How can I lose weight the healthy way?

We all know what this time of year brings: resolutions. So, if you happen to be setting goals for a healthier lifestyle this year, good for you! I would recommend focusing on a healthy lifestyle rather than a number on a scale.

However, if you are trying to lose weight, here are some tips for doing it the healthy way.

1) Don't restrict calories to an extreme. Eat at least 3/4 the number of calories that you burn in a day. Say a person needs 2000, that means they shouldn't go below 1500 calories. Why? Your body needs nutrients to run. Dropping below this level will make it almost impossible to get those nutrients. You'll have to make these calories count, too. You have vitamin, mineral, and protein needs that must be met, so focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with some low-fat dairy or meat thrown in there. You can find your calorie needs by going to this website (http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm) and solving the formula with your height, weight, and activity level.

2) For the reason explained above, take a multivitamin supplement.

3) It is unsafe to lose more than 1-2 lbs per week. If you are losing more than this, you are most likely eating an inadequate diet and may be losing mostly water weight. This is not good for you!

4) A healthy "diet" does not ask you to do things that sound crazy. A healthy diet is common sense. Anything else is just an unethical person trying to make money off of you. You need to be eating meals, not liquids only. You need to be eating a variety of foods, not meat or vegetables or whatever else only.

5) No non-carb diets. These are a scam! Your brain NEEDS carbohydrates for fuel. Without them, you go into something called ketosis, which means your brain has to use a different source of fuel called ketones. Burning ketones causes toxins to build up in your body! This is similar to what happens in untreated cases of diabetes. You will lose weight, but it will only be water weight, and you will be literally killing yourself in the process. It's fine to cut out the pasta or the bread, but make sure you're still getting fruits and vegetables and a few whole grains in there. These are the best food sources for your brain!

6) NO diet pills. In my opinion, there is no safe diet pill out there. Don't forget about the results of Phen-phen. This was an FDA approved drug that ended up killing a lot of people and giving many others life-long heart problems. What appears safe today may not be tomorrow. Be smart and stick to the time-tested only true and healthy way to lose weight: burn more calories than you eat. This means a combination of diet and exercise, not one without the other.

7) The rules above apply to men and women, but I a would be much more careful trying to lose weight as a woman, especially in the childbearing years. The fact is, women need some fat on their body and adequate calories in order to keep their reproductive system healthy. If these needs are not met, you may lose your period. This is a bad sign! Do not follow diets that say it is a normal side-effect. It may cause permanent damage, so take that into consideration.

8) Most importantly: You are beautiful no matter what the number says on the scale. It is WAY more important to be healthy than skinny, and being healthy is definitely achievable for everyone! Set goals that make sense for you. Don't compare to others, or even your old self. Just try to be a little better today than yesterday.

9) Good luck!

What should I eat when I'm sick?

I spent last night going back and forth between freezing and burning up. I knew something was wrong when I started to feel cold in my 80 degree apartment. It turns out I'm sick. Don't worry, I'll be fine. But since I don't have the energy to do anything active today, and my mind is thinking of all things sick, I figured I'd write a post about just that.

There are billions of rumors about what you should eat when you're sick. Most people think eating this or that will make them get better quicker. While I don't know everything that does and does not help, I'll share what I do know.

1) Taking loads of vitamin C will only help if you're deficienct. If you eat fruit or green leefy vegetables everyday, or are taking a supplement, you probably already get enough vitamin C. But if you think it really helps, by all means eat that orange or take a vitamin C tablet, just be careful not to overdose. Too much vitamin C can lead to diarrhea...yuck!

2) Do you have a cold? If so, the best supplement you can take is zinc. It has been proven to help reduce the length of the cold. You will find it in the cold medicine isle. Just look for the zinc cold remedy. This is much more affective than taking a whole bottle of vitamin C tablets.

3) As important as vitamins and minerals are,  protein is usually more important when you're sick. Your body is using up protein like crazy to fight whatever illness you have. The more severe the illness, especially if you're body goes into shock, the more important protein is. So, if you're staying home sick, switch your breakfast from cereal to eggs, yogurt and milk. Try to get more protein without loading up on too much meat if possible. Meat is not the easiest food for a sick body to process.

