Food Fridays - Tips on Making Healthy Restaurant Choices

We are in the throws of the holiday season. Many of us will eat out far more during the holiday season than what we normally do, with office lunches, special dinner celebrations and holiday parties. It's difficult to maintain weight loss with all of this dining out. But, it CAN be done and it CAN be delicious!

Here are a few tips I've come up with from my experience over the last few months.

1. Select a lean protein. This sounds simple but once looking at a menu it can feel a bit overwhelming. Grilled or broiled fish or chicken are safe bets. I also always request that no butter or oil be used in preparation, but ask if they will please use any other non-fat based seasonings.

2. Keep your sides to fresh fruit and/or veggie selections. Most restaurants have some type of fresh produce selection. It may be a salad but just beware of added items on the salad like cheese, meats, eggs, dressings as these can really add up to being a lot of fat. If the salad is the meal, great but if the salad is a SIDE, try to keep it as such.  Better yet, venture out of your "normal" zone and order some fresh grilled vegetables (again, ask for no oil or butter), have a sweet potato, baked potato or stick with a selection of fresh fruit. If the fruit is a "fruit salad" ask if it was prepared fresh or if it was delivered frozen. Many of the "frozen fresh" fruits often have added sugar.

3. Let the water flow like a river. Drink plenty of water before and during your meal. It really helps when you are trying to maintain portion control. 

4. Stay away from fried foods and appetizers. Your worst enemy at these dinners are the apps that come out before the meal. Breads and deep fried foods have a way of making it to the table in large quantities at these functions. These foods can often equal more calories than the meal itself! Some even equal more calories than the recommended daily input! This is where mingling, chatting and socializing can help - the more you chat it up the less likely you will be to consume all those goodies prior to the main course.

5. Maintain portion control. If you are at location that is known for large portions, ask for a to go box when your meal comes to the table. Decide how much your serving will be and then box up the rest BEFORE you start eating. Selective memory can change the history of your meal quickly. Two or three extra bites can take you down a path of consuming the entire plate of food before you realize it. Avoid this. If you don't want to take the remaining food with you, "accidentally" forget it at the table when you leave. I often take it with me. Sadly, there are many that are less fortunate that are hard to miss while traveling through town. I usually give my to go boxes to those that I see standing at the intersections.  They get a decent meal and I don't feel obligated to eat the left overs.

I've been practicing this for a while now and honestly, it works. I have been seeing losses on the scale, even on weeks when eating out was more frequent than usual.

Do you have any tips you can share on what you do while out to lunch or dinner?  What are some of your favorite healthy selections?

Food Fridays - The Skinny on Carbs

As many that follow me know, I am currently going to school to become a Registered Nurse. One of the classes necessary to even be considered for a nursing program is Clinical Nutrition for Medical Professionals. I took the class over a year ago and I must say, it has been one of the most valuable classes I have ever taken.  If you have a few extra bucks and a little bit of time, I encourage you to enroll in your local community college and take this class.  In a matter of months you will have a whole new understanding about how we fuel our bodies!

One of the most important things you can do for your health is to properly fuel your body. Consider what happens if you put gasoline into a car that is too rich; deposits form in the engine and over time, build up. Once a threshold has been exceeded - the car stops running.  Consider what happens if you fail to fuel it at all - or you replace the gasoline with some other compound - again, the car stops running. For optimal performance the vehicle needs the correct fuel with the correct composition.

Our bodies aren't much different than that. We, like the rest of the organisms on earth, use glucose as our basic energy source. We cannot live without it.

When we consume carbohydrates, they are broken down to glucose which in turn fuels our bodies. Any glucose that is not used is then stored as glycogen in our liver and our muscles as an energy reserve.  However, that energy must be used, otherwise, where is it stored?  EVERYWHERE!  It is converted to fat and stored all around the body. So when we say that cupcake is going straight to our ass - we are more than likely correct!

So this is where the type of carbohydrate that is consumed comes in - as it really is of utmost importance.  We all hear the talk about how great whole grains, high fiber, whole wheat is (all complex carbohydrates), but do we really know why?  A complex carbohydrate is a long chain of glucose molecules. Our bodies must work, using energy, to break the bonds of the compound to make it in the form our bodies can use.  Fiber is basically wood.  Since our bodies cannot break it down, the ruffage is used as a "scrubber" to clean our intestinal walls taking with it bacteria, toxins and cholesterol. It also acts as a filler and we don't get hungry as quickly.  A simple carbohydrate is like having an injection of straight glucose - we don't need to work to put it into a usable form and in turn, use it (or store it) faster. 

If we run into a situation where our bodies are not receiving enough carbohydrates to fuel the body, it then begins to use the glycogen reserves; however, these usable reserves are not plentiful. Once depleted, the body then goes into a cycle of turning protein and lipids (fat) to glucose.  Ideally, we need to minimize the amount of protein converted - as protein is our muscle. Muscle waste, while does show large weight losses, is not healthy weight loss. 

