Healthy Nutritional Meals

The hidden ingredients are what women should focus on when it comes to healthy nutritional meals. This includes what you drink and the food you eat.

General meal eating tips includes:

1. Drink a glass of water prior to eating to help feel full.
2. Eat a green salad with vinaigrette dressing prior to the meal to avoid filling up on fats and sweets.
3. Alcohol tends to increase appetites.
4. Caffeinated drinks have dehydrated effect negating your water consumption
5. Teenage girls and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need 3 serving of dairy products per day.
6. Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day to continuously fuel your body.

The saying in Texas is that everything is bigger. This mentality has infected our society when it comes to food portion sizes. Portion sizes keep getting bigger and bigger. Yet, the cost for the meal is not rising proportionally with the sizes. One reason might be because of the hidden ingredients that are not recommended as a part of a healthy nutritional meal.

• PORTION SIZES

The USDA CNNP 2005 Food Pyramid has recommended serving allowance for each food group. The question isn't how many serving but how do you measure a serving. Below is what 1 serving of items from different food groups equal and helpful hints on how to eyeball what a serving should look like.




SERVING SIZES	HELPFUL MEASURING TIPS
1/2 cup cooked pasta	one clenched fist
1/2 cup cooked rice	one clenched fist
1/2 cup green beans	one rounded fist
snack servings	one rounded fist
3 oz lean meat	palm of hand
chicken (skin removed)	deck of cards
fish	deck of cards
nuts	golf ball
1/2 cup ice cream	tennis ball



Eating out and eating processed food can be deceptive when it comes to portion sizes and there are also hidden ingredients to be aware of. You should hand select your healthy nutritional meals whether eating at home or eating out.
• FATS

Saturated fats and trans fats can lead to heart disease and high cholesterol. Saturated fats can be hidden in sauces and dishes covered with cheeses. When eating out ask about the use of butter in dishes. You should ask what is used to make the sauce and request cheese made from skim milk.

Salad dressings used on salad greens should be low fat, nonfat, Italian or vinaigrette balsamic. If not availabe get the dressing on the side.

Trans fats The American Heart Association advised eating trans fats increases the risk of heart disease. Trans fat is formed by a process called partial hydrogenation which is used to extend the shelf-life of processed food. Pastries and donuts are big offenders.

Watch out for sausage and salami which are high in fat. Ribeye, T-Bone and Porterhouse are high in fat. You should choose lean cuts of meat,fish and chicken (skin removed).

• SUGARS

You should limit your daily consumption of “free sugar”. “Free sugar” includes refined sugar from cane, beet and corn. It also includes high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose and sorbitol. A condiment such as ketchup is a hidden sugar culprit.

High energy protein bars, vitamin water and energy drinks are usually loaded with sugar. Moderation is the key. Your body converts unused sugar into fat storage.

• SODIUM

Too much sodium can be one cause of high blood pressure. High blood pressure and heart attacks are linked together.

Processed foods are usually high in sodium. Look for the following ingredients, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and disodium phosphate. Foods to avoid are hotdogs, sausage, luncheon meat and bacon. Vegetable juice and tomato juice are high in sodium. Choose brands that say low in sodium.

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Your role is to know exactly what you are eating. You should take time to read labels and ask questions. Try to incorporate as many food groups as possible into your healthy nutritional meals. My tip of the day to you is to get started, progress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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