4) Drink! I mean water, juice, milk, or Gatorade. Anything else will probably not help, especially soda and alcohol. Try to drink double what you would on a normal day, but obviously not all at once or you could become even more sick. Fluids will help your body fight infection and replace water lost from sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea.

5) Why do people crave simple carbs when they are sick? I know when I'm sick all I want is a bowl of ramen. I probably don't have to tell you that ramen is not exactly the healthiest food. Neither is your canned chicken noodle soup. So why do we want these things? Because they are easily and quickly digested. Normally that's a bad thing because we would rather eat something that takes longer to digest and keeps us fuller longer. However, lack of appetite and energy pretty much always come when we're sick, so the easier it is for our body to get those nutrients, the better.

6) So I know you've been tempted to buy those products that claim they boost your immune system and make you heal faster. I personally don't believe in them, and they certainly aren't worth the money. However, they won't hurt you, and if you're certain they work for you, go ahead and use them. The placebo affect here is great. You think it works so it does. More power to you!

7) I've heard all sorts of crazy theories about which fruits and vegetables help boost the immune system when you're sick. My theory is that all of them do, but you should be eating them on a daily basis, not just when you're sick. Here are my favorite sick foods because of their antioxidant qualities: Berries, beets, spinach and similar green leefy veggies, citrus fruits, nuts, fish, tomatoes and carrots. There are obviously many more, but these are the most normal and are found year round.

We've come a long way in the medical field since the days of blood leeching and other harmful practices, but we still don't place enough emphasis on nutrition. Your doctor may have taken one or two nutrition classes in his/her twelve years of schooling. That's it! And they probably don't remember a thing. It's up to you to take your nutrition into your own hands and make healthy choices. It'll make all the difference in how soon you get better and even how long you live. You can do it! :)

-Kamie

How Do I Eat Healthily On a Budget?

I always felt a tiny bit embarrassed on the first day of school when the teacher would ask each of the students to share their name and a hobby or talent they had. I always felt I had nothing to say. I'm not musically minded, nor have I ever had other than a passing flirtation with sports. I definitely don't have any of the obvious talents that most people are apt to share in a situation like this. So, for many years I secretly felt I must not be talented or special at all (have you ever felt this way?). The only thing I was good at was getting an A in school, which has little to no actual impact on my life today as a stay at home mom. But here's the thing, I've learned recently that I do have talents! A whole list of them (and a bucket full of weaknesses too lol)! But they aren't the kind of talents that you would share with the whole class. For example, a few people have given me quizzical looks recently as I told them my grocery budget. They couldn't believe I could live off of that for a whole month! Haha at first I thought it was funny, but when I gave it a second look I realized this is one of my talents! Frugality! Of course the world has no use for and absolutely no praise for frugality anymore, as it seems to be a dying art, but I'm proud of this talent, if only because I seem to be one of the few who possesses it these days. In interest of explaining that 1) I'm not crazy 2) It is possible to eat well on a budget and 3) You can do it too, I'm going to share some tips with you :)

The first step of establishing a budget is to decide how much money you can afford to spend on groceries (I include toiletries and other things I would typically buy at a grocery store in this number) and/or what you think is a reasonable price to pay monthly (some people have a lot of money but still could benefit from a grocery budget).

Okay, next step is to decide what you absolutely NEED (for me this includes things like milk, produce and cheese) versus what you can live without if you HAVE to (mine are meat and desserts, essentially because they are not as nutritionally critical). 

Now that you have your list, you need to find the best place to buy each item. When you're on a budget, there are several strategies you can use to save the maximum amount of money:

• Find the store that generally has the cheapest all around prices and shop there consistently. Stores like this might include Winco (my personal favorite), Walmart, and Grocery Outlet. 
• Shop the sales. This means you will go to several different stores looking for the best price for each item. One store may have great produce sales while another store might have an awesome clearance on meat. Look at the weekly ads, write down which store has which item on sale that you want to buy, and prepare for a longer shopping expedition. You can generally save a lot more money this way if you can avoid buying things on sale that you don't need.
• Use a combination of the first two strategies listed above for maximum savings!