When we convert fat to glucose byproducts (ketones) are produced.  This is why slower weight loss is advised.  High levels of ketones for an extended period of time can be dangerous.  The more fat converted to glucose and burned, the more ketones produced.

While there is a lot of information out there about "low carbohydrate diets" or "no carbohydrate diets" and even some diets recommending a constant state of ketosis - I can honestly say I know better than to buy into the hype after receiving formal education on the topic.

The reason I write this is there is a lot of hype about carbs. It is thought that carbs are "bad for you."  That simply isn't the case!  We NEED carbs in our diet to survive.  However, it is not an all or nothing deal.  Complex carbs, high fiber, lean proteins and lower fat intake is absolutely the way to go.  Balance is key.

Food Fridays: Substitutes!

With the increasing popularity of the book series, Eat This Not That, I thought it might be a nice time to share some of the substitutions for key ingredients in recipes. 

Bacon.  If your grandmother was anything like my grandmother, most vegetables were smothered with a rich, smokey bacon taste. Green beans, bacon!  Spinach, bacon!  Cabbage, bacon!  Greens, bacon!  Now, I can't say I feel I need that bacon taste on all these veggies and most of the time I am perfectly fine without adding anything at all - I like most of my veggies steamed, no salt, no butter, no nothing.  It's taken a little while to develop the appreciation of naked brussels sprouts, but they really are delicious in a lonely state.  However, this weekend I'm making a big pot of green beans and potatoes.  I want to make it in the way my grandmother did, with bacon or a ham hock but without the fat that goes along.  So, I'll be using canadian bacon.  The key with canadian bacon is to chunk it up and add it close to the end of the cooking process.  I've used this in potato soup and it had that same smokey rich flavor but without the added fat! 

Mayonnaise.  Potato salad, macaroni salad, tuna salad - all of these yummy dishes are laced with fat from the mayonnaise.  There are a few different options for a mayo substitute in salads.  One is an olive oil mayo which has far less fat than the conventional mayo (and the fat from the olive oil is a healthier fat) or YOGURT!  Plain, non-fat yogurt can be a fantastic substitute for regular mayo in salads. I even give it a couple shakes of the hidden valley ranch mix (not a lot) which gives it a more seasoned taste.  Delicious for macaroni salad!  You could even try some greek yogurt as a special treat.  

On a sandwich, I've made a point to purchase some high quality seedy mustard.  By using just a touch of this mustard in place of the mayonnaise, I have tons of flavor and I don't miss the mayo at all.

Flavor for fat. As cooler weather approaches, I yearn for some of those fall favorite crock pot dishes; beans, stews and soups. Often these dinners are prepared with high fat meats that cook all day long. Rather than adding stew meat or ham hocks, I choose a lean cut of meat, fat free chicken broth and then finish it off with fresh rosemary and thyme for a stew or fresh cilantro for beans. In addition to the healthy benefits, I find I prefer the flavor of the fresh herbs over the high fat options and the added bonus is no more heartburn!

What are some substitutions you have adopted into your everyday cooking? 

Food Fridays - You Have to Eat to Lose

To lose weight, you must EAT.  I've put together a "day in the life" type presentation to share one of my average days.  I did not include points or measurements, but this gives a basic idea.  Enjoy!

Please note, after clicking the play button, click more and autoplay for the presentation to advance automatically.

The Average Daily Menu on Prezi

Food Fridays - Products for the Busy Life

I try to eat fresh, frequently.  It's healthier and it typically tastes better, but there are those days that life is just too hectic to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  I've found a few products that help me get through those extremely busy days, on plan, and without much fuss.  On days like that, I need dinner ready, start to finish, in under 10 minutes.  It takes more than 10 minutes to run through a drive-thru!  I try to keep a couple of these items in my fridge or freezer at all times so we can pull together a quick meal in a pinch.

Steamfresh Brown Rice - I've never been a brown rice fan.  It seemed each time I ate it I had to just choke it down.  Eventually, I stopped buying brown rice all together because I just couldn't do it anymore.  Then I saw Steamfresh Brown Rice in the freezer section. I decided to give this a shot.  I am so glad I did!  It doesn't have any additives and it really is so good.  In 4 1/2 minutes I have rice ready to go.  Steam in the bag and take to the table - it's that easy.  We often throw some lean pork, fish or chicken on the grill, steam the brown rice, steam some veggies in the microwave and dinner is done!  In less than 10 minutes, start to finish a healthy meal is on the table.  WW Points- 2pts per serving.

al fresco All Natural Chicken Sausage - This is an all natural, lower fat, sausage.  With a variety of flavors, the meal options are endless.  They cook in minutes and are absolutely delicious.  I recently made the Sweet Italian Style with frozen peppers and onions, a can of diced tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano.  We put them on lite wheat hot dog buns and topped with low fat Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.  It was like having an Italian Sausage sub without all the fat.  Pair that with a salad and you have one fast, fantastic dinner!  WW Points - 3pts for 1 sausage

