Food – What to Eat – Part 2 - Snacks

Food – What to Eat – Part 2 - Snacks

This is the second article in a four-part series answering the question, “What do you eat?” and attempting to provide some guidance to those asking for assistance.

Please be sure you have read Food – What to Eat – Part 1 – Breakfast as information is provided that needs to be understood before proceeding to Part 2 – Snacks, Part 3 – Lunch and Part 4 – Dinner/Supper.

It is necessary to restate:

-My success was achieved with approximately 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day with moderate exercise.

-My snacks were usually kept between 100-150 calories so that total snack calories were approximately 300 daily for my three snacks

-Three snacks a day seem to be the choice of many of us who have experienced long-term success.

Here are a few things you may find helpful-

Snacks are as important as the meals we eat; sometimes even more so. Snacks keep our metabolism activated and working to burn calories. They help maintain a “full” feeling, which is beneficial when instituting a successful eating plan and aids in reducing any hunger we may begin to feel prior to our afternoon or evening meal. This additional time allows us to thoughtfully, consciously and healthily prepare our meals without grabbing an unhealthy food, stopping at a fast food restaurant or convenience store on the way home and helps us refrain from tasting many small bites of your afternoon or evening meal as you are preparing it. Remember, those calories add up as well.

Again, these are just samples; pick up packages, read the labels and make your own choices. This is how you will learn to not only broaden your food exposure to new possibilities but you are learning how to change your lifestyle!

• Eat slowly and purposefully

*Enjoy the flavor and the experience of the food you are eating

*Chew your food thoroughly 10-20 times, not 2-3; it takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to realize your stomach is full. In addition, the saliva aids in digestion and helps you feel full.

• Remember, snacks are not meals; they must be limited but they are necessary and crucial to our success.

One of my favorites: Pop a 100 calorie bag of Kettle Korn, open it carefully and drop in 1-2 TBSP of grated parmesan cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Close the bag, shake and then enjoy. I eat each kernel individually and it is a flavorful snack. I eat this when I am craving something crunchy after my final meal as my end of the day snack.

Please be sure to journal everything; it is the only true way to know the total calories you are consuming. It is also important to make an entry as to how you are feeling, i.e. happy, sad, lonely, angry ~ in time, you should be able to see a pattern between your emotions and your eating habits. This then gives us a place to start to address a plan of action to make corrections. I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!! Thank you for allowing us to share in your adventure! Now, go make it your reality!!!

