A couple of weeks ago I was in San Diego for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference. Traveling, and conferences in particular, have always presented an eating challenge for me. However, this year I was determined to watch what I ate. Part of the problem at the ADA conference is the expo hall. Dietitians deal with food. This means the expo hall is FILLED WITH FOOD! And, in order to tell my clients about new products, I have to sample them. So, the ADA conference is not just an issue with eating while out of town, but managing sampling foods on the expo floor. I used a few strategies this year that I hope will help you manage your eating on the road, too.

Tip 1: Before you go, make a list of foods to have handy. If there are quick and easy meals or snacks you can put together without cooking, have a list of the items you need to make them with you. For example, I’ve started eating a few whole wheat crackers, a couple of wedges of Laughing Cow cheese, and some grapes for breakfast or dinner. Super easy and doesn’t require an oven. Add some peanut butter and you have a great snack of some peanut butter on the crackers. Also, plan for any food you need to support your training and working out. Do you need to pick up sports drink? What about your pre- and post-workout foods?

Tip 2: Find a grocery store. If you made a list before you left take it with you and get your hotel room stocked. If you don’t have a list, stop on the way in and make one so you can avoid impulse buys.

Tip 3: If you are going to drink alcoholic beverages, alternate them with water. This does two things. First, it slows down how fast you drink the alcoholic drinks (and the calories they contain). Second, it helps keep you hydrated since alcohol is dehydrating.

Tip 4: Use an appetizer as your entree. Most entrees in restaurants are 3+ servings. Rather than ordering an entree, order an appetizer to use as your entree. You can still order a salad (dressing on the side) or soup (broth-based) as your appetizer.

Tip 5: Order a  salad (dressing on the side) or soup (broth-based) as your appetizer then split an entree with someone else in your group. Most of us think that everyone at the table wants to indulge in a big meal, but in reality just about everyone at the table is probably conerned with managing their weight. One of your dining buddies may be very thankful for the opportunity to split and entree.

Tip 6: If you are eating alone and order an entree, get a to go box and put 1/2 to 2/3 of the entree in the to go box and set it off to the side. If you finish what is on your plate and wait a few minutes and are still hungry, you can retrieve some of the saved entree from the to go box. If not, you can leave the box behind. If you feel bad about leaving food behind, ask yourself if you’d rather have the extra weight on your body as a result of eating that food, or not. Personally, I’d rather leave the extra in the to go box than have it end up on my hips.

Tip 7: Often when traveling you may not know when food will be available. Either pack some snacks to take with you or pick some up at the store that you can keep in a briefcase, computer case, or purse. I like KIND bars, frut, and fig bars as options.

I hope these tips help you while you travel. If you have tips of your own, I’d love to hear them!

On another note – I’ll be moving the newsletter to MailChimp next week. The format will be a bit different. You shouldn’t have to do anything to move with me. If you have questions, please send me an email.

Does it seem like just when you get your good habits rolling and into a routine, something happens and the bottom falls out? Everything goes off track. This happened to me a couple of weeks ago when my father was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital. We went in for a normal doctor appointment that resulted in him being admitted to the hospital for a couple of weeks. He lives away from me. I had gone to the appointment with my purse and cell phone (hence the lack of blog post and newsletter for the past couple of weeks). I ended up staying with him for a week, came home for a weekend then back for another week. This experience taught me a lot and was significantly different from prior times I have been with him when he was in the hospital (for planned reasons).  What I learned (or learned to practice) is that even though a lot was outside of my control, there were still BIG things I coI still had a lot of control and could use it to help my father, my family, and me to get through the past couple of weeks.

The biggest thing I learned is to focus on the areas I can control. One of these is, not surprisingly, food. Whenever the bottom falls out food tends to be one of the first things that becomes hard to control. However, we still do have control – at least some – over our food choices. Since all I had with me was my purse and its contents, I had to go shopping for clothes, toiletires, and food. I found a Super Target and was able to cover a lot of the bases. One thing I picked up was nuts in individual serving size packages. Nuts can be a great snack between meals. And, the single serving size packages can help keep you from eating too much compared to eating nuts out of a bag or can. They don’t require refrigeration, and I could keep them in the hospital room. I discovered my dad also likes nuts, and we ended up sharing a few of the bags.

I also ended up at the grocery store and picked up some cherries. Cherries are one of my favorite foods, and really qualify as a comfort food for me. I discovered that, in addition to nuts, my dad also likes cherries. I ended up back at the grocery story every day or every other day buying more cherries. With the nuts, the cherries gave me a couple of great snacks to keep in the hospital room so I didn’t have to rely on the vending machines. The other food choices were what I ate for meals. At each meal, I learned to make the best choice possible. I found that if I didn’t fuel myself right with my meals, I was not alert enough to be a good advocate for my dad.

