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AP - An Indian couple poisoned their three young children, then hung themselves from a ceiling fan because they were depressed about being HIV-positive, police said Saturday.

Too busy to fix and eat healthy? Planning and preparing meals is always a challenge, especially when you are trying to learn new ways of eating and are busy! Following a set menu plan is one option, but menus planned by someone else dont always include the foods that you enjoy. Planning menus for optimum health involves using macronutrients, such as protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, for steady blood sugar, along with food preferences and other guidelines such as limiting calories for weight loss. Strive for balance between your food components when creating your meals.

Here are a few healthy meal suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacking that you can easily co-q10 and eat at home! Keep in mind that are a great many cookbooks and meal-planning books on the market. If you dont already own one, invest in one and be creative in your planning of nutritious, creative meals!

Breakfast

Brewed green or black tea or coffee, decaffeinated if you prefer cup fruit or vegetable juice or 8 ounces of water

Hot or cold whole-grain cereal, low-fat milk or soy milk, a medium piece of fruit or cup of berries or sliced fruit

1 cup of plain yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal or oil, cup of berries, and a small bit of honey, maple syrup, or Splenda to sweeten

2 slices of whole grain toast with 1 teaspoons of nut butter, such as peanut, soy or almond, and a medium piece of fruit

Ricotta cheese mixed with a small amount of chopped walnuts, sliced fruit, and a small bit of your favorite sweetener

Scrambled eggs with picante salsa, two strips of nitrate-free bacon or links of nitrate-free sausage

Lunch

8 ounces of water or brewed green or black tea

Tuna fish salad and whole-grain bread sandwich, large purchase dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate green salad with olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar

Grilled chicken Caesar salad with dressing on the side, a medium piece of fresh fruit

Vegetable, black bean, or lentil soup, sliced turkey and whole-grain bread sandwich with leafy lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bit of mayonnaise

Cottage cheese with a large peach split in half served on green lettuce leaves, a crisp rye cracker

Pasta with marinara sauce, tossed green salad with dressing on the side, gelato

Dinner

8 ounces of water or brewed green or black tea

Grilled salmon or cold-water fish; grilled vegetables such as red, yellow, and green peppers, red onions, zucchini or summer squash; and buy caffeine powder rice

Spaghetti with marinara sauce in olive oil, steamed broccoli, tossed green salad

Pasta with sauted Swiss chard, steamed or sauted vegetables, mixed fruit compote

Broiled or grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, steamed broccoli sprinkled with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, a whole-grain roll

Sirloin beef tips over noodles, steamed green beans, sliced strawberries

Red beans and rice with salsa, tossed green salad with Greek olives

Lentil soup, mixed vegetables, fresh fruit

Snacks (between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and after dinner)

8 ounces of water with each snack meal

Apple slices with nut butter or a slice of hard cheese

A hard-boiled egg

Celery, carrot sticks, or pita chips with hummus

Small handful of walnuts or pumpkin seeds

Air-popped popcorn or low-fat microwave popcorn

Copyright 2006 Mary El-Baz. All rights reserved.

Mary El-Baz, PhD is the author of Building a Healthy Lifestyle: A Simple Nutrition and Fitness Approach and Easy and Healthful Mediterranean Cooking, an invaluable nutritional program for anyone to build a healthy lifestyle and a collection of savory, nutritious Mediterranean recipes. Dr. El-Baz holds a doctorate in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health and degrees from the University of Missouri.

Look for her books on http://www.barnesandnoble.com and other fine online booksellers. A forthcoming book that builds on the Building a Healthy Lifestyle foundation, Transform Your Core 6-Week Workbook, a six-week weight loss plan to rev up your fat-burning metabolism and build lean muscle to transform your midsection from fat and flabby to slim and trim, will be available just in time for your New Years resolution!