100 Calorie Snack Packs, What's the Deal?

Today, I would like to address the "Snacking Issue"

This is one important issue that our Nutritionists always bring up in our Lecture during the first week of boot camp. She talks about making changes in your diet according to where you are or how far along you are in the process.

When choosing a between meal snack it is important to remember that all calories are not created equal. Let's look at 100 calorie snacks from Nabisco, for instance. Great, 100 cals. Doesn't sound like a lot and in fact its not. Unfortunately those calories come from simple starchesthat your body breaks down very quickly. If you don't use that energy up in that next half hour or so , it gets stored as excess energy: FAT. (On the flip side, complex carbs take longer to break down in the body,therefore can be burned off all day long and therefore have less of a chance to be stored as fat.)


Lets take a look at those seemingly innocent snacks:
*There is little to NO FIBER (to keep you fuller longer , keep digestive tract running appropriately
*NO PROTEIN (to help build back the muscle that you broke down in class therefore leading to muscle wasting and slow metabolism)
*NO VITAMINS/MINERALS/ANTIOXIDANTS (to replenish what you burned off, rebuild skin/organ/immune system, fight cancer diabetes/heart disease/high BP)
*HIGHLY PROCESSED, LOTS OF SUGAR & CHEMICALS to maintain years shelf life (leave you feeling dehydrated, drained of energy when insulin/blood sugar peaks then plummets, nudges you towards seeking out another poor choice)
*TONS of SALT -upwards of 250 mg of salt for a handful of food is OUTRAGEOUS (leaving you bloated accounting for daily changes on the scale, dehydrated, tired and "thirsty" [no pun intended] for a sugary drink.

Look, if you are used to eating brownies as a mid day snack, then yes, 100 calorie snacks (cheese nips, oreos, snack mix) are the way to go! You have made a smarter choice here b/c these packs teach you portion control. Unfortunately that's all they teach you. I can stick 100 calories worth of cheese fries in a bag and market it as a "100 calorie snack" and I wouldn't be lying, but is this healthy? NO! You wouldn't be fooled by that so why get scammed by Nabisco??

So if you are not eating brownies as snacks and you are at a different place in your weight loss regimen then what are you supposed ot eat? Girls, I am glad you asked. It's time to go to the next level. AWESOME snacks that will leave you full, help replenish protein to build lean muscle, give you energy, hydrate you, contain calcium, make you happy etc etc:

-low fat yogurt plain flavor (with fruit or nuts on top)
-nuts (unsalted of course)
-fruit! grapes, apples, peaches, bananas, etc etc
-sliced veggies with olive oil and vinegar drizzled on top (takes 3 mins cut the night before, or no minutes if you did a batch of them already on sunday night)
-natural peanut butter by itself or on fruit/1 slice of wheat toast
-tuna fish with lemon (keep a can opener in your desk at work and lemon in the fridge
-avocado and beans
-oatmeal (with fresh fruit/nuts/berries on top)
-low fat cottage cheese (NOT fat free, too much salt) with something fun on top
-sweat potato (can easily be thrown in the microwave at work)
-small salad with protein on top
-salsa (read the label! some have tons of salt) and veggies

Once you break the sugar addiction, realize that you must plan these snacks the night before, and get away from the quick fix options you will see a world of difference. This difference will manifest in not only the way you look but the way you feel!

It is importantly for you to be cognisant of the calorie/fat/salt/protein content of your food. AND you have to also go another step and read the ingredients to uncover what is behind those numbers. They say "the numbers don't lie" but when it comes to food, most often they do.

Good luck, and if you want more info like this then ask me! OR you can come down to Waldbaums in Oceanside Long Island tomorrow night 7-8pm. SIGN UP HERE>>>

SO YOU THINK YOU ARE SO HEALTHY, EH?

Here is a short list that I have compiled of foods that mascarade as "healthy" but really are GARBAGE and can single handedly sabotage your quest for a healthy lifestyle (notice i didn't say "diet").

To find out EXACTLY what to eat CLICK HERE for the next GROCERY SHOPPING TOUR IN NYC AND Long Island! (But more on that later.)

*Deli Turkey --Tons of SALT and preservatives not found in the real thing (the root of so many evils and the cause for the scale going up and down by 3-5 lbs a day.) Healthier option: low/no fat ground turkey meat. Little to nothing added but the bird.
*Low Fat Peanut butter-- so they took out some fat and replaced it with SALT (approx160 mg/serving). This was the good-fat, people. You are better off having the real thing, just make sure to buy "Natural Peanut Butter."
*Granola/Trail mix-- saturated fat and cholesterol up the wazoo. Plus, lots of unhealthy chemicals added to keep the a very long shelf life. Better option: fruits, veggies, make your own mix: walnuts, peanuts, almonds, raisins, dried fruit etc.
*Juice -- sugar!!!!!!! Typically, your morning glass of OJ has comparable levels of sugar as soda (beware: see the next item for numbers). Always choose water instead. Add pieces of lime, lemon, fruit, cucumber to spice it up.
*Soda, even diet-- FYI a regular coke has 10 Tsp of sugar! (YES T-E-N teaspoons), Yuk. The "diet" version isn't any better, I am afraid. Chemicals are put in that make it taste sweet, these chemicals trick your brain into thinking it is actually getting something sweet. BUT when it realizes it's been fooled, it then craves the actual thing and you go off on some sort of sugar-crash-binge-frenzy. Keep in mind this may take a few days to build up. I am sad to say that "sugar free" drinks are just as bad and have the same effect (crystal light being one of them).

I can already hear you saying "well, diet soda is better than having a regular soda, so what's the big deal." WHATS THE BIG DEAL??? You might as well have said "I had the burger only, it was better than eating that AND the fries." GASP! (Maybe you DO say that, I don't know).

The point is you wont achieve greatness (IE a healthier lifestyle that LASTS) by relying on the "Better Than" mantra. Knock it off and get honest with/ yourself. I promise you might just be surprised by what you find. WARNING: You will have to fight hard. people always want to sabotage your quest. They will say "Come on, you can have just one piece of [insert bad food here], you've been working hard all week." These people just don't want to feel bad about themselves and what they are shoving in their mouths. You HAVE TO be the different one, it WILL pay off.

Still not sure what to eat?? You are in luck!
The next "Grocery Shopping Tour" will take place August 28th from 7-8pm in Whole Foods in Chelsea!

I will take you through the store teaching you how to read labels, debunk common myths on eating for weight loss, show you how to shop fast and healthy for you and your entire family and much more!