Meal & Snack Planning Tips

The goal of tonight's WLS Support Group meeting was to compile a list of tips and tricks for meal planning, healthy snacking and making healthy choices at restaurants. We also went around the room and shared our favorite protein shake recipes - I'll share that list in the next blog post. Below is the list we all brainstormed together.

Two more parts from this discussion

Our Favorite Protein Bars

Our Favorite Protein Shake Recipes

Meal Planning - making sure meals are the right size, contain the right balance of nutrients and are the healthiest choices we can make

• Always measure or weight food portions
• Write down meal plan ahead of time -- the night before or first thing in the morning
• Pack your breakfast and lunch the night before so it's ready as you run out the door in the morning
• Use small containers to pack individual portion sizes (like Ziploc extra-small bowls)
• Use Snack Size Ziploc baggies for small portions on the go
• Don't travel without food (see snack ideas below)
• Write everything down that you eat in a food log
• Use an electronic or online food journal to record food (if you're not a written food log type of person)
• Cook once - prepare one dish and portion into individual bowls for lunches all week
• Keep food choices simple to reduce calorie counts
• Choose fruit for dessert
• Use small plate and bowl instead of standard sizes
• When cooking for your family, eat the same thing but choose smaller portions and forgo starchy carbs and read for protein and veggies instead
• Planning ahead removes the temptation of too many choices or eating based on cravings or moods
• Recognize when you make mistakes and move on making the necessary changes
• It's easier to resist temptation in the grocery store than it is when the bad food is in your kitchen, so don't even bring it into the house. 

Restaurant Tips - how to make good choices when ordering off a menu

• Before you arrive, look at the restaurant's menu on their website and decide what you'll order when you get there
• Use the website Diet Facts to review nutritional information of menu items before you arrive
• Keep it simple -- if recipes are overly complicated, it generally means added calories. Order simple foods prepared in simple ways.
• When you need a quick meal - skip the drive through. Instead go to any convenience store or gas station and pick up a package of beef jerky and cheesesticks - most places have these options now.
• Dessert - there are several options:
• order fruit (berries have the lowest natural sugar content whereas pineapple has the highest)
• order one dessert for the entire table and everyone have one bite
• order the mini desserts (bite-size tasters usually served in "shot glass")
• Don't be afraid to order something not on the menu - such as cottage cheese or chicken broth, most kitchens have alternate foods not shown on the menu
• Don't be afraid to order anything off the menu, even if it's not specifically listed. For instance if you see that shrimp is used in Fettuccine Shrimp Alfredo - but don't want the pasta or Alfredo sauce, just order the shrimp as a main dish with a side of steamed veggies.

Health Snack Options - looking for protein-forward snacks

• Cheesestick or cubed cheese
• Raw almonds
• Jerky -- either beef or turkey
• Carbmaster Yogurt
• Wasa Flatbread as a base for tuna, egg or chicken salad (Mark loves the rosemary flavored ones!)
• Flax crackers, also as a base for a protein snack
• Dry Roasted Edamame
• Fresh veggies -- buy carrots, celery, green peppers, cucumbers and have them cut up and read for grabbing in the fridge