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…Knowing what you eat: Counting Calories…

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Do you know exactly what you are putting into your body?  Do you even know how much food you are consuming each day?  It is said that most people consume as little as TWICE as many calories than they actually need each day.

One of the most important things you need to do to help you reach your goals is to figure out what you are eating and how much you are eating!! There are DOZENS of applications you can download onto your smart devices and they are also accessible on your computer.

You can find an easily accessible and FREE calorie counter site at: http://www.nutracheck.co.uk/

Once you get singed up with these programs feel free to play around with it!! You need to get use to how the program works so you will become efficient as being able to navigate and use the program properly.

Using these types of programs will allow you the change to closely monitor HOW much food you are eating and what kind of foods you are eating.

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I suggest a few things:

– when you decide you want to make a healthier change, sign up for one of these programs and track what types of food you eat for a FULL week

– when the week is over go back and look at what you eat a lot of and what you need to eat more of.  You will be surprised to see that you consume too much salt, sugar, or another type of food.  You will also be able to see that you do not eat enough veggies, fruits, or protein.  This will allow you the change to actually see what areas you need to improve on.  

– next find some healthy recipes and go shopping! You have to find recipes that will be fitting to your needs!  Usually breakfast will be around 300-400 calories  snacks will be around 200-300 calories, and lunch and dinner should also be around 300-400 calories!  The goal is to spread your meals out throughout the day so you do not feel like you are going hungry!  YOU DO NOT WANT TO SKIP MEALS!! THIS CAN HINDER YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!  You want to try to stick to a regular eating schedule.  I would suggest eating about every 2-3 hours.  have breakfast, and then a small snack, lunch, another snack, dinner, and if you are still hungry in the evening have another SMALL snack.  You want to try to stop eating about 2-3 hours BEFORE you go to bed.  But you do not want to go hungry and you should try NOT to skip any meals

-keep track of what you eat in these applications.  They will let you decide if you have the right serving size or more than the suggested serving size.  If you stick to the proper serving sizes, a steady workout routine, and drink water you should start to see results in about a month!

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Reaching your goals will take TIME! You will have to be patient! You can not eat healthy for a week and expect 15-30 pounds to just vanish!  Yes that would be nice but it is not realistic.  You have to stay consistent with eating right AND working out.  Eating right is the MAIN priority.  If you are not feeding your body the right foods it will hinder the results you want to see!! You can spend all the time you want in the gym, but if you eat junk food all of that hard work will go to waste.  So this is why it is SO important to get your diet under control so you are able to reach the results you want.

And there you have it! I just gave you the tools you need to help you jump-start your new health and fitness journey!

Any day is a great day to start living healthier…why not start today!?

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…Meatball Monday: Quick Dinner Idea!…

Time is a great issue with everyone!
Time is what allows us to decide if we will be able to work out today…of if you are able to cook the right kind of food.

The key is to MAKE time to fit in your workouts…

MAKE time to create quick and healthy meal options for you (and possibly your family!)

Today I would like to share another quick meal option with you…

Ground Turkey/beef/chicken/Meat Balls

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Oven Temperature: 400 Degrees

What you will need:

  • The meat of your choice (Ground turkey, beef, or chicken.  All should be available at your local grocery store.  The key is to get the LEAN package of meat.  The HIGHER the number is the leaner the meat it.

Example: 94/6 Beef = 94% lean beef 4% fat.  This is the best lean option for beef.  Your store may not have this lean of meat, so try to find the HIGHEST number you can.

Turkey:  99% lean is the best (and the same goes for chicken as well)

Yes it may be a little more expensive BUT these are the healthiest options.  You can even consider the less lean meats but try not to get the most fatty meat)

  • Chopped up veggies (like onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.  You want to make sure that they are chopped into small cubes and that the pieces will fit nicely in the muffin pan holes.

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Instructions: 

***These instructions are made to follow if you use ONE pound of meat.  If you use two I would just double the recipe****

Set your oven to 400 Degrees

First get your package(s) of meat and put them in a big mixing bowl 

Add whatever seasonings you would like to the meat 

Add your chopped up veggies(I usually put onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms on my meatballs.  I will put 1/2 cup of each veggie in a bowl with 1 pound of meat)

Add 1/2 egg whites OR 2 full eggs(I found that this helps to keep the meat ball together so it does not fall apart)

Add 1/2 cup Quaker plain oats(you can also use bread crumbs or any other kind of bread product.  I use this because it adds to the meatball allowing it to stick together as well as adding to the taste of the meatballs) **You can also skip this step. You do not have to add a bread product if you like***

Make Sure to mix all of the contents in the bowl very well to allow for the best distribution of the veggies, spices, and anything else that you put in the bowl

Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray

use 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup (depending on how much meat/veggie mix will fit in each muffin tin hole)

Measure your meat into the 1/4 cup or 1/3 measuring cups and fill each muffin tin hole

Once all holes are filled

Place muffin tin in the oven

It will take 15-20 minutes for them to cook.

Just watch them and allow them to somewhat harden and turn brown on the outside.

You can break open one meatball to ensure it is all the way cooked before you completely take them out of the oven.

Allow to cool…serve…and ENJOY!

 

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These are great because you can make a batch and keep them in the fridge and grab them when you are in a hurry! You can eat these with pasta, veggie mix, or with anything else you like!

These also allow you to eat the right portion size!
I usually will have two meatballs, a side of veggies, and something else small (like pasta or rice) with this meatball meal.

Hope that you try these out sometime!

