Dieters beware!

Alcohol contains calories, and depending on the drink, lots of them. All too often we don’t register the calories in beverages the same way we would for let’s say, a fudge brownie. Alcohol also has the added bonus of acting as an appetite stimulant in addition to weakening our resolve to eat moderately and make wise food choices ;).

Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines were amended recently to help Canadians moderate their alcohol consumption and reduce alcohol-related harm. The guidelines are as follows:

• Women: Limit drinks to 10 a week, no more than 2 drinks per day, but not everyday
• Men: Limit drinks to 15 a week, no more than 3 drinks a day, but not everyday

The calories in alcohol can really add up and could easily derail your weight loss plan. Here are some tips to keep the calories from alcohol in check:

• Choose lower-calorie beverages like a wine spritzer (95 kcals), light beer (65-100 kcals), glass of wine (120 kcals) or a mixed drink with a calorie-free mixer like soda water, crystal light, or diet pop (100 kcals)
• Don’t be fooled by tonic-It has as many calories as coke or juice. Try club soda or San Pellagrino instead—both are calorie-free!
• Slow your pace.  Try and limit your drinks to 1 alcoholic drink per hour by opting for a glass of water or soda between drinks.

Have you ever found yourself craving food 2 hours after eating? The first question you might ask yourself is; “Did I include enough protein in my meal?”

In conjunction with a quality, high fibre starch, including enough protein at each meal ensures the meal lasts you as long as it should; about 4-6 hours. Remember that even a high quality starch will only sustain your blood sugars for up to 2 hours after the meal.  Protein foods are digested slower than starch so the ‘satiating’ effect of protein kicks in a couple of hours after the meal and works to sustain you longer. Now that’s lasting power!

At Spectrum Nutrition we advise that clients obtain at least 12g protein from protein foods at breakfast. Protein foods are eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, beans or lentils. In addition to obtaining at least 12g protein at breakfast (more is fine!), aim for a minimum of 15g protein at lunch and supper (preferably 20-30g) and include a source of protein any snacks taken to meet daily protein needs.

Here are some excellent food sources of protein that will help you meet your daily requirements:

When it comes to a healthy diet, where does hummus stand? It’s a good question and one client’s often ask us.

Hummus is made from chick peas (garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame seed paste), olive oil and lemon juice and usually spiced with fresh garlic, salt and pepper.  Because hummus is made primarily with beans so it can be a good low fat source of protein and it’s also a great way to get enough fibre.  But dieters beware; if there are large amounts of olive oil and/or tahini in a particular recipe, the calories can be more than you bargained for.  A good rule of thumb when buying hummus is to aim for:

• 30 calories per Tbsp. or less

Our favorite brands happen to be:

• Safeway’s Eating Right brand at 30 calories for 2 Tbsp.
• Habibi’s hummus (found at Whole Foods) touts 20 calories per Tbsp.
• You can also try making it yourself – check out our Recipe section for a recipe!

How do you use hummus?  In a meal, I like to think of it as the protein part of the plate:

• Use ½ cup inside a high fibre wrap for lunch
• Spread ½ cup on two high fibre slices of toast to accompany a salad

If using hummus as a snack, try:

• ¼ cup on as many veggies as you like
• 3 Tbsp. on 3 finn crisp crackers – bon appetite!

To weigh or not to weigh…that is a question that comes up a lot at Spectrum Nutrition!  Fortunately, the jury is NOT out on this issue.  It’s important to keep an eye on your weight. Period.  People who have successfully lost weight and maintained that weight loss weigh themselves regularly.  As do folks who seem to ‘naturally’ maintain a healthy body weight.

There are a couple things to remember when weighing yourself however:

1. Weigh yourself weekly, same time, same place and watch the trend – weight can fluctuate A LOT from day to day and throughout the day, so weigh yourself at the same time and under the same circumstances each week.

2. It really does take 3500 EXTRA calories to gain (or lose) a pound of true body weight – try not to be discouraged (or inappropriately encouraged!) when your weight fluctuates, if you know you’re on track with your eating other factors may be influencing your weight on the scale such as:

• Fluid retention which can be caused by eating a salty meal (think soy sauce with sushi) or alcohol consumption
• Menstruation can be good for 2-4 (temporary) pounds on the scale for sure!
• Air travel can temporarily make it seem like that vacation was worse than you thought!
• The time elapsed since your last bowel movement will even show up on the scale

3. Try not to compare your weight to others – bodies come in all shapes, sizes and densities so work with the numbers that are natural for you, but make sure you know what that number is 😉

What is the deal with Greek yogurt?

