foodforyears-blog

[foodforyears-blog]

Cut 100 calories a day, lose 10 lbs a year

100 calories a day can make or break your weight loss and health goals.  Eating an extra 100 calories a day (equal to ~ 1 1/2 tablespoons of Ranch dressing) will add 10 pounds to your weight over a year's time.  One pound is equal to ~3500 calories, 100 calories a day equals ~36,500 calories a year or 10 pounds!

Here are 100 ways to cut back on calories with simple swaps and shrunken portion sizes!

Swap a Pop-Tart for a slice of high-fiber bread with light strawberry jam.

Go half-sies on a bagel with your roommate, friend, significant other or coworker.

Skip the cream and sugar in your morning coffee.

Have a whole orange instead of a cup of orange juice.

Try turkey sausage or bacon instead of regular.

Swap regular maple syrup for sugar-free.

If you swing by Caribou Coffee for your morning fix- skip the whip on any 16oz drink.

Have a bagel instead of a glazed, cream-filled donut.

Fill a 4 oz mug with granola, leave the 8 oz bowl behind.

Try a Yoplait Fiber1 instead of the Thick and Creamy version.

Enjoying pancakes? Ask the waitress to hold the butter.

Scramble 4 egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs.

Buy nonfat or 1% milk instead of whole.

Pass up on the morning cinnamon bun- have a bowl of fruit with low-fat milk and sugar substitue instead.

Invest in a non-stick skillet to cut out the butter, margarine or cooking spray from your breakfast.

Choose 2 tablespoons of fat free cream cheese instead of regular.

Swap out the meat and cheese in your omelete- go for onions, bell peppers, spinach and mushrooms instead.

Try using a light whole wheat bread or sandwich thin for your breakfast sandwich instead of a bagel or regular sliced toast.

Add bulk to your pasta dishes with veggies like zucchini, peppers, mushrooms- instead of meat.

Use fat-free mayo or plain non-fat yogurt in your tuna or chicken salad instead of regular mayonnaise.

Don't clean your plate, leave 3-4 bites behind.

Skip the cheese on your sandwich.

Exchange mustard for mayo on your sandwich- you will save 80 calories per tablespoon.

Skip the croutons or other fried salad toppings (wonton strips, tortilla chips) at the salad bar.

Order a slice of cheese pizza instead of the meat lover's types.

Go easy on the cream soups- choose a minestrone instead.

Have your iced tea unsweetened, use a non-caloric sweetener instead.

Choose lean ground turkey for burgers instead of beef.

Swap corn tortillas for flour on your 6 inch quesadilla.

Skip the drive through burger and fries- have a portion-controlled lean cuisine instead.

Remove fat and skin from chicken or meat prior to cooking.

Exchange 1/2 cup of rice or pasta with non-starch veggies like broccoli or snap peas.

Have root beer float night at home instead of out- use sugar free rootbeer and low-fat frozen yogurt.

Have a slice of fruit pie- apple, beach or blueberry- instead of pecan or cream pie.

Split your dessert with someone else.

Substitue half of the oil or butter in a recipe with applesauce.

Stop eating your dessert when you get to the crust- they absorm the butter and grease from the pan.

Enjoy sorbet instead of ice cream.

When your craving chocolate try a fudgsicel instead of regular chocolate ice cream.

Scrape off the frosting from a slice of cake- have your cake and eat it too!

Have your ice cream in a bowl instead of a cone.

Top your dessert with 1/2 cup of fresh berries instead of chocolate syrup.

Have a cupcake instead of a slice of cake.

Have 5 meringue cookies instead of 2 chocolate chip ones.

Sip on a glass of wine instead of 2 beers.

Dip your happy hour wings in extra hot sauce instead of blue cheese or ranch dressing

Order your next cocktail on the rocks, not blended. Blended cocktails contain added sugar and syrup.

Go for a light beer- MGD 64 instead of a darker one like Killian's Irish Red

Order up a glass of water between each alcoholic beverage.

Dip those nachos in salsa instead of guacamole.

