|
|
When was the last time you ate a brownie, a burger, a cupcake, or a slice of pizza? Did you hold it with your hands and bite in, or did you use a fork (and knife) to eat it? It’s socially acceptable to eat any of these foods by hand, but if you’re watching your weight, you are likely to be better off grabbing some silverware instead.
Using a fork and knife to eat takes longer and slows you down, compared to eating straight from your hands. Eating a brownie or cupcake by hand will take only a few bites, but with a fork in hand, you’ll take more, smaller bites. And theoretically, you’ll enjoy it more, and can be satisfied with less. This simple rule could make the difference between stopping at two slices of pizza, or feeling the urge for a third. In the long run, little changes and habits add up. So whenever possible, choose a fork over fingers.
I am 27yrs old and morbidly obese. I am working on losing weight and so far have lost 34lbs in 5months. Not too bad if I dont say so myself but I somewhat wanted to be further along and I heard about the FULLBAR. I have started taking them before dinner and it seems to work but I was wondering if it would not be the same thing if I just ate a few rice cakes with a glass of water. Do you know anything about this? Is this a load of crock or is there something to this system? Are rice cakes the same or is there something special with this that makes 6 bars worth 6 dollars? - Kat
 Kat – This is a fabulous question, I’m so glad you wrote to me. Congratulations on the progress you have already made. It is a ton of work and takes mountains of patience to drop a significant amount of weight, but you’re doing it! Keep it up!
The premise of the Fullbar is that you eat a bar with a glass of water before a meal and wait 30 minutes before eating. Then, when you do eat, you are already somewhat full and can eat less at the meal.
The idea is solid; if you eat something, drink some water and wait 30 minutes before eating, it will help you control portions better because you will be less hungry. Your stomach will have had time to register the signals that there is food present inside, and your brain will have gotten the message that you aren’t running on empty anymore. The water helps a lot, being relatively heavy (and of course calorie-free), as your stomach senses the volume of it’s contents by stretch receptors. Also, the 30 minute wait is crucial, because the signals that you are partly full don’t register with your brain immediately, you need to give them some time to catch up.
Using this practice, it does not matter a great deal what you eat, however, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive bar to work. The best characteristics of a snack to fill you up are one that is limited in calories, larger in volume, and has some protein and fiber. Don’t be fooled by the guy wearing scrubs on the box, or the marketing that makes you think this is some medical breakthrough; there is no magic, drugs, or even special ingredients in the Fullbar.
What’s in Fullbar that might help with fullness? It’s 150-160 calories, mostly puffed wheat (which gives it volume) with 4-5 grams of fiber and 4-5 grams protein (depending on the flavor). If you were to have rice cakes and water instead of the Fullbar, you are likely to have the same results, because they are high in volume but low in calories, and the water and 30 minutes are crucial ingredients. So if you like rice cakes, go for it.
 Rice cakes don’t have many nutrients, though, so you could possibly do better. They lack protein and fiber, so if you wanted to experiment, I suggest an apple plus a low-fat string cheese. This would provide the same 150 calories, with more fiber and more protein than the Fullbar. (Don’t forget the water and 30 minutes.)
Best wishes for continued success with your goals! Let me know how you’re doing.
(Thanks to Elina from Healthy and Sane for the apple and string cheese pic!)
Question: Do you have a feel-full tip to share with Kat (and me!) and everyone else? Please leave a comment!
 Sorry for the long lapse in activity, everyone! We made it to Colorado last night and I’m posting from our new home, which is more beautiful than we could have imagined. Mountain views, and big blue skies; I’m so glad to be here! I’m excited to learn where things are in town, and oh there is so much to be unpacked – but for the meantime I’m taking it easy since the altitude isn’t sitting too well with me, and I’m rather dizzy and feeling weak. Coming from sea level, a move to 5000+ feet is rough on the system!
The drive was long, and certainly not one I’d hope to repeat any time soon, but crossing the country by car really does give you an appreciation for the expanse of land that is America, and how much agriculture predominates once you are away from the coast and metropolitan area. I managed to find relatively decent meals during our three day trek, despite our limitations: 1. We didn’t have time to make any deviations from Route 80. It had to be RIGHT on the highway. 2. We had our dog Rupert with us, so we couldn’t dine inside anywhere! (It was too hot to leave him in the truck, and I think that’s cruel anyway). So we had to pick up our food and eat outside for almost every meal.
In summary, when driving the highway, finding healthy snacks isn’t terribly difficult: I picked up pistachios, sunflower seeds, beef jerky (high in salt, but low in fat/calories/carbs), yogurt, string cheese, and bananas along the way, even in the most remote rural areas. For meals, I tried to get ample protein and maximize vegetables, since they are the hardest things to come by. Except for one stop in Nebraska, at which there was zero possibility of any vegetable, I managed some vegetables at every lunch and dinner by ordering salads or piling lettuce, tomato, and onion onto a sandwich. Ordering two side salads at a fast food place nets you more veggies and far fewer calories than one of the regular entree salads, which often have extra cheese, fruit, bacon, nuts, etc. Plus it costs less. One of my favorite meals was a grilled chicken sandwich from Wendy’s, plus two side salads. I gave Rupert (my dog) the bun and enjoyed the chicken with the salads. Not shabby at all, once I got over feeling awkward for ordering so much!
 Hardee’s and Wendy’s side salads both impressed me by being fresh and crisp – Burger King on the other hand dropped the ball by not having any salads available, despite the fact that they are on the menu. “Sorry, we don’t actually have any salads” I was told. “But I could give you a plate with lettuce and tomato.” (I declined.)
I eat a lot of protein normally. It helps me stay full, keep my blood sugar even, and generally feel good. On the road, besides the chicken sandwich, I got protein from grilled chicken in salads (Panera), a 6 oz. package of lean ham (picked up at a convenience store), turkey in a sub, eggs (at one motel breakfast), peanut butter, pistachios, the occasional protein bar, and beef jerky.
 Truthfully, one of the hardest things for me while making the drive wasn’t finding the good stuff, it was saying no to all the very tempting bad stuff! I have a sweet tooth, and I love carbs. And the urge to indulge in high carb, high sugar items becomes remarkably strong when combined with stress, sleep deprivation, more stress, and an upset stomach from lots of coffee. At every rest stop there seemed to be aisle upon aisle of cookies, donuts, muffins, cereal bars, ice cream treats …. all calling my name.
Rather than turn the trip into a 3 day junk food binge or make myself crazy by abstaining completely, I chose portion controlled lesser-evils to satisfy my sweet tooth/carb tooth like a small container of dry cold cereal (for one late night coffee-induced sour stomach), chocolate Zone bars, plain oatmeal with milk and Splenda (at motel breakfasts). I did enjoy one small Frosty from Wendy’s to celebrate the final stop on our journey. I asked my husband to buy me a Junior size (160 calories), but I’ll admit to not being upset when he came back with a small (300 calories). No, not the least bit upset.
Truth be told, I’m darn proud of myself for keeping sweets and junk foods to a moderate amount, because it certainly would have been easy to indulge excessively. Besides, I was sitting in a truck seat for 12+ hours a day, not exactly burning a ton of calories! I reminded myself that eating lots of processed, sugary, high carb foods would leave me sapped of energy and groggy. Not what I needed behind the wheel of a huge truck, towing a car!
And yes, in case you were wondering, I did shoot footage for a video, but it will take some time to put it all together. Monday I start my new job at a hospital, and over the next few weeks I hope to get back to posting as usual, cooking up new recipes, and bringing you news as we make our life in Colorado!
Necessity is the mother of invention. As I mentioned, our kitchen is dwindling in supplies, but it has made me exercise more creativity in meals this week. If for no other benefit than this recipe, the extra challenge was ALL worth it!
I was running out of bars/muffins and wanted to bake up a batch of something for my post-workout carb snacks. I was thinking that Chocolate Chippers would hit the spot, and decided to bake them. But once I started gathering the ingredients, I saw I was out of applesauce and out of macadamia nut oil. To make matters worse, I was low on flour, and still had bran to use up. Thus, a great recipe was born: Double Chocolate Bran Muffins.
Instead of the applesauce, I used a 6 ounce nonfat Greek yogurt for moisture. I added 3/4 cup of wheat bran to the dry ingredients, and reduced the flour. I just omitted the oil, hoping the flaxseed and 1 whole egg would prevent them from being too dry. And since I saved calories with skipping the oil, I bumped up the chocolate chips slightly from the original.
