Be Prepared For Your Weight Loss Program

Prepared foods are your friend. It seems silly to pay three to four times as much for a bag of cleaned prepared salad as for a head of lettuce. But it can be a boost to your diet program. If you have to take the head of lettuce apart, wash, dry and tear into bite size pieces, you might be tempted just to skip the whole thing and throw a frozen pizza in the oven instead. Bagged ready to eat salads are a boon to weight watchers. But don't stop there. Lots of fresh produce comes ready to eat or cook. Besides salad, and carrot and celery sticks, you can buy ready to go cabbage slaw mixes, crudites, peeled and sliced fresh fruit, veggies ready to steam or saute, and baby vegetables. Next time you're in the produce aisle take a few minutes to see what's available. In the deli section there is a wide variety of freshly prepared individual entree salads for your selection. You can choose Southwest Chicken, Cobb, or seafood, to name just a few. The salads come with the dressing in a separate container so the lettuce remains fresh and you control how much dressing to use. The salads are portion controlled, so when you're finished there isn't anything to tempt you into 'just one more bite.' Of course stay away from the prepared salads which are high fat. or made with mayonnaise, like potato, or macaroni. Avoid smoked deli meats. Stick with roasted meats like chicken or turkey, and low fat cheeses. Snack packs of fresh fruits with yogurt, crunchy veggies with dip, even hard boiled eggs can round out your snack menu. All ready to go and to get you going. The frozen foods case contain well known diet brand names but also have the grocer's house brand for those on a weight program. The entrees are very similar in taste and nutritional benefits but the house brand is usually less expensive. Use the entree for lunch as well as dinner. Most offices have a refrigerator and a microwave. Stick with individual bags and containers when you're in the snack and cookie aisle. Look for baked low fat crackers and cookies. Use prepared foods to keep your weight loss program on track. Don't let a busy schedule be an excuse. Grocery shop for three or four days at a time, so you have the foods you want on hand when you need them.