Holiday Season Help with Diet Struggles: Tips, Products, and More

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Staying on track with a nutritious, low calorie diet to achieve weight loss and better health can be tough over the holidays. However, if you need help with diet struggles there are plenty of good tips to be had online. You just need to know where to look! In addition to that, you can get the holiday season, which includes gift giving and receiving along with festivities, to work in your favor. At the time of writing this article Halloween and Thanksgiving may have passed, however there are still plenty of festivities with all too many opportunities to overeat yet to come. I found some excellent tips you may want to read for getting through the rest of the holiday season and the upcoming year for that matter. The need to be vigilant and to keep calories in check is a year-round problem. It may be worse over the holiday season at the end of each year but it doesn’t go away. Consider the challenges of eating in restaurants at any time of the year; special celebrations for family, friends, or co-workers; other holidays; traveling; and more. You’ll find great tips on navigating through the holidays (and beyond) without gaining weight on the Epicurious site. Healthy-Eating Tips and Light Party Recipes for the Holidays An article I posted earlier this week on this site also provides some great tips for preparing yourself for the coming New Year to be on track for weight loss success: Weight Loss Tips: Success Can be Yours! And you may want to take a look at my article from last year on getting through the holiday season (and other food-centered festivities throughout the year) 15 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain What about other sources of diet help? Given that it is the season for giving and receiving gifts, how about including you on your gift list? Or make a wish list so that others might know what you might like to receive. I have a number of reasonably priced products to suggest to get you motivated and on track for weight loss. 1. Get a pedometer! I highly recommend having a pedometer in your arsenal of weight loss products. There are many research studies documenting how individuals who own and USE pedometers are more successful with weight loss than those who don’t. The reason for this is simple. Health professionals encourage people to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day for better health and weight loss. Yet very few people do. Why? Many people think they are already taking that many steps. The only way to find out how your steps stack up is to get a pedometer and keep track! You will likely be surprised. I was. Learning that I needed to do more got me on track. I believe it can do the same for you. I currently own the Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer with Advanced Omron Health Management Software . Although I have owned many pedometers over the years this one is by far my favorite. It costs more than the average, however, I purchased it because I wanted better than average. I was tired of having pedometers that were inaccurate and/or broke easily. This pedometer seems to be right on target with respect to accuracy and it has a safety clip that prevents the pedometer from getting broken if it gets knocked off my belt because it won’t hit the floor. The Omron pedometer has 925 customer reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would give it the same rating. It does take a little time to set the stride length accurately but once you have it should work very nicely! I haven’t used the software that comes with the pedometer for uploading as much as 42 days of stored data to a PC because I own a Mac. But honestly I like it a lot without putting that feature to work. 2. Try wearing a Weighted Vest with Pedometer Granted I already own a pedometer, however, I would like to own a weighted vest to wear when I am walking or running. A weighted vest would provide more of a workout and greater calorie burn. It seems that it may also provide a workout for the back to strengthen the backbone, an added plus if you are at risk for osteoporosis like me. I have my eye on the Cory Everson 10-pound Weight Vest with Pedometer . It is made with lightweight nylon and includes a layer of protective foam for greater comfort when worn. The vest can hold up to ten 1-pound soft gel weights that contour the body. And it has reflective piping for safety as well as a key ring with mesh for the pedometer. 3. Empower Cardio Core Hoop with DVD First Lady Michelle Obama has inspired me with her hula-hoop workouts. I loved playing with the hula-hoop as a kid. If you have never tried one before be prepared for having fun. Exercise can be enjoyable! The Empower Cardio Core Hoop with DVD can burn as many calories as doing cardio such as running! It can reshape your waist, help you to build and strengthen your core muscles, and get your heart pumping for a great yet FUN workout! I don’t own this hula-hoop yet but it is on my wish list. This product has received an average of 4 stars out of 5 by four customers. Given that it is a sports hoop it is somewhat heavier than a regular hoop to provide more of a workout. This feature may make it a little more uncomfortable for some individuals. Otherwise, it seems to be a good choice! 