Category Archives: Meal Planning

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Time to Hit the Grill

pork kabobsIt’s that time of year that I like to try cook EVERYTHING on the BBQ. But I still try to plan ahead with these meals too. As most of my meat I buy in bulk, I like to separate the meat into serving size portions for the family (ie. family of 4, 4 chicken breasts to a ziplock bag) and add these super tasty marinades) to the bag.

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Healthy Meal Planning

Since starting Muay Thai in September, I thought I was eating clean and healthy, but recently sat with a friend who showed me I could be doing so much more.
My friend has educated hundreds of people on the Weight Watchers program and she was happy to give me a few tips to get me started. I created a chart that I use daily to track my food intake.

food chart

I was told that due to my level of activity (working out 3-4 times a week), I need to eat 3 proteins a day. Normally, I should only eat 2.
Here are some examples for serving sizes:

HealthDiet_headerProteins
2 eggs
5 oz chicken/fish
4 oz beef/pork
½ can tuna
1 c up cottage cheese

Starch
1 pc bread
2 pc diet bread
1 6” wrap
½ English muffin
¼ cup rolled oats
½ cup cereal (sugar free)
¼ cup dry rice
½ potato
3 cups popcorn

Vegetables
1 cup green vegetables
½ cup coloured vegetables
 
Fruit
½ banana
½ cup blueberries
1 cup red berries
1 cup grapes
medium apple, orange
½ cup melon

Dairy
½ cup milk
6 oz yougurt
1 oz cheese
½ cup cottage cheese

Fat
½ oz nuts
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp oil/margarine

Xchange (100 calories)
Beer
4 oz wine
snack bar
salad dressing

These are some great guidelines to start with. Each week I will be posting a new menu plan so check back often!

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Fruit-to-go for the Kids

Looking for a quick and easy fruit fix for the kids? Buy bananas and have them readily available when preparing lunches. Prepare your apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, or oranges so they are a quick grab and go for lunches (or when you’re flying out the door).

Prepackage grapes in snack size baggies. Do not wash until the night before you’re going to put them in your lunch. This will keep them crisp longer. Then when you’re putting lunches together, grab a bag of grapes, rinse the grapes and you’re ready to go.
fruits

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Time Saving Meals

Here’s a quick link to some of my favorite time saving meals:

1. Healthy Eating While at Work
2. Bran Muffins
3. Slow Cooker Chicken
4. Freezer Friendly Meals
5. Rum Glazed Salmon
6. Slow Cooker Ham
7. Baked Cheese Cappelletti
8. Classic Macaroni Salad
9. Brown Sugar Meatloaf
10. Best Ever BBQ Hamburgers
11. Chicken Noodle Soup
12. Double Duty Cookies

Stay tuned, more to come!
What are some of your favorite time saving meals.

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Healthy Eating While at Work

Trays of Veggies
Are you trying to eat healthy? Or maybe you just love your fresh vegetables and dip? I find it a lot of work to cut up vegetables every single night for my lunch so I’ve learned a few tricks along the way.
On Sunday night, I’ll fill a HUGE tuperware container with enough veggies to last till Wednesday. The size will all depend on how many veggies you honestly think you can eat and the storage capacity of the fridge at work. (of course if you don’t have a fridge at work, you can still make single serving sized containers in batches and store them in your fridge so you’re good for a couple of days)

375x250_veggies
My trays always start with lots of baby or chopped carrots. Then I reach for the celery. Grape sized tomatos are also a great addition and last a long time. Cucumbers were always a bit tricky, but I found small cucumbers and I don’t cut them. I keep a little paring knife (with a cover) at my desk at work and I can cut up my cucumbers as I eat them. This concept also works well for peppers. I’m able to buy baby-sized peppers by the bag and love the shelf life of these peppers as well. Broccoli and cauliflower also have a good shelf life of a few days once they are cut. I tend to stay away from mushrooms, or if I do put some in the container, I make sure to eat them all on the first day.
Of course you’re not limited to just these vegetables, if they last a couple of days, you’re good to go and this is a great way to stay motivated to eat healthy!
Buy a container of hummus for dip, or actual vegetable dip to bring to work with you and you’re all set! Bring on the 10:00 am munchies!

Find more time saving tips for preparing lunches here!

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10 Smart Breakfast Tips for Families

1. Don’t have time for breakfast? Make it ahead so you can grab-and-go. Make a batch of muffins on the weekend, wrap them individually and freeze. Just take one out the night before to thaw by morning. Or spread some peanut butter on a whole wheat wrap, drizzle on some honey and a sprinkle of dried cherries, and wrap it up. Stash it in the fridge overnight and then eat it on your way out the door in the morning.
2. If you are never hungry for breakfast, it could be you are eating too much at night. Try eating a light dinner and have no more than some fruit as a snack in the evening. Chances are you will get up in the morning with a healthy appetite. You’ll be better off because you’ll be get energy early in the day when you really need it, and probably eat fewer, more nutrient-packed calories overall.
3. Skipping breakfast to save calories is like skipping homework to save brainpower. People who skip this morning meal tend to make up the calories and then some later in the day. Plus, eating breakfast has been tagged one of the key habits of people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off.
4. Who says you have to have breakfast food for breakfast? If your kids don’t like cereal, eggs, and such, give them their favorite mac-n-cheese leftover from last night’s dinner, make them half a turkey sandwich, or try mini pizzas made with some pasta sauce and part-skim mozzarella atop a whole-wheat English muffin.
5. A bagel with cream cheese can run you close to 500 calories. Instead try a whole-wheat English muffin with some peanut butter. It is deliciously satisfying and only 320 calories.
6. Crave the smoky, meaty taste of bacon? Well, you can have it in a healthy way. Canadian bacon is actually lean ham that is smoked liked regular bacon and is perfect at breakfast time for a third of the calories and one fifth of the fat.
7. If your child just won’t sit down to breakfast in the morning, don’t force the issue. Instead, make a little snack bag with nuts, dried fruit, and their favorite whole-grain cereal. (Note: Dried fruit and nuts can be a choking hazard for kids younger than age 4.) Give it to them with a low-fat milk box to eat on the way to school.
8. Now it’s easier than ever to grab a healthy breakfast on the road. I love that Starbucks now has delicious hot oatmeal to go, with yummy toppings like dried fruit, nuts, and brown sugar. Next time, grab that with your skim latte. Or look for similar healthy choices — such as low-fat yogurt or a hard-boiled egg — at your usual morning pit stop.
9. Turn your supermarket’s cereal aisle into a treasure hunt for your kids. They’ll learn about nutrition and be well on their way to a healthier breakfast. Challenge them to find a cereal to buy that has less than 9 grams of sugar per serving and whole grain as the first ingredient. With smaller children who can’t yet read, talk to them about different cereals, and why you won’t buy one cereal but you will pick another choice.
10. Smoothies are like milk shakes, so kids love them. I always keep a variety of unsweetened frozen fruit on hand — peaches, berries, cherries, mangoes — so my daughter can pick and choose. We whir it up with yogurt, milk, and a dash of honey for a smile-inspiring quick breakfast.
breakfast_parfait

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