The second major thing I could control was sleep. I did get a hotel room each week. I don’t know why hotels have to use these huge pillows. After the first nigh, I woke up with a horrible pain in my neck and one shoulder. Back to Target I went to get a pillow and pillow case that would work for me. This allowed me to sleep better, and again be a better advocate for my dad. I also learned when to tell him I needed to go at night and when the doctors made rounds so I could be there in the morning.

Now that he is out of the hospital and I am back home, I’m focusing on the things I can control again. I’m getting caught up at work and on sleep, as well as getting back in touch with everyone (including my blog and newsletter readers).

When the bottom falls out for you remember to look for those things that you can control and that will help you get through until you can get your feet back on solid ground. Food and sleep are usually two of the things that can seem very hard to control in these kinds of situations. However, look for ways to make it easier. Find a grocery store and stock up on foods you feel good about eating and that help fuel you. Look for ways to get better sleep. And remember, you can handle anything that comes your way (you have so far). You just handle it until you can get back into your routine, or establish a new one, and get your feet back on solid ground.

Perhaps you have seen the latest Coca-Cola ad campaign “Open Happiness.” The billboard that caught my eye had a kid drinking a Coca-Cola with a baseball bat over his shoulder. I thought, “That’s cute.” Then, “Really? A Coke is going to make me happy?” I can think of a lot of other things that will make me a lot happier (and not pack on the pounds).

Food and beverage companies make money when we buy and consume their products. The more we buy and consume, the more money they make. And, the larger we get.

It is important to be mindful of the advertising food and beverage companies use to get us to eat more. It is also important to be aware of how restaurants present food to get us to order more.

Brian Wansink writes about how restaurants get us to eat more in his book Mindless Eating. He makes the point that we also taste with our mind. If we think the food is going to taste good, that increases the chance that it will, and that we will eat more. One example he uses is from a restaurant that listed “spring-fresh medallions of well-mannered beef.” What is “well-mannered beef?” Actually, maybe I don’t want to know. . . .

Brian Wansink talks about  four basic themes for menu descriptions that trigger our expectations.

1. Geographic labels that remind us of where a food came from – Tex-Mex, Country Peach Tart, Kansas City Barbeque.
2. Nostalgic Labels that remind us of the past and trigger happy associations such as Grandma’s Cherry Pie, Legendary Chocolate Mousse Pie.
3. Sensory Labels that describe taste, smell, and mouthfeel such as Velvety Chocolate Mousse, Buttery Plum Pasta.
4. Brand labels that associate a brand we like with the restaurant’s food like Butterfinger Bilzzards and Jack Daniels Glazed Ribs.

This weekend and coming week I encourage you to be mindful of the food advertising you see. Really pay attention to it and how it may impact your purchasing and eating decisions. And, when you eat out, watch the descriptions.  How do the descriptions play in to what you order and how much you enjoy the food.

What are your favorite food ads and restaurant food descriptions?

Many of my clients and friends struggle with the “I know what to do, I just don’t do it” syndrome. We know we should eat “better.”  However, when the waiter brings the dessert menu, or we are bored at home and head for the pantry, we just cannot seem to stop ourselves. I’ll admit that I often deal with this issue, too (as do many of my fellow dietitians).

I encourage you to spend some time thinking about why you do not do what you know you should. Is it fear? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Fear of change? Fear of the unknown? Fear relationships will change? Is it a lack of knowledge? Do you not truly believe you deserve to achieve your goals?

Take a few minutes of quiet time and try to pinpoint the underlying reason. Yes, it is easy to order that dessert and the dessert is yummy. But, if eating that dessert undermines your weight loss or weight maintenance goals why are you doing that? If it is a one-time or occasional choice that is one thing. If it is sabotaging your efforts, that is when you need to determine the deeper why to the behavior.

Once you know the reason you do not do what you know you should, you can work on understanding and addressing the issue. If it is a fear of failure why are you afraid to fail? We learn a lot when we fail. And, I do not know one person who has always succeeded in everything they did. Failure IS an option. Failure is inevitable when we challenge ourselves.

If you have failed in the past, why? Take those reasons and learn from them. Was it a lack of planning? Lack of support from family? Really dig into it and determine what happened. Then take those as lessons learned and plan to succeed this time. Each time something goes wrong, or you feel like you failed, look at the situation and determine what you would do differently next time.

It may take some time to dig down and find the reason why you do not do the thinks you know you should. Do not stop with “dessert tastes good.” Ask yourself, “what else?” and “why do I feel the need to do that?”

Once you have the deeper, underlying reason, then you can begin to address it and you WILL reach your goals.

