A New Raffles Singapore for a New Era

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The Raffles Singapore Embarks on a Modern Journey

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How To Portion Control For Weight Loss (Without Starving!)

Are you struggling to lose weight or looking for an easier way to eat healthy without feeling hungry all the time?  Portion control is a great method to lose weight and monitor your healthy eating.  This post explains what portion control is and offers tons of tips for how to successfully portion control yourself to healthy! 

Portion control is one of the biggest nutrition hacks I’ve found for sticking to a healthy lifestyle, losing weight, and then maintaining my ideal weight.  The idea is to understand what your body needs and just eat to that level.  Oftentimes, either because we feel we have to finish all that’s on our plate or restaurants have pre-determined giant portions, we over-eat, which leads to weight gain.

Enter portion control, which helps us to identify what’s in our food and how much we need to consume to meet our goals.  The hang-up for many people when trying lo lose weight, however, is they think they need to drastically reduce the amount of food they’re eating, which isn’t necessarily the case.  My goal in this post is to share how to portion control without feeling hungry all the time, and still lose the weight (assuming that’s your goal).  The bottom line is that portion control means no food is off limits — it’s just a matter of choice if and when you choose to eat anything.

Hopefully, the info I have shared below will help provide you some much needed support and control over this process. In a nutshell, here are the portion control topics we’re gonna cover in this post:

1. Why is Portion Control Important?
2. How Portion Control Can Help You Lose Weight
3. 10 Portion Control Tips for How to Get Started
4. Serving Size Versus Portion Size: What’s The Difference?
5. What Does Serving Size Mean?
6. What Does Portion Size Mean?
7. Understanding Macros
8. How To Calculate Macros
9. How To Eat Slowly for Better Portion Control
10. Should I Keep a Food Journal?
11. How to Cut Down Portions Without Feeling Hungry
12. How to Ea Smaller Portions at Restaurants
13. Portion Control as a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
14. Meal Prep Ideas for Portion Control

Feel free to jump to any sections that may be of interest.

So, let’s get started!

WHY IS PORTION CONTROL IMPORTANT?

In basic terms, your body requires a certain amount of calories to function and survive each day. Those calories are determined by your age, current weight, and daily activity level and vary from person to person. An average woman requires approximately 2000 calories per day to maintain her weight, and 1500 calories per day to lose one pound of weight per week.  An average man, on the other hand, requires approximately 2500 calories per day to maintain his weight, and 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week.

That’s where portion control comes in.  If you’re eating more calories than your body needs, your body will take those extra calories and store them as fat.  The more extra calories you consumer, the more fat you’ll store.  So, in order to reduce those extra calories being stored as fat, we can use portion control to make sure we are eating what our body actually needs.

The reason why this is so difficult for many of us to do is we are constantly provided with larger portions than we need.  This causes us to eat more without even realizing we’ve over-eaten, causing weight gain.

HOW PORTION CONTROL CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

By portioning out our food and controlling the amounts of food we put into our bodies, we can essentially assume control over how much of our food will be stored as fat.  And, if we eat at a calorie deficit, which means we eat less than what our body requires each day to function, we can then make our body use stored fat for energy, which causes weight loss.  The more stored fat your body burns, the more weight you lose, up to a point, which is why we want to make sure we maintain a healthy, balanced diet while we utilize portion control.

10 PORTION CONTROL TIPS FOR HOW TO GET STARTED

Don’t worry, this isn’t where I suggest you eat carrot sticks and celery al day to lose weight.  In fact, I recommend eating portions that make you feel full and satisfied, all the while understanding the food breakdown of what you’re eating.  To help you, I’ve gathered some portion control tips that helped me when I first started.

1. Read all nutrition labels. This is a biggie and will definitely be a big help to understand what’s in your food. It’s so important to read the labels to understand serving sizes. This doesn’t mean we then go by what the label recommends as a serving, however.  Instead, we use labels to understand how much of that food we should be eating.  Not everybody needs the same serving size, so it’s important to consider your daily needs. You can read more about what to look out for on your labels in this clean eating guide.
2. Measure your food. There are many different ways to understand serving sizes so we can have a better idea of what we are eating.  If you’re cooking at home (which is a great way to control portion size), you can make use of a kitchen scale, measuring cups, and meal prep containers to portion control your meals. When you’re not at home, there are also several tips you can use, which I discuss later on in this post.
3. Meal prep.  I love to meal prep because it is such a great way to help prepare you to succeed at your healthy goals. It helps to prep and cook balanced and healthy meals and full control over food portion sizes.  The more you can plan ahead and make your well-balanced meal work for you, the better of you’ll be.  Here are some great meal prep ideas to get you started.
4. Calculate your macros.  It’s important to get a good understanding of what your body needs in order to fully take advantage of portion control when trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your weight. This one is a little tricky and does require some patience and learning.  I’ll cover how to calculate your macros later in this post so you can get started right away.
5. Fill up on veggies. Veggies and greens are always a good idea so make sure you enjoy them with every meal. They not only add valuable nutrients, but they also are filling and don’t take up a bunch of calories, which allows you to better portion out your carbs and protein.

6. Go slow and steady. No one likes to be hungry all the time. It’s a lifestyle that won’t be satisfying and, thus, will likely fail when you are trying to lose weight. The best method for weight loss is gradual weight loss over time as part of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle, not to restrict your calories so much that you’re miserable. You can read more about my own personal struggle with weight and calories counting as well. That means you want to slowly reduce your portion sizes and your body gets used to the new levels. The more drastic you cut your food intake, the more your body and mind will fight you to give up.
7. Use smaller plates. There’s something about finishing your plate that really makes a difference. I know it seems crazy, but using smaller plates will help you to feel like you’re enjoying a full meal and will trick your brain into feeling satisfied. If you eat everything on your plate, but the plate is smaller, it will feel better than not eating everything on your plate with a larger plate. This is another reason I really like these glass meal prep containers — because I know I can eat everything in the container and it’s still on track with my goals.
8. Drink more water. Did you know drinking water before a meal will help with portion control and will help you to lose weight faster? For realz! When we’re dehydrated, we tend to eat more. So, drinking a glass of water before your meal actually helps because you’ll be less tempted to eat a big portion size. If I know I’ve already eaten what my body needs and I start to feel hungry, I drink a glass of water and wait 30 minutes. If I’m still hungry, I know it’s that I should eat a small snack, but often times, I’m no longer hungry – I was actually thirsty!
9. Eat slowly. It can be difficult at first to re-train yourself, but try to slow down your eating. The longer you take to eat your food, the more full you’ll feel before you finish, which will help you eat what you need and not over-eat. Check out my tips for how to train yourself to eat more slowly later in this post.
10. Make a schedule. I found it really helpful to create a schedule with alarms on my phone that would let me know when breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack times were. That way, I always had something to look forward to and knew I was just a little bit away, while I trained my body to not over-eat anymore.

SERVING SIZE VERSUS PORTION SIZE: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Learning how to measure food is very important and it will make portion control much easier. So, first, let’s talk about the difference between serving size and portion size.

What Does Serving Size Mean?

Serving size is the recommended amount of a specific type of food. This is the recommended amount for a day, not for a meal. The serving size is what you will read on a nutrition label at the top for that product. Serving size, believe it or not, is actually NOT based on dietary needs to any large degree. The “serving size” we see at the top of nutrition labels (for example, 15 crackers, 8 oz., or 2 tbsp, etc.) was determined from the average amount Americans consumed in a single seating, based on federal food surveys between 1978 and 1988! Insane, right? The serving sizes listed on the Nutrition Facts label are NOT recommended serving sizes. By law, those serving sizes must actually be based on how much food people actually consume, and not on what they should eat. That means it is not very useful in understanding how much of that food we should be eating — you must understand that for yourself.

What Does Portion Size Mean?

The portion size is the actual amount of food you literally eat in one sitting. That means we need to understand serving sizes of our food and eat what our bodies require using portion control to lose weight and be healthy. It’s also always important to remember your nutritional needs are likely very different than the ones of an average person, especially when you consider serving size wasn’t even based on nutritional requirements.

