Healthy Eating – Meal Prep Ideas

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If you are like many people, you groan at the thought of doing meal prep. While you know it is something you need to do, it does not mean you like it! Meal prep takes time, but if you look at preparing say your vegetables just once for the whole week, then you will find it easier to eat healthy home-cooked meals each evening. Some foods, some vegetables are easy to prepare ahead of time and save well. There are steps you can take with your meal planning to make the task easier and then you will find you spend less time doing the meal prep and more time enjoying your food!

Let us look at a few meal-prep ideas…

1. One Recipe, Many Variations. Perhaps the most significant time-consuming task with meal prep is trying to figure out what to cook in the first place. You have to hunt down recipes, figure out what will work with your weight loss diet and then purchase all the groceries required. Time-consuming stuff!

Instead, look at finding one recipe offering several variations. For instance, you might make a vegetable stir-fry. You can just alter the vegetables you put in the stir-fry, swap out the chicken for beef as desired, and even change the sauce a little. It is the same meal overall, but with small changes that should be enough to keep you interested in continuing to carry on with your weight loss diet plan.

The more you become accustomed to preparing the same type of meals over and over, the easier it will be to plan your meal prep out for the week.

2. Two Words: Slow Cooker. Slow cooking is super easy, and a method of cooking everyone should get into doing from time to time. Just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, turn it on, and by the time you arrive home from work, the food will be ready to serve. Plus, you can make a significantly sized batch, which means you will be eating healthy meals several times during your week.

3. Buy Pre-Chopped Vegetables. The last idea to consider is buying pre-chopped vegetables. Cutting up vegetables is often one job people dislike doing the most, so make it easier for yourself. Buy them ready to go, so there is little to no prep work involved.

While you will pay a little more for pre-chopped vegetables, it is money well spent.

There you have a few ideas to think about using to help make meal prep easier. If you follow these tips, sticking to your weight loss diet will be easier than ever.

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Source by Beverleigh H Piepers

Why Consider Making Homemade Dog Food

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Many are people are now seriously considering making their own dog food simply because they are worried about what their dogs are actually eating. Whilst others are making their own homemade dog food as they then have more control over what it is their dog eats. Then there are others who make food for their dogs because they want to provide them with something that is healthy and nutritious.

We all know that the dog is man’s best friend and so it is important that we care for them and ensure that they remain healthy and happy whilst they are with us. So if you are someone who really cares about their dog then making food for them rather than using commercial ones is a great of ensuring this. Plus as well as knowing what ingredients are in your dog’s food there are many other reasons why you should be using homemade food for your dog.

By providing your dog with good quality homemade food, you are actually better able to control their consumption of fat and calories. Also, using fresh ingredients in the food you make ensure that they are getting the proper kinds of nutrients, minerals and vitamins that their bodies need. Another reason why you should choose to feed your dog on homemade food is that you can prevent them from overeating and this increases their chances of leading a longer and happier life.

The food you make contains only fresh natural ingredients that many commercial dog foods do not. Along with commercial dog foods saying they contain vegetables and meat and rice they also contain other ingredients known as fillers. Plus they also use preservatives and dyes in their foods, which can affect your dog’s health. So when next thinking about buying some commercial dog food read the ingredients label first.

The reason why some people prefer to make food for their dogs is because theirs is a fussy eater. Often with dogs like these owners will find it very difficult to find a food that their dog will actually eat simply because they find it unappetizing. However, the smell and taste of homemade food will soon have the fussiest of eaters digging into their bowls and licking them clean.

Another reason why some people will choose to prepare homemade food for their dog is because they require a special diet or have recently undergone some form of medical treatment. By making it themselves people are better able to control and include the right sorts of ingredients which will help their pet heal because they are getting the right kinds of nutrients in their bodies.

If you think making your own dog’s food is a waste of time then think again. You do not need to actually prepare it separately, but rather you can make theirs when you are preparing your own family’s meals. This is because many of the ingredients you will be using in your food you will using in theirs. Plus if you make sufficient quantities each week then all you need to do is refrigerator or freeze the rest and take it out when required.

