No problem if you are a busy mom, work in an office or a factory, travel on the job, or work from home. You have parties to attend, you go on a cruise, you have a strict budget, it’s vacation time, you have little kids. There are always sweets around. You don’t cook, you like to eat in restaurants or fast-food places, you don’t like lots of foods. Not to worry. You will learn how to solve all these problems, because they are real life, and they will happen. You can’t wait for everything to be perfect to choose the right time to start taking care of your health. Today is the start of the rest of your life. Here are your strategies.
Whether it’s your kids running off to school or you running off to make it to work on time, preparing ahead is critical. Grab-and-go breakfast foods don’t have to be Pop-Tarts, doughnuts, or bagels. Stock your refrigerator with hard-boiled eggs (peeled and stored in an airtight container), fresh fruit such as berries, and some nuts. Always have some cut-up fresh veggies around for nibbling on when you aren’t ready for a meal. Many moms have complained that they actually can’t take advantage of this because their kids eat all the veggies. Well, this is a great habit for your children. And you need to have more of those veggies around so you can take advantage of them, too.
Instead of buying processed lunch meats, roast a turkey breast or beef roast and slice it after it has cooled. If you are doing some grilling on the weekend, double up. Make twice what people will eat so that you can pull out some healthy grilled chicken breasts or lean hamburgers if you get home late or the kids are starving when they walk in the door. Pack breakfast, snacks, and lunch the night before. Make a sandwich with the sliced beef or turkey. Top it with a slice of cheese and some mustard. Separately, bag up some lettuce and a slice of tomato (you don’t want them making your sandwich soggy). Add some yogurt, cut-up raw veggies, maybe a slice or two of cheese, and some fresh fruit. Pop these in an insulated bag, and you will be on your way quickly in the morning. Prefer salad for lunch? There are many great containers with separate compartments for the salad dressing. (And make sure it isn’t a low-fat or nonfat dressing. Those will not keep you feeling full long enough.)
Skip the pastries. Have a hot chocolate (I have mine without vanilla syrup, which makes it taste too sweet, and I don’t need the extra sugar calories), or have a coffee or chai latte. This gives you a serving of dairy first thing in the morning. It’s great for breaking your overnight fast and revving up your metabolism. Try to avoid added syrups and whipped cream, which pile on lots of empty calories. They may taste good, but if they are a habit, check your health. Is it where you want it to be? Is your weight where you want it to be? “If you want different results… you have to do things differently.”
If you have an office refrigerator, you are golden. Stock it with yogurt and cut-up fresh fruit and veggies. Have a stash of nuts hidden in your desk. Follow one of the example meal plans starting on here, and you’ll have everything you need to stay full and satisfied all day. If you have a variety of healthy snacks on hand, you won’t give in to the temptation of the office candy bowl or the doughnuts or cookies your coworker brought in. Your choice isn’t between the candy or nothing. You actually have something delicious for a snack. You have set the stage for success.
What about those office pizza parties? Hopefully you can persuade the organizer to include some salad in the order. If not, grab your raw veggies. Then plan to have one good-sized piece of pizza, and if you are still hungry, just eat the topping on the second piece (including the cheese), but not the crust. You will still get all the flavor and be completely satisfied.
Travel seems like it could be a situation that really gets you off track. But if you have thought about how you’re going to handle things, you will be fine. In the morning, even in a fast-food place, you can get some scrambled eggs, orange juice, and either a side of milk or a latte or hot chocolate. Protein, fruit, dairy. It’s already a great start. Some large chain pharmacies and highway rest stops now have grab-and-go packages of some of our key foods for snacks, like cut-up fruits and veggies, sandwiches, and bananas and apples.
It is easier than you think. When you go out for lunch, think about how you can add some veggies to your order. A side salad? Some coleslaw? Are you having a burger? Maybe you don’t need the bun; even at a fast-food place you can get a knife and fork. Have some fruit instead of cookies for dessert. Dinner will probably be the time when you will be able to get exactly what you want. Have a side (or two) of veggies plus a salad, and either tell your server no bread, or move the bread to the other side of the table. Leave before dessert.
Plan what you will order before you go to the restaurant. Then you won’t be tempted to get off track when you’re there. Choose a salad, two vegetables, a good protein source, easy on the starches. Italian restaurant? How about chicken or fish? Chicken Parmesan or piccata? That works. No bread with your salad. Skip dessert. Chinese? Use some steamed vegetables such as broccoli or peppers as the base for your meal instead of rice. You still have all the flavor, but you are having a much lighter meal. Casual American? No bun on the burger, side salad. Fine dining? Lean, protein-rich foods such as a filet mignon (tenderloin is very lean), chicken, or grilled or baked fish. Lots of veggies, and a starting salad or maybe a seafood appetizer.