4. Exercise DVDs Getting a pedometer for yourself won’t do any good if you don’t actually use it. You may want to consider getting a walking DVD to have some encouragement along with tips on how to get the greatest benefit from your efforts. And if you’d prefer not to walk there are many other possibilities from dancing to yoga and more. 5. Omron Body Fat Monitor and Scale I own and use a body fat monitor. The one I own is the Tanita BF680W Body Fat Monitor and Scale. If you’d like to read more about this monitor you may want to read a couple of my previous posts that go into great detail on how a body fat monitor works and why it matters. (Body Fat Scales and Body Fat and Fat Loss ) I still recommend this monitor if you can find it in stock. If not, you may want to consider the Omron Body Fat Monitor and Scale . The Omron monitor has 421 customer reviews on Amazon as of this writing with an average rating of 4 stars out of 5. It also costs less than the Tanita scale. Having a body fat monitor is not essential for weight loss but it can provide much needed motivation to stay on track! You will also have a better sense of whether or not you are taking off mostly fat tissue instead of lean body tissue such as muscle and bone as you lose weight. 6. Kitchen gadgets to speed up and simplify food preparation. The more you prepare your own food, the more you will have control over eating a healthy, low calorie diet. A previous article I wrote covers some of the kitchen gadgets I own or would like to have. See Kitchen Tools and Gadgets for Weight Loss and Better Health . 7. Get yourself a Kindle Reading Device for Weight Loss Support This is a high-ticket item but one I’m sure you will fall in love with if you have a chance to see how it works. To learn all about it read: 8 Reasons to Buy a Kindle Reading Device for Weight Loss Support, Better Health, and Fun! 8. Diet books and healthful eating cookbooks Whether or not you own a Kindle you may want to invest in a quality diet book or cookbook. I will be covering some of the best choices for the year 2010 very soon! 9. Sign up for an online food diary. I use and recommend MyFoodDiary.com Getting a handle on how many calories you currently consume and making adjustments as necessary to lose weight and maintain that weight loss is very important for success. Recent studies have documented how individuals who chose to track their calorie intake with a food diary lost more than twice the pounds of those who didn’t. (Food Diaries Best for Weight Loss Success!) I’ve shared some solid tips, resources, and products for you to get help with diet struggles. Hope this information gives you some new ideas and strategies. Go now and take a look at some of my recommendations! Having a healthier, slimmer body is possible if you take action! Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! weight loss weight losshelp with diet diet help diet struggles weight loss weight loss tips weight loss products weight loss gifts dieting gifts

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Weight Loss Tips: Success Can be Yours!

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Right now you may be wondering how you will navigate through the holiday season without overeating. It is a time for celebrations of many kinds around the globe! Thanksgiving is only a couple days away, if you are American, and other holidays with all the parties and food follow shortly after. What do you do? Trust me, I know it is hard! On the one hand you want to lighten up some and enjoy the holidays. That includes indulging a little with holiday foods! That’s O.K. On the other hand, there are things you can do NOW to minimize the damage and still have a good time with friends and family. And you can be ready to tackle weight loss with full awareness after the holidays pass. Do watch your portions through the holidays and eat slowly. By doing this you can get just as much enjoyment from holiday treats without as many calories. An easy way to keep your portions in check is to eat off of smaller plates. This can work wonders if you use common sense and avoid piling food on your plate or going back for seconds! Whenever possible, be more physically active to burn off some of the extra calories you consume. I love to walk. It helps me to burn off calories and also some of the stress that comes with life in any season especially the holidays. If you can’t walk, however, think about what else you can do! Dance? Hula-hoop like the First Lady, Michelle Obama? Get creative! As you navigate the holidays prepare yourself to be ready for a fresh start in the New Year. You CAN succeed with weight loss! Today I have a guest article for you written by a man who is the founder of an online community fitness site. He is knowledgeable about the struggles that both men and women experience in doing what it takes to achieve weight loss, fitness, and better health. In this article he shares what I consider to be some of the very best tips for success. Read and take this advice to heart. It can make an enormous difference in your life! ——————————– How to Finally Succeed at Losing Weight by Rafi Bar-Lev You’ve been trying to lose weight on and off for years, but just haven’t been able to succeed. Well, you’re in luck, because chances