Food Shopping and Preparation Strategies

[Joe]

Here are some great tips for food shopping and meal preparation:

First of all, don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. Might sound a little cliche, but you will shop with your stomach and not with your head and you will have a shopping cart full of unsupportive foods. Always shop on a full stomach, right after you have eaten a supportive meal.

When food shopping, always have a plan, either make a list or know what foods you would like to buy. Make sure you read the labels carefully. These days it is the law to state how many calories per serving and how much of these calories are attributed to carbohydrates, protein and fat. You should be able to easily read the nutrition label.

Shop smart, when food shopping, take a look at all your choices and figure out which food is best for you calorie wise and health wise. Choose foods that have a high nutrient density as opposed to a high calorie density.

You usually have plenty of choices to choose between, and remember that you can easily shed a few fat pounds per month just by choosing smartly when food shopping.

[Ann-Marie Johnson]

How do I handle sweet cravings? My best way to handle sweet cravings is to avoid simple carbohydrates all together (meaning chocolate, any type of processed sweet food, any desert, and any type of candy). White breads also cause me to crave sweets as well as the different protein and meal type bars. Sodas cause me to crave sweets (the diet sodas in particular). So, if I avoid the above almost completly I do not crave sweets (even around that time of the month)!! What I do crave every so often is an increase in carbohydrate intake. If I decide to eat the fruits, veggies, and beans or lentils then the craving is satisfied and I do not get into an unstoppable cycle!!! I have been finding the addition of different types of beans (as a starchy carb) to my meals, along with a fibrous carb (like a veggie or berry), and my protein are starting to yield both increased energy and reduced cravings for any type of carbohydrate. I hope this helps!! I would like to hear your ideas as well:-) Thanks, Ann-Marie:-)