Go Meatless

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I was really nervous to lead this past week's Weight Watchers meeting after I had learned that the topic was "going meatless". I am a carnivore with meat at almost every meal that I make and serve in my home. Mentally it is hard for me to see a meatless meal a satisfying main course. I would love to serve some of these dishes as sides, but I would not serve them by themselves.

As I planned and lead my meeting, I actually began to get really excited about all of the different meatless options that are out there! Not to mention meat is very expensive and going meatless a few times a week could save us some money in the long run.

If you are like me and you like your meat, please keep an open mind as you read the meeting summary from August 20, 2011.

You must know that getting your veggies is a must for good health, but consider this: Upping your produce intake may get you a little closer to your weight loss goals too.

Studies suggest that replacing animal fats with veggies (as well as healthy proteins like beans and nuts) may help you shed more pounds by reducing your calorie intake. Sure, veggies pack feel-full fiber, but those who rely on a veggie-rich diet tend to eat less fat and fewer calories than their carnivorous counterparts. In fact, studies suggest the estimated 5 million Americans who eat plant-based diets weigh around 15 percent less than meat eaters.

How should I get my protein?
Going veg doesn’t have to mean losing out on filling protein — non-meat proteins have plenty. Plus, they tend to be cheaper, lower in calories, and higher in feel-full fiber. Below are some options to help you meet the recommended daily allowance of protein (46g a day for women; 56g for men).

Dairy With more than 8g of protein in every cup, skim milk is a great pick; in fact, it has slightly more protein than whole milk. Low-fat and nonfat cheeses are also protein-rich, with between 4g to 6g per ounce. When it comes to yogurt, go Greek since it contains nearly twice the protein of nonfat plain (2.5g per ounce versus 1.5g).

Beans Some of the most concentrated sources of proteins come from beans. Soybeans have an impressive 29g per cup, while others (lentils, black, garbanzos, etc.) pack 14g to 17g per cup. To use, toss them into salads or soups or blend them into dips.

Nuts Although nuts average between 4g and 6g of protein per ounce, dieters beware: It’s often tough to stop at just one serving, and nuts tend to be high in calories. To stay in check, eat nuts you have to shell—like pistachios, since shelling 40 (3 PointsPlus™ values' worth) takes time and may force you to eat more mindfully.

Whole grains Yes, you can get some protein in the form of a carb. Just make sure the label says “100 percent whole grain” — “whole wheat” or “wheat” alone won’t cut it. Other nutritious protein-rich grains include the couscous cousin quinoa, which at 24g per cup has as much protein as four eggs.

Eggs Many vegetarians do eat eggs, which pack 6g of protein and just 5g of fat. Also, there’s good news on the cholesterol front: Recent studies show that eating an egg a day may not increase the risk of heart disease and stroke among healthy adults, as previously thought. So allow yourself one egg a day. If that doesn’t satisfy you, supplement it with extra egg whites, which are lower in fat and cholesterol than the yolks.

Tofu Soy is a protein powerhouse, with 8g per 3.5-oz. serving of tofu. Although there’s been controversy about the use of soy, particularly for breast cancer survivors or those at risk for breast cancer, the new thinking indicates that eating a small amount (about a ½ cup of tofu or edamame) daily may actually lower your breast cancer risk. Not crazy about tofu’s spongy texture? Try tempeh, which offers a similar protein punch with a meatier consistency.

Meatless meals Ready to boost your fruit and veggie intake without sacrificing taste or nutrients? Check out our suggestions below for three days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

If you want some other great vegetarian recipes check out Meatless Monday.

Fruit

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Happy Friday!!

How was your week!? I have been so busy with work this week that I have not been able to focus on anything else! Hopefully, things at work will die down soon so that I feel like a real person again.

During my Weight Watchers meetings and Getting Started Sessions I get a lot of questions about the zero PointsPlus value on all fresh fruit. I thought that you might have some of the same questions so; here is the most recent information from Weight Watchers on fruit.

When do I have to count my fruit? What if I juice it? Blend it? Mash it? Bake it? Shake it?

If you put a banana in a blender, you still have a banana. But what a minute ago looked like a substantive snack, now looks like a tiny shot. So you might be tempted to add another banana and maybe even some raspberries, a few grapes, that leftover papaya from two days ago and a kiwi, just to fill your glass.

Juices bypass the body's hunger detectors. Smoothies seem to sit someplace in the middle—more filling than a juice, but easier to consume than plain fruit. If you sat down and drank the smoothie we just described, you've just slurped back 5 or 6 servings of fruit in one sitting.

