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Yogurt
Walk into the dairy section of any grocery store and you can easily be overwhelmed when trying to decide what kind of yogurt to buy. There are so many varieties...high fat, low fat, sugar free--the list is endless. So what's the deal and how do you choose? Hopefully, I can help.
Yogurt is a great source of calcium (and just to be clear--I'm talking about plain old yogurt. Not the frozen kind next to the ice cream). It is great option for those who are lactose intolerant because of the live cultures, which are good bacteria, that help promote gut function. It has been found to prevent against osteoporosis and heart disease--so if you haven't already--why not try it?
Crum Creek
I'm always on the lookout for delicious snacks that I can grab-n-go. Clearly, I welcome Crum Creek and all the treats they have created for my snacking pleasure...don't worry, I'll share!
The soy bite breadsticks are my absolutely favorite. There are four varieties, sesame, onion, everything and rosemary and garlic. The taste resembles that of a pretzel but not as salty. They range from 105-120 calories and are low in fat. Made with soy protein, they are a great healthful snack and no artificial ingredients to boot!
Crum Creek makes two varieties of nuts, trail mix and soy nuts. My favorite is the soy nut trail mix. Just 130 calories, and so incredibly satisfying. It's a great mix of sweet and salty--filled with soy nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, pumpkin and sunflower seeds--you can't beat this trail mix!
I've had the pancake mix before as well--and although it may not qualify as a snack item--it's still quite yummy. A good solid pancake that you don't have to feel bad about devouring. The rest of their products are on my to do list--so if you beat me to it--let me know what you think!
Check out Crum Creek--I promise it is worth the online order--you'll be going back for more sooner than you think!
PS--Don't forget to enter the popchips giveaway (posted below). Leave a comment letting me know your favorite way to eat popchips and you could win a 24-mixed pack of popchips! The contest ends today at 8pm EST and the winner will be announced in Monday's post. Good luck!
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Email me at nicolesilva@weightthatsit.com
Happy Wednesday! The wonderful people at popchips are teaming up with Weight...That's It for a fabulous giveaway! Simply post a comment below letting us know your favorite way to eat popchips. The contest will end at 8pm EST on Friday, February 5th. We will randomly select one lucky winner to receive a 24-mixed case of popchips delivered to your door!
If you don't know about popchips...first off--get with it (!) and read here. They are a fabulous snack and good for you too!
Happy snacking and good luck!
p.s. Be sure to scroll down to read my Trim Down Tip post for today!
Navigating the Salad Bar
You are at work and trying to decide if you should just grab a slice of pizza, the special meal of the day or be healthy and choose the salad bar. But choosing the salad bar is just the first step in making your meal nutritious and delicious. I swear the people that make up the salad bar try really hard to force you to make bad choices. Follow this simple guide and you will be all set!
1. Choose your lettuce wisely: If you have a choice, stick with the dark, leafy greens (think spinach, romaine, arugula). Iceburg lettuce, although healthy, is made almost entirely of water and doesn't contain as many nutrients as the darker varieties.
2. Load up on vegetables: You can't go wrong when it comes to fresh veggies. Tomatoes, cucumbers, pea pods, peppers--the list goes on and on. They are the perfect way to bulk up your salad without adding loads of calories. Just be sure to avoid adding too many veggies that are marinated in oils--the calories add up a lot faster.
3. A little bit of cheese: Cheese is not the enemy. In fact--it's a great way to add protein to your salad. But when I say a just a little--I mean it! A cube of feta cheese has 45 calories--crumble up one or two and you will have plenty of flavor. In contrast, just a half cup of shredded cheese can have over 200 calories. Talk about sabotaging your diet.
4. Avoid the croutons - They may seem innocent but croutons are often cooked in butter and loaded with saturated fat. The same goes for the crispy noodles and bacon bits. I know--the salad sounds like a total bummer by now--but why bother eating a salad if you are just going to load it up with unhealthy toppings. Instead sprinkle a few nuts or some chickpeas or beans to add protein, fiber and added taste.
5. Do add protein - Like I said above, protein is a great addition to your salad. If grilled chicken or fish is available--choose it! Shrimp is a great low calorie and yummy addition to a salad. Adding protein will help keep you feeling fuller longer and hopefully stop you from heading to the vending machine for a mid-afternoon snack.
Lastly--check out my previous entry on salad dressing to top off your salad. Sit down and enjoy your meal!
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Email me at nicolesilva@weightthatsit.com
Salad Dressing
So you are finally on the right path. It's lunch time and you actually find the will power to turn down the turkey club and decide on a salad with grilled chicken or fish. Good for you! It's a salad..it's healthy right? Well...there is potential for health...and a lot of it depends on your salad dressing.