Anytime your ordering a soda- swap it for a diet.

Be mindful or portion sizes in cans and bottles- they sometimes to contain 2-2 1/2 servings per container.

Make homemade hot chocolate with skim milk or water instead of whole milk.

Order a small or medium soft drink instead of a large.

Choose juices with no sugar added.

Lighten up your go to coffee drink- order it with skim milk and sugar free syrup flavoring.

Freeze grapes or watermelon wedges to enjoy instead of a popsicle.

Blend a smoothie with low fat yogurt, skim milk and frozen berries instead of regular ice cream.

Have baked chips instead of regular.

Dip carrot sticks, celery, cucumber or tomato in salsa instead of chips.

Choose canned fruit in water instead of canned in syrup.

Leave 1 granola bar behind when they are packaged in 2. (Nature Valley Bars)

Have 1 small "fun sized" candy bar to fulfill your craving instead of a regular sized one.

Avoid stashing your candy within arm's reach at your desk.

Have 1/2 cup grapes instead of a box of raisins.

Try a handful or pretzels instead of classic potato chips.

Swap high calorie popcorn for Smart Pop Kettle Corn.

At Wendy's order up value size fries instead of a baked potato with sour cream and chives.

Order a McDonald's cheeseburger instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese.

Choose chicken with grill marks- flame-broiled instead of the breaded types.

Have a McDonald's ice cream cone instead of Dairy Queen.

Munch on ONE Taco Bell regular taco instead of the Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco.

When eating Chinese try Szechuan Shrimp instead of General Tso's.

Have pasta with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce instead of Alfredo.

Go for the Beef Stroganoff, not meat lasagna.

Choose a baked potato (with just butter) instead of mashed potatoes.

Ask for marinara sauce to dip your dinner roll, instead of olive oil.

Swap nonfat Greek yogurt for sour cream.

Use low-sodium chicken broth instead of oil to saute meat and veggies.

Cut 2 tablespoons of butter from any recipe, especially homemade Mac n Cheese.

Ground turkey too lean? Try using at least half turkey and half beef in meatballs, meatloaf or burgers.

Try low-fat cottage cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta in lasagna or stuffed shells.

Purchase smaller fresh fruit- pick up smaller apples, oranges, bananas- avoid oversized peices that are often 2 or more servings.

To satisfy a chocolate craving- try a sugar free, fat free pudding instead of a candy bar.

Ask the waiter to take the breadsticks from your table (especially at establishments that offer endless bread baskets!)

Order up a cup of soup instead of a bowl.

Choose vinaigrette dressings instead of creamy ones.

Use fresh lemon to season fish instead of tartar sauce.

Have a side salad at the drive through instead of french fries.

Skip anything supersized.

Ask for salad dressing on the side.

Order chicken breast without the skin or remove skin before eating.

Build a sub-sandwich around 1 1/2 oz turkey instead of salami.

Skip the fried rice, order steamed instead.

Get rid of half or you hamburger bun- have just the botton and top with lettuce.

Bake up apple crisp instead of apple pie.

Have lemon water instead of a sports drink.

Top your burger or sandwich with extra veggies instead of cheese.

Order cheese OR crunch croutons on your salad, not both.

Choose thin crust pizza instead of deep dish.

Adapted from www.americaonthemove.org AOM Family Program Toolbox and www.womenshealthmag.com Women's Health 78 Ways to Cut 100 Clories

[foodforyears-blog]

Why dieters tend to regain weight...

Study shows elevated hormones related to hunger regulation are what increases the appetite of a dieter for the year following weight loss-making it EVEN harder to keep the pounds off.

[foodforyears-blog]

Glorious Coffee!

Your morning cup-o-joe may be doing more for you than you think! Aside from the obvious morning energy boost that most of us rely on coffee for, research on coffee drinks suggests there may be some other health benefits! Remember- if you're watching your weight- go easy on the cream and sugar! Try adding a non-caloric sweetener, like Truvia or other sugar-free flavored syrups to avoid the added calories.

Health Benefits of your morning vice- most of these benefits were seen with as little as 1 cup a day.

