How do I make healthy food choices every day?

Food is everywhere in our modern American culture. From the bank teller with her bowl of lollipops to the vending machines at the gym to the coffee pot at work, food permeates our society.

As a result, I make food choices all day long. 

Some choices I don't even think about. Like the bowl of lime green lollipops. Those hold no attraction to my 37 year old self.

Some choices I pause over. A cup of hot chocolate with white fluffy marshmallows sure tastes good while writing a blog post.

Some choices I heartily embrace. A can of soda provides a late-afternoon pick-me-up while waiting during my kids' gymnastics lessons.

How do I consistently make HEALTHY food choices?

• Create healthy food habits. Replace potato chips with baby carrots at lunch. Substitute whole grain wheat bread for white bread when making toast during breakfast. Grab your water bottle instead of a can of soda when you feel thirsty.

• Make food choices ahead of time. Sitting down in a restaurant with a growling stomach after a long day working is NOT the time to choose tonight's supper. Everything will look and smell good. Before you know it, you will have eaten 3 bread sticks, 2 bowls of greens dripping with salad dressing, and three-fourths of a massive pile of spaghetti noodles drenched in cream sauce. All washed down with 4 glasses of soda. Or maybe that's just me.

• Learn about nutrition. Educate yourself on why your body needs carbs, protein, vitamins and minerals. Understanding how your body uses food can help you make healthier choices.

Making healthy food choices on a daily basis is key to creating a lifestyle of fitness for me and my family. By taking these 3 steps I'll become more consistent in choosing healthy food over nutrient-empty food.

What tips do you have for making healthy food choices?

A Low Calorie Breakfast - Strawberries and Bran Flakes Cereal

I am not a morning person. That makes preparing and eating a nutritious breakfast difficult for me, ESPECIALLY when I'm trying to lose a few pounds.

I'm going to let you in on my breakfast secret: Bran Flakes.

Really!! I buy an off-brand version of plain bran flakes. It has 5 g of dietary fiber and 5 g of sugars. A 3/4 cup serving is only 90 calories and VERY filling. Add a 1/2 cup of 1% milk and I'm only up to 140 calories.

Now comes the tricky part. I grew up adding sugar to my sugar cereals so I like breakfast to be sweet. But sugar adds nutrition-less calories.

So, I buy a pound of strawberries, wash them, cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them to my bran flakes every morning. Strawberries only add a few calories and I've eaten a fruit first thing in the morning. By cutting them up ahead of time I don't have to think or operate a knife before I've fully woken up.

Sometimes I like to change up my routine and substitute banana slices for the strawberries. If I'm really feeling crazy I'll add a few raisins or dried cranberries but those are usually coated in sugar so I don't do that often.

There you have it. My low calorie, nutritious, no cook breakfast.

What do you eat for a healthy breakfast?

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Menu Plan Monday :: June 18, 2012

What are we eating this week during our staycation?

Grilled Hamburgers, Fruit

Leftover Chicken Stir-fry, Rice, and Fruit

Spaghetti and Garden Salad

Hot Dogs and Fruit
(in honor of Will and Daddy attending a RED SOX game!!)

Homemade Pizza, Fruit

Grilled Chicken, Baked Potato, Garden Salad

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

What are you eating this week?

Recent menu plans:

• June 11, 2012
• June 4, 2012
• May 28, 2012
• April 30, 2012

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