One ounce of the cocoa roasted almonds give you 150 calories, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrates, and 6 grams of protein. This is a lot of calories in a small space, so you do need to be careful with them. Just because they are nuts does not mean you can eat as much as you want.

I have found they make a nice, filling snack (because of the mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fat) particularly after dinner when I’m looking for a taste of chocolate.

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

For those of us training for fall and spring marathons, it is really, really, really easy to use our training as a way to over-indulge in holiday foods. For those entering their off season, it is really, really easy for them to use the holiday foods as rewards for all of the hard training they have done over the past few months.

Endurance athletes have to watch the holiday season just like everyone else to avoid weight gain that negatively impact performance. Yes, maybe you did just run 18 or 20 miles. That doesn’t mean you can have a whole pumpkin pie! And, just because you did a Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean you can eat like it is Thanksgiving day all weekend long. If you are in your off season, you do not want to gain extra weight over the holidays that you then have to work harder to get off the first couple of months of the year. If you are training, you don’t want to put on extra weight over the holidays you have to carry during your race or have to worry about losing before the race.

The trick I use is to only use the “I just did a (fill in the blank) workout. I get to eat (fill in the blank).” once a day on the day that is not race day. If you just ran a marathon, go ahead and celebrate that day, but follow the rule for the two following days. Starting on the third day, return to your normal eating. If you do a long workout, you can use the excuse once a day for a maximum of two of days. It is easy to eat as much or more calories than we burned off by telling ourselves it is OK to indulge because we worked out. And, yes, I deal with this, too.

As the Halloween candy starts to appear, remember to not use your workouts as an excuse to over-indulge. Yes, if you have a long or hard workout you can indulge some. You just can’t use it as an excuse to indulge all the time through the holidays.

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. A previous post 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!

The meat industry engages in a practice called “plumping.” Sounds not so bad right? Not so fast. Plumping is the practice of injecting saltwater, chicken broth, or other water + flavor concotions into meat. This helps make the meat harder to dry out when you cook it, but raises the sodium content. And . . . .you are paying meat prices for saltwater! Yes. . . you are paying $3 or $4 or more per pound for saltwater. Up to 15% of the chicken you purchase can be saltwater! You could be spending up to $1.50 per package for saltwater! Plumping can increase the sodium content of your chicken by up to 500%! Can you tell this makes me mad?

Meats that are “plumped” can still be labeled as “all natural” so you can not necessarily trust the larger print on the label. What do you do? You have to read the nutrition facts pannel, the ingredient list, and the fine print. For example, if chicken has more than 70 mg of sodium per 4 oz serving, it has been “plumped.” Chicken does have up to 4% retained water, so that is normal. If there is an ingredient label, look for “saline solution” or “sodium” or other flavorings. Somewhere on the label it should say, in tiny print, “up to 15% saltwater” if it has been plumped.

It is for each of us to decide if we want our meat “plumped” or un-plumped. I prefer mine un-plumped, thank you very much. I do not need or want the extra sodium. I like to add my own seasonings. And, I don’t understand why I need to pay meat prices for saltwater. What about you?

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.

Nuts are a great food. However, they have a lot of calories, and a lot of fat. What trips people up is that the kinds of fats contained in nuts. For example, 1 ounce of almonds has 161 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein. Twelve of those grams of fat are mono- and polyunsaturated fats – the “good” fats. However, 1 ounce of almonds is a TINY amount of food. Depending on the brand and size of almonds, 1 oz is about 15 to 25 almonds. Fifteen to 25 almonds is not going to fill most of us up. Peanut butter is another great example. Two tablespoons of peanut butter has about 190 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein.

As I was discussing food choices with this client, I calculated that he was eating about 800 to 1,000 calories, and sometimes more, a day from NUTS! Now, I believe nuts can be a great food to include in your eating plan . . . in moderation! We talked about reducing the amount of almond butter or peanut butter he was using on his morning toast. His concern was that if he used less he “wouldn’t be able to taste it!” He likes his nut butter. We talked about how he can reduce the amount he uses over time to get used to eating less over time. His wife had moved them away from white rice to brown rice and he now likes brown rice. We talked about how using less, and changing your expectations about how food will taste can work with nut butters, too.

