After the blog post Eat Cleaner to Run Meaner (part 1), some readers reached out to ask for some tips and recipes. Sharing what I shared with them was my inspiration for this post and launching of recipes as part of my blog.
Some of the questions I was asked:
1. How do you know how to balance your portions?
Everyone is different. Some people need to eat a large portion of meat to feel satisfied. Other people love carbs. In my opinion, too much of anything is not good and the key to feeling satisfied after a meal lies in finding the optimal balance for your plate. I have included this helpful example from Fitbit’s blog of what a balanced plate should look like:
2. What are examples of food that is low in calories / foods that I can eat a lot of?
How to apply this: on pasta night, add a big salad to your plate with low calorie items. This will help you to dish less pasta and will also balance out your plate (as illustrated in question 1). Another example is to have a wrap or a sandwich and to fill it with the low-calorie goodies. One of my favorite combinations is hummus, spinach, sprouts, olives and tomato. You can add some cheese or cucumber if you like.
3. I feel sluggish in the afternoon, what can I eat to boost my energy?
Are you hungry or are you actually thirsty? Sometimes we are dehydrated and don’t even know it. This can lead to a sluggish feeling. Try having a glass of water and a cup of coffee or tea (green tea also boosts energy).
If you are still hungry, let me firstly say “do NOT eat those sugary treats you think will boost your energy”. Healthier and more effective snack options include: a fruit (natural sugar), nuts, honey (you can easily add some in your tea), a boiled egg, a cracker with some nut butter, cucumber/celery and peppers with some hummus or a cup of yogurt. My go-to-snack is a fruit because it curbs that sweet craving. When I am extra hungry, I grab an apple with some nut butter on it.
4. What are things I don’t eat (because I think it is unhealthy)?
Processed food is the biggest no for me. I am vegetarian and I avoid all “fake meat”. Furthermore, I love making my own burger patties as opposed to buying them. It is more effort but also more nutritious and delicious. For the meat eaters, the same rule applies – try to avoid processed meats and tinned food. The second thing I try to limit/avoid is sauce on my food. Sauces are usually loaded with hidden sugars and you can easily turn a healthy meal into a less healthy meal by simply adding too much sauce.
5. Do I eat sugar?
Of course! I love chocolate or a slice of carrot cake on a weekend. I (try to) avoid sugar in the week and then enjoy treats on the weekend. I also love baking and have been exploring with some low-sugar treats. See recipes for low-sugar apple crumble and banana flapjacks. PS – my husband is the biggest critic you can find when it comes to my alternatives, but he LOVES the banana flapjacks. This is now the standard Sunday morning breakfast in our household.
Other healthy recipes to try out:
Vegetarian Quinoa Burger Patties
May the recipes bring you inspiration in the kitchen and happiness for your tummy