Factors that can affect your daily caloric intake (and ideal portion size):

• level of physical activity (exercise increases your body’s ability to burn calories)
• height
• age
• genetics
• diet (certain foods can increase or decrease your metabolism, which is what burns fat)
• gender
• drugs (certain drugs can help or hurt your metabolism)
• muscle mass (the more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns)
• body size
• hormonal imbalances

UNDERSTANDING MACROS

The first step in understanding how much food you should be eating to better succeed at portion control is to calculate your macros.  What the heck are macros, you ask?  Great question!  Read on and learn all about them and why they’re so important for understanding portion control.

To start, all food is broken up into:

1. carbohydrates
2. protein, and
3. fat.

It’s the combination of the three of these “macros” (short for “macronutrients”) that make up what we call Calories.

• Calories

  First and foremost, let’s get one thing straight. A calorie, by itself, is not the evil thing you might thing it is. It is literally just a scientific way to measure energy. Calories aren’t bad for you by themselves. Your body NEEDS calories for energy. But eating too many calories — and not burning enough of them off through activity — can lead to weight gain. In fact, it takes about 3,500 calories below your calorie needs to lose a pound of body fat. It takes approximately 3,500 calories above your calorie needs to gain a pound.

  For the macros:

  1. 1 g carbohydrate = 4 calories
  2. 1 g protein = 4 calories
  3. 1 g fat = 9 calories

  This is why not all foods are created equal and why some contain more calories than others. It’s also not just about how many calories you eat, it’s about eating quality foods for your caloric intake.

  

  Carbohydrates

  Commonly referred to as “carbs,” carbohydrates are in foods like bread, rice, and potatoes and they provide your body with heat and energy. There are three types of carbs:

  1. Starches (found in vegetables, beans, grains, pasta, bread)
  2. Sugars (found either naturally in fruits, milk, etc., or can be added to food, like with granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, etc.)
  3. Fibers (found in beans, fruit, veggies, whole grains, nuts, etc.)

  Overall, the goal is to focus more on fiber and starches and limit sugars, especially those that aren’t naturally occurring.

  

  Protein

  All of our organs, including skin, muscles, hair and nails are built from proteins. Additionally, hormones, the immune system, the digestive system, and our blood all rely on proteins to work correctly. Protein is, therefore, an essential part of our diet, vital to our development, and for proper functioning of the body.  When we eat, our body breaks down the protein in our food in order to create the amino acids that it needs.

  Foods high in protein:

  • lean meat
  • fish
  • eggs
  • dairy
  • nuts

  In order for protein to be broken down once we eat it, we NEED fat and carbohydrates to fuel the process. That’s why having a well-balanced diet is so critical — you can’t just eat protein and no fat or carbs — they all work together.

  

• Fat

  Fat makes food taste better and makes us feel full longer, but what does it do for our bodies?  Believe it or not, fat is also an essential part of our diet and nutrition, meaning we literally cannot live without it. While our bodies require small amounts of “good fat” to function and help prevent disease, a lot of diets contain far more fat than the body needs. Too much fat, especially too much of the wrong type of fat, can cause serious health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which can lead to a greater risk of heart disease.

  Types of fat:

  • Unsaturated Fat – Unsaturated fats are generally considered the best kind of fat. Unsaturated fats come from vegetable sources and are encouraged as part of a healthy diet. These fats help reduce heart disease, lower cholesterol levels and have other health benefits.
  • Saturated Fat – Generally, saturated fats come from animal sources (meat, dairy, eggs etc.), and are usually solid at room temperature. Common sources of saturated fat include: Beef, Lamb, Pork, Dairy products made from whole milk (milk, cheese, butter), poultry skin, palm oil, etc.
  • Hydrogenated / Trans Fat – Almost exclusively manufactured and are used in many processed foods. They are linked to an increased risk of high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. These are the worst of all fats when it comes to health. Manufacturers use trans fats because it increases the shelf life of fat and makes the fat harder at room temperature.

  Understanding what macros are and why we need them is very helpful for approaching portion control — it’s the “why” behind a well-balanced meal, and what that means for our bodies.

  

  HOW TO CALCULATE MACROS

  So…how do you calculate your macros?  While you can calculate it yourself using a formula, I recommend using the IIFYM calculator (IIFYM stands for “If It Fits Your Macros”), which helps you take activity level, goals, and many other factors into account.  It is very quick to calculate and will provide you with how many calories you should eat each day, based on your goals, as well as how many grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to eat each day to reach your goals, whether that’s to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

  Once you have a base-line understanding of what macros your body requires, you can break down the foods you’re eating and control the portions to best fit your macros.  It can seem a little overwhelming to start, but it becomes more second nature the more you learn what makes up your food.

  

  HOW TO EAT SLOWLY FOR BETTER PORTION CONTROL

  One of the reasons we tend to eat too much is because we don’t pay attention to what and how much we’re eating and how fast we’re doing it. Multitasking is not good for portion control, peeps. So try mindful eating. This means: slow down and experience your meal.  For instance, did you know it can take your body up to 20 minutes to feel full?  So, if you devour your meal within 4 minutes, there’s no way your body will feel full, and you’ll eat more than you need.  If we eat too fast, we will over-eat and not feel satisfied from a meal that should actually be totally satisfying.

  To learn how to eat slowly, try the following…

  • chew each bite 15-20 times;
  • don’t shovel food in your mouth, take small bite after small bite;
  • eat at the table and focus on your meal, not on other things (don’t watch TV or stay in front of your PC, you might end up eating more if you don’t pay attention to your food);
  • be aware of how full you are and stop if you feel satisfied (learn the difference in how you feel when “satisfied” versus “full”);
  • save extra food for later if necessary (you don’t need to eat everything).

  Yes, life is busy and hectic, but the more we can practice mindful eating, the better off we will be – food will taste better, we will feel nourished, and we’ll lose weight along the way!
  

  SHOULD I KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL?

  Another great idea for those just getting started learning how to portion control is to keep a food journal. A food journal is a great way to manage food portion sizes and to make sure they follow the portion sizes we’ve determined, based on our individual needs.

  So, how do you keep a food journal or diary?  You can choose to either keep track using an app or on a notepad.  The idea is to track everything you eat, including portion sizes, each day.  This will help provide you with a baseline for how much you’re currently eating and to keep track of your goals each day.  I prefer the MyFitnessPal app, but there are many, many free and paid options out there.

  A word of caution: While I do believe tracking your meals is a fantastic way to create a baseline or starting point, and to reel in what you’re eating to better understand why you may or may not be losing weight, I recommend limiting the amount of time you keep a diary.  Over time, you’ll be able to understand portions on your own, which is ideal to avoid becoming obsessed with every single calorie in your diary — trust me, I’ve been there.  Once you’ve tracked your food for about a month, you should have a pretty good understanding of what portions you should be eating.  The better you can trust yourself with your food choices, the more healthy of a lifestyle it will be.  This is also what makes eating clean a fantastic choice because you don’t have so many empty calories of sugar and processed fats.

• 
  

  HOW TO CUT DOWN PORTIONS WITHOUT FEELING HUNGRY

  If you’re worried that eating smaller portions will make you feel hungry all the time, I totally understand.  I think everyone’s been on “that diet” where you felt like you were starving from meal to meal, only to finally eat another meal that wasn’t filling enough. This can cause un-needed stress, and is exactly what we want to avoid.   So, take it one step at a time. Use this post to find out the ideal macros for you, then start to focus on your food portion sizes.  Take note of the portions you’re currently eating — are they way too big?  Try reducing them slightly, but do it progressively.  If you want to be successful at the portion control, treat it like a marathon, not a sprint, and set yourself up for success.

  Here are some more portion control tips to help you feel satisfied (not starving!):

  • Overload on veggies and greens and follow more strict portions for higher calorie/fat foods, like carbs, proteins, and fats;
  • Fill up on water as much as possible – remember your body tricks you that you’re hungry when you may actually be thirsty;
  • Put aside a part of your meal for later. If, in 20 minutes you’re still hungry, finish eating. If not, save for later in the fridge.
  • Eat snacks! Snacking between meals will make eating smaller portions much easier. Just make sure those snacks are healthy and good for you (like these healthy snacks)!
  • Make sure you’re eating the right macros.  make use of healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbs so you’re not running on fumes.
  • Ask yourself if you’re really hungry or if you just THINK you’re hungry because you’re used to eating more.  This will be a gradual process you’ll need to learn.

