Posted by Beth Sumrell-Ehrensberger on Wed, Sep 02, 2009
There's nothing worse than taking the time to eat breakfast, only to be embarrassed by a roaring stomach during your mid-morning meeting. The secret to feeling full until lunchtime is all in the breakfast food combinations you choose.
Early morning meals that team up at least one serving of a whole grain or fruit/vegetable-based high-fiber carbohydrate (which gives you quick energy after your body has "fasted" overnight) with a low-fat protein source (which helps sustain the energy burst from the carbohydrate) will keep you satisfied. As a bonus, some foods, like dairy, do double duty since they contain both a good dose of protein as well as carbohydrate.
I never seem to allow enough time for a leisurely breakfast, so I always keep a variety of foods on hand that I can throw together for a quick and satisfying combo. A container of nonfat yogurt mixed with berries or a whole-grain English muffin sandwiching a microwave-poached egg are a couple of my go-to favorites. But roasted edamame mixed with a handful of whole-grain cereal (sometimes I add a few raisins if I have them), a peanut butter and banana whole-grain wrap or even simple cheese toast are great ideas, too.
Take stock of your kitchen to see what you can use to create a power duo. You just may find that your inspiration comes from unlikely sources; lately, I'm taking a cue from my baby's cottage cheese that has been whipped in the blender with blueberries—and using it as a high-protein, low-fat spread for my whole-wheat mini bagel.
For more delicious breakfast ideas, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Janis Jibrin on Fri, Jul 24, 2009
You've likely heard about the benefits of eating three square meals each day, but it's tempting to ignore this rule when you want to lose weight. Skipping a meal or eating only a low-cal salad may seem like an easy way to cut 500 or more calories, but this approach always comes back to bite you. As the research shows, skimping on calories triggers a series of physical reactions that actually encourages weight gain.
An eating schedule of three squares and a snack or two can actually help you drop pounds because it quells appetite. Eating a complete breakfast (about 400 calories), an adequate lunch (at least 450 calories) and complete dinner (500 calories or more) about four hours apart helps prevent a dangerous hunger attack. And when between-meal cravings mount, a healthy snack does the trick. The three-squares approach also speeds up your metabolism. After a meal, the rate at which you burn calories is slightly elevated. In fact, this "thermic effect" of food, as it's called, burns up about 10 percent of a meal's calories
Of course, you still have to watch what you eat for those three meals and snacks. Keep calories in check by following these simple rules:
1. Eat when you're hungry and serve yourself reasonable portions. Have no more than 1 cup of rice, pasta or potatoes (about the size of two tennis balls). Keep meat, poultry and fish to about 3 to 5 ounces; salad dressing to about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons; and candy, chips and other treats to about 150 to 200 calories.
2. Wait 20 minutes after eating to decide whether you want more. That's how long it takes the brain to register fullness.
3. Use snacks only when you're actually hungry between meals. Otherwise, don't have one. When you do snack, keep it light. Have a 12-oz skim latte; 1/3 cup hummus with celery and carrot sticks; or 50 calories of whole-grain crackers with a tablespoon peanut butter. For more healthy snacks, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Mon, Jul 13, 2009
Lox or smoked salmon with bagels and cream cheese is one of my favorite meals, but of course, when it's paired with full-fat cream cheese and big white bagels, it can get a bit high in calories and fat. So instead of ordering it out, I make a lighter smoked salmon tartine (French for open-faced sandwich) to hit the spot.
You can eat it for breakfast, or enjoy it with some soup or salad for a quick yet gourmet-tasting lunch or dinner. They're great finger food for entertaining, too. I recently made them for a picnic in Central Park and they were a hit!
Start with toasted hearty whole-grain bread, such as whole-wheat Tuscan Pane from Trader Joe's or two halves of a whole-wheat English muffin. Spread one tablespoon of reduced-fat cream cheese on one side of the bread. Next, layer chopped green onions (scallions), two ounces of smoked salmon, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and thinly sliced English cucumber (regular is fine if you can't find English). Top it off with some freshly ground pepper. More yummy additions include sliced red radishes, thinly sliced red onion, and capers. Simply choose the components you like best.
Bonus: I love using the leftover salmon in a frittata, scrambled eggs, or a breakfast burrito. Nutrition–wise, you're getting a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids and protein from the salmon, and fiber from your whole grain bread and veggies. Smoked salmon is a bit higher in sodium, so if you plan on having it, just try to avoid other higher sodium foods that day.
For more healthy-eating tips and recipe ideas, join TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Willow Jarosh on Mon, Jun 29, 2009
Last weekend I went out to breakfast with a friend, and we ordered a very special treat—two nonfat lattes and an almond croissant to share. One thing I love about The Best Life program is that you can count a week as successful as long as you've met your daily goals six out of seven days. I had a balanced Best Life breakfast every other morning that week, so my croissant treat would not stop me from meeting my weekly goals.