Basically, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurts and made with fewer ingredients. Milk and active bacterial culture generally make up the only 2 ingredients in most Greek yogurts but making it requires about 3 times more milk as the process uses more traditional Greek methods. Once the milk is heated and cultured with bacteria, Greek yogurt is strained in a cheesecloth or filter that removes much of the whey (the liquid part of the milk), leaving you with a thicker, protein-rich product. One serving (175g) of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt has about 100 calories and 18g protein. The same serving of regular, plain, non-fat yogurt has about 90-100 calories and only 9g protein.

But beware! Not all Greek yogurts are created equally; here is what you need to know to make the best choice:

1. Aim for 0% M.F. or otherwise ‘non-fat’ varieties.  Some Greek yogurts have up to 11% M.F. which delivers a whopping 250 calories per 175g serving making it more like ice cream than yogurt… not to mention the additional saturated fat and cholesterol.   So stick to 0% M.F..: the extra protein makes it so thick and creamy you would never believe there’s no-fat!

2. Opt for plain versus flavoured non-fat Greek yogurt.  This will save you 40 calories and 10-15g added sugars per 175g serving!

3. Flavour plain non-fat Greek yogurt with fresh/frozen fruit, cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract, and top with your favourite high fibre cereal.  If sweet is what you’re after, try mixing in some low-calorie sweetener like Splenda.

So…which brands do I recommend? Try anyone of these brands – all are dietitian approved and are staples in our diets here at Spectrum Nutrition:

• Liberte 0% M.F. Greek yogurt
• Danonne Oikos 0% M.F. Greek Yogurt
• President’s Choice 0% M.F. Greek yogurt
• Kirkland 0% M.F. Greek yogurt

At Spectrum Nutrition, we have one rule regarding food…. No Trans Fats! That stuff is terrible for your heart.

Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods, but are also formed when liquid oils are made into semi-solid fats like shortening and hard margarine through a process called hydrogenation. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary saturated and trans fats can increase your risk of developing heart disease. It turns out that our bodies can handle a little saturated fat, but trans fat is 20 times worse for your heart than saturated fat. The reason: trans fat raises the bad LDL cholesterol AND lowers the good HDL cholesterol, whereas saturated fat only raises the bad cholesterol.

Trans fats are still abundant in our food supply despite efforts made by government to eliminate them in their products. Here is where they most commonly reside:

• Commercially baked goods made with shortening, hard margarine or oils containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils and fats (think donuts, cakes, pastries, muffins, and croissants)
• Some packaged goods like crackers, cookies, puddings, cake mixes, peanut butter (no-stir kind), and some breakfast cereals containing raisins. Anything that has an unusually long shelf life, likely has trans fat in it.
• Commercially prepared fried foods, like French fries or breaded foods prepared using shortening or hydrogenated oils.

So what can you do to keep trans fats out of your diet?

• Minimize the use of packaged foods, commercially baked goods and fast food and make it a habit to ask what kind of fat is used in their preparation.
• Check the nutrition facts table and opt for products with no trans fat.
• Always, always check the ingredients list: Some nutrition facts tables will state 0g trans fat on label, but will have vegetable oil shortening or partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredients list. These are both trans fats.

True, that might sound like an oxymoron, but the food innovators out there have come out with what I would consider a ‘healthy’ chip.

They’re called “Beanitos” – they are a ‘chip’ made with beans and a little rice instead of the usual corn (think tortilla chips) or potato.  Not that there’s anything wrong with corn or potatoes, but I think the nutrient profile of these chips are superior to your traditional snack chips; here’s why:

Beanito chips can tout all the good things regular old beans can:

• 8g fibre: keeps you feeling fuller longer
• 7g protein: also provides some lasting power
• 95mg sodium: which is less than a slice of bread  and considerable less than other chips
• High in iron and potassium

The calories in Beanito’s are roughly equivalent to the calories in other chips: 250 calories for 50g (about one loosely packed (and closed) sandwich baggie full), but you’re getting a lot more staying power out of these little gems.  Try them with a little light sour cream and salsa – enjoy!