What does this mean to you? If you include nuts or nut butters in your eating, take a minute to look at how many nuts you are eating and how much nut butters you are eating. Check your serving sizes to be sure you are not eating more than you want. (Hint: If you are using measuring spoons to measure nut butter give the spoon a quick spray with cooking spray to make it slide out easier.) And remember, even things that are “good” for you still count.

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?

Athletes need carbohydrates to fuel their activity. Everyone needs carbohydrates to fuel their activity. Sugar = carbohydrates. There are different ways sugar gets into our food. That is where the problem lies.

Some foods have natural sugar – like fruit. Some people will limit fruit in their diet because it is high in sugar. I disagree with that because fruit, particularly fresh fruit, also has fiber, water, and a lot of antioxidants.

Where the problem lies in with sugar that is added into foods. Manufacturers add sugar into, it seems, everything.  One example is peanut butter. If you have peanut butter in your house, read the label. Is sugar there? I don’t think we need sugar in our peanut butter. I prefer natural peanut butter. The ingredients are nuts, salt (maybe), and oil. Any sugar? Nope! That is one reason people have a hard time switching to natural peanut butter – it is not sweet.

The amount of sugar we consume has been steadily rising since the 1950′s along with the rise in consumption of prepared and processed foods. Food manufacturers make more money when we eat more. Therefore, they have a financial incentive to get us to eat more. One way they do that is by adding sugar to foods because sugar is one of those things that drives us to eat more.

For the next few days, pay attention to how much sugar and sweet foods you consume. Are they from unprocessed foods like fruits, or from processed foods? Read the food labels and ingredient lists to see if there is hidden sugar. A lot of times we do not register the taste, but it is there. And, the ingredient list may not say sugar, but may say one of the following:  high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose, galactose, lactose, maltose, corn syrup.

How much sugar are you consuming?

To answer this question, you have to look at a wheat kernel. A wheat kernel is composed of the outler layer – the bran, and two inner components – the endosperm and the germ. The endosperm makes up about 83% of the weight of the kernel while the germ is about 3% and the bran about 14%.

Source: Jkwchui, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheat-kernel_nutrition.svg

When whole wheat bread is made, the entire wheat kernel is used. Why does this matter? Because the nutrients, antioxidents and fiber are contained in the germ and the bran. When wheat is processed for non-whole wheat uses, the germ and the bran are removed. Then, some nutrients are added back in – the food is “enriched” by the addition of these nutrients. The government requires the following be added back: Vitamin B1 (thiamin), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), folic acid, and iron. Fiber is not required to be added back. Although some of the nutrients are being added back, the manufacturer may not be adding back antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals. Another thing is that we don’t know all the antioxidents in foods yet - new ones are discovered all the time. So, although the food is “enriched” that does not mean that it has all the nutrients of a “whole wheat” product.

Which do you choose – whole wheat or “enriched”? I prefer whole wheat products for a couple of reasons. First, it is less processed. Second, you get all the natural nutrients contained in the food. 

A final note - You do have to be careful when shopping for grain products.If you want to be sure that you are getting whole wheat, read the ingredients label. It should say “whole wheat” or “whole” whatever the grain is. If it does not say “whole wheat” then you might be getting an enriched product that has coloring in it to make it look darker like whole wheat.

What do you think? Whole or enriched?

Since today is Valentine’s day, I thought was perfect to talk about chocolate. Many people label chocolate as a “bad” food. Why is chocolate bad? Has it committed a crime? I can just hear the headlines. . . .”Today at 6PM. A chocolate bar went on a rampage and forced 20 people to take a bite of itself! At this point, the police are labeling these as assults, but we are still waiting to hear on final charges from the District Attorney. The bar was not easily subdued. One officer called it ‘a really bad bar.’”

Chocolate, and other foods, are not inherently “bad.” They are only bad if we over eat it. Using this definition, any food could be “bad.” Rather than labeling foods as good/bad, why not make a conscious choice to eat and enjoy foods. It is Valentine’s day – a day for love and chocolate. Why not choose a piece of chocolate that you really want and choose to eat it. But, don’t just eat it, enjoy it. Focus on how it looks, smells, feels in your mouth, and tastes – eat it mindfully. If you eat it mindfully, it will be much more satisfying than if you eat it mindlessly – like when you are reading, watching TV or working on your computer. If you’ve chosen to eat something, why not take the time to really enjoy it.

