Good Food Fast

I don't know about you, but I come home every night and prepare a fresh, wholesome, made-from-scratch meal... or not. Though I'd love to be able to do that, the reality is that life is just too busy sometimes, and I often find myself in the situation of needing to eat something quickly or on the go. But how do I find a healthy option? Here are some of my strategies:
• Keep healthy frozen meals on hand. Knowing that you have something that you can pop in the microwave as soon as you walk in the door makes it easier to bypass the drive-thru window. Some brands I like are Amy’s Organic Kitchen, Healthy Choice, and Lean Cuisine. Just be careful to read the label and pick something with calorie and fat amounts that fit within your daily plan and look for low sodium choices.
• Know where the healthy options are. If you do have to make a stop at a fast food restaurant, be prepared. Know where to go and what the healthiest options are before you get there. I keep a list of nutrition information for common fast foods in my car, so if I have to go through a drive-thru, I know what my best options are and I’m less likely to be swayed by the scent of French fries.
• Make smart use of the grocery store. Many grocery stores have extensive selections of prepared foods. Instead of getting fast food, stop by the market and grab something healthy from the salad bar, pick up some sushi, or take home a rotisserie chicken.
• Keep snacks on hand. I make the worst food choices when I’m starving. To prevent that from happening, I keep healthy snacks like almonds, protein bars, applesauce or fruit cups, or dried fruit in my bag, and I try to eat something every few hours. Then I don’t end up desperate to find something and ready to eat the first thing I see.
These strategies help me to eat well, even on the days when I don’t have a lot of time to spend on food preparation. Planning ahead helps me to stay on the path to being a Healthy Girl.

Are you on a diet?

Some things I hear on a regular basis:
"What diet are you on?"
"I lost 20(or 40 or 60) pounds on the X diet, but I gained it all back when I went off of it."
"What do you think of the Y diet?"
"I'm starting my diet on Monday."

So, what's the best diet? The short answer is: the one you'll stick with. The bottom line is that I'm not a fan of diets. To me, a diet is something you're on or off of. A diet brings serious restrictions, cuts out certain foods or food groups, and requires a radical departure from your way of eating.
Does that mean that you're free to eat anything and everything in sight? Not exactly. You start off by making small changes. I usually recommend to my clients that they start off by writing down everything they eat in a day: when, what, and how much. Then we take a look at the patterns that emerge. Never eat breakfast? Then the first step is to work in a morning meal. Drinking 3 sodas a day? Start replacing those sodas with water to stop drinking your calories. You get the idea. Once that change sticks, we move on to the next step.
The ultimate goal is to eat healthy for life. By starting with learning your habits and making changes within that structure, you end up with your own personal "diet" that you'll be able to stay on for life.