“Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”

It’s Sunday and like every week I am in the kitchen, rigorously planning meals in prep for the busy week to come.  As a working mom I have definitely learned that if we don’t have planned out meals and even some prepped ahead of time, Fast Food becomes our family’s best friend. Well for several months now I have been taking Sunday afternoons to make a weekly meal plan and it has been an amazing positive impact on our budget as well as our eating habits.

In support of my healthy eating habits my husband has committed to Eating Salad at least once a day.  OK Trend Tip moms this is where the funny part comes in- My husbands idea of Eating Salad is a head of lettuce topped with a lb of cheese, bacon bits , croutons and don’t let me forget the container of buttermilk ranch.   How can he always find a way to make any healthy menu items rich with fat and preservatives?  It got me thinking so of course I let my fingers do some research and came across a few great articles that I thought were Perfect in title and content and had to share with all the other Salad eating Trendy Mom’s out there: “Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”  Well whether you choose vinaigrette that’s loaded with oil or add an overly generous sprinkling of honey-toasted nuts, it’s easy to pile on extra fat and calories without even realizing it. One of the pieces I read mentions that several restaurant salad with dressing can even have as many as 1,000 calories.

The great article I read is by Carly Young – Special to Life Script – I hope you like the article as much as I did.  “Is My Salad Making Me Fat?”

Although salads are usually perceived as healthy diet food, piling extra goodies on top of your greens can wreck havoc on any healthy eating plan. Mounds of dressing, endless chunks of full-fat cheese and a slew of greasy bacon bits won’t help you shrink your waistline. If you want a salad that’s truly good for you, make sure you use the right combination of ingredients. First, start with your base – spinach, romaine lettuce, chicory, and arugula are all great choices. If you can’t decide on just one to choose, then don’t. Create a mixture of several leafy greens to surprise your taste buds with an unexpected combination of flavors and textures. Next, add some protein. Grilled chicken, egg whites, walnuts, lentils, and tofu are all delicious. A real protein superstar is salmon, which is packed with heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. To keep your salads interesting, try using different marinades on cooked meats or tofu (you can bake or grill the tofu beforehand or just use the raw cubes). One day, coat chicken in lemon juice before grilling and throw it onto your greens. The next day, try marinating tofu in a soy-ginger chili sauce to add some extra zing. While you should limit the serving of protein to 3 ounces, you have license to go wild with extra fruits and veggies. Throw on cherry tomatoes, apple slices, shredded carrots, mushrooms, beets, and grapes with abandon. Their high fiber content will keep you full, and their antioxidants will fight free radical damage. To ensure that you have the optimal amount of antioxidants, take a look at the color of your salad. If it’s a beautiful mixture of color, then you’re good to go. Next, it’s time to add dressing, the finishing touch. Since fats help keep your salad healthy, don’t think your only choices are tasteless, non-fat dressings. Olive oil, low-fat ranch, low-fat Italian, and balsamic vinaigrette are all good choices. Now the only thing left to do? Dig in and congratulate yourself for making a food choice that will benefit your body, mind and waist!

Other great support articles can be found on:

·         http://www.lifescript.com/Body/Diet/Diet-tips

·         http://eating.health.com

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6 Quick Tips To BURN FAT while you eat!!

POWER of Protein – Immediately everyone thinks STEAK right?  Not so fast – protein is a KEY to your fat burning success but there are so many great ways to get your Protein and that don’t have to come from a cow. Eat FISH!! Chances are you aren’t eating enough of this great source of lean protein. Not only is it a great source of Protein it also has additional benefits like Omega-3 fatty acids.  That’s right these are the fatty acids you are constantly hearing about that have great health benefits.  Don’t forget about Beans and Nuts also a wonderful source of protein and these ingredients can act as a great complement to any salad or veggie blend. Let’s also not forget about all the great veggie patties and soy meats that have made getting protein for non meat eaters easy and tasty.

HEALTHY WHOLE GRAINS – Did you know that Whole Grains can do wonders for stubborn flabby areas around your midsection?  Bye Bye Belly – Hello Lean and Sexy adding Whole Grains can be easy if you follow some of the healthy instructions in The Hungry Girl Cook Book.   One of the easiest ways to get your Whole Grains is a quick and easy bowl of Oatmeal in the morning.  I favor the Kashi GoLean’s Hot Cereal packs in 7 whole grains and a big 5 – 7g fiber! Can you say Nummy.

GRAPEFRUIT - If you’re like me, come mid day the sweet tooth starts to lurk around every corner begging you for something sweet.  Don’t give into the sweet tooth monster, give it a kick with a healthy but tasty Grapefruit.  Full of Vitamin C and powerful antioxidants and it definitely helps to know that it has been shown in studies to help Burn Fat. The theory is that grapefruit helps to lower insulin levels, which keeps you from being hungry all the time! I’m not suggesting a Grapefruit diet but those Ruby Reds are MIGHTY delicious and Perfect for a Sweet tooth Snack Attack! If it’s too sour for you straight, sprinkle it with some no-calorie sweetener like Splenda

P.S. my Hungry Girl Secret is the easy Dannon Fruit Naturals – Red Grapefruit (you can find them in most grocery store refrigerated sections)

GO GO GREEN TEA - Poppy had Spinach – This Hungry Girl has Green tea.  That’s right you here about it EVERYWHERE as the “super food”. Weather its articles about how it has reduced rates of heart disease and cancer or helps with hair loss you can’t help but wonder what the rage is about.  Green tea has been shown to increase metabolism, which is key in our battle with weight loss. I have to admit it isn’t at the top of my must have list but the Hungry Girl secret is Green Tea Crème Swappuccino! Delicious and only 75 calories.

FOODS – With a KICK - I swear with the pregnancy of my second child I became a Spicy Food Fanatic and who knew it was good for me.  I don’t know why but once I had her I couldn’t get enough of the HOT stuff.  Tabasco Sauce, Jalapeno’s anything to add a KICK to my food and I was on board.  Well come to find out that little kick of spice in your food helps to increase your heart rate and a temporary increase in your metabolism, burning fat a little easier even if just for a moment.  A quick hit with cayenne, red pepper flakes, or whatever hot sauce you fancy should do the trick and get your blood pumping. And these spices are practically calorie-free. OH YEAH!!!  

WATER – Drinking your 8 glasses of water a day is key to your Hungry Girl success. Don’t like the taste of water?  With the variety of great flavored waters or sugar free additives on the market, finding a flavor to flatter your taste buds should be easy.  Still not convinced that drinking water is good for you? Keep reading and learn more about the benefits of drinking water:  Water  contains no calories (check Nutritional Info on the flavored bottled water or additives may contain low calorie counts)  Drinking water helps hydrate skin, water is important in maintaining the health of your skin it can assist in a more youthful appearance and improves your skins elasticity. Don’t forget the best benefit of all; drinking water can help boost your energy levels.

Hungry for More?

Check out Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World. The book’s a New York Times Best Seller, and it’s packed with 165 super-easy and delicious recipes, survival guides for eating out, and so much more!

For a daily dose of guilt-free tips, tricks, food finds, recipes and more, visit hungry-girl.com or subscribe to my trendy tips of the week and receive great hints like this and more.

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