Should you count it as zero? Its your choice—how exact do you want to be?. You can count it as zero using the Simple Recipe Math described on page 42 of the Getting Started Book (GSB). But if you are drinking a lot of smoothies and you aren't seeing the results you were expecting at the scale, we recommend you put those fruits into the Recipe Builder on eTools and start counting and tracking the PointsPlus values.

When you juice any fruits (ie removing the pulp and feeding through a juicer) no matter if you do it at home, in the car or on the beach, you no longer have fruit; you have juice and you must count the PointsPlus values. Same is true if you dehydrate the fruits, because you have removed the fiber/water that made fruit such a nice low-energy density treat.

What if you bake the fruit? Boil it? Microwave it? As long as you don't add any ingredients with PointsPlus values, you still have a zero PointsPlus treat. Count it as zero.

As with everything on this program, LET YOUR WEIGHT LOSS BE YOUR GUIDE. (Think of Obi Wan Kenobi "Use the Force Luke")

I hope this helped! Have a great weekend!!

Recipe Review: Gooey Pork Chops

I just want to start by saying that I have been so blessed with the most incredible husband!! Earlier this week Jon offered to make dinner for us. He was going to get home before me, which rarely happens, and he wanted to help out. How sweet!!

I emailed Jon several recipes options for him to choose from based on what we had at home. I also told him that I was planning to do a recipe review on Gooey Pork Chops, so if he choose that recipe I really needed him to take pictures as he made the recipe. I was so excited that he chose Gooey Pork Chops!!

To be completely honest, my husband is the chef in our family. I am good at following a recipe, however my husband has a knack for knowing what will taste good. He is not afraid to change the recipe in order to add flavor. He helps me to make Weight Watchers friendly foods taste good and still keeps the pointsplus values low.

Ingredients

Combine garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper together. Use as rub to one side of each chop. Jon felt like 1 tsp was not enough flavor so he added 1 TBSP of each spice.

Place chops in baking dish (may be a tight fit). Coat chops with worcestershire sauce.

Cover chops with Cream of Mushroom soup.

Sprinkle Dry onion soup mix over dish.

Cover with another piece of heavy duty foil, rolling edges of both pieces of foil together to seal chops totally.

After an hour in the oven they are finally done!!

We ate our pork chops with rice and green beans. They were incredible!! We are going to start having this dish more often.

Thanks honey for making sure I had a great recipe review for the week!!

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Gooey Pork Chops
Source: NESHULK

Ingredients
6 trimmed Bone-In Pork Chops (can substitute boneless)
1 tsp Ground black pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 10 oz. cans Campbell's Healthy Request Cream Mushroom Soup
1 packet Lipton dry onion soup mix

Instructions
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.Line 9x13 baking dish with heavy duty foil leaving 3 inches overhang on each end of dish.

Combine garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper together. Use as rub to one side of each chop.

Place chops in baking dish (may be a tight fit).

Coat chops with Worcestershire sauce.

Cover chops with Cream of Mushroom soup.

Sprinkle Dry onion soup mix over dish.

Cover with another piece of heavy duty foil, rolling edges of both pieces of foil together to seal chops totally.

Serves: 6; 5 pointsplus+

*** Notes:
May substitute boneless chops. I use trimmed chops and retrim at home. May also substitute chops with Pot Roast or Chicken.

Depending on how thick you want the gravy, may want to use 2 cans of soup (I do).

May place foil packet in crockpot rather than oven and adjust cook time to 8 hours on low. ***

A Plate Full of Good Health

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Here is the meeting summary from August 12, 2011.

This week in the meeting room we talked about what a healthy day really looks like by using Weight Watchers Good Health Guidelines and the USDA's MyPlate icon. It's easier than you think!

When you were a kid, your mother probably made sure that you ate three balanced meals a day. Meat, veggies, fruit — the works. But as soon as you moved out of the house, you gained a lot more than your independence. You gained the right to eat whatever you wanted.

You may have wanted to continue eating good-for-you foods. But in this fast-paced, fast-food world, where preparing a healthy meal might occasionally lose out to a quick bite, eating right can be downright hard. Fortunately, there are some great cheats out there. New dietary guidelines from the USDA, along with the Weight Watchers Good Health Guidelines, can take the guesswork out of getting a healthy, balanced diet.

The USDA's "MyPlate" icon
In June, the US Department of Agriculture replaced the food pyramid icon with the MyPlate icon. The new image (you can see it below, linking to an article with more details) is a simple prompt to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies; something that many Weight Watchers members were already doing! The icon also prompts people to eat whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy in reasonable portions. Sound familiar?

The Good Health Guidelines
By now, you're probably familiar with the Good Health Guidelines. These explain that a balanced diet consists of vitamins, minerals and macronutrients – the same qualities of food that can help you lose weight. The most nutritious foods are lower in fat and carbohydrates, and higher in fiber and protein, and should keep you satisfied longer. Read on to better understand the basics of eating right:

Fruit can be a delicious and filling replacement for sugary desserts. Plus, it's loaded with vitamins and, as long as it's fresh fruit, has 0 PointsPlus® values.

