Quick and Easy Meals for Sustained Energy.

Here are some quick meal ideas for"keeping your wood-stove burning" throughout the day. I advise that you attempt to consume a small meal every 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

The general rule of thumb is that your fist or a handful is a good portion size and you should aim to have a portion of protein and a portion of carbohydrates in each meal.

Fat is essential for absorbing and storing the fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) and is an efficient form for energy, so aim to have a little good extra monounsaturated fat in 3 of the 6 meals. Good sources of this fat will be both Canola and olive oil which is pretty easy to mix in with a your greens and protein. You will be getting a good amount of fat from healthy dairy sources, fish, poultry, and egg whites.

What we want to avoid is the Saturated Fat which elevates bad LDL cholesterol. Therefore try and stay away from the butter, egg yolks, ice cream, high-fat cheeses, shortening, etc. Yeah, saturated fat does taste pretty good, but it will come back to haunt us in the form of cardiovascular disease and weight-gain. We will all enjoy this saturated fatit but the key is to have it in moderation and try to avoid it on most days of the week.

As far as fruits and vegetables, my advice is to eat as much as you want throughout the day, they provide so many great sources of vitamins and minerals and their calorie count is fairly low. I don't know of one person who became extremely un-healthy or obese from eating too many fruits and vegetables. However, please note that most fruit juices we see in the store are not so great for us and contain both high amounts of sugar and calories.

Below are some quick-healthy meals to keep you focused and energized throughout the day:

• Quick oats with raisins and walnuts. This meal takes about 3 minutes and provides you with a healthy portion of fiber, healthy carbohydrate and protein. Remember that Fiber is good for reducing blood cholesterol and reducing the risk for coronary heart disease and breast cancer. A 1/2 cup of quick oats will give you about 4 grams of dietary fibre giving you a good start on the recommended 25 grams/day.
• 3 oz. of tuna-fish mixed with 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise or and two slices of whole wheat bread. This meal takes about 3 minutes to prepare and will provide you with ~15 grams of protein. The fact to remember about protein is that it is necessary to build and repair muscles, therefore making this meal great for after exercise. It is recommended dietary allowance for protein is about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight (1). To determine how much you weigh in Kilograms, simply divide your total weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiply that number by 0.8. (2). For even more flavor and not a lot of calories, add some chopped onion and one chopped Dill pickle.
• A handful of almonds. Although almonds are a little high in fat and calories, they are a great source of phytochemicals and help lower the risk of heart disease.
• Spinach with almonds and black beans. Spinach is a green that is a "super green" and is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Black beans will give you a good source of protein and carbohydrates and not a lot of calories.
• 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese with a 1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt. This quick meal will provide you with ~14 grams of protein and only will be about 180 calories. Another great meal for after exercise.

References:

1. Wardlaw, G.M., J. Hampl, and R. DiSilvestro. Perspectives in Nutrition. Columbus, OH; McGraw-Hill, 2003.

2. An Invitation to health: The power of Prevention, 6th ed., by D.R. Hales.