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What does healhty look like?

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What Healthy 300-Calorie Meals Look Like

redpeppers_645Eating healthy can sometimes present a challenge. You don’t want to eat too much, but you certainly don’t want to eat too little. Generally speaking, your three big meals should fall between 300 and 350 calories consisting of the right combination of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. It should also be low in both sodium and sugar. Here is what some healthy (and delicious) 300+ calorie meals look like:

Breakfast: Often referred to as the most important meal of the day, your breakfast can sometimes make or break your eating for the entire day. Why? For starters, if you do not begin your day with a good breakfast, you could be setting yourself up for hunger and bingeing later on in the day. With this breakfast you get it all—protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates.

  • Toast two pieces of Ezekiel bread, spread one tablespoon of natural almond butter evenly on both slices and then top it off with sliced bananas.
  • This nutritious breakfast comes in at 330 calories, 12.5 grams of protein, 50 grams of carbs, 9 grams of fat and 11 grams of fiber.
  • If bananas are not your thing, leave them off and enjoy a side serving of one cup of mixed berries.

Lunch: Some argue that lunch should be your biggest meal of the day to avoid eating too much at dinner before going to bed. Truthfully, as long as you keep it in the 300-350-calorie range, you will avoid this problem altogether. Again, by always pairing the right combination of fats, carbs and protein, you cannot lose.

  • This lunch follows all those rules by pairing a skinless chicken breast marinated in a balsamic-Dijon mustard marinade, half of a baked sweet potato, roasted broccoli with garlic and half of an avocado.
  • Coming in at only 312 calories, 30 grams of protein, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fat and 9 grams of fiber, you can still include a small side salad if you want a little extra.

Dinner: Here’s a healthier take on meat and potatoes.

  • Instead of buttery mashed potatoes, fill your plate with a cup of mashed cauliflower (with crushed garlic if you like), three quarters of a cup of green beans and a red pepper stuffed with a mixture of cooked ground turkey and onions.
  • Cover the peppers with low-fat cheese or a non-dairy cheese alternative and put them in the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Top each pepper half with one tablespoons of salsa. Not only is this meal 327 calories, but it has 28.5 grams of protein, 35.5 grams of carbohydrates, 9.25 grams of fat and 13 grams of fiber. Super healthy, super delicious and super filling!

As you can see, there is lots of variety when it comes to mixing and matching important nutrients. By sticking with lean protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, you will get all the nourishment that your body needs. And because these three meals total around 1000 calories, you still have a lot of wiggle room with your snacks. If you keep your two daily snacks at 200-250 calories each, your total calorie count for the day should be around 1500. But do not make the mistake of indulging on the bad stuff just because you have calories to spare. Always choose healthy snack options like fruits, vegetables, hard boiled eggs, nuts, seeds or whatever sources of protein, carbs and fats you enjoy.

When you know how much food can you eat in the 300-calorie range, the possibilities are endless and you are sure never to get bored with any of your meals ever again!

 

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