60s and sexy

Psst, prepping is the secret to eating healthy

By CINDY FERA
Posted 1/30/20

Having worked in the wellness and beauty industry for over 40 years has taught me a lot. I've seen many women and men lose weight. I've also seen them gain the weight back and then some. What I've noticed is that the people that succeed in keeping the

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60s and sexy

Psst, prepping is the secret to eating healthy

Posted

Having worked in the wellness and beauty industry for over 40 years has taught me a lot. I’ve seen many women and men lose weight. I’ve also seen them gain the weight back and then some. What I’ve noticed is that the people that succeed in keeping the weight off have several things in common.

First, they look at the changes they’ve made in their diet as a lifestyle change, not a diet. Secondly, they don’t deprive themselves and occasionally have foods that they love. Third and most important is that they prep their meals and snacks ahead of time. This helps tremendously.

Did you know that many people eat mindlessly as they prepare a meal? Calories add up fast, and before you know it you can consume 500 extra calories or more getting ready to eat. Here are some tips that can help prevent that.

On the weekend cook for the week. Make a tray of chicken tenders. I put them in a bag with some olive oil and spices and mix well. I then broil them or use my air fryer to cook them. I love my air fryer because the meat doesn’t dry out while cooking and the air that circulates around the food cooks it evenly. Store the cooked chicken in a container that closes tightly.

During the week I use the chicken in several different ways. Sliced on top of a salad, in a whole wheat wrap or mixed with some brown rice and beans are just a few ideas. Remember to have prepped the veggies as well. It’s easy to throw a salad together if you have all the vegetables cleaned and sliced. In my wraps I love to add spinach and feta cheese.

For snacks I make yogurt parfaits. I buy vanilla yogurt, fruits and nuts and granola. Fresh fruit is nice but frozen works as well. I take medium size mason jars and put a few tablespoons of yogurt in the bottom. I then layer some fruit on top. My third and forth layers are nuts and granola. Just alternate the ingredients until the jar is almost full. These are great snacks that are sweet and provide protein and a fruit serving.

Another great snack is doing the same thing but with vegetables. I like to clean and cut celery sticks to fit in the jar. I save some room at the top. Put peanut butter in a small container and place on top of the celery sticks. I buy the small plastic containers like restaurants give you with dressings. These are available on Amazon. Other ideas include broccoli and cauliflower with some Greek dressing in a small container for dipping. Carrots and celery with some hummus is yummy, too. Fill as much as possible so there isn’t a lot of air in the jar. Screw the top down firmly. I find that these snack jars last four to six days in the fridge. The possibilities are endless!

The bottom line is that if you take some time on the weekend to prep your food and snacks, you will be setting yourself up for success.

For questions, nutrition tips and more you can reach me at SixtyAndSexy@gmail.com. Follow me on my blog at SixtiesAndSexy.net.

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