Set your week up for success

Lately I love getting up and in the kitchen on a Sunday morning , getting some tasty food ready for the week ahead - we put some music on, drink coffee and make it an enjoyable experience. One of the most important elements of your daily diet is that it is enjoyable and you look forward to your meals - if you don't then chances are your diet is unsustainable. I can't wait to eat all this food this week! There are lots of elements that influence satiety (fullness & satisfaction between meals), likability and nutritional value are big ones.

Select a dry chicken breast salad with no dressing and chances are you will feel unsatisfied after and seek out food that is more enjoyable, devoid of genuine feelings of hunger. You've gone for the nutritional value but no element liking.

On the flip side, ever eat a huge piece of chocolate cake only to feel hungry an hour later? You have the enjoyment factor but no nutritional value so you still crave other types of food in order to feel satisfied.

Set yourself up for success and ensure your meals have all these elements present to help you feel satisfied between meals:

- Complete proteins (these are more satisfying to the appetite than carbs and fats) - Nutrient dense foods (fresh vegetables and fruits) - Essential fats (Omega 3 & 6) - Textures you enjoy - Fibre content (adds bulk to food and takes time to break down, increasing satiety) - Palatability - foods must be pleasurable to eat!

Make the process of cooking enjoyable too - cook with your partner, put some music on, buy a new cookbook, browse Pinterest for ideas and if you really dislike cooking then make sure you cook in large batches!