If you are looking for a delicious little treat that doesn't break the calorie bank I suggest Stoneyfield Farms fat free organic yogurt in the Lotsa Lemon flavor. I love to take this yogurt, put it in a pretty container (if I am at home!) and put add a few chocolate shavings over the top. It it so delicious! Adding raspberries or blueberries on top is also a great way to simultaneously boost the flavor and nutritional content. Yogurt contains live active bacteria that keeps your gastrointestinal tract healthy. It is also a great way to get your calcium in, especially for those people who do not enjoy sitting down for a full glass of milk. Calcium recommendations for those aged 19-50 are 1000 mg/day or 3 servings per day (1 serving = 8 oz milk or 1 cup of yogurt or 1.5 oz of cheese). Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy whenever possible.
I also found this recipe on an online recipe center that I have not tried yet, but will plan to do so and report back. It is easy enough and will make fruit just a little more interesting!
Title: Lemon Yogurt Fruit Dip
Yield: 1 -3/4 Cups
Ingredients
1 8-oz container lemon yogurt
1 8-oz container sour cream
1 ts ginger
1 tb honey
1/2 ts grated fresh lemon peel
1/2 ts lemon juice
InstructionsIn small bowl, combine all ingredients; blend well. Cover; refrigerate 1 to2 hours to blend flavors. (To keep apple, pear or banana slices fromturning brown, slice these fruits last. Toss the slices with orange orgrapefruit juice or dip them in 1 quart cold water mixed with 3 tablespoonsof lemon juice). The dip can be made a day ahead of time; cover andrefrigerate it.Serve dip with assorted fresh fruit such as whole strawberries, pineapplechunks, seedless grapes, melon wedges and apple, pear or banana slices.Garnish the dip with lemon slices or curls of lemon peel.
Nutrition info: Serving size is 1 tablespoon which equals 30 calories; 2gtotal fat, saturated 1g; cholesterol 4mg; sodium 10mg; total carb 2g.Dietary exchanges: 1/2 fat
Source: Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks: _Easiest-Ever Holiday Meals_; Dec1996.
7.31.2008
Brown Bag It
Weekday lunches from home reached an all time high last year. Among consumers who report that they are brown bagging it more often, the primary reason is to save money (93%). The second reason makes me happy, to improve the nutritional quality of their meal (68%). One factoid from this research was that adult males carried brown bags more often than females, although the males bags were mostly prepared by the females in their life! Come on ladies, don't forget about taking care of yourself too, right?!
Take a guess:
The most popular food item in a brown bag lunch is what?
The most popular sandwich in a brown bag lunch is what?
You will have to come back tomorrow for those answers!
Anyways, two of the trends that I try to swear by are becoming more popular as well: nearly 1/2 of all brown bag lunches are prepared the night before and leftovers have been making there way into brown bags more frequently in the past few years.
Here are some tips to make brown bagging work for you:
Take a guess:
The most popular food item in a brown bag lunch is what?
The most popular sandwich in a brown bag lunch is what?
You will have to come back tomorrow for those answers!
Anyways, two of the trends that I try to swear by are becoming more popular as well: nearly 1/2 of all brown bag lunches are prepared the night before and leftovers have been making there way into brown bags more frequently in the past few years.
Here are some tips to make brown bagging work for you:
- Pack the night before: I always encourage my clients to stay one meal ahead, like thinking about breakfast the night before. Now I even encourage them to do the same with lunch. If your morning is anything like mine, it is a race to the door to get on the road, with little time left over for meal preparation. Think about those mornings when you planned on getting your lunch together but found yourself running behind. Do you think it had an impact on your lunch choice that day? Most of the time it makes it harder for us to make healthy choices at that noon lunch hour when we haven't set up a plan in advance. So this week try to brown bag your lunch, even if you only do it 2 days this week, that is still a success! Work up to 5 days as you can.