One of the only TV shows I keep up with is “The Biggest Loser.” I do not agree with everything, but am also inspired by how the contestants transform not only physically, but mentally. In an episode a couple of weeks ago, the contestants went home for two weeks. When they returned to the ranch, one of the contestants said that she learned that saying “no”  to food and other things that would not move her towards her goal was really saying “yes” to herself and her success.

That statement struck me as profound. What a mind shift! That attitude can enable all of us to stay on track towards our goals. When you come across something or someone who will not move you forward, you can say “no.” And, that “no” will help you move forward and reach your goal. That “no” is really a “yes” to yourself and your goals.

Are there things that you can say “no” to that really are a “yes?” I encourage you to look for those things that do not move your forward – food, eating opportunities, and people. Practice saying “yes” to yourself and “no” to those things that do not help you. 

What kinds of things can you say “no” to that really are saying “yes” to yourself?

A new program has started in Houston sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association - Houston DINEs. One of the main goals of Houston DINEs to get get calorie information at the point of purchase in restaurants. This type of information is going to be required soon for restaurants with 20+ restaurants to post nutrition information. This is a big win for consumers and our waist lines.

However, what about those restaurants with less than 20 restaurants or you don’t live in Houston? Whenever you eat out, as for the nutrition information. Another way to get nutrition is on restaurant websites. If it is not available either on their website or in person, send an email or fill out the restaurant’s contact form asking for their nutrition information.

If they don’t have the nutrition information, that’s OK. The goal is to let them know people want it. The next time you go back or visit their website, ask again, and again, and again. If enough people ask, the restaurants may start readily providing this information. You could decide not to visit a restaurant until the information is available. However, if you do this be sure to let the managers and owners know. Either talk to them in person or send an email/contact form on their website. If you don’t tell them why you’re not eating there, they won’t know.

We should all be informed consumers and informed eaters. But, we can’t be informed eaters if restaurants do not give us the information we need.

One of my favorite movies is Disney’s Ratatouille.  And, one of my favorite quotes is from the food critic, Anto Ego.  Ego is a very thin man – unusual for a food critic.  My favorite exchange of the movie comes when, Linguini, the up and coming chef, tells Ego, “. . .you’re thin for someone who likes food.”  Ego responds, “I don’t LIKE food. I LOVE it. If I don’t love it, I don’t SWALLOW.”  Anton Ego is a mindful eater.

I know many people, and have many clients who claim to “love food.”  They love eating and the rituals surrounding eating.  Eating is a treat, a reward, or love.  Notice I’m using “eat” not “food.”

When I talk with these people about how they eat, they eat in ways that do not allow them to actually taste the food.  If you don’t taste the food, why eat it?  If you don’t like how the food tastes, why eat it?  Think about it. . . did you taste the last thing you ate?  Do you remember the flavors, the texture, the smell?  If not, why did you eat it?

I have been learning to pay attention to the flavors, textures, and smells of my food.  This means slowing down when I eat.  Looking at the food before I eat it, smelling the smells.  Once I begin to eat I pay attention to the flavors and textures.  And, how those flavors and textures change.

Here is my next challenge to you.  As you eat over this next week, slow down and really pay attention to your food.  Look at it, smell it, taste it, and notice the textures.  Do you like how it looks, smells, tastes, and the textures?  If not, why are you eating it?  Why eat something you don’t love?

Over the next week, take a cue from Anton Ego . . . if you don’t love it, don’t eat it.

It may sound a bit nutty, but I think our food can speak to us while we eat it – if we listen.  A tomato in the dead of winter does not have much to say since it is out of season and being forced to be served when it is not meant to be.  A tomato at the peak of ripeness, has a lot to say – juicy, soft, sweet, visually appealing.  I like to “listen” to my food whenever possible.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a restaurant with some friends.  The restaurant advertised as serving locally grown, farm-to-plate food.  Right up my alley!  I was so excited . . . until the food came out.  Just about every item was covered in a heavy sauce and/or lots of cheese.  What?!?!? That was not how the items were listed on the menu.  Even more disturbing, I could not taste all the wonderful flavors of the locally grown, farm-to-plate produce due to the sauces and cheese.  I was so disappointed.

This came to mind again when we were in Paris. There, they really know how to let the food speak for itself. The chefs there listen to what the food has to say and how to get it to speak louder or even sing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the appetizer I had of green beans. I ordered it because I wanted a vegetable, and I knew what it was on the menu. What arrived was totally unexpected. A pile of beautifully blanched green beans with sparks of sea salt and pepper. They had some olive oil on them, too, so they glistened in the light. They were already talking to me. Then, when I took a bite they were crisp, a hint of olive oil, a hint of balsamic vinegar, a bite of sea salt and pepper. Perfect! The green beans themselves would have been amazing, but the chef found a way to put a megaphone up to what they were saying with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. I had a similar experience with some asparagus a few days later.

