Food Prep & Snack Attack!

I've been asked how I stay "prepared" and on plan with healthy eating, so I decided to do a post about it. I'll be first to admit that I struggle with eating healthy. It's a constant battle with myself, but I just try to think about how I want to move forward in this journey of being healthy. It often seems like the things that taste good, are the things that are not good for us. However, healthy things CAN taste good!

I use several different websites and cookbooks to get meal ideas from. I am always looking for ways to lighten things up, and make them healthier. There are very few meals that I make, where I follow the recipe directly. I usually modify and substitute ingredients to make dishes more healthy and weight watchers friendly.

Food Prep & Planning
I am a firm believer that planning is one of the major keys to success. With no plan, I set myself  up for failure. For example, if I don't know what we're having for dinner early in the morning before I head to work, then we will more than likely be grabbing take out or going to a restaurant that evening. There is nothing wrong with eating out! You can find healthy options at almost any restaurant, but for me it's much easier to stay on plan and eat healthy at home.    

I set down on one evening late in the week or on Saturday mornings with my weekly meal planner. I make a menu of what we will have the following week for dinner. I also make my grocery list from the menu, so that way I for sure will have everything I need in the house. I ordered my meal planner from maybooks.com. You can customize the books (which is fun), and it's been a tremendous help for me in planning.

After my grocery trip, there are several things I do after I get home. I wash and cut all my fruits and veggies to make them easily accessible and ready to eat during the week. I wash my grapes and remove them from the vine and put them in a bowl in the frig. I make sure to place the bowl at eye level, so if we open the frig when grazing we are likely to just grab some grapes. I also make sure my frig is neatly organized.

I usually try to cook up 1 lb of lean ground beef or ground turkey so I'll have it for lunch options. And anything else I can precook I do... this makes it easier and faster to get dinner ready after work throughout the week.

Snack Attack!
One question that gets ask a lot is what do I do for healthy snacks? I have several things I tend to "snack on" and that I always keep a good stock of in my pantry or frig.

• apples. I usually slice up an apple each morning and put in my lunch pale in a ziploc.
• mozzarella string cheese.
• almonds. can be high in points so I buy the 100 calorie packs. They're easy and convenient! 3 ppv per package. pair with a piece of fruit and you have a filling, 3 point snack.
• yogurt. this helps me get in my daily dairy servings and is something that tastes good to cure my sweet tooth.
• baby carrots & hummus. 2 ppv for 2 tablespoons of hummus and 1/2 cup baby carrots for 0 ppv. You also get in a veggie!
• grapes. They're a grab 'n go snack in our house. 
• mandarin orange cups. no sugar added for 0 ppv. 
• applesauce. I know it sounds so childish, but it's tasty and low in ppv depending on what you buy.
• smoothies. at night if I'm wanting something sweet like ice cream, a very cherry smoothie will usually do the trick! 
• turkey and sliced cheese. If I need something to tide me over this little combo can do the trick. I'll usually take 3 slices of deli turkey and roll them up with a slice of reduced fat cheese. 
• low fat cottage cheese. pair it with peaches or eat alone.
• celery & peanut butter. all natural pb for 3 ppv for 1 tablespoon.
• popcorn. 94% fat free, microwave popped, 2 cups for 1 ppv.
• low carb tortilla with salsa.
• laughing cow cheese paired with an apple or celery & carrots.
• protein bars. LARA bars, KIND bars, or Cliff bars are good. 

These are my tips at what keeps me on plan even when things get a little hectic. What helps you stay loyal to healthy eating? Hopefully something I shared will help make your life a little easier! If so, let me know. I always love your comments! :)