Eat at Home

Hello and welcome back! Today, we’re going to talk about one of the best things that you can do to get your waistline in check, and improve your overall health – eat at home!

Sounds simple, right? It should be, but with family, work, and all of the other activities that make up our busy lives, it can be a real struggle to prepare your own meals. I understand that struggle, but I promise you, if you take the time to cook your own food and eat at your own home, you will feel a lot lighter.

One of the main problems with dining out is that when someone else prepares your food, you never know exactly what ingredients are being used. But when you cook for yourself, you can make better choices with each individual ingredient, and a more healthful meal overall.

Cooking at home doesn’t need to be a daunting task. You might think that it takes too long to prepare and cook healthy foods, but when you think about it, at rush hour, the drive-thru line or the wait time for a restaurant table may take even more time than preparing your own meal.

It Never Hurts To Be Prepared

One trick to avoid eating out at restaurants is to plan your meals in advance. That will help you conquer the dinnertime rush issue while helping you control what goes into your body. Processed foods found at many chain restaurants are a lot higher in sodium, fat, sugar and calories than homemade meals, and if you eat out frequently, they could contribute to high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease and cardiovascular disease among other ailments.

Try to go to the grocery store at least twice a week to pick up healthy ingredients to round out a balanced meal. Stock your freezer with frozen fruits and vegetables, as well as chicken breast and fish fillets. When frozen, those will keep far longer than fresh if you’re worried about food spoilage, and you’re not losing any nutritional value.

Looking for other quick meals? Check out one of my favorites, Citrus Almond Chicken…

On top of all of these benefits of eating at home, meals you prepare yourself will always taste a million times better than any restaurant meal.

When you eat at home, not only do you control the calorie and fat content of the meal, but you also control the portion size. Did you know that restaurant portion sizes are often three times the recommended portion size? Cooking at home allows you to manage the amount of food you put on your plate, which decreases the number of calories you consume.

Cooking Quickly – Parchment Wrapped Fish

You may not believe it, but you really can make a delicious, healthy meal for your family in under 30 minutes. Here’s one of my go-to recipes when I’m in a rush… Parchment Wrapped Fish

4 6-ounces filets, tilapia or cod or snapper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sweet pakrika
2 tomatoes, seeded and finally chopped
1/4 cup white wine or champagne (optional)
2 large lemons, juiced, about 1/4 cup
4 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Prepare you packets for baking. Tear 4 sheets of parchment paper 12 inches long. Place 1 filets on each sheet and distribute the remaining ingredients among the 4 filets. Fold the paper over to form a packet and fold the edges, crimping tightly. Use straight pins or toothpicks to tightly secure the edges so there are no gaps.

Place on a large baking tray and bake 12 to 15 minutes until the packets puff and the fish is no longer translucent inside. Watch out for the steam that might escape while opening the packets. Slide the opened packets onto plates and serve immediately.

 

Thanks for joining me again today! Tomorrow, we’re going to talk about how adding more vegetables to your diet could help you lose weight for good!

Talk to you soon!