Best 2015 Superfoods To Add To Your Diet 1. Hemp Hearts What is it? After you shell and de-hull the hemp seed, you are left with the center of the seed, called the heart. It contains 10g of protein and 10g of omegas per serving! If you are worried, hemp…
A few years ago I was working with a client named Sarah who was hands down the busiest person I had ever met. She wanted to make changes to her health but she felt that she simply didn’t have time to make her meals. So instead of tackling all of her meals, we just started with lunch.
First we discovered that she was spending an average of $10/day at lunch. Not a huge amount at each sitting, but when we added it up for the entire year she was spending $2,600 just on lunch! Next, we estimated the calories of what she was eating. Even though she was trying to make sensible choices, the average eating out meal contains over 1000 calories. That is nearly twice as much as what her body needed at lunch. This added up to an extra 265,000 calories per year! Not to mention the additional sodium, fat, and cholesterol.
Now that we had both financial and health reasons, Sarah was motivated to make a change. Here were the three most important steps that helped her make bringing her lunch a healthy habit.
When we hear the phrase high protein we often think of beefy bodybuilders or people trying to bulk up rather than slim down. However, protein is not only the building block for our muscles, it is also a key factor for losing weight. Protein breaks down slower than carbohydrates. What this means is you’ll have long-term energy rather than short-term energy, you’ll be more full longer and can significantly cut down on sweet cravings. Sounds pretty amazing, right?
In fact, the second most common mistake I see in my nutrition practice is diets that are too low in protein (the most common mistake I see is under eating). Typically we do a good job at lunch and dinner, but breakfast and snacks are where protein seems to fall through the cracks. In order to understand how we can incorporate more protein, let’s look at the primary sources of protein in our diet:
It is important to note that almost all food has some level of protein and this vegetarian list is far from exhaustive. I chose ones that are my favorite, have at least 8-10g of protein per serving and were easily accessible. If you have other great sources of protein I would love to hear about them in the comment section below!
A great rule of thumb is every time you eat; make sure it has a source of protein as well as a carbohydrate. Here are a few examples:
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The key to healthy and nutritious meals at home is a well-stocked freezer, refrigerator and pantry. There are two main goals of a well-stocked kitchen. The first is to have the basics on hand so that your weekly grocery trip is just produce and maybe some fresh fish, chicken or beef. This makes grocery shopping quick and inexpensive, which is important when you are trying to eat healthy on a budget. The second goal is to have enough ingredients on hand to throw together a quick and delicious meal rather than finding yourself in the drive-thru. Print out the list below to make sure you have all the most important healthy food staples on hand!
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No matter if you are Paleo, Vegetarian, Raw, Vegan or generally trying to eat well, fresh produce is the foundation of any healthy diet. However, choosing the best produce can sometimes be overwhelming and oftentimes goes bad before you can even use it. Next time you are at the grocery store, ask yourself these three questions to make sure that you are choosing the best produce.
When produce is first harvested, it is the freshest, tastiest, and most nutritious that it will ever be. When produce is grown locally it has to travel a shorter distance and gets to your grocery store more quickly. It will be more flavorful, nutrient dense and last longer after you buy it. Buying produce that’s in season is more likely to be local and fresh. Shopping at your local farmers’ market is a great way to ensure that your produce is local and in season. Grocery stores will also organize the produce that is in season so that it is at the front and it is typically on sale!
Even when stored correctly, some produce will spoil much more quickly than others. This doesn’t mean that you have to make multiple trips to the store, but rather organize your cooking so that you eat the more perishable produce early on. I absolutely love this weekly guide developed by Marita Cantwell, PhD, a postharvest specialist at the University of California, Davis. It is based on a Sunday shopping trip and assumes all of the produce is ripe:
EAT FIRST: Sunday to Tuesday
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Memorial Day has passed, which means that we are officially in BBQ season! This is a great time to get outside and reconnect with friends after a long hard winter. However, it can also be a time of temptation and ultimately guilt after over indulging. Here are some tips and healthy recipes that will help you enjoy every BBQ this season without any guilt!
The key to any healthy recipe is to start with the best ingredients. Choosing ingredients that are local and in season will not only create dishes that are more flavorful, but it will also help ensure you are getting the most nutrients from the food that you are eating. When it comes to organic vs. conventional, ideally you should choose organic. However, organic can be expensive and sometimes it’s not even locally available. In that case, check out What Should I Buy Organic (link to http://taracoleman.com/what-should-i-buy-organic/) to see where you should spend your money and where you can save it.
When we think of BBQ’s we usually think of hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken and steak. There are also some great options for a healthy vegetarian BBQ! Try this Grilled Avocado Stuffed with Lentils & Goat Cheese recipe. It is high in fiber and protein so it will keep you full much longer, making you less likely to find yourself and the bottom of a bag of chips! Ingredients found at Trader Joe’s are quick and easy, but you can find comparable options at any grocery store:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Oftentimes we turn to cupcakes and brownies for dessert because they are quick and easy. However, with a hot grill on hand and a ton of delicious fruit in season, grilling up some of your favorite fruit is a much faster and much healthier way to go! The heat of the grill will caramelize the natural sugars found in the fruit making a dessert everyone will love.
Ingredients:
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