By Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, CSSD, the lead food and nutrition expert for Retrofit.
People always ask me how to start eating better and I say just start right where you are. Don’t wait another minute, start making choices that are improved over yesterday or even this morning. Making healthy choices doesn’t take more time than unhealthy ones, and eating well can be palate-pleasing to even the pickiest of taste-buds. I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes as an example…
The recipe below is 15 minutes start to finish – so it’s perfect for even your busiest days. I used pre-cut, rinsed, fresh veggies to get the nutrition in without the time, swapped out regular pasta for whole grain pasta, and used high-flavor, low-calorie foods (in this case lime, garlic and onion) to pump up the taste without adding fat.
Simple changes can add up to a great plate, enjoy!
You’ve seen online diets before, but have you seen one on Facebook? The social network is quickly becoming the hub for people’s social lives, so why wouldn’t you make it the point of entry for yourweight loss program? That is exactly what Dawn Jackson Blatner has done in partnership with Florida Grapefruit. They’re calling it the Grapefruit Active Lifestyle Meal Plan and, as you can probably guess, the diet centers around grapefruits, be it whole fruit or 100% juice.
By visiting their page at Facebook.com/JuicyScoop you can download a free eBook, a 62-page PDF that outlines the program with daily meal plans, tips and recipes. Blatner, a registered dietitian and certified specialist in sports dietetics, has organized a balanced, healthful eating plan that will lend followers about 1600 calories each day. There are three meal plans to choose from:
Standard with dairy, meat, fish, and eggs
Vegetarian with dairy and eggs
Vegan with no animal by-products
We spoke with Blatner about the new program, which she said is plant-based with the option for chicken or steak (this is fitting as she is the author of The Flexitarian Diet). As for building a weight loss plan around the grapefruit, she says the fruit has “a bold, invigorating flavor… that provides natural energy.” It can be an acquired taste for some, but Blatner says they’ve incorporated the flavor subtly and won’t often have you eating it straight from the peel.