- Make meal packs on Sunday: Sunday, yes, I know it is the day of rest, but it can also be the day you put forth a little effort up front to set yourself up for a successful week. If this is your normal grocery shopping day it makes it even easier. Before you even put the groceries away make 5 meal packs. For example, take the pint of blueberries and bag out 5 servings for the week. Take the bag of baby carrots and do the same. Try it with triscuits, nuts, dried fruit or even chocolate chips (everybody needs a little chocolate). This helps to cut your prep time down each night.
- Cook up some extras at dinner for leftovers: This has been working great this summer. Each time we grille we grille up a few extra chicken breasts to have on hand for the week.
- Make 1 weekly big bag trip: Take all of your meal packs that you made on Sunday and bring them to work in one big load on Monday morning. Then each night you may only have to think about making your sandwich or prepping your salad for the next day. This makes it so much easier!
A few favs:
- Creative tuna: Tuna can get a little boring after a while. We try to change it up a little bit by adding different spices. Try adding some different spices you have on hand. I also add a little Miracle Whip vs. mayo for a little extra zip, plus red pepper flakes, lemon juice and sometimes a few chopped up banana peppers.
- Rotisserie Chicken Salad: The leftover chicken from the grocery store rotisserie chicken you used on dinner the night before makes a delicious chicken salad sandwich. I add dried cranberries to mine for something different.
- Hard boiled eggs: I bring these from home to put on the salad greens at work.
- Fage Yogurt: My all time favorite yogurt! It is a Greek yogurt so it is thicker and it has 13 grams of protein, so it keeps you feeling full. I highly recommend it!
- Half your portions to get a 2-4-1: Just this week we went out for lunch at work. I got a nice wrap that was way to big to eat all at one sitting, so I bagged up the second half and saved it in the work fridge for the next day. If you aren't able to brown bag it, this tip works really well!
7-Day Goals: Do you have a lunch routine right now? If not, are there ways you can incorporate some of these brown bag techniques into your routine?
Good luck! Remember, eating healthy doesn't mean giving up the foods you love or eating "perfectly". It just means improving a few choices you make each day and adding creativity back into your meals. Each meal you eat try to think of like more of an experience vs. just a means of taking in food. Savor flavors, textures and simply enjoy!
~K
7.30.2008
Freezer Wrap
So, just a quick post to provide an update on the item I mentioned yesterday. The product is called Glad Press'n Seal Freezer wrap. Here is the link to the site so you can learn more about it. I use this product when I get home from the store with any type of meat that I plan on freezing. I immediately breakdown the package of say 3 chicken breasts into their own individual portions. This makes cooking so much easier because I do not have to defrost the whole package for a meal that only requires one portion. We also use it to make individual servings of foods we rarely use, like bacon for example. Every now and again you need a little bacon in your life! You don't want to buy a whole package and then have it sit in your fridge for the next week forcing you to add bacon to every meal so it doesn't go to waste! We use the Press'n Seal to portion out 2-3 slices at a time. It has worked great. Hope you get the same results.
7.29.2008
Fast Food at Home
Sunday is generally a day for cooking and creating the "Sunday Night Supper", but this Sunday I just felt like something fast. I also hadn't been shopping yet, so my cupboards offered slim pickins! This type of situation may lead some to pick up the phone and "order in", but it seems like the tide may be changing. Due to the rising fuel costs and increase in the overall cost of living, more people are saving cash by reinventing the family dinner. A study done by Mintel in January of this year revealed that 72% of those who cook at home do so to save money.
Some people however still find cooking to be a burden. Convenience items tend to be over processed and not necessarily any healthier than convenience foods cooked outside the home. One way to avoid this trap is to make sure that the majority of the foods found within your home cooked meal are from fresh ingredients. Try using only 1-2 convenience item per meal.
Here is what I ended up doing this Sunday for my "Fast Food In" meal that literally took only at most 30 minutes from prep (if you can even really call it that!) to table.
