Everyone dreads the single word that stems from getting in better shape and stopping their midnight runs to burger king
Diet
That one word strikes more fear into the hearts of aspiring health aficionados than any other aspect of getting in shape
Most people assume that you need to be a health nut, vegan touting, tofu eating tree hugger in order to get six pack abs or drop your love handles a few notches
This couldn’t be farther from the truth
I eat some of the most delicious food I can imagine, food that you can find in nearly any major restaurant chain, or even favorite dessert spot, and put them down like cake would go at a fat camp
I want to show everyone 8 foods that I eat that are not only delicious, but are a big step towards getting the body of your dreams
1) Peanut Butter and Blueberry Sandwich
Oh dear god do I love this sandwich
Everyone loves PP&J, but few people make the sandwich in a way that is healthy for you, or even worse, they have waaaaayyyy to much peanut butter in order to sustain a healthy diet
Firstly, peanut butter in the right doses is amazing for losing weight
Peanut butter is a great way to curb your hunger, causing you to feel fuller easier
It reduces your chance for heart disease, is rich in folate and vitamin b3, increases good cholesterol, and is even a good source of fiber
Now this doesn’t mean you can smear it all over your food (as amazing as that would be) but it does mean that it can be a staple of your new found delicious healthy living
WHAT YOU NEED
1) Organic Peanut Butter (or any peanut butter without hydrogenated oils or nuts)
2) 100% Whole Wheat Bread (Put down the wonder bread, its making you bigger)
3) Any Berry (blueberries are my favorite, but berries are the best fruit you can eat)
In case you don’t remember your mom making theses for you, and have had the joys of cutting off your own crusts (don’t do that anymore please, there are great nutrients in the crust) the construction is simple
Spread a reasonable amount of peanut butter on one side of the bread, and then top the sandwich with about half a cup of your favorite berries
Now watch your mouth enter ecstasy
Not only is this food extremely high in fiber, protein, and lots of vitamins and minerals, it also will fill you up and can replace an entire meal easily in your diet
2) Smoothie
No longer are smoothies regulated to body builders and fashionistas, smoothies are a great staple of a healthy diet, and the best part is the near limitless things you can put in them
WHAT YOU NEED
1) Skim Milk
2) Water
3) Fruits
4) Vegetables
5) Peanut Butter
6) Yogurt
Any combination of these ingredients will allow you to create a tasty and healthy smoothie
Some of my favorite combinations include
Skim milk, berries, berry yogurt (great overall berry flavor)
Water, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes (a V8 on steroids)
Skim milk, peanut butter, yogurt, bananas (Great rich flavor)
Smoothies allow you to stretch your creative cooking muscles and develop some combinations that you not only enjoy, but can feel good about using after your workout or in Lou of a typically unhealthy dinner
3) Fruit and Yogurt
How can something so simple taste so great?
I am not a master of the culinary arts, but I do know that if you take a non fat yogurt and mix it with some of your favorite fruits, you are in for the full flavor of a parfait without all the guilt afterwards
WHAT YOU NEED
1) Non fat, low sugar yogurt (there are millions of flavors to choose from)
2) Your favorite fruits (apples, bananas, berries, anything works)
Open up a yogurt and dump it all into a glass container
Then take a small amount (about half a cup or so) and get it into small pieces if it isn’t already
Place your diced or small fruits on top of the yogurt
Enjoy
That’s it
This is a great snack as it is high in many vitamins and minerals including calcium, vitamin A and D, and also has bacteria cultures that support a healthy digestive system
4) Grilled cheese and egg sandwich
I know what you are thinking; you must be crazy to put such a fattening food on this list
Well yes, by traditional standards a sandwich of this caliber will be a sure way to get you into a big and tall store for all your clothing needs
Butter, white bread, cheddar cheese, fried eggs
Nearly all have no to little nutritional value for you, and certainly wont aid in your efforts to getting in shape
But what if we shift up the ingredients a bit?
WHAT YOU NEED
1) Low moisture skim mozzarella cheese (same stuff you see on most pizzas)
2) 100% whole wheat bread
3) Eggs
4) Vegetable oil
For those of you who have never ad the joys of making (see burning) a grilled cheese sandwich, I will hold your hand through this intense cooking process
Get a skillet pan and set your stove top to medium heat
Put a small amount of vegetable oil down and once it starts boiling, place your bread down
Once the bread begins to toast, place your cheese on the bread and take the second piece of bread and place it on top until it reaches a golden brown. Place the sandwich on a plate
Break an egg or two into the same pan and cook them thoroughly
After they are cooked, place them inside the sandwich and enjoy
This meal is rich with protein and fiber and filled with healthy omega 3s in order to build up your ability to burn fat
5) Chocolate Milk
This isn’t your mothers chocolate milk, this is a protein rich mega healthy alternative to its sugar induced coma relative
The concept is simple, take some unhealthy additives and find powerful healthy alternatives
WHAT YOU NEED
1) Skim Milk (Organic Preferably)
2) Whey chocolate protein powder
Simply add the directed amount of chocolate powder to the milk and stir thoroughly
And you have a delicious and extremely nutritious snack that doesn’t come from fat and sugar, but is instead fortified with loads of protein, calcium, vitamin d and a superman potion of vitamins and minerals
There you have it, 5 foods that can get you that much closer to your ideal level of health
Look for more healthy food options as soon as I stop leading a boycott around the general vicinity of McDonalds
Gabriel
Hey! Nice job here! I’ll be dropping by from time to time 🙂
Can anyone give more list of diet foods?*~;
Interesting, thanks for that. My son has a terrible aversion to eating fruit for some reason, so I made it into smoothies for him and then he can’t get enough of it! I also found some great smoothie recipes here and thought I’d share – lots of other great ideas there.