Above we have provided you with a number of reasons as to why more and more people are preparing homemade dog food for their pets rather than relying on those, which are commercially made. But when you do start to make your own it is important that you use the best quality ingredients that you can find.

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Source by Allison Thompson

Types of Tote Bag Coolers

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Getting fresh food and cool drinks, on the move was never so easy! Tote Bag Coolers have simplified the way we carry food and beverages when we travel, by adding a new dimension of convenience to it. Gone are the days of lugging around bulky hard case ice chests. Innovation has given way to exciting new products like the Rolling Backpack Coolers, Backpack Coolers, Insulated Tote bags and more.

A Tote Bag Cooler includes a multi-chambered, close-able container enclosed by overlapping flaps creating a self-sealing, sleeve-style aperture. It usually has handle straps that may be attached to the sides of the container. A handle grip may be attached to the mid-section of one of the handle straps and wrapped around the opposing handle strap when grasping the handle straps. A shoulder strap may or may not be included. It’s outer surface would essentially include a beverage holder, a seat belt strap, mesh pockets, and/or a fabric pocket.

Tote bag coolers are available in a numerous styles and designs with varying features. There are coolers for beach outings, picnics and even commercial purposes. There are separate coolers for carrying food and wines or any other favorite beverage. The ideal beach totes are the bags with a vinyl type material on the outside, that make it extra easy to clean the sand off and prevent it from getting stained easily.

Large freezer tote bags are ideal for the food industry, transporting cold/frozen foods from one location to the other and also a favorite with the boating crowd. While sailing or boating, the vinyl outside material prevents water leaking into the bag. The insulated soft Cooler Bags, on the other hand, will keep your food and drinks cool for hours, while being stylish at the same time! These bags are a must-have accessory for a picnic, or a trip to the the farmers market or for grocery shopping.

Casual insulated Cooler bags are medium sized totes and are excellent for a short trip. You can fill your cooler bag with your cold groceries and this insulated tote will keep your food/drinks cold. A boat tote is perfect for a beach outing or for shopping while on vacation or at home. Rolling Coolers are also very popular among frequent travelers. The wheels on these coolers make them easy to roll. They even collapse into a small package for easy storage.

The Backpack Cooler [http://www.coolerstores.com/tote-bag-coolers-42-ctg.htm], too, is one of the most versatile and convenient coolers. These coolers commonly have multiple sections, a cooler section at the bottom and a bag part on top. They are a favorite among people who love packing them for long trips or for travel. They are suitable to carry cold beverages and keep healthy snacks handy when you or your children need a quick bite. Excellent as a camping cooler or even a hiking cooler as you can fill up on beverages, and add dry snacks or changes of clothes in the top section. The comfy backpack straps make this an easy pack to carry. Tote bag coolers and Backpack coolers can be taken along to amusements parks and other public places as well. You can now have hygienic home-cooked food anytime, anywhere.

There are also Cooler Bags to carry your favorite bottle of wine or champagne for a quiet, romantic picnic with your loved ones. These are insulated duffel bags equipped with a shoulder strap and waiter-style corkscrew. These wine and cheese totes may be equipped with two compartments for wine, made of high quality polyester canvas. They come with two compartments for wine bottles and a storage section to carry the amenities included: hardwood cutting board and a cheese knife. The adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry. These coolers are even great as gifts for your loved.

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Source by Megha Monga

Electrolux Microwave Ovens – For Delicious And Healthy Food Each Time

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A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance which saves cooking time and makes food tastier. It’s easy to use and consumes less electricity.The microwave oven heats foods but does not get hot itself, so the risk of burns is greatly reduced. Microwave ovens have lower temperature of cooking so there is less formation of carcinogenic tars and it does not change the nutritional content of foods. The shorter preparation time in the microwave usually means a better retention of nutrients. Microwave ovens do not require water, so the risk of nutrients leaking into water is also prevented. A rotating turntable helps prevent hot spots, so the food is cooked evenly. All microwave timers come with preset options and timers, so you don’t have to constantly monitor it.