  

  HOW TO EAT SMALLER PORTIONS AT RESTAURANTS

  Portion control at restaurants is very tricky, especially nowadays when restaurants serve extra-large portions. It is definitely manageable, though, so don’t worry. I still like to eat out from time to time, but I’m able to keep my portion sizes under control. Here’s how you can do it, too:

  • Check the meal portion size or ask the staff – order something that is close to your ideal food portion sizes;
  • Ask for a half order (they can even box it for you ahead of time so you never see it!);
  • Use the 50/25/25 rule for each meal (50% carbs / 25% fat / 25% protein) to feel full and have more energy;
  • Take leftovers to go if you really crave something that comes in an extra-large portion;
  • Split the meal with someone – you can split the appetizers, the main dish, and even the dessert;
  • Eat until you are satisfied and take the rest to go – don’t overeat just to finish the portion!
  • Remember to go heavy on the greens and always ask for veggies as a side.
  • Drink your water so you feel full.

  These tips will help you to eat smaller portions at restaurants for sure.  For more tips, check out my post on how to eat healthy at restaurants.
  

  PORTION CONTROL AS A LIFESTYLE, NOT JUST A DIET

  I think it’s best to remember that portion control is an active choice you make as an investment in your healthy lifestyle and overall wellness journey.   Portion control can help you lose weight and also keep weight off, and it’s all part of the process of controlling what foods you’re eating with clean eating.  Hopefully, you’ll find how good it feels to be in control of your food (instead of at war) and aware of what, how much, and when you’re eating. Mindful eating and informed choices – this is the power of portion control.  And I’m sure you’ll notice the long-term, positive effects along the way!

• MEAL PREP IDEAS FOR PORTION CONTROL

  Now that you’re on board with portion control, I’m betting you could use some helpful recipes to get you started.  Here are some of my absolute favorite meal prep recipes because they are well-balanced, delicious, filling, easy, and, of course, allow you to portion control your food!

  • 7-Day Meal Prep For Weight Loss
  • Breakfast Egg White Scramble + Sweet Potato Hash
  • Make-Ahead Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
  • Frozen Breakfast Burritos
  • 6 Overnight Oat Recipes
  • How to Meal Prep Chicken
  • Healthy Chicken Parmesan
  • Healthy Chicken Fajita Meal Prep
  • Salmon Meal Prep
  • Honey Garlic Shrimp Meal Prep
  • Korean Beef Bowl Meal Prep
  • Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes 4 Ways
  • Spicy Chipotle Chickpea Taco Bowl Meal Prep
  • Smoothie Freezer Packs
  • Mason Jar Salads
  • Turkey Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash Noodles
  • 3 Healthier Takeout Options to Make at Home

  Plus I have TONS more Meal Prep Ideas on the blog for you to get started!

   

  This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

The post How To Portion Control For Weight Loss (Without Starving!) appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.

* This article was originally published here

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Hunting for the Real Pasta all’Amatriciana

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Apple Zucchini Muffins

Baby Sardine Tsukudani じゃこの佃煮

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Switzerland’s Once-in-a-Generation, Over-the-Top Party

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10 Hotel Tips No One Taught You

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Strawberry Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette

This delicious Strawberry Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette is packed with fiber and nutrients, and is the perfect way to enjoy fresh strawberries. Plus it’s a great option for salad meal prep and it makes a delicious grab-and-go lunch. 

My healthy eating journey has had starts and stops. It has had moments where I wanted to quit and even moments where I did for a little bit.

I’ve had moments where I hate how I look, think, or feel.

It took months of figuring out how to make changes for what my body needed, to learn what balance I could create to be happy and healthy.

I have tried counting calories and restricting as well as clean eating. It took real effort, determination, and strength. And the result has been so worth it!

Once you start making these positive changes, it becomes a little easier, moment by moment. It’s important to, when you make a bad choice, to not beat yourself up.  Instead, focus on the positive choices you have made, and the progress — no matter how small. You’ll find positivity goes a long way to rebounding faster!

HOW TO MAKE A STRAWBERRY SALAD

The best thing about making a strawberry salad is you really don’t need a ton of ingredients to make it vibrant and flavorful – the strawberries help a ton with that.  And it’s so easy to make, too!  To make this salad, it’s just a few simple steps, like:

1. toast the oats and pecans;
2. toast the coconut flakes;
3. combine the greens and strawberries;
4. make the vinaigrette;
5. drizzle with vinaigrette, and serve!

If you wanted to make this strawberry salad even simpler, you could always skip toasting the pecans and coconut, but the flavor and added texture when they’re roasted is totally worth the little extra effort – trust me!

WHAT’S IN A STRAWBERRY FIELDS SALAD?

Okay so this strawberry salad is FILLED with nutritious, delicious, and clean ingredients, including:

• baby spring lettuce mix;
• rolled oats;
• coconut flakes;
• raw pecans;
• goat cheese;
• and, of course, strawberries!

Like I mentioned earlier, this is a very simple recipe for a very flavorful salad.  I love finding new ways to incorporate healthy foods into my lifestyle, especially given how good strawberries are for you.  Did you know strawberries are…

• a great source of fiber;
• rich in vitamin C;
• a great source of potassium;
• rich in antioxidants.

How To Make Chia Seed Vinaigrette

Oh but that’s not it! This strawberry salad has a DELICIOUS and healthy chia seed vinaigrette, which requires just 4 ingredients, including:

• olive oil;
• red wine vinegar;
• raw honey;
• black chia seeds.

See? All clean, healthy, and nutritious ingredients.  Compare this to your normal poppyseed vinaigrette, which typically contains vegetable oil, white sugar, and poppy seeds, which is high in sugar and unhealthy fats.  Plus — this vinaigrette recipe tastes just as good, if not better, than a poppy seed vinaigrette.

Winner: THIS chia seed vinaigrette.

MEAL PREPPING SALADS WITH STRAWBERRIES

Okay, so you’re on board with making yourself this delish strawberry salad, and you’re wondering if it will work for meal prep.  The answer is YES, it’s great as a grab and go salad to enjoy during the week, but I do have some suggestions on how to package and prep your salad for best results.

1. Prep the dressing and store it in an airtight container, like this mason jar with these air-tight lids. This step is pretty important because we don’t want to toss the salad with the dressing yet if you’re gonna wait a few days to eat it.  This will help to keep the salad as fresh as possible when it’s time to eat.
2. Next, it’s time to prep the rest of the salad.  Because strawberries are so delicate, I recommend slicing them in half (not into slices) when meal-prepping your salad. airtight containers or mason jars to store the salad.
3. In a large mason jar or air-tight container (I use these 1-quart mason jars for my salads), follow this order, starting from the bottom:
   1. halved strawberries
   2. goat cheese
   3. pecans, oats, and coconut flakes
   4. greens

Storing your salad this way will help keep it as fresh as possible during the week.  Then, when it’s time to eat your salad, just pour the salad out from the jar into a large bowl, drizzle with the dressing, and then toss to coat.  Bing. Bang. Boom.  Stored like this, these salads will last up to 4-5 days in the fridge.  Tasty meal prepped strawberry salad for the win!

PS Check out my post for more info on how to meal prep mason jar salads!

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS STRAWBERRY SALAD

While this is a super easy salad to make, I wanted to share a few tips for how to avoid any potential issues and also to find ways to suit your healthy lifestyle.

• watch the oats, pecans, and coconut flakes carefully while in the oven so they don’t burn;
• use unsweetened coconut flakes to avoid added refined sugars;
• use fresh, un-bruised strawberries;
• store the salad in air-tight containers if using for meal prep;

Substitution Suggestions For This Strawberry Salad

SinceI know no lifestyle or dietary requirements is quite the same, here are some recipe substitution recommendations for how to make this salad work best for you:

Vegan and Non-Dairy Substitutions:

• replace goat cheese with avocado;
• replace raw honey with pure maple syrup in the vinaigrette;

Tree Nut Substitutions:

• replace coconut flakes and pecans with hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds
• can use avocado for added fat in replacement of coconut and nuts

Gluten-Free and Paleo Substitutions:

• use gluten-free oats or replace with hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds for texture

Strawberry Substitutions:

• replace with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or avocado

As always, though, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help!

