10 quick tricks for eating better

Find it tough to get enough protein and veggies in your diet? These snack and meal ideas will make eating better easy

10 quick tricks for eating better

Source: The Hormone Diet; Random House Canada

Here are a few simple ideas to liven up your meals and on-the-go snacks with a healthy portion of protein, veggies and fats:

1. Unsweetened, organic soy milk”the So Nice brand is pleasant tasting and has the right balance of protein and carbs. The unsweetened version has 3 grams of carbohydrate and 6 grams of protein, while the original has 6 grams each of protein and carbs.

2. Plain, organic, low-fat yogurt’pick one containing the live, active bacterial cultures acidophilus and bifidus, as well as a balanced ratio of protein and carbs.

3. A piece of low fat cheese

4. A handful of nuts: almonds, cashews, brazil nuts or walnuts

5. Hummus’have it with veggie sticks or three bean salad

6. A boiled egg (1 or 2)

7. A protein bar’choose one with a 1:1 ratio of protein to carbs. Make sure it’s free of aspartame and hydrogenated oils and low in saturated fats (less than 5 percent of the calories should be from saturated fat). The Simply Bar is one of my favorites.

8. A serving of seeds‘sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

9. Olive paste or olive oil based pesto‘these can be used instead of mayo to add flavor and increase healthy fats in a sandwich.

10. The secret for getting your veggies: add frozen spinach (or any mashed or pureed vegetables) to your smoothies, pasta sauces and burgers to increase your veggie intake ‘ just like you would for your kids!

Natasha Turner, N. D. is a leading naturopathic doctor and an authority on hormonal and digestive concerns. She is the founder of Clear Medicine, a Canadian-based wellness boutique that provides integrated health care.

Excerpted from The Hormone Diet Copyright © 2009 by Natasha Turner, N.D.. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

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