What's on My Menu

What do I eat? How do I order my food at a restaurant?

I know we're only a few weeks in to February, but time is going fast and before we know it Spring will be here ... and then summer. My favorite time of the year! I love being able to wear sleeveless t-shirts, shorts, dresses, and enjoying a relaxing afternoon by the pool with my family, or going out for picnics with family and friends. Honestly, I would love to live in a place where everyday was nice and warm. It makes me so happy to wake up in the morning at 5:00 am and see day light, walk outside my door and feel the warm air in my face. I love it!

We really have no excuse not to exercise, eat healthy and start preparing our body to look our best for the summer. A few people asked me this past weekend, "How do you keep a body like that all year round? What do you eat? How do you enjoy a meal when you go out to a restaurant?". All these types of questions and comments that I hear from people seem to stay in my head. I try to answer the best I can, but I sometimes wonder if my my tid-bits of advice stay with them long enough to help them change their habits and incorporate some of my healthy tips into their lifestyle. So, I decided to give a little more detail in my answers here.

What's on My Menu?

For offseason meals, this is a sample of what I would normally eat during the week. I usually prepare my own foods. I try not to cook and freeze them ahead of time, as I prefer fresh foods made the day before or the same day.

Breakfast:
½ cup oatmeal – or a slice of whole wheat bread with Flax seeds
6 egg whites
coffee or green tea

Midmorning:
1 Protein Shake PROBOLIC SR with frozen fruits or a POWER PAK PUDDING Vanilla

Lunch:
4 hard-boiled eggs
½ cup rice
Hand full of Almonds

Midafternoon:
5 oz tuna salad mixed with chopped celery
½ Steamed broccoli

Dinner:
5 oz fillet of Tilapia with lemon
½ cup mixed vegetables or steamed asparagus

I also have grilled chicken, lean red meat, turkey breast and ground turkey or chicken.

For snacks, I like salt-free rice cakes, almonds, green apples, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and cottage cheese. And I drink at least a gallon of water a day!

What do I usually order when I go out to a restaurant?

I do have rules when I go to a restaurant, and sometimes I kind of feel bad asking for so many things. People often look at me a little surprised, but my body comes first when it comes to ordering my food. I always make sure they understand what I want and how I want my foods prepared. After all, I am paying for it.

Rule #1: All my meats must be Grilled or Steamed depending on what I am ordering
Rule #2: Dressings, sauces, gravy, dips ON THE SIDE
Rule #3: Must see green in my plate -- lots of vegetables to fill me up!

My typical Breakfast at a restaurant:

My typical lunch at a restaurant:

My typical dinner at a restaurant:

Tips on how to make your protein shakes more exciting and delicious!

Berry Good Protein Shake

This is an easy healthful snack. Here's what you need:

* 2 cups of water, lots of ice
* 1/4 cup (or small handful) of fresh or frozen strawberries
* 1 tsp. flax seed (organic grind)
* 1 scoop of PROBOLIC SR vanilla from MHP

Blend for 60 seconds, and enjoy your delicious, healthy, low calorie, muscle building, dessert type shake!

Its all about being creative. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of fruits, and maybe even foods -- I sometimes add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oatmeal to my shakes to make them a little thicker and to incorporate some carbs into that meal.

Do I eat chips? Of course I do!

Here is what you will need:

* 2 lg. unpeeled sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)
* Olive Oil cooking spray

Slice or cut the potatoes in to thin strips, making sure they are cut the same size so they cook evenly. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet coated with olive oil spray. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until they are nice and crispy!

I love them, you can serve them along or with your grilled chicken and vegetables. My son loves them, too!

Let’s start getting ready for the summer now!

Angela Mraz
IFBB Figure Pro
www.mhpstrong.com
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