Top Reason To Use a Food Scale

There are many food scales out there that have a million different functions from weighing food to breaking down the nutritional components (ie. number of carbohydrates, etc).  While the extra functions are worth while, the top reason to use a food scale is to be able to figure calories, especially if you are looking for weight loss.  Even though the extra functions may be beneficial to some, we teach our patients to utilize a food scale for most foods to determining calories.  

Take a banana for example.  If you look a banana up in any calorie book it will say size: medium calories: x.  Someone please tell me what a medium sized banana is! My medium is different from your medium and the book may say 6-7" but not all bananas are the same girth.  The way to solve this problem is to weigh the banana and calculate the number of calories per ounce or gram and then the number of calories for the entire banana.  A much more accurate way to take a measurement.  We know estimating is key, but we are not always good estimators if we don't have reference for which we are estimating.  Bananas being easy to travel with and one of the more popular fruits are also one of the most calorie-dense fruits.  If we underestimate and consume a lot of them, we could be making a very inaccurate estimate.  This inaccuracy becomes a real problem when it happens over and over again or with foods that can be higher in calories like meat. 

We recommend a standard digital scale that you can get at any department store for around $20-$30 like this one below.  However, if you look HERE, there are a million different types and styles. 

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Use the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference to assist you in your quest for accurately measuring calories.  The example in the link is the banana.  The gram measurements are much more accurate than size measurements.  

Thanksgiving Foods Modifications & Substitutions for a Lower Calorie Day

After researching the top 10 Thanksgiving Day foods here is the list I have come up with:
1. Turkey
2. Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
3. Ham
4. Pumpkin Pie
5. Cranberry
6. Green Bean Casserole
7. Sweet Potatoes
8. Rolls
9. Stuffing/Dressing
10. Macaroni & Cheese

Considering the average American consumes ~4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day from these foods and others, we have to come up with modifications, substitutions or decide to eliminate some of the foods altogether.  I'm not one for eliminating foods so we will try to focus on modifications or substitutions. 

1. Turkey-preparation is key with saving calories on turkey.  Be sure to bake NOT fry! Remove the skin which contains most of the fat (calories).  Don't smother in gravy (200 cals per 1/4 cup)-use sparingly if at all. 

2. Mashed Potatoes-utilize your biggest asset when it comes to saving calories and getting nutrition, the Health One Meal Replacement (HOMR).  This recipe is delicious and uses only a fraction of the calories with the same great taste.  If you aren't going to be using the HOMR, use pepper & Mrs. Dash to flavor and next the butter, heavy cream, and sour cream to save calories.

3. Ham-similar to turkey, saving calories on ham comes from selection of the ham and preparation.  Select a ham that is lean, be sure to bake & don't add any "special" (key word for calorie-loaded) sauces/glazes like brown sugar or honey, etc.  Trim the visible fat before eating to save additional calories

4. Pumpkin Pie-since pumpkin pie is the 'dessert of choice' for many on Thanksgiving, portions are key!  Instead of having 1/6th of the pie (or more) enjoy a small slice, consider 1/12th, of the pie to save calories instantly but still enjoy the taste of traditional pumpkin pie.  Or, you could opt to make "Crustless" Pumpkin Pie or the Pumpkin Roll from the HOMR to provide at least 25% of your daily nutrition needs while saving on calories. 

5. Cranberry-usually served sliced from the can which can cost as much as 420+ calories per cup! Even though you may not eat 1 cup, consider an alternative like sugar-free cranberry jello that is 20 calories/cup.  Or, make your own sugar-free cranberry sauce that uses fresh cranberries and a sugar substitute to save calories. 

6. Green Bean Casserole-easiest solution is keeping those non-starchy veggies naked and with out sauce to save calories.  Try instead flavoring with minced onion and garlic, Mrs. Dash, and pepper and leaving the bacon/ham, cream of "whatever" off, as well as the fried crunchies on top.  You'll be satisfied knowing your green beans are 35-40 calories per cup instead of ~100 per cup.

