I saw the author of the Eat This Not That series of books on the Today show (yesterday) and Rachel Ray today and had to blog about it.  The idea of showing what to eat versus what not to eat is a great educational tool.  But I need to warn you that some of the statements made need some explanation.  If you heard the statement that potato chips are horrible and worse than french fries and that you should instead eat pork rinds - I want to clarify that all three are fried, over 50% fat and high in sodium.  The better choice, if you want something crunchy, is to eat an ounce to an ounce and a half of nuts (e.g. about 42 almonds) and, if you want fries, eat baked sweet potato fries instead (see recipe below) and toss the pork rinds altogether.  Some may consider pork rinds a “better choice” because of its protein content, about 40% vs 5% in chips, however, this does not make it a “health” food or a “better choice”.   If you are looking to increase your protein, eat beans, soy, lentils and/or nuts in place of refined carbohydrates.  There was also mention that a salad is not a good choice — it all depends on what you put on your salad.  If you drown it in dressing, then another food may be a better choice.  How you prepare your food and the ingredients will determine if it is a good choice or not — blanket statements that one food is better than another are interesting and get media hype but need explanation.  If you hear information in the media, i.e. news, magazine article, etc that is contradictory to what is considered common knowledge or seems wrong to you…then it might be!  Use your common sense when evaluating nutrition and health information and make sure that the source is credible.  Credentials are important — for example, if the person speaking about food is a Registered Dietitian (RD) or if the person giving medical advice is a Medical Doctor (MD) or Nurse you can feel secure that the information is more than likely accurately stated.

Savory Sweet Potato Fries recipe

Peel sweet potatoes and slice

Arrange flat on baking sheet

Spray with Olive Oil and lightly brush with vinegar

lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and onion powder

Bake at 425 and check every 20 minutes until crispy and soft

Tags: baby fat diet, eat this not that, healthy eating, nutrition, registered dietitian

I was surprised to read a report that estimates Americans only eat 3.2 servings of grains a day.  We need to eat six servings of grains a day.  It is recommended that half of those be whole grains, but I say all six should be whole grains.  Shoot for six whole grain foods a day.  Here is a sample day to help you add 6 whole grain foods to your day –

Breakfast choose 2 from the following -

1 cup Whole grain cereal with at least 5 g fiber

1 slice whole wheat toast

1/2 cup cooked oatmeal or oat bran (not whole grain, but it is a healthy part of the grain)

1 whole wheat tortilla

Snacks - no grains, instead eat fruit or veggies, nuts or yogurt

Lunch and Dinner choose 2 for each -

1 slice whole wheat bread or whole wheat dinner rolls, etc

1 whole wheat tortilla

1/2 cup cooked brown rice, whole barley or whole wheat pasta

1 whole wheat tortilla

Tags: baby fat diet, carbs, healthy eating, nutrition, weight loss, whole grains

Maintaining healthy eating habits and staying on track to take off your baby fat when you are away from home can be quite a challenge.   We just spent the long Labor Day weekend in Washington DC and I noticed that our normal healthy eating went out the window a bit.  Basically, I try to stay relaxed a little, realizing we’re on vacation; however, I make sure we pick healthier choices when they are available and palatable.

For example, at the zoo cafeteria, I had the veggie burger and my son and husband got the grilled chicken sandwich with baked potato chips — better than the burger or hotdog and fries that were available.  When we stopped for an ice cream treat in the afternoon, I got a Froze Fruit bar and the kids got ice cream sandwiches rather than the mega-fattening chocolate-dipped ice cream cones.  For dinner, we ate sauteed shrimp and mixed vegetables at the restaurant in Chinatown and skipped the fried eggrolls and noodles.  The only choice for lunch one day was fast food at one of the museums, but my husband and I both ordered salads with grilled chicken and the kids got the side of apples rather than the fries.  It’s all about compromise!     

Believe me, even as a dietitian-mom, my family is far from perfect in the eating department but we try to choose the best available.  When you’re on vacation, enjoy yourself, but don’t give up your healthy eating altogether.  You’ll regret it when you get home and can’t squeeze into your jeans!

Tags: baby fat, healthy eating, vacation

Now that school is in full swing you may be able to find some time during the day to squeeze in a good workout.  Or, if you still have little ones at home, the milder weather will make it easier to stay stroller fit.  Whatever your workout situation, research shows that drinking low-fat milk is a great post work-out aid.  This is not only great for you, but it’s great for the kids after their sporting events and practices.  Low-fat milk offers a combination of carbohydrates and protein that replenish energy and help to build muscle (and may help you lose body fat).  Additionally, milk helps with hydration by replenishing lost electrolytes and fluid.  In one small study low-fat chocolate milk helped endurance athletes recover quicker after an exercise session when compared to an energy drink.  In another small study, cyclists were able to cycle longer after drinking chocolate milk when compared to an energy drink.  And in another study, healthy, untrained subjects who drank fat free milk gained more muscle and lost more body fat after a 12 week training program than those who drank a soy protein or carbohydrate beverage.  These studies support the notion that “Milk Does the Body Good.”  If you are worried about hormones, choose Organic milk.  Try this — After your work-out, enjoy a cold glass of skim milk and feel free to add some Hershey’s syrup.  For the kids, toss a few boxes of Horizon reduced-fat chocolate milk in their sports or snack bags.  They are shelf stable and so will keep just fine.

Tags: baby fat diet, health, healthy, healthy eating, lose weight, low fat dairy, milk, weight loss

Being up in the wee hours feeding a baby may be leading to your middle of the night noshing - and you probably feel really guilty about it.  Is that 3 AM snack sabotaging your efforts to take off the baby fat?  You may think the answer is obviously yes, but it’s not so clear cut. According to a new study done on mice, eating all of your calories during the hours you would typically sleep (and sleeping during your normal waking hours) can lead to more weight gain than eating during normal hours, even if calories eaten are the same.  (This is an important finding for night shift workers since the eating schedule may be leading to obesity.) However, a study from 2006 done on monkeys, found no such additional weight gain when subjects snacked late at night, as compared to eating the same snacks during the day.  An alteration in the natural circadian rhythm (sleep cycles) may be the cause of the added weight but according to this research it only makes a difference if all of the calories are eaten at off hours. 

Does this mean that snacking at night is okay?  Not exactly. Both studies found that eating excess calories anytime of day leads to weight gain - how much is gained may differ. Bottomline: if you haven’t eaten all of your calories that you should have for the day and you’re a little hungry, you can have a snack at night and it won’t damage your waistline.  Have a healthy snack of fruit, yogurt or a bowl of cereal.  But if you’re just eating out of boredom or to fulfill a craving, you may sabotage your weight loss efforts.  In that case, just head back to bed.  Dreaming about chocolate cake won’t sideline your quest to your skinny jeans.

Tags: late-night eating, snacking, weight gain, weight loss