Now, I grew up eating 3 square meals a day, and snacking minimally. So, it took--and is taking--some time to change my habits. But I've been taking baby steps towards it. Within the past year, on my quest to become more healthy, I added in an afternoon snack. (This helped control my appetite for dinner, and made me less likely to reach for a snack or appetizer while I was cooking!)
More recently, I've been striving to eat 4 "mini meals" and 1 regular, portioned dinner. So, essentially, 5 meals a day. I've also been aiming to up my water intake and make sure my morning meals are the most dense (fiber and protein rich, and more caloric), to give me lasting energy throughout the day. And you know what I've come to find? I never go hungry on those days and am not tempted to have seconds, or have dessert! I know it can sometimes be hard to get in mini meals, especially on the weekends, but if you PLAN ahead and pack snacks to bring with you, you'll find it easier to stick with your mini meal diet.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing my mini meal choices and recipes, and challenge you to join me in re-training yourself how to eat so that you can literally "eat yourself skinny."
Example of one of my days last week:
Meal 1: Chocolate-PB-Banana Smoothie (See the recipe here.)
Meal 2: 1 Handful of Chopped Dates mixed with Dark Chocolate Chips
Meal 3: 1 Turkey Burger with 1/4 Avocado and 1/2 Roasted Sweet Potato
Meal 4: 1 Apple and Vita Coco (coconut water)
Meal 5: 1 Serving of Wild-Caught Baked Haddock, 1 Cup Steamed Broccoli, Small Garden Salad (with Balsamic Vinegar and Drizzle of E.V.O.O. to Dress)
Questions for YOU:
Are you satisfied with your current eating habits?
Do you consume 3 square meals a day or 5-6 mini meals?
Are you a snacker? Or a "dessert-haver"?
What are your "go-to" snacks and mini meals?
What are your tips for sticking to your diet on the weekends or when traveling?
I am a snacker for sure! But as my mom jokes, I don't eat anything in "big" or "normal" quantities. I HATE being hungry and I HATE feeling really full, so snacking on healthy things like nuts, protein bars, granola, fruit, etc. helps me avoid that! I also love dessert- everything in moderation! I have really good self control so if I want a few bits of ice cream every night, I'm going to have it! When I travel, I like to bring granola bars and other healthly snacks with me. I also try to avoid fried foods and stick with salads and fish!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, burpeestobubbly! I totally agree with you on portion control and having bits of snacks here and there to prevent you from getting RAVENOUS and over indulging or over eating later. I, too, am a dessert lover! I try to health-ify my desserts somewhat so there is some nutritional benefit to them...for example, I sometimes add dark chocolate chips to greek yogurt or my latest thing is having 1 apple cinnamon rice cake, with 1 TBSP natural nut butter and a few dark chocolate chips sprinkled on top! Thanks for your travel tips- what granola bars do you like to bring on the road? I like Larabars, BeKIND bars, and some Luna bars. I even make my own sometimes! :-)
DeleteYum! those sound like good options! I made protein bars last week and ended up eating those as dessert since they had chocolate chips in them ;) I love Luna and Cliff bars- white chocolate macadamia nut, to be specific. SO SO good! I like making my own when I have time:)
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