Peanut butter without the fat?!?

Yes, it’s true thanks to a new product on the market called PB2.  PB2 is a powdered, defatted peanut butter that you add water to just before eating to make ‘real’ peanut butter.   Powdered peanut butter sounds a little weird I know, but the ‘defatting’ process removes about 85% of the oil in the peanuts by mechanically ‘pressing’ the peanuts through an expeller or press.  What’s left after this process are the peanuts, in a powdered form.  The result?  A peanut butter that, after you add a little water, looks, tastes and feels just like ‘real’ peanut butter, but with 85% less fat and ¼ of the calories!  Now that’s what I call healthy heaven!  And…the product is made with just roasted peanuts, a little sugar and salt – just like regular peanut butter.

To bizarre you say?  Not at all.  We consume defatted products all the time. Think chocolate. Defatting is the same process used to make cocoa powder from the cocoa bean (and hence chocolate), soy flour from a soy bean or, if looking at the process the other way, how olive oil is made from olives (the only difference is we don’t usually make use of the powdered olives left over from the oil making process…we just use the oil). The process of defatting is widely used and does not change the chemical or physical properties of the substance being defatted, it simply presses out the oil.

If you’ve ever had Adam’s natural peanut butter, PB2, once you’ve added a touch of water, tastes and has a texture just like it.  All you need to do is enjoy!

You can buy this product locally at a store called “Nature – Living Health” in Vancouver (between 10^th and 11^th on Arbutus Street) or online, just Google PB2 and have it shipped right to your door.  Enjoy in smoothies, baking, on toast, or on some celery or a banana as a snack!

I think most people would agree that cheese is one of life’s great pleasures. Unfortunately, it earns a bad reputation thanks to its (typically) high calorie, fat, saturated fat and sodium content. A 30g (1 oz) serving of hard cheese (equivalent to 2 dominos) has about 120 calories, so it can add up quite quickly!

The good news is you can fit cheese into your healthy eating plan without the guilt. With the help of some “light” cheeses on the market, and a couple of simple tips, you can easily have your cheese and eat it too! Here’s what we recommend:

• Invest in a food scale to keep portions in check. The only way to really know what 30g (1 oz) of cheese looks like is to weigh it!
• Grate your cheese…30g looks like a lot more grated then it does sliced
• Opt for cheeses with 20% M.F. or less on the food label.
• Look for the following cheeses on the market that have between 4-13% M.F. and ½ the calories than regular cheese:

1. Dama Light Brie – 12% M.F. (Safeway)

2. PC Blue Menu Light Brie – 12% M.F. (Superstore, No Frills)

3. Allegro – 4% M.F.  A firm, mild, cheddar-like cheese (Most grocery stores)

4. Elite Goats Cheese – 6% M.F. (Safeway, Whole Foods, Choices) 

5. Light Laughing Cow Cheese – Spreadable cheese (Most grocery stores)

6. Paradise Island Skim Milk Cheese – 7% M.F. Available in cheddar & parmesan (Thrifty’s Foods)

7. Light Baby Bell Cheese – 8% M.F. Individually wrapped ‘munching’ cheese (Found just about everywhere!)

You may be surprised to know that when it comes to making a lower calorie choice for the starch portion of your plate, potatoes and sweet potatoes beat out the healthy grains like quinoa, barley, whole grain pasta, and brown rice.

Cup for cup, this is how potatoes and sweet potatoes measure up against the grains:

1 cup cooked whole grain spaghetti, quinoa, barley, and brown rice =200 kcals
1 cup cooked mashed potato (~200g) , with skin = 160 kcals
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (~200g), with skin = 160 kcals

What’s more, sweet potatoes have about 6g fibre per 1 cup serving (potatoes have about 4g) which is three times the fibre content of a cup of brown rice and as much fibre as a cup of cooked barley (just remember to keep the skin on–much of the fibre is in the skin)! With all that fibre, you are sure to get the lasting power you are looking for out of your starch AND for less calories!

To get you in the mood for cooking with sweet potatoes, Spectrum Nutrition has posted a Curried Sweet Potato Salad recipe under our RECIPES posts. It is a curried twist on traditional potato salad and a perfect (and healthy) starch option for a late summer meal. Just add your veggies and protein and enjoy!