AB Electrolux or more commonly known as Electrolux is a Swedish multinational household and professional appliances manufacturer headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. It’s consistently ranked the world’s second-largest appliance maker by units sold after Whirlpool. The company manufactures products that include refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens, washing machines and dryers.

The Electrolux Smart Series microwave ovens come in three types – Grill, Convection and Solo. The Grill type microwaves come in two variants, the G20M.WW with 20 litre capacity and the G26K101.SB with 26 litre capacity. The Grill can be used for pizza paneer, chicken tikka, and etc. grilling. It comes with Piezo Grill which maintains Uniform Grill Temperature and cooks food faster. Cooking, reheating and defrosting is made easier. The Tandoori heater is just like a tandoori oven, the heater helps grill food faster, crisper and better. The Convection microwave offers the consumers the option of baking cakes or biscuits, grilling dishes, cooking, defrosting and reheating. The Rotisserie Function helps in the slow rotation of the food, cakes and cookies, to ensure an even application of heat for uniform browning on all sides. This series features 6 variants with capacity ranging from 20 litres to 30 litres. The Solo microwave is your basic microwave offering options like reheating, defrosting and cooking.

All the three types of microwave come with a three year warranty on Magnetron, so that consumers can stay tension-free about the quality and reliability. Smart Auto-cook Menus allows consumers to enjoy up to 251 pre-programmed cooking cycles for food at just the press of a button. Smart Wave Technology, another feature common to the three, ensures that there is a constant level of power. This feature eliminates cold spots, overcooked edges and helps cook food uniformly and keeps the nutrition intact.

The microwave ovens are easy to maintain and clean. With a damp cotton cloth or a sponge, wipe the oven from inside and you’re good to go.

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Source by Mauli Sharma

How to Buy Fresh Coffee Beans for Healthy Coffee

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Sometimes healthy food can become unhealthy. Consider instant coffee. Yes, it’s one of the modern conveniences that we can enjoy while we’re on-the-go. Instant coffee is certainly practical during different situations, such as when camping. However, the most convenient choice isn’t always the healthiest one. Instant coffee has undergone several processes to make it convenient, but during that time it has lost much of the nutritional value of healthy coffee.

If you want coffee that’s truly healthy, then you should consider roasting and brewing your own coffee. This allows the beverage to retain the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances that make it healthy. Here are some helpful tips for purchasing raw coffee beans for roasting:

1. Buy fresh beans exclusively.

This is of the utmost importance, as buying beans that aren’t fresh can significantly impact the nutritional value of the beans. So when selecting a source for your beans, choose one that can guarantee that the beans will be fresh 100% of the time.

2. Do your homework.

While you don’t need to have an encyclopedia knowledge about coffee beans, it’s important that you learn the basics about the different types of beans that are available. This will help you to make the best choice once you start searching for your healthy coffee beans. Not all coffee beans are alike! So you should know what makes them different.

3. Know your preferences.

Coffee beans are available in a wide array of types. So it’s critical that you determine which one(s) you prefer over the other types. This variety is the essence of roasting your own coffee beans, which you can’t enjoy if you buy run-of-the-mill instant coffee sold in supermarkets.

4. Examine the beans.

Taking some time to examine beans before you buy them, will help to ensure that they produce healthy coffee. If you’re a coffee lover, then you’ll likely be able to tell instantly whether certain coffee beans will produce quality coffee. Use your eyes and nose to examine the beans, before you use your hand to open your wallet!

5. Store the beans properly.

It’s important to store your coffee beans in an area that’s cool and dry. Also, you should store them in a container that’s air-tight. You could even freeze the beans if you won’t be using them within a week.

6. Shop around.

As when making any other type of purchase, it’s highly advisable that you shop around before you find a supplier of quality coffee beans. The Internet has made this process much easier, which will save you time, effort, and money.

If you want to roast your own coffee beans, the process starts by buying the best beans. These aforementioned tips will help you to accomplish your mission.