are that it’s not because of your genetics that you’ve been having trouble, but rather because of how you’ve been going about it. In that spirit, here are 5 tips to help you finally succeed at losing weight: 1. Count your calories. Counting calories is probably the most important weight loss tool you have at your disposal. By learning how many calories are in your current diet that maintains your current weight, you have the key to fat loss at your fingertips. To start losing weight, after you’ve counted your calories, start taking in 500 less calories a day to lose 1 pound of pure fat a week. Getting the hang of calorie counting can be annoying, but after a couple of weeks you will get the hang of it and have an intuitive feeling for how much of different foods you can eat…and you’ll be surprised by how much easier it makes it to stay in shape! 2. Workout with a friend. It can be hard to motivate yourself to go speed walking, jogging, or even to go lift weights at the gym. There’s no better way to make sure you keep consistent with your workouts then to workout with a friend. When you know someone else is depending on you, you’re much more likely to keep going. 3. Eat real food. Women often make the mistake of checking how much they’re eating, but forgetting to check what they’re eating. Having enough vitamins in your blood is critical for maximizing your metabolism and ability to digest food well, so make sure that the calories you’re eating are real food like whole wheat bread, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, and some dairy products. 4. Listen to music! Music is a great way to keep yourself motivated both to workout and keep up your diet. When you’re feeling discouraged or unmotivated, start listening to your favorite tunes and remember how badly you want to lose weight! 5. Don’t feel guilty about relapses. The most important thing when you’re on a weight loss journey is not to feel guilty about relapses. I guarantee you that EVERYONE has relapses, and it’s a normal thing. The trick to succeeding on your journey is that after your relapse, you get right back onto your diet and your workouts and don’t feel bad about having gone binge eating. In fact, it’s even better that when those times happen that you do relapse…that you allow yourself to unwind and enjoy it. This is a guest post by Rafi Bar-Lev, a former combat medic and founder of the popular community fitness site, Passionate Fitness. Check it out! ——————————— Till next time, enjoy the holidays with the tips covered here. In the coming weeks I have lots to share with you to help you on your weight loss and/or maintenance journey including some things I learned on my recent trip to Paris! Maintenance weight loss Maintenance, weight lossweight loss tips weight loss motivation tips diet weight loss success fitness exercise

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Day 5 - 1200 Kcal Diet Menu

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The menu for Day 5 of the 7 Day Diet Plan for a 1200 kcal diet is simple. Just pop a couple of waffles in your toaster oven for breakfast. Enjoy with a little apple butter for a spread instead of high calorie butter and syrup. Lunch is a delicious leftover from Qdoba Mexican Grill from Day 4. Supper is a very quick fix of a twice-baked potato with veggie toppings. Include the snacks and you have the fixings for a nutritious and low calorie day with minimal time and fuss! [Did you find the term kcal to be confusing? If so, you may be interested to learn that what we call calories in the United States are actually kilocalories or kcal. So, although the two are not technically the same, for everyday use they refer to the same thing.] To modify today’s menu for a 1300, 1400, or 1500 calorie diet, look for my comments below. 1200 Calorie Menu (Day 5) Breakfast 2 Honey Oat Waffles (Kashi - 160 calories) Apple butter 3 Tbsp. Apple Butter (Eden Foods - 60 calories) 1?2 cup Orange Juice (Light ‘N Healthy Orange Juice with Calcium- Tropicana - 25 calories)* Snack 1 cup Soy Dream Soy Milk, enriched vanilla (1 cup = 120 calories) Lunch 1/2 Grilled Veggie Burrito (Qdoba Mexican Grill – about 330 calories for the half leftover from lunch on Day 4) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee Snack 1/4 cup Almonds, whole Supper Make a Twice-Baked Potato with toppings 1 medium potato, baked 1Tbsp. Light Butter (Land O’Lakes Butter with Canola - 50 calories) 1/2 cup steamed broccoli 1/4 cup Black-eyed Peas 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese (Kraft, Grate-it-Fresh - 20 calories) (Scrub the potato well so you can eat the whole potato, skin included for a great source of dietary fiber and nutrients. Pierce potato with a fork and bake in a microwave oven about 4-6 minutes on high. Slice the baked potato open across the top and blend in the butter with a fork. Top with the Black-eyed peas and steamed broccoli. Then add grated parmesan. Reheat for a short time. Enjoy!) Water, unsweetened tea, or coffee (Always remember to get plenty of water throughout the day. Read Water, Weight, and Women to learn more about your water needs.) Total Calories = 1221 Total Fiber = 31.6 g Fat = 31% Carbs = 55% Protein = 14% (U.S. Dietary Guidelines Recommended percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, Protein 