I hope you have a great day and choose to enjoy some special food today, this week, this month.

I’m probably the only person who compares nutrition facts panel for cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls labeled as “all natural” have 5 rolls per can with each roll having 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein. A similar cinnamon roll – Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Sweet Rolls with Icing have 310 calories per roll, 9 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of protein. Not really a lot of difference between the two. Even when I look at the ingredient lists there is not a lot of difference between the two. Choosing the “all natural” cinnamon roll isn’t really a “healthier” choice.

Next time you are in the store and you see labels that make you think the food is “healthy” take a look at the nutrition facts panel and the ingredient list and determine for yourself if it really is a better choice for you.

To cook your Teff, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the 1/4 cup Teff, cover and simmer for 15 or so minutes – until it is thick and all of the water is absorbed. You will want to stir it occasionally as well. The alternative is to make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for a few days. To reheat, measure out your serving in a bowl (a larger one that gives it room to expand), add a little extra water, cover and cook in a microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes.  Serve like you would oatmeal.  I used a little butter, brown sugar, and goat milk.

You can find Teff at stores like Whole Foods. I would also suspect that health food stores may carry it. Or, you can order it online. Bob’s Red Mill has both the grain and Teff flour you can use for baking. We haven’t tried baking with it yet, but it is on the list to try.

KIND bars are whole food packed with nuts, fruits, and other good things.  They are higher in fat than other bars, but that is because they have nuts in them.  Lots of nuts.  Nuts also provide some protein.  Those nuts also mean they are crunchy and take some work to eat.  That extra work can slow you down and allow your body to get signals to you saying it is satisfied.

KIND bars are available at a lot of grocery stores and health food stores.  If you are looking for a portable snack remember to be KIND to yourself.

What’s involved in “meatless Mondays”?  Simple, not eating meat on Monday.  The John Hopkins group has established a website where you can find recipes to help you go meatless on Monday.  You can also sign a pledge and sign up to receive weekly newsletters to help you have a meatless Monday.

I’ve signed the pledge and am looking at recipes for Monday.  I should also add it to my calendar to remind me until it becomes a habit.

Here’s to going meatless on Mondays!

with a single burger.” ~Chris O’Brien

OK, I do know that “ain’t” is not a word, but it just flowed in the title. I couldn’t resist.

Have you gotten used to ordering by numbers – you know those “value meals?” Fast food places make it so easy! “Yes, I’d like a number 1, a number 5 and a number 9.” Just pictures and numbers, and voila! – you have dinner! Although ordering by numbers is easy, and in fact encouraged, it is not the way to order if you are trying to watch your waist line or hips.

For example, if you visit McDonald’s and order a combo of a Big Mac, medium fries, and a medium drink you’ll consume 1,130 calories and 48 grams of fat. Yeah, I’ll take a number 1, please! However, if you order a Quarter Pounder (no cheese), a side salad with the butter garlic croutons, the low fat balsamic vinaigrette, and a bottle of water, you’ll get 530 calories, 23 grams of fat. This option doesn’t have a number, but you can still order it and save yourself 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. When we order by numbers, we tend to order more food which means we almost always end up eating more.

I had a client tell me that she actually had an argument when not ordering by numbers. It went something like this:

Client: “I’d like a hamburger and a medium diet coke.”
Order Taker: “Don’t you just want a number 3?”
Client: “No. I”d like a hamburger and a medium diet coke.”
Order Taker: “But it would be cheaper to get a number 3.”
Client: “I don’t want the fries. I just want a hamburger and a medium diet coke.”
Order Taker: “Don’t you want a number 3?”

Apparently this went on for some time before my client finally got her order. She knew if she got the fries she would eat them. So, she did not want to be anywhere near the fries (she is very motivated to reach her goal).

One of the best ways to get away from ordering by the numbers is to print the nutrition information for each restaurant and keep it in your car. You can even highlight the “best” choices so you can find them quickly. That way, you can be informed when making your choices.

