3. Fueling Your Health

Instead of a temporary fix, we're going to design a nutrition plan that you can stick with for life.

1. Let's Make a Nutrition Plan for Healthier Eating

Here are some options to get you started

2. Use your Plate to make healthy eating simple

• Plate Size: 9-inches

• Portion size: Hand method

• Plating: 

  • First fill half of the plate with your favorite fruits, vegetables and greens

  • Next fill one quarter with your favorite lean protein

  • Then fill one quarter with your favorite grains and starchy vegetables

• Drink: Choose water or Unsweetened tea

3. Use this Handy Guide to make healthy portions simple

• 🖐🏾Palm : 3oz = 1 serving of meat/fish

• ✊🏾Fist: 1 cup = 1 serving of fruit 

• 🫴🏾Cupped hand: 2oz or 1/4 cup = 1 serving of nuts or seeds

• 👍🏾Thumb:

  • Tip to base: 1 tablespoon =  1 serving of cheese

  • Tip to 1st joint: 1 teaspoon = 1 serving of oil or fat

4. Home Cooking is your best option for preparing healthy meals

Tips for stress free cooking 

• Use proper tools for less frustration

• Batch cook to make the best of your time. On a free day, prepare and freeze meals for when you are too tired to cook

• Plan your meals and shopping together to make the most of your budget

• Add lentils to ground meat to stretch your meat for health gains and $ savings

• Eat your fruits instead of drinking them

• Try Meatless Monday. Meat is more expensive than vegetables when it comes to $ cost and health cost

5. Eating for enjoyment

Tips for stress free eating

• Practice mindful eating

• Slow down and chew each bite 30 times

• Eat with people you love

• Herbs and Spices are your secret weapon for flavor

• Grate/blend vegetables into pasta sauce to add nutrients to a meal you enjoy

• Plan ahead to swap out junk food for a healthier snack on days you know will be hectic or stressful

6. Shopping for Health

Tips for stress free shopping:

• Stick to the produce section: 

  1. Choose foods closest to their original form (unprocessed). These foods usually have no nutrition facts. 

  2. Select fruits and vegetables from all the colors of the rainbow.

• Stick to the outer border of the supermarket. Processed snack foods are usually in the middle isles.

• Shop on a full stomach to avoid buying snacks. 

• Keep healthy snacks in sight and in quick reach. Give yourself an easy win. 

• Avoid keeping packaged snacks at home. Out of sight,  out of mind and out of reach

• Learn to read the nutrition facts. Avoid foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce, and long ingredient lists.

7. Eating out with ease

Tips for stress free restaurant food

• Check the menu before you go to see what fits into your Plate Method

• At buffets, fill your plate using the Plate Method and Handy Guide

• Sides: Choose the vegetable option instead of fries

• Meat: Choose baked, steamed or roasted options instead of fried

• Ask for a container and split half of the meal before you start eating to limit overeating

• Skip the masqueraders: Salads loaded with dressing are not healthy

• To save $ and calories while getting a dessert, chose a smaller main dish or skip the main dish altogether and choose a vegetable based appetizer with a dessert as your meal.