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Source by John Kirzno

Make Your Puppy Healthy and Happy – Give Him the Best Puppy Food

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No one will disagree that puppies are cute and adorable, but as the newest part of the family, they too need tender loving care. As the owner, you should assume responsibility and make sure that they get the right nutrition to make them healthy and happy. Sooner or later, he’ll adjust from puppy food to dog food, but for now, you should give him all the benefits of best puppy food.

Choosing to go with better quality food is so simple, but deciding which one is best when you’re dealing with lots of reputable foods makes it difficult. One of the best options is the well wellness puppy food, which takes a holistic approach to puppy nutrition by integrating human-grade deboned fish and chicken, healthy grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, hormone-free lamb that could provide good source of nutrition.

You’ll also discover more easily recognizable names in puppy foods, such as science diet puppy food, which have the highest quality pet nutrition available.

When it comes to best puppy food, you should see if the brand offers protein, omega fatty acids, calcium and phosphorus. These are the main desirable ingredients in your puppy’s food so as to obtain healthy diet and proper nutrition.

Omega fatty acids are best for all dogs regardless of age, however while still young, these acids help to support the immune system. A healthy immune system is definitely a must for the growth of your puppy. These acids are also essential to help your pup get a healthy skin and fur.

Protein is important because it is cell-building block in a dog’s body. These include organs, muscles, tissues, coat, the skin, and plenty of other things. Protein is also a good and quick source of energy, and we all understand that puppies need energy.

Calcium and phosphorous are important nutrients because they help build strong teeth and bones. Your puppy will need both of these in an exact ratio so as to get healthy bones and teeth to grow.

With these three nutrients, you should be able to find a good puppy dog food that is sure to promote a good diet and overall health.

If you really want to assure that your puppy get those nutrients, you can prepare fresh meals at home. The benefits of home-cooked diets include 100 percent manage over the value and kind of ingredients in a diet, providing you calmness and giving the puppy a fresh-made, healthy and delicious meal!

Maybe if you would like to ensure that your puppy gets the best food for his proper nutrition and diet; you could also prepare home-made meals that recently increase in popularity over commercially prepared pet food. Prepare him a raw-food diet that includes fresh and unprocessed meats.

Also, read books about how to formulate a balance home-made meal for your puppy. Or you could go to your vets and ask questions about the nutritional value of the food you are preparing.

The bottom line is: you will wind up dealing with what food works best depending on your puppy’s tastes and digestive system. However temporarily, you can modify your puppy dog food options to your own food priorities. Whether you prefer natural foods, home-made puppy food or superfoods, there’s a best puppy food available for you. Just make sure that your pup will get the great nutritional value from the food he/she consume everyday. Supplement it with balance vitamins and minerals plus your gentle and loving touch. A healthy puppy is a happy dog…

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Source by Jeannie Wu

Quick Tips For Healthy Eating

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One Step at a Time

If you are just starting to change into a healthier lifestyle, then do it slowly. Your body has been accustomed to old ways and if you change drastically, it is likely that you will also give up easily.

Eat At Home

Whenever you eat out, you do not have any control on the portions that you will have. You might end up eating more than you need to.

Stop Counting the Calories

Do not be obsessed about that. Instead, look at food in terms of color and freshness. Greens are always good. Colorful fruits are also great for a person’s body. These are the food that your body needs more of. So do not feel afraid to eat more of these.

Do Not Skip Meals

If your goal is to lose weight, then it is much better to eat small portions of food 5- 6 times a day. Skipping meals will only retain the fat in your body and may result in overeating.

Snack Healthy

When you’re feeling hungry, instead of reaching out for the cupcake, grab that carrot stick instead. Some good examples of food to snack on are fruits, nuts, raisins, cranberries, whole grain crackers, etc.

Enjoy Your Meal

Do not rush the eating process. Take your time and chew your food slowly. When you’re already feeling full, then stop eating. Listen to what your body tells you.

Fill that Plate Up With the Right Kind of Stuff

What a person eats greatly affects their weight loss or weight gain. This is why dietitians encourage people to go for quality over quantity. A good example is you might have eaten only crackers for lunch today but also had a huge jug of sweetened drinks. Then that sweetened drink is the culprit when it comes to your weight gain.

