Tag Archives: Portion Control

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Power Balls

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Happy National Peanut Butter Day! It’s true, there is officially a day for everything it seems. I prefer to honor peanut butter and all of its creamy, delicious glory everyday. Not only is it the perfect punch of protein, but it is temperature safe which makes it handy for an on the go snack- perfect to complement fruit, veggies and whole grain crackers!  Peanut butter is full of the heart healthy “good fats” and can be part of a healthy meal plan.  It is best to keep peanut butter servings in moderation (about 1 tbsp)  to avoid racking up the calories. I  recommend low-cal versions like PB2 by Bell Plantation or Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter to avoid any hydrogenated oils (yuck).  Try the following no-bake peanut butter oatmeal power balls from caloriecount.about.com for a filling afternoon snack or pair with a piece of fruit for an easy breakfast.

 

What you will need (makes 18):

-4 tbsp peanut butter

-2 tbps honey

- 1 tbsp skim milk

- 2 cups oats

 

Get Started:

Mix peanut butter and honey together in medium bowl. Add oats until combined, adding milk if necessary to moisten (should be crumbly). Roll into tight balls and store in refrigerator
 
The Nutritional Breakdown (1 ball): 
64 calories, 2.4 grams of fat, 8.7grams of carbohydrates and 2.3 grams of protein.

 

Skinny Wraps

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Looking for a low-cal, convenient meal or snack? Always! Try wrapping it up. I tend to avoid most wraps at restaurants and cafes because the shell alone can easily pack in 45 grams of carbs or more……that’s equivalent to  three slices of bread! And we are not even at the middle yet. To keep it light, make sure you start with a sound foundation……that would be whatever it is that’s doing the wrapping.  I make sure I always have  low carb, whole wheat tortilla shells in the fridge for this purpose.  My favs are Trader Joe’s low-carb tortilla shells (about 45 calories) and La Tortilla Factory’s high fiber tortilla wrap (45 calories, 7 grams of fiber!). Next….fill-er-up

Skinny Breakfast Wraps Fillings:

savory

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup cooked spinach
  • tomato slices
  • 2 tablespoons low fat shredded cheese
  • garlic

or sweet

  • 2-4 oz fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
  • 1/2 sliced banana
  • 1 tbsp sliced almonds
  • drizzle of honey

There you go!  An easy, filling, balanced breakfast to-go all under 250 calories.

Healthy Snacks for People on the Go

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My husband I will soon embark on one of our many glamorous road-trips from New Jersey to Cleveland.  Since I refuse to eat a meal at any place that doubles as a restroom/gas-station/shower/Roy Rodgers, I make sure I load-up on plenty of healthy snack options to get us through the 7.5 hour journey.  I feel better starting my vacation knowing that I was eating sensible snacks while I was somewhat immobile for eight hours reading and catching up on trashy reality TV shows-thank you Bravo and iTunes!  And thank you to my amazing husband who drives while I go comatose during a Real Housewives marathon. I am the worst!

For those of you who will find yourselves in a similar scenario, travel often for work….or  just looking for healthy convenient snack items, check out my picks.

    • Wild Garden Hummus Packets
    • Gnu bars
    • Veggie sticks and Fruit slices (slice-em-up and throw them in a BPA-free container)
    • Blue Diamond 100 Calorie Almond Packets
    • Sensible Foods Crunch Dried Snacks Roasted Edamame
    • Bearitos Popcorn Organic Lite

  • Shelton’s Turkey Jerky
  • Kettle Tortilla Chips-Sesame Rye with Caraway
  • Justin’s Peanut Butter Squeeze Packs
  • The Laughing Cow Semi Soft Cheese Light

 

Toss your healthy goodies in a tote and hit the road!

5 Simple Changes To Start Losing Weight Now

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Spring is around the corner which means that most of our New Year resolution’s may have fizzled out with the last of the champagne.  We tend to self-sabotage year after year with unrealistic and broad goals like “eliminating carbs” or “going to the gym every morning at 5 am”.  When these said resolutions take the back burner, we feel defeated and vulnerable.  And the cycle rears its ugly head.   Before you beat yourself up for hitting the snooze button or unconsciously noshing on that soft pretzel in the break room, take a sigh of relief that there are simple behavior changes that you can start now to help you shed some of those left-over holiday pounds.

1.    Get some sleep.  Recent studies are making strong suggestions that link weight control to adequate sleep.  Aim for 7-9 hours to  keep appetite hormones and mood at bay.

2.    Eat tapas style (small plates).  We tend to eat with our eyes and not with our stomachs. This concept has been studied at nausea and they pretty much all say the same thing.  Eat off the appetizer or salad plate, rather than the massive dinner plate, and you will most likely take in fewer calories.  This concept works for snacks too.  I like to use ramekins for chips, nuts and even ice-cream.  Easy, effortless portion control!

3.    Write it down.  Keep daily food journals as a self-monitoring tool.  It can serve as a form of therapy or the proverbial slap on the wrist. You are less likely to mindlessly graze on the bowl of M&M’s if you have to write it down. Try to keep detailed journals including where your meals were consumed, how you were feeling (starved, stressed, etc), and the portion size.  This may be helpful to link intake patterns to specific behaviors or environment.

4.    Keep moving.  Whether you religiously get to the gym four days each week, or not, it is important to stay active seven days a week.   Increasing lifestyle activity (walking the dog, household cleaning, taking the stairs, avoiding long periods of sitting) can be just as effective in weight loss and maintenance.  Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity each day.

5.    Avoid eating in front of the T.V or computer.  Not only is it unsanitary, but it may be a major contributor to a growing waist line.  Designate one, distraction-free area for eating all meals and snacks.

As a healthcare professional specializing in nutrition and weight loss, I try to facilitate my clients to work through the barriers and rethink through the strategies for success.  In most cases, I can usually link specific behaviors as barriers to their weight loss goals.  For more information about these personalized services, visit my website RDMealPlan.com or Contactus@RDMealPlan.com.