OBC Food Rules-Day 39: Eat all the Junk Food You Want as Long as You Cook it Yourself

There is nothing wrong with eating sweets, fried foods, pastries, even drinking a soda every now and then, but food manufacturers have made eating these formerly expensive and hard-to-make treats so cheap and easy that we're eating them everyday.  The french fry did not become America's most popular vegetable  until industry took over  the jobs of washing, peeling, cutting, and frying the potatoes-and cleaning up the mess.  If you made all the french fries you ate, you would eat them much less often, if only because they're so much work.  The same holds true for fried chicken, chips, cakes, pies, and ice cream.  Enjoy these treats as often as you're willing to prepare them-chances are good it won't be every day.

10 Surprising Sandwich Stuffers

Here are some fun sandwich ideas which are low in fat, but high in pleasure...
Banana Nut Butter
Mash equal amounts of peanut butter and banana (to cut the fat in half) and spread on whole wheat bread. 

Turkey Tortilla
Mix 1 tablespoon light mayo with 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning mix; spread on tortilla.  Layer with thinly sliced turkey.  You can also add thinly sliced tomator and lettuce or spinach.  Roll up & enjoy.

Black Bean Burrito
Puree canned black beans in blender with salsa; add lemon juice, cumin and garlic powder.  Spread bean mixture on whole wheat tortilla and top with finely chopped onion and tomato.  Roll up and eat.

Garden Delight
Mix nonfat cottage cheese with chopped green bell pepper, shredded carrot and diced red onion; season with garlic powder and dill weed.  Spread on whole wheat or garden herb crackers and relax while you snack.

Fruit and Cheese
Mix 1 ounce blue cheese with 1 oz light cream cheese.  Spread on thin slices of whole wheat bread, top with thinkly sliced pear and enjoy.

Crab Special
Mix 1 tablespoon light cream cheese with 1 tablespoon light mayo.  Stir in 2 oz. imitation crabmeat,  1 chopped green onion, lemon juice and garlic powder.  Spread on whole grain roll or bread and eat.

Veggie Supreme
Spread 1 tablespoon reduced-calorie ranch salad dressing into each pita half.  Stuff with fresh spinach, thinly sliced turkey meat and a thin slice of reduced-fat mozzarella cheese.  Add mushrooms if you like.

Chicken Salda Ole'
Mix 1 tablespoon salsa with plain nonfat yogurt.  Stir in 2 oz chopped cooked chicken breast and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro.  Stuff into pita bread smile at how easy it was to make.

Curried Tuna
Mix 2 oz. water-packed tuna with a squeeze of lemon, 2 teaspoons light mayo and a pinch of curry powder.  Stir in finely chopped apple, celery and raisins.  Stuff into pita and promise yourself to do something nice for someone else today.

Danish Delight
Lightly spread light cream cheese on a slice of whole grain bread.  Top with sliced cold smoked salmon and thinly sliced cucumbers; sprinkle with dill and serve open face. 

We'd love to hear your feedback when you try these.  Try one per day and send us a note let us know what you think.

Have a fantastic day!

Helpful Hints for a Healthier YOU Around the Holidays!

Begin by stocking your refidgerator and pantry with lower fat foods.  Be aware that not all lowfat foods offer the best nutrition.  Read the labels to gauge the appropriate nutrition content.

Understanding Food Labels

Plan meals that combine protein (turkey, chicken, yogurt, etc.) with 1 serving of carbohydrate (brown rice, vegetables, whole grain pasta).

Replace ice cream, cake, cookies, pies, and pastries with fresh fruit.

Bake, broil, or grill fish & poultry instead of frying.

Microwave or lightly steam veggies to maintain the high vitamin content.  Keep them low in fat by avoiding additional dressings (cheese and other sauces).

Replace (1) egg with (2) egg whites when baking.

Back-to-Basics Nutrition Plan

Tip 1: If it can’t be plucked or picked, hunted, fished or if it didn’t have a mom, don’t eat it. It’s that simple. No processed foods, no additives and no artificial ingredients. It’s eating clean, organic foods in their truest, most natural form.

Tip 2: Eat real foods every meal and snack. Eat more free-range, lean protein — fish, chicken, turkey, bison, eggs, etc. Make sure your plate is full of fresh/frozen organic vegetables. Make sure you add some healthy fats – cold-pressed olive oil, walnut oil, coconut oil or raw nuts/seeds. Finally add a small amount of healthy grains/carbohydrates if you desire – brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes or berries.

Tip 3: If the food has more than 2 or 3 ingredients and your 7-year-old can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it.

Tip 4: Always eat a protein with a carbohydrate. This will help stabilize your blood sugars and reduce insulin secretion, which leads to higher energy levels and more weight loss. Sample pairings include: apple with almond butter, tuna with crackers, hard-boiled egg and berries.

Tip 5: Lunch should always be the largest meal of the day in order to prevent large meals at night. When your body is physically active during the daytime, you will be able to metabolize and breakdown food more efficiently. Food will take longer to digest at nighttime, especially if you are not physically active at night.

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