Strawberry Salad Recipe Video

Strawberry Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette

This delicious Strawberry Fields Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette is packed with fiber and nutrients, and is the perfect way to enjoy fresh strawberries. Plus it's a great option for salad meal prep and it makes a delicious grab-and-go lunch. 

For the salad:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, (sliced)
• 2 cups baby spring lettuce mix
• 2 tbsp rolled oats, (uncooked)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup raw pecans
• 3 tbsp goat cheese, (crumbled)

For the chia seed vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tsp black chia seeds

1. To make the chia seed vinaigrette, in a medium mixing bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, raw honey, and black chia seeds. Stir well and then set aside.

2. To toast the oats, preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and add the oats. Place in the oven and toast, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool.

3. To toast the pecans, increase the heat in your oven to 325 degrees F. Place the roughly chopped raw pecans on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper and toast them just until they become aromatic, about 8-10 minutes. You have to watch them carefully as they are easily burned. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then chop into small pieces.

4. To toast the coconut flakes, add the unsweetened coconut flakes to a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper and place into the 325 degree oven for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Toss frequently and watch carefully. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. To assemble the salad, in a large mixing bowl, combine the baby spring lettuce mix, sliced strawberries, toasted oats, toasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted coconut flakes
6. To serve, drizzle with the chia seed vinaigrette, toss, and top with a little more toasted coconut and enjoy.

If you’re prepping this salad ahead, make sure to keep the dressing in a separate container and then toss right when you’re ready to enjoy.

See the post for ingredient substitution recommendations. 

This post contains affiliate links for products I highly recommend.

The post Strawberry Salad with Chia Seed Vinaigrette appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.

* This article was originally published here

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Rich in Surprises and Secrets, There’s a State Park Waiting for You

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Nikko Guide: Nikko Toshogu Shrine

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Mai Tai Cocktails

I’ve been meaning to share this epic mai tai recipe with you for months! I found the recipe in my friend Alana Kysar’s beautiful new cookbook, Aloha Kitchen (affiliate link). Alana is effusive and thoughtful, hard working and talented, and you would know this all by glancing at her book. She sent me a copy and I’ve learned so much about Hawaiian culture and cuisine from it.

Her mai tai recipe is in the drink section at the back of the book. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make a proper tiki drink ever since we got a tiki bar in town, so here we are.

Alana says, “The mai tai is commonly associated with Hawaii, despite is California origin. Whether you believe Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic invented the drink, its strong tie to the islands remains. If you’ve ordered them in the past, chances are you’ve had varied experiences, ranging from great to terrible and everything in between.”

This mai tai recipe is well balanced, deliciously tropical, and quite boozy, like a mai tai should be. Your average cocktail contains one-and-a-half ounces of liquor, and this one contains three ounces of rum. You have been warned.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Mai Tai Cocktails appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

* This article was originally published here

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Zizi Kirana Mahu Kahwin Lelaki Kelakar, Tak Kisah Paras Rupa

Usianya kini menganjak 34 tahun, penyanyi Zizi Kira berkata dia tidak menolak andai ditakdirkan bertemu jodoh dengan lelaki pilihan keluarganya.

Zizi berkata, dia sudah malas untuk memikirkan tentang soal jodoh dan meletakkan sepenuh kepercayaan kepada ibunya untuk mencarikan lelaki terbaik.

“Saya sudah jelak bercinta, namun masih belum ditakdirkan bertemu jodoh. Malas rasanya terus memikirkan soal itu, jadi lebih baik saya serahkan kepada ibu kerana dia lebih tahu lelaki bagaimana yang terbaik untuk saya.

“Saya terima sekiranya sudah tertulis hanya bertemu cinta sejati selepas berkahwin,” katanya kepada BH Online.

Dalam pada itu, Zizi berkata dia impikan lelaki yang kelakar dan seorang yang rajin. Katanya lagi, dia tidak mementingkan paras rupa bakal suaminya.

“Soal rupa, asalkan sedap mata memandang, itu sudah memadai. Pada usia sekarang, saya tidak lagi meletakkan paras rupa sebagai kriteria utama.

“Paling penting, bakal suami saya mesti pandai berjenaka kerana saya mudah tertarik dengan lelaki yang kelakar. Dia juga perlu ringan tulang kerana saya tidak dapat hidup dengan orang malas,” katanya.

Sumber: Rotikaya

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Polis Cedera Diserang Hampir 50 Warga Afrika

KUALA LUMPUR - Empat anggota polis Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Kormersil (JSJK) Selangor diserang hampir 50 warga Afrika ketika serbuan yang dilakukan pasukan itu di Pangsapuri Flora, Damansara di sini, malam Khamis.

Dalam kejadian sekitar jam 10.50 malam itu, salah seorang daripada mereka berpangkat lans koperal cedera di muka sementara tiga lagi cedera di bahu, tangan dan mata dirawat di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM).

Kejadian berlaku ketika sepasukan polis terdiri daripada seorang pegawai dan tiga lagi anggota menyerbu lokasi itu selepas menerima maklumat berkaitan kes penipuan.

Difahamkan, warga Afrika berkenaan telah membaling, kayu, botol dan selipar ke arah polis dan keadaan semakin tegang apabila mereka mula memukul polis menggunakan laci meja pada mukanya dan dipijak dan ditumbuk bertubi-tubi di muka.

Susulan keadaan semakin tegang, pegawai polis telah mengeluarkan pistol dan arahkan kumpulan warga Afrika itu beredar, tetapi salah seorang cuba merampas pistolnya dan memaki polis.

Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Selangor, Senior Asisten Komisioner Fadzil Ahmad berkata, tindakan warga Afrika berkenaan jelas melanggar undang-undang dan polis tidak akan berkompromi tentang perkara itu. Tindakan tegas akan diambil kepada semua yang terus melanggar undang-undang negara.

Terdahulu, Fadzil memberitahu, empat anggota polis yang diserang telah ke lokasi selepas menerima maklumat berkaitan satu kes penipuan.

Menurutnya, semasa serbuan, polis telah membuat pemantauaan selama lima minit di hadapan rumah berkenaan sebelum bertindak memecahkan pintu selepas penghuninya enggan memberi kerjasama.

"Terdapat tiga wanita dan dua lelaki semuanya warga Afrika berada di dalam rumah berkenaan dan mereka enggan menunjukkan dokumen pengenalan diri serta bersikap agresif dan menjerit ke arah polis.



"Semasa polis sedang meredakan keadaan terdapat hampir 50 lelaki warga Afrika telah berkumpul di hadapan rumah dan menjerit ke arah polis.

"Polis berusaha menenangkan keadaan namun kumpulan lelaki warga asing itu bersikap semakin agresif mula membaling, kayu, botol dan selipar ke arah polis. Dalam keadaan yang tegang, tiga anggota polis telah ditarik keluar dari rumah dan mula diserang.

"Sementara pegawai polis telah ditolak masuk ke dalam rumah dan dikurung tidak dibenarkan keluar," katanya kepada Sinar Harian.

Fadzil berkata, ketika keadaan huru-hara lima suspek yang berada di dalam rumah melarikan diri dengan bantuan warga Arika lain yang berada di sana.

"Usaha menahan suspek dilakukan polis tetapi warga Afrika yang datang membuat kacau semakin agresif sehingga polis terpaksa mengeluarkan pistol dan arahkan mereka beredar namun mereka tidak berganjak.

"Sekitar jam 12 tengah malam, sepasukan lapan polis dari Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah (JSJ) Selangor tiba di lokasi untuk membantu dan warga Afrika mula melarikan diri. Salah seorang daripada mereka patah kaki akibat terjun bangunan tersebut.

"Polis berjaya menahan 10 warga Afrika dan mereka direman empat hari sehingga Isnin depan untuk siasatan lanjut. Tindakan mengesan mereka yang lain sedang giat dijalankan," katanya.

Fadzil menambah, anggota yang cedera dirawat sebagai pesakit luar di PPUM dan keadaannya stabil dan semasa insiden, barangnya kepunyaan polis turut hilang seperti telefon dan kunci motor.