The result? Sensational. Incredible. In fact it’s tortuous to only eat one, but I enjoyed one and flexed every willpower muscle I had to wrap up the rest in the freezer, assuring myself I could have them in the future. They are a bit grainier than the original Chocolate Chippers (because of the bran) but I don’t mind that one bit! These now rank among my favorite baked good recipes in my archive. They might even be the favorite. No kidding. I’d have to taste them next to the original to make that call.
Double Chocolate Bran Muffins
• Cooking oil spray
• 1½ cups Splenda granulated
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2½ ounces chocolate mini morsels
• ¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup egg whites (2)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat wells of a muffin tin thoroughly with cooking oil spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine Splenda, flour, bran, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate morsels; stir to mix.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, egg, egg whites, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ones, and stir just until uniformly moistened. Spoon batter into muffin wells.
4. Bake 9-10 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool completely before removing from tin. Wrap each individually in plastic to prevent from drying out, and store in refrigerator or freezer.
Makes 12 servings
Per serving: 97 calories, 2 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 16 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar, 5 g protein, 261 mg sodium.
Question: What’s your favorite homemade baked good? How often do you eat it? Have you tried any baked good recipes from this site?
FYI: My husband’s favorite is the Lemon Poppy Protein Bars.
 I have been a lover of this product ever since I was sent a trial of it last year by the company’s founder. Before it even hit shelves, samples of Rokit Fuel energy mix arrived at my doorstep in plain white, no-frills proto-packaging. I discovered that this Rokit Fuel is a tasty high-energy mix that helped me power through my hardest training days. It’s a great alternative to bars and cereal that can be eaten anytime, anyplace. It’s made with endurance and outdoor athletes in mind, like marathoners, ultrarunners, mountaineers, and backpackers. It’s similar to granola, but softer – it’s also lower in fat and sugar than typical granola, and is packed with yummy powerhouse ingredients like chia seed, flax seed, barley, and dried berries. I love that it’s made from whole, real foods, not chemicals you can’t pronounce, hydrogenated oils, or tons of sugar. It’s exactly what I want to fuel my body with.
Rokit Fuel scores big points for portability. You can just tear open the cleverly designed pouch, hydrate it with some water and squeeze it right out of the package. I also enjoy it plain (dry) - and just chase it with some water. If I’m at home, I’ll cook it like hot cereal by adding milk or soymilk and microwave it into a powerful recharging recovery meal that really tastes like a treat!
Three reasons to love Rokit Fuel:
- Sustained energy from whole foods; No artificial high, nothing fake, no crash.
- Good balance between positive fats (Omegas) and carbs.
- High in fiber (but not to the extreme of causing irregular bowel movements)
I think Rokit Fuel is one of the best foods for workout recovery – and I used it as my refuel of choice after long runs when training for my last half marathon, and will definitely be ordering a big pack of the Chocolate Pumpkin when I kick off training for my next race. (Check out my Rokit Fuel shirt in the finish line photo!) If you’re looking for the highest-quality whole food products to fuel your active lifestyle and keep those glycogen stores full, I recommend 1 pack of Rokit Fuel as soon as possible after every workout extending longer than 60 minutes, to replenish carbohydrates and speed recovery leaving you ready to tear it up the next day. If you’re a hiker or mountaineer, give it a try for a filling and easily-digesting trail meal that won’t weigh you down and will keep your energy steady.
When I opened my OpenSky store, I wrote to the owner of Rokit Fuel and asked to carry his products. And I’m happy to announce this fabulous product will be only the third item to make it into my store, and I’m the first seller to carry it. I’m glad to promote a product I love and use myself. Now you can buy Rokit Fuel directly from AskGeorgie, 12 individual pouches of your favorite flavor for $27, with a 365 day any-reason return policy.
Rokit Fuel comes in four awesome flavors:
 Spice Cookie. The Germans are known for their ability to bake all sorts of wonderful breads and pastries. This flavor of Energy Mix was created with ingredients found in Gewurzplatzchen, a German spice cookie. Maybe you can’t pronounce it, but you’ll love the taste. Click here for Nutrition Facts.
INGREDIENTS: ROLLED OATS, RYE FLAKES, PURE CANE DARK BROWN SUGAR, RAISINS, PECANS, DATES, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, FLAX SEED, AMARANTH, OAT GROATS, WHOLE WHEAT, BARLEY, ALMONDS, SESAME SEEDS, WALNUTS, GINGER ROOT, CINNAMON, BEE POLLEN, SEA SALT, GOTU KOLA, MACA ROOT, NUTMEG, CLOVES.
Everybody loves Pumpkin Chocolate! (It’s MY favorite!) This best seller will brighten your day, afternoon, or night. Try it with warm milk or water and it’s like having a fresh-baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, but without the guilt. Click here for Nutrition Facts.
INGREDIENTS: ROLLED OATS, RYE FLAKES, PURE CANE DARK BROWN SUGAR, PUMPKIN FLAKES, FLAX SEED, DARK SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS, PECANS, DATES, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, OAT GROATS, WHOLE WHEAT, PEARLED BARLEY, ALMONDS, SESAME SEEDS, BEE POLLEN, CINNAMON, SEA SALT, MACA ROOT, GOTU KOLA, NUTMEG, CLOVES.
Holy Pinole! is made with roasted corn, chia seed and ingredients similar to those used by the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico.It also includes a host of other Rokit Fuel favorites including roasted grain and figs. Enjoy Holy Pinole! on race day or during your more challenging events. The Chia Seed will help you stay hydrated and, coupled with the other powerful ingredients, you’ll feel sustained energy as you reach new heights. Click here for Nutrition Facts.
INGREDIENTS: ROLLED OATS, WHOLE GRAIN WHITE CORN, RYE FLAKES, PURE CANE DARK BROWN SUGAR, FLAX SEED, CHIA SEED, PECANS, DATES, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, GINGER ROOT, BEE POLLEN, CINNAMON, SEA SALT, GOTU KOLA, MACA ROOT, CLOVES
Stud Muffin. This formula is packed with all the goodies our brand is famous for, including a whopping 17 whole foods. Among these are nuts, berries and roasted grains. A unique blend of spices helps deliver a superb taste that you’ll crave day and night. So, whether you’re a man or woman, you’ll feel studly eating Stud Muffin. Click here for Nutrition Facts.
INGREDIENTS: ROLLED OATS, RYE FLAKES, PURE CANE DARK BROWN SUGAR, FLAX SEED, RAISINS, DATES, OAT GROATS, WHOLE WHEAT, PEARLED BARLEY, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, PECANS, FIGS, WALNUTS, ALMONDS, SESAME SEEDS, BLUEBERRIES, TART CHERRIES, BEE POLLEN, SEA SALT, GOTU KOLA, MACA ROOT.
As anyone who has moved probably has felt, I am trying to use up as much stuff from my cabinets, fridge and freezer as possible, so it won’t have to be moved 1800 miles or wasted.
Some of items I came upon last weekend in my cabinets were molasses, applesauce and wheat bran. So I thought a bran muffin might be a nice change of pace, and would be a great high-fiber thing to add to my recipe collection. These aren’t as dessert-like as many of my other baked goods, and they also don’t use any artificial sweeteners, which may be appealing for people who don’t like to use them. I really enjoyed the wholesome, hearty bran flavor of these healthy muffins, and they are a nice breakfast that doesn’t leave you with a sugar crash!  Plus, they really fill you up. Check out the bottom for a comparison of my muffins to a standard bran muffin!
• Cooking oil spray
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 2 medium apples, finely chopped (2¼ cups)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup skim milk
• ¼ cup egg whites (2)
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons oil (olive, macadamia, or canola)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat wells of a muffin tin thoroughly with cooking oil spray. (Note, I use only 10 of the wells, you can make a dozen muffins, but they will be on the small side.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, bran, apple, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir to mix.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together applesauce, milk, egg whites, molasses and oil. Add dry ingredients to wet ones, and stir just until uniformly moistened. Spoon batter into 10 muffin wells.
4. Bake 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Allow to cool completely before removing from tin. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 10 servings
Per serving: (assuming 10 muffins) 159 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 27 g total carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 11 g sugar, 4 g protein, 185 mg sodium.
Dunkin Donuts Honey Raisin Bran Muffin: 480 calories, 13 grams fat, 1.5 g saturated, 15 mg cholesterol, 82 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 46 grams sugar, 6 g protein. Given their muffins are at least twice the size of mine, but STILL!
Even if you ate two of my muffins, you’d still save 161 calories, 28 grams of carbohydrate, and 24 grams of sugar compared to one Dunkin’ bran-behemoth. And you’d get 4 grams more fiber and 2 grams more protein. Now that’s the way to start the day 
One week from today, we set off on our journey across the US! (Well, about 2/3rds of the way across, anyway.) From our home in central NJ, we’re driving to our new home in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Northern Colorado! Here’s a couple snapshots form our trip to Colorado back in March of this year.
