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Archive of posts filed under the Simple food tips category.

Breakfast Smoothie Makes Healthy Eating Easy

Posted by Kathryn Lang on 30 December 2009, 8:21 am

Getting healthy requires that I eat better. Eating better means more fresh fruits and vegetables. Salads are a great way to get in a serving, but alone will not be the answer to my healthy eating needs.

Several months back I was introduced to the Green Smoothie. At the very basic, it is raw green vegetables blended into a smoothie. I have taken the idea and added my own little twist. Nothing is measured out, which is how I cook most things, so there are no details. All I really do is combine some fresh fruits and all-natural fruit juice to make a breakfast smoothie that even the boys want to drink – adding even more of a twist by throwing in the occasional raw vegetable now and then.

Breakfast Smoothie Recipe
(The one we had yesterday anyway)

    Start with one whole banana broken into two or more pieces
    Add about two cups of frozen, all natural fruit
    Add two handfuls of raw baby spinach
    Add about ¼ cup all natural fruit juice
    Blend until smooth

Some days I skip the spinach and add more banana and fruit to make a fruit smoothie. Any that I have left over I use as a snack when my tummy starts growling between meals. The kids enjoy experimenting with different fruits to see what colors they can create.

The best way to be sure that you eat healthy and that your children develop healthy eating habits is to experiment with foods. Fruit smoothies and veggie smoothies are great alternatives to carrot sticks and green salads. See what fun ways you and your family can discover together to enjoy all the great foods available today.

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Losing Weight By Chewing Less

Posted by Kathryn Lang on 25 September 2009, 5:02 am

Eat More! That seems to be the motto for every thing and every one in the United States. The buffets encourage you to eat more – they are, after all, “all you can eat” and you must get your money’s worth. The restaurants serve portions big enough for a small family (I know because we often share to cut back on expenses). Even the grocery stores are getting in on the act with “buy one, get one free” specials. It’s no wonder so many people are going to crazy extremes or unique choices to try and win the battle of the bulge.

I want to be healthy again, and I know that eating less is the way to go. But even the size of my dinner plates (which were wedding gifts) is fighting against me in my effort to eat less.

Recently I found a book that is opening my eyes and guiding my path. Kiss Dieting Goodbye by Elliott Young is pulling together the biblical ideal and the health principles into one sound practice. One of the best things that I pulled from the book focused on portion control

Tips for Portion Control to Aid Weight Loss

    1. Don’t wait until you are starving to eat. It gives you the sense that you have to make up for lost meals.

    2. Measure out your portions. Most human beings only need a food serving that is equal to their flattened fist. That’s not a lot of food, folks.

    3. Keep in mind that you can always get more. Here in the United States, there is no lack of food. Don’t feel like you have to “store away” a favorite food because there might never be anymore available to you.

    4. Don’t eat from the container. Putting food on a plate or in a bowl will give you an idea of how much you are eating. It will also give you a stopping point.

    5. You can only eat just one. Sometimes just the taste is what you crave. You don’t have to eat the whole candy bar or all the M&M’s or the full bag of chips. Satisfy your craving and save the rest for later.

    6. Share your meal. Especially when eating out. Most restaurants offer more than enough for two. This will not only help your portion control, but it will help your budget.

    7. Can’t split the meal? Then ask for a “To Go” box with the meal. Put half the food away before you even get started.

    8. DON’T SKIP MEALS. Keep your energy up and your metabolism running by eating at least three times per day.

    9. Avoid the TV. You can’t truly enjoy something that you aren’t focused on. Remember how much better that last meal out tasted? It’s good because you are focused on the experience. Make every meal an experience so that you can savor the food.

    10. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. It makes the portions look and feel more filling.

Eating less food doesn’t mean I have to deprive myself, it just means I have to control the portions that I lay out. By doing a little planning, taking a little extra time, and making my meals and experience and not just a necessity, I can make portion control a natural way of life.

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