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Make
almost any meal healthier
You
do not have to eat tasteless food just because you are on a diet
By Erin
Rogers
We
all know weeknights can be stressful, rushed and hectic. You may
have every intention of putting a healthy meal on the table,
only to be overcome by 'real life'! Don't despair - all is not
lost! When your best efforts go awry, and you order pizza or
serve another meal that doesn't exactly fit into a healthy diet,
you still have many options for making it healthier:
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1. Start your meal with a large glass of water.
2. Blot pizza with a napkin or paper towel. This can remove
several grams of fat from each slice.
3. Opt for veggie toppings on pizza if possible.
4. Add a bag of salad (but be careful of high-fat dressings
and toppings)
5. Try adding dried herbs or other seasonings to your salads
to give them a kick without relying solely on the dressing
to do this. Eat salad dressings on the side. Use the
technique of dipping your fork in the dressing and then
adding your salad.
6. Fill half your plate with vegetables, and leave the other
half for protein and
complex
carbs.
7. Sneak vegetables in wherever you can - in casseroles,
pasta sauces, pizzas, sandwiches, soups.
8. Try starting your meal with a glass of vegetable juice or
vegetable soup.
9. Cut back on bread where you can. Eat thin pizza crust;
avoid garlic or cheese bread; limit servings of bread with Italian
meals. If you can, opt for whole
grains.
10. Eat fresh fruit for dessert, or for an appetizer. |
Just
like when you fall off your exercise program and the experts
tell you to just pick up where you left off, the same can be
said for your wish to eat healthier. Make the best of the
choices you have, and don't expect to be the perfect eater every
day. It's all about making it work with the rest of your life!
Recommended
articles: Primer
on carbs
Smart
eating
Banana split recipe
About the author
Erin Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of
Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living resources for busy people. Visit her website to sign up for the FREE newsletter, 'Dinners on the Double' - offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner idea each week. Other available services include quick and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots more! Erin can be reached via
email. A FREE copy of the
book of recipes is available here for
download.
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