1) Skin Cancer: Women who drank more than 3 cups of coffee a day had a 20% decreased risk for Basal Cell Carcinoma, men experienced a 9% drop in risk. (American Association for Cancer Research (2011, October 24). Coffee consumption associated with decreased risk for basal cell carcinoma)

2) Diabetes: However elusive the relationship may be, researchers from UCLA have found that women who drink at least 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day are less than half as likely to develop diabetes.  Coffee may be improving the body's ability to use glucose (sugar) by revving your metabolism or may be increasing your body's sensitivity to insulin (hormone that aids in glucose metabolism). (University of California - Los Angeles (2011, January 13). Why coffee protects against diabetes)

3) Depression: Morning boost= ward off the blues!?? Research findings suggest that caffeinated coffee provides a protective effect against depression in women. Their data showed that women who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had a 15 percent decrease in risk for depression, those consuming four cups or more per day had a 20 percent decrease in relative risk. (JAMA and Archives Journals (2011, September 26). Increased caffeinated coffee consumption associated with decreased risk of depression in women, study finds)

4) Stroke: Women who reported drinking 1-2, 3-4 or 5 or more cups of coffee a day had similarly lowered risk for stroke. (American Heart Association (2011, March 10). Coffee drinking linked to reduced stroke risk in women)

5) Alzheimer's and Heart Disease: The caffeine in coffee has been found to contain healthful antioxidants that help the body to rid itself of disease causing free radicals! These antioxidants could help lower risk for Alzheimer's and heart disease. (American Chemical Society (2011, May 4). New evidence that caffeine is a healthful antioxidant in coffee)

[foodforyears-blog]

AMEN!

theskinnyveg:

*You don’t post pictures of emaciated bodies, self-injury photos/gifs, pro-ED photos/text/etc.

I will do my best to follow all of the ones who follow my above guidelines :D

I may even do a promo of my favorites :)

Reblog if you're a [HEALTHY*] lifestyle change/fitspo/positivity focused blog! [Bonus points if you are active and post your own stories, tips, etc]!w

[foodforyears-blog]

Cauliflower Pizza Crust from SleepLoveEat.com

2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 3 eggs mixed together in large bowl. Pour on greased baking sheet- form pizza crust as thick or thin as you like. Sprinkle 1 tsp garlic powder, 4 tsp parsley, & 2 tsp oregano on "crust." Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes (edges may burn/brown).  Top crust with favorite toppings- I used fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, and basil- put back into oven and broil 10-15 minutes or until toppings are cooked to your liking! 

A metal spatula helps to lift crust off of baking sheet- I tried using an oiled pizza stone but had some sticking- recommend trying the non-stick baking sheet instead.

[foodforyears-blog]

Pantry Must Haves- Meals for a week!

To follow up the Pantry Must Haves- here is how you you can use these pantry staples to get through the week! Just some basic meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Breakfast:  

1/2 cup oatmeal flavored w/ vanilla extract, dried fruit and walnuts

Breakfast sandwich- 1 egg and 1 slice of cheese or turkey bacon on a toasted sandwich thin with a peice of fruit

3/4 cup greek yogurt (6 oz) topped with 1/2 cup whole wheat cereal and 1/2 a banana (sweeten yogurt with splenda or sugar free syrup)

Breakfast smoothie: 6-8 oz skim milk blended with yogurt and 1 cup frozen fruit

2 hard boiled eggs with 1 slice of turkey bacon and fruit (great for on the go!)

2 four-inch whole wheat pancakes topped with your favorite berries and SF maple syrup with 1 egg

Breakfast burrito- 2 eggs scrambled with veggies and 1/4 c of black beans in a whole wheat tortilla with 1-2 T salsa. Make ahead and freeze!

Lunch:

Tuna Salad Wrap: Tuna salad with lettuce and tomato in whole wheat tortilla with fruit. (Tuna salad: 3 oz canned tuna mixed w/ 1-2 T plain greek yogurt with chopped celery and onion or try this recipe!)

