Making small adjustments in the kitchen goes a long way. Follow these 5 tips to begin a healthier lifestyle.

5 Tips for Healthy Eating from a Personal Trainer

Going from zero to hero won't help you reach your goals any faster. Try making small adjustments over time to help you change your lifestyle for the better and for good. 

1. Eat Breakfast!

It really is the most important meal of the day. Within an hour of waking up, you should eat a balanced breakfast with protein.  Some great examples of what our trainers eat are…

• Scrambled eggs, ½ avocado, small piece of fruit
• Plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup berries, ¼ cup granola
• Oatmeal with ½ cup berries, 1 T honey, ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Whole wheat toast, 1 T nut butter, ½ sliced banana

2. Eat small meals through out the day. 

Increasing the amount of meals you eat can help boost your metabolism and prevent over eating at each meal.  Here are some great healthy, small meal ideas…

• Small salad with 1 cup lean protein
• ½ turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread
• Sliced, raw veggies with hummus or Greek yogurt dip
• ¼ cup almonds and a small piece of fruit

3. Focus your food choices around lean meat, fruit, and veggies. 

These low glycemic foods help keep blood sugar stable and help you lose fat.

4. Stay hydrated! 

Sometimes our body sends a signal to our brain that we are hungry when we are just thirsty. Drink an 8oz glass of water when you start to feel hungry.  Staying hydrated throughout the day by drinking 64 ounces of water and limiting dehydrating drinks (soda, coffee, alcohol) will help your body function properly and burn fat.

5. Stock up on healthy foods. 
When people have healthy foods readily accessible they are more successful.  If cooking does not excite you, stock your fridge and pantry with easy, ready to go meals and snack options that take the guess work out of healthy eating.

Some of our favorites are:

• Bag lettuce
• Frozen grilled chicken strips
• Tuna packed in water (they sell already flavored kind that are delicious)
• Steam-able bags of veggies, quinoa, riced cauliflower, and veggie pasta
• Frozen turkey burgers and black bean burgers
• Sweet potatoes
• Frozen turkey meatballs
• Hard boiled eggs

And don't forget to visit Center Café for healthy, homemade options!