Eating less calories than you burn each day is the key to sensible and healthy weight loss. But thinking up healthy meals each day can be a chore. By planning your diet meals in advance, you'll know exactly the ingredients you need to purchase and have everything on hand to ward off binge cravings for sugary and fatty foods. By choosing foods that are high in protein, fiber and whole grains, your diet can be fulfilling instead of restricting.
Breakfast
It's said often that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it help you fuel your body but it sets the tone for your eating. If you eat an unhealthy breakfast, you may be prone to continued poor food choices later throughout the day. Start with high fiber, high protein offerings like steel cut oats with apples, cranberries and nuts, or bran cereal with an entire banana and orange juice. A vegetable omelet can help you get some of your necessary daily servings of vegetables as well.
Lunch
It can be easy to binge at lunch time when you're forced to go to a fast food restaurant or purchase your food from an office lunch cart. Packing your own can help you cut calories and offer your body better fuel to keep you alert and energized through the afternoon slump. A whole wheat turkey sandwich with plenty of vegetables, a cup of whole grain pasta salad or a traditional Cobb salad can be low in fat, just take care to use low-fat dressings on all of your lunch choices to avoid sneaky calories.
Dinner
Staying on track through dinner time can help you feel like you had a successful day. Avoid eating too little at dinner, which can lead to late night snacking. Fill your plate with complex carbohydrates, protein and a healthy serving of vegetables for a more balanced meal. Eat at least two servings of fish per week, so a piece of broiled salmon served with couscous and mixed vegetables makes for a good choice, as does 2 oz of beef tenderloin with baby potatoes and vegetables.
Snacks
Going on a diet doesn't mean you can't snack at all during the day. It only means you should snack smarter and never allow your snacks to tally to more than 250 calories. Keep your caloric intake low by snacking on healthier options, like vegetables dipped in hummus or a handful of almonds. Each are low calorie while offering nutritional benefits to supplement your meals. Plan for at least two snacks per day and keep them on hand so you aren't tempted by vending machine offerings that can undo your day.
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