Turkey Hummus Sandwich: Sliced turkey (3 oz) on sandwich thin with 1 T hummus, lettuce and tomato with 1 cup of carrot and/or celery sticks.

Brown Rice Taco Bowl: 1/2 cup brown rice with 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 corn, 3-4 oz ground turkey (taco leftovers) and salsa. With 1/2 cup trail mix: 1 T dried fruit and 3 T nuts

Leftover Pasta Salad- 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta tossed with bell peppers, onion, and 3 oz chicken. Side green salad with balsamic vinegrette dressing on side.

Chicken Salad over Salad Greens. (Chicken salad: 3 oz leftover choopped chicken with 1-2 T plain greek yogurt with 1 T chopped apples, 1 T craisins and 2 T chopped celery)

BATT Wrap: Bacon, avocado, turkey and tomato with salad greens wrapped in wheat tortilla. Dip in low fat ranch dressing.

Pulled Pork Sandwich: Shred left over pork loin, toss with BBQ sauce (or have plain), and serve on sandwich thin with carrots and celery on the side.

Dinner

Turkey Tacos: Brown up ground turkey- season with cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic and onion powder- serve with tortillas, brown rice, black beans and salsa.

Turkey Meatloaf: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, brush 1 sandwich thin with olive oil, toast in oven then grind in food processor to make bread crumbs.

Brown 3/4 cup of chopped onion, 3 cloves garlic in pan.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste (or ketchup) and 1/4 cup chicken broth to pan. Mix well, let cool.  

Blend 1 packaged of ground turkey, bread crumbs, and onion mixture in large bowl with 1 egg and italian seasoning.  

Form meatloaf on baking pan, bake in 325 degree F oven for ~60 minutes or until meat has reached 160 degrees F internally.  

Serve meatloaf with steamed veggies or salad.

Roasted Porkloin with veggies and mashed sweet potato

Baked fish with brown rice and salad.

Beef and vegetable stirfry with brown rice

Whole wheat pasta with turkey meatballs

Garlic Lime Crockpot Chicken, serve with salad and steamed veggies

Snacks

1 cup celery sticks with 2 T natural peanut butter

6 oz greek yogurt with SF maple syrup or splenda

2 oz cheese with 1 serving whole wheat crackers

2 T hummus with 1 serving whole wheat crackers

1 serving cereal with 1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup homemade trail mix- any dried fruit and nuts- 1 part fruit to 2 parts nuts

String cheese with fruit

[foodforyears-blog]

why everyone should eat before grocery shopping!

[foodforyears-blog]

High Nutrient 100 Calorie Snacks

100 calorie snack packs are EVERYWHERE! While it is ever-so convient to have pre-portioned snacks readily available, more often than not, these pre-packaged goodies are lacking in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.  Researchers from San Diego State University fed women 2- 100 calorie snacks of dried prunes for 2 weeks then following a flush out period, fed them 100 calories worth of low-fat cookies twice a day for 2 weeks. Incorporation of dried plums or low-fat cookies into the diet did not alter caloric intake or weight; however, compared to cookies, dried plums promoted greater intake of fiber, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and calcium. Total fat intake tended to decrease with dried plum consumption, as did cholesterol intake. Triglyceride concentration remained unchanged by dried plum consumption and was slightly higher after consumption of low-fat cookies vs dried plums at the end of 2 weeks.

What does that mean for you?

Snacking on portion-controlled fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and/or high fiber grains may not contribute to greater weight loss than regular old 100 calorie snack packs BUT they will increase the nutrient content of your daily diet and may improve your health status.  Here are some 100 calorie or less, high nutrient snacks to try:

8 baby carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus

3/4 cup apple slices with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt with 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds

1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon honey

1/2 medium baked potato with 1 tablespoon salsa

2 tablespoons non-fat frozen yogurt spread between 2 graham cracker squares (non-fat frozen yogurt helps increase the calcium and protein content of this snack)

20 pistachios (Khloe and Lamar would agree!)