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…Spaghetti Sundays…

Spaghetti Sundays…

I grew up attending MANY of these dinners!

From the garlic cheese bread…unlimited meat balls…and you can not forget to mention the variety of desserts that have been offered!

Today, I am going to share some tips on how to make your next Spaghetti Sunday (or Monday…Tuesday…or whatever day of the week!)

Change your pasta!

Have you ever considered using a different types of noodles?  One of the best options you can try is whole wheat pasta! It should not cost you any more (and if it does it should not cost you too much more) to buy whole wheat noodles.  I know that my local grocery store now carries many different types of whole wheat pasta noodles!  From angel hair pasta to linguine noodles.  I have even found bow tie noodles as well as elbow shaped noodles!  You can find any traditional noodle in the whole wheat option.  NOTE: there should be two options at your store.  There is WHOLE WHEAT and WHOLE GRAIN pasta.  Both are better for you than the regular flour pasta options.  They have more fiber and they overall have more nutritional benefits. The only difference it that whole wheat is made of the whole wheat grain.  The Whole grain option is made with the whole grain.  HERE is a great article that can explain it better to you.

Change your meat! 

 I know that some families add meat to their pasta sauce to make the spaghetti more filling.  Most people use regular beef.  BUT have you ever considered using 98% lean beef?  Or how about ground turkey?  Or maybe even consider ground chicken?  All of those are a healthier and leaner option than regular ground beef.

 Watch your sauce!

Regular tomato sauce is the best option for your family spaghetti meals.  Creamy sauces have more ingredients which result in more calories.  As a golden rule in eating healthy…try to stay away from sauces (and even salad dressings) that are creamy and thick! Those option pack more calories and are not as healthy for you.  Also, try to find low sodium sauces to help cut back on the sodium intake for that meal.

 Watch your portion sizes!

One of the top problems with weight gain is consuming more calories than you should during your meal! Try to portion out the correct sizes of pasta, sauce, and anything else you serve during the meal to help your family realize the importance of correct portion sizes.  I know how easy it is to pile on the pasta and drown it in sauce! But, preparing your plate that way puts 3…4…or even MORE portion sizes than you should be consuming during that meal.

Watch how much bread you make!

Garlic bread is a staple product with spaghetti meals!  And yes it is OK to have them with your meal! BUT here are a few tips to make your bread serving a little better

Try having whole wheat bread instead of the regular white flour bread.  This is the healthier options for bread and can also help cut back the calories.  Also, do not use as much butter!!! Try using olive oil or an olive oil spray to lightly spray the tops of the bread to allow them to get brown.  Try using a low sodium garlic seasoning to help add the desired flavor for your bread.  And last but not least, do not forget to create the right portion sizes of bread that you hand out at the dinner table.

 Don’t forget the sides!!

Lastly, you can not forget to have some healthy side options available to have with your meal.  You can try things like spinach, green beans, peas, corn, squash, small side salads….or practically anything else you and your family would like.  I always suggest having two side options to go with your pasta and bread.  This will allow for a more well-rounded meal, and the change to get other needed nutrients in their meal.

 

Dessert can be fun and low-calorie as well!  Try making jello or a low-calorie pudding (with a dollop of whip cream!)  There are dozens of inexpensive and low-calorie dessert options for you to cook for dessert!

I hope that these tips were helpful!  There is always many different things you can alter to help make your weekly family meals a healthier meal option!

 

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…Taco Tuesday?…

Does your family regularly participate in weekly meals?

When I was a child, I knew that some days of the week we would be graced with tacos…or spaghetti…or burgers. And as a child,  I think there is nothing more exciting than expecting to have one of your favorite meals each week!

BUT this could be a potential problem for those who are trying to adapt healthier eating habits,

NO WORRIES! I am sharing some healthier alternatives that can turn your Taco Tuesday into a HEALTHIER Taco Tuesday.  Now you and your family can keep your taco date each week without you breaking your healthy eating habit! 🙂

  • Try using LOW FAT sour cream and cheese.  This can help cut those unwanted calorie intake in almost half!
  • Try using soft tortillas and try to use WHOLE WHEAT tortillas instead of the traditional shells.
  • Have you ever considered using ground turkey meat instead of regular meat?  If you do not like turkey meat try to get LEAN hamburger meat.
  • Try to have steamed veggies instead of Mexican rice and beans (or you can use black beans for a healthier option!)
  • Try to measure out correct portion sizes for your tacos/taco salad so you are sure to not double the food you are supposed to consume for the meal!
  • Skip the carbonated drinks or sweet tea! Try to stick to water for your beverage of choice
  • try to limit or cut out guacamole!  Yes it is healthy for you but it packs a lot of calories!
  • Think about using shopped baked chicken or shrimp instead of beef!

Still want chips with your meal? Try to make your own! Get a normal round tortilla, lightly spread some olive oil on top, slice the tortilla into the desired chip sizes you would like, then sprinkle it with sea salt (or any other spices you may have).  Put your over on 350 degrees.  Place your tortillas in the over for about 15 minutes.  MAKE SURE TO WATCH IT!  They get brown pretty quickly.  You can let them get as brown as you would like before they burn (the browner they are the more crunchy they are!)  Take them out and let them cool for about 10 minutes, and you have healthier “chips” for you to enjoy with your meal.

There are a lot of things you can change or add to make your family meals a healthier meal!  You just have to be mindful of the ingredients you are using and learn what to substitute to help make it taste just as yummy as you would like! You do not have to sacrifice good tasting food so you can eat healthier!

Happy Taco Tuesday!

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