In many countries world over, especially in the United States, the rate of obesity is rapidly increasing. It has led to many people and families in general to look for healthy meal plans to help stay healthy and lose weight.
A sudden change in the routine of a family, especially the diet may seem overwhelming. However, simple changes in the planning of the meals and the meal itself can make a great difference and ultimately lead to weight loss for the family.
Make a Weekly Menu You should make time to plan meals and the menu for every week. It is important that menus be part of all family meals of the week. It should also be important to keep in mind your time schedule so that you can tell how much time you have to prepare a meal each day.
Make Extra Dishes For those days that you are not as busy, prepare extra dishes to compensate for the days when you do not have enough time. This will cut out the need to make fast and unhealthy last minute solutions. Having a schedule allows the family to control the meals.
Have Balanced Ingredients When making healthy meal plans, make sure you go for balanced ingredients. Avoid eating foods such as red meat on a daily basis. Other foods that you should cut out are fried and processed foods as these contribute greatly to weight gain. Be sure that every meal contains vegetables and proteins. Dessert should be fruits instead of ice cream or cake.
Use Healthy Ingredients Oils such as olive oil are the best for cooking vegetables and meat. These oils contain high levels of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that help to lower cholesterol. You can also use other substitutes that contain olive oil and fish oil.
Avoid These Ingredients Avoid items that rely on partially hydrogenated oils such as margarine as these oils increase the harmful LDL cholesterol counts. They also account for overall weight gain. Others are white rice, white bread, refined sugar and white pasta, as these refined ingredients will clutter your diet with empty calories that do not provide nutrition.
Use Lean Meats Trying to eat healthy does not mean you get rid of all meat products. While making burgers, use low fat meats and whole-wheat buns. The types of meat preferred are reduced fat ground beef or ground turkey breast and even bison that tastes like beef and provides all the protein but contains less fat and caloric content.
The best-known fish that contain low levels of harmful fat and provide the body with healthy omega-3 fatty acids are tilapia and salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids help the body by increasing metabolism and they fight heart disease as well.
For those families that prefer poultry, them you should choose the part of the bird that contain low fat. The best part with low fat is the breast. The parts of the poultry that are dark contain more fat and calories. In addition, remove the skin of the chicken before you cook to lower the overall amount of fat.
Enjoy Your Family Meals These tips should help you get started on your journey to create healthy meal plans. Your family will be eating better and losing weight at the same time.