Frozen Banana Pop (Cut 1 banana in half, put popsicle stick in banana, dip in plain non-fat yogurt and freeze)

1 cup tomato soup (avoid "creamy" tomato soups- they are higher in calories)

1/2 c dry oat squares cereal (look for unfrosted type)

1 cup grapes

Smoked Salmon Pinwheel (1 tablespoon low fat cream cheese spread of one slice of smoked salmon/lox)

1/2 c slow churned ice cream

6 cups microwave popcorn (look for "light" types without added butter)

Mini Quesadilla (1 oz low fat cheddar cheese sprinkled over 1 small corn tortilla and microwaved for ~20 seconds OR until cheese melts)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with a small slice of cantaloupe

3 whole wheat crackers with 1 slice of 2% reduced fat cheese

14 almonds

1/3 cup of edamame (not in shells- eat shells= LOTS of fiber!!)

Blueberry Smoothie (1/2 cup non-fat yogurt + 2/3 cup frozen blueberries + 1/2-1 cup ice)

[foodforyears-blog]

5 100 calorie starbucks treats!

[foodforyears-blog]

Fall Fruits

It's FALL! With the cold months ahead we often look forward to warm, hearty, comforting meals. Fruit is usually associated with the summer months- think juicy sweet watermelon on a hot summer day. Fruits (along with vegetables) are a great source of antioxidants, immunity protecting vitamins, and fiber!

Shopping for the season not only ensures you are getting fresh produce, but it also adds variety to your diet (and it can save you a few $$!).

Here are some fall fruits that can be enjoyed in the cooler months!

Cranberries

The antioxidants in cranberries

May help prevent urinary tract infections and other infection

Have potential to support cardiovascular health and reduction of the risk for some cancers

 Info & recipes for Cranberries: Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association

Figs

Known for their fiber content, figs also contain more calcium, more potassium and more iron than many other common fruits.

Info & recipes for Figs: California Fig Advisory Board

Pomegranates

Naturally low in calories and a great source of fiber.

Vitamin C content can aid in immunity, also high in potassium

Contains 3 types of antioxidants that contribute to its cancer and heart disease preventative properties.

More info & recipes for Pomegranates: POM Council

[foodforyears-blog]

Pantry Must Haves

                           "What's for dinner?" ... "Nothing to make at home."... "Let's just go out..." Sound familiar? Having a well stocked pantry with healthy, versatile ingredients will make preparing dinner less cumbersome. Once in a while, running out of an ingredient will happen, but the point is to avoid having to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things everyday (most of us will end up eating out instead). By always having these basics on hand, eating out can be saved for occassions as opposed to regular occurences! (I shared some of my favorites with you!)

Starches

Whole Grain Cereal: Choose those with <12 grams sugar & >5 gms fiber per serving

Plain oatmeal

100% whole wheat bread: Look for <110 calories & >3 gms fiber per slice

Brown rice

100% whole wheat pasta

Corn tortillas or Whole wheat tortillas

Whole wheat pancake/waffle mix

Fruits & Veggies

Fresh fruits and veggies: Keep on hand a variety of colors

Unsweetened dried fruit & frozen fruit

Fruit canned in own juices

Frozen veggies free of additives: Read ingredients list, purchase those with only the veggie listed

Low sodium canned veggies

Canned diced tomatoes

Fresh lemons & limes for flavoring

 Protein

Fresh and/or frozen lean pork/meats: look for "loin" cuts

Fresh and/or frozen fish

Fresh and/or frozen bonless skinless chicken tenderloins

90-95% lean ground beef

Ground turkey breast- extra lean

Eggs

Turkey bacon

Fat free or reduced fat cottage cheese

Tuna canned in water

Canned beans: black, pinto, kidney

Low sodium deli turkey

Dry roasted, unsalted nuts/seeds: almonds, walnuts, pumpkin, sunflower

Dairy

Skim milk

Low fat or Fat free yogurt

Skim or part skim cheese slices, string cheese

Snacks

Whole grain crackers

Low fat microwave popcorn

Rice cakes

Pretzels

Fats/Condiments

Olive oil

Canola Oil

Non-fat cooking spray

Avocado

Natural peanut butter:only peanuts listed on ingredients

Trans fat-free tub butter

Pepper

Spices-(To start try: Italian seasoning, rosemary, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder- expand as needed)

Mustard

Salsa

Vinegar- balsamic, red wine

Vanilla extract

Sugar-free syrup-maple

Coming up next... 5 day menu using the pantry must haves! Get your pantry stocked and get ready to eat in.