A couple of additional strategies:

• Avoid buying in bulk unless you are POSITIVE you will eat/use it all before it expires AND it is a good deal. We all love stores like Costco and Sam's Club, but while they have good deals on some things, other things are way over priced. Don't be tricked! Do your research and make sure you are getting a good deal before you buy bulk. Also, you are throwing money down the drain every time you waste food! So don't buy more than you need.
• Some stores (I know Walmart does) let you price match. This means if you sift through all the ads, you can find the best deals at all the different stores, go to Walmart and tell the cashier at checkout the price from the ads and that's what you pay! All in one place! This is handy if you also are a Walmart fan.
• Buy the foods that are not necessarily needs but wants only when they are on sale. I know you're going to need milk and eggs and bananas whether or not they are on sale. Luckily these foods are generally reasonably priced. However, foods like ice cream and meat can go for more than $5/lb if not on sale! Don't pay this price! Wait for the sale (I like my meat $2/lb or less, which usually means no steak and lobster for us) and stock up. Meat can be frozen and will last at least 6 months, or until the next sale. The goodies you love, like ice cream and candy, will love you and your wallet back a lot more when you buy and consume them less often anyways. 
• Have the strength to walk away if an item costs more than you think it is worth. Don't forget how hard you work for your dollars! Each one is worth your sweat and tears. Decide what price you will or won't pay for certain things and stick to it! In a year, you may have to reevaluate because of inflation (prices have been rising at a sickening rate since the economic downturn!).

Here's a few tricks I've learned to apply to my cooking to make my meals cheaper (but still delicious):

• Use less meat. I know we all love the occasional hamburger or taco or some other meal that includes meat as the main enchilada, but there are lots of benefits to cutting these meals down to once or twice a week. First, meat is generally high in saturated fat, which is no good for you! A couple of bites of meat a day is all you need, especially if you are already drinking milk which has plenty of protein. So, what can you eat instead? How about a casserole with about 1/4 lb of meat in the entire casserole. You might think that sounds crazy, but generally, casseroles with pasta or potatoes as the main ingredient are plenty filling and also delicious! 
• More on casseroles: Pasta and potatoes are dirt cheap! Use them as the main item in your meal and dress them up. There are lots of delicious ways to prepare potatoes and pasta. Add a little meat, some sauce, vegetables, and possibly some cheese, and you're set!
• Eat produce when it is in season. For example, berries are both more delicious and much cheaper when bought in the summer or early fall. Oranges are better and cheaper in the winter, as are winter squash and yams. Melons are a summer fruit, but pomegranates are found mostly in the winter. Is this making sense? Of course, there are some things like apples, carrots, bananas and potatoes that are going to be in season/cheap all year long, so eat these and add whichever produce is in season at the time. That will give you are good variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the whole year and help save a few dollars. 

I know you must be wondering, "Do I really practice what I preach?" Yes, but it takes a lot of self-discipline! With a little of that, you can do it, too!  Here a couple of delicious recipes I can afford to make on by budget of $150/month or less (for two adults and one infant). 

Cafe Rio Pork Tacos/Nachos

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork 

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs. boneless pork (I bought about 2 lbs boneless pork chops for $1.78/lb)
• 1 12 ox. can Coke (I bought 24 oz coke  for $1.18)
• 1/4 c brown sugar (1 pkg is about $1.50 - so 1/4 cup is maybe $.25)
• 1 12 oz. can enchilada sauce (I bought at Walmart for $.75)
• 2 cloves minced garlic (1 garlic is about $.50, so 1 clove is $.10 ish)
• 1 small can diced green chilies (I bought at Walmart for $.65 I think...)
• 3/4 C brown sugar (About $.75)

Instructions

• Marinade pork for at least 2 hours or overnight in can of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar.
• Pour pork and liquid into crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
• Remove meat and shred. Discard liquid
• Put meat back in crock pot and add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies and brown sugar.
• Cook for 30-60 more minutes. If there is excess liquid drain some off.

Copyright © YourHomeBasedMom

I served my pork over cheese covered tortilla chips, but it can also be served in a taco, burrito, or salad. To garnish, I made homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. Both are really simple. I make a small batch of both (only enough for the one meal and maybe the next day for lunch) because the leftovers don't save for more than 24 hours and they are easy enough to make again in a hurry.