However, it did stop me from thoroughly enjoying my Saturday! Don't get me wrong, the croissant tasted great—but it really left me hanging about two hours later. As my pal and I walked around Central Park, I felt grouchy and tired. "But I just ate," I thought to myself. How could I be hungry again and ready for a nap? I knew the answer to my question—my breakfast provided me with little more than fat and sugar! Yes, I did squeeze in some calcium and protein with my nonfat latte, but it just didn't make up for the fact that my breakfast was void of the fiber, protein, and healthy fats it normally contains.
I didn't feel guilty at all for enjoying my special treat, but I realized that it didn't really feel like such a treat anymore. This experience taught me that I need a Best Life breakfast every day—it's my anchor. And while I can splurge on a slice of pizza for lunch or a beer with dinner once in a while and feel fine, I've decided to stick with a healthy, balanced breakfast.
It takes time and practice to find what works best for you in terms of food preferences, your schedule and other factors, but the process moves you that much closer to meeting and maintaining your weight and health goals. It's definitely worth the trip.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Mon, Jun 01, 2009
The cereal aisle can be a daunting place—loaded with shelf after shelf of colorful boxes that boast great taste and, in many cases, lots of health benefits. But not all of them actually deliver on these promises—many are loaded with calories, sugar and other unhealthy ingredients, and provide little to no fiber or other nutrients.
Of course, it's no surprise that so many of my clients ask for tips on choosing a healthful breakfast cereal. While it can be tough to recommend specific brands of cereal because brands vary by region and store and everyone has such different tastes, I often give three easy guidelines to filling up your bowl with a nutritious breakfast cereal. The next time you're in the grocery store, flip the box over and make sure to check the nutrition facts panel for:
1. Fiber: Look for at least 4 grams per 100-calorie serving.
2. Sugar: Choose a brand that has no more than 5 grams per 100-calorie serving. Note: For fiber and sugar, you'll probably need to do a bit of math to determine the 100-calorie serving.
3. Trans fat: There should be 0 grams of trans fat and no "partially hydrogenated oil" (also known as trans fat) in the ingredients list. It's important to look at the ingredients list for partially hydrogenated oil because FDA laws allow manufactures to say a food has zero grams of trans fat if there is .49 grams of trans fat or less per serving.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Mon, May 11, 2009
Coffee shops are like a second office to me when I'm on the road—I can find a Starbucks almost anywhere in the country and they offer reliable internet. In fact, there are days like today when I find myself having one or two meals or snacks there. Thankfully, they have lots of great tasting, healthy, and surprisingly affordable, choices. Here are two meals that I had today along with the calorie and cost breakdown:
Breakfast
Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Feta and Egg Wrap (270 calories, 8 grams fiber) with a tall coffee with about three ounces nonfat milk (about 15 calories)
Cost: $3.95 (Combo meal)
Lunch
Turkey and Swiss sandwich with light mayo (390 calories, 2 grams fiber) with a Grande ice water (0 calories)
Cost: $4.95
Total cost: $ 8.90 (without tax)
I'm a huge fan of meals at home because I have control over my ingredients and can make a great meal for a low cost. But when that's not an option, it's nice to know that you can get two healthy meals for less than $10 at your local Starbucks.
And here's a waist-friendly and wallet-friendly snack idea: A tall nonfat latte with a piece of fruit. In the mood for something sweet? Instead of going overboard with a giant cookie or apple fritter (both more than 400 calories!), spend just 80 calories for a small double chocolate brownie cookie with your latte.
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, May 08, 2009
I love having cereal for breakfast—even better, I like to mix various healthy cereals together to add a variety of tastes and textures to my bowl. Try this quick recipe below for a quick and healthy start:
Best Life Kashi GoLean Mix
Makes 1 serving
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
The Kashi GoLean and Wheat Chex offer fiber and some protein; the Honey Nut Cheerios make it delicious! To save time, you can make it in a bigger quantity and portion out 1 1/2 cups per serving.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
1/3 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
1/3 cup Wheat Chex
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine cereals. Serve dry or with fat-free or one percent milk or soymilk.
NOTES: To make in bulk: Combine 10 2/3 cups Kashi Go Lean (the entire 14.1 ounce box), 4 2/3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios and 4 2/3 cups Wheat Chex. Each serving is 1 1/2 cups. Makes about 14 servings.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
1 Serving
Calories: 176
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 37 g
Fiber: 8 g
Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium: 111 mg
Sodium: 283 mg
For more healthy recipes and quick breakfast ideas, join TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Wed, Apr 29, 2009
You may consider boiling an egg to be one of the simplest cooking techniques, but believe it or not, there are a few tricks that can make for a tastier egg. I did a bunch of reading and experiment to come up with this method:
1. Start with eggs that are about four to five days old. They're harder to peel if they are new. Remember, for the best-tasting, freshest eggs, make sure to keep themrefrigerated and store them in the carton they came in; eggs have over17,000 tiny pores on their surface, which allow them to absorb odorsand flavors around them!
2. Place your eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover them with at least one inch of cool water. Starting with colder water and bringing them to a boil slowly will make them less likely to crack.
