The Best, great tasing Foods for Dieters (Cont'd)
5. Diet-Friendly Desserts. Lower-calorie and portion-controlled sweets mean that desserts can be part of any weight loss diet. Dieters who crave ice cream love Skinny Cow ice cream cones (150 calories), Edy's Slow-Churned ice cream bars (150 calories), and Fudgsicles (100 calories). Cookie lovers can enjoy Hershey's 100-calorie wafer bars, Teddy Grahams, graham crackers, Fig Newtons, vanilla wafers, or gingersnaps. On the road, try chewing on a piece of sugarless gum or suck on a piece of hard candy to satisfy your sweet tooth without sabotaging your diet. If a small piece won't do it for you, try Nabisco 100-calorie candy bites.
6. Flavored Mustards and Vinegars add sizzle to foods, with few calories. Try honey, tarragon, ginger, garlic, wasabi, or Dijon mustards, or balsamic, wine, herb, cider, fruit-flavored or, sherry vinegars. Use them in place of oil, mayonnaise, or butter in recipes.
7. Light Salad Dressings: Nearly half of the salad dressings you'll see on your grocer's shelves are reduced in calories and/or fat. Use Wish-Bone salad spritzers to lightly mist your salads, or try one of the many light or nonfat salad dressings. Another option is to make your own lower-calorie dressing, using more vinegar than oil, as well as a little water.
8. Cooking Liquids: Dieters have discovered that wine adds wonderful, low-calorie flavor to soups, stews, casseroles, and finishing sauces. Beef, fish, vegetable or chicken stocks come in fat-free varieties and add lots of flavor with very few calories. A secret ingredient to add sweetness to dishes is apple, orange,or pineapple juice concentrate.
9. Frozen Entrees. This is another grocery category that has grown tremendously, as consumers look for quick and easy meals. Sandon recommends the light varieties of frozen foods, such as Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, or Kashi. Read the label, and look for entrees with about 300-400 calories, less than 600 milligrams of sodium, at least 4-5 grams of fiber, and less than 5 gram fat.
10. Beverages. Good old-fashioned water still tops the list of healthy drinks, but when you want something more, try these virtually calorie-free options: flavored waters; powdered packets to mix into bottled water, like Crystal Light and Propel; green, herbal, or exotic teas; coffee; sparkling water; or diet soft drinks. Low-cal options include light beer (100 calories/12 oz.); wine spritzers (100 calories/5 oz.); Starbucks' skinny latte or mocha (90 calories/12 oz.); and the new V8 juice with fiber (60 calories and 5 grams fiber/8 oz.).
11. Bars. Whether you eat them as snacks, pre-workout, or as meal replacements, these bars are the ultimate in convenience. For staying power, look for bars with fiber and protein, such as Luna, Kashi, or Fiber One bars.
12. Dips. Use these nutritious dips for your veggies, pretzels, or baked chips for only 5-50 calories per 2 tablespoons: hummus, salsas; fat-free black bean dip; mustards; and fat-free French onion dip.
13. Breakfast Cereals. Research shows that people who eat breakfast control their weight better than those who skip the morning meal. Start your day the healthy way with a bowl of whole-grain cereal (top it with fruit and low-fat dairy for extra nutrition). Look for cereals with fiber and protein and not too much sugar, like oatmeal (166 calories, 6 grams protein and 4 grams fiber), Kashi Go Lean (110 calories, 8 grams fiber, 13 grams protein), or Shredded Wheat (170 calories, 6 grams fiber, 6 grams protein)
The Basics for Dieters
Convenience foods are great, but it's hard to beat the nutritional goodness of whole, natural foods. "Eating more natural, less processed foods is usually a more nutritious option, but both can fit into a healthy weight loss diet plan," says Sandon.
Here are the four types of food that are the foundation of any healthy diet:
14. Lean protein: Lean protein is important for dieters because it helps you feel satisfied. Excellent sources of low-fat protein include eggs; skinless poultry, edamame or other beans; nuts; shrimp; crab; fish fillets; lean cuts of beef (like filet mignon); and pork tenderloin. When choosing meat, go for lean cuts, trim off all visible fat, and control your portions.
According to the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, you can safely take in 10%-35% of your total calories from protein. So someone on an 1,800-calorie diet could eat up to 157 grams of protein -- the equivalent of 1 cup of skim milk, 1 cup cooked black beans, 2 ounces almonds, 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 2 eggs, 10 ounces of meat or fish, and 1 cup frozen yogurt.
15. Whole Grains. Most whole grains are a good source of fiber, which helps you fill you up. Try the whole-grain pasta blends or Uncle Ben's brown ready rice. Another dieter's favorite is fat-free popcorn -- crunchy, filling, and a whole grain!
16. Fruits. They satisfy your sweet tooth and are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients, yet are low in calories. Keep a stock of fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits on hand, to eat plain or toss into cereal, yogurt, waffles, or batters. Some convenient favorites include frozen berries, dried cranberries, and canned mandarin oranges. Whole fruits are best because of their fiber content, but if you prefer juice, be sure it's 100% juice, and enjoy it in small portions.
17. Veggies. Keep a supply of prewashed mixed greens, shredded carrots, steamed beets, and shredded broccoli slaw on hand for quick and nutritious salads. Roast sweet potatoes for a side dish that needs no topping other than a little salt and pepper. If fresh vegetables tend to become science experiments in your refrigerator, try Birdseye Steamfresh frozen vegetables. Canned vegetables are another option; just rinse thoroughly to reduce sodium. For your lunchbox or a snack, try the convenient packs of assorted veggie sticks with low-fat dip.
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Jacques' parting thought:
For those of you who will be glued to your TV sets to watch the Super Bowl---this entire article (including yesterday's post) is an excellent one to tap for tasty, satisfying and healthy substitutes for the usual calorie-fats-and-sodium-laden snacks, nachos, etc.---and the start of more wholesome eating and drinking habits.
ENJOY!
Your Friend in Better Health,
Jacques
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Courtesy: WebMD.com
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