With all the different diet crazes around it’s sometimes hard to figure out what healthy meals consist of.  Do you eat carbs, no carbs, low cal, low fat? It’s all so confusing! Well I have found a very simple way to put together healthy meals. It’s as simple as remembering protein and produce.

When you are trying to put together healthy meals that will keep you healthy and aid you in losing belly fat ~ or any other kind of fat for that matter, you have to have both protein and produce.

The protein will give your body what it needs to hold on to and create muscle.  Without protein you will find you lose weight, but some if not a lot of your weight loss will be lean muscle weight.  Now I’m not talking about going over the top and eating an all protein diet. I am talking about making sure you have a small portion of protein at each meal.  It can be a small piece of chicken or fish, some nuts, a piece of cheese, even a tablespoon of peanut butter. However you do it, you have to have some protein with your meal.

Now on to the produce. This is simple enough, just a small portion of fruits or vegetables. Anything that comes in the fresh food aisle is fair game for this part. You can use frozen or canned produce, but it is absolutely best to use fresh fruits and vegetables as often as you possibly can.

You may have noticed the healthy meal equation does not include a starch. Now this threw me for a loop. I was raised to have meat, and something green (produce) and something yellow (starch) on your plate for every meal.  It’s taken me a bit to get over this one, but I realize I am feeling so much better and losing weight with the protein produce equation.

You will have more than enough carbohydrates in your fruits and vegetables, you really don’t need an extra starch on your plate.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you CAN’T eat all those yummy foods. You can, choose wisely, choose whole grain alternatives.   What I am saying is if you are in a pinch, just remember all you need is protein and produce.

It can be something as simple as a turkey sandwich and an apple for lunch. You could have a roasted chicken breast and some broccoli for dinner.

This works out especially well if you are following the concept of eating 6 small meals throughout the day. I had trouble making these meals small. I was having a full meal 6 times a day!  Whew, glad I figured that one out! Now snacks consist of a hard boiled egg and a piece of fruit or some nuts and fruit. Small meals through out the day will definitely add to your weight loss, and you will never feel hungry!

So if you are trying to find ways to put together healthy meals, remember two little words, protein and produce!

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Is it possible to eat healthy fast food? The busier we get the more it seems there just isn’t enough time in the day.  How many times have you gotten to the end of the day and thought, “what’s for dinner?”  It’s in that moment we choose between grabbing something fast, or making something at home. More and more grabbing something fast is winning out.

If you have to choose fast food you can still make some choices to make healthy fast food choices.  Here are some tips to help you make healthy choices when eating at fast food restaurants.

Watch Your Portion Sizes

In this super sized world you can still find healthy portions. Remember a healthy hamburger portion is that of a regular child size hamburger. You know there’s nothing wrong with grown ups eating a happy meal. If you choose apples and milk you have a perfect portion sized and somewhat healthy meal.

Watch the Salt

Fast food is always made heavy with salt.  Don’t make it worse by adding more at the table.

Choose Carefully

Choose grilled foods over fried, mustard over mayo. Leave off extra fattening sauces. Even when ordering salads you need to be careful, and aware of the dressing and toppings on your salad. You can end up with a higher calorie meal with a salad than with a burger if you’re not careful.

Do Your Homework

If you know you are going to be eating at a fast food restaurant do some homework. Check out their websites. You can find all the nutritional information available for all the choices online. Look up your favorites and see if they are within the calories and fat levels you should be eating. If they aren’t look through and find something that is.  Armed with a healthy decision you can order a good choice when you get there, instead of ordering on impulse because you are hungry.

Don’t Be Afraid to Special Order

You can always ask for sauces to be left off or substituted for something else. You can also at certain places ask for grilled meat instead of fried. Don’t be afraid to ask for healthier options.

Avoid the Buffet

Even the salad bar.  The buffet is an invitation to overeat, even if it is salad, you can end up eating more calories than you expected or wanted. There is something about “all you can eat” that makes you feel like you should eat ALL you can eat. It’s something about “getting your money’s worth”. If you must eat at the buffet, take small portions, and stick to grilled or steamed items.  Once you have finished your first plate resist the temptation to go back for more. If you feel like you want more food, wait at least 15 minutes and see if you are still hungry.

Eat Mindfully

This means simply enjoy your food. Think about eating as you eat. Be aware of what you are eating, and how you feel while you are eating it. Stop eating when you are satisfied, instead of mindlessly finishing all of your food and feeling stuffed.

If you must eat on the run there are ways to eat healthy fast food. Armed with these tips you can make better choices and choose healthier options for fast food.