One of these days I’m going to go to a nutritionist and have them outline an eating plan for me. A very specific eating plan where they tell me what I should cut out and what I should be adding into my diet. Since I haven’t gotten around to making this happen, I was happy to see this article in Prevention magazine: The Perfect Day of Eating. The writer interviewed three nutritionists who counsel real women on the simple secrets of smarter meal planning.

Here’s what they found out: 1) Have a meal or small snack every 3 to 4 hours. This fuels your metabolism and helps prevent binges and blood sugar crashes. 2) Combine protein (meat, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy) and fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) at every meal. When eaten together, these foods take longer to digest than simpler carbohydrates, so you stay fuller, longer. 3) Get up, move around, and drink water often. This daily meal plan has a wide range of calories (from about 1,550 to 2,100); if you’re active you can go toward the higher end of the range.

Finally, remember that even the “perfect day” isn’t perfect if you eat the same thing over and over again. Use creativity to mix and match your own delicious, healthy meals.

***My next blog will continue with an hourly breakdown of what you should eat throughout the day from the Prevention article.

Parting thought: “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson