Healthy, Nutritious, Balanced eating for weight loss! Meal Plan

It seems like such a simple concept however most people do not eat like this every day.

I have much success with clients making this simple healthy change to their eating habits and some have seen weight loss of 20lbs in a month! Fad diets don’t work and may leave you nutritionally deficient.

• Easy to follow! 3 meals per day
• Meals 4-6hrs apart. Timing of meals is very important for your metabolism.
• Meets all of your nutrition needs for healthy living!
• Avoid ALL sugar containing fluids – ie. Pop, juice, energy drinks, etc.
• Drink Water and the recommended amount of Milk servings/day ~2-3 8oz glasses of milk.
• Tea and Coffee are OK in moderation if additional calories are not added – ie. sugar, creme. Try a fruity decaffeinated tea – apple cinnamon, berry, etc.
• Avoid eating snack/junk foods and deserts after or between meals. This is where the extra weight gain comes from.
• At Breakfast, include a Carbohydrate (Grains and Starches, Fruit, Milk) and Protein, it may be hard for most people to have vegetables every day for breakfast.
• Ways to include vegetables at breakfast, fresh sliced cucumber and tomato, include vegetables in egg omelets (onions, tomatoes, green, yellow, red peppers, etc.).
• Complimentary with the Cardiac and Diabetes Diet Guidelines.

Sample Meals:

Breakfast:

Tea or coffee

1% or skim milk (1 cup) or 3/4 cup low fat yogurt

Steal cut oats oatmeal – high in fiber (¾ cup cooked)

½ banana, 1 cup berries or 15 raisins or dried cranberries

With ¼ cup nuts

OR

1-2 whole grain toast slice

1 egg omelet with tomatoes, peppers and onions

Lunch:

Rice (1 cup) = ¼ plate starch

Healthy, Nutritious, Balanced eating for weight loss! Meal Plan

Boiled beans (½ cup) – 1 cup if vegetarian meal

Lean beef steak (3-4 oz) = ¼ plate protein

Stewed zucchini and carrots

Green salad

– lettuce, tomato wedges and cucumber slices

– dressing: lime juice and olive oil (1 tsp, 5 mL)

1 orange/fruit

Water

Dinner:

1 large potato or 1cup mashed potatoes = ¼ plate starch

Chicken 3-4oz = ¼ plate protein

Green beans (cooked non-starchy vegetable)

Spinach leaf salad with low-fat salad dressing (1 tsp, 5 mL)

Pineapple (2 slices) or 1 cup melon

Low-fat yogurt (¾ cup)

Water

Decaffeinated Tea

Afternoon or Evening Snack: if needed

15 grapes or 1 cup berries

Low fat yogurt (3/4 cup) or skim or 1% milk (1cup)

Interested in starting a healthy diet?

Below are some tips for stocking your pantry and fridge with healthy options to get you started! Bring this list on your next trip to the grocery store to keep you on track.

Pantry Staples

• Whole grains such as quinoa, whole grain pasta, wild rice, brown rice, kasha. Higher the fiber, the better!
• Whole grain cereals, pancake and muffin mixes: Avoid sugar-coated cereals and look for a high fiber content. Add fruit like berries for more disease-fighting antioxidants.
• Tomatoes and low- sodium tomato–based sauces and salsa: Add fresh or frozen vegetables to increase the nutrition and taste.
• Light flake or chunk tuna and salmon packed in water: Great to add to salads, sandwiches, wraps, and pasta sauces for tasty protein.
• Dried or canned beans and lentils: For nutritious additions to soups and salads. Great source of protein and fiber!

Fridge Staples

• Eggs for vegetable omelets and frittatas, quick scrambling and all-important vitamin B12 and protein.
• Milk products such as low fat milk, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. Canada’s food guide recommends 2-4 milk and alternative servings per day depending on age.
• Leafy greens – spinach, lettuce, bok choy, watercress, rapini, beet greens or swiss chard.  Full of nutrition with vitamin A, folic acid, and lots more. They keep well and cook up quickly. Just sauté with a little olive oil, garlic and onions. Great for salads, stir fries, casseroles, wraps, etc.
• Fresh and frozen vegetables and fruit – Buy fruits and vegetables in season while include a variety of colors and nutrition. Frozen fruits and vegetables are also a great option that may be less expensive and long lasting.
• Natural nut butters like almond or peanut butter. Make sure that the only ingredient on the ingredient list is the nuts. You will need to stir these nut butters, and store in the fridge after opening.

According to Hypertension Canada, 1 in 3 Canadians with high blood pressure would have normal blood pressure if only they consumed a lower, healthy amount of sodium.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) is one of the most significant risk factors for dementia, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes and stroke. If uncontrolled it can cause damage to blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, brain and heart. The longer it goes untreated, the higher the potential damage.