[foodforyears-blog]

thehonestpalate:

Obviously I’ve been into breads lately. I try to use up whole wheat flour quickly because it doesn’t last very long. Plus… PUMPKIN bread.

This recipe is pretty standard, except I threw in a handful of granola at the end. (Honestly, I would have preferred walnuts or chocolate chips but I had...

[foodforyears-blog]

The Good, Bad, & Ugly- Greek Yogurt

The Good, Bad & Ugly- Greek Yogurt

  A growing trend at the grocery stores- Greek Yogurt- is upon us. With popularity comes choice. A few years ago there was basically one type of Greek yogurt on the market, that could be found only at “health food stores.” Today at my grocery store there was an entire refrigerated section devoted to Greek yogurt. Even with my nutrition expertise I am sometimes overwhelmed by the choices. Today I saw at least 4 shoppers buying Greek yogurt for the first time, they looked as if they were trying to read Chinese!  

To make a good choice, you should first understand what all the rave is about…

Nutrition/Health Benefits- Greek yogurt is a concentrated form of traditional cow’s milk yogurt, thus it has 2x the protein per serving. Consumers can still reap all the digestive health benefits from Greek yogurt, it contains similar probiotics as the traditional types.

Weight Loss- High protein= Highly filling. Foods packed with protein make us feel full, longer. They allow us to ward off the in between meals hunger pains, to ultimately control food intake. 

Diversity- Greek yogurt can be enjoyed just like the regular kind- alone with fruit, as a parfait, an ingredient in a homemade smoothie- but also as a low-calorie, low-fat condiment. Plain, unflavored Greek yogurt can be used to substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in your favorite recipe or sandwich!

How to choose... I take 3 factors into effect when picking my Greek yogurt-Usually factors 1 and 2 get me to a decision, factor 3 is more of a tie-breaker.

Sugar/Protein content

Texture/taste

Price   

Based on these factors, my top 2 choices for plain- Fage 0% and Chobani Non-Fat

Both have 100 calories, 0 gm fat and sat. fat, 7 gm sugar and 13 gm protein in 6 oz container

Both have similar textures/tastes, usually I have to go with factor #3 to decide between these 2. 

Other varieties such as Yoplait and Oikos lose out on sugar content and texture.

Choosing a flavored Greek yogurt gets a little more tricky, each brand offers a different variety of flavors- from peach, strawberry, blueberry to pomegranate and lemon. 

My top choices for flavored:

Stonyfield Organic Oikos Vanilla and Chobani Vanilla

These have the lowest sugar content of any variety

11 gm for a 5.3 oz Oikos and 13 gm for a 6 oz Chobani

Now for the bad news… steer clear of these…

Activia Greek wins for most deceiving Greek yogurt. Consumers are drawn in by the digestive health benefits and may fail to realize that… 6 oz of this Greek yogurt (even the vanilla flavor) packs in TWENTY-NINE grams of sugar in 190 calories. 

Fruit on the bottom/fruit/honey flavored varieties- No matter the brand- Fage, Oikos, Yoplait or Chobani- flavored Greek yogurt contains the greatest amount of sugar anywhere from 18 to 31 gm per serving.  