7. Sweet Potatoes-similar to green beans in that they are great to add to the meal plan, but not so great when they are loaded with sugars/brown sugars, syrups, marshmallows, and butter!  Sure they taste good, but can clock in at over 350 calories per 1/2 cup especially when you add the pecans on top.  All you need to do is bake a sweet potato and top with cinnamon, spray butter, and a sugar substitute, if desired, and voila you have reduced calories and put in less work.

8. Rolls-Another "costly" calorie food (up to 250-300 per roll with butter and/or jelly) readily served at Thanksgiving. Tip to save calories = eat only 1 or 1/2 of one and limit toppings & stay AWAY from the ROLLS!

9. Stuffing/Dressing-portion size is again the biggest solution to still be able to enjoy but not pack on tons of calories.  Traditional stuffing or dressing include lots of bread, eggs, butter/fat, sometimes meat, and sometimes vegetables so it all depends on what you are including in your dish.  Use a recipe you can trust to provide lower calories such as Hungry Girl's "Save the Day Stuffing"! In this recipe she uses light bread, lots of low-calorie veggies & egg beaters to keep the calories low.

10. Macaroni & Cheese- Starch and fat = perfect combination for high calories! Limit portion size, but also consider using spaghetti squash and a low-fat cheese (like cheese wedges) to save calories.  Also consider adding broccoli or other vegetables that can be found in this Hungry Girl's "Too-EZ Mac 'n Cheese" Recipe.

It's harmless to get your Thanksgiving Day top 10 food list in shape and you might even find a few recipes that you would like to use each year.  Try to fool family members with lower-calorie versions, but don't fool yourself into thinking that not counting or tracking the calories is a good idea.  After all 3,500 calories can quickly add up!

Be Informed About McDonald's (weight) Gain-opoly

Be Informed about McDonald's (weight) Gain-opoly:
*your best chances are winning $50 cash (1 in 61,811 people) and
*your worst chances are winning $1 million (1 in 618,106,20 people)....
Read HERE for other chances to win & odds ratios.

But the GREATEST chance is gaining weight from the selections you have to make to 'play-the-game':
...
Quarter Pounder w/Cheese: 510 calories
Big Mac: 540 calories
Large Fry: 500 calories
20 piece Nugget: 940 calories (10 piece = 470 calories)
Filet o Fish: 380 calories
Hash Brown: 150 calories
McCafe Drinks: 300-600+ calories
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: 290 calories
McMuffin (egg or sausage): 300-400 calories

Which seems like the greatest chance of WINNING to you? Being 1 out of 60,000 people to win $50 (especially when you will probably spend more than $50 trying to win) OR avoiding the food that will only rack up calories and provide minimal nutrition? 

Don't play games with your weight loss or health!

       

Don't Ignore the Calories in Fruits & Vegetables

A recent study in the Obesity Journal provided either solid fruits/vegetables or fruits/vegetables in juice form to the study participants (half the participants were lean and half were overweight/obese).  After 8 weeks of consuming the solid fruits/vegetables the lean participants compensated for the extra food by cutting other foods out of their diet and gained no weight while the overweight/obese participants given solid fruits/vegetables did not compensate and gained 4 pounds.  When the participants were given the same amount of calories (roughly 20% of total intake for the day) in juice for 8 weeks, the lean participants gained 3.5 pounds and the overweight/obese participants gained 5 pounds!

Concluding evidence that solid fruits and vegetables or fruits and vegetables in whole form are better for weight maintenance or weight loss than juices.  However, if extra calories are not compensated for-even from whole fruits and vegetables- weight gain is probable.  What does this mean?  If you eat too many calories from fruits and vegetables or anything that is 'good' for you, you could potentially gain weight.  Key point....Calories Matter....so make sure you are counting them!