Regardless of where you are eating a salad--at home or in a restaurant--your choice of salad dressing is the key to saving calories and unhealthy amounts of fat. I've said this before--but your choice in dressing alone can save you 150 calories or more--and that is a lot when you are trying to lose weight! Let's get started...
If you are out at a restaurant, by all means order a salad as an appetizer or an entree. However--no matter what, ask your server what kind of dressing it comes with. If it is creamy (think ranch, blue cheese, thousand island)--avoid it. Just one tablespoon contains at least 75 calories--and your salad will definitely be doused in several tablespoons of dressing. Simply ask if you can have a lighter dressing--balsamic vinaigrette, italian or oil and vinegar--on the side and your salad will be a lot healthier.
At home--you have a lot more control over dressing up your salad. I like to make my own simple simple dressings. Just a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice and I'm happy. However, if you are going to buy salad dressing...here are the best brands:
Newman's Own Lighten Up - With a serving size of two tablespoons ranging from 35-70 calories--you can't beat these salad dressings. If you love honey mustard or caesar--there is a light version that tastes delicious! Find them in any grocery store.
Wish-Bone Light - I have yet to try a dressing from Wish-Bone that I don't like. The light versions are all low in fat and calories and are a great way to enjoy your favorite dressing! Sold at most major grocery stores.
If I didn't mention your favorite dressing--do some investigating--read the label. Stay away from anything based in cream (sour cream, mayo, buttermilk or yogurt). Look for brands with less than 8 grams of fat per serving and less than 300 mg of sodium. Also, you may have noticed I didn't recommend fat-free salad dressing. Why? Because many of the vitamins in your salad are fat soluble--meaning you need fat to help your body absorb them--thus--there is a good reason for fat (good unsaturated fats!) in your dressings. So don't over do it--but DO enjoy your salads!
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Nutella
Like I said last week, I am newly obsessed with nutella. For those of you who are not familiar with the product, it is comprised of three main ingredients: hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa. Think chocolate peanut butter and multiply the delicious factor by 1,000.
Two tablespoons have 200 calories, 11 grams of fat (3.5 grams of saturated fat), and 3 grams of protein -- plus there are no artificial colors or preservatives. The only thing I am not super keen on is the sugar content -- it is the first ingredient listed which means there is a lot, 21 g per serving. However, I consider nutella to be a tasty treat so it's nothing to be concerned about in moderation.
How should you eat nutella, you may ask? Well, it's a delicious spread on just about anything, bananas, berries, crumpets, crepes and the list just keeps going. Just be sure to measure it out--two tablespoons is a lot more than you think. When I'm craving something delicious but don't want to go overboard, 99.9% of the time nutella hits the spot!
Cut Out the Trans Fat
There has been a lot of press surrounding trans fat over the past few years. Trans fat is a relatively new subject in the realm of nutrition--and not for good reason. Let me explain...
What?
Trans fat is a man made fat. It is created through a chemical process in which hydrogen is added to liquid fat (vegetable oils). This makes it solid at room temperature. It is also known as partially hydrogenated oil.
Why?
Trans fats were created to increase shelf life of products. It all comes down to the money--the longer the products last the better it is for the company that makes it. But what about what it does to us?
Is it really that bad for me?
Um...yeah. Trans fat does exactly what you do not want it to do. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommend you keep your intake of trans fat as low as possible. It not only raises your bad cholesterol, aka LDL, but also decreases your good cholesterol, aka HDL. To make matters worse, it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes. For more information, check out the American Heart Association--it's a fabulous resource.
How do you avoid it?
As of January 2006, the FDA requires all food manufacturers to list trans fat on the nutrition label. However, regulations state that it only needs to be listed if there are more than .5 grams per serving. So, just because the label says zero--there could be some lurking in your food. Read the ingredient list and look for paritally hydrogenated oil or shortening. If either ingredient is listed--there is trans fat--and remember for each additional serving the amount of trans fat doubles!
If your food of choice doesn't have a nutrition label--use this rule of thumb: processed foods such as cookies, crackers, fried foods, cakes etc. usually contain trans fat. Stick margarine was created by adding trans fats--so use whipped products instead. For more information on butter click here. Many bakeries use trans fat -- so feel free to ask proprietors what kind of oil they use--don't be ashamed--it's your health!
California is the only state to have banned the use of trans fat cooking oils (as of January 1st this year!). Many cities and towns are working on legislation to do the same--New York, Philadelphia and Boston have done so already. So if you are fired up about the use of trans fats in foods you eat--let your local government know. A lot of baby steps can add up to big changes!
Email me at nicolesilva@weightthatsit.com
