It is not even the end of September and one of my neighbors already has her Halloween decorations out. Ghosts on the lawn, bat flag flying, and Halloween wreath near the door. Isn’t it a bit early for that? I do think it is early for decorations, but not too early to start thinking about how you will handle the upcoming couple of months.

October, November, and December are what I call The Danger Zone time of the year. Within these three months we encounter all sorts of eating challenges. October is the time of CANDY! Candy seems to appear just about everywhere – in offices, on desks, in kids’ backpacks. However, just because candy is around does NOT mean you have to eat it. This time last year, the newsletter had some tips for dealing with Halloween candy. I have two tactics to add this year. The first is to mentally label the Halloween as “not my food.” The candy is for other people, or the kids, or the trick-or-treaters. Every time you think of or see the candy, tell yourself “that’s not my food” and find something else to do. Second, if you do have more candy than you had planned, do not use that slip as an excuse to keep slipping the rest of the day (or week, or month). Recognize that you made a slip, but tell yourself, “that’s OK. I can make better choices the rest of the day that will help me stay on track.”

Once we’ve made it through Halloween, we are faced with Thanksgiving, then Holiday Parties, Christmas, Hannuka, Kawnza, New Years, etc. These holidays and parties are typically food-focused, family-focused and filled with stress. One way to make this year easier and less stressful is to start thinking now about how you will handle any food challenges that come your way.

For example, do you have a hard time (like me) staying away from buffets at parties? You can start thinking now and visualizing how you will deal with the buffets this year. Perhaps make a rule that first you will put fruits and vegetables on your plate then small bites of other items. Or, that you will only make one trip to the buffet. If alcohol is a challenge, make a rule that you will alternate each “beverage” with a glass of water. Do you over-eat at Thanksgiving dinner? Start visualizing how your plate will look this year – with half filled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with protein, and a quarter with complex carbohydrates or starch (you can also review the Quarter Your Plate newsletter for more information on how to do this). And, don’t forget to visualize what your dessert plate will look like, too.

The last three months of the year do not have to be filled with scary food situation. You just need to plan ahead for how you will deal with them so you are prepared when they happen.

Have a healthy day!

I have a hard time getting in all the veggies I should each day.  I’m always looking for ways to get vegetables other than potatoes.  When I eat out, I’m always amazed at the lack of vegetables that are not potatoes.  In one of the books I’m reading, the author suggested having a salad for breakfast.  He said that he tried it and, since he likes something sweet in the morning, he used a poppy seed dressing.  Part of the thought is that it can be a meal that does not sit on your stomach, and it gives you a way to get a bunch of vegetables early in the day.  I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.

One morning this week, I had a huge spinach salad with chicken, radishes, three colors of bell peppers, cucumbers, and all sorts of other stuff.  I used a Dijon vinaigrette on the side for a dressing.  I must say, it was quite good and it held me until lunch – which is unusual (I usually need a snack mid-morning).

There are a couple of nice things about having a salad for breakfast.  First, you can throw just about anything in it – veggies, beans, dried or fresh fruit, nuts, etc.  Second, endless variety – you can use different greens, different dressings, different toppings to always have something different.  Third, you can fix it the night before so it is ready for you in the morning – it can be a good grab-n-go breakfast (although I wouldn’t recommend eating it while driving).

Am I going to have salad for breakfast every day?  Probably not.  But, I can see having a breakfast salad a couple of times a week.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

One of the questions I get often is “how many  meals should I eat a day?”  My answer is that there is no one way to eat – you need to eat how your body wants you to eat.  For some people, that means three times a day, others five or six, and once or twice for some.  Regardless of how many meals you eat a day, your body still has a certain number of calories it needs to maintain your weight.

I started thinking about this today when I heard a story about a study that talked about how the rise in overweight and obesity may be linked not to the size of our meals, but to the between meals snacking.  Back in the 50′s there were three meals a day without snacks.  Now, we tend to have meals and snacks.  It makes sense that adding additional calories with snacks could lead to weight gain (in addition to the size of the meals getting larger).

If you are someone who eats more than three meals a day, remember that those snacks count towards you total daily calorie bank account just like a meal.  In fact, you can think of your snack as a meal or a mini-meal.  The best meals (and snacks/mini-meals) have a mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  Having all three (like a piece of fruit with some yogurt)  helps you stay fuller and sated longer than eating a candy bar.

Next time you reach for a snack, ask yourself is that snack an appropriate mini-meal or meal.  If not, are you really hungry and need the snack or are you just grabbing the M&Ms because they are on the desk?  If you are a snacker who is working on maintaining or losing weight, remember to think about that snack when you have your meals and determine if you need to adjust the size of your meal.

Now. . . where’s that apple and string cheese?

There is just something about having a muffin for breakfast.  They are warm, soft, chewy, sweet. . . YUM!  And, muffins are quick to grab and portable.  However, that muffin can pack a calorie punch.  I recently found a recipe for a Banana Muffins that are only 130 calories per muffin.  Add some yogurt or a glass of milk and you’ve got a great mix of carbs, protein and fat which can help keep you full and avoid the sugar crash that just having a muffin can cause for some people.  Another great thing about muffins – they are easy to make and freeze well!  Just pull a muffin out of the freezer and it should be thawed by the time you reach work.  You can warm it in a toaster oven for a couple of minutes as well.  Making a double or triple batch and freezing them can give you breakfast for a few weeks for a few minutes of investment.

Here’s the Banana Muffin recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• 1 lemon, grated peel

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly and stir in bananas, sugar, Splenda, oil and lemon peel. Add to flour mixture stirring just until combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
4. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out of pans. Serve warm or refrigerate/freeze for later use.

Servings: Serves 12
Calories: 130; Fat: 3.7 g; Sodium: 87; Carbohydrates: 22.8 g; Fiber 2.2 g; Sugar: 9.9g; Protein 2.9 g

Thanks to the gang at Food and Health Communications for the yummy recipe!