Healthy Meals for a Diet
- Fruits and vegetables make healthy meals.fruit salad with pepino fruit image by Tomo Jesenicnik from Fotolia.com
Make your diet easier by creating some new, healthy meals. Whether you're on a weight-loss diet or simply trying to eat healthier, certain strategies will help you maintain your discipline while still giving you energy to make it through the day. But don't make drastic changes to your eating habits without first asking your doctor. - The Mayo Clinic Diet recommends eating large meals that are low in calories. For example, add fruits and vegetables that have lots of water to each meal. Grapefruits are 90 percent water, and carrots are 88 percent water, according to the Mayo Clinic. These types of fruits and vegetables fill you up without adding an overload of calories. The Mayo Clinic also recommends adding a source of whole grain to each meal. Because fiber takes a long time to digest, you'll feel full longer if your meal includes whole grains.
- The Mayo Clinic recommends testing out new food types and combinations to liven up your meals. For example, it suggests eating whole wheat toast with a little peanut butter, topped with mango or peach slices. You can also add slices of fruit to salads or other meals. Learning new recipes and testing out new ideas helps you avoid boredom that can cause you to break your diet.
- To cut down on calories, roast your meals instead of frying them. For example, the Harvard School of Public Health offers a recipe for roasted balsamic vegetables. Harvard uses peppers, zucchini, squash and sliced garlic, but you can use whichever vegetables you prefer. The basic idea of the recipe is to cut the vegetables into 2-inch pieces, drizzle them with a little canola oil and bake them on a sheet pan in a preheated, 350-degree oven until they are tender. Once done, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on them, and put them back in the oven for several minutes. The result is a low-calorie and nutritious meal.
- If money is an issue, Oregon State University has a web site that lists healthy, low-cost meal recipes. The university designed these meals using dietary guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The university lists recipes by categories, such as "Quick-to-fix," "Kid-friendly" and "Fruits and veggies." Some recipe examples are Chicken Black Bean Salsa Burritos, Orange Rice Salad and Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad. You can find the full recipes at healthyrecipes.oregonstate.edu.
