The 100 calorie pack lie!

Have you become prey for the 100 calorie pack or low calorie portion craze?  A few years ago small calorie controlled packs, bars or even ice cream products hit the market with a vengeance.  A few examples are 100 calorie oreos, skinny cow bars or 90 calorie Special K Bars.  Companies did a great job marketing these products as a "healthy" part of our daily diet.  But what are the facts? 

The majority of food in the United States is not real food.  Grocery store shelves are full of food-like products.  Highly processed ingredients that do not resemble the food it was derived from put together and sold as “food.”  This is not the ideal diet that our body desires. However, these foods tend to be what the mind “craves.”  Take a moment to think about what you crave.  Is it pizza, pasta, ice cream, fast food, nachos, cookies?  Or is it broccoli, apples, chicken, tuna, eggs?  Probably not the latter.  Why don’t humans crave these foods?  In a nutshell they are not processed food like products.  They are real foods that do not overstimulate the brain and body. 

Despite advances in food innovation and development, as a country we are fatter, sicker and experience a lower quality of life, especially as we age.  Is the solution to this really calorie-controlled cookie packs and low calorie ice cream?  I doubt it. 

No matter how it is marketed, an Oreo is an Oreo no matter how they package it or portion it.  It is refined flour, sugar and fat.  Ice cream is still ice cream.  The top ingredients in many popular "fiber" bars are sugar, corn syrup, sugar, and high maltose corn syrup.  It is manufactured fibers covered by sugar.  And it is marketed as healthy?

A New Spin on Healthy School Lunches

You may soon be preparing your child for school with new clothes and schools supplies, but let’s not forget to shop for healthy foods to feed your young ones. Whether they are headed to preschool this year or their senior year of high school, it is key to get your children the right nutrients so they can stay focused and energized throughout the school year.

With childhood obesity on the rise, it is time for parents to take control of their children’s food choices. Packing a lunch each day for your children is a great start. Packing a healthy lunch filled with lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy will ensure your child is getting the nutrition he or she needs without all the extra calories, sodium and fat.

Here are some ways you can spice up your child’s lunch (and even your own!) while also packing in the nutrients.

Ø  Think outside the box when it comes to preparing sandwiches. Switch up your bread products (and aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving!). Try whole grain pitas, bagels, Sandwich Thins, or whole grain tortillas instead of plain white bread. (Many products have whole grain white products for children who don’t like the grainer products).

Ø  Add vegetables by adding some to the “sandwich” On the side, pack some sliced tomato, cucumbers, spinach or lettuce or even some avocado.

Ø  Aim for a fruit and/or vegetables in every lunch. Cut up fruit or vegetables and add a fun dip such as yogurt for fruit or light ranch for vegetables.

Ø  Don’t forget to add in some calcium! Calcium is a much needed nutrient for growing children. Toss in a yogurt, string cheese stick, slice of cheese on a sandwich or better yet, a carton of low fat milk.

Ø  For a side item if needed, watch the extra calories in chips and junk food. Instead opt for pretzels, goldfish, baked chips or Sun chips.

Ø  Add in a sweet note by adding a low fat pudding, Jell-O, Fig Newton’s, graham crackers, or pretzels dipped in dark chocolate

And let’s not forget, sometimes it’s all in the packaging! Try this new spin on lunch boxes called, Laptop Lunches (www.laptoplunches.com). Each lunchbox comes with dishwasher safe, BPA free plastic containers to package your child’s lunch and side items. No plastic baggies needed!

Packing lunches can take some time but once you get in a routine, lunches should take no more than 10-15 of prep time the night before school. By packing your child a healthy lunch (and sometimes afterschool snack as well) you are ensuring your child is getting the right nutrients for his or her growth

Kelly Devine, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, CPT

Mindless Eating: Losing Weight Without Thinking

August 5, 2011
Smaller plates, slimmer glasses, linked to weight loss success
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/losing-weight.aspx

WASHINGTON—Dieters may not need as much willpower as they think, if they make simple changes in their surroundings that can result in eating healthier without a second thought, said a consumer psychologist at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

“Our homes are filled with hidden eating traps,” said Brian Wansink, PhD, who presented his findings and strategies for a healthier lifestyle in a plenary address entitled “Modifying the Food Environment: From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better.”

