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Take Control, Take Action

Maybe you're hungry to meet your goals but just don't know exactly what to do. There's so much to learn! So many things to do or change!

Here are some concrete ideas to do over the next 7 days. Write them down. Put them in your calendar. Can you do them all?

  • Plan to have at least 2 portions of veggies with every evening meal this week.

  • Create a homemade salad. Mix it up and experiment with some new toppings.

  • Try to plan 3 30-minute lunchtime walks this week. Your lunch break is an opportunity to get active.

  • Stick to your calorie and exercise targets.

Healthy standby or calorie trap

Be smart when choosing salads. Salads can be your best friend when trying to lose weight. But beware of calorie-laden toppings. A typical green salad of green leaves, tomatoes, and cucumbers is low in calories, salt and fat and packed with nutrients. But toppings such as croutons, bacon bits, cheese, breaded chicken, and creamy dressings will turn a healthy salad into a high calorie meal.

Follow these 3 golden rules for salads:

  1. Avoid fatty toppings.

  2. Always ask for the dressing on the side.

  3. Avoid mayo or cream-based dressings.

Add a burst of flavor with these 50-calorie salad toppings:

  • 1 tablespoon of toasted sunflower seeds.

  • 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts.

  • 1 tablespoon of toasted pumpkin seeds.

  • A handful of chopped grapes.

  • 1 tablespoon of chopped toasted walnuts.

2 salad takeaways:

  1. Take care when buying commercial "lower-fat" salad dressings. While they may be low in fat, they can often be high in sugar. Always check the nutrition information on the label.

  2. If you're in a restaurant or cafe, ask for the dressing to be served on the side. Add only as much as you need.

Could getting support help you meet your goals? Send your care manager a message!