Eating Healthy from Start to Finish in Your Day

It is not easy to always monitor what you are eating during the day.  Sometimes, the quickest and easiest meal or snack is not the healthiest.  Eating healthy is a challenge that is best approached if you want to make a change in your health.  Healthy eating does not mean that you need to sacrifice your time or be a gourmet chef.  Here are five healthy, simple meals to get you through your day feeling good about what you just ate!

Healthy Breakfast:

Ricotta and Tomato Breakfast Sandwich- A healthier take on the classic breakfast sandwich.  It is quick, easy, and most importantly healthy!  Directions: Take 2 slices of whole-grain bread, spread each slice with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Add 1-2 hearty slices of fresh tomato and enjoy!

Healthy Lunch:

5-Minute Turkey, Avocado, and Hummus Wrap- This tasty wrap includes some great ingredients, including avocado, which is a “super food.”  Ingredients: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 2-3 tablespoons red pepper hummus, 3 slices low-sodium deli turkey, ¼ avocado, sliced, pickle slices.  Directions: spread tortilla with hummus, then layer on turkey, avocado, and pickle slices.  Roll, slice, and enjoy!

Healthy Snack:

Instead of going for that cookie, bag of chips, or candy bar in the afternoon for your snack, try going for yogurt, almonds, olives, an apple, cashew nuts, or rice cakes.  Did you know that: 14 almonds=98 calories, 20 olives= 68 calories, an apple= 100 calories, 8 cashew nuts= 100 calories, and 2 rice cakes with avocado= 95 calories.

Healthy Dinner:

Chicken Sausage over Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Broccoli- If you are a pasta lover, this is a perfect dish for you!  Pre-cooked, low-fat chicken sausages (with 3g fat or less) are a quick and tasty way to treat your muscles to the protein they need.  Wind-down and dig-in Italian style by throwing sausage pieces over a cup of whole-wheat pasta, topped with tomato sauce and bits of broccoli.  Broccoli is a great source of a sulfur compound that eases post-workout inflammation and helps relieve joint pain.  Ingredients: 1 Chicken Sausage, 1/3 cup Whole Wheat penne pasta with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup broccoli: 280 calories, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 21g protein, 30g carbs, 8g fiber.

Healthy Dessert:

A great summer dessert does not have to come with all the calories! It can be low in calories and still taste awesome.  Try freezing yogurt in a waffle cone and topping it with fresh berries such as strawberries and blueberries, and then add some granola on top!  This tasty dessert will not have you feeling guilty after eating it.

These five recipes can get you through your day feeling good about yourself and what you are eating.  If you want to make a change in your body/overall health, we challenge you to give these recipes a try!