Sumber: Sinar Harian

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Penantian Rakyat Malaysia Berakhir, Ainul Mardhiah Selamat Tiba Di Tanah Air

Penantian rakyat Malaysia terhadap kepulangan Ainul Mardhiah ke tanah air kini berakhir setelah dilaporkan selamat tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur dengan penerbangan MH0003 dari London.

Sejurus tiba, bapa Ainul, Ahmad Safiuddin memaklumkan bahawa puteri kesayangannya itu berada dalam keadaan yang sihat. Dia turut mengucapkan ucapan terima kasih kepada rakyat Malaysia yang mendoakan perjalanan mereka di sana.

Alhamdulillah, Ainul sihat. Terima kasih kepada rakyat Malaysia yang menanti dan mendoakan. Alhamdulillah kami selamat sampai.

Alhamdulillah keadaan semua ‘ok’ kami selamat sampai dan tiada sebarang masalah di atas ‘flight’.



Ainul juga dikatakan berada di dalam keadaan yang baik sepanjang penerbangan yang memakan masa sekitar 12 jam. Walau bagaimanapun, bayi berusia 11 bulan itu dibawa ke HKL untuk mendapatkan rawatan susulan dan pemantauan. Ketibaan Ainul Mardhiah bersama bapanya dan ibunya, Nurul Erwani Zaidi, 24, disambut lebih 20 orang keluarga terdekat di KLIA.

Penerbangan pulang Ainul Mardhiah dan ibu bapanya ditemani doktor sukarelawan dari Malaysia, iaitu Perunding Anaesthesiologist dan Pakar Penjagaan Kritikal Hospital Pakar Avisena, Kol (B) Datuk Dr Jaseemudeen Abu Baker serta Perunding Anaesthesiologist dan Pakar Perubatan Penjagaan Kritikal Pusat Perubatan Subang Jaya, Dr Gunalan Arumugam.

Ainul Mardhiah yang menghidap kanser ‘Germ Cell Tumor’ tiba di London pada 25 Mei dan menjalani pembedahan  selama lima jam di Hospital Great Ormond Street bagi membuang tumor seberat 200 gram pada 10 Jun.

Pembedahan itu dilakukan oleh  sekumpulan doktor pakar pelbagai bidang bersama pelatih pakar bedah Malaysia, Dr Nur Amalina Che Bakri, yang bertanggungjawab membawa bayi itu serta ibu bapanya ke London bagi mendapatkan rawatan.

Kisah Ainul Mardhiah bukan saja mendapat perhatian rakyat Malaysia, malah Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad turut menziarahinya ketika beliau berada di United Kingdom untuk lawatan rasmi tiga hari bulan lepas.

Kisah penderitaan Ainul Mardhiah mendapat perhatian umum apabila rakaman video bayi terbabit yang mengalami ketumbuhan pada bahagian mulut, tular dalam laman sosial.

Sumber: Bernama

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7-Ingredient Brownie Bliss Balls (Made from Almond Pulp!)

Have you ever made your own almond milk at home and wondered what to do with the leftover pulp?! This recipe is for you!

Let us show you how easy it is to make these 7-ingredient, 20-minute bliss bites, made entirely in the food processor!

This recipe starts with leftover almond pulp from making homemade almond milk.

7-Ingredient Brownie Bliss Balls (Made from Almond Pulp!) from Minimalist Baker →

* This article was originally published here

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Hotel Review: Blique by Nobis, Stockholm

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A Three-Day Cruise to the Bahamas for $210? There Must be a Catch

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Lelaki Myanmar Ditahan Selepas Rakam Gambar Kerani Wanita Buang Air

Seorang warga Myanmar menerima padah selepas ditahan polis kerana mengintai dan merakam gambar seorang kerani wanita sedang membuang air dalam tandas di tempat kerjanya di Taman Perindustrian Berjaya, Kempas pada Rabu.

Menurut Ketua Polis Johor Bahru Utara, ACP Mohd Taib Ahmad, mangsa berusia 23 tahun itu menyedari perbuatan lelaki berusia 20 tahun itu ketika sedang membuang air kecil di dalam tandas pejabatnya pada jam 10 pagi.

“Ketika kejadian, mangsa sedang berada di dalam tandas wanita di tingkat bawah dan ketika mahu membuang air kecil, dia menyedari ada seseorang sedang mengintai dengan menggunakan telefon bimbit.

“Mangsa kemudian bertindak keluar dari bilik air dan terus ke tandas sebelah dan mengetuk pintu bilik air berkenaan namun suspek tidak mahu membuka pintu tandas sebelum bertindak beredar dari situ dan meminta bantuan rakannya serta memaklumkannya kepada ketua jabatan,” tambah beliau.

Sejurus melaporkan kepada ketua jabatan, mangsa dan rakannya terus ke tandas dan mendapati seorang lelaki yang merupakan operator di pejabatnya berada dalam tandas tersebut.

“Mangsa terus mengambil telefon suspek tersebut dan mendapati terdapat beberapa gambar miliknya yang diambil dua hari sebelumnya 23 Julai di dalam tandas tersebut secara bersembunyi.

“Mangsa yang tidak berpuas hati dengan perbuatan rakan sepejabatnya itu telah pergi ke balai polis membuat laporan dan pihak polis telah menangkap suspek,” katanya lagi.

Kes sedang disiasat mengikut Seksyen 509 dan Seksyen 292 Kanun Keseksaan iaitu mengaibkan kehormatan seseorang dan memiliki gambar lucah dalam telefon bimbit yang boleh dihukum penjara maksimum lima tahun atau denda, atau kedua-duanya jika sabit kesalahan.

Bagi kesalahan memiliki gambar lucah dalam telefon bimbit pula, suspek boleh dihukum penjara maksimum tiga tahun atau denda atau kedua-duanya.

Sumber: Astro Awani

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How to Make Roasted Tomato Sauce

Making your own homemade tomato sauce is actually really easy and is a great way to control the flavor and quality of the food you’re eating.  This homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce just tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff and freezes great!

Let’s see how many of your favorite dishes call for tomato sauce…

Lasagna? Check. Pizza? Check. Spaghetti? Of course. Chicken Parmesan?  Yaas.  Any Italian dish ever? Yep, that too.

When fresh tomatoes are ripe and delicious and bountiful, it’s a great time to make your own homemade roasted tomato sauce and freeze it so you’ll have it when it’s actually cold outside and you want to bake lasagna in the oven.

Every summer, when the markets are full of ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor, I buy a lot of tomatoes and make a lot of tomato sauce. Like, really a lot.

Instead of forcing Dustin to eat one tomato dish after another the entire summer, I oven roast them and make my own Roasted Tomato Sauce.  If it sounds fancy, don’t be worried – it’s so incredibly easy and simple.   It’s the perfect way to preserve tomatoes and (bonus) it freezes exceptionally well. That way, you know you’ll never have to reach out for the store-bought tomato sauce again.

What Tomatoes Are Best For Roasted Tomato Sauce?

I like using Roma tomatoes for this tomato sauce recipe because they don’t have a lot of seeds and are very flavorful, though many other types of tomatoes work great for marinara sauce.  Here are some great options for what tomatoes to use in your sauce:

• Roma tomatoes (my fave)
• San Marzano
• Margherita
• Big Mama
• Heirloom
• Amish Paste
• Opalka

In general, you can look for what’s called a “paste” tomato, which, like the Roma and San Marzano tomatoes, are meatier, have fewer seeds, are firmed, and have less water content, making them flavorful and rich for making sauce.

Why Oven-Roast Tomatoes for Tomato Sauce?

If you want to get more flavor from your tomatoes, roasting them is the way to go! Yes, it’s a slow process, but luckily not a very painful one. Roasting tomatoes (and, well anything, for that matter) intensifies the tomato flavor and brings out a richness you just don’t get from cooking them on the stove.

That being said, if you didn’t want to roast your tomatoes (or need to speed up the process), you could always cook this sauce on the stove.

What To Use Tomato Sauce In:

Roasted tomato sauce is a great base for so many amazing recipes, like:

• tomato soup
• homemade enchilada sauce
• chili
• spaghetti
• lasagna
• pizza
• chicken parmesan
• eggplant parmesan

It’s so versatile!  When making Roasted Tomato Sauce, I tend to get a bit carried away and make a lot of it, all at once. Dustin claims no one in their right mind could use up all that tomato sauce. Little does he know how many recipes call for this Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce! Homemade tomato sauce just tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff and is also much healthier.

