10 Tips for Healthy Meals

From USDA (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/index.html)

 When Amber and I met with the nutritionist last week they gave us a few handouts to help us with our eating habits. One of them was about how to build healthy meals with 10 simple tips.

1. Make half of your plate veggies and fruits. This is where I go wrong. I eat the occasional fruit or veggie, emphasis on occasional, but I know I eat no where near the amount that I should be eating. Especially those dark-leafy greens everyone talks about. 
2. Add lean protein. I always seem to get this info most meals because I am a carnivore. However, I know I should try substituting seafood and beans (and not Bush Baked Beans).
3. Include whole grains. I stopped eating white bread a long time ago, but I tend to forget when it comes to pasta and rice. On my last grocery trip I did pick up brown rice AND brown pasta. My trouble is that I normally have to make two separate batches. Brown for me and white for my fiance.
4. Don't forget the dairy. Uuuugh. I am borderline lactose (some days it sends me to the bathroom and other days I am fine). I have started putting soy milk in my oatmeal and with my cereal. I love the Silk Very Vanilla Soy Milk, but I recently converted to the Light Silk Vanilla and it isn't terrible. 
5. Avoid extra fat. These basically means the addition of sauces, cheese, dressings and all of the other yummy toppings on food. I am not a southern-bell dipping her biscuits in gravy BUT I do love some Parmesan cheese on my pizza.
6. Take your time. Eating is not a race. If we take extra time to chew and savor our food, we may end up eating less. I've read over and over about the stomach taking almost 20minutes to tell the brain when it's full... and yet I finish my meals in about 10 minutes. 
7. Use a smaller plate. This I have tried but all of the food I want to eat doesn't fit on a smaller plate. JUST KIDDING! That is the point. Having a smaller plate means that you will eat smaller portions.
8. Take control of your food. Choosing healthier option and preparing meals ahead of time really helps you take control. Bringing lunch versus waiting until your ravenous at work and then grab a pizza. We are preemptive about going to the doctor for yearly checkups so we can be preemptive by preparing healthy meals ahead of time.
9. Try new foods. Eating the same food everyday is boring. Discovering new healthy foods and mixing up your diet can help prevents slumps and cheating.
10. Satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way. Instead of a hefty slice of apple pie, try a cup of hot cinnamon apples. And of course, FRUIT!

*** These tips were taken from HERE. ***