Meal Mentor

Eat This, Not That: 10 Rules for Making Healthier Choices (10 Healthy Swaps)

Inspired by those "Eat This, Not That" books, my Dad asked me to write my own list. He wanted me to suggest 10 healthy swaps he could implement at home or at a restaurant. Here they are!

1. Order brown rice instead of white rice.

2. Pack carrots instead of chips in your lunch.

3. Choose whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. (How to find and shop for healthy breads).

4. Use low-fat or fat-free (plain, unsweetened) vegan yogurt instead of mayonnaise (or try hummus on your sandwich!).

5. Order a PLATE of steamed vegetables instead of a side of fries.

6. Replace half the pasta with vegetables.

7. Eat a salad before your restaurant meal. No negotiating.

8. Order sorbet instead of ice cream. Or make fat-free banana ice cream at home.

9. Use fruit to sweeten your oatmeal or cereal — not sugar.

10. Have a drink or dessert. Not both.

Make eating healthy realistic (and easy) with our meal plans.

Late Night Snacking (How to Curb it and What to Eat if you Must Snack)

One of our meal plan users sent in the following question:

"Can you recommend something that I can eat more of at night — without putting on more weight?"

The problem with "late night eating" usually isn't the time you're eating but what. When most people eat late at night they're eating cookies or ice cream — not asparagus ;)

The best thing you can do is break the habit of late night snacking altogether. My 3-Day Reboot has a great Habits Boot Camp that can really help you understand your habits and change them — including late night snacking.

Other things you can do include having a large meal that is low in calories but exceptionally filling (like the meals on the Reboot or in our meal plans).

If you eat a big salad and fill up on grains, potatoes, beans, and vegetables — you'll be too full to snack. It'll carry you until bed time. Drinking water or tea until bed may also help.

I had a client that drank diet root beer while she watched TV. It was the only way she could avoid snacking. I don't recommend diet sodas, but Zevia is a zero-calorie beverage option that's not made with artificial sweeteners (and they have lots of cool flavors!).

Also, don't keep junk in the house.

If you have to put clothes on and drive to the store at 10:00 p.m. to get cake and cookies, you won't go. If it's in the kitchen, it'll call you.

Lastly if you absolutely must snack, pick some low calorie options like air-popped popcorn, puffed rice, cucumbers, celery, etc. If you're pushing past the celery, you're not really hungry :)

If you're desperate for sweets, slowly nibble on pieces of frozen fruit particularly frozen peach slices or strawberries. Only grab one frozen fruit at a time. Make yourself get up and go to the freezer for a refill.

Having a plan in place makes a world of difference with creating success. Get the latest meal plan now.

10 Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bill

I love hearing testimonials about how our meal plans are saving you money.

"We are into week 4 and my family is doing really well! We've saved a ton of money and my eczema is clearing up which is a mega bonus!" - Lou S.

"I always save money with these plans. This week - including all my household supplies like laundry detergent, paper goods and dog food my total was only $97" - Jeanie R.

"We use the family plan for my family of 3. For almost all organic I usually spend about $100 a week" - Kelly D.

That was one of my big goals with the meal plans. I want to make eating healthy easy, delicious *and* super affordable.

If you don't have a well stocked pantry to start with, your first week might be a little bit higher since you'll have to buy a lot of bulk items like spices.

Once you have these items on hand, however, your grocery bill will even out. You'll start seeing real savings. By week 3 you'll be surprised how little you need to buy at the store -- so much is already on hand!

There are other ways you can scrimp and save, too!

1. Buy frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables tend to be cheaper than fresh. At my Kroger, you can get 10 bags of frozen veggies for $10 (mix and match!). You can easily shave $20-40 off your bill by choosing frozen. Added bonus? Frozen vegetables are already chopped!

2. Buy Dry Beans. You can usually buy a bag of dry beans (that will last for several meals) for the cost of 1 can of beans. Canned beans are easier, but cooking dry beans from scratch can easily shave $10-20 off your bill. Cook up a big batch and freeze off portions for the months ahead. 1 can of beans is usually 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups beans. How to Cook Beans

3. Buy in Bulk. Buying in bulk is always cheaper. A 10lb bag of rice is a better deal than a 1lb bag of rice. A bag of onions or a bag of potatoes is way cheaper than just buying 1 or 2 potatoes, 2 or 3 onions. Grab the bulk bags! Bulk stores like Costco can also have some amazing deals. For example, my friend picked up a 5lb bag of quinoa for $5. A little box of quinoa can run you $3.99 at the store. Buying in bulk will save you $100s in the long run.

