One of the problems that people run into while trying to lose weight or eat healthier is that they do not fuel themselves throughout the day. A common mistake is to skip or eat very little for breakfast, eat a salad for lunch, and then overeat in the evening. I recommend eating most of your calories before your evening meal. Get out of the habit of gorging at night and fuel yourself when you are most active: during the daylight hours.
Eating a healthy breakfast is very important. First, you get your metabolism going for the day after a long fast through the night. Second, you give your brain carbohydrate, which is required for brain function. Children who eat breakfast daily perform better at school (and so will you at work or home). Third, you will eat less later in the day if you eat breakfast. By balancing out your eating throughout the day, you will avoid late-night munching.
What is a healthy breakfast? I recommend a combination of carbohydrate and protein with plenty of fiber. An example could be 100% whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Another healthy breakfast is a smoothie with frozen berries, bananas, and soymilk or yogurt. Oatmeal with berries and almonds is a very satisfying breakfast as well.
What is a healthy lunch? A mistake for lots of dieters is to under-eat at lunchtime. I have had people tell me (with a sour look on their face), “Salads just don’t cut it at lunch!” I never said you should only have a salad. I do have a salad most lunches, but I include some fruit (healthy carbohydrate with fiber), sunflower seeds (fat and protein), and low-fat cottage cheese (low-fat protein). I also have a few whole wheat crackers with my salad for carbohydrate. You need to have adequate carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber in your meals to ensure satiety (or fullness).
What is a healthy dinner? Dinner time and evening time is a prime time to overeat. It’s easy to be “good” during the day. Then the family is home together and eating becomes a fun social event. At dinnertime try filling half your plate with fruits and veggies, a quarter of your plate with lean protein, and a quarter of your plate with whole grains (like the portion plate mentioned previously). Fruit is a wonderful dessert to satisfy the need for something sweet after a meal. Nothing makes my daughter Lily happier than cut up strawberries after dinner. And nothing makes my son Noah happier than a good piece of watermelon for dessert. Make a list of fruits you and your family enjoy and have them for dessert in the evening.
How can you control evening snacking? If you fuel yourself with a mix of carbohydrate and protein with plenty of fiber throughout the day (eating every 4 hours or so) then you should be less hungry in the evening. If night-time snacking is important to you, plan out a healthy high-fiber snack and stick to that snack in the evening. Get out of the habit of eating in front of the television for comfort. Often eating at night is not for hunger, so get in tuned with your body and make sure that you are truly hungry and not just fueling emotions.
Make a plan to eat healthy and fuel your body each day. Be prepared and take the time to make a healthy breakfast, bring a healthy lunch to work, and eat a healthy lunch with your family each evening. When you do, you will start to wake up hungry and ready to start the day right.