How To Store Homemade Tomato Sauce

To store homemade tomato sauce, just add it to a tightly sealed mason jar (like these mason jars) or a re-usable storage bag (like these bags).  Properly stored in an air-tight container like a mason jar or sealable bag, homemade tomato sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days.  If you don’t get to using it within that timeframe, the good news is that this sauce freezes very well.  

How To Freeze Homemade Tomato Sauce

Believe it or not, you can also freeze homemade tomato sauce for up to 6 months. 

Here are some tips for how to freeze tomato sauce:

• allow the tomato sauce to fully cool to room temperature before placing in the freezer
• try freezing it in 3-4 cup batches so you can grab it and let it thaw in the fridge overnight when you wanna use it for a specific recipe
• use air-tight re-usable storage bags, like these ones
• Once you have your bags filled with the tomato sauce, lay them flat in the freezer so they freeze as flat as possible to save space.  Once they’ve frozen, you can stand them up and consolidate them
• To thaw frozen tomato sauce, remove from the freezer and either let set in the fridge overnight or place, sealed, in a bowl of cold water to speed up thawing

Why is My Homemade Tomato Sauce Orange (Not Red)?

It is totally normal when you make homemade tomato sauce for it to be a little more orange than red because, when you blend it, you introduce air into the sauce, which turns it from red to orange.  Rest assure, it doesn’t alter the flavor, just the color.   If it really bugs you, you could use try one of the following:

• use canned (no salt added) whole peeled tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes
• blend the tomatoes, carrot, garlic and onion ahead of time and cook in a sauce pan 
• hand mash everything once it’s roasted using a potato masher to avoid introducing extra air into the sauce
• add a little tomato paste to deepen the red color

Personally, I think that’s kinda the beauty of homemade sauce is that the color varies. It tastes the same – even though the color is a little orange.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Making your own homemade tomato sauce is actually really easy and is a great way to control the flavor and quality of the food you’re eating.  This homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce just tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff and freezes great!

• 2 lbs Roma tomatoes, (cut in half)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 medium yellow onion, (cut into large chunks)
• 1 carrot, (cut into large chunks)
• 1 tsp sea salt, (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3-4 basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or you can use a large casserole dish.

3. Lay out the tomato halves (skin-side up), onion, garlic and carrot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Try to make this only one layer to allow for maximum roasting. Drizzle olive oil all over.

4. Bake for 60 – 75 minutes, or until the edges of the tomatoes and onions begin to pull away from the tomato flesh.

5. Allow to cool and then remove the peels using your hands.

6. Carefully transfer the roasted contents to a food processor or blender (or a large mixing bowl, if using a stick blender), add the basil leaves and tomato paste, and pulse until smooth.

7. Add additional salt and/or pepper, to taste.

Can be frozen up to 6 months.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

The post How to Make Roasted Tomato Sauce appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.

* This article was originally published here

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Overcrowded and More Dangerous, Mont Blanc Faces a Crisis

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Take the “Gossip Girl” Secret Tour

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Psst, There’s a Secret Gossip Girl Tour in New York

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How to Stay Cool During Europe’s Heat Wave

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15 Nutrition Hacks To Help You Get (And Stay!) Healthy

Kickstart your weight loss and get healthy with these simple and easy nutrition hacks. These healthy eating hacks will help you to reach your healthy eating goals without feeling deprived of delicious foods……because food is amazing and should be enjoyed!

New beginnings are never easy. They can be scary, full of uncertainty, and overwhelming. But the feeling of doing something that you always wanted to do – whether that’s losing weight or living a healthy lifestyle – is definitely worth it.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you probably already know I’m a firm believer that eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. I just don’t believe you should hate your food just to be “healthy.”  In my opinion and experience, that will never work because living a tasteless and bland life doesn’t sound good to anyone and just can’t really be sustainable for the long haul.

In this post, I’ve shared my best weight loss tips and healthy eating tricks so you’ll be able to reach your healthy eating or weight loss goals without giving up tasty foods and snacks. You’ll just have to learn some simple healthy food hacks and implement them in your life.  It’s as simple as it sounds!

EASY NUTRITION HACKS FOR HEALTHY EATING

In an ideal world, we would have time for prepping and cooking balanced meals every day and we would be surrounded by healthy food options. Sadly, we don’t live in an ideal world – we live in a busy world and we’re surrounded by junk food and other food options that are not nutritious, healthy or good for us. So we need nutrition hacks to keep us on track with our healthy lifestyle. We also need weight loss tips and food hacks for how to get healthy.

But, you know what? You got this!  You just have to believe in yourself and try these healthy eating hacks. Trust me, I’ve made ALL the mistakes.  I’ve also learned, over the course of gaining and losing weight and then eventually keeping it off what works and what doesn’t work.

In a nutshell, here are the hacks we’re gonna cover in this post:

1. Drink More Water
2. Practice Good Sleep Habits
3. Cook Your Own Meals
4. Learn To Portion Control
5. (Meal) Plan Ahead
6. Keep Healthy Foods Closed
7. Use An App
8. Learn To Spot Sugar
9. Spice Things Up
10. Shop Smart
11. Use Your Blender
12. Forgive Yourself Along The Way
13. Find Healthier Replacements
14. Consider Intermittent Fasting
15. Indulge (On Occasion!)

So, let’s get started!

HACK #1: DRINK MORE WATER

Drinking more water will help you to stay hydrated and healthy. Ideally, you’ll want to be drinking half your weight, in ounces, every day.  For example, I weigh 140 pounds so I should be drinking approximately 70 ounces of water every day — and then more if I exercise.  So if you drink around 8 glasses of water a day, that’s roughly 60-70 ounces, that’s a great goal, and then just adjust for your weight.

Drinking plenty of water isn’t only good for hydration — it will help you lose weight, too.  Just think about it – water has 0 calories.  ZERO.  You can drink as much as you want without counting calories.

Water can also help you eat less.  Drink a glass of water before a meal. Water will fill up your stomach and you will eat less without feeling hungry.  Also — did you know your body tricks you into thinking your hungry when it’s actually that you’re dehydrated and in need of water?  That means, once you drink your water, you’ll stop feeling hungry when you’re body actually isn’t even really hungry.

Finally, drinking water instead of sugary drinks or even sugar-free drinks will also re-train your body and tastebuds to enjoy less sugar each day so you’ll crave less sweet treats and empty carbs.

If you need help getting started drinking more water, try to drink a glass of water before any other drink, each time you have a drink during the day.  You could also try adding natural flavors to your water, like lemon juice, mint, or fresh fruit slices.

HACK #2: PRACTICE GOOD SLEEP HABITS

Weight loss hacks are not just about food and calories. They are about rest, too. Rest and sleep are just as important for how your body functions and what your body craves. When you sleep well, you have more energy during the day so your body craves less empty carbs and sugar to give you more energy.  Have you ever noticed how all you want are sweets and pastries when you’re super tired?  Yup.

How do you improve your sleeping habits?  Here are some quick tips:

• turn off your TV and any electronics at least an hour before going to bed;
• create a sleeping schedule;
• try a relaxing routine (take a bath, read a book, meditate, do yoga) before going to bed to get a good night sleep;
• stop drinking caffeine after 6pm (this one was huge for me);
• start an exercise routine.

The more regular and good sleep your body gets, the happier your body will be, making it easier to get and stay healthy.

HACK #3: COOK YOUR OWN MEALS

A great way to kickstart weight loss and healthy eating is to cook your own food.  Cooking your own meals will give you full control over the quality of  ingredients, portions, and calories that you put into your body. It’s really the first step towards taking control of your food.  Eating pre-packed foods are made to keep on shelves, not nourish your body and restaurants liberally use salt and butter to make their food taste great.

This is also a great way for you to learn what healthy foods you like and don’t like.  If you’re looking for healthy eating inspiration, there’s TONS of meal prep ideas for healthy eating on this blog to get you started.  Food life hacks don’t work if you hate your food so find what foods you enjoy and start there with basic ingredient substitutions to make them healthy (more on that later on in this post!).