Guacamole: Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl

• 1 avocado, mashed
• 1 tbsp chopped onion 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

Pico de Gallo: Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl

• 1 tomato
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 2 lime juice
• 1 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

My total cost for the pork (feeds my husband and I for several days worth of meals and can be frozen if leftover) is about $8. Add in the cheese, chips and toppings, and your at about $12 for at least 10 meals worth of food. That's only a little over $1/meal and it's totally delicious! This is one of our favs!

Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs dry tortellini pasta (I found this for about $2 at Winco)
• 2 cups chopped spinach (I used a bag for $1.68 at Winco)
• 2 tomatoes, diced (about $.50)
• 1 small onion, chopped (about $.65)
• 1 large chicken breast, shredded ($1.50) - notice the meat is sparse
• 2-3 chicken bullion cubes to taste (I usually buy these in bulk, so I don't count them in the cost)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional) - this is a more expensive item that can be used if you find a little extra room in your budget.

Directions:

Boil the chicken in a small pot of water until fulled cooked, then drain and shred. In a different pot, cook the tortellini in about 5 cups of water, bullion, and pepper. Add the vegetables after about 5 minutes. Pasta and vegetables should all be tender when finished (about 12 minutes total for tortellini). Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. 

So the total cost for this meal is around $7 and it makes enough for about 8 bowls of soup. That's less than $1/meal! And it is a flavorful and hearty soup perfect for winter. 

Alright, so I hope maybe you might believe me now that frugality is possible. Maybe not. I know everyone's budget is different, but I think we can all benefit from being a little wiser with our pennies, and who knows, you may even come to enjoy it! 

-Kamie

What's Your Definition of Healthy?

There are a lot of definitions of the word "healthy" out there. Honestly, I know there is at least a tiny part of each of us that would like to eat a bit more on the healthy side, but that can be a real challenge when "healthy" can mean so many different things. One person may tell you that to be healthy, a food has to be low in calories. Another person might tell you that it must be low in fat or in carbs. Others will tell you that healthy foods are high in a certain nutrient, say protein or vitamin C. The truth? They're all right and they're all wrong. Healthy is MUCH simpler than that. Think back for a moment to the days when diabetes, cancer, and auto-immune diseases were much less common. What were they eating then? Much less soda and potato chips and a lot more fruits and vegetables.

Here's my take on what healthy means:

• Whole foods are great! What does that mean? Check out the ingredient list. The fewer weird or unrecognizable things on the label, the closer it is to being a whole food. Fruits and vegetables, dairy, unprocessed meat, and some grain-based foods apply. Take these deliciously simple foods, combine them together, and make a yummy homemade recipe. I'd take homemade over store-bought any day. Then YOU can control what's in it. 
• Low calorie does not necessarily mean healthy. Take diet soda. NO nutrients whatsoever, and may even be worse for you than the regular stuff (the jury is still out on this one). Or water, 100% calorie free! But you can't live on a diet of only water, can you? No. If you follow the low-calorie rule, you'll probably miss out on some wonderfully healthy foods that are higher in calories. Some examples: Peanut butter, cheese, milk, and avocados. These foods are great! The key is to eat only a little of them at a time. A spoonful of peanut butter with an apple, a couple of slices of cheese with whole grain crackers, or a slice of avocado on your tacos. Oh, and I hope you are having a glass of milk every night with dinner (or milk substitute if you're allergic). Try skim if you're worried about the calories. 
• Everything else in moderation. Doritos, Lucky Charms, Snickers, etc. You know your favorite "unhealthy" food of choice. You can have these every once in awhile, but don't make them your main course. Use them as a snack, a reward for yourself after a long day, or even a "I just can't eat one more carrot" break. Our pitfall here in the luxuriously wealthy United States is that we have so many less healthy foods right at our finger tips, and we take their ease and yummy taste, a blessing, and overdose on it. We are in control of our own lives, and our own diets. Forget what the t.v. commercials tell you to eat, and eat the way you know your body wants you to eat. It'll thank you, trust me. 

Here's a great whole food recipe! I adapted this from AllRecipes.com. 

