These recommendations to combat excess weight have been formulated by Marlene Schwartz, who is deputy director of the Leslie Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. The expert argues that people get fat because they organize the system of their nutrition in a wrong way. The tips she gives should help in solving this problem.
1. Hide Snacks
The first tip for those who want to organize their healthy diet is to hide away snacks (crackers, cookies, chips, etc.). If there is always a packet of biscuits in a prominent place in the kitchen, it will not allow avoiding constant snacking.
The expert recommends always keeping in view a vase with fresh fruits and vegetables that do not require cooking. It is much more useful, as regular consumption of nature’s gifts enriches the diet with essential vitamins.
3. Healthy Snacks Preps
For snacking between meals, nutritionist advises preparing several transparent containers with sliced fruits and vegetables and putting them in the most prominent place in the refrigerator. When opening them, the hand will not reach out for the sausage, mayonnaise or other high-calorie foods.
4. Caloric Intake Control
Those who want to lose weight need to learn to control calories. The expert recommends dividing your usual caloric dish into several portions – eat one and leave the rest for tomorrow. This approach teaches to be satisfied with eating little food and to savor the food. Portions may also be spread across the containers. Leaving one for yourself, remove the rest in the refrigerator not be tempted to eat up all at once.
5. Keep Your Fridge Organized
Organize your refrigerator space. According to Mrs. Schwartz, proper placement of food in the refrigerator will help keep from excesses in food. She advises to keep vegetables and fruits not in the bottom drawers, but to put them in the most accessible place (it is even better to store them washed to make eating them more convenient) as well as to keep containers with a light snack on top of everything else. If the refrigerator still contains the food which is not the healthiest, the expert advises to remove it to the back wall or put it in some opaque box to make it inconspicuous.
6. Cook Healthy Food First
When cooking, cook healthy low-calorie snacks first. Doing this is not difficult. Take low-fat yogurt, cut vegetables, fruits, low-fat cheese – they can be easily used to make a useful “sandwich” if you lack patience to wait until the main meal is cooked.
7. Serve Food on Plates Only
When the family gathers at the table, do not place large trays or containers with food. It has been proved that when a cook places food on plates for each person, people eat less than when there is a pot, soup tureen or a large common dish on the table.
8. Buy Quality Kitchen Gadgets & Utensils
Marlene Schwartz also recommends acquiring high-quality kitchenware: first of all, a good knife, a cutting board and a utensil for peeling fruit and vegetables will help cut them faster for a snack. When you have great tools at hand, it is much more pleasant to be engaged in food preparation.
9. Stop Buying Certain Foods Completely
According to the nutritionist, there are high-calorie foods that can be excluded from the diet without compromising human health. That is what should be done if you want to become slimmer. There is nothing terrible about the fact that neither you nor your family will eat these products, and there is nothing to worry about. For example, you can stop buying all kinds of desserts. To stay within the recommended calorie intake, it is usually enough to eat one dessert per day besides the main meal. Marlene Schwartz suggests it could be a moderate serving of ice cream.
10. Eat in the Kitchen
Another trick is to eat in the kitchen. Sitting on the couch while watching TV or while being involved in some other occupation, we tend to overeat. When we eat in the kitchen, we are fully focused on the process. In fact, it is easier to just notice how much you have already eaten. Do not read while eating.