If you had a large bowl of fresh salad and water, then that would have been considered a better meal on a diet than the crackers with a sweetened drink. It is much better for the body to take foods that are less in carbohydrates. Taking away bread, pasta, rice or potatoes and replacing it with vegetables will definitely help cut back on fat.

If you are the type of person who will feel full only if you see large portions of food on your plate, then the solution is to fill your plate with the right kind of food. Think colourful fruits and vegetables. Deep colours means higher content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All of these is what your body needs every day.

Remember To Drink a Lot of Water

Sometimes people confuse thirst with hunger and eat when all they needed was just a glass of water. Drinking water is also good for cleansing the body from toxins and helps in having better digestion.

Along with these tips, you should always remember to have not just good eating habits but also a healthy lifestyle. This means making an effort to exercise regularly. If you are a smoker, then consider quitting and lastly, drink alcoholic beverages moderately.

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Source by Andrew Eli

Fresh Ideas on a Healthy Lifestyle for You and Your Family

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Wish to live a long and lead healthy lifestyle? Then it’s time to do something about your habits and about the way you live. Let’s take a look at a few practical, fresh and useful tips on healthy lifestyle for you and for your family.

It’s all about planning, instead of dreaming.

There is a big buzz in the society about healthy lifestyle. It is fashionable and trendy. So, many people dream about how they would start a new and healthier life. Dreams are good, but they won’t do you much good in regards to a healthy lifestyle, unless you start planning things.

Shifting to a healthy lifestyle for the entire family is even harder. It does take tons of practicality and planning. So, where do you start? You start by discovering your unhealthy habits and doing some practical planning to change them. This may include meal planning, grocery shopping planning, eat out planning, etc.

One of the things you can do to significantly improve your lifestyle is to change your diet. And one of the key things to do here is to start cooking more meals at home. Yes, it can be hard and troublesome. But the fact is that you get full control over your eating habits, if you cook at home and plan your meals and your grocery shopping.

First of all, you can start by throwing away your fryer or at least but cutting down the amount of food you cook in it. Foods cooked in oil are not healthy. So, you should plan your meals ahead of time to avoid getting tempted to cook something fast in your fryer.

This also means getting in control of your grocery shopping. Avoid ready made foods or half made foods. Put together your shopping list way before you go shopping. Put whole grains, fresh veggies and meats or fish instead of ready made foods, snacks, chips and other junk food. Most ready made snacks are very unhealthy. Plan your shopping so that you can substitute them with healthy lifestyle alternatives, such as nuts, seeds, veggies or whole grain breads or cookies.

Once you learn to shop healthy, then you can more easily shift to a healthy lifestyle.

And, you would get more control over your eating habits. If your home is stuffed only with healthy foods, then no matter how much you crave for the unhealthy ones, you just would not have much choice.

So, as you may see, you gain much more control, if you plan your cooking and your food shopping. The next one of the healthy lifestyle tips is to learn planning your nights out dining. Start by looking up healthy foods restaurants in your neighborhood. Check out their special offers, discounts and other things to benefit from. Then start planning your nights out or your eating out in those restaurants.

This would help you to gain more control over your healthy lifestyle eating even when you eat out of your home.

Hopefully, these easy and practical tips on healthy lifestyle and planning would help you to start changing your habits towards healthier and happier living.

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Source by Vitaliy Knysh

An Easy Fat Loss Diet – Fat Loss 4 Idiots!

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Everyone seems to be either talking about weight loss, or trying to find an easy fat loss diet. Obesity is a major health concern, not just in the USA but in many countries across the developed world. But it seems somehow tragic that whilst we in many of the so called developed economies eat to excess and appear to be constantly in pursuit of weight loss, there are millions of starving people in the third world countries suffering from malnutrition and worse.

The search for an easy fat diet is a journey that many people take, but in the end, the answer is relatively simple. In the first instance, we simply eat too much, but that in itself isn’t the entire reason; the fuller explanation is that we eat too much of the wrong foods. If we take a look at those poor unfortunate people in the third world countries, they sometimes do get food, but it is not the right kind of food.