Homemade Honey Mustard Chicken tenders
Frozen mixed vegetables + black beans
Annie's Mac n' cheese
Chicken Tenders: bake in oven at 350 degrees
Cut the chicken into tenders-I generally would get chicken that had already been cut into "tenders", but as I said I hadn't been shopping so I just had chicken breasts. I defrosted 2 of them and cut them into tenders. p.s. I have a favorite item that I use to wrap my meats for freezer storage. I will have to go home and see what it is and write about it another time. It is the best!
Create flavoring-I made a mixture of egg whites (I had a carton of Just Whites on hand) + honey + mustard and whisked it together. I dipped the tenders into the liquid mixture and then dipped it into bread crumbs until it was lightly covered.
Bake-bake for 10-15 minutes (flip half way through).
Voila! You can make your own little dipping sauce with honey and mustard to have on the side as well.
Annie's Mac n' Cheese and the frozen veggies...I hope you know this by now but...just follow the box on those!
All in all this meal provided us with a meal in an instant and because we kept our portions under control and spent at least 20 minutes to eat (helps your brain connect to your stomach allowing you to realize you are full), we were able to take the leftovers and make 2 more meal packs, one for each of us for lunch. We each took in ~400 calories and had ~3 oz of meat (he had a little bit more!).
Total cost came to $9.25 cents for 4 meals ($2.50 per meal)....can't beat that! It also packed a lot less calories and fat than a fast food meal or meal "ordered in" but still felt satisfying.
Here are some tips for keeping a well stocked pantry to help you out in a bind:
-pre-portioned meats-portion them out the day you get them home from the store. You can use the freezer paper that I mentioned above. This saves time and waste because you only need to take out as many as you need for each individual meal vs. defrosting the whole package.
-frozen vegetables-these in fact have been flash frozen so you are getting the same nutrients, possibly more if you are the type of person that leaves your veggies in the crisper so long that they lose some of their nutrient content. Avoid veggies packed in heavy sauces.
-beans
-soups
-pasta
-dry pasta sauce packets-these are often a little high in sodium, but you just add milk and cook in a sauce pan which is great for getting out of the same-ol' red sauce rut!
-frozen veggie burgers
-frozen bread/rolls/English muffins
-condiments for sauces and dressings (honey, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salsa)
7-Day Goals:
Take a peak at your pantry today. Do you have some quick items in there that you could lean back on if you needed to make a meal in a hurry? If not, the next time you go to the store stock up on the pantry items above.
~K
Some people however still find cooking to be a burden. Convenience items tend to be over processed and not necessarily any healthier than convenience foods cooked outside the home. One way to avoid this trap is to make sure that the majority of the foods found within your home cooked meal are from fresh ingredients. Try using only 1-2 convenience item per meal.
Here is what I ended up doing this Sunday for my "Fast Food In" meal that literally took only at most 30 minutes from prep (if you can even really call it that!) to table.
Homemade Honey Mustard Chicken tenders
Frozen mixed vegetables + black beans
Annie's Mac n' cheese
Chicken Tenders: bake in oven at 350 degrees
Cut the chicken into tenders-I generally would get chicken that had already been cut into "tenders", but as I said I hadn't been shopping so I just had chicken breasts. I defrosted 2 of them and cut them into tenders. p.s. I have a favorite item that I use to wrap my meats for freezer storage. I will have to go home and see what it is and write about it another time. It is the best!
Create flavoring-I made a mixture of egg whites (I had a carton of Just Whites on hand) + honey + mustard and whisked it together. I dipped the tenders into the liquid mixture and then dipped it into bread crumbs until it was lightly covered.
Bake-bake for 10-15 minutes (flip half way through).
Voila! You can make your own little dipping sauce with honey and mustard to have on the side as well.
Annie's Mac n' Cheese and the frozen veggies...I hope you know this by now but...just follow the box on those!
All in all this meal provided us with a meal in an instant and because we kept our portions under control and spent at least 20 minutes to eat (helps your brain connect to your stomach allowing you to realize you are full), we were able to take the leftovers and make 2 more meal packs, one for each of us for lunch. We each took in ~400 calories and had ~3 oz of meat (he had a little bit more!).
