We always have excuses for not going on a diet to lose weight. We say we'll start our diets on Monday. Or, we don't have time to prepare healthy foods. Or, we can't afford to buy healthy foods. Another problem many of us have is preparing diet meals for ourselves, while also preparing regular meals for our families. This can often be quite a challenge, and time consuming as well, especially if you are constantly preparing two sets of meals all the time. And after a while, this is going to get pretty costly. Is there a way you can prepare diet meals that will also be good for the rest of your family to eat, so you don't have to go to all the trouble and expense of preparing extra meals all the time? Yes, if you are creative and know all about good nutrition.
Diet Meals for Your Whole Family
\"Diet Meals\"
Did you know that you do not really have to go on a diet to be on a diet? This may sound confusing, but it is true. There are hundreds and hundreds of different diets out there, some of them good, others not so good. But if you really want to lose weight and be healthy, all you really need to do is eat healthy, and of course, get plenty of exercise. And when you are eating healthy, you will be cooking nothing but healthy meals for your family, too. Not diet meals; healthy meals. And if you get creative, you can even sneak vegetables into meals for even the fussiest of eaters, such as children who refuse to eat vegetables or anything else that is healthy.
One great way to give your family a nutritious meal that is also a diet meal for you is to give them healthy, homemade meals that are loaded with the right kinds of foods. For example, if your children claim to hate vegetables, give them spaghetti with meat and marinara sauce. The sauce is made from tomatoes, so even if they don't realize it, they are getting a full serving of vegetables in every meal. Use whole grain pasta for plenty of protein and good carbohydrates, as well as lean red meat or ground poultry breast meat for the meatballs. Top it off with a glass of low-fat milk, and you have given your family a delicious, healthy meal, and it is also one of the most delicious healthy diet meals you can make. If you want to add a little bit of carbohydrates (which you will need to work off with an after-supper walk around the block), enjoy a slice of garlic toast with your meal.
If your children do like vegetables, salads are a great way to introduce your family to healthy eating. Start out by giving them small side salads with their healthy meals, and if you are on a really restricted diet, you can just eat the salad. This way, you don't have to prepare anything extra, but you and your family are all getting what you want and need from your dinners. Or, you can give them a healthy dessert of mixed fruit, topped with low-fat yogurt. If your family really loves whipped cream, avoid the prepared kind, and make your own with whipping cream and artificial sweetener. It only takes a few minutes to make, and it is a great way to get the fun taste of whipped cream without all of the calories. If you are making diet meals for yourself, enjoy the fruit, but leave off the whipped cream, due to the fat content.
Preparing Healthy Lunches for Everyone
The most time-consuming meal preparation of your day will probably be lunches, depending on how many lunches you need to make. Try not to give your children money to eat at the school cafeteria too often. Yes, most cafeterias are now serving healthier foods, but many of these foods are still prepared foods, and not always as nutritious as what you can make at home, for less money. You can still have your diet meals for lunch, and when you are preparing lunches for your family, make your healthy lunch as well. You can save time and money by making the same thing for everyone, and if you are creative, you can make diet meals that are also healthy lunches for everyone, even your kids. If you are making sandwiches, use leftover poultry for the meat, low-fat mustard for flavor, dill pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes on whole grain bread. This is something your whole family will love. If your kids won't eat whole grain bread, try using one of the new white breads that have all of the benefits of whole grain, but look, feel, and taste like regular white bread.
When planning your diet meals, you may also want to look into incorporating protein supplements into your diet. In fact, you may even want to use them as meal replacements, but only once in a while. Nothing takes the place of healthy foods, especially if you are making diet meals. But there are also many protein supplements that are great for diets, and you can also give them to your family if they are not getting enough protein and other nutrients from their diets.
Planning Diet Meals While Planning Meals for Your Family, Too
About Protica Research
Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.
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