 Many people have been asking why we are moving. The answer may surprise you. We didn’t have to relocate for jobs, or family, or any other reason. We are moving out west because it has always been our dream to live more active, outdoorsy lives in the most outdoorsy, active place on earth. Not to complain about my home state of New Jersey, but Colorado has a lot to brag about in terms of a health-minded and bizarrely-friendly population. It also boasts an amazingly beautiful and varied landscape (skiing! hiking! climbing! trail running!), and a great culture for nutrition and fitness lovers like me! It is big scary leap to leave our friends, family and jobs behind – but things are falling into place. I have a new job as a clinical dietitian at a hospital, and we found an apartment we love and can’t wait to move in. I am looking forward to finding new friends, a new gym, and a place to continue learning my newest passion: Yoga.
AskGeorgie might get a bit quiet next week, since the packing/goodbye partying/3 days of driving will make blogging rather difficult. But please stay tuned for new and exciting posts which will resume as soon as possible! 
I intend to make a video of what I eat on the road trip – 3 days of a hungry dietitian on the highway! It will definitely be a challenge, but I’ll be packing some items to start out and finding the best options I can from what’s available on the road. You won’t want to miss that video! Hopefully it won’t include me having a meltdown in rural Iowa. (If you have a suggestion for healthy food available on major highways, do leave a comment!) I know finding vegetables and lean proteins will be a challenge, but I’m up for it.)
Until then, there will a few more posts before we leave, I’m just giving a heads up. Wish me luck!
Hey Georgie,
My 18 yr-old sister stopped eating and lost almost 30 pounds in a month. She was hospitalized, with the doctors saying if she wasn’t taken into intensive care the very minute she was, she probably would have died in the next few hours. So that was a great shock. Slowly, she started eating again, and has gained her weight back and some more (it’s been about 9 months since her lowest point). My concern is she hasn’t gained her weight back very healthily in my opinion, first counting calories of absolutely everything, down to the last carrot, lots of binges on high sugar foods, and all of a sudden drinking tons of aspartame-filled pop and gum.
I think her body image is scary-low, and she now suffers from depression. I can relate to her in the sense that I too struggled with bulimia for almost two years, but thankfully haven’t had any problems with it for over a year now, and feel that I have completely overcome it.
My question to you is if you have any suggestions to possibly direct my sister in the right way in terms of following a healthier lifestyle, etc. She does like to work out, but I worry her body is not ready to properly do it yet, since the last time I was with her at the gym working out she almost fainted and ended up vomiting (she insisted on running). Coming back to your struggles with anorexia, was there anything specific that you can think of that helped you? Did you start working out perhaps? I think I should get my sister on a body-weight program for a little bit to see how she does with that…? She does see a nutritionist at the hospital (we live in Toronto) but I’m afraid her nutritionist seems to be a discouraging 200 pounds overweight and I don’t like all of the advice she gives her – such as encouraging alcohol to get more calories!
Sorry for the insanely long email, but at this point we don’t know what to do, and I thought you would be the perfect person to offer some advice. You should be very proud of yourself in defeating your sickness, as you have come a long way! I think it’s almost impossible to 100% overcome an eating disorder, as negative body-image thoughts will creep into someone’s head every now and again, but I’m hoping I can someday get my little sister to a point in which she feels nourished, strong, and most of all, happy.
Thanks so much for listening, Cassie
Hi Cassie -
Thanks for reaching out, and for caring so much about your sister. Is you sister seeing any sort of mental health therapist?
Eating disorders are mental problems with physical manifestations – what I mean is that the problem is rooted how someone thinks and sees the world and themselves. And changing that does take time. Recovery from anorexia can be a long, arduous battle. But eating disorders are treatable conditions.
As for what you can do – think about the end goal you would like for you sister, which would be a healthy self concept (feeling good about herself no matter what weight or shape she is), and a love for exercise and food that promote health and fitness, not just a thin body. Also, recovery from eating disorders and poor body image is aided by a shift in basic thinking to be less superficial about ourselves and give some thought to what makes us valuable, our human qualities, relationships and personality.
At 18, most of us are pretty superficial. I sure was! I judged myself only on how I looked (fat or thin) and never really gave much thought to developing myself as a creative, loving, or smart person – I just wanted to be thinner and thinner. I thought everyone else was judging me that way too.
You can’t jump in and change that about someone, but you can give messages with your words and actions that support an alternative view of other people. Don’t talk about other people’s appearances, clothing, etc in a negative or positive way – it just reinforces that appearance is how we judge others and are judged. If I want to pay someone a compliment, I try to do it about something non-appearance, like “I always love how enthusiastically you say Good Morning!” or “That was so thoughtful of you to save a seat for me”. Letting people know you value who they are, not their pretty neclace or figure, I think is helpful to society as a whole in resetting our minds to be less superficial. So remind you sister (and everyone else you know!) of the reasons you love and value them – it’s really never about their looks, is it?
The flip side too, don’t criticize people or comment on strangers being fat or ugly or dressing poorly. If someone is acting in a way that is rude, cruel or heartless, those are reasons to mention disapproval, but I try to not make appearance related judgements or comment.
Secondly, you can be supportive of her physical choices when they promote health. When she makes poor choices, don’t encourage her. Tell her you are glad when she selects healthy foods that give her nutrients, etc. If her treatment team feel that she is physically well enough to exercise, invite her to come to the gym. I suggest strength building activities such as weight training or bodyweight training, to start building muscle and sense of her own strength. Another communication thing – don’t talk about exercise as a means to burn calories, but because it makes you stronger, is a healthy outlet for stress, and can build muscles. Exercise can be a healthy outlet and way to build body appreciation, but it can also be used compulsively to worsen her condition.
She may find that she likes the feeling of getting stronger, challenging herself with weights (Getting into the weight room helped me immensely – I liked thinking about how strong I was getting, it helped me quell ED thoughts about how “fat” I was getting as the pounds came on.)
As for the binge eating you have observed, one of the biggest things that I teach patients suffering from binge-eating or bulimia is that a regular meal schedule is essential to breaking the cycle. Similarly, restricting food intake even for one meal or one day, for someone with a history of anorexia, can lead to continued restriction and relapse. Emotions and excessive exercise can also set up the bad environment that triggers a binge. She may also have certain trigger foods that it may just be best to avoid until her eating habits have been more normalized. It is not uncommon for people in recovery to binge or eat excessively at some times; relearning how to eat normally isn’t easy, especially when coming from a habit of eating next to nothing. Be patient and as understanding as you can, and try to remember that she is likely very upset by these occasions. If she continues to progress in her treatment and is determined to get better, they will diminish in time. Learning to walk, we all fell down a lot.
If she feels like she is obsessing about her food intake or body, it can be helpful to have something else to focus on and relieve stress. Encourage her to pursue whatever habits she has, if she’s creative or likes music, writing, art, etc, that can be a great outlet. If she likes to write, show her how to start a blog! There are many wonderful individuals (like Dana, Amanda, and Eleanor) writing openly, honestly and courageously about their recovery from eating disorders, and many other sites offering support, positivity and sage advice (Such as Operation Beautiful, and The Body Image Project).
I agree with you that even after recovery, someone who has had an eating disorder is always going to be touched by it. But it can no longer steal the joy from life, and can in fact become a valuable, strengthening experience. Truthfully, I am grateful for my body for coming back stronger and more athletic than ever, and my experience with an eating disorder is actually something I value now because it helps me connect with and help other people. After “bottoming out” in terms of health, physical ability, and body-image, it’s astounding how valuable it becomes to enjoy wellness, strength and vitality. I hope for you sister to soon reach a happy, recovered place as well. Having healthy relationships with other people is critical, as recovery can be lengthy and take a lot of support – So just being there for your sister and making sure she has a good support network is one of the best things you can do.
Best wishes, Georgie
Addendum: Cassie knew about my food-relationship history from some advice I had provided on another website. I haven’t written previously about my experience or about anorexia nervosa on this blog, but I knew eventually someone would ask a related question. And, well, now you know.
Do you have some advice to add? Have you or a loved one come through an experience with disordered eating? Please leave a comment!
Kira Walsh wrote:
I am a vegetarian and for the last 4 months, I’ve been trying to get 60 grams of protein a day. I’ve found that this helps me stay full. The “protein project” came about when I visited a dietitian, who told me I was eating too many high fat proteins, like cheese and nuts, as my only source of protein and suggested things like tofu, whole grains, and milk. I’ve tried to up my intake of tofu and I do get some protein from whole grains and Greek yogurt…plus I love the protein bar recipes on your site! However, I still usually come short of my 60 g goal.