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Weight Loss and Nutrition Tracking Tools

      Accountability is necessary in any adventure, even weight loss.  Great accountability tools, such as calorie trackers or daily planners, can be found online or available in downloads for smart phones as apps.  Check out these FREE websites that some of our patients have used to see what works for you!

• Spark People
• Calorie King
• Livestrong
• MyFitnessPal
• USDA's Nutrient Database for Calories

Find other weight loss tracking tools and apps in this article.  What do you use for accountability?

 

Snacking=25% of Calories Consumed in Americans

Dr. Richard Mattes of Purdue University has long been researching food and nutrition.  His research on snacking has found that Americans have implemented a "4th Meal" making up over 500 calories extra each day.  Half of those snacking calories are coming from sugary beverages such as soda, juice, or energy drinks.  To make sure you are snacking on the right stuff, Nancy Auestad, Ph.D., of the Dairy Research Institute recommends Americans eating "good tasting snacks that provide dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium can help consumers meet recommended intakes."

For all the details and the full article CLICK HERE.

        

Use the Grill: Shed Pounds

This article shows 4 ways to cut nearly 5,000 calories from your diet and help to maintain or lose weight by doing simple swaps.  The push is for people to forgo the restaurants and begin cooking at home to save calories.  The reason: restaurants grill, but they grill by adding fats (and thus calories) when cooking meats and other foods.  The difference? Our grills at home have grates and some of the fat is melted away in the cooking process, while restaurants use a 'flat grill' which doesn't allow for fat to melt away AND they ADD MORE FAT during the cooking process.  

One of the examples provided is switching On the Border Dos XX Tacos for Grilled Fish Tacos at home.  In this switch you will save money, but most importantly save calories going from the 2,150 in the restaurant tacos to 380 in the home grilled version! Visit this link to get the recipe and for other swaps to help you save calories!  

Restaurants Lowering Calories

Back on June 24th we posted about the FDA Restaurant Labeling Regulations and now restaurants are overhauling menus to provide better choices. A coincidence?! Probably not, this article says that "Panera Bread Company has reduced the amount of sauce on its sandwiches, reformulated its soups to reduce fat and sodium and developed a 300-calorie salad" all in response to the FDA Regulations. IHOP and Starbucks have also tried making their menus more 'health friendly'. Interesting how this is all coming about and HNT is excited to see what impact it will have on consumer choices. 

Read the full article from the Los Angeles Times HERE.

          

Superbowl Snacks on your Mind?

Well, Snowdown & the Superbowl fall on the very same week. Have you got party plans?

Found this very interesting chart with information on calories in alcohol. Going into these events with a realistic plan (what drinks, how many, etc) will help us to have our grown-up fun yet stay within reach of our goals.

If onion rings, bean dip and chocolaty treats are on your must-have list for the Superbowl, then throw a party! These recipes, from Eating Well, involve traditional foods just cooked a little bit healthier (calorie values per portion included).

Have a well week,

What is Sugar-Free, Calorie-Free, and Fat-Free?

...Walden Farms products. You can check out all the great products they have to help you trim unnecessary calories while having the same great flavors you have been looking for. Carmel dip, marshmallow dip, chocolate syrup, salad dressing varieties, fruit dips, and much more. Some products can even be found at Meijer or Kroger supermarket stores if you look carefully. Most of the products are really great mimics, but be aware of the peanut butter...its not anything anyone I've found likes. For more information, visit http://www.waldenfarms.com/

Tomorrow is the last day to vote for the "What HNT means to me contest..." so make sure your vote counts!

We hope everyone is having a great summer!

Health Care Reform & Nutrition Information

A new law concerning nutrition information, specifically calories, came out of the health-care bill passed on Sunday. Restaurants with more than 20 locations across the U.S. will have to provide calorie counts on menus, menu boards, & drive-throughs! Read HERE in the Indianapolis Star for more information and details.