1. Eat Breakfast!
They
call it the most important meal of the day for a reason! While you're sleeping,
your body actually goes into a mini starvation mode, which means your
metabolism lowers and you're not burning calories as quickly. And when you do
eat something, all of a sudden your metabolism starts to increase again.So eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism in a major way! And studies show that by eating breakfast, you consume fewer calories the rest of the day than people who skip it. So try to make time every morning for the meal!
2. Know Your Portions
Even
healthy foods have calories, and if you eat
too much, you'll still gain weight. So pay attention to not only what
you're eating, but also how much. Knowing correct portion sizes is so important-you can find this information on nutrition labels. Once you do some research, serving sizes might surprise you! For example, the serving size for cereal is one cup (think two hands cupped together), cooked pasta is half a cup (one handful), fruit is one piece the size of a tennis ball, and three ounces for meat (the size of a deck of cards). Paying attention to portion size is really about focusing on how much you're eating, and making sure you're not consuming more than you realize.
3. Build The Perfect Lunch
At
lunchtime, I tell my clients to eat "a wheat, a meat, and a treat!"For the "wheat," choose a serving of whole grain bread and for "a meat," try one serving of a lean protein, like turkey or chicken. Try combining the two into a sandwich or wrap. The third part of your lunch should be a "treat," like baked potato chips or pretzels. Allow yourself one "treat" a day. It's OK if it doesn't have a ton of nutritional value-just try to keep your treat under 100 calories!
4. Snack Before Practice
Keep
your energy levels up throughout practice by eating a good snack beforehand. About an hour before
practice, eat some protein and fiber-like whole grain crackers and low-fat
cheese, or nuts and fruit-which will keep you sustained. Avoid foods with lots
of sugar before hitting the field, because while your energy will immediately
spike, you'll crash after-and won't be able to make it through practice!And unless you'll be exercising intensely for at least three hours, plain old water is fine! Sports drinks, like Gatorade, Vitamin Water, or Powerade, have too much sugar in them, and actually contain more calories than you'll burn working out.
5. Avoid
Your Trigger Foods
Everyone
has "trigger foods" that they can't control themselves around- for
example, mine is a certain type of cookie. I tell my clients, like Sunny, to make a list of your trigger foods
that you have a hard time avoiding, and then ask your parents if they can hold
off buying them for awhile.Explain that those are the foods you have the hardest time controlling yourself around, and ask if they can possibly find other options for themselves. It's a tip that seems small, but really helps!
6. You
Don't Have To Give Up Junk Food
Since
nothing needs to be off-limits and deprivation doesn't work, you don't
need to give up junk food completely! [I tell] my clients they can have two
junk food items a week. If you stick to your treats (remember, lunch is a "wheat, a meat, and a (reasonably
healthy) treat"), watch your serving sizes, and allow yourself
to indulge only twice a week, you can still eat the foods you love, and
then make healthier choices the rest of the week. It doesn't have to be all or
nothing!
7. Eat
Healthier Desserts!
Since
nothing needs to be off-limits and deprivation doesn't work, you don't
need to give up junk food completely! [I tell] my clients they can have two
junk food items a week. If you stick to your treats (remember, lunch is a "wheat, a meat, and a (reasonably
healthy) treat"), watch your serving sizes, and allow yourself
to indulge only twice a week, you can still eat the foods you love, and
then make healthier choices the rest of the week. It doesn't have to be all or
nothing! 
A
baked apple is one of my favorite desserts and it's easy to make and so
delicious! Here are the ingredients you'll need: ยท 1 medium apple, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 cup Fat Free Reddi-wip
To make, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Core the apple by taking a knife and cutting a circle around the core, and then pull it out. Place the apple in a casserole dish and pour water over it. Then sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in the oven until the apple is tender, for about 45 minutes. Top the apple with fat-free Reddi-wip and enjoy!
8. Try A Healthier Trail Mix
Get
sugary store bought trail mixes by making your own version at home! Start with
a high-fiber, low sugar cereal like Fiber One Original, Cinnamon Puffins, or Kashi Honey Sunshine.
Next, add in your favorite unsalted nuts (like peanuts, cashews, or almonds).
Finally, add in your fruit-be sure to look for dried fruit or freeze-dried
fruit without any added sugar. Try Trader Joe's
Unsweetened Freeze Dried Fruit or Funky Money freeze-dried fruit.
Make your DIY trail mix on a Sunday and package individual servings in plastic bags, so you can easily grab one to throw in your lunch bag for school!
9. Make A Healthy Sundae
There
are lots of ways to make dessert healthy! If you make fruit the main part of
the dish, you can make a dessert that doesn't have tons of calories. One I especially
love is a play on the classic sundae.Peel a banana and top it with a few teaspoons of fat-free cool whip, two teaspoons of chocolate syrup, some nuts (for a little crunch and added protein!), and fresh fruit like blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries.
This "sundae" has just enough chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth, but the fresh fruits make it a yummy and healthy choice-you won't even miss the ice cream or candy toppings!
10. Makeover Your Grocery List
When
you get hungry and have no healthy foods in your house, it can be tempting to
reach for something unhealthy. Fix this by keeping a few staple items like
these in your house, so you can reach for those instead of that bag of chips. Lean protein
I love the Applegate Farm brand of deli meats, such as turkey and chicken slices. They taste delicious and they also don't have any preservatives!
Low-Fat Cheese And Yogurt
The brand Horizon makes great organic and hormone-free cheeses. For yogurt, always look for 0% fat Greek yogurt, like Fage or Chobani.
Frozen Fruits and Veggies
I love mixing frozen fruits with non-fat milk or yogurt for a mid-day treat, and frozen veggies can be heated up for a quick, healthy stir fry dinner-just throw in chicken and brown rice.
11. Swap Your Bread
Regular
white bread or wraps can be loaded with fat and calories, so choose wisely!
Always look for breads that say whole wheat or whole grain. Be sure they are
have at least three grams of fiber per serving.These are my favorite ones to look for:
La Tortilla Factory Low Carb High Fiber Tortillas. They are only 80 calories, have 7 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of saturated fat!
Arnold Sandwich Flats. With only 100 calories, 0 grams of saturated fat, and 5 grams of fiber, these are a perfect swap to your typical hamburger bun.
Arnold FlatBread Pocket Thins. These are the perfect alternative to pita bread, since they pack 10 grams of fiber and have 0 grams of saturated fat.
12. Make A Quick And Easy Breakfast
You
probably already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.To keep
you full until lunch, make sure your breakfast has both fiber and
protein in it. For the mornings when you're rushing out the door, try one of these three quick breakfasts:
-One apple sliced, with two tablespoons of peanut butter.
-Yogurt (low-fat and low sugar, or kinds that say 0% fat) with one handful of unsalted nuts
-One piece of whole grain toast topped with low-fat cheese.
These thee are all super easy to make in a hurry, and you can eat them on your way to school!