Next time you visit a fast food restaurant, or a restaurant where you order by numbers, I challenge you to not order by numbers and see what happens.

Another RD friend of mine suggested PopChips! These are potato chips that are not fried or baked – they are popped. Apparently, they apply heat and pressure to the potato slices and they pop. I don’t really care how they are made, they are YUMMY! At about 120 calories per tasty serving, these are another product that is hard to beat. They really do taste good (not like eating baked chips).

Freeze-dried fruit (particularly apples & pears) have quickly become one of my favorite treats. They are sweet and crispy with minimal calories – about 35 per serving. One of my favorites is Brother’s All Natural Fruit Crisps. They come in both individual servings (great to keep in the car or desk) and larger bags. I’m reaching for these when I need something sweet in the afternoon.

I hope you enjoy these new items.

All that aside, there are some products that contain natural ingredients. For example, Bryer’s Ice Cream has an “All Natural” line. The ingredients for the chocolate flavor include: milk, cream, sugar, cocoa (processed with alkali), whey, natural tara gum, natural flavor. What I like about this is that I can read and pronounce all the ingredients. (Tara gum is added to make the ice creams creamier.) However, does this mean that just because all of the ingredients are “natural” I can eat all the ice cream I want?

I wish. A half cup of the chocolate Bryer’s All Natural ice cream is still 140 calories with 7 grams of fat. That does not mean that you can never have ice cream, or other “natural” foods, but that you have to be sure the foods fit into your eating plan just like all other foods.

As you are in the grocery store, take a look at items labeled “natural” and see if you can identify all the ingredients listed or not. And remember, just because a food is labeled “natural” does not mean you can eat all of it that you want. You just have to fit it into your eating plan like any other food.

I believe that just about everything can be included in a meal plan – it just has to be in moderation. And, that does include chocolate. Remember those brownies with a twist? That was one way to do it. One of my clients tried a recipe out of Ellie Krieger’s new cookbook So Easy and said it was amazing. She made it for an office party and also for a family gathering. Everyone raved about them she said. Of course, I had to try it, too. The recipe is for cherry-almond-chocolate clusters and is included below. These make a good snack or dessert (as long as you stick to just one). They have 150 calories, 4 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fiber. They are higher in fat (10 grams) but again as an occasional part of your eating plan they are fine to include.

So, enjoy starting 2010 off on the right foot – with a little chocolate!

Cherry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole roasted almonds, coarsely chopped (can use another nut if you like)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped (can use another dried fruit or mix if you like)
• 6 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.
2. Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over 1 inch of barely simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom, and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.
3. Stir the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.
4. Enjoy!

T-Fal ActiFry
I had the pleasure of meeting Ellie Krieger Saturday night, and she began raving about this product. I wish it didn’t have “fry” in the name because it really is not a fryer. It is kind of like a crockpot but it has a paddle in it that stirs the food. Now, I know I said it wasn’t a fryer, but you can make yummy french fries in it. And, for two pounds of potatoes, you only need ONE TABLESPOON of oil. You can also make stir-frys, dips and lots of other dishes in it with minimal use of oils. The other thing that makes me excited about this product is that you can put the food in it, set it and go! Come back in a little while and you have dinner! T-Fal was just announcing the product at the conference. They are launching it at Macy’s soon. It should retail for $299.

Fruit Crisps
Another product I saw last year and liked, and saw again this year are Fruit Crisps by Brothers-All-Natural. It is 100% all natural freeze dried fruit. That’s it. Seriously. For the Asian pear, the ingredients read: 100% Freeze Dried Asian Pear. No additives. No flavorings. Just the fruit. I tried the pear and Fuji apple. YUM! Now, these are not super filling, but you can use them to tame that sweet tooth or to use as a snack for the kids. I bet they would be good for camping and back-packing, too.They should be available at Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart, and lots of other places. Or, you can order the crisps off their web site.

As I go back through my notes, I’ll post other products. If you try any of these, let me know.

