Substituting this for that

Want to eat more for less? You better read on...

When we plan our meals right we can end up eating more food throughout the day without eating as many caloires, the key to doing this is choosing low energy dense foods!

Simply put, energy density is the number of calories (energy) in a specific amount of food. High energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a little food. Low energy density means there are few calories in a lot of food.

This is a great tool/key to losing weight. The reason why is because you will feel more full on more amounts of food and end up eating less the calories. Another great thing about it is that you end up eating a greater variety of food that will give you more of the nutrients you need in a day.

The three key things to look for in low energy dense foods are:

WATER
FIBER
LOW FAT

Lets look at a day worth of examples to ring home the idea of eating less energy dense foods.

Breakfast:

Eating This:

Packet of Instant Oatmeal = 130 Calories
1 Cup Strawberries = 50 calories
1 light Yoplait Yogurt = 100 Calories



Total: 280 Calories

VS.

That:

Blueberry Bagel = 300 Calories
2 TBS Cream Cheese = 120 Calories
Total: 420 Calories

With the 1st breakfast option you are getting more variety of food and more amount of vitamins then the second option. The even greater thing about it is that is almost half the calories!

Now lets look at a snack:

Eating This:

1 apple = 80 Calories
1 light string cheese = 60 Calories



Total: 120 Calories

VS.

That:

Nabisco Chips Ahoy Chewy Cookies (3 small) = 180 Calories

Lunch:

4 cups lettuce = 30 Calories
1/2 cup black beans = 100 Calories
1 medium chicken breast = 170 Calories
1 roma tomato = 12 Calories
1/2 cup corn = 60 Calories
2 TBS light ranch = 40 Calories



Total: 412 Calories

VS.

2 slices of cheese pizza with thick crust = 680 Calories


Dinner:

1 medium chicken breast = 170 Calories
5 kalamata olives = 50 Calories
1 roma tomato = 12 Calories
1/4 cup red onion = 15 Calories
8z glass of skim milk = 83 Calories
1/2 cooked brown rice = 115 Calories
1 cup raspberries = 64 Calories



Total: 509 Calories

VS.

1 medium steak = Around 260 Calories
1 cup mashed potatoes with milk and butter added = Around 240 Calories
8 oz glass milk = 83

Total: 583 Calories


Nighttime Snack:

Dreyers Fruit Bar: 80 Calories



VS.

1/2 cup dryers chocolate ice cream: 135 Calories


Total calories for the day:


Low Energy dense meals:

1,401 Calories


High Energy dense foods:

1,998 Calories


Many of these low energy dense foods i talked about have lots of water, fiber, and low amounts of fats. Comparing the two diets between a days worth of food you can see that you eat so much more food when incorporate low energy dense foods. This is a key to understanding weight loss success.

Happy Eating!

How much are you REALLY eating when you are eating out?

I love eating out. I enjoy places such as Costa Vida, Chick-fil-A, and my all-time favorite: Chipotle. If I could eat at Chipotle everyday I would. But even though I enjoy eating out, like most things in life I have to do it in moderation. Without even realizing it we can end up eating more than 1,500 calories in one sitting by going out to eat. That is how many calories most women should be eating during one day, not one meal. I thought today I might post on how many calories I am eating at some of my favorite places, and then talk about healthier, lower- calorie options that you can find at the same restaurant.

1st Stop: Chipotle (my all-time favorite):

Let's look at the steak burrito, with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, black beans, corn salsa and rice.

Flour shell (burrito-sized): 290 calories

4 oz black beans: 120 calories

4 oz steak: 190 calories

3.5 oz corn salsa: 80 calories

1 oz cheese: 100 calories

2 oz sour cream: 120 calories

3.5 oz guacamole: 150 calories

3.5 oz rice: 130 calories

This steak burrito comes to a grand total of 1,180 calories! Woah! For Michael Phelps, that's like breakfast, but for the rest of us average Joe's who don't work out five hours a day, that could almost be close to the total amount of calories we should be eating in one day.

Now, like I said before, I love Chipotle — but let's just try a little healthier of an option from the same restaurant.

This time we will do a chicken burrito bowl (no shell) with cheese, lettuce, corn salsa, black beans, and rice.

4 oz chicken: 190 calories

1 oz cheese: 100 calories

4 oz black beans: 120 calories

3.5 oz corn salsa: 80 calories

2.5 oz lettuce: 10 calories

3.5 oz rice: 130 calories

Grand Total: 630 calories

Just by getting rid of a few things you can still get to eat at a great place and only consume half the calories.

2nd Stop: Chick-fil-A

Original Chicken Sandwich: 430 calories

Medium Waffle Fry: 360 calories

One medium Coke: 170 calories

Grand Total: 960 calories — ouch!

Give this delicious meal a try at the same restaurant:

Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich: 290 calories

Side Salad: 70 calories

Fruit Cup: 70 calories

Medium Light Lemonade: 20 calories

Grand Total: 450 calories

Trust me that the grilled chicken sandwich is to DIE for. The chicken is super moist and it even comes on a wheat bun, which is super heart-healthy. I recommend you give it a try.

