Every Day Nutrition

One of the ways I make sure I'm keeping my diet in check is to do about 75% of my food shopping in the produce section of the grocery store. I try to only bring into the house the things I know are going to get me closer to my fat-loss goals. I do have a couple treats tucked away for those times that I've "earned" them, but I know that having my cupboards and refrigerator stocked with items that are not good for me is too tempting.



I love to keep things easy. If I've got to cut and clean every vegetable, I'm less likely to choose that food. So, I'm always buying baby carrots which are already cut and washed, steam-in-bag vegetables, bagged salads, etc. Foods that can be cooked ahead of time are great too. Butternut squash and sweet potatoes are two great examples. Just bake, mash and store in container in fridge for up to a week. Fruits that I can just wash or peel and eat are great too - apples, plums, pears, bananas, oranges make awesome on-the-go snacks; no refrigeration required!

If there are things you love and can't live without, get creative and find substitutes. It's not about deprivation! Below are my favorite substitutions...

• Butter: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray or Brummel and Brown yogurt spread. The spray has 0 calories. Brummel and Brown has no trans fat, only 1g saturated fat and only 45 calories in a tablespoon.

• Coffee Creamer/Milk: Unsweetened Almond Breeze (almond milk). Only 40 calories in a cup! I will use this instead of milk in shakes and oatmeal, too.Mayonaise: NayoSoya - soy mayo. No cholesterol and 35 calories in one tablespoon. Great on sandwiches and in tuna.


• Cooking Oils: Mazola Olive Oil Spray and Smart Balance Cooking Spray. Zero calories!


• Chips and Crackers: baby carrots, raw nuts or sliced bell pepper. Crunchy snacks that have little calories - just watch over-eating nuts! 1 raw almond = 7 calories. 1 raw pecan half = 16 calories. 1 oz dry roasted peanuts = 85 calories. It adds up quickly!


• Cookies or Granola Bars: apples, pears, plums, prunes or grapes. Sweet snacks with fiber, vitamins, and few calories. Just watch out for dried fruit. Just like nuts, they are calorie dense. For example, a cup of red grapes only has 60 calories, but a cup of raisins has 430 calories!

• Sugar: Stevia (all natural - Splenda IS a chemical). This is a great way to sweeten your coffee or tea. I found Steviva brand that sells Stevia extract, and recommend Stevia Blend that you can use in baking and cooking. 1 cup of Steviva Blend = 1 cup of sugar sweetness.Click HERE to learn about/order Steviva

• Cream Cheese: Laughing Cow Light in Original Swiss, Garlic Herb or French Onion. 1 wedge is only 35 calories, as opposed to the 100 calories in 2 tablespoons of cream cheese.

• Ground Hamburger (tacos, spaghetti sauce, chili): Smart Grounds or Morning Star Burger Crumbles. 70 calories and no fat in a serving of original Smart Grounds vs. the 165 calories and 6g fat in a serving of 95% lean ground beef.

• Sandwich Bread: Flat-Out whole grain wraps - 100 calories in a large wrap and 60 calories in the mini wrap.

• Tortilla Chips: cut a Flat-Out whole grain wrap into pieces and toast. About 10 Restaurant Style Tostitos has 140 calories and 7 grams of fat. And, who eats only 10 chips???