The Mommy Pod Welcomes Ellen ~ Meal Planner

Isn’t it always great to start a New Year off on the right foot? I know, at this time of year, I get excited and driven to become healthier. What we put into our body directly affects our overall well being. Therefore, I am taking a closer look at what I eat to see how I can make sure I am fueling my body with what it needs to help me stay as active and fit as I like (and need) to be! Keeping up with three kids is no joke! I have been keeping track of my own personal diet, and have been surprised at how I was missing some pretty important “super foods”. Overall, I feel my diet is very healthy. Yet, you do not realize until you track your daily intake, that you may be low in a particular food group. Or, on the other end, may be filling up with too many unnecessary additives.

My goal is to eat around 2,000 calories a day based on height, weight and activity level. But, I choose to focus on filling the food groups rather than this number. Some days I eat more and some days I eat less, but I never eat less than 1,600 calories in a day and likely never more than 2,400 (my son’s birthday might have to be an exception). My goal is to eat a balanced amount of grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat & beans and oils in order to meet these calorie needs. I doubt I am ever perfect and I don't expect you to be either - I really believe that it will all even out in the end if you know your needs and strive to meet them the majority of the time, which I am here to help you do! I never fill up on junk or empty calories so if one day I am heavy on whole grains or nuts - the next day I probably back down and eat more fruit and veggies. My daily activity level is high - I do not sit down much. I often feel like I am in constant motion, so I may be able to afford more calories then some other women. However, I choose not to use this wiggle room for junk - I strive to keep what goes in my mouth as healthy as possible as often as possible.

Let’s do this together… I am here to be your guide and answer as many questions that I can in order to help keep you on track. I am always collecting great tips from wonderful resources to inspire you and hopefully keep you from getting into that rut. I am looking forward to a healthy and fit 2010!