Before you scratch your head and wonder why the scale keeps going up or your blood sugar levels are too high, make sure you are making these lifestyle changes that have been proven successful:
Fill up half your plate with vegetables, EVEN at BREAKFAST!
Breakfast?
Yes, try tomato and cucumbers, daikon (like radish, but white) or red radishes, red pepper strips; if you have time, stick tomato halves under the broiler for 2 minutes and when they are just beginning to form a sweet glaze, sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve;
Lunch?
Not just baby carrots with sandwiches: use romaine lettuce to wrap your meat and other sandwich fillings in; place spinach greens in your egg, tuna and chicken salad sandwiches and don’t forget to add scallions, celery, diced carrots and peppers to your salad; grate carrots and apples and mix with fresh lemon juice;
Dinner?
Dice up fresh tomatoes, add fresh basil and balsamic vinegar and optional white mozzarella cheese and yum!; steam one head of cauliflower and add a spritz of olive oil and nutmeg before eating; microwave frozen spinach doused in lemon juice and serve with any meat dish; if you are making a pasta/noodle dish, one minute before the noodles are done boiling, add a bag of frozen vegetables medley into the pot and strain it all together, adding your marinara and sprinkle of cheese at the end; add sugar-free brown sugar and 2 Tbsp raisins to carrots sautéing in a non stick pan with no more than a teaspoon of olive oil or a pat of butter added;
Snacks?
Thinly sliced cucumbers marinated in rice vinegar with sesame seeds added; roasted (in the oven or on the grill) zucchini, yellow squash, red/green/yellow peppers, mushrooms, onions, all sliced in strips- these are so good, they need no marinate, even olive oil!; gazpacho (cold tomato-veggie soup, see recipe next month)
Go easy on the high fat protein foods/snacks
Examples: Nuts, nut butters, seeds, cheese, whole eggs (egg whites can be eaten in greater quantities)
These foods work in very small quantities to help keep you full, but are a diet buzz kill in large quantities.
PORTION per FEEDING:
· 1 ounce of cheese
· 12 nuts or 1 Tbsp nut butter
· 2 TBSP seeds
· 1 hard boiled egg
Stay Hydrated!
The more water and liquids you drink, even the non calorie fluids, the less hungry you are apt to get!
Stay tuned for more food strategies next month from Merle…
Merle Shapera, MS, RD, CDE, LD
Office Number (708) 415-2693
