When I look at my teenage son it reminds me of a time when I could eat almost anything and it didn’t seem to matter. Like him I burned calories and still could be in shape. Now as an older man it takes more work. The food seems to have changed as well over the years. When I was younger supper was home cooked with meat from the farm and vegetables from the garden. Now food seems processed and sugary and it is more work to make healthier choices. I don’t have the time and energy to go to the gym every morning and cutting out all the carbs and snacks makes me a little cranky. There are some easy swaps to make your favourite recipes better.
Good morning!
I enjoy breakfast, it is one of my favourite meals of the day (other then a great steak). I loved getting up before the kids and making scrambled eggs with cheese on an English muffin. Add some jam and hot sauce and it is a great meal. What I thought was a great healthy morning breakfast has calories that add up fast. The eggs are great but when possible switching to egg whites is a healthy choice and does not change the taste. Cheese is a great add-on, but it does not take much to go from a healthy breakfast to a calorie packed one. Consider using various spices such as basic salt and pepper or chives. Enjoy your eggs with toast but look for whole gain choices or swap your toast for sweet potato slices. Swap butter for avocado butter. Add some hot sauce and your good to go!
Lunch time sandwiches
Lunch time can be hard when everyone is heading out the door in different directions. It is easy to just slap together a sandwich and throw in something for a snack. There are a few things that you can swap out. First get rid of the mayonnaise on your sandwich and add mustard. Swap out the canned ham for fresh ham (use leftover ham). It is simple to grab a box of cookies or fruit snacks and throw them in the bag, but applesauce is a great alternative over processed fruit snacks. Yogurt with real fruit can be swapped for granola bars and cut up peppers with hummus are a good alternative for the lunch box. These are great fresh alternatives with less preservatives and less calories.
I still love steak!
I enjoy a good steak dinner, but most times there is a side of fries. When eating out there is the temptation for all-you-can-eat fries. But swap this out for a salad with vinaigrette dressing on the side and you can enjoy your steak and feel a bit better. For those who prefer a juicy hamburger, try a bunless burger.
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