Total cost came to $9.25 cents for 4 meals ($2.50 per meal)....can't beat that! It also packed a lot less calories and fat than a fast food meal or meal "ordered in" but still felt satisfying.
Here are some tips for keeping a well stocked pantry to help you out in a bind:
-pre-portioned meats-portion them out the day you get them home from the store. You can use the freezer paper that I mentioned above. This saves time and waste because you only need to take out as many as you need for each individual meal vs. defrosting the whole package.
-frozen vegetables-these in fact have been flash frozen so you are getting the same nutrients, possibly more if you are the type of person that leaves your veggies in the crisper so long that they lose some of their nutrient content. Avoid veggies packed in heavy sauces.
-beans
-soups
-pasta
-dry pasta sauce packets-these are often a little high in sodium, but you just add milk and cook in a sauce pan which is great for getting out of the same-ol' red sauce rut!
-frozen veggie burgers
-frozen bread/rolls/English muffins
-condiments for sauces and dressings (honey, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salsa)
7-Day Goals:
Take a peak at your pantry today. Do you have some quick items in there that you could lean back on if you needed to make a meal in a hurry? If not, the next time you go to the store stock up on the pantry items above.
~K
7.24.2008
Weekend Weight Gain
Ahh, the weekend! My favorite time of the week is fast approaching. While it can be the most relaxing, fun-filled few days of the week, it can also be one of the toughest times to stay on track with healthy eating. Lots of good intentions seem to go right down the drain!
New research that came out this month showed that weekend overeating can lead to a gain of nearly 10 pounds a year. Yikes! Participants consistently ate more between Friday and Monday, with Saturday being the most offensive day. Thinking you can just burn off the excess weekend calories back at the gym come Monday morning? Think again. Participants in the group that was encouraged to increase their physical activity, although lost weight during the week, regained that weight each weekend by taking in more calories than they could burn off. The researchers attributed much of the gain to higher fat intake related to fast foods and "junk foods". They also suggested that excess alcohol and sodium intake may play a role with a younger population than the group that they used for this study.
So what can we take away from this? I am certainly not trying to take the fun out of your weekends, just get you thinking a little bit about whether or not your weekends may be a limiting factor in you being the healthiest you can be. Here are some common barriers to healthy eating during the weekend:
-Lack of structured meals-Grazing all day typically leads to taking in more calories than if you had sat down for 3 solid meals. I fall into this weekend trap, a lot! I am so structured during the week, that when the weekends roll around I want to simply veg out. I notice however, that going in and out of the kitchen throughout the day I start picking through the cabinets and I have a little of this and a little of that. Soon enough it is dinner and I haven't really eaten a nice solid meal, just grazed!
New research that came out this month showed that weekend overeating can lead to a gain of nearly 10 pounds a year. Yikes! Participants consistently ate more between Friday and Monday, with Saturday being the most offensive day. Thinking you can just burn off the excess weekend calories back at the gym come Monday morning? Think again. Participants in the group that was encouraged to increase their physical activity, although lost weight during the week, regained that weight each weekend by taking in more calories than they could burn off. The researchers attributed much of the gain to higher fat intake related to fast foods and "junk foods". They also suggested that excess alcohol and sodium intake may play a role with a younger population than the group that they used for this study.
So what can we take away from this? I am certainly not trying to take the fun out of your weekends, just get you thinking a little bit about whether or not your weekends may be a limiting factor in you being the healthiest you can be. Here are some common barriers to healthy eating during the weekend:
-Lack of structured meals-Grazing all day typically leads to taking in more calories than if you had sat down for 3 solid meals. I fall into this weekend trap, a lot! I am so structured during the week, that when the weekends roll around I want to simply veg out. I notice however, that going in and out of the kitchen throughout the day I start picking through the cabinets and I have a little of this and a little of that. Soon enough it is dinner and I haven't really eaten a nice solid meal, just grazed!
