There are times, like after a food-filled vacation or a big holiday, when I feel like my typically healthy diet needs a bit of a refresh. Instead of skipping meals, feeling guilty or drastically cutting calories—habits that can be detrimental to your health—try making some small changes to each meal to get back on track without a diet overhaul. Here’s a daily plan with tricks for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that will save some calories and help you get right back on track.
Breakfast
I always start my day with a healthy breakfast—but when I’m trying to restart my healthy habits, I use a few tricks to cut calories without missing out on any of my favorites. My first trick is swapping my typical two pieces of whole-wheat bread for one whole-wheat English muffin to save about 35 calories. That’s not a huge savings on its own, but if I also use slightly less peanut butter on my toast and use low-fat milk instead of cream in my coffee, I can save about 100 calories without feeling deprived. Another sneaky trick to use at breakfast: have a slightly smaller portion of oatmeal or cereal (e.g., downsizing from a ˝ cup to 1/3 cup of oats) and bulk up your bowl with more fruit.
Lunch
If a sandwich is on the menu, swap the mayo for mustard and ditch the top slice of bread (making both switches can save about 180 calories). Pile on plenty of veggies like lettuce, tomato slices and cucumbers to add bulk for very few calories. (Added bonus: a large piece of lettuce is a great stand-in for a missing slice of bread.) Eating a sandwich that’s loaded with veggies and has only a small amount of meat or cheese can be a good lunch choice. But one of my favorite healthy and low-cal lunches is a hearty salad, like this EatingWell Power Salad.
The key to making a satisfying salad without a lot of calories is to start with about two cups of greens (I like baby spinach), then add lots of colorful vegetables, such as diced cucumbers, bell peppers and artichoke hearts. Next, add a source of lean protein (which will help keep you full), like beans, grilled chicken or tuna (hold the mayo). Include a small serving of healthy whole-grain carbs, such as quinoa or a whole-wheat pita on the side—the fiber will also help you feel fuller longer. Finally, add a little bit of dressing for flavor—no more than two tablespoons. (But don’t skip it altogether, since the fat in the dressing helps your body absorb nutrients from your salad.) This EatingWell Power Salad clocks in at just 180 calories per serving and is a filling and nutritious lunch.
Snack
You can—and should—still enjoy snacks on a day where you’re trying to eat fewer calories. If you choose wisely, snacks can help you manage your hunger and pack lots of nutrients into your day without adding too many calories. I use my snacks as an opportunity to pump up my intake of fruits and veggies, so I’ll have celery sticks with a little peanut butter, or blueberries with a dollop of plain yogurt. Snacking on fiber-filled produce with a bit of protein (nuts, hummus, low-fat cheese) is a pairing that can help fill you up until your next meal. If you’re craving something crunchy and savory, munch on popcorn instead of chips. Three cups of air-popped popcorn can save you about 75 calories over a snack-size bag of chips.
Dinner
When I’m minding calories and still want to feel satisfied, I turn to low-calorie veggies to bulk up a meal. Try swapping mashed cauliflower for potatoes (cup for cup, cauliflower saves 90 calories), or use spaghetti squash in place of pasta (to save 130 calories per cup). I usually aim to fill half my dinner plate with vegetables, then round out the meal with a serving of lean protein (think salmon or tofu). A whole-grain side like farro or brown rice can complete the meal and provide additional fiber, which, like protein, helps fill you up.
Dessert
If you’re still hankering for something extra at the end of the day, you don’t have to deprive yourself. And in fact, you shouldn’t: small treats may actually help you stick to your weight-loss goals. Try a small piece of dark chocolate or one of these 100-calorie desserts.
A day like this one allows you to eat lots of delicious food while still cutting calories to get back on track to losing weight. Incorporating these swaps throughout the day can add up to a 500-calorie savings, which over the course of a week can help you lose about 1 pound.
