"Please Please Me..."

One of my favorite shows on Food Network is one called “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”. Chefs and network stars describe delectable dishes they’ve eaten around the country with mouth-watering adjectives and pictures. The tagline, “What do you like to eat…?” always gets my attention.

But this is not about the amazing, calorie–laden dishes described on the show. This is about clients and friends starting diets or trying to change their eating habits and asking me, “What do YOU eat?” And, although I do indulge from time to time, the foods I eat regularly help keep me on track.

Since I’ve been trying to watch my weight for MANY years, these “go to” foods have evolved and changed over time. When I first met my husband, he was sure I had stock in Ry-Krisp and Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese since that’s what I ate every single day for lunch. That worked until I started teaching and I switched to Rice Cakes and low fat cheese every day with celery and carrots. It was the same with treats. I would count out 15 Snackwell chocolate chip minis and savor each one. Then it was matzo crackers and peanut butter (I’m probably the only person who ate matzo when I didn’t have to). Although I finally overdosed on all of these foods, I do have a new repertoire of healthy and semi-healthy edibles! I know what kinds of flavors, tastes, and textures satisfy me, and having these foods keeps me from going off on an eating binge. I do try to eat whole foods whenever possible, but sometimes I crave a packaged treat. What follows is a list of what keeps me away from the donut shop:

My breakfast faves include:
VitaTops/VitaMuffins (100 cal, 1g Fat, 22 carbs, 4 g protein)

Egg Beater All Natural Egg White original serving size cups- equivalent to 2 eggs (60 cal, 0 fat, 10 g protein)

Special K (120 cal per cup) / Rice Chex (110 cal per cup)

Mini Babybel Cheese(50 cal 3 fat, 0 carb 6 protein)

And, of course, fresh fruit and low fat milk
I usually try to combine a protein, carb and fat first thing in the morning and split my breakfast before and after my workout; opting for more carbs before, more protein after.

Lunch Go-To Foods:
Boars Head All Natural Low Sodium turkey breast (60 cal per 2 oz serving, 1 g fat, 12 g protein).

There are so many versions of English muffins and sandwich thins or flats, but my favorites are Arnold/Oreweat 100 calorie Sandwich Thins (1 g fat, 23 carbs, 4 g protein) or Thomas’s Whole Grain English muffins (110 cal, 1 g fat, 23 carbs, 4 g protein). If you want more information about the different breads and tortillas, go to: http://fitnessbarista.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-like-bread-and-butter.html

Popchips (100 cal for 20 chips 3 g fat) These are the most amazing find for those of us who love chips, don’t want the fried fats, but still want the flavor! They are 1005 potato, but they’re pressed into pellets and then popped. You can evn see how they’re made on this segment from “Unwrapped” :http://www.popchips.com/popchips/what-are-popchips/

Bumble Bee individual water packed tuna 3 oz can (70 cal, 1 f, 0 c, 16 p)

Hellman’s low fat mayo (25 cal per T)
If I’m home for lunch, I literally eat one of two meals. Turkey (or Bumblebee water packed tuna with 1 T low-fat Hellman’s) on an English muffin with 10 counted-out PopChips!

Snacks. Lots of these:
Along with fresh fruit, especially apples and Cuties (clementines), and raw veggies with hummus, I love:
SkinnyPop (39 calories per cup) /Smart Pop (100 calories for individual popped bag. They also make a Kettle Corn 100 calorie Smart pop which my daughter loves. Sweet and salty together. What could be better?). Popcorn fills you up better than crackers or pretzels and provides fiber as well!

Almonds (15 have 96 calories, 8 g fat, 4 g protein), Pistachios (25 have 90 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g protein), and Dried Fruit (low sugar) (Usually ¼ cup has about 120 calories). All of these treats are fine in moderation, but measure carefully. You can get out of control quickly if you’re not careful with portion sizes.

Skinny Cow ice cream treats (100-150 calories). I can resist a heavy dessert knowing I can have one of these treats when I get home!

PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter-Bell Plantation makes this great tasting mix from just peanuts. You add water to reconstitute it and it looks, spreads, and tastes like the real thing with only 45 calories for 2 tablespoons (1.5 g fat and 5 g protein!)

Vitacakes-these are made by the same company that makes Vita Tops and Vita muffins. The fudgy cakes are only 50 calories and they are a GREAT substitute if you’re craving a brownie!

Dark Chocolate- years ago, my friend gave me a jar labeled “Emergency Chocolate” and I took her literally. I allow myself 1-2 pieces of Hershey’s Bliss or Dove dark chocolate (35 calories) when I REALLY need a treat.

Dinner. (Yes, I do cook these days):
Anything (chicken breast, fish, shrimp, lean ground beef, ground turkey) grilled with a little bit of olive oil and Baron’s Seasoning and rubs (Available at Whole Foods)
I always have some sort of salad, even if it’s just sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Dressing on the side is a must and if you just dip your fork before you eat the veggies, you’ll hardly use more than a tablespoon!
Any vegetable (try butternut or acorn squash, beets, brussel sprouts, or cauliflower. Even if you think you don’t like the taste, roasting changes the flavor by caramelizing and can bring out the natural sweetness of the veggies!) roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs (I like thyme, dill, or rosemary with winter veggies).
I still steam green beans and broccoli, but I toss them with shallots or onions. And keep a great shredded parmesan cheese on hand at all times. I recently started using Whole Foods 365 brand (thanks for the recommendation Traci!) and I love the flavor. It’s great to put a teaspoon or so on top of veggies or salads. It adds volumes to the flavor but not a lot of calories!

I do everything I can to try and eat clean most of the time, but I’m also realistic. The best advice I can give anyone is measure your portions and don’t eat anything that doesn’t taste really good to you. Get as much taste and flavor for your calories as you can, and don’t feel guilty if you’re not eating the “perfect” foods. You’ll be much more successful in your weight loss journey if you’re happy with the itinerary!
So now it’s your turn.

What foods keep you on track while you’re losing and/or maintaining your weight?
Comment on this blog, email me at hkraus52@gmail.com, or leave your ideas on my Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fitness-Barista/109305469104168