- 7-Day Strategy: Stay structured! Stick to 3 meals a day and necessary snacks to avoid grazing. Plan ahead...stay one meal ahead of yourself, so if you know you are dining out that night, plan on having a lighter lunch (by light, I meal lower in calories and fat, but not sacrificing protein which keeps you feeling satisfied).
- 7-Day Strategy: Portion control is key here! Split entrees, take doggie bags, go slow....it takes 20 minutes for you to realize you are full, so give you brain some time to catch up to your stomach. Ask for substitutions-if you can "have it your way" at Burger King, you can have it your way anywhere. Stop before you are overfull-be mindful during the dinner and be aware of the point that you are feeling almost full...stop before you feel like you have overdone it.
- 7-Day Strategy: Eat! Why make it harder on yourself by depriving yourself, just eat!! "Being good" generally backfires, so set yourself up for success by making sure to get protein in before you head out for the night. Protein keeps you feeling full. An idea for a protein snack might be hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese with a little swirl of jam, yogurt, a laughing cow cheese stick, a handful (1 oz) of nuts, a tbsp of peanut butter on a rice cake.
- 7-Day Strategy: Give yourself a little wiggle room! It's okay to indulge, just try to keep it realistic. Everything in moderation. This means splitting the chocolate triple mocha cake with friends or splurging on the Starbucks frappucino with whipped every now and again. Enjoy it during the moment, walk away feeling good and give yourself a break! By allowing yourself to have a little indulgence, you ultimately don't feel deprived and you are more apt to stick with your healthy eating plan in the long run.
7-Day Goals: This weekend, set yourself up for success. Start by asking yourself today, what sort of barriers are common for me during the weekend? Is it traveling or dining out or grazing? Then from there make a plan to set a few positive strategies in motion this weekend. Be mindful and enjoy!
~K
7.23.2008
Spice Rubs to Save Fat
Summer is the best because you can literally enjoy the bounty of your own personal garden! Right now we have giant cucumbers, beautiful yellow squash and a host of other herbs growing in our garden. One of the things that we love to do is grille outdoors on a summer night. Many clients have asked me about the safety of backyard grilling. The American Institute for Cancer Research warns us that grilling animal products (both red and white meat) causes potent carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to arise within food. There is limited evidence that suggests that these can lead to an increased risk of cancer. Now not all foods cooked on the grille produce HCA's and PAH's. Veggies and fruits do not, so all the more reason to pile them on your plate!
The AICR does have suggestions for limiting your exposure to these carcinogens:
-Select smaller cuts of meat, such as kabobs, and limit your portion size.
-Select leaner cuts, to prevent dripping fat from causing flare-ups, which deposit carcinogens on the meat.
-You can also reduce flare-ups by spreading aluminum foil on the grill. Make small holes in the foil to allow fat to drain.
-Try a marinade. Some laboratory research suggests that even briefly marinating meat significantly reduces the formation of HCAs.
-Flip meat frequently, which reduces the amount of carcinogens that arise
Another suggestion that I have to cut the fat in your grilling process is to use more spice rubs. We recently tried this rub on chicken and then topped the chicken with a homemade salsa.
Caribbean Spice Rub (source Fine Cooking):
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
Homemade Fresh Salsa:
chopped tomato, chopped red onion, chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro (from the garden!), the juice of a lime.
Grilling veggies on the grille is another great idea. In my personal opinion, there is no better way to cook corn on the cob than by putting it on the grille! Keep the corn in their husks for the first 10-15 minutes on the grille, then de-husk and place the corn back on the grille and baste it with the sauce mixture below. This really spices it up and the contrast of the paprika and honey is out of this world!
Corn on the cob sauce:
butter (a little fat never hurt anyone!), paprika, pepper, salt and honey.
7-Day Goals:
Today try to think of a few ways that you can creatively add flavor without adding fat. If you have a garden, make sure to use some of your spices with dinner tonight. Here is an idea: pick a few veggies from your garden or if you don't have veggies only herbs, get a few veggies from the store, steam them up, splash them with a mixture of lemon juice and your fresh herbs. What a way to enjoy the summer flavors with out the fat! Be creative today!
