Healthy tip

9 Ways to Banish Diet Boredom
By Susan Burke March MS, RD, LD/N, CDE
eDiets Contributor
Wednesday, November, 19, 2008

All diets work if they create a deficit in calories. But no diet works permanently -- unless you make permanent changes in what you eat. And if your weight-loss diet is boring, you may develop cravings and wind up eating everything in sight! Instead, make your meals interesting and fresh.

1. Variety is the spice of life, and it's good for you, too. Variety means good nutrition. Instead of the same old apple, orange and pear, try a mango, a kiwi fruit or a persimmon (fruits that are unfamiliar to your taste buds, but commonly found in grocery stores nationwide). Different foods contain different nutrition, so it's best to eat a variety.

2. Try a food that you've never tried before. If you see chicken on your meal plan, try Cornish hen instead. Instead of tuna fish, make a sandwich with canned salmon. Use low-fat mayonnaise or even nonfat yogurt instead of full-fat mayo. Try some mustard mixed with the mayo... it will make your "regular" sandwich more interesting.
3. Try a smoothie. A sweet smoothie is a great way to get a serving of fruit and nonfat dairy into your day -- and it's delicious! Whip up a cup of nonfat milk and one-half cup of nonfat yogurt in a blender with some crushed ice and one-half banana, or a cup of berries. You can add a little sugar or honey (approximately 20 calories per teaspoon) if you choose.

4. Eat more often. If you're not succeeding on your weight-loss plan this week, try breaking your meals out into mini-meals, and eat every two to three hours to maintain your energy and to avoid hunger.

5. Eat breakfast. And lunch! And dinner! Skipping meals will backfire, and your metabolism will suffer for it. Your meals don't have to be large! A serving of high-fiber cereal and nonfat or low-fat milk and a piece of whole fruit will provide protein, carbohydrates and a little fat. This will give you energy to replenish your body from the previous night's "fast."

6. Are you bored with water? Try some brewed herbal teas, without caffeine, on ice. Keep a 20-ounce water bottle with you in your car, at your desk or in your shoulder bag. Sometimes you may think you're hungry, but you may actually be thirsty! Try drinking a cup of water, then re-evaluate!

7. Try soy. If you haven't tried tofu, you haven't tried one of the most nutritious and delicious foods around. Tofu is a versatile food that takes on the flavors you cook it with. Instead of chicken, try a stir-fry of extra firm tofu, garlic, sesame oil and vegetables.

8. If you're stuck on a weight-loss plateau, you need to make a change! Get off the plateau by increasing your aerobic exercise by 10 minutes every day. Instead of walking for 30 minutes, give it 10 minutes more and make it a power walk! Increasing the intensity and the duration of your exercise will give you the push you need.

9. Eat breakfast for dinner and lunch for breakfast. If you're bored with your routine, challenge yourself to a new experience. There's no rule that you have to eat the same way every day. Have your breakfast meal in the evening, and enjoy your dinner meal at lunch. You won't be bored!

Did You Know?

An issue of the journal Stroke reports that fruits and vegetables protect against strokes in both men and women. A large study of 40,000 Japanese people confirmed that individuals who eat fruits and green-yellow vegetables "almost daily" are 20 to 40 percent less likely to suffer a fatal stroke of any kind than those eating these foods less than weekly.

Now, take a look at your diet. Are you eating fresh fruit daily? What about vegetables? If your idea of a vegetable is ketchup, it's time to change. Try a smoothie... it's painless!