Please Tell Me What To Eat!

I hear this from friends at the gym all the time.

"Please just tell me what to eat!" 

Once, I spent hours creating a detailed meal plan for a student at the gym-- complete with recipes, based on his weight loss goals and taste. He swore to me that he loved to cook and would make whatever I told him to eat. Twice, he asked me to do this. And wanting him to succeed, I took the time to create this meal plan.

I handed over the packet, explained it to him and then, I never saw him again.

Whole Grain pasta with homemade sauce

Maybe he was overwhelmed. Maybe he wanted me to make it so difficult for him that he was forced to quit his fitness journey because he just couldn't be successful. While I second guess myself all the time about the "meal plan man"--I've learned some valuable lessons.

People don't want to be TOLD what to eat. As a certified nutrition coach, I give folks lots of options about what they can and should eat. But there is so much flexibility, choice and variety in available foods that I don't want to take the joy out of simple eating. I've learned that basic guidelines, in many cases, are better than detailed plans. And then, I offer recipes to keep it fun and flavorful.

So.. what SHOULD you eat?  For starters, none of us eats enough vegetables. They're loaded with fiber, not calories. They fill us up and give us nutrients we simply can't get in processed foods.

• Eat something green every day--three times a day. Spinach, romaine lettuce and kale are my favorites. Kale and spinach blend nicely into a smoothie. Chop those greens, wilt them and roll 'em into scrambled eggs. Order veggies at restaurants without butter. 

• Eat lean protein like fish, ground turkey, lean ground beef and chicken. The average man needs about 20 grams of protein or less per meal. A woman needs about 15 grams. What does this look like? It's about the size of a deck of cards or slightly smaller.

• Eat whole grains like brown rice, whole grain pasta and whole grain bread. Whole grains contain energy-providing carbohydrates. Carbs are not bad! Carbs fuel our bodies. Just eat the right portion--about a cup of cooked pasta and 3/4 of a cup of cooked rice, per meal. And avoid "refined" carbs, which are processed foods stripped of nutrients. 

• Eat lean dairy like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and yogurt smoothies. Dairy does double duty because it has carbs to give you energy and protein to build muscle and keep you full. Many times Greek yogurt with berries is one of the small meals I eat each day.

• Eat a small portion of "good fat" every day, like 20 almonds, 2 slices of avocado or a touch of olive oil. 

• Eat two fruits a day. Fruits with skin give you more fiber and take longer for your body to break down. Berries are low carb, which means you can have a larger portion. 
  

Finally, eat often, eat small. I subscribe to the nutrition plan that allows me to eat every three hours or roughly 6 times a day. Always eat a whole grain carb with a portion of protein, plus veggies. This can range from a turkey sandwich on whole grain, to tuna salad in a half pita, or an apple and two pieces of string cheese. 

I'm not going to tell you what to eat...exactly. But you get the picture!!

Soup's On

The cold north wind is blowing. Cool September rains are creating mud puddle obstacles on the walk to school. I've pulled my favorite leather boots out of the attic. And it's football season. That can only mean one thing: It's soup weather.

On the food satisfaction scale, soup is right up there-- in my opinion. I think I could eat it every day and never get tired of it. When I was a kid, September meant my Italian Nonna always had a pot of minestrone going, full of zucchini, tomatoes, greens and other fresh vegetables. We'd sprinkle it with a good dusting of grated parmesan cheese and dive into it.

She'd usually serve crusty Italian bread on the side, along with chunks of cheese and marinated olives. That truly was clean, homemade eating.

Being somewhat of a soup snob, I tend to shun canned soups because they're thin, fake tasting, loaded with sodium and flavorless. Plus, it's so easy to create a steaming pot of soup yourself. It freezes well and you can eat it a couple days in a row with a sandwich or salad on the side.

Here's a recipe for Confetti soup which features black eyed peas. I looked for frozen ones, but settled for canned beans. They were just fine after I drained them and rinsed them with water.

Black eyed peas have decent protein and fairly low carbs. The fiber in them makes the soup satisfying and you can certainly add meat to the soup for flavor or an added protein boost to help build lean muscle. The kale adds a ton of vitamin A and bold flavor.

Confetti Soup:

one cup chopped onions
1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups finely chopped kale
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cans fat-free chicken broth (no msg)
2 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
optional 1 lb ground turkey, cooked rinsed and drained.


Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add onions and peppers, cooking for about five minutes on medium heat. Add kale, chili powder, cumin and red pepper. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes, until kale is bright green Add broth, black-eyed peas and turkey meat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes and serve.

Makes 6, 1 cup servings. 151 calories, 9-15 gr. protein with turkey, 26 carbs.
Recipe adapted from the booklet, "Evelyn's Essentials."