~K
The AICR does have suggestions for limiting your exposure to these carcinogens:
-Select smaller cuts of meat, such as kabobs, and limit your portion size.
-Select leaner cuts, to prevent dripping fat from causing flare-ups, which deposit carcinogens on the meat.
-You can also reduce flare-ups by spreading aluminum foil on the grill. Make small holes in the foil to allow fat to drain.
-Try a marinade. Some laboratory research suggests that even briefly marinating meat significantly reduces the formation of HCAs.
-Flip meat frequently, which reduces the amount of carcinogens that arise
Another suggestion that I have to cut the fat in your grilling process is to use more spice rubs. We recently tried this rub on chicken and then topped the chicken with a homemade salsa.
Caribbean Spice Rub (source Fine Cooking):
1 Tbs. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
Homemade Fresh Salsa:
chopped tomato, chopped red onion, chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro (from the garden!), the juice of a lime.
Grilling veggies on the grille is another great idea. In my personal opinion, there is no better way to cook corn on the cob than by putting it on the grille! Keep the corn in their husks for the first 10-15 minutes on the grille, then de-husk and place the corn back on the grille and baste it with the sauce mixture below. This really spices it up and the contrast of the paprika and honey is out of this world!
Corn on the cob sauce:
butter (a little fat never hurt anyone!), paprika, pepper, salt and honey.
7-Day Goals:
Today try to think of a few ways that you can creatively add flavor without adding fat. If you have a garden, make sure to use some of your spices with dinner tonight. Here is an idea: pick a few veggies from your garden or if you don't have veggies only herbs, get a few veggies from the store, steam them up, splash them with a mixture of lemon juice and your fresh herbs. What a way to enjoy the summer flavors with out the fat! Be creative today!
~K
7.21.2008
Pre-Dinner Snack
I don't know about you, but after my long commute at the end of the day I find myself scrounging for anything I can get my hands on when I walk in the door. If there are foods in the house that are considered "tempting" treats like chocolate, cookies, chips and dip, forget about it! It is inevitable that those are the foods that my stomach will push me to consume! My brain knows that there are healthier options but my stomach rules when I have let myself get to the point of being over hungry.
Have you noticed this before? Think back on a few times when you found yourself elbow deep in a bag of salty chips or standing punching in the numbers on a vending machine, desperate for the Milky Way about to drop. If you can, think about what might have led to those types of "stomach based" decisions.
There comes a point at which you get so hungry that your natural drive to eat literally takes over and certain hormones even kick in, inducing cravings for high calorie, high fat, high sugar snacks. Using your better judgement during a time of extreme hunger is more often than not out of the question.
Here are a few reasons why you may find yourself in this predicament:
-You have skipped a meal to "be good"or save up calories for an event that night (dining out for example).
-You have unknowingly missed a meal because you were preoccupied with a task.
-You did not eat enough at your previous meal, leaving you unsatisfied and hungry a short time later.
Here are a few tips and solutions to avoid these situations:
-Go no longer than 3-4 hours between meals to keep hunger manageable.
-Get a balance of protein (meats, nuts, peanut butter, eggs), carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cereal) and fats (oils, spreads) at each meal. A balanced meal or snack helps keep you satisfied between meals so that you are not poking around in the fridge a half an hour after your meal.
-Do not skip meals (especially breakfast) in an attempt to take in less calories. Studies show that people who skip end up taking in more calories throughout the rest of the day, and sometimes even more calories than if they had simply eaten a balanced meal. You are only making it more difficult on yourself to make good decisions if you leave yourself over hungry.
-Plan ahead for your trouble times. I learned that my most troublesome time was when I first got home at the end of the day. Now on my way home I start thinking about what I will eat when I come through the door. This eliminates me having to browse through the cupboards, munching on various snacks as I decide what the best one will be! Determine if you have a pattern and if there is a consistent time of day you find that you make decisions solely based on your stomach, not your brain.