4. Shop Around. Bargains can lurk in places you'd never suspect. I find my local Target has some of the best prices on produce. I have also found certain items, like spices, are actually cheaper at Whole Foods Market compared to the supermarket. I've even found soy milk at the local dollar store! For a $1! I also love shopping at ethnic grocery stores in my area. The Indian supermarkets and Asian markets have unbeatable deals! I stock up every few months. Also know that "bargain" grocery stores are not always a "bargain" for everything. I've been to places like Cost4Less and Trader Joe's and noticed some items are way overpriced.

5. Go for "On Sale." Substitute in "on sale" fruits and vegetables. This is easiest with the snacks and desserts on the meal plans since they're listed separately, but substitutions can also work in recipes. For example, if asparagus is on sale, use that instead of green beans. If butternut is on sale, try using that instead of sweet potatoes, and so on. Bonus: The meal plans are seasonally minded so what's on sale should be consistent with your shopping list.

6. Make broth. Making broth is an easy way to get a second life out of your kitchen scraps and it'll save you tons of money! I love cooking with broth but at $3 a carton, that can add up. I shaved $10-15 off my grocery bill each week by making my own vegetable broth. You can make a huge batch and freeze portions off for later. (My recipe)

7. Buy generic. Every bargain shoppers hidden secret! Whenever possible, buy generic, especially if you're at a health food store or big retailer like Target or Walmart. Store brands are often $1 cheaper or more!

8. Shop online. My favorite website is bulkfoods.com. It's a no frills website but their prices are fantastic. You can also check out vitacost and amazon prime. I used to feel weird buying 6 bottles of hot sauce at a time until I realized how much money I saved that way.

9. Garden Grown. Growing your own herbs and vegetables is a great way to save money. There are some start-up costs but they recoup quickly. I had a little garden a few years ago and it fed me at least one meal a day all summer long. Plus you can't beat the taste of home grown! I saved oodles of cash not having to buy lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and herbs each week. You can have a garden in pots if you live in an apartment.

10. Bulk Bins. It's almost always cheaper to buy dry ingredients like dry beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, flours, etc. from the bulk bin. I started shaving $15-25 from my grocery bill by using the bulk bin. I also like that I could buy just the amount I need. If you're new to the meal plans and don't have a well stocked pantry, utilize bulk bins to help reduce "start up" costs. (But remember dry bulk foods are an investment that pay themselves back!)

11. (Bonus!) Friend the Pharmacy. Many pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid have incentive programs or give you cash back to spend in the store. You don't have to buy pills, either. It works on anything: shampoo, feminine hygiene products, tooth paste, trash bags, etc. When I lived in a small town, CVS was the only option for many items I needed. After a few weeks I'd accumulated so much store credit my next three purchases were entirely free!

Tip from a user:

"I think it seems like more because I am making one big trip for everything instead of a bunch of little trips here and there. I have kept all my grocery receipts, added them up and it is WAY more than doing the one stop trip for HH plans. Plus, I have started from basically nothing...no stock of spices, dried grains, etc. Since I have put out money to build that stock, my future shopping trip bills are going to go down. I hope this helps some who are just starting out with

Start saving Get the meal plan now.

The Meal Plans Got a Makeover!

The meal plans just got a facelift! err... upgrade!

Last week, we introduced a new user-friendly format. The recipes are now grouped by meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), making them easier to find and mix and match.

Soy-free and gluten-free recipe alternatives are also marked clearly in their own section.

Our users are LOVING the new style so far! We're getting a lot of positive feedback (woot!)

"Love the new layout of the meal plan recipes and grouping all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners together! Nice! Thank you!" — Kim W.

"I *LOVE* the new meal plan format!!! I've been going through all the old ones recently, and picking out "favorites" with the similar thought of organizing by meal. You're always a step ahead of me...;)" — Gina C.

This week, we introduced even more NEW features!

We've added tips for:

--make-ahead prep (including "what to freeze" suggestions

--storage (what to do for best results)

--how to expand meals to make them bigger effortlessly (perfect for couples!)

