So what are dietitians’ eating? What tips do they have for a healthier
you? Read more about Dietitians'
Top 10 Diet Tips. Let’s look at 5
top tips today and next week we’ll do the remaining 5 tips.
- Enjoy Fast Food, but Make Smarter Choices and Go Only Once a Week or less
My husband and I enjoy some fast
food but we choose from the menu carefully.
At McDonald’s I like their Egg McMuffin and orange juice. For dinner we will choose one of the salads
McDonalds offer and a carton of
milk. At KFC we choose the grilled
chicken over the fried chicken. Look at
how many calories you can save by making a wiser choice at KFC. Have a chicken breast at KFC but choose the
grilled and you save 270 calories not to mention 198 less calories from
fat. Even the sodium is lower in a
grilled piece of chicken breast. Carefully
choose some sides and you don’t have that high a calorie meal from KFC. For example, choose corn on the cob for only
70 calories rather than the wedges for 290 calories.
KFC Chicken
Food
|
Calories
|
Fat
|
Fat Calories
|
Sodium
|
Breast –
Extra Crispy
|
490
|
29
|
261
|
1140
|
Breast
Grilled
|
220
|
7
|
63
|
790
|
Sides
Food
|
Calories
|
Fat
|
Fat Calories
|
Sodium
|
Corn on
cob
|
70
|
0.5
|
4.5
|
0
|
Wedges
|
290
|
15
|
135
|
810
|
Diet soda has no calories so why cut back on diet soda? For one, to cut back on artificial
sweeteners. Second, so we drink more
plain water and healthy options like green tea. My dentist always talks about the bad
effects of the acid in sodas – eats away at our teeth. He would prefer no soda, but if you are a
diet soda drinker, limiting the amount can be a good thing. Just don’t replace your diet soda with a
sugared drink, which would be a worse alternative. And yes, as a dietitian, I enjoy a diet soda
but I rarely have more than one a day and not even one a day.
3.
Weekly Pizza Night
When my daughters were young, we
would often have one night a week that was pizza night. As they got older and more aware of calories
and fat, they went online and noted the calories and fat calories from the top
Pizza places, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut and the other places we ordered pizza
from. We started making healthier
choices such as cheese, green peppers and onions vs. pepperoni pizza. The tomato sauce on the pizza is healthy,
full of antioxidants and phytochemicals.
Too bad though it seems to have the added sugar in so many pizza sauces
that we don’t need. Or make a pizza at
home. My daughters now buy a whole grain
crust and make their own pizza. Add a
fresh salad of dark greens for Vitamin A and other nutrients and you have a
pretty good meal.
4.
Breakfast Cereals – look for the fiber
Most Americans are lacking fiber in
their diets and need to make healthier choices.
The article recommends choosing cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber
per serving. Choose whole grain cereals
to add an extra nutritional boost. All
General Mills cereals are whole grain, so look for the G and you are off to a
more nutritious cereal.
5.
Protein – have lean protein at every meal
Protein has staying power. Eat lean protein at a meal and the meal will
take longer to digest so you fill full longer.
Low fat yogurt is a good option as is a glass of low fat milk. Ordering a sandwich, choose grilled or sliced
chicken. Add a low fat yogurt to
breakfast. Add low fat cheese sticks to
your lunch. There are many low fat, lean
protein options.
Image Source: http://www.great-taste.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/fast-food-logos1231520602.gif
