The Satisfaction Factor….
Abraham Maslow has
taught that we’re driven by our unmet needs.
It’s human nature to want what we can’t have. We will usually do what it takes to calm down
our sense of deprivation when our needs are not satisfied. This is applicable with food, relationships,
career, etc.
Many of us have lost
the pleasure in eating and feeling satisfied.
If you feel truly satisfied with your eating experience, you will find
that you eat far less food. Conversely, if you are unsatisfied, you will likely
eat more and be on the prowl, regardless of your satiety level.
Take some time this
holiday season to seek satisfactory eating experiences and remember this quote:
“In matters of taste, consider nutrition. In matters of nutrition, consider taste.”
Try to make each meal
the healthiest it can be (while still being satisfying). And when it comes to eating nutritiously, try
to make each meal as tasty as possible.
When we can find this balance we are more likely to have more satisfying
eating experiences.
Healthy Meals and Snacks!
It’s probably not the
best idea to head to a holiday party ravenous…
Have some healthier
snacks and meals ready to go to avoid over indulging on sweets and treats because
you’re so hungry and that’s all there is to eat. You may be surprised how much less you’ll eat
(and how much better you’ll feel!) if you’ve had a good satisfying meal beforehand.
One easy
way to make meals and snacks healthier is to include more fruits and vegetables!
Here are a few ideas we came up with to fit more fruits and
veggies into your day:
Add veggies to soups, stews and casseroles!
Add fruit to your oatmeal, cereal and pancakes!
Have a salad for one of your meals!
Keep frozen vegetables in your freezer so they’re ready to add
to any meal!
Cut up your fruit and store them in ready to go bags and containers
so you can grab them and go!
Try a new fruit or vegetable each week!
Have fruit for dessert! (You can even dip
it in a little chocolate if you need your chocolate fix!)
Some great snack ideas are:
Frozen cubes of
mango, Veggie quesadilla, salsa and whole grain crackers, low-fat cottage
cheese with fruit spread and pretzels, trail mix, peanut butter and celery
sticks, yogurt with berries and flaxseed, veggies dipped in hummus, a handful
of nuts… try one today!
Try freezer meals!
You can make all your
meals for the week in one day and just pull them out of the freezer when you
need a quick meal! Type ‘cooking for a
week’ in your search engine and
you’ll get tons of great websites!
Some Food Freezing tips:
Before freezing hot food, it’s important to let it cool down
before you freeze it.
Portion your dish into meal sized containers or packages. Label and date the containers and place them
in a single layer in the coldest area of your freezer.
Use only specialty freezer wrappings: they should be both moisture-proof
and vapor proof. Look for items that say
‘freezer quality’ or ‘freezer safe’.
Leave as little air as possible.
Wrap solid foods like meats and baked goods tightly in foil
before you bag them.
Meats from the butcher block are usually wrapped well enough
to freeze... However if you buy the meat wrapped on Styrofoam trays with
plastic wrap it won’t hold up well to freezing.
Re-wrap it before you freeze.
Check out the ‘Frozen Food Storage Guide’ to know how long
you can freeze your favorite foods: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/documents/sp_50_711_frozenfoodstorageguide.pdf
Here’s some great
websites for some quick and easy recipes:
Eatingwell.com
Cookinglight.com
Campbellskitchen.com
Allrecipies.com
Kraftrecipies.com
Momswhothink.com
Skinnytaste.com
5dollardinners.com
Delish.com
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