30+ Fab Food Choices
30 + Food Choices To
Help You Stay On Track
We all lead busy lives and at times, we can be left in a sticky spot where we are short on time, hungry and can all too often, we reach for the sugar, fat and salt laden convenience foods.
This is okay from time to time but do this too often and you can be led further away from your health and fitness goals and slip down that slippery slope of low self esteem and self worth.
STOP!!! I’m here to guide you through what you can keep in your cupboards for moments like the above.
Take a look : )
From The Fridge
Fresh Fruit
Now, I know I am writing the obvious here, but having some fruit in all the times can help curb those sugar/sweet cravings we cab all have!
Fruit can get a bad name, as some say its high sugar and yes it is but its natural sugar in its best form, low calorie and if you eat the fruit not juice, you eat the fibre too. This will help you stay fuller for longer and your gut keeps nice and clean too. WIN, WIN.
Good choices are berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries as they are full of antioxidants, so they really pack a punch but other fruits such as grapes, bananas, pineapple and mango are all great choices.
As with all food nutritious or not so, you can still gain weight by over eating on the good stuff, so go easy.
Eggs
A great go to choice when you are in a rush. So many ways to cook them up too;
Poached – 2-3 mins in boiling water
Scrambled – Either in the pan or microwave. Microwave – add salt, pepper and a splash of milk and for two eggs – 1 min 20 approx. I tend to do for 40 secs and then stir and check.
Omelette – 2/3 egg omelette with any thing you like within it.
Even Fried – You can use Fry light spray or just a non stick pan!
Eggs are a great source of Protein – 3 medium eggs = 24g of protein, 18g of Fats, 1.2g carbs and 270 cals.
And please, eat the whole egg. The cholesterol they contain has been proven to show minimal effect to the body and they are healthy fats too, so crack on lol! : )
Plain Greek Yoghurt
This is personally my go to choice. It’s low fat, low sugar and can be a great addition to home made Fajitas, Chilli, Curry and my favourite as a pudding with protein powder and berries.
Top tip, pop in the freezer 20 mins for more of an ice cream treat.
100g of Aldi’s own = 10g of Protein, 4.9 carbs, 0.5g Fat & 62 cals. It’s also very good value at under £1.50 for 500mls.
A great way to try to reach your protein goals which very often one can struggle with.
Unsweetened Almond Milk
A good option for those people that are vegetarian/vegan or lactose intolerant.
Low calorie and low fat and is ok with protein powder, porridge.
200mls of Aplro’s version = 26 cals, 0.8g Protein, 0.2g Fat and 0g of carbs.
CHEESE PLEASE!
Who doesn’t like cheese? But, with cheese being a fat, it comes with a high price with calorie values
9 Calories per Gram
This idea of keeping a small go to amount that you can easily log can help you satisfy your cheese ‘n’ cracker cravings in a controlled way.
It can easily be used in salads, sauces and a snack on its own.
This little triangle is only 25 cals per serving too.
Cooked Meat or Pre Bought Slices
I always teach my clients to keep their protein consumption high when dieting, which can be tricky for most. You don’t always want that protein shake or bar, so having some handy cooked met slices or cooked meat you have done yourself, can really help satisfy the hunger pangs and reach those protein goals.
Turkey Sausages
A great alternative to Pork or Beef sausages. 2 sausages = 159 cals, 18g Protein, 5.1g of Fat & 9.1g of Carbs
Compared to Asda’s Butcher’s choice Pork sausage’s = 211 cals, 15g fat, 15g of Protein & 4.6g carbs. So a good swap if you’re watching fats/cals
Along the same theme - What the Heck?!
These cheeky sausages are approx 50 cals per one and can be added to meals or as a snack or cooked and then eaten on their own
For The Kid In You, Hartley's Jelly hit the sweet spot
Oh my lord! When you are in a bind and want nothing but sweets and sugar, these are a great option!
Takes me back too and at 6 cals per pot and 1.2g of sugar.
Lots of flavours, so I’m sure they’ll be one for you too.
In The Feezer
Frozen Summer Berries
I always make sure I have frozen berries in the freezer. I will add them to porridge, Greek yoghurt or snack on them frozen as you need less and they last longer.
Just remember to use portion control or weigh and log : )
Frozen Prawns
If I have used up a lot of my calories for the day, then my go to dish would be home made Prawn Stir-fry.
100g of prawns = 80-90 cals, 20g of protein, 0.6g of fat & 0g of carbs, so that’s a good whack of protein for the cals!
Team with salads, pitta or as a snack on their own too.
Just don’t go pouring over the Thousand Island dressing!!
Frozen Fish Fillets
White fish is great for reigning in the calories without forgoing the nutrition.
Cooked in tin foil to steam for 20 mins and hey presto!
100g = 23g of protein, 2.4g of fat, 0.1g carbs & 117 cals.
Lower Carb High Protein Bread
Do you love Carbs and want to have two slices of toast? Well now you can with this handy lower carb option
86 calories and 8g of protein per slice, plus it still tastes nice – just like a wholemeal loaf with seeds.
Good for having with poached eggs, or you could mash half an avocado with a bit of salt and lemon juice and spread it on two slices of toast… both great choices to get your healthy fats in too.
Mini Pitta Breads
These are great for a mini snack at only 50 cals each, 8.4g of Carbs, 0.5g Fat & 2g Protein. Great with soup, Tuna, A little cheese or a cheese triangle.
Frozen Vegetables
Save on your preparation time with frozen vegetables.