3. Once the water begins to boil, turn down the heat to low for about one more minute. Be careful not to let the eggs boil for too long. Overcooking them can cause that green ring to form around the outside of the yolk.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for about 12 to 13 minutes.
5. Remove the eggs from the hot water and rinse with cold water or let sit in ice water for a few minutes to cool them down.
Then, feel free to enjoy. Here's how I eat my boiled eggs:
• Mediterranean style: Slice one egg and layer it on a whole-grain English muffin spread with hummus. Then top with a slice of tomato and a slice of reduced-fat Swiss cheese. This makes a delicious quick breakfast or sandwich to pair with soup for lunch.
• Egg salad with a touch of turmeric: I use a 3:1 ratio of egg whites to whole eggs, which cuts back on the total calories of the egg salad. Then I add a ton of chopped celery, about one tablespoon of light mayonnaise, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a touch of turmeric (a delicious spice that gives the egg salad a nice yellowy hue). Egg salad is great as a light snack on a slice of WASA crispbread or scooped on top of a big green salad.
• Naked: I sprinkle the egg with a little pepper and very tiny amount of sea salt.
For more healthy-eating tips and meal ideas, join TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, Apr 24, 2009
You may already know how good breakfast is for your health and for your weight-loss efforts. Research shows that amorning meal gets your metabolism going and gives you anenergy-boost. For these reasons, it's not surprising that breakfast eaters are often slimmer than breakfastskippers.
Not sure what to have to start your day? Try any of these dishes and you really will have a good morning.
Have a bowl. No, cereal is not just for kids. Aslong as you choose one that's 100 percent whole-grain and use fat-free orone-percent milk or calcium-enriched soy milk, you're getting aperfectly balanced and nutritious meal. My favorite trick: I mixcereals to give my bowl a variety of different tastes and textures.Want to add even more flavor? Try topping your bowl with fruit and/or atablespoon or two of nuts. Don't have time to sit and eat a bowl ofcereal? Take it to go. Mix a few of your favorite healthy cerealstogether, put them in a resealable plastic bag and you have a healthy,portable meal. Aim for a total of 160 to 190 calories of varioushigh-fiber cereals. Don't forget the fruit and nuts!
Get cooking.If you have a few minutes to whip up some oatmeal (made with fat-free orone percent milk or calcium-rich soy milk), I'd highly recommend it. Ilove McCann's Irish oatmeal; it has a rougher texture and takes longerto cook than standard oatmeal, but it's worth it.
Look on the sunny side.Yes, you can have eggs! In fact, they're a great source of protein,which is more satiating than either carbs or fat. Serve one or two eggswith a slice of whole-grain toast, some fruit and a glass of low-fatmilk. Or, you can opt for liquid eggs like Better'n Eggs or AllWhitesto eliminate fat and cholesterol entirely.
Munch on a muffin.As long as you opt for a healthy size muffin (look for one with about 160to 200 calories and at least 5 g fiber), this can be a great on-the-gograb. Or, if you have some time on the weekend, make a batch and enjoy them all week long.
Get your fruit fix. Start your day with1/2 grapefruit to knock off one of your daily fruit servings. Add aslice or two of whole-grain toast or an English muffin topped with somepeanut butter, another nut butter, or even soy butter. Round out yourmeal with a glass of fat-free or one percent milk.
Sip your meal.Smoothies are a great option because there are so many differentingredients you can use. And don't be afraid to experiment. Combineyour favorite fruit with ½ cup fat-free milk or calcium-enriched soymilk, ½cup low-fat yogurt and even some wheat germ or ground flaxseed.
Grab your spoon.Yogurt is a great breakfast option—it's fast, portable, healthy anddelicious. Add extra flavor to plain yogurt by topping it with yourfavorite fruit, chopped nuts and even a little honey.
For more great breakfast ideas, join TheBestLife.com; you'll get access to hundreds of delicious recipes in the Best Life recipe database.
Posted by Stephanie Clarke on Wed, Apr 22, 2009
First I should start by saying that I love breakfast! Sure, it's fuel to start the day and it gives my metabolism a boost, but it's also so tasty and requires minimal prep! I have a variety of different breakfasts that I rotate through depending on my mood, the amount of time I have in the morning, or what day of the week it is (i.e. how long it has been since my last trip to the grocery store!)
Lately, I've been craving something to cater to my sweet tooth—and this one hits the spot while still being extremely healthful. I start with 2 whole-grain waffles (I love Nature's Path Hemp and Flax waffles) and top them with about 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, ½ sliced banana, and 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts. I finish the whole thing off with 1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup, warmed. This breakfast is by far better than any banana nut muffin you could find, and it's much more nutritious!
The combination of whole grains from the waffles, healthy fats from the nuts, and protein in the yogurt, gives me energy and satisfaction to last throughout the morning. Plus, I get about 20 percent of my daily calcium needs from the yogurt. Try it for your next a.m. meal, or let me know what your healthy favorites are!
For more healthy breakfast ideas, join TheBestLife.com.