We all know that salads are healthy and a great way to add more vegetables and nutrients to your diet. However, the dressing can turn a healthy-low calorie meal into a 1,000 calorie disaster!
Here are some tips for avoiding a salad dressing nightmare:
1. Use only balsamic vinegar or lemon on your salad, without oil. Adding herbs or spices to your salad will help enhance the flavor so it doesn't taste bland.
2. Instead of pouring oil onto you salad, use an olive oil spray to very lightly coat the lettuce before adding vinegar. Make your own dressing whenever possible because most bottled dressings (especially "low-calorie" ones) contain many unhealthy ingredients.
3. When ordering salad at a restaurants, order your dressing on the side. Use only as much dressing as you really need. You can pour 1/4 or 1/2 the amount of dressing onto your salad and still be satisfied. Better yet, don't pour any of the dressing! Instead, dip your fork into the dressing container before each bite. You will be amazed that your taste buds will not notice the difference and you will use a very small fraction of the dressing. Now it's your turn. Tell us what you do to keep the calories in your dressing low, or post your favorite recipe for a low-calorie dressing.
It's not enough to just eat an adequate number of servings of fruits & vegetables. You also need to make sure that you are getting a wide variety of colors. The phytochemicals that make your produce green, red, yellow or purple all have unique attributes to keep you healthy and strong.
We've noticed that most people have difficulty getting enough variety in their produce, so we're giving you a list of fruits & vegetables by color. Make sure you eat a few items in each color throughout your week.
LEAFY GREENS
Spinach
Kale
Collard greens
Turnip greens
Bok choy
Romaine lettuce
Cabbage
OTHER GREEN VEGGIES
Broccoli
Zucchini
Artichoke
Brussel Sprouts
Asparagus
Green bell pepper
Snap Peas
Green Beans
Celery
Cucumbers
GREEN FRUIT
Kiwi
Honeydew Melon
Green Grapes
Lime
RED VEGETABLES:
Red bell pepper
Radishes
Beets
Red cabbage
Tomatoes
Red potatoes
RED FRUIT:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Pomegranate
Watermelon
Plums
Guava
Papaya
Pink Grapefruit
Cherries
YELLOW/ORANGE VEGGIES:
Corn
Squash
Yellow Peppers
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Yams
YELLOW FRUIT:
Banana
Pineapple
Lemon
PURPLE VEGGIES:
Eggplant
Beets
Purple cabbage
purple onions
purple lettuce
purple potatoes
purple bell peppers
Purple asparagus
Purple cauliflower
Purple broccoli
PURPLE FRUIT
Blueberries
Blackberries
Plums
Grapes
Pomegranate
Prunes
Figs
Raisins
Now it's your turn. Please share your ideas by posting comments on any of these topics: - Other colorful veggies & fruit not listed above that you think we should try
- Your favorite places to buy fresh produce
- Your favorite recipes that incorporate a variety of colorful produce
It's vacation season! Many BootCamp members have expressed some anxiety about losing their fitness while on vacation.
However, you can definitely stay fit on vacation. The most important factor is to make a reasonable plan that you can stick to.
If your plan is too strict or rigorous, you may feel discouraged if you don't meet your own expectations. Think about what the circumstances will be & who you'll be with before planning what you'll do each day.
You also want to think about the time of day that you'll be able to set aside for exercise. It may be easier to exercise early, before your traveling companions wake up. Or, you could work out at night while others are winding down.
We recommend getting some form of cardio every day. Most people do a lot of walking on vacation. You can also swim, run or cycle.
On alternate days you can also add in some basic strength training such as pushups, lunges, squats and crunches.
Now, tell us what you've done recently, or what you plan to do, to stay fit on your vacation.
When you're working on improving your eating habits or reducing your calorie intake, going out to eat can be stressful and confusing.
We all know that a restaurant's goal is to sell food. The better it tastes, the more you'll buy, and the more frequently you'll come back, right? So how do they get it to taste so good? Unfortunately, most of the time it's by adding a lot of oil, sugar and/or sodium.
But, there is hope! You don't have to stay home & cook every meal yourself in order to eat healthfully!
First let's discuss the new California state law that went into effect last Wednesday, July 1. Well, actually, phase one went into effect. Phase two goes into effect on January 1, 2011.
Here's what phase one does: every restaurant with 20 or more locations in California must provide brochures listing calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium for all standard menu items.
Phase two will require those same restaurants to print the calories directly on the menus and indoor menu boards!
We say this is great news because it gives consumers (us!) more information to make wise decisions. (Make sure you start asking for those brochures!)
HOWEVER, we also want to emphasize that it is not a panacea, and you will still need to remain vigilant. Here's why:
1. There is a 25 - 30% margin of error when restaurants calculate calories. If it says 300, it may actually be as high as 390!
2. Even when following a standardized recipe, it's impossible to make the same dish the exact same way every time. When there are many chefs in different locations, you can be sure that no two will cook exactly alike and use the exact same amount of each ingredient. Chefs know you want the food to taste good, so who's going to stop them from putting a little more oil or butter in your veggies?
3. Don't become too dependent on needing to see the calorie count for each item. If the restaurant you're eating at is not a chain, they are not required to provide the information. Our goal is to educate you so that you feel confident in your knowledge of good nutrition. Even without seeing printed calories, you should know that you do not want to order anything fried and you don't want heavy or creamy sauces.
Here are two dessert menu choices from the Cheesecake Factory:
Goblet of Fresh Strawberries
Godiva Chocolate Brownie Sundae
We're sure you know which is the healthier choice without having to look up the calories!
What it comes down to is this: use your common sense. In our AAY! Newsletter this week, we listed a few dining out tips. Now we want to read yours. Please post a comment here telling us what strategies you use when eating ut, and also tell us about your favorite local restaurants for healthy eating, and let us know what you like to order!