 Black Bean Salsa

1) 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2) 1 can of whole corn, drained

3) 2 roma tomatoes, diced

4) 2 avocados, diced

5) 1 small onion, diced (you can choose red, yellow, white, or even green)

6) Juice from 2 limes

7) 1 tsp salt

8) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (optional - I usually leave out)

9) Black pepper to taste

Mix all together and serve with chips, quesadillas, tacos, etc. 

-Kamie

Kamie's Tip of the Week: Whole Grains

Whole grain, whole grain, whole grain! Everyone is talking about whole grain! What is that all about? While it is true that whole grain foods are healthier than other grain-based foods because they contain more fiber and other important nutrients, there is a tendency to think that whole grain means only whole wheat. This is not true. Whole corn, whole rice, and other whole grains can be just as beneficial if not more beneficial than whole wheat. What are some examples of non-wheat whole grain foods? Brown rice, Kix or corn flake cereals, oatmeal, etc. Just look at the label of a food, and if the first ingredient is whole-something, than it is probably a whole grain food.

So why does this matter? Because with the outbreak of celiac disease and wheat intolerance, it is come to the attention of nutritionists that wheat may not be all it's cracked up to be. Apparently, there are certain proteins in wheat that the human body occasionally forms antibodies against, meaning that it forms an allergic response to them. That means that some people get sick when they eat wheat. You may have noticed that some people you know are just discovering that they have this allergy, or maybe you do yourself. This is becoming more common because our American society eats so much wheat! More than is healthy for us. So, my advice for this week is to eat whole grains, but to try to eat a variety of them, and eat less wheat if you can. By lessening the amount of wheat in your diet, you may protect yourself from one day becoming allergic to it and having to stay away from it entirely.

Take home message: Just like any food, wheat is not bad nor is it a super-food. It is good for you if you eat it in moderation.

-Kamie

Kamie's Tip of the Week:

This post is inspired by my chocolate loving Mother-in-Law. She will go days without eating any sugar and reward herself at the end with a day where she can eat anything she wants, which usually means TONS of chocolate. However, she usually feels pretty sick after "rewarding" herself. To her and others like her, I say, moderation is better than starvation. PERIOD. Those who justify eating tons of high calorie goodies one day by starving themselves of these goodies for several days prior will likely admit that they neither feel satisfied nor actually consume less calories overall this way.  Rather than "starving" yourself of your favorite treat and later caving to your cravings and "binging", prove to yourself how strong you are and allow yourself a small portion each day. Remember, you can eat some goodies (you have around 200 discretionary calories each day), just not a TON of goodies. You are more likely to be satisfied if you allow yourself a little each day. No food is truly terrible for you unless you eat WAY too much of it at once. Moderation is the key to a healthy diet and a satisfied appetite.

-Kamie

What to Eat When You're Expecting: The Short Version

My posts are most often inspired by something that is going on in my life. I'm 32 weeks along now, and I've realized that it would be a crime if I didn't write some advice for women who are also expecting. I've learned a lot these past 32 weeks, especially about nutrition and taking care of my own health and the health of my growing baby. So here are a few of the most important things I've discovered about eating while pregnant.

1) While I'm normally not one to recommend taking supplements, pregnancy is one time where it is a really good idea. Take a prenatal vitamin daily, starting before you get pregnant if possible. That way, on days when you fail to eat perfectly, your baby won't suffer, and let's face it, no one eats perfectly. Also, your need for certain vitamins and minerals increases a lot, and a prenatal vitamin will help you to meet this need when your diet isn't enough.

2) The first trimester (or all three if you are one of the unlucky ones) is about keeping your stomach settled. While it is important to eat healthily, it is more important to try to keep food down. If all you can stand to eat is crackers and ramen, then that's what you should eat. Be sure to take your prenatal vitamin, and eat as nutritiously as you can, but don't beat yourself up if you can't stomach broccoli and orange juice right now.