--lower fat options (for those with heart disease or looking for a very low fat plan)

--soy-free and gluten-free options (as always!)

Here's an example:

P.S. Don't miss this week's meal awesome plan (Buffalo Chickpea Salad with Low-Fat Ranch, anyone?)

Get the meal plan. See the makeover for yourself!

What Weighs More: A Pound of Fat or Pound of Muscle? (& Why the Scale is a Frenemy!)

It's a common myth that muscle "weighs more" than fat, but that's not true: A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle — they're both a pound!

The difference is that a pound of muscle is about half the size of a pound of fat which is why the scale can sometimes be deceiving (or depressing!). You can lose inches, but weigh the same — that is why it's important to focus on how your clothes fit, too.

Fat is much bulkier (and lumpier) than muscle. Think of it another way: Five pounds of fat will take up more space (volume) than five pounds of muscle. (But five pounds is still five pounds!)

A common phrase thrown around the gym by trainers is "body composition" — what percentage of your weight is lean mass (muscle) vs. fat.

Here's an example: I had a client, we'll call her Julie, who weighed approximately 145 pounds when we met. Interesting, "145 pounds" was a goal weight for many of my female clients. (Note: I always tried to encourage my clients to focus on a dress size or how they looked and felt instead of a number of a scale, but most still insisted on using weight in pounds as a goal...) But back to Julie — Julie already weighed the much sought after 145 pounds, and yet she was not happy with how she looked.

Julie wanted to look trimmer. "I want to lose at least 15 pounds," she told me. Like many female clients, Julie wanted leaner legs and a tighter midsection. She also believed losing 10-15 pounds would get her there. In fact, I couldn't convince her differently, so I played along. We did a quick body comp test: Julie was 35% fat.

Initially, thanks to a new, healthier diet using a meal plan I created for her, complete with a regular workout regimen, Julie lost a little weight. She was thrilled — progress was happening!

"I lost 4 pounds!" she told me. "That's great!" I said, "So now that we know this is working, can you trust me when I tell you not to weigh yourself on a scale anymore?"

Julie stared at me like I was crazy. Actually, she called me crazy. Three times. Then she agreed to give it a try. I'd bargained with her: Julie could weigh herself if — and only if — her clothes started feeling tight. If they felt the same or loose, she wasn't allowed to look.

Several months later, we had a totally new Julie. She was beautiful before, but now Julie really shined. She was trim and glowing. She had a fit, healthy look about her. She'd also had to buy all new clothes because her old ones were too big.

If you asked Julie, she would have told you she lost those pesky and unflattering 10-15 pounds, but when I finally let her get back on the scale? 145 lbs.

Now ask me her body fat... 20%!!!

Julie had shed fat and loaded up on muscle! She was a walking testament that "145 pounds" really didn't mean anything. Julie at 145 pounds and 20% body fat looked smaller, healthier and fitter than her former 145 lb. self at 35% fat.

Muscle and fat may weight the same, but their appearance is quite different on the body!

Moral of the story? If you don't see immediate results on the scale — don't feel discouraged. Don't get caught up in the numbers game when you're making positive steps forward!

A healthy diet is the key to weight loss. Eat Right! Get the current meal plan now.

Lose 10lbs a year by easily burning 100 calories a day

On Monday we blogged about how you can easily lose 10lbs a year by shaving off a measly 100 calories of food each day.

You can also lose 10lbs a year by slipping in a tiny bit of daily exercise. If you burn 100 extra calories (which is easy!) you'll lose ANOTHER 10lbs a year!

Here's how to works:

By burning 100 calories per day, you are burning 36,500 calories a year. (100 calories a day x 365 days in a year = 36,500 calories). You must burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat, so burning off 35,000 calories adds up to 10 pounds of lost fat!).

Consider this: if you're exercising AND shaving off 100 calories with your food – that's 20 lbs a year!

What's 100 calories of exercise look like?

Ride a bike for 10 minutes jog for 12 minutes play tennis for 15 minutes walk for 30 minutes (try talking a walking lunch break!)

How easy is that?

Our meal plans already count the calories for you. Kick it up a notch and add in some mini-exercise.

Get the latest meal plan now.

• Based on 150lb person.