They get things like rice and breads, full of carbohydrates but very little in the way of protein. That is one of the main causes of their malnutrition, that and a lack of the right vitamins and minerals. Here in the west, we actually suffer from the same thing; too much carbohydrate, but also plus lots of fatty foods, and when combined with the excess and free availability of these foods, we become obese, and then all clamor for weight loss.

Many of the easy weight loss diets that get advertised are not natural. They often take the form of alternative ready meals, or milkshake substitutes. It has to be said in all fairness, that some of these diet plans do work. The problem is however, that they (a) you don’t get enough fresh natural food on these fabricated diets, and (b) they train you to eat badly, and when the diet is finished, what then? You don’t want to be eating synthetic food for the rest of your life. It simply is not good for you.

That’s why the fat for idiots diet plan is such a good idea. Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a diet that allows you to use real food, fresh food, that you buy yourself through your usual channels, prepare and cook yourself. It’s an east weight loss diet because you don’t have to buy anything special, just normal straight forward food.

What Fat Loss 4 Idiots does, is to get you to shift calories, and this is the thing that will fuel that weight loss. All food contains a mixture of nutrients; a certain amount of carbohydrate, and certain amount of protein, some vitamins, and some minerals. It’s all about compiling a menu that will give you the right blend and proportion of the healthy natural ingredients that your body needs to function healthily.

The clever thing about weight loss using the Fat Loss 4 Idiots method is that they will tell what to eat and when to eat it in a carefully conceived plan that fools your body into naturally burning off fat.

With some other easy weight loss diets, they simply concentrate on cutting calories. The problem with this method is that your body senses the reduction in calorie intake and slows down your metabolism to conserve its resources of energy; it’s called going into starvation mode. This is where weight loss using Fat Loss 4 Idiots scores. You don’t have to starve your self; you actually get 4 meals per day. But the combination of foods that you eat actually stimulates your body to continue burning fat in a natural way.

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Source by Peter Skotnicky

Healthy Meals For Kids At Restaurants

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It’s usually challenging to feed your kids healthy foods especially when you like dining out. Although, it’s challenging, it’s not impossible. All you need to do is to be choosy of the foods that you give your child when you are in a restaurant. Some of the best foods that you should give your child include:

Grilled chicken and Pasta

Grilled chicken and Pasta are one for the best dishes that you should give your child when you visit an Italian restaurant. The dish contains 350 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber. Although, the food doesn’t have high amounts of calories, the sodium levels are too high (840 milligrams); therefore, you should not give it to your child on a regular basis.

Sandwich

This is another great dish you can give your child. Although, the deli sandwich looks very enticing, you should avoid it as it tends to contain over 1,000 milligrams of sodium. Instead of it, you should take PB&J sandwich which contains 410 calories, 18 grams of unsaturated fat, and 550 milligrams of sodium.

Grilled chicken platter

This one contains 160 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and 170 milligrams of sodium. If you are adventurous you should take Grilled chicken Sandwich which contains 230 calories, 230 milligrams of sodium, and 5 grams of fat. To make the meal more enticing you should add celery sticks (80 calories), steamed broccoli (30 calories), or pineapple (35 calories).

Broiled fish

Broiled fish contains 200 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 350 milligrams of sodium. If you don’t like broiled fish, you should take Garlic Grilled fish that contains 60 calories, 580 milligrams of sodium, and 1 gram of fat. Good accompaniments for these foods are: fresh broccoli (45 calories), fruit (40 calories) or garden salad (90 calories).

Conclusion

These are some of the best foods that you can give your child. As you have seen, most of the meals sold in restaurants are unhealthy; therefore, you should take them only once in a while.

To ensure that your kid is healthy, it’s good that you engage him/her in regular exercises. For ideal results you should ensure that the exercises are playful. For example, you should engage your kid in hoop dance, playground Olympics, and trampoline jumping.

You should discourage your child from staying the entire day on the coach watching TV as this will make him/her obese. If you don’t have time to exercise your child, you should consider hiring a coach.

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Source by Duncan Lancer