HACK #4: LEARN TO PORTION CONTROL

Portion sizes are getting larger and larger, despite the need to eat less and less processed foods.  Restaurant and takeout portions are way too big. In so many cases, one “portion” can easily exceed your calorie needs for an entire day.   And that’s why it’s important to practice portion control — don’t let the restaurant or package dictate your portion size — understand what you need and eat just that.

Now, when I say portion control, I don’t mean eating one pea and one carrot for dinner – I mean eat what your body actually needs to function well and stay healthy.  The more food you eat that you don’t need, the more fat will get stored in your body and vice versa.

So, how do you portion control?  Here are some quick tips for how to portion your food:

• eat balanced meals – aim for heavy on the veggies, a few healthy carbs, and lean protein;
• opt for whole grains and complex carbs instead of simple carbs;
• measure food with a kitchen scale to get an understanding of how much you’re eating;
• if at a restaurant, take home left-overs (there’s no need to clear that giant plate!).

The better you understand what’s in your food, the more comfortable you’ll become at understanding what your body needs.  It might be helpful to track your meals for a typical week to get a baseline for what foods you’re eating and how many calories they contain, paying attention to the macros (fat, carb, and protein breakdown).  Then, as you understand what foods contain what, you’ll be better armed to understand portion control on the fly.  Until then, making your food at home is a great way to control the portion.

We also use these meal prep containers to help plan out or meals – if you add the correct amounts to the meal prep container, there’s no need to worry about how much of it to eat when you’re enjoying your meal.

HACK #5: (MEAL) PLAN AHEAD

In my opinion, planning is the most important nutrition hack out of all nutrition hacks. Without planning, you have very little control over your destiny and healthy lifestyle. There’s a saying: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”  That means you leave it up to circumstance and fate to find healthy food while out or you deal with what options you have available to you.

Personally, I find it very difficult to eat healthy when I don’t have a plan and when I haven’t surrounded myself with healthy options.  For example, when you have pre-portioned meals ready and waiting for you in the fridge, eating healthy is so much easier.  That being said, I do have a post on helpful tips for how to eat healthy at restaurants that you can help to base your decisions on.

Meal planning eliminates temptations almost entirely.  Plus, when you meal prep, you can always opt for the best ingredients, you can pre-portion your food and forget about opening the fridge just to find out you have nothing to eat!  Check out my post on meal prep ideas to get started.

Planning also helps with making poor food choices.  Do you know what restaurant you’re going to later?  Check out the menu online ahead of time to see what your best options are — it can be difficult to think straight when you’re hungry and rushed.

HACK #6: KEEP HEALTHY FOODS CLOSE

It may seem like a no-brainer, but it really helps to keep healthy foods and snacks close by. If you have it near you when you’re hungry, you’re bound to use it.  That’s why unhealthy convenience food is so popular — because people haven’t planned.  The more foods that are nourishing and healthy for you that you can keep around that’s easy to access, the more successful you’ll be.  This is, of course, assuming you’re replacing the unhealthy, pre-packed convenience foods with the healthier options.

Prep grab-and-go bags with minimally processed and low-sugar snacks like…

• nuts;
• dried fruits;
• fresh fruits;
• beef jerky (with low sodium)
• dark chocolate;
• high protein foods, like cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, or sustainable canned tuna (packed in water);
• full-fat greek yogurt.

Make grab and go lunch meals such as wraps or mason jar salads and take them at work with you. For busy mornings, prep your breakfast ahead of time just grab it from the fridge or prep freezer smoothie packs and prep your breakfast in 5 minutes in the morning.

HACK #7: USE AN APP

Since we spend a lot of time on our phones and computers, it’s probably a good idea to use technology as a healthy food hack, am I right? So look for apps that can help you keep track of your meals, calorie intake, and nutritional profile of your meals. It will be easier to keep track of what you’re eating in a day. Or keep a food journal if apps are not your thing.

While I don’t recommend calorie-counting as a sustainable part of a healthy lifestyle because it can become tedious and isn’t as focused on how your body feels and behaves, apps can be a great way to get a baseline for how much food you’re eating and the quality of the food you choose.  They can also offer a reference for what foods we eat that make us feel good or bad — and give us a starting point for making positive changes. While there are many options out there, my current fave is MyFitnessPal.

Another great use of using an app is to track how much water you’re drinking each day – remember our first hack??

HACK #8: LEARN TO SPOT SUGAR

Identifying the sugar amount and sources in your food is essential to getting healthy.  Contrary to what many think , sugar is not just found in desserts, soft drinks, and sweet foods. Sugar is everywhere: in canned food, in junk food, in bread, and even in many snacks that are advertised as healthy. To identify the sugar, make sure you read the label on everything and stay away from anything that has added sugar.

To reduce sugar intake, opt for…

• water instead of sugar-filled drinks;
• homemade sauces instead of canned sauces with lots of sugar;
• whole foods instead of processed foods because processed foods contain added sugar and other ingredients that are not good for you;
• identify the many names of sugar (more on that in this post on how to quit sugar);
• use healthier alternatives for sweeteners, like coconut sugar and raw honey;
• avoid artificial sweeteners

Most of us, after reading the label and seeing high fructose corn syrup as one of the top 5 ingredients in the list would realize that food probably isn’t a good choice.  But, what if you saw brown sugar, fruit juice, malt syrup, or organic cane juice?  Would you stop and think this is just as bad?   Because, despite how much nicer they may sound, they’re still forms of refined sugar. 

Another very easy way to spot sugar in the nutrition labels is by recognizing the “-ose” suffix. So, when you see words that end in -ose, like sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, glucose, galactose, high fructose corn syrup, etc., there’s a good chance it is sugar.  This is so important, I wrote an entire post on the 7 steps I took to quit sugar which you should check out if you’re looking to cut out sugar and get healthy.

HACK #9: SPICE THINGS UP

Nobody wants to eat boring, bland food, especially people wanting to be excited by their healthy lifestyle.  Oddly enough, it’s very common for people trying to eat healthy to not add spice or flavor to their foods.  Personally, I wouldn’t last on a diet that didn’t taste good, and I would expect anyone else to, either.  The whole point of making this healthy change is to change your lifestyle, but if  you hate your food, you’re never gonna stick with it, in my opinion. I have a full post on how to eat healthy and not hate your food for just this reason.

So, how do you stay clear from unsatisfying, “healthy” foods? Add spice blends, homemade sauces, and marinades to really spice things up and love your healthy lifestyle.  That way, you know what’s in your food and you get the foods you love, all the while staying healthy and maintaining your goals.  Simply put: refuse to suffer through a diet — instead opt for a delicious, healthy lifestyle.

Some of my favorite spices to enhance flavor to get started include:

• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• cumin
• dried herbs, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil
• cayenne pepper
• cinnamon
• ground ginger
• coconut sugar

Choose the foods you love and find easy replacements for the unhealthy pieces. Find simple swaps to still enjoy your food (more on that with Hack #13!).

HACK #10: SHOP SMART

Okay, so now that you’re making your own meals to control the ingredients and portion size, it’s also important to buy the right ingredients — mainly to avoid the wrong ones.  Fortunately, there are a few simple rules you can follow for a successful and healthy grocery shopping session:

• Follow the perimeter rule – stick to buying groceries from the outer section of the shop and avoiding the inner section. Most fresh and healthy products are situated along the outer perimeter (think produce, dairy, meat and seafood sections), while the packaged, processed foods in the inner perimeter (think sodas, candy, chips, and cookies);
• Make a shopping list – check your pantry and fridge and make a list of healthy ingredients and healthy substitutions for basic ingredients.  Make sure to have a plan to follow for what meals you will be making — planning ahead will help you to avoid falling into old habits, like buying teriyaki sauce at the store which is full of sugar and corn syrup instead of making your own homemade teriyaki sauce, for example;
• Try to avoid shopping when you’re hungry – you’ll buy more ingredients than you need and they won’t be healthy! It’s very difficult to resist sugary, carby sweets when you’re hungry.  If you have to, eat a healthy, high-protein snack before heading to the store so your brain is ready to make good choices.
• Shop the sales — this is a great way to save some money while you’re shopping so you don’t break your bank to get healthy ingredients.  Some items, like coconut oil, pure maple syrup, almond butter, and chia seeds can be kinda pricey, so it can help to grab them while they’re on sale because you’ll be suing them often in your cooking.
• Finally, pay special attention to the nutrition labels on everything you buy — yes, this may take some extra time while you’re in the store, but it will be very enlightening at just how much sugar, salt, empty/bleached flours, and trans fats get added to the foods you might be used to buying.

