How to enjoy a sexy at-home Valentine’s Day Dinner that you won’t regret the next day
We’re in for our first and hopefully, our last, quarantine Valentine’s Day, which means most of us will be dining at home instead of enjoying a night out. The good news about having your Valentine’s Day dinner at home is that it will make it so much easier to have a meal that fits into your health goals!
I am a big believer in creating a lifestyle, not a diet so I want to help you design a Valentine’s Day dinner that you can actually enjoy! I don’t want you to have to skip a holiday or special occasion just because you’re on a mission to lose weight. A true healthy lifestyle should incorporate celebrating special occasions!
Create a libido-boosting menu
First up, you’re going to want to plan a delicious meal that tastes sophisticated but is actually easy to eat at home! Planning ahead is always the best way to make sure your meals fit into your nutritional goals. If you want to have a more decadent dinner, then you can always plan to eat more nutrient-packed meals for breakfast and lunch.
Here are a few things I like to make sure I think about when I’m planning a special dinner.
What protein will I serve?
Can I fit more fruits or veggies into the meal?
Will we eat dessert?
Are we going to drink or will we opt for mocktails?
Protein is always the first thing I plan because it’s the hardest macro for most people to eat. When I’m planning a sexy Valentine’s Day dinner, I still make sure that we have a protein option that will keep us full. Adding any extra veggies or fruits to your meal is always a good idea. If you look at special occasion menus from a restaurant they’re usually basic, but delicious: meat + veggie side + carb side + dessert. You can use the same plan for your dinner.
Desserts and drinks can be the two biggest parts of your meal that can throw off your nutritional goals. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy them. If enjoying a fine wine is your favorite aspect of Valentine’s Day, then have a glass! Just make it a part of your plan. You can always enjoy one glass of wine and then switch to a mocktail or mock wine if your partner wants to keep drinking.
Planning a fancy meal might seem a little overwhelming, so I created a free resource for you! Grab my 3 Valentine’s Day dinners to boost your libido guide and be one step closer to a wonderful evening!
Make healthy swaps for your favorite foods
I’m all about eating your favorite foods, especially on special occasions, but I also know that our favorite foods can add up and cause us to regret indulging later. Which is why I’m also all about finding healthy swaps to make whenever we can.
One of my favorite Valentine’s Day treats is chocolate-covered strawberries; however, the chocolate from three or four strawberries starts to add up and can quickly. So instead of dipping my strawberries in chocolate, I drizzle the chocolate on. I still get all the sweet and chocolatey goodness, but I’m saving so many grams of carbs and fats by not dipping them, that I can enjoy more of them!
Like we talked about before, mocktails and non-alcoholic wines, beers and spirits are a great way to enjoy ourselves without drinking empty calories. If you want some great tips on low-calorie or non-alcoholic drinks check out my IGTV!
Set the mood
The last aspect of a romantic date-night in is going to be the mood. You probably won’t feel very relaxed trying to eat your Valentine’s Day dinner on the couch or at the kitchen table that’s smeared in your kids’ leftover mac and cheese.
If you want your restaurant-quality meal to stand out, take some time to set the mood! Wipe the table down, set out some candles, lower the lights. Have fun with it!
You can also have your husband help with this part! If you’re the one cooking have him clean up or vice versa! You don’t need to do it all on your own. In fact, doing it all on your own will probably make you enjoy your night less. If you’re really lucky you might even be able to bribe your kids to be your servers for the evening!
I want to leave you with one final tip. I tell this to my Macros Made Easy clients all the time: one meal isn’t going to ruin all your progress. If you over-indulge on Valentine’s Day that doesn’t mean you’ve ruined all your hard work. It doesn’t mean you aren’t a healthy person. It doesn’t mean you are a failure. It means you had an amazing time and enjoying your date was more important for one night. And that’s perfectly OK. Just get back into the groove at your next meal and I promise you’ll be just fine!
If you want to learn how to live a healthy life instead of dieting, then let’s chat! My Macros Made Easy program is designed to teach you how to eat healthy for a lifetime without sacrificing everything you love - including holidays! Schedule a free discovery call today to get started.
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