Vegetables can be enjoyed cooked or raw, just make sure to eat your five servings of fruit and vegetables each day to get the nutrients you need.

Whole-grain foods are a great source of fiber. Choose them over processed foods whenever possible.

Dairy products can help keep your bones strong by offering you a very necessary nutrient: calcium. Try to have two (low-fat or fat-free) servings each day.

Healthy oils, like olive, canola, sunflower, safflower or flaxseed, provide your body with essential fatty acids and Vitamin E.

Protein like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans and soy products can really provide the staying power you need to feel satisfied longer. Go for at least one or two servings each day.

Limit added sugar and alcohol. Feel free to enjoy the occasional sweet treat or alcoholic drink, just don't overdo it. Too much can lead to excess calories – and excess calories can really add up!

Water is essential to maintain a healthy body. Aim to drink at least six glasses a day to stay hydrated.

Multiple vitamin-mineral supplements can provide any nutrients that are missing from your diet. Look for a supplement that provides no more than 100% of the Daily Value (%DV), Recommended Nutrient Intake (RDI), or Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).

Getting Ready for Labor Day

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It has been a crazy day!

Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

For most people, Labor Day signals the ending of the summer season. This includes the grill or the barbecue pit. Traditional barbecue and picnic foods are a labor of love and many find the selections delicious. In many cases, the foods most associated with summer eating range is caloric value, and even though a grilled chicken and corn on the cob may be on the menu, so are many high fat, high sugar selections. Many people are surprised to find out basic picnic food can present a large number of hidden calories. A single portion of macaroni salad may have up to 50 g of fat and a single serving of barbecued ribs (2 ribs) equals 320 calories, 16 g sugar and 20 g of fat. The addition of other foods to round out an ideal barbecue will contribute to a high calorie event.

Food Item| Single serving reference values

Hamburger| 10 g fat, 254 calories, 378 mg sodium

Cheeseburger w/condiments| 26 g fat, 482 calories, 640 mg

Hot dogs| 16 g fat, 180 calories, 620 mg sodium

Ribs| 21 g fat, 320 calories, 790 mg sodium

Coleslaw| 16 g fat, 206 calories

Potato salad| 21 g fat, 1323 mg sodium

Macaroni salad| 26g fat, 760 g sodium, 349 calories

Barbecue sauce| 10 g sugar, 50 calories, 330 mg sodium

Baked beans| 19 g sugar, 570 g sodium, 190 calories

Apple pie| 20 g fat, 33 g sugar, 390 calories

Pecan pie| 22 g fat, 30 g sugar 541 calories

Corn bread| 6 g, 13 g, 200 calories

Soda| 30-40 g sugar, 12 calories per ounce

Domestic Beer| 200 calories each

Consider a basic meal of a cheeseburger, side of potato salad and baked beans and a slice of apple pie and a conservative net would equal 1,312 calories, over 3000 mg of salt and 67 g of fat. If you side with two hot dogs (who eats one?), a side of macaroni salad, some chips and slice of pecan pie you’ve reached 1,450 calories and 2,650 mg of sodium. Consider these numbers as conservative; most people each multiple servings and also consume additional calories from sodas, alcohols and other side dishes.

It is not surprising to see a single picnic meal reach over two thousand calories. So what is a person to do – skip barbecues? Rather than go extreme, make a couple of conservative changes and the day and waist line can be saved. For instance, using Fat-free hot dogs at 50 calories, 0 g fat, 490 mg sodium cuts the calories to a third and reduces the sodium. Swapping out hamburgers for chicken, soy burgers or buying extra lean meats will save calories and reduce saturated fat. Using a spice mixture like “Suddenly Pasta” and some olive oil cuts the fat and calories in half on the pasta salad. Condiments hide a lot of calories, fat and sugar. Use reduced calorie mayonnaise and low sugar barbecue sauce instead. Slice avocado for hamburgers or grill onions as healthier toppings. For beverages, brew up unsweetened ice tea and offer calorie free options like Crystal Light. Rather than serving calorie-rich desserts serve fruits like watermelon and cut strawberries; even topping it with lite Cool Whip only adds 25 calories.

In addition to making some smart food choices, be sure to center your Labor Day and other picnics around activities. Touch football, playing catch or horse shoes or Bacchi all expend calories and remove people from the temptation of boredom and proximity eating. Lastly, do not forget about sunscreen. Be sure the SPF is adequate for the environment; even though many people have been cooped up for months and the temptation for a quick tan beckons, excess sun exposure raises risks for skin cancer.