10-35%) Calcium = 1046 mg (Women between 19 and 50 years need approximately 1,000 mg a day, 51+ need 1,200 + mg a day) Iron = 19.9 mg (Women 19 to 50 years need 18 mg of iron, 51+ need 8 mg) 1300, 1400, or 1500 Calorie Diet Menu This menu has a fairly good balance of nutrients. However, it is a little short on calcium for postmenopausal women. If this describes you, you may want to supplement this menu with another serving of a low fat milk product. Or be sure to take a calcium supplement (with vitamin D). Otherwise, for women of all ages, simply add an additional serving or two of one of the menu items or other food of your choice to bring the total calories up to the level you need. (I encourage you to read my article on how to determine the minimum SAFE caloric intake for you: 1200 Calorie Diet: How to Get Started!) *Light N’ Healthy Calcium Orange Juice by Tropicana. I included this juice because it is a source of a little extra calcium and it helped the numbers to add up right for a total of approximately 1200 calories. However, I believe a regular orange juice product (with or without added calcium) would be a better choice for not too many more calories. Why would it be better? Adding water to plain orange juice is what makes light juice. That dilutes the available nutrients, which may or may not be added back. In my opinion, the original mix of nutrients as nature intended is always best. If you’ve read this far, good for you! Here are the links for day one, two, three, and four of this latest weekly plan: Healthy Low Calorie Sample Menu 1200 Calorie Menu: Day 2 1200 Calorie Menu Day 3 Day 4 Sample Menu for 1200 Calories That’s five days out of 7. The remaining two days to complete the week will be coming soon. Remember not to be confused if you see 1200 kcal diet instead of 1200 calorie diet! Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! calories weight loss calories, weight losssample menu 1200 calorie diet day 5 menu sample 1200 kcal

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Kitchen Tools and Gadgets for Weight Loss and Better Health

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Make this the year to begin acquiring the kitchen tools or gadgets that make preparing and enjoying healthy low calorie foods fun! With the holiday season now in full swing, I thought I would give you some ideas if you haven’t finalized your wish list. Or maybe you’d like some ideas for buying a gift for a loved one to be supportive of his or her weight loss or healthy eating and maintenance efforts. Here’s a short list of items I own and love along with some I would like to have. Quite honestly I am more of a minimalist than a pack rat BUT the kitchen items I own have really come in handy! I’m sure the ones still on my list would be a big help as well. Microplane Grater/Zester The Microplane Grater/Zester works wonderfully! I bought this recently for my husband for his birthday. We use it mostly to grate small amounts of hard, sharp cheese into soups, salads, casserole dishes, and more. It’s a great way to add flavor and appeal to low calorie foods without mess or fuss. And it cleans up quickly and easily. Why might this be something for you to consider? It’s great if you are watching your calorie intake and/or if you need to monitor your saturated fat or cholesterol intake. For my husband and I it serves both purposes. This nifty grater gives us a way to bring our eating more in line with healthy Mediterranean Diet plans (This type of diet puts an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and unsaturated fats, particularly olive oil. In addition, this way of eating includes small amounts of cheese and yogurt with only a little fish, eggs, poultry, and sweets.) I knew I couldn’t go wrong when I read the customer reviews on Amazon. As of today there are 293 5-star reviews! Can that many people be wrong? At only $11.95 this is a winner!Any negatives to this kitchen tool? The only one I can think of is that it is sharp and probably should be kept away from small children. Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender Another awesome gift idea is the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender. I gave this kitchen gadget to my husband along with the Microplane Grater. He loves it!! This simple tool blends right in a pot or bowl with no extra dishes to wash. The gadget itself cleans up quickly and easily. No more hassling with cleaning a heavy traditional blender and all its parts! You can use this hand held blender to puree soups, make your own hot chocolate, fresh fruit smoothies, or mix batters. I have not yet tried it but my husband has made several creamy and healthy low calorie soups (butternut squash, carrot soup, and more). Hmm…good. There a few different models to choose from. The unit I purchased was not the most expensive. It cost only $29.95 and seems to have been worth every penny. I can’t share any negatives at this point. When I get a chance to use it I will let you know if I think of any. As I write this there are 337 customer reviews on Amazon and an average of 4.5 stars . (I won’t consider purchasing a product I have never tried if it doesn’t have at least a 4 out of 5 stars.) Borner V-Slicer Pro Mandoline I had read quite a bit about how a quality mandoline could make the chore of dicing