Next time you sit down to eat, listen to your food and see what it is saying. Can that salad talk to you through all the dressing on it? If not, get the dressing on the side and see how little you can actually use. See what the salad is actually saying to you. Can you taste that bread or is all you taste butter? Challenge yourself to see how little butter you can use to get a hint of butter flavor while tasting the bread. Your food is talking, are you listening to what it is trying to tell you?

If you read the last blog you got a few ideas about how to think a little differently when you fill your plate at a buffet or all-you-can-eat restaurant. Today, we are going to talk more about buffets specifically and some concerns about the food on the buffet line.

First, a little food safety information. Foods that are supposed to be hot should be kept above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods that should be cold, should be kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit are known as the “danger zone” because those are the temperatures where bacteria and other bugs thrive. These are the some of the things that can make us sick. (There are some foods that are OK at room temperature, but most should be kept out of the “danger zone.”) How do you know if food is at a good temperature? Well, you could carry a food thermometer around with you. But, realistically that isn’t going to happen. Is there steam coming off the food? Is the water under the trays steaming? Is the food hot when you sit down to eat it? For cold foods, are they cold when you sit down to eat them? If the food is not hot or cold enough, you are risking getting a food-borne illness.

The second part of a buffet to think about is how the food gets from the container to your plate. You use a spoon, fork, or tongs – right? Do you wash your hands before touching all of those utensils? Do you think everyone else who touched them did? How much dirt, grime, and bacteria do you think are on those utensils? When you touch them, all that stuff ends up on your hands and moves down the line with each utensil you touch. Then, what happens when that spoon handle slips into the Kung Pao chicken? You got it, all the things on the handle – dirt, grime and bacteria – go into the food. Yum!

I love fruit. Often, the fruit at buffets is beautiful! However, someone gets the bright idea of putting the tongs on top of the beautiful mound of fruit. Where have those tongs been? Maybe they fell on the floor when someone didn’t get them back on the mound of fruit just right. There are the same issues with tongs as with the other utensils. All the things from people’s hands, and maybe the floor, end up on the fruit. Yeah, I’ll take some fruit.

Am I against buffets? No, as long as the food is kept at temperature. There is not much you can do about utensils. However, I try to take food from the back of the pan (hopefully there is less bacteria there), and from places where I think the tongs have not been if tongs are used. I had what we think was salmonella once. Once was enough. I don’t want to experience it again which motivates me to be conscious about food safety issues at home and when I eat out.

Next time you go to a buffet look and see if the food is hot or cold. If not, you might think about finding a different place to go. If it is, let them know you appreciate their hard work to keep it that way.

This is the first part of a two part set of newsletters on Buffets.

To set the stage for today’s email, here are a couple of stories. . . .

Story 1: My husband used to work with someone whose in-laws and family have their “buffet pants.” Yes, you read that right – “buffet pants.” They have pants with draw strings (AKA rip cords) they can release to give their stomachs room when they go to a buffet.

Story 2: Another group of friends went on a week-long cruise. When they came back and we were looking at the pictures, you could put them in order by how much weight the men had gained through the trip (I think about 10 pounds each). They hit the buffets constantly.

To continue. . . .Buffets and “all you can eat” restaurants should not be seen as a challenge to see how much you can actually stuff in your body. I know, I know. . . the more you eat, the less the total per serving cost. Honestly though, for most of us that is not what it should be about. We should be thinking about fueling our bodies in a manner that makes us feel good – not so stuffed we can’t move or need a “rip cord” so our pants fit.

The next time you go to a buffet, here are a few ideas to try:

1. Do not put food to the edges of the plate. Leave at least a one or two inch edge around the entire plate.
2. Do not stack food higher than an inch on your plate.
3. If the plate is platter sized, go down the line and see if there are smaller plates and bowls you can use for your food and use the platter as a tray. Remember, servings look tiny on a large plate.
4. Fill you plate from items early in the line. Usually, salads and lighter fare are first. If not, then feel free to skip down further. But, if the first items are salads and vegetables, put some on your plate (and remember rules 1 and 2 – they still apply).
5. Do not put dessert on your plate on the first trip (unless it is fruit and follows the same rules as above).
6. Before going back for a second trip or for dessert, wait at least 10 minutes. Then, ask yourself, “How am I feeling? Am I still hungry? How full am I?” If you feel full, stop. If you keep eating, you will be uncomfortable and all those extra calories will settle in for the long haul.

Actually, these ideas work for any meal – whether eaten at home or out. Numbers 1 and 2 in particular are always good to follow.

If a buffet or “all you can eat” restaurant are in your future, I hope you keep these ideas in mind.

Next week. . . “Do You Know Where Those Tongs Have Been? Buffets Part Two”