Healthy Diet Meal Plan

Whether you wish to lose 10 pounds or 50, it doesn't matter, because you can create a flexible and balanced meal plan that you can stay on for as long as you need.

Here are the key points to a healthy meal plan. These tips are common sense but are often overlooked. You can introduce the following changes gradually, instead of changing your diet all at once.

Your Diet Plan:

Divide your meals into 6 smaller meals a day. Include healthy delicious snacks in between meals. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time when possible, so you know exactly what you plan to eat. Last minute choices tend to be less healthy and higher in calories.

Healthy nutritious snacks you can add to your meal plan include crackers, pretzels, baby carrots, popcorn, fresh and dried fruit, yogurt, low-fat cheese, peanut butter, air popped popcorn cereals and nuts and seeds. Try to avoid chips, sodas, cookies, and ice cream

Drink plenty of water during the day, it is healthy and helps you feel less hungry. Sometimes our brain confuses thirst with hunger. You will eat less if you drink a glass of water before a meal.

Lower your fat intake. Switch to skim milk, lean chicken, no fast food, eat less margarine, butter and mayonnaise; Use less oil when cooking meals.

No more soft drinks and juices. Soft drinks are empty calories and juices have less fiber and vitamins then the original fruit.

Try to add more whole grains to your meal plan. Brown rice instead of white rice and whole grain breads instead of white bread.

Avoid foods that are high in sugar, like candy and cakes. Eat vegetables with every meal.

Eating breakfast, as you wake up, boosts your metabolism and decreases binge eating later in the day.

Eat your meals slower and no more eating in front of the TV.