Top 10 Diet Tips from Dietitians

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.

1.     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

      2.        No More Than 1 Diet Soda A Day

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

Sources:   http://www.kfc.com/nutrition/,   Dietitains' Top 10 Diet Tips.