It’s estimated that 40 per cent of Canadians have high blood pressure that goes undiagnosed, giving  hypertension the name of “silent killer”.

Recommendations for daily sodium intake

2,300 mg sodium (Na) = 1 level teaspoon of table salt

80% of average sodium intake is in processed foods.

Only 10% is added at the table or in cooking.

Yes our body does need salt (sodium) …the daily Adequate Intake (AI) for sodium is 1200 to 1500 mg for healthy adults, decreasing with age. The Upper Tolerable Intake Level (UL) for sodium is 2300 mg per day = 1 tsp of salt. There is a large discrepancy between recommended levels of sodium intake and actual sodium intake levels by Canadians. The average sodium consumption in Canada is 3500 mg/day (Double the recommended amount!). May people claim they do not use salt, however over 80% of intake comes from processed and restaurant foods alone.

Work to reduce your salt intake by reading food labels and avoiding processed foods and eating out. Simple steps, like reading the food labels, taking the salt shaker off the dining table, can reduce your salt consumption as well. Buy unsalted and lower sodium foods whenever possible. Look for words such as “sodium-free”, “low sodium”, “reduced sodium,” or “no added salt” on the package. Buy products with the lowest amount of sodium, aim for foods that contain less than 360 mg of sodium per serving.

The Stats: Using the Cochrane Review (systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy, internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care) results with an average sodium reduction of 1800 mg/day, the effects of reducing Canadians’ sodium intake to 1700 mg per day (3500 mg -1800 mg) were estimated.

• It was found that this would result in a million fewer hypertensive Canadians.
• Hypertension care cost savings of $430 to 538 million /yr.
• Significant reduction in myocardial infarctions, stroke and heart failure.
• Prevention of up to 11,550 cardiovascular events per year, or 8.6% of total cardiovascular events.
• Reduction in health care costs associated with the overall predicted 8.6% reduction CVD (Cardiovascular disease)
• CVD cost savings of $1.7 billion per year (1998 costs) and over 2 billion today (and they haven’t even included all the other disease health care costs that would be prevented as well!).

Worth the change eh?

Check out my radio interview on AM800 CKLW today for World Salt Awareness Week!

Information obtained from Hypertension Canada hypertension.ca and The Globe and Mail.

Snack and Run

Below are some tips to conquer that busy work week and/or shift work schedule without compromising your health and nutrition. Here are some easy grab and go snack ideas to keep on hand!

• Yogurt – a delicious cool snack full of nutrients and staying power. Try Greek yogurt which is even higher in protein to keep you satisfied longer.
• Trail mix – choose ones with plain seeds, nuts and dried fruit. You can even make your own! Easy to keep a “stash” at work!
• Whole grain cereal cup with milk – a quick nutritious mini-meal. Keep a box in your desk drawer or locker to save you on those busy days.
• Bananas, oranges and apples – easy to grab, easy storage, low cost and full of nutrition! 
• Low sodium 100% vegetable juice – drink your veggies – yum!
• Veggies and/or Fruit with Natural Peanut Butter-A combination of nutrients with protein and heart healthy fat!

Nut free environment? Try using low- fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, hard boiled egg, or hummus as a protein source instead of nuts and nut butters.

Nutrition Tips to help you put your – Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy! Nutrition Month 2013!

Shop for nutrient-rich choices that give you more bang for your nutrition buck. Sometimes it just takes swapping one for another to get major health advantages.

Materials addapted from www.nutrition2013.ca. See for more tips!

Check out the Video shot by CTV News on Superbowl Party Eating featuring Registered Dietitian Christina Sandor!

Additional tips from Christina below!

It is not uncommon for most people to exceed their daily calorie needs during a Superbowl Party. 

Here are some tips to cut down on the calories without cutting out on the fun!

• Save your calories for the food. Cut out sugary/high calorie drinks.

Light beer ~100 calories per can          3 cans in a night ~300 kcals

Regular beer ~ 160 calories per can     3 cans in a night ~ 480 kcals

Can of pop ~ 150 calories                       3 cans in a night ~ 450 kcals

• Substitute greek yogurt for mayo or sour crème in veggie and taco dips. Or use low fat versions. 

Veggies and dip with greek yogurt or humus can be a healthy tasty snack.

• Use re-fried beans as the base in your taco dip. Load it with veggies. Light on the cheese.
• Substitute baked breaded strips of chicken breast for chicken wings. Cutting out the calories from the saturated fat found in the skin.
• Make a veggie chilli with beans instead of a meat chilli. Or substitute extra lean ground meat, chicken or turkey.
• When ordering pizza- make it thin crust with veggies ~125calories per slices vs. a regular pepperoni pizza ~360 calories per slice (double the calories!).
• For a sweet snack serve fruit with low fat vanilla yogurt to dip.

Just do it! No one will even notice the difference!