6 Key Components of a Healthy Diet & Sample Meal Plans 

At the hint of spring, you may be motivated to trim down for the summer, as you long to embrace warmer weather and plan on spending more time outdoors. If you feel inspired, read on, as there is no time like the present to pursue your goals for a healthy weight and faster metabolism.

As the weather starts to warm up (which we all hope it will), it is easier to choose lighter meals over warm comfort foods. Spring is an ideal time to change up your meal plan and make healthy choices that will promote your summer “healthy weight” as well as your lifelong health goals.

So what is your plan?

There are so many diets to choose from, which one is right for you?

Many of us will evaluate a “diet plan” by the total amount of weight that can be lost in a short amount of time. But each person is an individual and what works well for one person may not work well for you. The Keto Diet, Paleo way of eating, Calorie restricted diet, Weight Watchers, Whole 30 and others offer up solutions, but are they a good fit for you?

When making a decision, keep in mind that metabolically you are an individual, just like each person has a unique genetic profile, showing up as differences in hair color, eye color and fingerprints to name a few examples, so too do people vary in their metabolic capabilities. The best approach is one that fits well with your metabolic make-up, your dietary preferences as well as your goals. In addition, any plan you choose to follow should help to promote health, boost metabolism and set you up for successful weight maintenance. In other words losing the weight is only part of the solution, sustaining lost weight is perhaps more important, along with matching your eating habits and lifestyle with the healthy weight you want to be and stay.

The six components  for a healthy diet to promote weight loss and overall health are outlined in this blog. These dietary principals will help you to slim down and boost your metabolism; any program you choose to follow should do the same.

6 Key Components  for  Trimming Body Fat and Boosting your Metabolism.

1. Your meal plan should promote food and meals that will not spike your blood sugar levels at all during the day. Spikes in blood sugar will spike insulin levels, which in turn will stop fat burning and slow down or stop weight loss.
2. A healthy diet will help you to avoid very high fat meals and snacks, especially deep-fried and highly processed foods. Flooding your body with fatty acids can cause metabolic problems. Excessive intakes (spikes) of fat and sugar can cause inflammation and can contribute to slowing down your metabolism through a process called oxidative stress.
3. It is important to boost your intake of phytonutrients and micronutrients by choosing antioxidants rich foods, which can help to protect your metabolism. You can boost your intake of these nutrients by including more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods.
4. Your food intake should be matched with your metabolic capabilities. It is important to know what your specific energy requirements are each day. Healthy foods should be selected according to your daily energy needs.
5. Make exercise a routine like brushing your teeth. Yes, exercise will help you to burn calories, but it also helps to lower your insulin levels and boost cellular metabolism.
6. Get a personalized plan; having a plan makes you more targeted in your approach and your outcomes more certain.

At Anne Till Consulting, our approach to weight loss is unique, we tailor make our meal plans to fit with your unique metabolism, health concerns, wellness goals and personal food preferences. Here are a couple of sample days showing the flexibility of our meal plans.

Sample Plans for 1 Day

The Elaborate Eater

Breakfast
Protein Rich Cottage Cheese and Oatmeal Pancakes (light, fluffy and delicious)

Topped with Sliced Bananas and Blue Berries and Cinnamon

Drizzled with a little Maple or Truvia Syrup

Lunch

Southwest Chicken Salad made with Seasoned Grilled Chicken Strips, Black Beans, Corn, Avocado, Leafy Greens and Cilantro and tossed with Greek Yogurt Chipotle Dressing.

Afternoon Snack

Peanut Butter and Apple Slices

Dinner

Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill

Seasoned and Oven Roasted Butternut, Green Asparagus Spears and Red Skinned Potatoes.

 

The No Time to Cook Meal Plan

Breakfast
1 Packet Weight Control Oatmeal (this has extra added protein)

Topped with Cinnamon and ¼ Cup Blueberries

Lunch

Turkey and Cheese Wrap (Use a Carb Balance Wrap)

Shredded Romaine Lettuce, Pickles, Light Mayo and Mustard for wrap

Baby Carrots, Celery Sticks & Reduced Fat Ranch Dip on the side

Afternoon Snack

Vanilla Greek Yogurt

2 Clementines

Dinner

Grilled Chicken (Cooked at home or purchased ready to eat)

Small Baked Sweet Potato (can be made in the microwave) & a little Butter

Broccoli, steamed from fresh OR microwaved from frozen

 

The No Starchy Foods/ Lower Carb Plan

Breakfast
2 Egg Omelet with Mushrooms, Spinach and a little Cheddar Cheese

A side of Melon and Pineapple

Lunch

Tossed Salad with Grilled Chicken and Spring Mix, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Yellow Peppers, Cucumbers and Light Ranch Dressing.

Honey Crisp Apple

Afternoon Snack

100 Cal Mixed Nut Pack, Spicy

Dinner

Beef and Vegetable Stir-fry, Teriyaki Seasoning (sugar free)

Cauliflower Rice

Snack

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas

 

Vegetarian Meal Plan

Breakfast
Smoothie: 1 Cup High Protein Nut Milk & 1 Small Banana & 1 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries

Lunch

Black Bean Burger

Crisp Lettuce, Sliced Tomato and Tangy Pickles

1 Wholegrain Fold It Wrap

2 Tbsp. Guacamole

Chopped Side Salad with Light Honey Mustard dressing

Afternoon Snack

100 Cal Almond Nut Pack, Sweet or Savory

Fuji Crisp Apple

Dinner

Red Lentil Soup, seasoned with Basil Pesto

Suzie’s Thin Crackers (Corn, Quinoa and Sesame) on the side

Snack

Frozen Red Grapes (Delicious- little fruit popsicles)

 

Call us today to find out more about how we may be able to help you achieve your goals of a healthy weight and overall wellness.

Get ready, here comes Summer!