The Secret To Eating Lean and Healthy - Mini-Meals

When I suggest to people that they may need to eat more often to lose weight, the first response I usually get is,”You must be kidding.” After all, we’ve always heard that you should have 3 meals a day and shouldn’t eat in between. “Snacking” makes us think of chips, candy cookies and forbidden “bad” foods. And another popular term for eating throughout the day, “grazing,” sounds like it’s a good idea for cows. It definitely doesn’t sound like something the Diet Police would approve of.  I’m asking you to throw all those thoughts out, along with yo-yo dieting and any other magical miracle pill or device that’s going to turn your body into a fat inferno.

There is a way to rev up your metabolism, stop feeling hungry and dissatisfied and put yourself on the healthy speedway to weight loss. Yes, I am talking about eating more often, about 4 to 5 mini-meals a day. Or one every three to four hours.

Eating more frequently helps stabilize your blood sugar level and keeps you from getting too hungry. And we all know that getting too hungry usually leads straight to

overeating at your next meal. Also, a healthy mini-meal will keep you energized and you'll be stoking up your metabolism by raising your internal thermostat.

You maybe wondering why I’m not talking about 3 main meals and 2 snacks each day. Well, scientists from the State University of New York, Buffalo, found that undergrads who labeled mid-afternoon treats as “snacks” ate 87% more at dinner than those who ate identical foods at the same time but classified them as “meals.” Head researcher Elizabeth D. Capaldi, PhD, found that if you chose items you think of as meals – real food, rather than snacks – they’ll more likely satisfy your appetite. For example, a 150-calorie “snack” might be 6 oz of fat-free fruit yogurt. For the same 150 calories, you can have a “meal” of 1/2 a small whole-wheat pita, 2 thin slices of turkey breast, sliced tomato and mustard. The mini turkey sandwich will keep you fuller and more satisfied much longer.

Now the “magic” of mini-meals is found in the smart choices you make for each meal.  We aren’t talking about deprivation, but picking the foods that make up a balanced diet that tastes good to you and is good for you. I’ve put together 2 great mini-meals: 2 TBS of peanut butter and 1/2 a banana. Make a "sandwich”, cut in half and enjoy with a cup of hot herbal tea.  Hard boil 2 eggs - scoop out the yolks and fill with spicy red pepper humus.  Top with 1 Teaspoon of chopped walnuts and enjoy with sparkling lime water. If you want even more suggestions, just check out my website at www.kathysmith.com

Here’s a simple experiment to get you started. If you find you are always starved by the time lunch comes around, try eating half a sandwich about three hours before lunch.  This mid-morning mini-meal will fill you up, and when you have your ”lunch” you’ll be amazed at how much better the other half of your sandwich tastes and how satisfied you’ll feel, especially if you add a large veggie salad or a juicy piece of fruit.

When you decide on how many calories you need for the day, you can spread them out over your mini-meals. And don’t forget that your activity level has a lot to do with how many calories you have to play with. The more active you are, the more calories you can have.