and slicing veggies a whole lot easier. And anything that simplifies this task is something that helps me eat more veggies. Eating more veggies makes it easier to achieve weight loss or maintenance and better health! Mandoline slicers can be used to quickly and safely slice, dice, and cut fruits, vegetables, and other foods. This particular slicer is made of tough plastic and has three insert blades made with surgical stainless steel. Most of the mandolines I read about are expensive! Then I found the V-Slicer Plus Mandoline listed on Amazon for only $38.95. Compared with hundreds of dollars for professional mandolines that amount is much more reasonable! When I first opened the box, I discovered it wasn’t something I could use immediately without reading the instructions. But that only took a few minutes. The blades are sharp and cut well; however, I have found it is easier to use with certain vegetables than others. For example, I can cut white potato slices for baked fries quickly and easily. Cutting slices of sweet potato for baked fries also works but I found it to be more challenging. The sweet potatoes were much more firm. Clean up is quick and easy. I do save time with this slicer and I will probably save even more as I become more practiced. As of today 331 people have given the V-Slicer Plus Mandoline a 4.5 rating out of 5. You might want to give it a try. I think you’ll like it! Prepara Oil Mister The Prepara Oil Mister is not something I have actually tried but it is on my wish list. It would be perfect for adding just a spritz of oil to veggies before roasting them or adding a little flavor to salads without overdoing the fat and calories. This gadget also provides a way to create your own flavored oils by infusing the oil with herbs or spices. Or fill it with plain oil to grease pans and prevent food from sticking. Over time you could save money by not needing to buy disposable spray cans. I’m wondering if this may be a new product because there is only one review on Amazon. But this one review is quite glowing. The reviewer shared that having a glass base unlike most other misters is a plus because the oil can wear out the plastic parts found on other models. The glass base also makes it easier to clean. For $17.99 it seems like a good buy that could potentially get many years of use. Escali Primo Digital Multifunctional Scale Having a food scale for preparing recipes and measuring out healthy portions can be a real blessing for calorie control and healthy eating. This is another item on my wish list. It doesn’t matter that I am a nutritionist, I still have to work on keeping portions under control just like everyone else. I’d also like to have a food scale for making metric ingredient measurements. Having such easy access to recipes online means that I frequently find great recipes from Europe and elsewhere with metric measurements. Ackk! It would be a lot easier to simply weigh the gram amounts as listed then have to take the time to make the conversions as I am doing now. The company that makes this particular food scale has several models to choose from. I like this one because it seems to be simple and easy to use with measurements in either ounces or grams. The unit is offered in a variety of different colors. And as of today, it has 512 customer reviews giving it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It seems to be reasonably priced at $23.29. Demy Digital Recipe Reader I discovered the Demy Digital Recipe Reader just by chance. I am intrigued by the concept but not by the price. Having all of my recipes in one convenient place for easy access would be nice. But I’m working on adding recipes to my Kindle reading device. The layout on the Kindle is not as nice as what is pictured here but hey, my Kindle holds a lot more than just recipes! (To learn more read: 8 Reasons to Buy a Kindle Reading Device for Weight Loss Support, Better Health, and Fun!) The Demy is a kitchen-safe digital recipe reader that holds your personal recipe collection in one compact, sleek device. It has a high-resolution color touchscreen and a simple, basic interface along with other special tools. I imagine it would make any cook’s job easier. But I’m not thrilled with the price of $299.00. You can buy a Kindle reader for less than that! Well that’s my list of helpful kitchen tools or gadgets to support your weight loss or maintenance efforts. I hope it helps. Happy holiday season! Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy foods. calories Maintenance weight loss calories, Maintenance, weight losskitchen gadgets gadgets tools kitchen cooking weight loss calories

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12 Healthy Brown Bag Lunches: Part 2