3rd and Final Stop: Applebee's

The reason I chose this restaurant is because it is more of a sit-down restaurant and there are locations nationally. So any one reading this can benefit.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo: 1,440 calories

Try this pasta dish instead — you will be able to save yourself some calories for dessert :)

Shrimp Teriyaki Pasta: 440 calories

That is a 1,000 calorie difference! That is huge! You are still getting shrimp, you are still getting pasta, but for a 1/4 of the calories. Give it a try!

Most, if not all restaurants have all the nutrition information on their websites for each of their food options. Pop on over to their restaurant website if you have time before going out to eat so you don' t reach that calorie DANGER zone. Another great resource on nutrition information at restaurants is the book titled "Stop and Go" by Steven Aldana. It is possible to watch your weight and eat out at the same time — you just need make sure you are doing it right!

Fat Substitutions

Here are 15 great tips on reducing the fat in your diet which will ultimately reduce the amount of calories you consume in a day. Give some of these substitutions a try!

1. Prepare fat-free marinades and sauces (for meats and vegetables) with fruit and vegetable juices, lemon juice, vinegar, nonfat yogurt or fat-free broth seasoned with herbs and spices.

2. Brown ground beef. Pour hot water over it to remove as much as 50% of the fat. Drain and season the meat. Use to prepare tacos, meat sauces and casseroles.

3. Choose lean cuts and Select or Choice grades of meat. Trim visible fat. Roast
meat or poultry on a rack or any other way to allow the fat to drip off. Serve
cooked poultry without the skin.

4. To prepare lowfat gravy, combine flour with fat-free broth (2 Tbs. flour per cup of broth) or bouillon. Mix cornstarch and skim milk to make a lowfat cream sauce for pasta or vegetables.

5. Substitute lowfat or fat-free mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt for regular versions in dips, salad dressings, sauces, salads and backed goods.



6. In baking, substitute fruit purees or applesauce for some of the oil used in recipes. In muffins and breads, replace some of the fat and liquid with plan, nonfat yogurt. Serve spreads like fruit better or preserves, jam, jelly, “diet” margarine or fat-free cream cheese.



7. Reduce the amount of meat in casseroles, salads, soups and stews, and add beans,
pasta or rice instead. Serve more meatless dishes like wraps filled with vegetables
and lowfat cheese.

8. Replace whole milk with 1% lowfat or skim milk in puddings, soups, sauces, and
baked goods. Use lowfat cheeses in casseroles, tacos, pizza, and salad.

9. Prepare soups, sauces, and stews in advance. Refrigerate and skim the hard fat
layer off the top before reheating.

10. Instead of frying: Bake, broil, boil, roast, grill, sauté, poach, steam or microwave foods like meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables. Use non-stick cookware or nonfat vegetable cooking sprays.

11. Heat cooking oil before adding food, so it absorbs less oil. Cut meat and
vegetables into small, uniform pieces to sauté faster. Do not add vegetable oil to
the cooking water for pasta.

12. Reduce fat or vegetable oil in recipes by one third.

13. Top baked potatoes with lowfat and nonfat cheese or sour cream, plan nonfat
yogurt or salsa.


14. In desserts, replace nuts with Grape-Nuts cereal, lowfat granola, raisins, dates or other dried fruits.

15. Substitute lean ham or Canadian bacon for pork bacon or sausage. Use a mixture of ground skinless turkey breast and lean ground beef to make tacos, meatballs,
burgers and meatloaf. Serve canned fish packed in water, not oil

All of these tips are easy modifiable ideas that can hopefully help you keep off those extra pounds this year.

Until next time!

Healthy substitutions

There are many small and simple things we can do to reduce calories and make healthier decisions in our daily routine. If reducing calories isn’t your particular goal at this point in time, take the principles of healthy substitutions and try to apply them in your life!

For breakfast, try substituting a traditional high-fat egg and bacon breakfast to a vitamin and fiber-rich breakfast of a small serving of oatmeal and a banana three times a week for one year. Making this change would save 59,280 calories or about 17 pounds over a year’s time!

For lunch, instead of eating two pieces of pepperoni pizza, try substituting one of the pieces with a side salad. If you make this change three times a week for one year, you will save 12,480 calories or about 3.5 pounds.

For a snack, instead of reaching for that bag of potato chips, try eating a cup of strawberries. If this is done four times a week for the next year, you will eat 52,000 calories less and avoid putting on 14 pounds. Fruit is sweet and delicious and makes a very healthy and satisfying snack.

For dinner, try eating a smaller serving of spaghetti with broccoli instead of a large serving of spaghetti with garlic bread. Making simple changes at dinner like this three times a week for one year results in 49,920 calories or 14 pounds saved.

All of the ideas in this blog post are intended to get you thinking about the small and truly simple things you and your family can change in your eating that can have huge impacts over time. Feel free to have that big yummy dinner once in a while, and to enjoy a delicious ice cream for dessert on special occasions. All foods are for our benefit and when eaten in moderation, can enhance our earthly experience. No food is truly “bad” or “good” but with the right tools and education, we can make choices to help us reach our potential.

Have a great week!