Recipe Review: Dusty Grapes

Have I mentioned that it is really hot here in Texas? Well it is. This past Sunday evening I attended Bible study. Our leader brought frozen grapes for us to share. However, they were not just regular frozen grapes! They had strawberry banana sugar-free jell-o powder sprinkled all over them. They were so good!

This week I hunted down a recipe and made these for our recipe review, because I thought that we could all use a nice cold treat. I did not follow this exact recipe, because I improvised a little. Enjoy!

Ingredients. Feel free to use any kind of Jell-O you want!

First I took the grapes off of the vine. Please note that I started with fresh, not frozen grapes.

Next, I washed the grapes and drained them really well.

Then I put the washed grapes into a large Ziploc bag.

Next, I added the dry Jell-O powder to the Ziploc bag.

I tried to sprinkle the powder over as many grapes as possible.

Close your Ziploc bag

and shake it until the powder has been evenly spread over all the grapes.

After that I let out all the air in the bag before putting it in the freezer.

Put the grapes in the freezer

until they are completed frozen.

Once they are frozen that's it, you're done! Feel free to take them our and enjoy them whenever you like!

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Dusty Grapes
Source: Big Red Kitchen

Ingredients
3 cups grapes
1 small box Jell-O Sugar-Free Gelatin Dessert (any flavor), dry powder

Instructions
Place frozen grapes in a quart sized zip top bag, add Jell-O powder, zip bag and shake well. Be sure that your frozen grapes are right from the freezer because any condensation will cause clumping. I place a small amount in ramekins as treats for the kiddies (well all right I confess, me too!) and quickly return leftovers to the freezer.

Serves: 6; PointsPlus+: 2

Just a note when you are counting your pointsplus+: Technically grapes are zero pointsplus+ and technically Jell-O is zero pointsplus+. However, when I put these into Weight Watchers recipe builder it calculated the nutritional facts for both of these ingredients and it came out to be 2 pointsplus+ per serving. Either way it is a pretty healthy and refreshing snack option.

Healthy Eating Without the Hassle

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Here is the latest Get Fit email from Dr. Jacobs.

The latest nutritional science points toward a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, paired with healthy sources of protein and fats. A largely plant-based diet with protein from fish, skinless poultry, nuts, legumes, and small amounts of lean meats opens the door to good health.

Equally important is to choose foods in forms that are as close as possible to the way they came from nature. A cherry, for example, is a better choice than a cherry fruit bar. Whole-grain bread trumps white bread.

While it may seem like a lot of extra effort to eat more healthfully, it doesn’t have to be. You only need to keep in mind three simple steps: eat more plant-based foods, fewer animal-based foods, and only as much food as your body needs. Here are some ways to do this:

Focus on unprocessed or minimally processed foods.
By doing so, you’ll naturally consume foods that have the amounts and combinations of fiber and nutrients that nature intended. Many factory-made foods, in contrast, are stripped of natural fiber and nutrients and filled with ingredients made to stimulate appetite and keep you eating more. Processed meats, in particular, are linked with heart disease and cancer. Unprocessed foods have no added sugar, fat, or salt. Most also have more fiber.

Be adventurous.
To get a broader range of disease-fighting nutrients, think beyond whole-grain pasta and broccoli. Try new grains, vegetables, and fruits. Bulgur and quinoa are good grain alternatives. Novel kinds of beans, fruits, and vegetables abound. You can experiment with new recipes that rely less on meat and make use of different ingredients and herbs and spices for flavor sources.

Mix it up.
A good rule of thumb for each day is to try to get three servings of fruit, three to four servings of vegetables, some lean protein, some whole grains, healthy oils, some nonfat or low-fat dairy, and a serving of nuts or legumes. At each meal, look at your plate: about one-half should be fruits and vegetables, one-quarter lean proteins (fish, poultry, beans, or tofu), and one-quarter whole grains.

Drink enough liquids.
Because many foods contain water, most people get sufficient liquid each day without making a special effort. But it can be helpful throughout the day to drink water or another no-calorie liquid as an alternative to snacking or to wash down meals. Plus, as you increase your fiber content with whole-grain foods, water helps ferry it smoothly through your digestive tract and protects you from constipation. Drinking 4 to 6 cups of water a day is a reasonable and healthful goal.

Keep protein portions small.
For proteins like meat and chicken, 3 ounces for lunch and slightly more for dinner is a good goal. Keep in mind that 4 ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

Aim for at least two servings of fish each week.
However, avoid large, predatory deep ocean fish (such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and blue fin tuna) because of their higher mercury content.

Plan ahead.
If you snack, plan ahead for healthy snacks to minimize the risk of impulsively eating unhealthy foods. Stay away from sugary drinks and their empty calories.