Plan your week’s diet menus by writing a carefully planned list and head for the grocery store. Have a healthy snack before your shopping expedition to avoid temptation. Purchasing healthy and low calorie food to take home will help you to stay on your weight loss diet. There is a wide variety of diet plans available for you to choose from. The amount of food you purchase will depend on the size of your family.
Fruits and Vegetables
Purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season so as to assure freshness. Plan meals at home, school lunches and snacks with fresh produce. Fill in with extra frozen vegetables and fruit that have no sugar or preservatives. Apples and oranges make good fruit selections as they have a long shelf life. Buy vegetables that are packaged and cut for snacks and cooking if your time is limited. Purchase lemons, onions and celery for additions to soups and dressings. Have lots of spinach, romaine, cucumbers and tomatoes for healthy low calorie salads.
Protein
Purchase a large package of skinned chicken breasts to divide for several meals. Buy some ground turkey and make a large meat loaf adding onions, garlic and tomato sauce. Buy some fish fillets (unbreaded) for your freezer for a quick meal later in the week. Skirt steak, which has little or not fat, works well for stir fry cut in small pieces with fresh vegetables. Buy several cans of tuna and salmon to have on hand for sandwiches or salads.
Carbohydrates
Select whole grain bread for sandwiches and morning toast. Purchase brown rice and whole grain pasta for healthy starches at meal time. Buy a variety of legumes such as lentils, black beans, white beans to have on hand for a huge pot of delicious and economical soup.
Dairy and Eggs
Purchase low fat milk for coffee and cooking. Low fat cottage cheese with cut up vegetables makes a healthy lunch. Nonfat plain yogurt is great for dressings, cooking and eating plain with berries. Nonfat sour cream is tasty and a great addition to vegetables. Buy frozen nonfat yogurt for a healthy sweet treat. Buy a dozen eggs and a carton of egg whites for scrambled eggs and omelets. Add string cheese to your list for snacks during the day.
On Hand
Check your pantry and refrigerator for items to have on hand. Spicy mustard is low calorie and great for salad dressings and sandwiches. Canned tomatoes and sauce are a low calorie addition to meats and pasta. Have favorite spices that spark up low calorie menus like basil, oregano, curry, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder and cayenne pepper on hand. Wine vinegar and olive oil make great dressings for salads and vegetable dips. Raw nuts are an addition to many dishes plus they make a healthful snack when hunger hits. Keep a can of dry Parmesan cheese to season eggs, salads and soups. Flavored noncaloric water is a tasty way to get your 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. Natural peanut butter and sugar-free jam should be a staple for quick breakfasts and snacks.
