The first step to controlling portion sizes and calories at meal time is to ensure that you are not ravenously hungry when you sit down to eat.
By setting and sticking to a simple eating schedule, you can avoid overeating at meal times due to a sense of starvation.
Not only do you control your appetite by sticking to this plan of healthy grazing, but you also help control your insulin levels and balance blood sugar, which contributes to improved mood, energy and focus.
Be sure to use any and all cues necessary to get yourself on schedule. Set your watch or phone alarm, use sticky notes or ask a friend to remind you for the first few days as you develop this very important habit.
Keep a variety of nutrient rich ready-to-eat snacks at your fingertips.
Plan out your snacks to help fill in any food-group gaps.
Here are some healthful snacking ideas:
- prepare a daily “Veggie Bag”
- whole-grain cereal and milk
- apple slices with peanut butter
- trail mix
- raw veggies with a yogurt or cottage cheese dip
- yogurt and fresh fruit
- whole wheat pita bread with hummus
- peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers
- baked bagel chips with salsa.