I usually make up the difference with a glass (or 2 or 3) of skim milk. It’s low calorie, I enjoy it, and it feels like a snack all by itself. However, some web resources seem to say I should avoid drinking more than 3 glasses a day…or maybe even avoid milk altogether? Should I be limiting my milk intake? How much should I take into account other dairy products? Are there protein sources I’m overlooking? I just don’t have the time to prepare tofu or pasta every day. Thanks!! -Kira
 Dear Kira,
Drinking 3 glasses of milk a day shouldn’t be any problem if it’s skim milk, and if you don’t have lactose intolerance. (Whole milk or 2% would mean taking in a lot of fat). In fact, three servings of dairy foods is the recommended amount to attain enough calcium from your diet, and milk also provides vitamins A and D. I’d only say you were taking in too much milk if you weren’t eating enough real foods to get enough nutrients, especially iron or fiber, since milk is conspicuously absent of both. If you had symptoms of lactose intolerance, you’d be feeling rather lousy after drinking a lot of milk. But if you feel good, don’t worry about it. But there are certainly other options available for vegetarians to get ample protein.
You are right that choosing high fat proteins can make it hard to get to your protein goal without consuming excess calories. To get the same 8 grams of protein in a glass of milk, you’d have to eat 200 calories of peanut butter. Grain foods like pasta, however, are usually even lower in protein as a percentage of total calories, so I wouldn’t recommend relying on pasta or bread for your protein either. (I’m not saying don’t eat peanut butter or pasta, just that you can get much more concentrated protein from other foods.)
So what are some protein-packed foods for vegetarians? Here’s a cheat sheet.
Vegetarian Protein Sources
| Dairy, Nondairy Milk And Eggs Serving size and Protein Content |
| Milk, 1% or skim |
8 oz = 8 g (80-100 calories) |
| Full-fat cheddar cheese |
2 oz = 14 g (225 calories) |
| Kraft 2% cheddar cheese |
2 oz = 14 g (180 calories) |
| Cabot 75% light cheddar |
2 oz = 18 g (120 calories) |
| Full-fat swiss cheese |
2 oz = 16 g (210 calories) |
| Light Swiss cheese (Finlandia) |
2 oz = 18 g (145 calories) |
| Eggs |
1 large = 6 g (70 calories) |
| Egg whites or Egg Substitute |
1 large white = 4 g (16 cal); 1 cup = 26 g (115 cal) |
| Cottage cheese (fat free or1%) |
½ cup = 14 g (80-90 calories) |
| Ricotta cheese, nonfat |
½ cup = 12 g (90 calories) |
| Ricotta cheese, whole milk |
½ cup = 14 g (215 calories) |
| Yogurt (light) |
6 or 8 oz cup = 6-8 g (80-120 calories) |
| Yogurt, Greek style, 0% fat |
6 oz cup = 14 g (80 calories) |
| Soymilk (*varies by brand) |
I cup = 7 g (100 calories) |
| Soy Yogurt |
6 oz = 4-6 g (150-180 calories) |
| Almond Milk |
1 cup = 1 g (40-60 calories) |
| Rice Milk |
1 cup = 1 g (120 calories) |
| Veggie Cheese slices (nondairy) |
1 slice = 3 g (40 calories) |
| Veggie Shreds or Blocks (nondairy cheese) |
1 oz = 6 g (60-70 calories) |
|
|
| Legumes, Nuts, Seeds |
| Beans (Black, kidney, cannellini) |
½ cup = 7 g (100-110 calories) |
| Chickpeas (garbanzos) |
½ cup = 6 g (145 calories) |
| Edamame (green soybeans in pod) |
1 cup = 12 g (130 calories) |
| Edamame (shelled) |
1 cup = 17 g (189 calories) |
| Tofu, firm |
½ cup = 10 g (90 calories) |
| Soynuts (roasted soybeans) |
1 oz = 11 g (126 calories) |
| Soybeans, mature, boiled |
½ cup = 15 g (150 calories) |
| Peanut Butter |
2 Tablespoons = 8 g (200 calories) |
| Peanuts, dry roasted |
1 oz = 7 g (164 calories) |
| Almonds, dry roasted |
1 oz (22 almonds)= 6 g (169 calories) |
| Almond Butter |
2 Tablespoons = 5 g (200 calories) |
| Cashews |
1 oz = 4 g (161 calories) |
| Pistachios |
1 oz (49 kernels) = 6 g (157 calories) |
| Macadamias |
1 oz (10-12 nuts) = 2 g (202 calories) |
| Pine Nuts |
1 oz (167 kernels) = 4 g (190 calories) |
| Sesame Seeds, without shell |
1 oz = 6 g (177 calories) |
| Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas), without shell |
1 oz = 9 g (146 calories) |
|
|
| Vegetables |
| Broccoli, raw |
1 medium stalk = 4 g (65 calories) |
| Cauliflower, raw |
1 cup = 2 g (25 calories) |
| Spinach (frozen chopped or leaf) |
1 cup = 6 g (45 calories) |
| Spinach (frozen chopped or leaf) |
1 cup = 6 g (45 calories) |
| Spinach, raw |
1 cup = 1 g (7 calories) |
| Brussels Sprouts, raw |
1 cup = 3 g (38 calories) |
| Tomato, raw |
1 large whole = 3 g (33 calories) |
| Tomato sauce, canned |
1 cup = 3 g (60 calories) |
| Baby carrots |
3 oz = 1 g (38 cal) |
| Carrots |
1 large = 1 g (38 cal) |
| Peppers, green, raw |
1 large = 1 g (33 cal) |
| Peppers, red, raw |
1 large = 2 g (51 calories) |
| Cabbage, raw |
1 cup shredded = 1 g (17 calories) |
| Cabbage, boiled |
¼ head = 4 g (73 calories) |
| Mushrooms, portabella |
1 large = 2 g (22 calories) |
| Mushrooms, white |
1 c sliced = 2 g (15 calories) |
|
|
| Other Vegetarian Foods |
|
| Kashi GoLean Cereal, original |
1 cup = 14 g (140 calories) |
| Kashi GoLean Crunch! cereal |
1 cup = 9 g (200 calories) |
| Special K Protein Plus cereal |
¾ cup = 10 g (100 calories) |
| Balance or Zone Perfect bar |
1 bar = 14-15 g (200 calories) |
| Clif Bar |
1 bar = 9-12 g (230-250 calories) |
| Luna Bar |
1 bar = 9-10 g (180-190 calories) |
| Clif Builder’s Bar |
1 bar = 20 g (270 calories) |
| Veggie Burgers (Boca, Morningstar) |
1 patty = 8-18 g (90-120 calories) |
| Boca crumbles |
13 g (60 calories) |
| Boca Italian Sausage or Bratwurst |
13-14 g (130-140 calories) |
| MorningStar Farms “Meal Starters” Chik’n or Steak strips |
12 strips = 22-23 g (140-150 calories) |
 Notice that I included some high fat choices like full fat cheese. If you look you’ll see that these are sources of protein, but they come at a high calorie price! I’m a huge fan of Greek yogurt and other low fat dairy products like Cabot reduced fat cheeses, light string cheese (hello, portability!), 1% cottage cheese, and low-fat or nonfat ricotta. Also note that rice milk and almond milk are much lower in protein than soymilk or cow’s milk. Since you mention time being an issue, make sure to stroll by the freezer section in the grocery store and see all the vegetarian “meat” products offered by GardenBurger, Morningstar Farms, and Boca. They taste great and are rich sources of protein – plus you don’t have to do much besides pop them in the microwave and eat! I’m not vegetarian, but I eat these options all the time. So easy! FYI – Morningstar Farms crumbles are my favorite, for awesome tex-mex meals and chili.
You also can take advantage of eggs for high quality and inexpensive protein. Plus, they provide a lot of nutrients that vegetarians often fall short on. If you don’t have time for a hot breakfast, hard boil some eggs for instant snacks during the day, or make some egg salad with low fat mayo and a dab of mustard. Hard boiled eggs will last for a week in your fridge, so you could spend a bit of time one day and have boiled eggs ready for the week. Keep some canned beans handy to toss into salads, soups or burritos. Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans and chickpeas are all great options. Got a blender? Make some hummus.
Check out these prior questions and answers for more info on vegetarian diets and protein, and nutrients that vegetarian diets may lack. Hope this helps!
Garlic Hummus
- 28 to 30 ounces canned chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- Place chickpeas in blender; add olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and hot pepper flakes, if using.
- Cover and pulse to process, stirring and scraping down the sides between pulses, until mixture is smooth. Season with black pepper, if desired. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving, if desired.
