loaded with turkey or chicken and a lot of veggies
- Salad with a lot of different vegetables, and olive oil and pepper with a little lemon or balsamic for dressing (optional add chicken)
Snack Ideas
- Nuts
- Home-made trail mix (raw walnuts, raw almonds, raisins, craisins, dried mango)
- Any fruit
- Apple or banana with PB/almond butter
- Carrots/celery
- Dried fruit
- Hummus and veggies to dip in it
- Add Tbs of chia seeds to you water bottle, can’t taste them and they are excellent for helping with digestion and getting toxins out of the intestines (See my post about the health benefits of chia seeds)
Dinner Ideas
- Grilled chicken + veggie or 2 +/- quinoa or Brown rice
- Fish + a veggie or 2
- Veggie + shrimp or chicken stir fry (teriyaki, soy sauce, or a little peanut sauce for flavor)
- Good dinner veggies: broccoli, asparagus, spinach, green beans, artichoke, beats, carrots, corn (ok others are better), grilled bell pepper/onion, anything!
- Health skewers: meat + onion +bell pepper + mushroom etc drizzled in olive oil and bbqed or pan cooked
- Big salad with garbanzo beans and chicken
Key things to avoid
- Added sugar
- Too much salt (makes us hold onto water and appear heavier/puffy)
- Processed foods
- Dairy for some people
Hope that helps! And remember to be drinking a lot of water! Feel free to ask questions or ask for more ideas anytime, this is just a good start!
Be Happy. Be Fit.