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eating healthier
ok so im trying to be a healthier person - not necessarily trying to lose weight but i wouldnt mind slimming down some. anyway im trying to follow the food pyramid (or maybe thats not a good way to go?). i havent been so strict about it because it seems like i dont eat enough meals to get in all the types of food im supposed to... i would eat more spaced out meals but on weekdays i cant. i leave for school at 7 so i eat at about 6:30, my lunch is at about 11, and i have practice after school and dont get home till around 5, and dinner is usually around 6 or 6:30.
so, for a typical days meal, is this good? sorry if its a lot to ask but if you happen to know a good meal plan for a typical day that would be great.
breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs with a slice of american cheese melted in, 2 pieces of whole grain toast, a glass of skim milk
lunch:
peanut butter and jelly on 2 pieces of whole grain bread, a handful of mini carrots, a handful of wheat thins, and a half pint of water
snack:
banana and water
dinner: (i dont have much authority with this meal so i might have to work around it, but here is a common one in my house)
pasta with tomato sauce and 2 meatballs, a bowl of spinach salad with cucumbers, carrots, croutons, and a little italian dressing, a glass of milk
also - im not sure if this is a good idea, but im trying to limit the drinks i have to water and milk. i love milk and i of course have to watch calcium intake, and then i always try to hydrate myself with water for sports and such.
sorry that was so long. thank you!
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Maybe give some free advice about: Nutrition?
Well the following the food pyramid is a lot better than what most people do with their diets. However, I often find the concept to be a bit vague in that it often does not differentiate between different types of foods (grains, dairy etc).
Right off the top of my head I can make some recommendations regarding your diet.
First off the traditional 3 meal layout is not ideal, as you realised. The body responds better to a meal plan ranging from 4 to 6 meals. It does not take a lot to fit those in. Try to fit in a small meal before practice during the weekdays. I really dont like the break from 11 to 6.30 without any food. What I would do is take a small meal at around 15 (maybe take a small container of cottage cheese and a piece of fruit to school as an example) and I would take a whey shake right after practice. Then, I would also work in a small meal at 21.30 or so.
In the very least, if you really cant find time to eat, get your hands on some whey protein. A shake and some fruit here and there is something at least, and better than just fruit and water.
Secondly, relative to your protein intake, your carbs seem to be rather high. Lunch for example has very little protein. I would drop the wheat thins and instead add a small good low fat protein source of some kind. If you can work some sort of meal before practice, I would remove one of the slices of bread from lunch as well (or just move it to that meal). I would drop the milk at dinner also in favour of eating something later that evening. This is just to balance out the calories and nutrients a little bit more.
Your drink idea is a very good initiative. Water should be the primary thing that one drinks so you are on the right track here.
Now, one last thing, I am a little unsure about is your intake of essential fatty acids. You seem to get a fair amount of omega 6 from the peanut butter, eggs and probably the italian dressing. However, I see very little omega 3. Your fat intake should not be increased much, but rather substituted a little.
Good sources of omega 3 include: oily fish, flax (seeds or oil), walnuts, canola, etc. Eggs can be a decent source depending on what the chickens are fed (usually that means free range eggs have good values and industrial farmed ones do not).
Its really important to have a small regular amount of omega 3. Deficiency in this fat is associated with all sorts of health problems, and even (oddly enough) obesity.
Ok, hope that makes some sense. You are certainly on the right track, and you should be proud of the initiative you are taking.
Good luck.
Edit: and remember a multi vitamin in the morning as well.
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That really does sound like you're doing a really good job! Lots of water is especially good--don't overdo it, but drinking water does raise your metabolism, especially combined with exercise. I'm not really sure what else I can suggest for you! You've even got spinach, which is way better than lettuce.
It's not bad every once and a while to have something like orange juice or V8 for the vitamins, though, if you feel like you need more fruit or veggie servings. Those are good, healthy drinks with plenty of nutrition that will fit right into your meal plan.
Good luck! :)
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