Reality-Checked Diet: Week 5
Congratulations! You're one month into the ALL YOU Reality Checked Diet. Now that you're eating three healthy meals a day, it's time to take a look at your snacking habits. Snacking is the 'bridge' between meals. In fact, people who have the most success with weight loss long-term, eat three meals and one or two planned snacks each day. So add one snack between breakfast and lunch and add the other between lunch and dinner. Note: You can skip one of your between meal snacks and eat it after dinner if that better fits your lifestyle.
The goal of Week 5 is to have two healthy and planned snacks 150 calories each every day. Here are seven healthy snack ideas that you can mix and match.
-100-calorie bag of popcorn and 8 ounces of low sodium V8
-1 1/2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with celery for dipping
-1 small pear or apple and 1 pice of string cheese
-6 ounces of low-fat plain yogurt and 1/2 cup berries
-35 to 40 pistachios
-4 ounces of low-fat cottage cheese and 4-ouncefruit cup (in its own juice)
-1/4 cup of hummus and 5 ounces of baby carrots
And just in case you're getting tired of the meal selections from Month 1, here are seven more breakfasts, lunches and dinners. (Please note: The dinners in this round are for the family -- each meal is four servings, one serving is 450 calories).
MONTH 2 BREAKFASTS
BREAKFAST #1: Breakfast Pizza Pita
2 large eggs
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. pizza sauce
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 4-inch whole wheat pita
Serving directions: Scramble eggs with mushrooms, pizza sauce and cheese. Slice pita in half and stuff with egg mixture.
BREAKFAST #2: Waffles and Sausage
2 frozen whole-grain waffles
1 Tbsp. 100 percent fruit spread
1 small turkey or soy breakfast sausage link
1 grapefruit
Serving directions: Toast waffles and top with fruit spread. Enjoy sausage and grapefruit on the side.
BREAKFAST #3: Strawberry Walnut Oatmeal
1 packet instant plain oatmeal
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 oz. walnuts, chopped
Serving directions: Make oatmeal with hot water. Top with berries and nuts.
BREAKFAST #4: Tropical Breakfast Blender
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 cup raw old fashioned oatmeal
2 Tbsp. sweetened flaked coconut
Serving directions: Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
BREAKFAST #5: Banana Berry Cottage Cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 medium banana, chopped
3/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup raw old-fashioned oatmeal
Serving directions: Stir vanilla into cottage cheese. Top with banana, berries and oatmeal.
BREAKFAST #6: French Toast with Cinnamon-Sugar Apples
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 medium apple, chopped (skin on)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. packed brown sugar
Serving directions: Beat together egg and egg white. Dip bread into egg mixture. Cook in a nonstick skillet until lightly browned on both sides. Microwave chopped apples, cinnamon and sugar for 2 minutes. Top French toast with warm apples.
BREAKFAST #7: Quick Stop -- McDonald's
Egg McMuffin
Pack of sliced apples
NEXT: Week 6