“Most of us have too much chaos going on in our lives to consciously focus on every bite we eat, and then ask ourselves if we’re full. The secret is to change your environment so it works for you rather than against you,” Wansink said

Wansink identified several myths about eating behaviors as a way to explain why Americans, on average, have been getting fatter. “People don’t think that something as simple as the size of a bowl would influence how much an informed person eats,” he said.

However, several studies show exactly that, including Wansink’s study of 168 moviegoers, who ate either fresh or stale popcorn from different size containers. People ate 45 percent more fresh popcorn from extra-large containers than large ones and the people who were eating stale popcorn ate 34 percent more from the extra-large buckets than people eating fresh popcorn, according to the study.

They just don’t realize they’re doing it,” said Wansink. This strategy also applies to what we drink. His research found that people pour about 37 percent more liquid in short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny ones of the same volume.

Even a kid’s cereal bowl can be a trap, according to Wansink. One study showed children of different weights who were given a 16 ounce bowl were more likely to serve themselves twice as much cereal than children given an 8 ounce bowl.

Another myth, according to Wansink, is that people know when they are full and stop before they overeat. His Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University tested this by designing a “bottomless bowl.” They brought in 60 people for a free lunch and gave 22 ounce bowls of soup to half, while the other half unknowingly got 22 ounce bowls that were pressure-fed under the table and slowly refilled. The results: people with bottomless bowls ate 73 percent more than those with normal bowls, yet when asked, they didn’t realize they had eaten more. “The lesson is, don’t rely on your stomach to tell you when you’re full. It can lie,” Wansink said.

Simply being aware of such findings can help people make healthier choices, especially those who are already trying to eat healthier foods, according to Wansink. One of his studies showed that people lost up to two pounds a month after making several simple changes in their environment, including:

eating off salad plates instead of large dinner plates.
keeping unhealthy foods out of immediate line of sight and moving healthier foods to eye-level in the cupboard and refrigerator.
eating in the kitchen or dining room, not in front of the television.
“These simple strategies are far more likely to succeed than willpower alone. It’s easier to change your environment than to change your mind,” Wansink concluded.

Blog Series: The Pro's and Con's of Dietary Fat

2 of 6: Portion Size

One of the biggest mistakes when trying to lose or maintain weight is eating healthy foods but in large portions. Even healthy foods have calories. Through the years, one of the pitfalls I have observed is overconsumption of nuts, trail mixes, and seeds as meals or snacks. Reasons for choosing larger portions of these items are to increase protein intake and "they are healthy." But this is a misunderstanding.

¼ cup of trail mix = 170-230 calories. And who can eat just ¼ cup?
½ cup of shelled sunflower seeds = 375 calories

The only food category that can be consumed in unlimited quantities is non-starchy vegetables. The more vegetables, the better for you.

When consuming fat, it is important to choose the appropriate portion size to avoid excess calories that can lead to weight gain or a weight loss plateau. The following are each one serving of fat:

1 teaspoon: any oil, mayonnaise, butter, margarine

1 tablespoon: low fat margarine, low fat mayonnaise, regular sour cream, nut butters, regular salad dressing, cream cheese

2 tablespoons: Avocado, half & half/cream, reduced fat sour cream, reduced fat salad dressing, reduced fat cream cheese

6-10 nuts: Almond, cashew, walnut halves, peanuts, pecans
Tip: A serving of nuts will fit into a small mint tin. Try packing a portion of nuts to eat at work. Do not eat these items near an open bag where you can keep going back for more.

8 large olives

Be aware of foods that have hidden fats. Even if the fat is not visible, calories can add up quickly. These include pizza, ice cream, sweets, crackers, cake, cookies, chips, and microwave popcorn.

Tune in Monday 8/1 to learn about harmful saturated fats!