Renee- Dahl, Dal, or Dhal (depends on who is spelling it) are just split pulses/beans such as lentils, peas, chick peas. The soup I had was purchased at my work and it consisted of yellow lentils. I have never made it from scratch, but am considering it. Here is a recipe I found on line:
Yellow Lentil Dal
Serves 6
30 minutes or fewer
In India, dal is the term used for all dried legumes, but it has also come to refer to a simple, nourishing stew-like preparation served with rice or flat bread. This recipe can be made with any type of lentil, just increase the cooking time 10 to 15 minutes if using black or green lentils.
2 Tbs. canola oil
3 tsp. whole cumin seeds
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, diced (1 ˝ cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 tsp. salt
1 ˝ cups yellow lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes, and sauté 1 minute. Add onion, garlic, and salt, and sauté 1 minute more.
2. Add lentils, vegetable broth, 2 cups water, and turmeric. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
October 2009 Vegetarian Times
Renee-also my toast is more than just white bread put in the toaster. It is actually a heavier type of whole wheat bread usually loaded with seeds and nuts. I do eat more than just the toast normally, but that morning I didn't really have much food at home or time to prepare something else. So it was a quick meal.
Jog with dog
B-Toast, hummus, swiss cheese, mixed lettuce
S-Banana
L-Toasted cheese sandwich with tomato/onion, vegetable soup
D-Bean Burito, Guacomole, Rice Chips, and Berry yogurt
Walk with dog.
Hey Renee, what have you been canning this year? My mom and I use to can peaches, apples, sauerkraut, and made a variety of jelly, jams, and sauces. That was years ago. She was really good at it. It was fun spending time together. We always had more than enough to last us through the whole winter. Sometimes we even gave away some in Christmas baskets.
Morning walk with dog.
B-Hummus sandwich
L-Veggie Pizza
D-Veggie Schitzel, Cheese, and Roll
S-Berry Yogurt
Evening walk with dog.
Good morning from yet another rainy day in Pennsylvania! Corinna, I don't do any canning, just freezing. So far this year I have done string beans, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and blueberries. Will have a lot more to do as the garden is just getting started. Looks to be a great year with all the rain we have had. I'm having a huge yard sale in 2 weeks, so am busy getting ready for that.
Yesterday:
B - oatmeal with blueberries
S - banana
L - ham salad sandwich
S - cherries
D - leftover chicken stirfry
Renee-wow, you have been busy freezing! It all sounds so yummy.
I need to have a yard sale myself to get rid of some of the extra things I don't need any more. It is so easy to accumulate stuff. Just like extra lbs. LOL
Jog with dog
B-pumpkin seed bread and hummus
L-Spaghetti
D-Taco Salad
S-Berry Yogurt
Here is a recipe I found that I hope to make this weekend.
It sounds good!
Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry in Black Bean Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
1 medium sized carrot
10 baby sweetcorns
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 courgette
1 medium head of broccoli
10 button mushrooms
1 pack of firm tofu
1 small packet of bean sprouts
Sesame seed oil
Jar of black bean sauce
Cashew nuts (optional)
Method
The first job is to slice the vegetables into bite–sized pieces. Slice one packet of firm tofu into chunks.
Blanch the broccoli for three minutes in boiling water then drain.
Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok. Lightly fry the tofu, turning when golden on each side. This will give a crispy outside and a fluffy middle. Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Stir–fry the vegetables, nuts and tofu in two tablespoons of sesame seed oil for five minutes. Stir in a jar of black bean sauce and the bean sprouts. Continue to cook for another three minutes.
Sunny here for the next few days so we can finally get some hay baled. Froze zucchini, picked string beans to freeze, picked cucumbers for pickles and planted more lettuce. Life is good!
Yesterday
B - oatmeal with blueberries
S - banana
L - salami and cheese sandwich
S - cherries
D - ravioli with basil and tomatoes
Good morning from a sunny and pleasant Pennsylvania! Today is a busy one for me...church, then a luncheon meeting, then home to bale hay. Have a great day Corinna!
Yesterday:
B - oatmeal with blueberries
S - banana
L - chicken bbq sandwich
S - nectarine
D - leftover ravioli with string beans
Your 1-Day Plan to Get Your Diet Back on Track
Just some light humor...
