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You control what foods go into the family kitchen. At the grocery store and in the kitchen, build meals around the whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and hearth healthy fats.

If you do not purchase it, then it is not there. Keep the sweet treats and salty snacks to single serve portions or when the family has a craving for ice cream take a family outing. It’s good quality time and then not there every day.

There are 21 meals per week. Set up your grocery list surrounded around what proteins, whole grains and fruits or vegetables you what to make for breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

If you are aiming for eating consistently with small meals and snacks, then you may add that you need 14 snacks. For snacks try to have a lean protein or low fat dairy or heart healthy fat with fruit or vegetable or whole grain. This would be for your morning and afternoon snack.

Start with a list that is written in the order you walk through the store and it’s also helpful to have a typed list of all your staples and fill in with weekly changes.

Not fueling workouts properly can actually lead to weight gain, poor performance, poor recovery time, increased risk of injury and illness…..6 Danger Zone Dysfunctional Food Rules:1. Eating bars/shakes as meals2. Avoiding whole food groups, etc. Fat, Carbs, Meat, only organic.3. Eating on a schedule and not varying it.4. Logging calories and not allowing to go over.5. Not attending social functions that involve food.6. Only eating a certain “safe” food variety.If you or someone you know is suffering from disordered eating or eating disorders please seek support!

It seems counterintuitive to suggest that people should be snacking more but a study published in the November 14, 2011, edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association concluded that increased snacking could positively impact overall diet quality.

Claire A. Zizza, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at Auburn University in Alabama, and co-author Beibei Xu, PhD, found that people who snack between meals tend to have healthier diets than those who stick to eating only at regular mealtimes. Study subjects who snacked more frequently consumed less sodium and ate more fruit, whole grains and milk than their counterparts. In addition, the more subjects snacked, the more likely they were to eat both healthy snacks and healthy meals. Still, frequent snackers fell short of eating enough vegetables, and the overall healthiness of the study participants’ diets left room for improvement.

Remember to decrease your portions at meals. Otherwise you are just consuming more food, not more frequently.

Instead of committing to a goal, commit to yourself. Do not set yourself up for failure. Weight loss should be the end result and the goals are what you set that are measurable and most importantly attainable!

Make a commitment to yourself to feel better each day. Commit to eating breakfast 4 days of the week. Don’t make it all or nothing. Something is always better than nothing. Those who eat breakfast are shown to have the healthiest weights.

Make a promise to yourself that you will not deprive yourself from the foods you enjoy. Commit to giving yourself permission to have the foods you enjoy. Just keep your portions in check.

Commit. The first step is making a commitment to yourself. Make a commitment and then share that commitment with somebody else. This will make you more accountable to your goals.

Have support, be accountable, and make a plan.

With one more party to go there is one more hurdle before the celebrating is over. Let’s try to stay on track with healthy eating.

Here are some healthier options for:

12oz hard cider versus 6oz Eggnog and save 250 calories

12oz light beer versus 12oz regular beer and save 40-60 calories

4oz wine versus 4oz Margarita on the rocks and save 90 calories

1.5oz of spirits with 6oz soda water versus soda or tonic and save 60 calories

Make sure to drink water between alcoholic beverages (add a lemon or a lime to the glass and no one will no it’s water).

Have a great holiday party weekend. Celebrate responsibly and Here’s to a Healthy, Happy New Year!

If you are hosting the holiday meal and want to keep your families food fare healthy…… considering swapping out a few ingredients. Eat healthy without sacrificing taste!

•Using two egg whites in place of one egg can reduce the cholesterol and produce the same tasty result.
• Use low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth in your mashed potatoes to add flavor and lighten holiday fat content.
• Substitute applesauce for oil, margarine or butter in muffins and quick breads like banana bread. Try substituting a small amount at first, as the more you substitute the more the texture of the finished product changes.
• For dips, sauces and pie toppings, use non-fat Greek yogurt and whipped topping. (whipped toppings have less calories for the same amount)
• Sliced almonds make a delicious, crunchy topping in place of fried onion rings.
• Choose reduced-fat cheeses for salads and casseroles.
Happy eating!