Makes 24 servings
Per serving: 50 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein, 146 mg sodium.
 I got one of these food scales a couple weeks ago, and it’s really fantastic, so I wanted to tell you all about it. You may not think you need a food scale, but once you have one, you realize it’s one of the most valuable kitchen gadgets for a healthy lifestyle.
With some foods, you can just tell how much you’re eating, use a measuring cup, or look at the label. But with certain things, like chicken, frozen shrimp, or meat, it’s incredibly easy to just place it on the scale and see how many ounces you have. If for no other reason, being able to be honest with cheese makes having a kitchen scale worth it. I am a card-carrying cheese lover, and without any barometer, I’d definitely help myself to several-ounce portions! If you are pasta lover, you need a food scale, or you may kiss your waistline goodbye. Ever notice the portions on pasta boxes are in ounces? How else will you tell if you’re having one or three (or more) servings?
For my diabetic clients taking insulin, I’ve always encouraged using a food scale for accurately tracking their carbohydrate intake and dosing their insulin correctly. That way you know how exactly many calories and carbohydrate grams are in that baguette, bagel, or bakery roll, without having to guess.
Also, it you make your own recovery/workout drinks, a digital scale is the best way to know how many grams of glucose, protein, or supplements you are including.
I’ve had a kitchen scale for a while, and I find it handy for helping control portions, as well as keep track of what I’m using in a recipe. My last scale was a cheap one, costing less than 10 dollars, but over time the spring mechanism was losing its accuracy. When I was scouting for a new one, I found this little guy, which is well-worth the slightly higher price tag than the most-basic models. And because there’s no spring to stretch out, it will last longer.
1. I love that it comes with batteries! No need to dig around to find them to use it. It’s ready to go as soon as you open it.
2. You can pick from measuring in ounces, grams, kilograms or pounds with a touch of one button. So you can measure an ounce of animal crackers, and right away measure out a half pound of asparagus.
3. Mega-capacity. My old food scale topped out at one pound, so if I wanted to measure higher than that, I had to do it in small increments and add them together. This baby is good for up to 11 pounds, and I can’t think if any recipe I could make that would exceed that!
4. Tare. Once again, my old scale only read zero if the little plastic tray was on it. Sometimes I’d want to weigh something, but the tray was in the dishwasher, etc, which was inconvenient. No tray here, and you can re-zero it with any amount of weight on the scale. So you can put your mixing bowl on the scale, zero it, and add the ingredients right into it.
5. The 3 minute turn off feature means you won’t waste the batteries, and if you get your fingers messy you can just decide not to hit the off button; it will shut itself off after 3 minutes of not being used.
6. It comes with a calorie calculating book, so if you want to know how many calories are in the slice of pizza you’re considering for lunch, or the mega-size apple you found at the produce market, just weigh it in grams and multiply by a factor given to you in the book. The book has a LOT of foods in it.
7. Bonus – you can weigh your mail on it if you need to send something from home and aren’t sure of the postage. (You’ll love that, ebayers!)
I love my Precision Pro Scale, and I’m sure if you get one, you will not be disappointed. As I said, this is the first product I wanted to mention on my site and offer in the AskGeorgie.com store. As I test out more products, you’ll be able to see them there too.
If you’ve found a phenomenal food, fitness or kitchen gadget you love, let me know so I can test it out, too! Maybe it will be the next item in my store.
If you want an EatSmart Precision Pro Scale for yourself, click below to purchase one for $28. (Pssssst, and until 8/16, you can use promo code EXCITE25 for 25% off!)
Product Details
* EatSmart Precision Pro Sensor Technology * Compact Design and easy two-button operation * Tare Feature; Subtract the weight of any plate or container * 4 measurement modes: grams / ounces / kilograms / pounds * Max weight 11 pounds / 5 kilograms * Auto-Calibration; 3 minute Auto-Turnoff * 2 AAA batteries, included * 2 year EatSmart guarantee * FREE Calorie Factors book – helpful for calorie counting and portion control * Perfect for everyday tasks from weighing food or ingredients to calculating postage
 The recent discussion on gluten-free eating sparked my idea for posting this recipe. One more gluten-free option for a fun snack is homemade salsa and corn tortilla chips.
A recent report by the CDC indicates that restaurant salsa and guacamole were two of the most dangerous foods in terms of food poisoning risk. Yikes! One more reason to be eating at home, huh? Experts cite that poor sanitation from workers and lack of refrigeration are the likely culprits.
Add to that some other good reasons to make your own chips and salsa: it doesn’t take much time, helps use up an abundance of garden produce, and saves money. And you don’t have to fry the chips in oil, which saves calories and fat. I like to just make a small batch in the toaster oven, enough for one or two, with no leftovers. It’s a good way to have a fun appetizer, but not get caught up in eating too-large portions before dinner. Leftover salsa, however, is a great thing to have on hand. Use it on salads, eggs, chicken, or meat, or to top baked poatoes.
Looking for a new food to try? This recipe is also a great way to get introduced to tomatillos! They look like green tomatoes with a papery skin, and lend a fresh flavor to salsa. They are acidic, and have a lemony flavor. Plus they’re a good source of Vitamin C. Since you just have to peel away the husk and chop them, they’re not intimidating! (No complex seeding or cooking.)
Homemade Salsa
This salsa is medium heat, but you can alter it to your taste by increasing or decreasing the amount of jalapenos.
1 pound tomatillos
1 pound tomatoes
1 red onion
3 jalapeno peppers
Salt
Cilantro, chopped
1. Remove papery outer skins from tomatillos. Chop the tomatillos, tomatoes, and onion and combine in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Remove the seeds and membranes from jalapenos and mince. Add jalapenos to salsa. Add salt and cilantro to taste.
Makes 16 servings, ¼ cup each
Per serving: 19 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g protein, 2 mg sodium.
Baked Tortilla Chips
Making your own tortilla chips is really easy and quick, and baking them means you’ll take in far less fat and calories than with greasy fried chips. These cook quickly, so keep en eye on them to avoid burning them.
2 small corn tortillas
Cooking oil spray
Salt
1. Preheat toaster oven to 375°F. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Coat a baking pan lightly with cooking spray; arrange chips on it in a single layer. Lightly mist chips with spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake 4 to 5 minutes until edges are beginning to brown and chips are crisp.
Makes 1 serving (16 chips)
Per serving: 110 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 22 g total carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein, 22 mg sodium.
Extra-Note: If you’re ambitious enough to try making your own corn tortillas from scratch, you can find great directions and step-by-step photos here on my friend Christina’s blog, Health Foodie.
Have you ever cooked with tomatillos before? (I’d love to hear if someone has another recipe using them, I just make salsa with them.) Or have you branched out to try a new fruit or veggie recently?
Ugh. It’s been hot. So hot that even I come up with excuses for not running outside and hit the treadmill. So hot Rupert doesn’t seems to move all day long.
And cooking, not so appealing. By some perfect design of nature, however, the heat of summer comes hand-in-hand with ripening produce, just ready to NOT be cooked. How convenient that so many salad ingredients are at their peak right when I want salad every day. There’s no limit to the endless variations of salad that can be created, just throw in what you have in the fridge, or whatever you garden happens to be offering. I must have 10 different things in that technicolor salad. From red and golden beets, to edamame, red cabbage and kale…I mean it… No rules.
But before you go building veggie-only meals, or dressing them with fat free options, one tip you may not know is that including fat with your salad helps you absorb more nutrients! Fat soluble vitamins including A, D, and E are more bioavailable when they can be emulsified with some fat from you meal. Same goes for carotenoids, antioxidant phytochemicals like lycopene in tomatoes or beta carotene in carrots. Get the maximum oomph from your veggies by adding one of the following healthy fats to your salad.
Walnuts, almonds, cashews, or other nuts
Soybeans, roasted or green (edamame)
Olive oil (choose extra virgin for best health benefits)
Macadamia nut oil (One of my favorite “Secret ingredients”)
Flax seeds
Avocado
Olives
Fish (salmon, anchovies, etc)
Cheese (not the healthiest fat, but will still help with nutrient absorption. And I do love cheese!)
 Today I’m also hosting a yummy giveaway, courtesy of Sis Meliss salad dressings, a small family-owned company based in California. Unlike many bottled salad dressings you find on store shelves, Sis Meliss dressings use no added sugar or fillers, and they are low in sodium. (My favorite feature? Only Extra Virgin olive oil is used, which is the best quality olive oil, and has the most flavor.) The winner, chosen at random, will get a free bottle of Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing & Marinade
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post with anything about salads, healthy fat, or why you’d like to try Sis Meliss dressing!