-You may even try making snack packs that are ready when you get home or that you eat on the way home. This also takes the guesswork out of it.
-Keep the foods that you tend to overeat or find "tempting" OUT OF THE HOUSE! If you get home and there are only healthy options to snack on, you are one step ahead of the game.
Here is a great pre-dinner snack idea:
-List: hummus (I prefer Cedars), tabbouleh, salsa, baby carrots, celery, tortilla chips, seasonal fruit, cucumbers.
-Scoop out the ingredients into their own individual serving dishes (I use my ramekins because they are just the right portion) and arrange the baby carrots, celery and tortilla chips out on a serving dish. Just by making the "pre-dinner spread" a little bit fancier, it actually makes it more satisfying. It forces you to be mindful and eat slowly, enjoying each bite.
-All of these options are low-fat, low-calorie, high nutrient, high fiber foods, so you can feel good about this snack, while also feeling satisfied.
7-Day Goals:
Think about your trouble spot in your day where you might fall prey to "stomach" hunger decisions vs. well planned food decisions based on your brain. What can you do today to prevent yourself from getting too hungry?
All the best!
~K
Have you noticed this before? Think back on a few times when you found yourself elbow deep in a bag of salty chips or standing punching in the numbers on a vending machine, desperate for the Milky Way about to drop. If you can, think about what might have led to those types of "stomach based" decisions.
There comes a point at which you get so hungry that your natural drive to eat literally takes over and certain hormones even kick in, inducing cravings for high calorie, high fat, high sugar snacks. Using your better judgement during a time of extreme hunger is more often than not out of the question.
Here are a few reasons why you may find yourself in this predicament:
-You have skipped a meal to "be good"or save up calories for an event that night (dining out for example).
-You have unknowingly missed a meal because you were preoccupied with a task.
-You did not eat enough at your previous meal, leaving you unsatisfied and hungry a short time later.
Here are a few tips and solutions to avoid these situations:
-Go no longer than 3-4 hours between meals to keep hunger manageable.
-Get a balance of protein (meats, nuts, peanut butter, eggs), carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cereal) and fats (oils, spreads) at each meal. A balanced meal or snack helps keep you satisfied between meals so that you are not poking around in the fridge a half an hour after your meal.
-Do not skip meals (especially breakfast) in an attempt to take in less calories. Studies show that people who skip end up taking in more calories throughout the rest of the day, and sometimes even more calories than if they had simply eaten a balanced meal. You are only making it more difficult on yourself to make good decisions if you leave yourself over hungry.
-Plan ahead for your trouble times. I learned that my most troublesome time was when I first got home at the end of the day. Now on my way home I start thinking about what I will eat when I come through the door. This eliminates me having to browse through the cupboards, munching on various snacks as I decide what the best one will be! Determine if you have a pattern and if there is a consistent time of day you find that you make decisions solely based on your stomach, not your brain.
-You may even try making snack packs that are ready when you get home or that you eat on the way home. This also takes the guesswork out of it.
-Keep the foods that you tend to overeat or find "tempting" OUT OF THE HOUSE! If you get home and there are only healthy options to snack on, you are one step ahead of the game.
Here is a great pre-dinner snack idea:
-List: hummus (I prefer Cedars), tabbouleh, salsa, baby carrots, celery, tortilla chips, seasonal fruit, cucumbers.
-Scoop out the ingredients into their own individual serving dishes (I use my ramekins because they are just the right portion) and arrange the baby carrots, celery and tortilla chips out on a serving dish. Just by making the "pre-dinner spread" a little bit fancier, it actually makes it more satisfying. It forces you to be mindful and eat slowly, enjoying each bite.
-All of these options are low-fat, low-calorie, high nutrient, high fiber foods, so you can feel good about this snack, while also feeling satisfied.
7-Day Goals:
Think about your trouble spot in your day where you might fall prey to "stomach" hunger decisions vs. well planned food decisions based on your brain. What can you do today to prevent yourself from getting too hungry?
All the best!
~K
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