To solve the flavor dilemma consider some of these lower sugar toppings and flavorings:

Vanilla or almond extract

Fresh fruit

Whole grain cereal with almonds or walnuts

Stevia

Other Greek yogurt recipes to try:

Easy Chipotle Dip: http://www.chobani.com/kitchen/detail/id/41

Keep you Warm Carrot Soup: http://www.chobani.com/kitchen/detail/id/5

Banana Bread: http://www.chobani.com/kitchen/detail/id/7

Onion Dip: http://www.fageusa.com/recipes/onion-dip/

Spinach Pie Quesadilla: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/spinach-pie-quesadilla-recipe.html 

[foodforyears-blog]

CPC 2011 Dinner Makeover

Try this dinner make over to clean your plate!  Not only will you eliminate loads of preservatives (see ingredient lists) but you will also save ~154 calories with this meal AND 634 mg of sodium.   

Before:

2 pieces (1 serving)  Gorton's Classic Crunchy Fish Fillets

1/2 cup Creamed Corn 

1 slice Garlic Texas Toast

After:

3 oz Baked tilapia http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/easy-baked-tilapia/detail.aspx

1/2 cup steamed Broccoli http://www.birdseye.com/vegetable-products/steamfresh-pure-simple/broccoli-florets

1/2 cup brown Rice

Nutrition Information Before:

Total Calories: 450  

Fat: 19.5 gm  

Saturated Fat: 5 gm 

Sodium: 1000 mg

Nutrition Information Before:

Total Calories: 296 

Fat: 5.6 gm 

Saturated Fat: 1.6 gm 

Sodium: 366 mg

Ingredients Before: Fish [Pollock, enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (cottonseed, canola soybean and/or rice bran), water, yellow corn flour, sugar, modified corn starch, salt, whey, dextrose, dried yeast, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate), monosodium glutamate, malted barley flour, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed corn gluten, carmel color, autolyzed yeast extract, onion powder, natural flavoring (methylcellulose, colored with paprika, annatto and tumeric extracts), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, rice flour, sodium tripolyphosphate] Corn [Corn, water, sugar, modified corn starch, salt] Toast [Bread made from: unbleached enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, water, contains 2 percent or less of vegetable oils (soybean and canola), high fructose corn syrup, yeast, salt, wheat flour, monoglycerides, datem (dough conditioner), enzyme, ascorbic acid. Spread made from: vegetable oil (palm and soybean), water, salt, dehydrated garlic, contains 2 percent or less of: monoglycerides, nonfat milk, natural flavorings, soy lecithin, garlic extract, fractioned coconut oil, parsley, ascorbic acid, extractives of tumeric and annatto extract.]

Ingredients After: Tilapia [Tilapia fillets, butter, garlic powder, fresh lemon juice, unseasoned panko, Old Bay Seasoning], broccoli, brown rice [Water, brown rice]

[foodforyears-blog]

if only we could all shop with her everyday! 

[foodforyears-blog]

clean plate club 2011

OUT-clean plate club 1989: honorary club for good girls and boys who ate every bite of food on their plate, because, "there are children starving in Africa." (there was never a clean plate club of this sorts at my house...long story, for another post)

The 1989 version of the CPC simply lends itself to overeating and creates bad habits (ie: eating past the point of fullness, ignoring hunger/appetite cues, rewarding those who eat more) that contribute to weight gain.  Also, keep in mind, over the past few decades our plates and portion sizes have grown larger. By eating all the food on your dinner plate, you could be eating a full day's worth of calories!

IN- clean plate club 2011: plate covered with CLEAN food ie: food made by mother nature herself, fresh fruits, veggies, meats, and seasonings.

Today many of us rely on convenience foods to get dinner on the table fast and minimize time in the kitchen.  Now, I'm not asking you to toss out all packaged food but to pick and choose which ones you do use.  

Here are a couple pointers...

Choose more foods with fewer ingredients listed on the nutrition label.

Buy pre-packaged (frozen or fresh) produce to eliminate washing/chopping, just be sure that the only ingredient listed on the back is the actual veggie.

Buy fresh or frozen meats, poultry, and fish that you can add seasonings and herbs to on your own, skip the frozen- precooked stuff.

Skip the "dinner in a box" items (Hamburger Helper, Rice-a-Roni)- opt for a plain whole grain- dinner roll, brown rice or whole wheat pasta instead.

... tune in tomorrow for the CPC 2011 dinner makeover...