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Get more results from your diet plan
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From salads and yogurts to cereals and sodas, grocery store shelves are lined with a myriad of products to help a person maintain and lose weight, control cravings and add vitamins and nutrients. But are all of these products healthy?
Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietician and author of "10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet" and "Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy," weighs in on these products and offers tips to add nutritional punch.
Here are some of Somer's nutrition tips:
Toss more nutrition into salad. Salads are a popular choice for people trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Load the plate with dark leafy greens and strive for a minimum of four colors from vegetables or fruits. Don't top the salad with lunch meats, bacon bits or croutons. Try something healthier like jicama for crunch or garbanzo beans and tofu for protein. Pour one ladle's worth of low-calorie dressing into a small container and then lightly dip your fork into the dressing before grabbing the veggies. Most of your dressing should remain in the container even after your salad bowl is empty.
Manage meal replacement bars and drinks. Several shakes and bars touted as meal replacement plans and snacks are convenient for on-the-go lifestyles. How do the different brands compare? "They're pretty much the same nutritionally," says Somer. "But beware of some of the bars. While they may contain more vitamins and nutrients, they don't cut out the sugar. They're pretty much glorified candy bars."
Look for low-sugar yogurts. While yogurt is one of the best sources for calcium, some varieties can be full of sugar. A cup of yogurt naturally contains 12 grams of sugar. The fruited varieties can contain 10 teaspoons of sugar. Look for low-sugar brands of fruited or plain nonfat yogurt, particularly those that contain vitamin D and vegetarian-derived omega-3 fatty acids. For the plain varieties, add fresh or frozen fruit and a teaspoon of jelly, jam or honey to sweeten.
Avoid pitfalls of 100-calorie packaging. While dieters may find 100-calorie meals or snacks, such as soup, cookies and crackers helpful for automatic portion control, remember to read the label as products may contain more than one serving per package. If you cannot live without chips or cookies, control your portions and your pocketbook by buying a larger bag of snacks and dividing it out into individual baggies with a scale or a measuring cup. Ideally, switch from these highly processed foods to baby carrots, frozen blueberries and other unprocessed foods.
Keep an eye on enhanced waters and sodas. What's the difference between plain old tap water and enhanced water? For one thing, the price: a glass of water in most cases is free. Enhanced water can cost around $1.50. While enhanced waters do contain nutrients and vitamins not contained in tap water, some have as many calories as a can of soda.
There are no quick and easy substitutes for a balanced diet and a good multivitamin. Drink flavored sparkling water, try zero-calorie waters or add a wedge of citrus fruit to plain water.
Save room for dessert. Dieters shouldn't deprive themselves of dessert. But when it comes to prepackaged desserts labeled as low-carb, low-fat or reduced sugar, buyers beware. Some tempting treats may simply be disguised with smaller portion sizes.
Enjoy a guilt-free dessert by keeping a close eye on nutrition labels and limiting portion sizes. If you need something sweet, consider eating fresh fruit or a frozen fruit juice bar.
Source: Star-GazetteAll rights reserved.