In particular, avoid anything with ingredient labels that contain:

• more than 10 ingredients
• added sugar, including: high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, aspartame, sugar, and artificial sweeteners
• food coloring, especially Yellow, Blue, Red, and Green
• sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites
• highly processed fats, including: partially hydrogenated oil, palm oil, shortening, and trans fat
• sodium phosphate
• monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• modified food starch
• caramel coloring
• butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)

In general, you should be able to understand what is in the food and possibly even have the ingredient in your pantry if it’s on the label.  The father away from simple, the more to be weary.

HACK #11: USE YOUR BLENDER

If all else fails and you have limited options and limited time to eat healthy, blending your meal can be a great option.  From smoothies to protein shakes, you can make any meal filling and nutritious, assuming you’re adding healthy ingredients.

For any basic smoothie, all you need is:

• liquid (any unsweetened milk of choice or water)
• fruit (bananas, blueberries, mangos, and strawberries work great)
• fat (can be nut butter, full fat greek yogurt, chia seeds, etc.)
• greens (spinach and kale are easy to blend to get your greens)
• protein powder (can choose to add to make it more filling as a full meal replacement — this protein powder is my fave!)
• ice (only needed if your fruit isn’t frozen or to thicken)

If you’re looking for a great blender that will never give you problems, definitely check out this Vitamix blender, which is what I have and love.

HACK #12: FORGIVE YOURSELF ALONG THE WAY

Bottom line: you’re human, and mistakes happen.  If you ever slip up and you indulge in a not-so-healthy meal or snack, forgive yourself! You’re are allowed to make mistakes. Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t an all-or-noting kinda deal — you’ll have great days, but you’ll also have not-so-great days.  The trick is to just don’t let those mistakes take over.

Try to consider this healthy lifestyle as a life-long journey, not a trendy fad.  Or as a marathon, not a quick sprint.  There will be ups and downs along the way so it’s better to stay positive and not blame yourself, but to hold yourself accountable for your choices and always try to improve, within reason.

Making less-than-healthy, unplanned food choices happens to everybody, but it’s easy to get back on track if you don’t let that mistake turn into a habit or, worse, let that mistake stop you from continuing your otherwise great progress.  On a side note, that’s what makes planning so valuable — so you don’t set yourself up for failure.

HACK #13: FIND HEALTHIER REPLACEMENTS

Important food hacks alert!  Fortunately, it is totally possible to enjoy your favorite meals and desserts while you’re in the process of losing weight or getting healthy. One of the biggest worries I hear from people not wanting to eat healthier is they are afraid to give up the foods they love so they don’t even try.  The good news is that you can enjoy almost any food you love by finding a healthier way to make it.

Use healthy alternatives to the ingredients required by your favorite recipes and you’ll have no reason to not enjoy those foods. Here are some common healthy alternatives I’ve used that work great:

• all-purpose flour: whole wheat pastry flour, cassava flour, chickpea flour, almond flour, and coconut flour;
• white sugar or brown sugar: coconut sugar, raw honey, and pure maple syrup;
• butter: coconut oil and olive oil;
• mayo: greek yogurt (for salad dressings) or avocado or hummus for spreading on sandwiches;
• white bread: look for whole wheat sprouted grain bread, like Dave’s Killer Bread or Ezekial Bread
• fat-free or reduced-fat foods: choose whole fat foods instead to avoid the processing and increase your fullness
• pasta: there are so many options out there now, including zucchini noodles, veggie noodles, brown rice pasta, quinoa noodles, etc.

Psst – take a look at How to Not Hate Your Food if you want more tips and healthy substitutions!

HACK #14: CONSIDER INTERMITTENT FASTING

Intermittent fasting can give you a much-needed kick start for weight loss. If you’re unfamiliar with fasting, it involves switching between timeframes of eating and now eating (AKA “fasting”). It doesn’t mean you don’t eat your caloric needs each day, it just means you control the times at which you are eating.  This can make it easier to eat larger meals in the middle of the day if you find that you’re often hungry all day long.

It takes some time to get used to, especially if you’re used to eating 3-4 large meals throughout the day.  However, it can be very helpful for getting a handle on your caloric intake so you don’t wind up munching all hours of the day.  Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, though, and requires testing to see what works best for you.  Typically, one can fast from 6-12 hours of awake time during a day up to even alternating days of time (one day on, one day off).

Intermittent fasting helps with weight loss by:

• Reducing insulin levels, which makes it easier for your body to burn stored fat;
• Increasing human growth hormone (HGH) levels, which help to burn stored fat and grow muscle;
• Lowering blood sugar levels, inflammation, and blood pressure
• Helps to identify goals and follow an easting plan.

Intermittent fasting is not for everyone, and is cautioned against especially for women who are nursing, pregnant, or trying to conceive, people with diabetes or difficulty regulating insulin levels, and people who have eating disorders or medical conditions for which ongoing medication has been prescribed.

So, how does intermittent fasting actually work?  Well, personally, I fast from 7pm to 9:30am every day.  I make sure to stop consuming anything, except water, after 7pm and I don’t eat anything until after my workout, usually around 9:30am.  I typically sleep from 11:30pm to 6:30am so I’m fasting while awake for about half the time.

This works really well for me because it allows me to start my day of eating a little later after my workout so I burn up any stored fat even during my workout, which is awesome.  I also love how I can eat the same amount of calories as I normally would, but in a more condensed time so it makes me feel more full and less hungry during the day.  Then, I resume eating from breakfast, then snack, lunch, and dinner, and start it all over again at 7pm.

HACK #15: INDULGE ON OCCASION!

A very important part of enjoying a healthy lifestyle is balance, not just within each meal with the different macros, but also with how you eat healthy.  That’s why “cheat meals” or “treat meals” are a welcome option from time to time. No matter how much we love our healthy food, sometimes we crave something that’s not healthy. Depriving yourself won’t stop your cravings — it might even make them worse.  So allow yourself that yummy dessert or the comfort food you crave.

That being said, cheat meals can quickly turn into cheat days, and then it turns into a downward spiral of falling out of whack with your healthy lifestyle.  So, here are some tips for how to have a cheat meal without sacrificing your healthy eating goals:

• Pick a timeframe that works for you to go without a cheat meal.  For some, that might be one day, and others it might even be one month.  Personally, I have a cheat meal each week (every 7 days).
• Save your unhealthy option for that meal, which will help you to look forward to indulging and even over-eating, when it’s part of your meal plan.
• Choose a meal that will fill you up and satisfy you — almost to the point of not wanting that meal again for a while.  The healthier you eat, the more your healthy body will probably even reject the food you’re eating and you may feel gross after eating — this will help to remind you why you have chosen the healthy lifestyle and will shock you right back into shape.
• Stick to just a cheat meal — a cheat day can get out of hand and is too long of a timeframe to go eating unhealthy — it will cause too many bad choices and can easily continue into the next day — the idea is to identify one meal you want, have it, and then move on.
• Allow yourself to enjoy this meal – don’t feel bad about it, count the calories, or even think you’re cheating on your diet — this is an opportunity for you to loosen the restraints and, in a controlled way, indulge again, which is something those of us on a healthy lifestyle rarely allow ourselves.
• Choose comfort foods, like pizza, pasta, doughnuts, or pancakes and go all out to enjoy the heck out of your meal — you earned it!

Now, you have 15 tried and tested nutrition hacks to help you get and stay healthy.  This list is designed to help ease you into a world of eating healthy with as much success as possible.  Nothing worth doing is ever too easy, and following a healthy lifestyle is a commitment that takes hard work and dedication, but the results are so worth it.

If you’d like to learn more about my healthy eating journey, you can check out my post on my struggle with weight or, to get started with clean eating, you can check out my beginner’s guide to clean eating.

Did I miss something that has worked for you on your healthy eating journey?  If so, share n the comments below!

 

xoxo,

Lacey

The post 15 Nutrition Hacks To Help You Get (And Stay!) Healthy appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.

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