BallPark Smoked White Turkey Franks - No, we don't eat a lot of processed meats but this one needs a mention.  Let me first start by saying, these are not as good on the grill, the flavor just isn't there for that; however, they are fabulous wrapped in a reduced fat crescent roll and baked in the oven!  Pigs in a blanket in about 15 minutes!  The kids love them, they are much, much healthier than eating the high fat option and really do taste just as good (when done in the oven and wrapped in flaky goodness).  Because I do have children I attempt a "fake junk meal" each week just so they do get their hot dog, chicken nugget, pizza fix - but done in a healthy way.  So if you have a craving for a hot dog (admit it, we all get that craving) - pick these up with some reduced fat crescent rolls and enjoy!  Don't forget the mustard!  WW Points - 1pt for 1 frank or 3pts for 1 Pig in a Blanket

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Sante Fe Rice and Beans - Throw one of these in the microwave, open a can of black beans, fat free sour cream, lettuce shreds, diced tomatoes and some high fiber tortillas and you have burrito night!  It's fast, easy and so delicious!  You don't have to use much of the frozen entree for filling, so you can make burritos for the whole family.  It's one of our favorites and can easily be prepared in less than 10 minutes.  WW points - 4pts for 1 burrito (when divided by six burritos)

Food Fridays - Potato and Canadian Bacon Slow Cooker Chowder

This recipe is from the Weight Watchers site and linked below.
 Course: soups
POINTS® Value:    3
Servings:  6
Preparation Time:  25 min
Cooking Time:  360 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy
Works with Simply Filling

This rich, chunky chowder is extremely satisfying. Lean Canadian bacon gives it great flavor without much fat.

Ingredients

	2 cup(s) potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
	1 large carrot(s), diced
	1 cup(s) leek(s), chopped, white part only
	1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
	4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
	1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
	1 piece(s) bay leaf
	1/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	4 oz Canadian-style bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
	1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
	2 oz fat-free half-and-half

Instructions

• In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, leek, garlic, broth, barley, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and bacon; cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
  
• Stir in evaporated milk and half-and-half; heat through, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.

Click here to view recipe at weightwatchers.com, read reviews or learn more about the program.

This potato soup was one of the best I've ever had.  It was so easy to make, extremely filling and had a VERY low points value considering the quantity.

While it's not really fall-like where I live, this would be perfect on a cool fall day!  Enjoy!

Food Fridays - Four Products I Can't Live Without

Each Friday is Food Fridays!  These blog entries will include product suggestions, recipes, tips and techniques that I have used.

This week I'm going to share four of the products that are "must have's" in my house each week.  You can click the name of each product to view their website for more information.

Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch Salad Dressing
I prefer ranch dressing.  I can't help it.  I simply don't like any other dressing.  Obviously, this preference is not typically conducive to weight loss.  The low fat and lite dressings by  most of the salad dressing companies just taste sour or sweet.  Bleh!  But, I've found the one! This is by far the best "lite" ranch dressing I have found.  By using yogurt, the fat is cut by over half when comparing to a regular ranch dressing and it tastes fabulous!!  It is found in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket and is slightly more money than the regular ranch, but well worth it!

Weight Watcher's Point Value = 1pt for 1 Tbsp or 2pts for 2 Tbsp

(If you dip your fork in your salad dressing rather than pouring it on, 1 Tbsp is plenty!)

VitaTops 100 Calorie Muffin Tops
The only word I can use to express how good these are is: heavenly!  They are packed full of nutrition.  Made with organic sugar and whole wheat flour, you can't go wrong.  You can find Vitatops in an assortment of flavors (my favorite is Deep Chocolate) in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Weight Watcher's Point Value = 1pt each

Peter Pan Whipped Creamy Peanut Butter
You don't have to give up peanut butter to lose weight! A great source of protein and such an easy snack, I love peanut butter.  But it typically is a high point value food.  I found this peanut butter to spread so easily, because it is whipped, that I can use far less than the normal serving size.  Additionally, it is reduced sugar which has decreased the calorie count.  I often spread one Tbsp on my vitatop muffin to add some protein to my snack.  The two go so well together.  It's like eating a large peanut butter cup with 0 guilt (not that I subscribe to the guilt about eating thing). :)

Weight Watcher's Point Value = 2pts per 1 Tbsp, 4pts for 2 Tbsp

Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidants - Chocolate Peanut Butter
While we are on the chocolate peanut butter kick, let me just say that these snack bars are the absolute best ever.  With 35% of your daily fiber requirements, they are perfect for that 2pm sweet craving that sends you searching the office for candy!

Weight Watcher's Point Value = 2pts per bar

These items are stocked in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry at all times!

What items have you found really help you along the way?  What are some of your favorite healthy snacks?

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