3) You are eating for two, but the second person is REALLY little. For those women who, instead of feeling nauseous, have an increased appetite, this advice is especially important. In the second trimester, you only need about 300 more calories a day, and only 500 in the third trimester (none in the first). This is equivalent to something like a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana. This is not equivalent to a bowl of ice cream, an extra helping of casserole for dinner, a glass of chocolate milk, and a midnight snack of whatever else you are craving. Curbing that appetite can be a challenge, especially if nausea kicks in on an empty stomach. The best advice I can give is 1) Eat when you are hungry, but eat low calorie healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables or a granola bar and 2) Stay active, even if that means just taking a walk around the block every night. Eating more and moving less can lead to gaining more weight than necessary. The appropriate weight gain during pregnancy is between 25-35 lbs. Staying within this range is healthier for you and your baby.

4) Eat meat. Sure, you can get the extra protein you need during pregnancy from milk and peanut butter, but these won't help you meet your increased iron needs. Low or even moderate iron intake during pregnancy can lead to anemia (a lack of red blood cells or their ability to carry oxygen) because your blood volume has to increase a lot during pregnancy to provide you and your baby with enough nutrients and oxygen. Anemia can lead you to become even more fatigued than you already are, and may result in complications during pregnancy. Your doctor will test you for anemia, and will let you know if it ever becomes an issue. If so, and you are not eating meat in your diet, try eating a few more ounces of meat each day. Also, you can increase your absorption of iron by eating foods that have vitamin c in them along with your meat. I wouldn't recommend eating meat to excess (like the Atkins Diet), so if you are still struggling with anemia, take an iron supplement.

5) Milk, Milk, Milk! Most women don't know that low intake of calcium during pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life. While it is true that your calcium requirement does not increase during pregnancy due to your body's increased ability to absorb calcium, I still think it is a good idea to make a conscious effort to consume enough calcium each day. How much is enough? About 3 cups of milk a day, or, if you're not a milk fan, yogurt and cheese can be great sources too. If you like tofu, this is the time to eat it more often, especially if you don't eat dairy. If you can't or won't eat any of these foods, take a calcium supplement. Starting in the second trimester, your baby's skeleton will start to harden (incorporate calcium), and if you aren't eating calcium, then you baby will kindly borrow that calcium from your bones and teeth. That could mean osteoporosis and cavities for you! So drink up :)

6) Exercise is not off-limits (unless your doctor says so of course). I wish I had realized earlier in my pregnancy that I still had a lot of energy and strength in me (although it was hiding under a few extra lbs of baby weight and some pregnancy fatigue). Someone recommended walking to me, which I tried and realized that it put pressure on all the places that hurt the most (aka my feet and back). Instead I tried yoga and jogging or biking on a machine (a LOT less pressure on your tender joints). These allowed me to get my heart pumping (not too fast, the goal is to stay under 140 beats/min) and to work muscles that are important for carrying and later delivering a baby. I feel SOOOO much better since I began exercising again. The key is to listen to your body and realize what it can do and what it can't. Don't exercise on your back after the first trimester, and don't do anything that feels uncomfortable. You have to be careful when exercising when pregnant, but you can do it!

7) What about cravings? Honestly, I still haven't decided whether cravings mean something (like maybe you need a certain nutrient in the food you are craving) or if they are random and result from changing hormones. I would say, though, that it doesn't hurt to give into normal (i.e. not dirt or laundry detergent) cravings during pregnancy once in awhile as long as you are eating healthily the rest of the time. After all, you do deserve an occasional reward for all of your hard work.

One last helpful thing: Food pyramid breakdown by trimester

1st Trimester: 6 ounces of grain (one ounce is 1 slice bread, 1/2 cup cooked rice, or 1 cup dry cereal), 2 1/2 cups veggies, 1 1/2 cups fruit, 3 cups dairy (1 cup is 1 cup milk or yogurt,, 1 1/2 oz hard cheese,1/3 cup shredded cheese) and 5 ounces of meat/protein (1 oz is 1 oz meat, 1 egg or 1 Tbsp peanut butter).
2nd Trimester: 6 oz grain, 2 1/2 cups veggies, 2 cups fruit, 3 cups milk, 5 1/2 oz meat/protein.
3rd Trimester: 7 oz grain, 3 cups veggies, 2 cups fruit, 3 cups milk, and 5 oz meat.

This is the minimum you should eat. Remember, if you feel hungry or you feel like you need to be eating more, add healthy snacks to your diet.

Well, I hope that was enlightening or at least a little helpful. Good luck!

-Kamie