Update: Congrats to Nicole from PreventionRD who won the giveaway. (She was selected using random.org’s random number generator. Love that thing.)
Hi Georgie,
I love your site and all the great food ideas you have. I have recently been struggling with the possibility of having celiac disease. While it hasn’t been confirmed, I think that regardless it is likely I have an intolerance of gluten because I feel so much better when its not in my diet. I have been starting to get sick of all the typical meals I have. For example, rice, lots of veggies and salads, fruit, eggs etc. Do you have new ideas to help me spice up my gluten free diet? Thanks! -Eliana
Dear Eliana,
Creating a gluten-free diet or any other elimination diet can be daunting at first. It’s common for people starting this type of diet to find a limited menu plan that works for them, but then to repeat the same things over and over and over again. And before long, you’ll become really sick of those of the same food! (Even for folks not following a gluten-free diet, you may find some ideas here to get you out of a food rut so don’t leave yet.)
 To incorporate some more variety, let’s start with general categories: Let’s look at your choices for proteins, grains, fruits, vegetables, etc, and you’ll soon see that there’s a whole lot of variety you can choose from on a gluten-free meal plan. You may discover you keep choosing the same one or two items in each category, when there are dozens more you could be using.
Proteins. You didn’t mention if you are vegetarian, but if not, consider the following options: beef, chicken, turkey, ham, pork, and all kinds of fish and shellfish. Most of these are naturally gluten-free, you just need to be watchful with processed items like chicken sausage or deli meats to make sure no gluten was added. Steer clear from breaded items, obviously, unless labeled gluten-free. Got a hankering for chicken nuggets? Bread your own using gluten-free breadcrumbs. Just dip pieces of chicken into egg, then press into crumbs and bake on an oiled sheet at 400 degrees until golden brown. (Not only will you skip the gluten, but sayonara to all the artery-clogging, hip-padding fat from deep-fried nuggets.)
Many of the recipes in my Archives are free of grain products, but I haven’t checked on all the labels for things like condiments and spice blends. Still, it’s a good place to find something to do with that chicken in your fridge.
Dairy foods and soy foods are also great sources of protein. Here’s another menu of options: Yogurt and Greek yogurt, reduced fat cheddar or string cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, and most other kinds of cheese. Why not try Greek Yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit and nuts for a breakfast or filling snack? You can also use an ounce of crumbled cheese to liven up an otherwise ho-hum green salad. Crumbled feta and dried cranberries make a great pair on top of salad. I love beets and goat cheese on salads too. Need salad ideas? I have not just one page, but two on the subject!
Eggs are in, which means omelets, frittatas, and scrambles are all viable options. I love veggie packed omelets for my breakfasts, but sometimes also make crustless quiche, or mini frittatas in a muffin tin. Just use whatever veggies and cheese combinations you like – spinach, tomatoes and feta are my favorites.
For fruit and vegetables, all of them are gluten free when used fresh and plain. Given that there are literally hundreds of different items in a typical produce section, (and they’re all good for you!) this can be a gold mine for someone looking for healthy new inspiration. I love making pizzas on top of portobello caps or eggplant slices. You can add vegetables to gluten-free pasta dishes, soups, plus the aformentioned salads and egg creations. Making some interesting dips can help make vegetables more enticing: try hummus (homemade or store bought), bean dip, or salsa.
Fruit goes well with yogurt, or blended into smoothies with some protein powder. Not to mention, grabbing an apple or banana on the run is the easiest snack ever. You can also use fruit, topped with gluten free oats and/or crushed nuts and some sweetener, to make easy fruit crumbles for dessert. Try this one for inspiration, and vary the fruit to your liking or what’s in season.
Grains and carbs- here’s where gluten becomes an issue, since you must avoid products made with wheat, rye and barley. With oats, choose a variety that is labeled gluten-free. (Oats don’t gave gluten, but often become contaminated by other grains during processing). Oatmeal makes a great breakfast or hearty snack, and you can dress it up so many ways: berries or sliced bananas, flaxseed, vanilla, walnuts, or cinnamon are just a few ideas. try this banana bread oatmeal. To make rice more interesting, combine it with spices, nuts, and or dried fruit for an interesting pilaf.
Gluten-free items like crackers, pretzels, breads and pastas are available in some supermarkets, or you can also shop online for a larger selection. I’ll link to some good resources at the bottom of this post.
Homemade gluten-free bread recipes can be very difficult. I recommend making farinata (a flatbread made from chickpea flour) for an easy gluten-free bread option that doesn’t require 15 strange ingredients. It also makes wonderful pizza crust! Check out this farinata topped with roasted vegetables.
You can make corn tortilla chips at home. Just start with plain corn tortillas. Cut them into triangles, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake then at 375 F until crisp, about 4-5 minutes (watch them, they burn quickly!) Then use your chips to scoop up salsa, bean dip, or make them into a crowd-pleasing nacho platter with black beans, cheese, lowfat sour cream, jalapenos…the works!
Nuts and seeds are gluten-free, but read ingredients to make sure that flavored or seasoned types don’t have gluten-containing ingredients like starch. A 1/4 cup of nuts and a piece of fruit together make a balanced snack, with carbohydrates, fiber, protein and fat, for about 300 calories.
Try these recipes for Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas and Garlic & Rosemary Cannellini Beans if you need salty, crunchy portable snacks.
I hope some these ideas excite and interest you, and that gluten-free eating now doesn’t seem so boring or limited. As with all dietary restrictions, the healthiest mindset isn’t to focus on what you can’t eat, but all the options you can eat.
Stuff to check out elsewhere on the net:
VitaminMenu.com has gluten free products available, and they have a free shipping offer. Free Shipping Offer at VitaminMenu.com
Lexi wrote:
Hello! Have you done a lot of experimenting with whey protein powders? You have enlightened me that they are great to add into healthy baked goods for a boost of protein! Are there any brands that you find bake the best? Any that bake the worst?
Have I done experimenting?! Oh, have I! On the protein powder topic, make sure you read this post first: Protein Powder Tips
A handful of DO’s and DON’TS for cooking with protein powder:
DO use whey protein for baking. The brand doesn’t matter, in my experience most brands behave about the same. You may find some flavors better than others, but in baked good there are usually many other ingredients so any nuanced taste differences between different protein powders isn’t distinguishable.
In my kitchen now I have Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, and EAS 100% whey. But I have used many others, including store brands from the grocery store.
Here are some other good whey products which would work for various cooking applications (and they are all on the less-expensive side). I like to keep both vanilla and chocolate on hand in my kitchen. Chocolate obviously goes in anything chocolate-flavored and vanilla (or natural) can be used for everything else, including fruit flavored smoothies or bars. Most of these are lactose free as well, making for easier digestion.
Cytosport Whey Isolate 2lb
Designer Whey Protein 2 lbs
Whey Protein – Chocolate
Whey Protein – Natural
Whey Protein – Vanilla
On the flavor topic, I don’t usually go for the fancy flavors, Cookies N Cream, Root Beer etc. But you might like them, and there certainly are a lot of fancy-dancy flavored proteins out there. I just like the basics so I have many options for recipes to put them in.
DON’T use casein protein for baking, because it will dry things out like crazy. Whey also tends to do that, but I account for in recipes with the amount of liquid and baking time, but casein won’t be the same.
DO know your scoop conversions: if a recipe says 1 scoop of protein, it’s generally 1/3 cup, and will provide 20-24 g protein.
DO use extra liquid or oil when adapting your own recipes to include protein powder. Also DO adjust baking times to be slightly shorter.
Besides baked goods, other things you can boost with protein powder include oatmeal, smoothies, pudding, pancakes, and frappuccino-style coffee drinks. I also make protein packed ice cream in my Vita-Mix. Soooooo good.
With oatmeal, DON’T add the protein powder before cooking! You’ll get a clumpy coagulated mess. Cook the oatmeal first, and either (1) let it cool for a few minutes, then stir in the protein powder or (2) mix the protein powder with a small amount (~2 Tablespoons) of water or milk in a separate bowl until smooth, then pour over cooked oats and stir. I prefer method 2.
I have some horror stories of where adding protein powder was downright disastrous. I’ve tried adding protein powder to homemade popsicles/fudge pops, and it’s a definite DON’T. Gross texture. I’m also not a fan of protein powder and cottage cheese, but I know several people who do enjoy this combination, so I guess it’s a matter of personal taste.
