Ever thought about cleaning up your eating habits? Sick of the same old snacks? Check out this daily meal plan for great tips and ideas on how to clean up your eating habits!
We’re all guilty of snacking, whether it’s on the right nutrition or not but there’s no harm in snacking, throughout the day our body needs to fuel up. Just walking around the office or lifting & carrying at work is burning up those calories. Obviously burning calories is what everyone requires to lose weight but our intake of foods and drinks are our daily sources of fuel. Let’s take a look at some healthy alternatives and meals that may come in handy to ditch that lunchtime sandwich & crisps!
Breakfast
Breakfast is often described as the ‘most important meal of the day’ but is it true? When it comes to working out it’s recommended to exercise as early as you can after fasting over night so that your body is using the last of its fuel stores. So maybe breakfast is the best meal to refuel for the day ahead? We all know the go to breakfast stables can be the bowl of cereal normally quite high in sugars or toast as they’re easy and on hand, but how about mixing it up with pancakes or overnight protein oats?
Pancakes
Ingredients:
· 3 Medium Eggs
· 2 Bananas (1 large if available)
· 150ml Coconut or Almond
· 5tbsp of Rice Flour (deduct a tbsp for Carob Powder for chocolate flavouring)
· 1tsp of Xanthan Gum (optional for binding)
· Coconut Oil
Method:
Combine all products in a mixing bowl, heat pan on medium heat, place your coconut oil into the pan and then ladle in your mixture, decorate with various fruits of choice, enjoy!
Over Night Protein Oats
Ingredients:
· 40g of Oats
· 40g of Natural Yoghurt (Fat Free Alternative)
· 80ml of Milk (Personal Choice)
· 1 Scoop of Personal Favourite Protein Powder.
· Fruit or Nuts (Optional Topping).
Method:
Combine your oats, yoghurt, milk & protein powder and mix well. Place into a bowl or Tupperware (for on the move) box of choice. Place into the refrigerator before heading to bed. Enjoy your delicious meal in the morning packed full of goodness and protein for your day ahead!
Mid-Morning/Afternoon Snacking
Everyone from time to time can find themselves feeling peckish between meals and that’s no different when it comes to the gaps between your breakfast, lunch and your evening meal. It’s very easy if you’re passing a shop or vending machine whilst out and about or at work to grab a packet of crisps or have a couple of biscuits with your hot beverage, admit it we’re all guilty of this! But what alternatives could you choose to help quell that between meal hunger?
· Fruit – Fruit is an obvious healthier choice when it comes to snacking. Everyone has heard the saying ‘consume 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day’ so now there’s no better time! Grab yourself a banana, these come packed with potassium to boost your energy and are packed full of good starchy carbs.
· Nuts – There’s no better option if you’re looking to graze throughout the day than a handful of nuts, packed full of those good fats and protein! Try to stick to the natural alternatives rather than reach out for the pub favourite ‘Dry Roasted’. Almonds, cashews & walnuts are some of most popular choices when it comes to grabbing a quick snack.
· Beef Jerky – Here’s one for the meat lovers! Beef Jerky comes packed with protein, if you can bear the chewy delight that is Beef Jerky then you’re onto a winner!
· Water – It is very easy to be confused by your body’s demands, at times you may consider yourself hungry but really this is your body crying out for fluids! If you feel yourself becoming peckish try knocking down a glass of water first, wait for approximately 20-30 minutes and see how you feel after that, you may have just been feeling a little dehydrated!
· Protein Bar – An easy alternative to snacking on chocolate or crisps! A protein bar can come packed with protein ranging between 15-30g! These bars are usually low in carbs and sugars which in return means lower calories, making this a filling snack whilst on the go.
· Hummus – This chickpea delight from the Middle-East is an ideal snack whilst on the go! Easy to make yourself or cheap enough to buy from your local supermarket it comes packed with iron. A great accompaniment for this snack is sliced up vegetables especially red peppers or carrots adding to a higher vitamin intake!
Evening Meal
So it’s that time of the day! You’ve been hard at work all day, maybe you’ve crammed in a quick gym session after work and all you want to do is put your feet up! But how easy is it to go for the quick option when it comes to your evening meal? The correct answer is; very! It’s far too easy to put a frozen pizza into the oven or ring the local takeaway for your favourite stable of choice. Now it’s time to get creative in the kitchen & prepare some quick, tasty & wholesome nutritious meals!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
· 2 Sliced Chicken Breasts.
· Chopped Broccoli.
· 200g Wholegrain Pasta (or your own personal choice).
· 2tbsp Reduced Fat Green Pesto.
· Salt/Pepper.
· 1tbsp Olive Oil (or try a spray for reduced calories).
Method:
· Firstly, prepare your pasta as directed.
· Gently heat pan on a medium heat and add in your oil.
· Add in your sliced chicken (add salt/pepper to season if required), add 1tbsp of reduced fat pesto and sauté until chicken is cooked through.
· Add in your chopped broccoli and continue to sauté your ingredients for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
· Now add your cooked pasta and the rest of the pesto and stir through thoroughly.
· Serve and enjoy!
Hot n’ Spicy Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
· 300g Roasted Red Peppers (drained).
· 250g Cherry Tomatoes (halved).
· 1 Crushed Clove of Garlic.
· 1 Vegetable Stock Cube.
· 1tsp Paprika.
· 1tbsp Olive Oil.
· 4tbsp Ground Almonds.
· 100ml Water.
Method:
· Place all the ingredients into a blender.
· Blend until the ingredients are of a smooth consistency.
· Season to taste and heat until piping hot before serving, enjoy!
Supper
Supper may not be for everyone but again a guilty pleasure is to grab a quick snack before bed. Sometimes it’s the foods we enjoy in the morning that we have before bed, but cereal etc. packed high in sugars and is the last thing you want to be putting away before getting your head down! You can always relate back to the snacking options earlier in the article or try these guilt free options before hitting the hay…
· Peanut Butter (or other variation) – Spread a little bit peanut butter on a rice cake for a guilt free tasty bite to eat.
· Oranges – Oranges come packed full of fibre which will give you that satisfaction of feeling fuller for longer!
· Avocado – Again spread half an avocado onto a rice cake to fulfil you hunger needs.
· Cherry Tomatoes – With hardly a calorific reading these little gems are a snack that you can eat until you’re literally ready to burst!
Different Healthier Sources
· Protein – Seafood, white meats, milk, cheese, yoghurt & eggs.
· Carbs – Rice, rice cakes, quinoa, wholegrain pasta, sweet potato, strawberries, lentils.
· Fats – Avocado, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds.
Hopefully this will have given you a greater insight on how to structure your eating habits throughout the day. We all know it’s not easy to stay on track but don’t forget this isn’t a strict plan, everyone needs their ‘cheat day! ´. Always reward yourself every now and again but don’t let that reward become an excuse for slipping into your old habits! There are always easy and simple guides out there to follow, but you are the judge of your own, everyone is different. It’s great to know we’re all unique! Combining healthy eating along with exercise sounds tough but seeing is believing, the feel good factor is where it’s at! Best of luck on your ‘Meal Switch Up’ journey!
Check out our range of Healthfoods to help aid your journey ‘here’.
