Looking for a healthy lifestyle by improving your diet and living a greener life?
Spice up your menu while going green! We’ll show you how to get the most of your green lifestyle. Make it gentle for your tummy, healthy to your pocket and kinder to the mother earth.
Weight Watchers Green plan
If you’re looking for a meal plan that offers structure and accountability, Look no further! Enjoy healthy eating through Weight Watchers Food Plan has never been easier. This is due to its smart points system which has value assigned to each food to help us decide what food to eat. The system will guide you to a healthier pattern of eating to maintain a healthy weight.
Based on individual preferences and lifestyle, you can choose a green, blue, or purple food plan within weight watchers program. Each color has a unique balance of smart points and zero points foods to choose from. Based on your age, gender, height and weight, you will have a personalized smart point budget to spend every day.
The WW Green Plan is more restrictive than the others as some foods that otherwise would not receive any points, such as eggs, receive points. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 100 zero point foods that include apples and blueberries, butternut squash and cabbage, water chestnuts and zucchini; generally, most fruits and vegetables are rated as zero points on the green plan. This plan is a good option for those who struggle with overeating because more foods count for more points and there is a greater emphasis on fiber-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Other healthy eating tips
If the Weight Watchers green plan is too restrictive or not your cup of tea, there are other meal options you can try. Weight watchers encourages breakfast consumption as a great way to fuel the beginning of your day. Options include french toast sticks, banana loaf, poached egg and toast, berry tacos, and breakfast burrito bowl. These options range from 1-5 points, with most being in the 3 to 5 point range.
If you’re looking for lunch or dinner options, weight watchers has you covered. Try making the crunchy chicken salad that features boneless chicken, hardboiled eggs, celery, cranberries and walnuts and which registers as 7 points on the green plan and 5 points for all other plans. You can try the taco salad in a jar, where you can put all of your favorite taco salad fixings, like lettuce, salsa, ground beef, shredded cheese and refried beans in a mason jar for a fun and convenient meal option that’s 5 points on the green plan and 3 points in the blue and purple. There are a host of other meal options, including slow cooker chicken and ground turkey goulash recipes, pumpkin soup and biscuit pizza bread for appetizers or lighter fare and a variety of dessert options such as peanut butter parfait. The choices are almost endless!
Healthy shopping
Finding wholesome, healthful ingredients can be a challenge, but there are a variety of venues that can accommodate your tastes and aspirations, Aldi has an abundance of affordable options that easily accommodate even the most restrictive green plan, with options that range from 0 points (organic spring mix, unsweetened apple sauce) to 9 points (spinach and feta thin crust pizza, peanut butter energy bars), Given the varied options, Aldi makes it easy, affordable and enjoyable to eat healthy, It’s also great because, if you’re trying to lead a green lifestyle, they require you to use re-useable bags.
Other great options include Walmart, Costco and BJs as they can accommodate bulk purchasing, which cuts down on packaging and often is less expensive. Many, if not most, of the options Aldi offers can be found at these stores. You can also try your local farmer’s market, which is a great option to buy, fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, an essential diet component especially if you’re on the green plan. It’s always a good idea when you are shopping to try and walk, since you not only get to exercise but you also get to cut down on your carbon footprint. What can be greener than that?
My Favorite green meal choice
Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated. Below is an abbreviated recipe for quick instant chicken noodle soup:
1 onion
2 celery stalks
4 carrots
6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of cooked skinless chicken breast
2 cups of cooked egg noodles
butter-flavored cooking spray
parsley to taste
Chop all vegetables. Sautee for 5 minutes in cooking spray with 3 tablespoons of water. Add chicken and broth and simmer for another 5 minutes. Put egg noodles into bowls and ladle soup over the noodles. Enjoy!
These are just one of many healthy eating ideas you can find via weight watchers green plan.