But, what do you do after all the ghosts and goblins are gone and you are left with a bucket-full of Halloween candy?  Eat it?  Probably not the best option.  Take it to work for others to eat?  An option, but again not a great one.  How about donating it?  There is a charity called Boatsie’s Boxes that collects and sends items to the troops.  Some of the items listed on their Items Needed page include snacks (healthy or otherwise), cookies, crackers, gummy candy, chocolate – any kind, pringles, munch & crunch, polar ice gum, tootsie pops, cashews and all nuts, chocolate buddy bars (chocolate can be sent October through April).  If you have not purchased your Halloween candy yet, keep these items in mind.  Either way, what is left over can be sent to Boatsie’s Boxes an on to the troops!  Here is a link to the shipping information.  Another option is to call your local homeless shelter and see if they will take candy donations.  You could even arrange for everyone (or a group) in your office to bring in their leftover candy and make a group donation.

What a great way to help out those serving our country or who are less fortunate, and make use of that extra candy.  See, Halloween candy can do some good!

I have to thank my fellow RD’s on the Nutrition Entrepreneurs listserv for posting about Boatsie’s Boxes.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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!

I heard about a great tool recently to help choose fish – Fish Phone by the Blue Ocean Institute.  You have a couple of ways to use it.  The first is by text from your cell phone.  Text “FISH” and the type of fish to 30644 and you will get a text message(s) back with information about the fish and whether or not they recommend choosing/consuming it (regular text message rates apply).  When I texted “FISH TUNA” I got two messages that said, “Pole or troll caught (GREEN) very few environmental concerns; purse seine or longline caught (YELLOW) some env concerns, HEALTH ADVISORY; high mercury; bluefin tuna (RED) significant env problems, HEALTH ADVISORY; high mercury.”  What does all this mean?  Well, if I were eating out or buying tuna at the store, I’d ask how the tuna was caught.  If it were bluefin, I wouldn’t eat it.  If it were purse seine or longline caught, I would probably go ahead and have it as long as I’m only eating it once or twice a month.  You can also go to the Blue Ocean Institute’s web site and look up fish there.  They also have guides you can download and wallet sized guides you can order.  Are you a sushi fan?  Here’s a link to their sushi guide.

Another great resource for determining fish to buy and consume is Seafood Watch by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  On their web site, they have education information as well as seafood recommendations.  You can also load up their iPhone application (if you have an iPhone) so you always have their information handy.  They also have pocket guides (if you don’t have an iPhone) to keep with you to assist your seafood selection.

Finally, the Environmental Defense Fund has a seafood selector.  And, they have a great chart showing, based on health risks (such as PCBs or mercury) how many servings should be eaten per month for women, men, younger kids and older kids.

Now, next time your choosing seafood, you can choose one that is both good for you, and good for the environment.

Enjoy!

Eggland’s Best Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs.

Hard boiled eggs can be a great snack and an easy way to add some protein to a meal. If you want to cut down on the fat and cholesterol, just remove the yolk. These got me using hard boiled eggs as extra protein. However, I got a new steamer that can cook hard boiled eggs, so that is now how I’m getting hard boiled eggs. Six of these hard boiled and peeled eggs are about the same as a full dozen of eggs, so you have to decide if the extra $$ is worth it for you. But, if you don’t have the time or desire to cook your own, these are a great option. They are good in the fridge for about 5 days (as are ones you cook yourself).

Amy’s Kitchen Breakfast Bowls.

Some mornings I want a good bowl of hot cereal but don’t want to spend the time it takes to cook a multi-grain cereal or steel-cut oats. Amy’s Kitchen has solved that problem with breakfast bowls which you can have ready in under five minutes. The multi-grain is my personal favorite. These run between $2.50 and $3.00 depending on where you get them.

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries.

These have been out for a while, but I re-discovered them this year. YUM! It is a nice change from regular fries and gives you the benefits of extra anti-oxidants. For example, one serving has 100% of your daily Vitamin A.

Field Guide to Produce.

This book is a must have when you hit the produce section. It gives information on how to pick good veggies and preparation tips. And, it is small enough to easily carry with you. Beware: with this book, your time in the produce section may increase exponentially. I know I can spend a lot of time looking up all those new fruits and veggies in this book.