I’m not encouraging you to go to fast-food restaurants. However, they may occasionally be part of your life. Fortunately, there are now options that can fit into almost anyone’s healthy diet. Get a side salad or a main-course salad. Have it with grilled chicken or even a burger—without the bun. Most place have many options that will work for you. And remember, think about what you will choose to eat before going into the restaurant so you won’t be tempted by all the scents of the cooking food. Have a glass of milk to add to your dairy servings. If they have any cut-up fruit for dessert, go for it. Just watch out for high-added-sugar options like an extra-sweet yogurt dipping sauce.
When you are making dinner, you don’t have to make a separate meal for yourself. If you are making a meal with potatoes or rice for your family, don’t put them on your plate (but do add an extra vegetable serving to your meal).
The most challenging situation is casseroles. Yes, they can be easy and very tasty family meals. Try to make casseroles that don’t have a high starchy or creamy sauce. Make sure to have “extra veggies” on your plate so you don’t feel like you have to eat all the starch in the meal. And try to avoid high-salt sauces.
If your kids don’t like fish, think about making some of your own lunches with tuna or salmon salad. Or grill some chicken for the kids and some fish for yourself, and make enough so that you have leftovers that you can use to top a salad tomorrow.
Making spaghetti? Have the sauce on top of veggies for your personal meal while the rest of your family has the pasta. I promise it is delicious. And add a side salad to get extra filled up. Make sure there is some lean source of protein such as lean ground beef or turkey in the sauce. If you add sausage, just have a little, and portion out more of the meat sauce for yourself.
Parties are always fun, but they’re often full of risks for knocking your diet plan off track. Make sure you don’t skip eating all day; trying to save your calories for the party will make things worse. Make sure you have a high-protein breakfast, a veggie-loaded lunch, and maybe some more raw veggies and nuts an hour before you leave for the party. Now you won’t be starving when you get to the party. Once you’re there, look for more raw veggies and perhaps some slices of cheese. If there is fresh fruit, have some of that, too. Go easy on most of the other appetizers. Focus on one or two items that look delicious and have a few of each; then you will find that your cravings are completely under control and you won’t feel like the event is controlling you. If it’s a party where you have to bring something, bring a vegetable tray or an appetizer that includes veggies. Bring a fruit tray as well, so you have something sweet to end the meal. You will find that you aren’t the only one who appreciates these alternatives, and they will absolutely disappear.
One of the major pitfalls at parties is drinking. The best strategy is to alternate wine with water. Have the water in your wine glass, so you will still feel like you are drinking and being social and enjoying everything about the party. And you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything.
Food allergies and food intolerances seem to be spreading to almost everyone we know. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, dairy (from cow’s milk), fish and shellfish, soy, and eggs. Fortunately, the Med-DASH program is flexible enough to accommodate almost everyone. When you prepare most of the food that you eat, you have more control over the ingredients and are less likely to encounter hidden food allergens.
Of course, people with celiac disease should not eat any foods with wheat gluten or any other grain gluten that aggravates the disease. This is easy with the Med-Plan when you are choosing mostly unprocessed or minimally processed foods, and because it is so flexible. You can always make substitutions for bread or pasta with the many choices that are now available. So many people have sensitivities to wheat gluten that are milder than celiac disease, but still respond well to gluten restriction and allow you to feel much better.
Allergies to nuts, seeds, and peanuts are common and can be life-threatening. If you have one of these allergies, clearly you want to avoid any foods that could cause an anaphylactic reaction. You can get more of the same heart-healthy fats from avocados and olives or olive oil.
If you have a true dairy allergy, you might be able to tolerate alternatives such as a2 milk (which contains different proteins than regular cow’s milk), goat’s milk, or cheese made with water buffalo milk, such as some mozzarella cheeses. There is a longer discussion of milk alternatives in chapter 10 here. Even with lactose intolerance, you should be able to tolerate yogurt and cheese, since they are naturally very low in lactose. And of course, there are tablets to help you more easily digest lactose, and milk products like Lactaid and acidophilus milk that are low in lactose.
If you have a fish or seafood allergy, you want to avoid the offending foods. You might be able to tolerate some brands of fish oil capsules. If not, get alpha-linoleic acid from other food sources such as nuts and oils, including canola oil.
Because the Med-DASH plan is flexible and relies on mostly unprocessed foods, you will find it easy to accommodate your allergies or intolerances.