Here’s one of my favorite protein boosted coffee drinks for the summertime:
Mocha Frappuccino
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- Ice cubes
- 1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (you can use vanilla too, it just won’t be “mocha”)
- 2 Tablespoons skim milk or Silk unsweetened soymilk
- 1 packet calorie-free sweetener
1. Fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour coffee over.
2. In a separate small mug, combine whey protein, milk, and sweetener. Mix with a fork until lump-free. Pour over coffee, add a straw and enjoy! (Especially since it didn’t cost you 5 bucks!)
The protein powder I use is Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey. I use both vanilla and chocolate, and think it’s delicious! You can pick it up here:
It’s not about me….. it’s about YOU.
Relax, I’m not breaking up with you. I’m reminding you of what this website is all about. It isn’t about a dietitian, it’s about hundreds of people being helped by a dietitian. Getting their questions answered, learning the facts behind the media hype, and hopefully being inspired to make some nutritious meals for themselves and their families. This is place to come find tips, tools and recipes to help YOU be as healthy and vibrant as possible.
 So for YOU my readers, I’m excited to announce another way to help support your journey in the nutritious life. I’ve been selected by OpenSky to host an online store recommending products which are consistent with AskGeorgie’s philosophy on nutrition, fitness, and life. OpenSky is changing how people shop, and I am stoked to be a part of the launch. It’s like having a expert as your personal guide, no more being barraged by slickly-marketed products, having no idea about how good they actually are. Ever wanted to go food shopping with a dietitian, or have one help make suggestions for your kitchen? Now you can. And it’s online, you don’t have to even put on pants.
Unlike going to a mass retailer, you can browse the AskGeorgie OpenSky store and:
1. See only items hand-selected by a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer for excellent nutrition and health.
2. Get exactly the ingredients I use in my recipes, for the most delicious, fool-proof results.
3. See my most-beloved kitchen tools and gadgets. Even though I cook with a passion, I live on a budget and have a small kitchen, so my standards for food prep tools are lofty. I don’t buy a lot of cookware or kitchen tools, so what I have better earn its keep and contribute to healthy living.
4. Benefit from my years of taste-testing thousands of health-oriented food products, so you don’t have to try them all! (If I had a nickel for every “diet”, gluten-free or dairy-free product I bought but couldn’t manage to choke down…..)
5. Save some time scanning labels for trans fats. In my store: No hydrogenated oils. Ever.
6. Speak Up and impact the store! Tell me about products you want to try but can’t get in your neck of the woods, or suggest a product that you love and think others might want to see in my OpenSky store. Recently, I’ve heard from readers about hankerings for things ranging from low-carb tortillas to bacon-flavored salt. (Yes, I got it, and yes, it’s pretty cool.)
Thanks to the beauty of the internet, even if you live in rural Idaho (you know who you are!) I can help you get your hands on exactly the ingredients you need or crave.
For suppliers out there, if you feel your healthy product is up to snuff and deserves a spot on my store shelves, drop me a line and we’ll talk. And if you still are pining for an in-person grocery tour, I am still offering those too. Pants, however, are required.
So come on in and shop with me at the launch on August 10th!
A recent study involving nearly 60,000 pregnant Danish women indicates that drinking a lot of diet soda may be linked to prematurity. Women who drank at least one diet soda a day were 38% more likely to deliver their babies early (earlier than 37 weeks gestation) than women who drank no diet soda. Women who drank four or more diet sodas each day were 80% more likely to deliver a premature baby. The results were consistent whether the women were of normal weight or were overweight.
 According to the March of Dimes, one in eight babies is born premature, or 13%. If this holds true, then a woman who drinks one diet soda a day would have a 17% risk, while women drinking 4 or more a day would mean a 22% risk of early birth.
What does this mean? Should you be alarmed if you’re expecting and have been enjoying diet soda all along? No, I don’t think panic is warranted. First, this one study does go against the weight of studies that have shown artificial sweeteners to be safe during pregnancy. That is not to say it should be ignored – but it should be taken for what it is. A single study. This is definitely a topic on which more research is warranted.
It’s also worth mentioning that many different types of artificial sweeteners are used in diet drinks, and this study did not differentiate between sweeteners. So it may be that some are harmless, and some aren’t. From this study, we simply won’t be able to tell. But it would probably be prudent to reduce or eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet while pregnant. The easiest advice for me to give is : just drink plain water if you’re pregnant. And if that suits you, go right ahead! However, if that doesn’t sound like realistic advice to you, if you really like having your drinks taste like something, there are still options.
So should you give up diet soda for regular sugar-sweetened soda? I’d definitely say no to that one. When it comes to regular sugar-sweetened beverages, the data are much less ambivalent. Sugar sweetened beverages are bad for you in many ways, increasing risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and gestational diabetes. No one disagrees with that.
But giving up diet soda is hard! It’s common for me to hear about people claiming to be “addicted to” diet soda. Some people find that moderation just isn’t possible for them, so cold-turkey is the way to go. No more diet soda, period. More commonly, I find people succeed with tapering down their soda consumption. Replace some of the instances in which you drink soda with water or an unsweetened beverage, and keep reducing until you are comfortable with a lower soda intake. Personally, in high school I drank little liquid besides diet soda – but in the years following I tapered it down and now only drink one occasionally.
No studies to date have shown any harm from the approved sweeteners for non-pregnant women, but I figure moderating one’s exposure can’t hurt. If you currently have a diet soda habit and want to decrease the amount of it you drink, try switching to unsweetened tea, plain water, or unsweetened flavored waters. I’ve been making iced green tea each morning, and although I don’t like hot green tea, I’ve found I don’t mind it over ice. I do use artificially sweetened drink mix such as Crystal Light, but I make my drinks only 1/4 strength, so I get much more hydration without loading up on the sweeteners. I also am not pregnant – if I were, I might be motivated to cut sweeteners out of my diet completely, but for now I’m quite comfortable with a moderate intake.
Click here to read the abstract of the article (published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
Got something to say about this finding? Do you drink diet soda, or have you in the past but cut down? Leave a comment, especially if you have a tip to help others!
Many people think of skinless chicken breast as their default lean protein option, but don’t forget than certain cuts of pork can also be quite low in fat. Pork tenderloin and pork loin can both be very heart healthy options. Tenderloins don’t need much trimming, but boneless chops cut from the loin have a white ring of fat around the edge that you can easily trim away. The interior meat has very little marbling.
In case you have worries about your pork drying out, lean meat doesn’t have to take on the consistency of shoe leather. Don’t use that as an excuse to buy fattier meat. In the recipe that follows, you’ll see a good technique for lean pork that will still produce flavorful, juicy results. One important step is to let the pan get good and hot before adding the pork, that will seal in the juices and produce a nice golden color. Also, choose pork chops that are slightly thicker; they will also retain moisture better than thin ones. (And they’re easier to stuff because you don’t have to be a neurosurgeon to slice a pocket into the side).
 While nobody wants to overdo their pork and toughen it, you really don’t want to undercook your pork and be at risk of getting sick. The best solution, buy a meat thermometer – and use it. They usually cost about 5 dollars, which is soooo worth it if you avoid even ONE bout of food poisoning, isn’t it? Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part registers 160 degrees F, and you’ll know it’s safe. No need to cook it higher than that, it will only get drier. In the recipe that follows, if the pork reaches 160 degrees before the spinach and mushrooms are hot, just take it out of the pan. (Pork chops that are 3/4 to 1 inch thick take about 7 or 8 minutes to be fully cooked.)
This recipe utilizes the convenience of frozen spinach and canned mushrooms to make a super-quick weeknight meal. The extra mixture used to stuff the pork chops is cooked alongside them and serves double duty as a side dish. If you have fresh mushrooms and spinach on hand, by all means use them! Just measure 2 cups cooked spinach, and about 2 cups of sliced mushrooms.
And in case you want to know more about “the other white meat”, read here for tons of info on buying, storing and cooking pork.
Pork Chops Stuffed With Spinach and Mushrooms
- 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out
- 8 ounces canned sliced mushrooms, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 (5-ounce) center-cut pork chops, trimmed of all visible fat
- Salt
- Cooking oil spray
- Combine spinach, mushrooms, garlic, and black pepper in a mixing bowl; stir to blend.
- Place pork chops on a cutting board and use a paring knife to slice a pocket into the side of each chop to hold the filling. Enlarge the pocket carefully without cutting all the way through. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of spinach mixture to stuff each chop. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
- Season pork lightly with salt and pepper. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium flame. When hot, add pork and cook until golden brown underneath. Turn chops over and move to one side of pan. Add remaining spinach mixture to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F in the thickest part. Divide spinach-mushroom mixture between 2 plates and top each with one pork chop.
Makes 2 servings
Per serving: 261 calories, 6 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 13 g total carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 43 g protein, 924 mg sodium.