Dr. Jo’s Dining Lean book and Dr. Jo’s Dine Out and Lose Weight Plan

If you eat out, these are a must have. Often the things we think are most “healthy” at restaurants really are not. These can help you figure out which is which. The Dining Lean book has lots of tips for navigating the minefield of eating out as well as nutrition information for a ton of restaurants. The Eat Out and Lose Weight Plan is a packet of cards with tips for eating out and choices for various calorie levels. I’ve got the book in my car and the cards with me most of the time because I do eat out a lot.

Food companies make, obviously, food! They make their food tasty. They make their food pretty to look at. They make food that smells good. They make food cheap and easy to eat. Yes, I’m thinking about processed foods – but those are the ones that tend to put on weight. Think the candy bars at the checkout, cake mixes, snack mixes, ice cream, mac and cheese and those sorts of foods. And, don’t forget all those fast foods and restaurants out there. Do they want you fat?

Honestly, I don’t think they want you, or me, or anyone else fat. But what they do want is for you to eat more of their food. The more of their food you eat, the more money they make. They entice you to eat more through commercials (food = love and acceptance, food = a treat or something you deserve), packaging, and product placements in movies and TV shows to name a few.

Restaurants get you to eat more by hiding calories in the food to make it taste good. Honestly, I don’t want to know how much butter they use. OK – I KNOW they use a lot of butter. I had the chance to work in a kitchen for a few months and discovered the secret of tasty food – BUTTER! The cooks had pitchers (yes, those iced tea pitchers) full of butter that went in and on everything. Next time you get a sandwich or hamburger, look at the bun. I’ll bet you it has butter on it. And, restaurants are good with add-ons. “Yeah, I’d like that dessert.” Sound familiar? It does to me, too.

It doesn’t take a lot of thought to see that if you eat more than your body needs – whether you know it or not -you’ll gain weight. Our bodies are not good at calculating calories as we eat. So, what can you do? Be an informed eater. Print out the nutrition information from all the restaurants that have them (I keep copies in my car for quick reference). Look at the book Eat This Not That or Dining Lean. Or, try Dr. Jo’s Eat Out and Lose Weight Diet Plan which is a deck of cards to keep with you to help make healthy choices.

Food companies can try to entice you to eat more, but you don’t have to. Remember – you are in control of what you eat. So, food companies may inadvertently want you fat – but you don’t have to be.

• Food should only be in the “temperature danger zone” for 2 hours total.  The “temperature danger zone” is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Remember, this is 2 hours total.  If you prepare that chicken and have it out for preparation for 15 minutes, then have it on the table for 30 minutes, then the counter to pack and store for 15 minutes, it has already been out for 60 minutes.  That leaves 60 minutes it can be out in the “danger zone.”  This is especially important for restaurant take home meals.  Think about how long it sat on the table and was out being transported before deciding to have it later.
• When cooking meats, use an instant-read food thermometer.  You can find them at most cooking and home stores (Linens ‘N Things, Target, etc.).  Check the temperature of the meat while cooking.  Here are the temperatures to look for (all in degrees Fahrenheit):
  • Beef, steaks, roast, chops: 145
  • Pork: 160
  • Ground beef, veal, pork: 160
  • Poultry: 165
• Have a permanent marker handy in the kitchen.  It can be used to mark on the package the date an item was opened for those that have multiple servings and will be kept in the fridge.  You’ll never have to ask “How long has this been open?” or “Do you think this is still OK?” again.  Also good to mark the date on freezer bags of when items are frozen/purchased so you know when to throw them out if they aren’t eaten.
• A microwave doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria.  Those nasty bugs can hide in cold spots.  When microwave cooking or re-heating, be sure that the food gets hot all the way through.  Stop and stir part of the way through.  And, use that food thermometer just to be sure.  The foods should reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Sanitize surfaces after handling raw meat (especially poultry).  One of the quickest ways to do this is have a spray bottle of sanitizing solution handy.  For non-porous surfaces like cutting boards the solution is 1 tablespoon unscented chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of warm (not hot) water.  You can make up a gallon and refill the spray bottle when it runs low.  After washing the cutting board, knives, etc. spray on the solution and allow to air dry.  You can also spray your countertops and sink.
  

Small changes in how food is handled in the kitchen can help you and those you cook for avoid dreaded “food-borne illnesses.”  For more information on food safety, check out this link.