Adding Fruits and Veggies to Your Diet

This week, you'll learn to make low-cal eating easier by adding more fruits and veggies to your meals. Plant foods tend to be low in calories and high in fiber. Adding them to meals not only improves taste and texture, but can crowd out extra calories. For example, if you eat pizza, you can slice off significant calories by not ordering meat toppings or extra cheese and instead asking for thin crust with veggies on top.

Continue to record everything you eat in your Diet Diary. You can also track your eating habits on My Wellness Center. When planning meals, first determine your target daily calorie intake. Then distribute your total daily caloric allotment within the following calorie ranges:

• Breakfast (400 to 600 calories)
• Morning snack (100 to 200 calories)
• Lunch (400 to 600 calories)
• Afternoon snack (100 to 200 calories)
• Evening snack (50 to 150 calories)

These tips will help you merge your old and new ways of eating:

Leaner lunch: Stay energized midday with a healthy lunch of 400 to 600 calories. Whether you brown-bag it or order out, you can feel satisfied but still save hundreds of unnecessary calories by making lean choices and smart substitutions. What do you usually eat for lunch? Remodel your meal keeping these calorie savers in mind:

• Find a substitute for mayo and creamy spreads and dressings. Always ask for dressings on the side. Then dab or sprinkle a few drops on your food for flavor. Or find new flavors that don't come with extra calories, like pickles on a sandwich or jalapeños on a baked potato. Skip the mayo, or go for low-cal mayo instead.
• Throw in beans. Beans are filling and packed with nutrients and fiber. Even if you think you're not a bean lover, experiment and no doubt you'll find types that you enjoy.
• Always garnish with extra vegetables. Whether on a sandwich or burger, in chili or pasta, extra fresh vegetables barely boost the caloric level but add filling fiber and plenty of nutrients.

Go to Martica's Eat Smart Tips for Week 3.