Fun Fact: Older meat thermometers may say to cook pork to 170 degrees, but this guideline has been revised to 160 in recent decades so you can rest confident that 160 degree pork is A-OK.
Do you use a meat thermometer? Do you own one?
Hi Georgie! I asked this question of my Lean Eating coach and received some good information, but I am curious as to your response as well because I know you are a runner.
I am going to start training for a few half-marathons soon. Since my mileage will be increasing soon along with the length of my workouts, I’m starting to think about workout fuel. My long run training pace is fairly slow (~11:00 min/mile) so my longer runs will be nearing the 2 hour mark. I like to have some kind of nutrition during these runs. I don’t worry so much if I’m doing 8 miles or less. In the past, I used Sports Beans or a gel and drank water. What can I do now that is PN friendly with fat loss as a goal? My coach recommended a mix of something like 15g carbohydrate, 7.5g protein, and 5g BCAAs for every hour of training. What do you use for fuel during runs? If you use something with protein – does it carry well during your runs? I have a CamelBak fanny pack device that I use for sipping during the run. I don’t know how a protein drink would hold up in there over a few hours. Thanks for any tips! Kia
 Hi Kia! Training for a long race is a great experience, and what you choose to eat and drink while training can help you finish the race feeling great! (And you can even take goofy finish line photos like me – this was at the RU Unite Half Marathon in April). In short, I don’t typically consume any protein during my long runs, but stick to easily digested carbs (either gels or sports drink) and water. Actually, I tend to not take in carbohydrates on training runs and rely on them for the race only.
There are mixed opinions on carbohydrate intake for endurance sports. The prevailing sports nutrition wisdom has been “The more carbs, the better”. While this works to some extent for some individuals, it can also make it hard to shed fat, which you mentioned as one of your goals. Some athletes ascribe to an opposite tactic, known as “Train low, race high. They believe that by training your body to perform without exogenous carbohydrate you will increase your ability to oxidize fat. Some people take this philosophy so far as to deplete their glycogen stores before running long distances, to train themselves to run on low reserves of carbohydrate. Well, in my experience, without enough glycogen I simply can’t get through the long runs, so what works for me is a middle-ground tactic. I don’t pack in the carbs, (to avoid packing on the pounds) but I also don’t torture myself by trying to run with no glycogen in my tank.
Personally, I simply don’t want to take in more sugar than I have to, and if I’m going to eat carbs, I want something yummier than a sports drink! I aim to maximally replenish my glycogen stores after every training session by including ample carbs and some protein ASAP after training. (Usually 40-100 g carbs in the 3 hour post workout window, depending on the workout, 40 g would be for an hour of training, and I increase from there.) Post-workout is when I focus on consuming most of my highest carb foods like bread, oatmeal or high carb bars. I keep my glycogen stores full between workouts by eating small frequent meals, each with slow digesting carbohydrates from vegetables, legumes, and the occasional fruit. I have a good meal before I run too, and never run on an empty stomach. With this preparation in place, I find I can get through even long workouts without needing sports drink or gel. And I’m much happier eating some bread, pasta or cereal for my carbs than drinking sugar water.
Including protein or amino acids DURING training may help diminish muscle breakdown, but research hasn’t really shown any performance benefits of having protein+ carbs instead of carbohydrates only. Protein can, however, cause gastric upset in many people because it slows the rate of stomach emptying. (And gastric upset is something I deal with all too often.) The more protein % in your drink, the more likely digestive troubles will ensue. I don’t see any performance benefit since protein doesn’t supply much of the energy needs during long runs, and in my own experience I haven’t felt any better when I tried gels with protein included. I am always mindful of the calories I consume (yes, even when marathon training!) so I only want the calories that I need to push through those last few miles – and those are carbs, the fastest, most digestible fuel for my aching muscles. So I save my protein drink for after the run, but I get to it right away, to stop catabolism and start repairing muscle.
I have never taken BCAA, so I’m sorry I can’t give you any firsthand experience there. I would expect them to be easier to digest than protein, so you might want to try just BCAA + carb if you have tummy trouble with the higher protein %. I say give the mix your coach suggested a try. If you feel good and don’t have any digestion issues, then stick with it! If you feel you need more carbohydrate and don’t want to include more calories, I’d swap some of the protein for more carbohydrate. Same goes if you have stomach trouble.
On the portability issue, I wouldn’t want to drink a dairy based protein drink during the run, simply due to taste. You might find Isopure or another fruity protein drink more tolerable if you do want to consume protein on the run. You could mix it with maltodextrin or a premixed sports drink like Gatorade. (I do recommend getting some sodium and potassium in your drinks, especially in hot weather.) I always know I’m electrolyte depleted after a run because I get a very specific headache in the front of my skull, above/behind my eyeballs. Potassium containing foods seem to ease this, but I don’t have scientific data to back it up.
Hope this all helps! As most runners will tell you, the same fueling strategies don’t work for everyone, but hopefully you have a starting point to find the best solution for you. Write back anytime and good luck training!
Romano-Ely BC, Todd MK, Saunders MJ, St. Laurent TG. Effects of an isocaloric carbohydrate-protein-antioxidant drink on cycling performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006;38(9):1608–1616.
Valentine RJ, Saunders MJ, Todd MK, St. Laurent TG. Influence of carbohydrate-protein beverage on cycling endurance and indices of muscle disruption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2008;18(4):363–378.
Ivy JL, et al. Effect of a carbohydrate-protein supplement on endurance performance during exercise of varying intensity. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003;13(3):382–395.
Saunders MJ, Kane MD, Todd MK. Effects of a carbohydrate-protein beverage on cycling endurance and muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36(7):1233–1238.
It’s no secret, I love calamari (also known as squid). It’s not expensive, but feels special when I make it because it’s not an everyday meal. Since I’m always watching my grocery bills, I find myself using calamari more often than shrimp nowadays when I want something other than chicken. It’s high in protein, low in fat, and pairs perfectly with other ingredients I love like heart healthy olive oil, tomatoes and herbs.
If you missed some of my previous calamari recipes or want to learn more ways to use squid, check out Broiled Calamari with Lemon and Parsley, Faux Fried Calamari and Calamari Marinara to learn how to prep this delightful seafood by broiling, baking, or simmering in tomato sauce. Then in today’s recipe you’ll learn how to boil it (briefly!) and marinate to squiddy perfection. *The secret to tender calamari is devastatingly simple – don’t boil it longer than you absolutely have to and immediately put it in ice water to chill it fast. Now you know.*
This Italian marinated seafood salad is a real treat, especially in summertime when tomatoes and herbs are at their peak, and cool meals are extra-enticing. I love the medley of olive oil, lemon juice, herbs and fresh tomatoes with the tender calamari. To keep your calamari tender (not tough or chewy), keep the boiling brief and put it into an ice bath to stop cooking.
This recipe may be enjoyed on its own or served over a bed of greens or pasta. The delicious flavors develop even more by the second day, so leftovers are worth fighting for!
Makes 4 dinner-sized servings
- 1 ½ pounds cleaned squid, tubes and tentacles
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ red onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise
- 15 pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (¾ pound)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- Rinse squid and pat dry with paper towels. Halve clusters of tentacles lengthwise, and cut bodies into 1/3” wide rings.
- Cook squid in a 5-quart pot of boiling water until just opaque, 60-90 seconds. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When squid is cool, drain and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, garlic salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine squid, onion, olives, tomatoes, red pepper, parsley and basil. Toss with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 281 calories, 11 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 395 mg cholesterol, 16 g total carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 28 g protein, 522 mg sodium.
Jennifer writes:
Hi Georgie,
I have been looking for La Tortilla Factory wraps EVERYWHERE! Where do you find them?? I found them when I was in Georgia and I can’t find them anywhere in PA or around Princeton, NJ. Please Help!
I love La Tortilla Factory wraps, too! They are definitely worth hunting down. I have bought them at the A&P in North Brunswick, NJ, just up Route 1 from Princeton. (Look in the deli section.) BUT, you can buy them online from the company’s website! Go here and shop til you drop!
Once they arrive, use them to make some fabulous meals like Pesto Turkey Melt, Breakfast Burrito, Chicken Gorgonzola Flatbreads, Pizza Wrap, or 5-Minute Flatbread. Enjoy!!
Question: Have you ever found a specific product you liked so much you’d buy it over the internet or drive outside your normal radius to get it? I’d love to hear what it was! Leave a comment.
|
Buy a Vitamix Through AskGeorgie and Get Free Shipping! Use Free Shipping Code 06-005451 During Checkout
Hungry For More? Buy Georgie’s Book!  If you like the web recipes, you'll LOVE this collection! Click here to view your cart
Please Support My Sponsors!
|
Popular Posts