If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably watch your calories very closely. To assist you with your calorie watching when dining out, these tips will help you make the most of it.

– Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side, as this way you have control over how much you add to your meal.

– When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you should ask that the food be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

– Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted as a vegetable!

– You should always try to drink water, diet soda, or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain alcohol.

– If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

– When you choose a soup, remember that cream based soups are higher in fat and calories than other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty fast.

– When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa is very low in calories and provides a healthy alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

– When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your body and what it tells you.

– If you get full, take half of your meal home. The second portion of your meal can serve as a second meal later. This way, you get two meals for the price of one.

– If you’re looking to eat less, order two appetizers or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

– If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked potato or steamed vegetables instead of french fries.

– Always look for food on the menu that’s baked, grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and are usually much lower in calories.

– Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and calories. When you add the butter and oil, you increase the fat and calorie intake.

– As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals.

– Choose foods made with whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

– If you crave dessert, look for something with low fat, such as berries or fruit.

– Always remember not to deprive yourself of the foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit into a well balanced diet.

Tags: Appetizer, Appetizers, Bacon, Baked Potato, Calories, Cream Butter, Dessert, Diet Soda, Eating Habits, Fat Calories, French Fries, Fruits And Vegetables, Grilled Fish, Healthy Diet, Pasta Dishes, Plain Bread, Salad Dressings, Salsa, Sauces, Side Dishes, Soups, Sour Cream, Tomato Sauce, Vitamins And Minerals, Water Diet —

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There are however, ways to watch what you eat on
vacation.

It’s easier than ever these days to request a low fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If you choose to instead drive to your destination, the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with you on the road.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down – as this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits, cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit over on a meal, simply cut back on the next.

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks, as your body needs fuel every four hours or so. When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you do, do not miss any meals.

When it’s possible, you should avoid eating large meals at night. When your body gets ready for sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or poultry for your meal instead, and include vegetables as a side dish.

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn’t really that difficult. All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren’t good for you. This way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you shouldn’t make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter – as long as you know when to stop.

Tags: Airplane Flights, Calories, Cereals, Continental Breakfast, Crackers, Cream Cone, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Sense, Greasy Foods, Healthy Eating, Healthy Food, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutritious Foods, Poultry, Proteins, Sandwiches, Side Dish, Snacks, Square Meals, Vegetarian Meal, Yogurt —

If you have problems serving healthy foods because of the prices, you’ll find these tips to be just what you need to eat healthy on a budget.

1. Eliminate junk food

Doing your shopping on your own is the easiest way to shop, as children and sometimes spouses are usually the ones requesting junk food. Shopping alone will prevent this, and ensure that you only buy the foods you need.

2. Water or milk instead of soft drinks

You can still enjoy your favorite drinks at a sporting event or night out, although you should stick with the smallest size when shopping to save money and calories. Children and even adults need milk or milk products on a daily basis. Milk will also help you get strong and provides calcium for healthy bones and healthy teeth.

3. Buy fruits in quantity

When they are in season, buy fruits in quantity and freeze any extras. You can buy several pounds this way, and freeze extras to have them when the fruit goes out of season. Wash the fruit well, remove any spoiled pieces, dry thoroughly, then freeze in plastic zipper bags.

4. Meats and beans

Meats and beans are the best sources for protein. Lean meat is more expensive than meats with a lot of fat. Canned beans are a great deal as well, as they give you protein at a great price.

5. Beans as a substitute

You should use beans a substitute for meat on a frequent occasion. There are several varieties, so you can prepare them in a crock pot, so when you return home they are ready to consume.

The USDA recommends eating beans at least 4 times per week. If you experience gas after eating beans you should try washing them, covering them with water, bringing the water to a boil, then draining it off and refilling the pot.

6. If you live in a coastal area or an area where fish are around, make that an integral part of your diet. You can catch them from the lakes or rivers, saving money in the process.

7. Peanut butter is great for those on a budget as it’s popular with almost everyone. You can use it for sandwiches instead of eating hot dogs. It does need to be refrigerated, although bigger jars can last you for weeks.

8. You should fill up with foods that have a high content of water. Watermelon, salads, and even sugar free gelatin are all great examples.

Eating healthy is always something you can’t go wrong with. You can eat healthy for just a few bucks, which makes it perfect for those on a budget. Now, you don’t need a lot of money to have the lifestyle and health you’ve always wanted.

Tags: Atkins, Boil, Calcium, Calories, Canned Beans, Coastal Area, Crock Pot, Daily Basis, Eating Habits, Food Shopping, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Bones, Healthy Diet, Healthy Foods, Healthy Teeth, Junk food;, Lean Meat, Milk Products, Peanut Butter, Plastic Zipper, Saving Money, Soft Drinks, USDA;, Zipper Bags —

A lot of people have lost a lot of weight on the Atkins Diet. However, there are still plenty of questions surrounding this popular diet plan. One of the questions people have is how long should you stay on the Atkins Diet. The typical amount of time is somewhere between six months and a year, but some don’t last that long, while others stay on it on a long-term basis.

But how long others stay on the diet isn’t as important as how long you should stay on it. Therefore, a good starting point is to consider what your specific weight loss and dietary goals are. If you want to reset how your body digests food and burns calories, then you may want to stay on Atkins longer. On the other hand, if you’re just trying to lose a few pounds, then you may consider going off the diet once your goal is reached (but be careful that you don’t gain all of your weight back).

Let’s be honest, though, a lot of people have a hard time sticking to the Atkins Diet. This is usually due to food cravings. While you can generally eat all the fish, meat and eggs you want, the diet places severe restrictions on carbohydrates; especially in the earliest stages of the program. So, while you may enjoy being able to eat tons of bacon or fried fish, the novelty soon wears off and you start missing simple things like bread.

Sticking to any diet is a very hard thing for most people. However, the Atkins Diet can be particularly troublesome. The problem is that they think they can do the diet for a couple weeks, lose some weight and then return to their normal eating habits. This isn’t the case. Sure, they may drop a few pounds, but if they go off the diet too soon they will not only gain back the weight they lost, but may also gain more. This can be very discouraging, and some people are quick to say that the Atkins Diet doesn’t work, when in reality it was their not sticking to the diet that made it not work. That wouldn’t be so bad, but too many people then give up on diets all together.

One of the things that makes the Atkins Diet different is that it is comprised of four stages. You have to follow each stage precisely and you can’t skip ahead. The tricky part is that the first stage is often the hardest, as it removes all but 12 grams of carbohydrates from your daily diet. This leads some people to have cravings, lack of concentration or not feeling well. In other words, the temptation to give up is often at its strongest in the first phase of the diet.

The good news is that each phase allows you to have more carbs, and it gets easier and easier to stick to. The question of how long you should stay on the Atkins Diet is best answered by saying “as long as you can”. That’s because there is a maintenance phase that is designed to be something you can keep doing. Of course, be sure to check with your personal doctor before starting any new diet.

Tags: Amount Of Time, Atkins, Atkins Diet, Bacon, Burns, Calories, Carbohydrates, Couple Weeks, Diet Plan, Dietary Goals, Diets, Eating Habits, Eggs, Fish Meat, Food Cravings, Fried Fish, Good Starting Point, Hard Time, Healthy Diet, Losing Weight, Specific Weight, Term Basis, Toge —