10 Fast, Flavorful Grab 'n Go Breakfasts
by ShaunaS
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You may be tempted to skip breakfast, but that’s a shame because of all the wonderful benefits breakfast offers.
And, it couldn’t be easier. I’ll show you how with 10 great grab 'n go breakfasts!
First, examine your breakfast habits:
How many days out of the week do you eat breakfast? Hopefully your answer is everyday! However, if you skip breakfast frequently, try asking yourself why.
Is it because you are not hungry in the morning or you don’t have time? Or, is it because you think breakfast will make you hungry the rest of the day or because you think it will help you lose weight?
No matter what your reason is for skipping breakfast, there is a solution and yes, it is still important to start your day with a nutritious meal.
Breakfast can be quick, satisfying and tasty with a preparation time of 10 minutes or less.
Second, challenge common excuses for skipping breakfast
• You are not hungry – practice makes perfect! The more you eat breakfast, the more your body will crave it. Also, take a look at your portions the night before. Skipping meals can lead to overeating later in the day leaving you less hungry in the morning.
• Breakfast will make me hungry all day – it is good and normal to be hungry at intervals throughout the day! Ideally, you should try to eat every 3-4 hours to keep your engine humming, prevent cravings and mood swings and improve energy levels.
• Skipping breakfast will help me lose weight – wrong! In fact, a common trait among people who successfully lose weight and keep it off is that they start the day with breakfast!
• I don’t have time – breakfast can be as easy as grabbing a few items and heading out the door. Or, you can prepare something up the night before – try the recipe below for a no-fuss breakfast!
Super Fast Grab-n-Go Breakfast Ideas
• Small whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese and banana
• Whole grain toaster waffle with peanut butter, sliced strawberries and all-fruit jam
• Meal replacement bar and fruit
• Hard boiled egg (boil the night before), whole grain toast & grapes
• String cheese, apple and low-fat granola bar
Healthy Breakfast Picks on the Road
• Jamba Juice Yogurt and Fruit Blend – try a protein or fiber boost (220 calories, 0.5g fat)
• Starbucks Orange Mango Smoothie (250 calories, 16 g protein, 5g fiber)
• Starbucks Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich (350 calories, 11g fat)
• Dunkin' Donuts Smart Menu Egg White Veggie Flatbread Sandwich (290 calories, 9g fat)
• LaBou Creamy Oatmeal Cereal (266-279 calories, 3-8 g fat)
Shauna Schultz, RD, has the nutrition solutions for all your weight loss questions. Premium Members have direct access via private email. Click here to become a Premium Member today! |
October 15, 2008
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Restaurant Chains With Gluten-Free Menus
by TriciaThompsonMS/RD
When you are gluten free, there is something incredibly fabulous about being handed a menu that caters to your dietary needs.
I recently ordered off a gluten-free menu at Legal Sea Foods in downtown Boston and it was so liberating! If you ever have a chance to eat at this chain, I highly recommend it. Not only is the gluten-free menu great but the food is good as well.
Legal Sea Foods has locations in Washington DC, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Their website has an online restaurant locator service that includes location specific menu options.
Legal Sea Foods isn’t the only chain with a gluten-free menu.
Others include Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and Outback Steakhouse. The gluten-free menus available in these three chains have been developed in cooperation with the Gluten Intolerance Group and their Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program.
According to Cynthia Kupper, RD, executive director of the Gluten Intolerance Group, the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program was developed to “support restaurants to identify their menu items that are gluten free, and to provide education and training materials. The program has expanded to include some swab testing in restaurants to reinforce issues of contamination control.”
Bonefish Grill has a menu with bold GF next to the gluten-free options. This menu is available on line. Go to www.bonefishgrill.com and click on “our menu.” Under “other menus” click on “gluten-free.” Bonefish Grill is currently located in 32 states. An online restaurant locator service is available.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill has a separate gluten-free menu that is available online. Go to www.carrabbas.com and click on “menu.” Scroll down until you see “gluten-free menu.” Carrabba’s is presently located in 33 states. An online restaurant locator service is available.
Outback Steakhouse also has a separate gluten-free menu that is available online. Go to www.outback.com and click on “food and menu” and then “gluten-free menu.” Outback also has an online restaurant locator service.
On those (hopefully rare) occasions when fast food is the only option, Wendy’s may be one of your better bets. A printer ready listing of “menu items without gluten” is available online. If you periodically find yourself in line at a fast food restaurant, you might want to print out this menu and keep it in the car. Go to www.wendys.com and click on “food.” Click on “nutrition facts” and then “menu items without gluten.” What I find nice about Wendy’s is that I can actually order something healthy -- a baked potato topped with broccoli -- at the take-out window!
For more restaurant options that are gluten-free friendly, visit the web site of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program at www.glutenfreerestaurants.org. Publications that you may find useful in your quest to dine gluten free are The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide published by Triumph Dining and the Let’s Eat Out! series published by Gluten Free Passport.
Tricia Thompson, M.S., RD is a nutrition consultant, author and speaker specializing in celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. She is the author of The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide (McGraw-Hill) and co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Gluten-Free Eating (Penguin Group). For more information, visit www.glutenfreedietitian.com.
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For a copy of The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide click here. |
October 14, 2008
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5 Big Dining-Out Blunders: Are You Guilty?
by ShaunaS
Dining out can be tricky business – you’ve read up on dining out DOs and DON'Ts, asked for substitutions and scoured through nutrition data and just when you think you’re on top of things, there’s even more diet disasters awaiting you!
Well, be fooled no more – I’ve put together some common diet mistakes with tips on how to avoid them.
1. Sneaky Sauces
Sure you know that alfredo sauce = fat trap, but did you know that butter is often added to sauces that are on the “healthy” list. This includes marinara sauce – yikes! And, low-fat or fat-free sauces are often loaded with sugar making them high calorie. Ask the waitperson how the sauce is made and take it from there.
2. Bad Buns
Chances are if it’s on the grill, it’s been slathered with grease. That once poor innocent hamburger bun has a good coat of butter or oil on it now. Ask for your buns “dry” or sans butter or oil. Most anything on the grill comes with oil or butter.
3. Vindictive Veggies
Steamed veggies by nature are low-cal, but most restaurants still douse them in butter. Be sure to ask how they’re dressed after being steamed and stick with the true definition of steamed. And, same goes with grilled. They’re probably marinated in an oil-based marinade.
4. Lean Meat
Feeling good about choosing filet mignon over prime rib? While it’s certainly a healthier choice, it could still come with hundreds of extra calories. Watch a cooking show or two and you’ll learn that meat is usually tossed in melted butter or oil first. Yikes... as if the meat didn’t have enough fat to begin with! Even veggie burgers share the same grill with hamburgers, meaning burger grease has attacked your veggie burger.
5. Tipping Back Cocktails
Besides adding extra calories, alcohol also clouds your judgment and may ruin your best intentions of eating healthy. Hit up any happy hour and you’ll see – suddenly those buffalo wings don’t look so unhealthy! Stick with one lower calorie drink such as a nice glass of wine or light beer and stay on track. Your wallet and diet will thank you!
Click here for more great Diet.com dining-out options and solutions!
Shauna Schultz, RD, has the nutrition solutions for all your weight loss questions. Premium Members have direct access via private email. Click here to become a Premium Member today! |
October 2, 2008
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