Snack Ideas

Item		Portion		Calories
Egg, boiled		1 lg egg		92
Toast, whole grain, 100% whole wheat		1 slice		100
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray Topping		5 sprays		0
Peanut butter OR		1 ½ tsp		50
Blackberry Jelly		1 ½ tsp		25
Bacon, Ready to Serve, Oscar Mayer		3 slices		70
Coffee		1 cup		0
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate		1 TBSP		30
Oatmeal, regular, quick or instant, cooked		1/3 cup		104
Milk, Cow, Fat-Free, Skim		½ cup		45
Tea (bag, loose, instant), brewed		1 cup		2
Splenda, sugar substitute		1 packet		2
Propel, Mandarin Orange (Various Flavors)		1 bottle (18.9 fl ox)		20
Walnuts, English		½ oz		90
Cashews, dry roasted, no salt added (try curried cashews, they're Great ~ especially combined with dried mangos)		1 TBSP		49
Pumpkin Seeds (and Squash Seeds), dry roasted, no salt		1 ounce		148
Sunflower Nuts, dry roasted, no salt		1 TBSP		47
Soy Nuts, Herbalife		1 package		130
McDonald’s Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, without granola		1 serving		130
McDonald's Side Salad		1 serving		20
McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing		1 serving		40
Espresso Hot, Cinnamon Dolce Latte, Starbucks, with sugar free syrup and non-fat milk, no whipped cream		1 tall (12 oz)		96
Hot coffee, Northern Lite Latte, Caribou Coffee, with sugar free syrup and skim milk, no whipped topping		1 med (1 pint, 4 oz)		123
Cereal, Cheerios, Original OR		1 cup		100
Mini Delights, Cinnamon Streusel, Multigrain Cakes, Quaker		1 individial package		90
Mini Delights, Peanut Butter, Multigrain Cakes, Quaker		1 individial package		90
Popcorn, Kettle Korn, Pop Secret		1 individial package		100
Popcorn, Butter Flavor, Pop Secret		1 individial package		100
Rice Cakes, Caramel Corn, Quaker		1 cake		50
Sour Cream and Onion Toasted Chips, Baked, Ritz		14 chips		130
Banana, fresh		1 small (less than 6" long)		72
Blueberries, fresh		50 berries (2.4 oz)		39
Apple, fresh		1 medium (2 3/4" diameter)		72
Mango, fresh		1 cup		107
Pear, fresh, average all varieties		1 medium		96
Grapes, green or red		10 grapes		34
Watermelon, fresh		1 cup		46
Cantaloupe, fresh		1 cup		54
Peach, fresh		1 medium (2 1/2" diameter)		38
Orange, fresh, average all varieties		1 medium (2 5/8" diameter)		62
Tangerine or Mandarin Orange, fresh		1 medium (2 3/8' diameter)		45
Raisins, dried fruit		50 raisins		78
Mango, dried fruit, unsweetened		1 ounce		21
Creamy Chicken Soup Mix, Protein based, Herbalife (16 g protein, 1 carb)		1 packet		80
Carrots		1 medium (6 1/2" long)		25
Celery		1 medium stalk (7 1/2' long)		6
Tomato		1 medium (2 3/5" diameter)		22
Yogurts, fruit flavored, fat-free		1 container (4.4 oz)		118
High Protein Breakfast Bar, South Beach, Cereal, Chocolate		1 Bar (10 gr protein)		140
High Protein Bar, Herbalife, Deluxe Chocolate Peanut		1 Bar (10 gr protein)		140
Coffee		1 cup		0
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate		1 TBSP		30
Baby Greens, Salad, fresh		3 cups		10
Green onions		2 TBSP		4
Tomatoes		1 thin slice (5 oz)		3
Mushrooms		2 oz		2
Green peppers		1 TBSP		2
Pepper Jack Cheese, 2%, Singles, Kraft		1 Slice		50
Parmesan Cheese, Grated Fresh, Kraft		2 TBSP		20
Swiss Cheese, No Fat, Singles, Kraft		1 Slice		35
Beef Jerky, Jack Link's Original		1 18 oz package		140
Fudgesickles, Blue Bunny, Sweet Freedom		1 Fudgesickle		35
Popsickles, Sugar-Free, Popsickle Brand		1 Popsickle Stick		15
Jello, Flavored, Fat-Free, Sugar-Free		1/2 cup		10

Any ideas you’d like to share? Please place below under comments.

Food – What to Eat – Part 1 - Breakfast

Food – What to Eat – Part 1 - Breakfast

One of the most frequently asked questions is, “What do you eat?” Before discussing this topic at some length, there are a few statements that are important to be made.

*“Diets” simply do not work; the very nature of the word implies the “beginning” and an “end” to a way of eating that has, historically, been unhealthy.

* A lifestyle change is needed to successfully lose weight and keep it off.

* Changing your lifestyle is fun, exciting, rewarding and an exploration into new and heightened flavors, an adventure to new lands through various cuisines that allow for choices that are healthier and more nutritionally sound. It’s all in how you adjust your mind to a positive approach!

* The way I begin to counsel someone is to ask them to create a list of the foods they would normally eat if calories were of no concern. This provides a starting point and allows me to see where their tastes lie. None of us are the same and we must study this and make choices together to be successful.

* Next, we examine those choices and let them guide us in making comparable flavor choices while instituting better preparation choices and learning how to substitute and alter some of the key ingredients that can easily be exchanged for healthier components.

* Following success in changing our thought process about food and evaluating our willingness to look inward to the root of our behaviors, we can move forward in developing and instituting a plan to begin the most rewarding journey of a lifetime.

* Intuitive eating is introduced to assist in making the total transition and is a crucial component for a successful long-term lifestyle change.

*Basically, three meals and three snacks seem to be the choice of many of us who have experienced long term success. Here are a few things you may find helpful.

-Calories in, minus calories used, equals your weight loss/gain.

