Five Easy Ways to Avoid Junk Foods for Good by Wolf Krammel

Let's not kid ourselves, when we are hungry we are more inclined to eat food that is easy. "Easy" food is usually pre-prepared & loaded with sodium, calories, etc. Eliminate the temptation for the easy meal. Here are some useful tips:

If you have good intentions and buy vegetables and fruit only to have them rot in the fridge because you don't want to cut them up, make your life easier and buy the packages of fruit and veggies that are already prepared. So next time you reach for a snack, you can be sure that you don't have to put forth a lot of effort to eat.

1) Cook several days' worth of food at one time. Throw a few extra pieces of chicken on the grill, or make an extra batch of pasta. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days, or easily frozen. When you are hungry, all you have to do is heat it up instead of running out to get the fat-laden burger.

2) There is always a person in the office who keeps a candy dish for everyone to help themselves. Break form, and keep a small basket of fruit on your desk. Apples, oranges, pears of bananas make a great afternoon snack instead of that dish of chocolate.

3) Discuss your nutritional goals with your friends and co-workers. Maybe you will be the inspiration for everyone to eat better. Good habits can be contagious! This will also help keep you on track.

4) Keep carrot sticks or other cut-up vegetables on hand to satisfy that craving for something crunchy. If your office doesn't have a refrigerator, use a small lunch cooler. Stock peanut butter and jelly or tuna, and a loaf of wheat bread to make a quick sandwich. Instead of skipping lunch or ordering fast food, your body will function more efficiently because you gave it fuel, not empty calories.

5) Pack your lunch the night before to avoid having to go for fast food at lunch time due to lack of time in the morning.

Foods to enjoy daily

Fish (Salmon, Halibut, Trout, Tuna, Sardines, Flounder, etc). Preferably baked, grilled, or broiled.

Lean Meat (Beef, Pork, Ham, Roast Beef, Venison, etc). Please see the section titled Eat Better Meat to learn more about good choices.

Poultry (Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Pheasant, Cornish Hen). Preferably grilled, baked or broiled.

Shellfish (Crab, Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Lobster, Shrimp). Preferably grilled, broiled, or canned.

Eggs (Scrambled, Fried, Omelets, Hard boiled, etc)

Nuts or seeds (any kind) Limit to two handfuls per day.

Cheese (Feta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Cottage, Soy and low fat varieties) Limit to 2-3 oz per day.

Salad - Any kind of lettuce or greens (Red Leaf lettuce, Iceburg, Romaine, Spinach, Arugula, Endive, etc) Preferably include 4 cups per day or 2 cups salad vegetables and 1 cup of cooked

vegetables (see below).

Other vegetables for a salad or as a raw snack - Alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, carrots, mushrooms, olives, parsley, green and red peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini)

Salad dressings - Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, lemon/lime juice or Italian. Other toppings can include nuts, seeds and cheese.

Cooked vegetables (Include 1 cup of cooked vegetables if you've eaten only 2 cups of salad vegetables.) Broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, cabbage, carrots, asparagus, avocado, brussel sprouts, collard greens, eggplant, kale, kohlrabi, Okra, Onion, Rhubarb, Spinach, Snow peas, Turnips, tomatoes, artichokes, beets.