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When Supportive Eating Gets Boring
. . .
Nobody said "Supportive
Nutrition" was easy. It takes effort. The good news is,
once you develop the habit, it's hard to go back to any other
way of eating
The basic idea
is to try to get a lean protein, a starchy carb, and a fibrous
carb every 3 - 3 1/2 hours. There are some very real concerns
that present obstacles. Where do you find the time to prepare
meals? What do you eat if you're not at home? How can you
financially afford to eat that much food . . . especially
when you have to shy away from the more affordable fast food
options?
I wish I had
a simple answer. I don't. The simple answer is, you're going
to have to, through effort and trial and error, zero in on
what works for you.
The first thing
you should understand is that you don't have to do it perfectly.
If you're seeking improvement, just strive to consistently
do better with your nutrition. A few backslides are OK, provided
you remain motivated to jump right back on. It's also OK to
have "the best meal you can in the situation you're in."
That in itself should lessen the pressure.
Here are some
simple, quick, not perfect but not so bad options for those
times you're not up for a chicken breast, baked potato, and
brocolli:
Non fat sugar
free yogurt with some low sugar granola cereal and a handful
of berries. This is easily prepared at home, but also can
provide a quickie meal if a supermarket is nearby.
Tuna on a whole
grain pita with some lettuce tomato and sprouts. This is simple
to make up at home. In fact, it's simple to mix up 3 days
worth of tuna, store it in tupperware, and it takes all of
3 minutes to scoop it into pita bread, add the veggies, and
wrap it up in a zip lock bag. If you're on the road, many
of the Power Smoothie stores now have sandwich menus and any
one of them can prepare tuna on pita bread.
Fast food restaurants
that grill chicken can always provide chicken breast without
mayo. Lettuce and tomato add some carb making it a fine substitute
for a fully supportive meal.
Meal replacement
formulas are a mainstay for every bodybuilder and fitness
competitor I know. When I'm on the road, my EAT! formula Meal
Replacement often makes up 3 of my 6 meals. Another option
is to stock up on protein powder. If you carry a powdered
serving in a zip lock bag, you can stop into any convenience
store and buy some bottled water and rice cakes. There's your
protein and carb.
Deli sliced turkey
breast in the fridge makes it simple to whip together a sandwich,
or you can tear up the slices, mix them up with some spinach,
sunflower seeds, and tomato, add some balsamic vinegar and
you have a 3-minute supportive salad. Lean sliced roast beef,
sliced chicken breast can add variety.
Turkey jerky,
if you can handle the texture and taste, can not only give
your jaw a workout, but can also provide protein, and almost
every 24-hour convenience store has an ample supply.
Egg whites are
a great lean protein, but don't think you have to eat only
hard boiled egg whites. You can always boil some eggs and
make egg salad with four whites to one yolk using a mix of
mustard, lite mayo, and pepper. Chop up celery and tomatoes
and you have a meal. If there's time, a non stick pan can
produce a very nice egg white omelet using ingredients such
as mushrooms, green and red peppers, and salsa.
Nuts can supply
protein, and although they are high in fat, you'll use some
of the essential fats for important biological function assuming
the rest of your meals are supportive. Unsalted peanuts or
cashews with a handful of raisins can provide protein, essential
fat, and carbs.
Seafood offers
so many protein options. Grilled mahi. Broiled salmon. Sushi.
sashimi. Seared Tuna steak. Steamed Shrimp. Oysters on the
half shell. Mussels marinara. The imitation crab meat is usually
made from pollock or haddock and is relatively inexpensive.
Again, not optimal (sugar is used to modify the taste), but
certainly an acceptable protein once in awhile.
The truth is,
when I sit down with people who are initially frustrated by
their lack of options, and we determine what they were eating
prior to beginning the program, they are in fact limiting
90% of their meals to the same 8 or 9 foods. It's a mindset
that tells people foods are forbidden that makes them feel
limited. In reality we are limited only by our creativity
and our willingness to break old habits.
If you're just
starting out, don't stress over eating supportively. Do the
best you can. Enjoy the cheat day. If you go four and a half
hours without a meal, it's not the end of the world. If a
fruit finds its way into a meal or two, it's quite alright.
The trick is simply to understand what "perfection"
would be, and then to land somewhere between your old habits
and "almost perfect."
Note:
All of my programs address Supportive Eating. My
EAT! Recipe book offers limitless options for making supportive
nutrition work in the real world. [get EAT! or other supportive
nutrition products through the Fitness
Superstore]
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Phil Kaplan's Fitness Associates
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