-Caloric intake must be regulated according to the amount of exercise a person is performing.

-My success was achieved with approximately 1,400 to 1,500 calories a day with moderate exercise.

• My meals were usually kept between 300-500 calories so that total meal calories were 1,200 throughout the day for my three meals.
  
  
• My snacks were usually kept between 100-150 calories so that total snack calories were 300 daily for my three snacks.
  
  
• These figures could fluctuate somewhat so that total calories remained between 1,400 to 1,500 calories.
  
  
• I lost 137 pounds, which averaged 1.67 pounds per week. There were weeks I lost nothing and a few I gained. Losing nothing is still winning! The weight gained was not put on overnight; it should take a respectable amount of time to lose it as well.

-Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! This meal starts your metabolism, which enables your body to begin burning calories. It provides the nutrition to stimulate your thought processes and the stamina to begin your day energized and ready for action!

Item		Portion		Calories
Egg, fried, no added fat		1 lg egg		92
Oils, cooking spray, all varieties		1/3 second spray		2
Toast, whole grain, 100% whole wheat		1 slice		100
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray Topping		5 sprays		4
Bacon, Ready to Serve, Oscar Mayer		3 slices		70
Sea Salt, McCormick Grinder		¼ tsp		0
Fresh Ground Pepper, McCormick Grinder		¼ tsp		0
Coffee		1 cup		0
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate		1 TBSP		30
TOTAL CALORIES				298
Item		Portion		Calories
Oatmeal, regular, quick or instant, Cooked		1/3 cup		104
Milk, Cow, Fat-Free, Skim		½ cup		45
Banana, fresh		1 small		72
Walnuts, English		½ oz		90
Tea (bag, loose, instant), brewed		1 cup		2
Splenda, sugar substitute		1 packet		90
TOTAL CALORIES				403
Item		Portion		Calories
Eggs, scrambled		2 med eggs		140
White toast, reduced calorie		1 slice		45
Peanut butter OR		1 ½ tsp		50*
Blackberry Jelly		1 ½ tsp		25
Hashbrowns		½ c shredded, 2.8 oz		68
Olive oil		1 tsp		39
TOTAL CALORIES				292*
Item(McDonald's)		Portion		Calories
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, without Canadian Bacon		1 (4.3 oz)		290
McDonald’s Minute Maid Apple juice		1 box (6.8 fl oz)		90
TOTAL CALORIES				380
Item (Starbucks)		Portion		Calories
Loaves, mini, no sugar added, whole wheat pumpkin		1 mini loaf (3.4 oz)		250
Espresso Hot, Cinnamon Dolce Latte with sugar free syrup and non-fat milk, no whipped cream		1 tall (12 oz)		96
TOTAL CALORIES				346
Item(Caribou Coffe)		Portion		Calories
Biscotti, original, almond		1 (2 oz)		230
Hot coffee, Northern Lite Latte with sugar free syrup and skim milk, no whipped cream		1 med (1 pint, 4 oz)		123
TOTAL CALORIES				353
Item		Portion		Calories
Cereal, Strawberry Harvest Crunch, South Beach Living OR		1 cup		170
Cereal, Oat Flakes & Wild Blueberry Clusters OR		1 cup		200*
Cereal, Go Lean, Instant Hot OR		1 packet		150
Cereal, Grape Nuts OR		½ cup		200*
Cereal, Cheerios, Original OR		1 cup		100
Cereal, Fruit Harvest, Strawberry/ Blueberry (Kellogg’s)		¾ cup		110
Milk, Cow, Fat-Free, Skim		½ cup		45
Blueberries, fresh		50 berries (2.4 oz)		39
TOTAL CALORIES				284
Item		Portion		Calories
Yogurts, fruit flavored, fat-free		1 container (4.4 oz)		118
High Protein Breakfast Bar, South Beach, Cereal, Chocolate OR		1 Bar (10 gr protein		140
High Protein Bar, Herbalife, Deluxe Chocolate Peanut		1 Bar (10 gr protein)		140*
Coffee		1 cup		0
Creamer, Caramel, Coffee Mate		1 TBSP		30
TOTAL CALORIES				288
Item		Portion		Calories
Eggs, omelet		2 med eggs		140
Green onions		2 TBSP