Eating healthy throughout the day helps you maintain your weight and prevents diseases that include heart disease, diabetes and depression. Choosing a variety of foods from each food group ensures that you are getting the recommended amounts of essential nutrients and provides you with energy to get through your day. A daily meal and snack plan allows you to shop for the ingredients you need to prepare healthy choices and help you meet your health goals.
Breakfast
Eating breakfast is important because it increases your nutrient intake, allows you to focus throughout the morning and can help you control your weight. Having a nutritious morning meal keeps hunger at bay and helps prevent you from reaching for unhealthy snacks before lunch. Include foods that contain fiber and complex carbohydrates for energy and satiety. Good choices include oatmeal topped with fruit and a handful of nuts, scrambled eggs with diced vegetables and skim milk and whole grain toast topped with peanut butter and served with a banana.
Lunch
As your breakfast digests, you will start to feel hungry, usually around the middle of the day. Skipping lunch could decrease your performance at work or school in the afternoon and you may get so hungry that you hit the vending machine and overdo it on fat and calories. Choose a lunch that contains whole grains and lean protein. This will give you energy and fill you up for the rest of the afternoon. A lean turkey and low-fat cheese sandwich with sliced vegetables on whole grain bread served with a piece of fruit, a mixed green salad topped with grilled chicken and garbanzo beans or a bowl of vegetable soup with whole grain crackers are all good choices. Adding a glass of water or unsweetened iced tea will keep you hydrated.
Dinner
Plan to eat dinner a couple of hours before you go to bed because it can be difficult to sleep if you have a meal sitting in your stomach. A filling and nutritious dinner prevents you from waking up hungry during the night and snacking on unhealthy foods. It also helps you get adequate amounts of nutrients that are important for your overall health. Try bean tacos or burritos made with whole-wheat tortillas and topped with low-fat cheese, tomatoes and avocados, lean ground beef burgers served on whole-grain buns with a tossed vegetable salad or grilled fish served with steamed vegetables and brown rice.
Snacks
The right snack will satisfy hunger without unhealthy fats and added sugar. A snack comprised of complex carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fat fills you up for a moderate amount calories and helps you meet your nutrient needs. Good options include string cheese with walnuts, low-fat yogurt with granola, fruit and low-fat cheese slices, sliced vegetables with hummus and celery or apples with peanut butter.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Menus and Shopping Strategies; March 19, 2011
- USDA: Food Groups
- HelpGuide.org: Making Fast, Healthy and Delicious Meals
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Why You Should Eat a Healthy Breakfast
- ABC News: What Should I Eat at Lunch to Avoid a Mid-Afternoon Energy Slump?; Molly Kimball, RD; July 2009
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