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I have a list of easy to fix, low-calorie brown bag lunch suggestions for you. This is a follow-up to my earlier article on this topic: Preparing Healthy Low Calorie Brown Bag Meals in which I shared basic strategies to minimize time and effort when preparing sack lunches. These meal ideas can be easily adjusted to include the ingredients you like best. However, having said that, do be open to new combinations of foods. You may be surprised at the range of delicious possibilities! Remember to make your brown bag lunches appealing by including a variety of tastes and textures. Include protein (lean meat, fish, eggs, or beans) and dairy (yogurt or low-fat cheese) or dairy alternatives (such as soy milk or soy yogurt). Add fruit and/or veggies for a healthy crunch and color along with lots of good nutrition. A combination of protein, dietary fiber, and foods with high water content is your ticket to successful low calorie eating with brown bag lunches. These meals can be very satisfying and will keep you feeling full till your next meal or snack. 1. Black bean salad Toss together a cup of black beans, salsa, shredded greens, diced tomato, a little crushed tortilla chips and low fat cheese. TIP: Rinse canned beans to reduce the presence of natural sugars that cause gas. Also, the canned liquid with black beans is dark and will add an unattractive color to your salad if not well rinsed. 2. Chicken/turkey wrap Fill a small whole grain tortilla with grilled chicken or turkey slices, 2-3 slices of avocado, diced tomatoes, a little low cal dressing. 3. Veggie Sandwich 1 whole-wheat pita pocket with 1 cup fresh or cooked/grilled veggies and 1 oz of low fat cheese or other low calorie spread. Low Calorie Spreads or Condiments: Nutritious Low Calorie Spreads, Condiments, and Dips For nutritious, low calorie, high fiber veggie ideas (to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied read part one of this article. 4. Nut butter sandwich (peanut, almond, cashew, or other nut butter) Add 1 Tbsp. nut butter to 2 slices light whole wheat bread. Top with thinly sliced apple, peach, or pear for a little sweetness and fresh flavor (slice fruit just before adding to your sandwich or treat with a little lemon juice to keep from browning too much before you eat). 5. Bagel, low fat yogurt, and a piece of fruit *Shop carefully! Bagels can be loaded with calories depending on the size and ingredients. Look for bagels with fewer than 200 calories. 6. Quinoa and Bean Salad Mix pre-cooked quinoa with the beans of your choice (black beans, black-eyed peas, white beans, garbanzo beans also known as chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.) Add diced onions plus diced red bell pepper and/or green bell pepper. Drizzle with a little low calorie Italian dressing or a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Season to taste. To learn more about quinoa read: Healthy, Low Calorie Quinoa Recipes 7. Pasta salad Cook up some whole wheat pasta in the beginning of the week. Toss it with a little olive oil and store in the refrigerator. Now you have a base to which you can add tuna fish or some leftover chicken or turkey pieces. Next add some diced veggies, olives, or pickles. Start with 1 cup of pasta, add meat or other protein food (egg, fish, tofu, tempeh, etc.), and veggies. 8. Hard-boiled egg, small salad, and whole grain crackers 9. Hummus and tomato sandwich 1 small whole wheat pita, 2 tbsp. hummus, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup feta cheese, and 1/2 cup fresh spinach (Spread the hummus on the tortilla, add the other ingredients and roll up). 10. Tuna, chicken, or turkey salad Mix the tuna or diced poultry with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil instead of mayonnaise. Eat on whole grain crackers along with some seedless grapes or other fruit. 11. Low fat cottage cheese mixed with diced tomatoes and green bell peppers, season to taste. Eat with a healthy low fat muffin and a piece of fruit. 12. Planned Overs Homemade soup, chili, casseroles, quiche, leftover low fat veggie pizzas, etc. make great planned overs. Portion out an appropriate amount into a microwave safe container and zap at the office. Or bring hot soup or casserole in a wide mouth thermos. Additional Brown Bag Lunch Tips Convenience foods are fine in a pinch; however, I encourage you to make your own meals as often as possible because you have more control over the nutrition and calories. Something particularly important to keep in mind is the amount of sodium (salt) in commercially prepared foods. Look for low sodium canned soups and frozen entrees that are also low calorie and nutritious. Buy ahead at a grocery store while doing your grocery shopping for the week and you’ll save money and time. Sides to keep on hand for healthy low calorie additions to your lunch: Single servings of yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit cups, applesauce Veggies: Baby carrots, slices of red or green bell pepper, cucumbers; raw broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, white mushrooms, or zucchini Fruit: Seedless grapes, apples, clementines, blueberries, apricots, cherries, figs, kiwi, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, tangerines, mandarin oranges (canned), Healthy additions for lunch or snacks: 28 Healthy Low Calorie Snack Foods to Go I hope some of the ideas I’ve shared will inspire you to prepare healthy low cal brown bag lunches more often. Taking control of the meals you eat by making them yourself is the single best way to eat healthy and keep your calorie intake in check! Plus you can save money! Till next time watch those calories and eat healthy food! Health weight loss Health, weight lossbrown bag lunches brown bag sack lunches healthy low calorie nutritious weight loss

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