Being frozen, the nutrients are locked in upon packaging and of course can be kept longer than your fresh vege in the fridge.
Please don’t listen to previous thoughts that fresh is better as it’s not.
You can get all sorts of frozen vege these days, which even come in bags to simply pop in the microwave. Add to roast dinners, stir fry and other dishes.
Certainly no excuses to not get 1 of your 5 a day : )
TOP TIP - Frozen Cauliflower Rice
This is my go to choice when I’m mindful of my starchy carbs but want to have a chilli or curry.
They are in their own pouches so just pop them in the microwave for 4 mins.
62 cals per bag 9.4g carbs, 2.2g fat, 7.2g protein.
I tend to share mine as it is deceptively filling.
They also do Mediterranean flavour too!
A Ready Meal
Yes you read right..I want you to have a few ready meals in the freezer!
Choose wisely and these days the calorie and macro split can work pretty well, you just need to read the labels wisely.
When you are rushed off your feet all day, starving when you get in and just wan to eat, eat, eat, a well chosen ready meal can be make or break with your fitness goals.
Ideally, I always recommend cooking from scratch whenever possible, but this is good second best!
Protein Ice cream and other alternatives
Yes, I know I have gone a little crazy with the options here, but I LOVE ICE CREAM!
Fancy a lower calorie option? The market is becoming wise to us fitness people wanting this and as you can see a lot of different companies are offering their own high protein lower cal/sugar alternatives.
Now, I do love a good tub of Ben & Jerry’s but if I’m super craving something sweet, then I’ll satisfy that craving with just a little of the above options.
Ben & Jerrys… delicious, but over 1000 calories per tub. These new kids on the block… most are 280-350 calories, which is quite a saving. And they’re still delicious.
Halo Top, Oppo, and Breyers, Gianni’s can all be found in most supermarkets. One of those three brands will usually be on offer, so it’s worth going for that one and then stocking up when you discover your favourite.
A couple of scoops with berries (and maybe a little slice of protein brownie) makes an excellent low calorie dessert.
Go Go GO Bananas
This clever bit of fruit can pack a punch in terms of a good fuel source both pre/post workout containing good carbs and a fair whack of potassium, too.
Sci-ency bit – Potassium is a mineral and an electrolyte. It helps your muscles work, including the muscles that control your heartbeat and breathing.
Your body uses the potassium it needs. The extra potassium that your body does not need is removed from your blood by your kidneys.
Try blending a frozen banana with a scoop of protein and unsweetened almond milk to make good thick shake. Or use in a smoothie. Try it with frozen berries, almond milk, and a scoop of protein powder.
In The Cupboards
Oats
Stop reaching the ready made sugar laden varieties an opt for plain simple oats.
A stable breakfast choice across all seasons. Hot with milk or milk alternative in the winter or done as overnight oats in the fridge in the summer months.
If done in the fridge, you can even add your scoop of protein in too. I wouldn’t recommend putting in with hot oats, as the protein can often go very grainy, but you may be ok with that texture, so just see what suits you best.
Protein Powder
I know what you are thinking….I’ll get bulky, it’s for body builders!
No it’s not! All it is is filtered milk and a super cheap way to up your daily protein numbers, daily/weekly.
It comes in a variety of flavours and different companies sell them.
Personally, I use this brand, as I find it good value and the Isolate formulation is kinder on my digestive tract.
It can be mixed with water, milk and milk alternatives and Greek yoghurts, natural yoghurts.
Rice Cakes
These can be very helpful to snack on if you’re hungry between meals.
Kallo rice cakes are a good choice – taste nice (especially blueberry and vanilla flavour) and only 35-40 calories per rice cake. Reduced fat soft cheese, Philadelphia lightest, a thin spread of nut butter, or my personal favourite – marmite, are great to spread on top.
Hot Chocolate alternatives
Options and Cadbury highlights are very tasty favourites here. Sainsburys low-calorie hot chocolate is also very good.
All are only 39 calories per serving – perfect when you have a craving for something warm or sweet, or if you just love hot chocolate and want to reduce your calories.
Another cheeky option here is Myprotein hot chocolate. Word of warning though , it is super sweet, so I would recommend half the scoop instead of the stated one!
This is great also if you want a mocha without all the sugar. Add one teaspoon to a coffee!
Tuna
A super quick source of protein. Take to work with you and also combine with a ready made packet of microwave rice and you have a fantastic source of healthy carbs an protein.
Add to salads, sandwich, in pasta or on top of your spud and boost your protein goals for the day.
I would recommend buying the tins in spring water not olive poil or brine.
Pop Pop Pop Corn
Like crisps…. well consider swapping to popcorn when you really want that bag of crisps to try and lower your calories
Always opt for the healthier alternatives such as the above and weigh out and put the rest away.
A lot of the time we crave that hand to mouth feeling so simply replacing a not so good choice with a better one can help.
Nando's Piri Piri Salt
Pimp up your chips Fancy a Nando’s style!
Add to chips (over baked) soup or sweet potato mash
Dried Herbs And Spices
An essential addition to anyone’s kitchen but especially if you want to cook from scratch and make your food more interesting.
Herbs and spices are low calorie and once bought can last ages and help you to make a cracking curry, chilli, stir fry sauce and help you avoid the awful ready made jars and sauces which are laden with sugar and salts and preservatives.
So, as you can see, there are lots of choices to consider if you are wanting to lose a little weight, eat well and train better.
If you need my help, then I’d be happy to hear from you.
Be the best version of you.
Sarah x