Experts' Crash Diets
The Ultimate Thin Dining Guide
By
Christina Parrella
Between cooking for yourself and your loved ones and ordering out and grabbing food on the go, your diet can encounter many temptations and traps. But that doesn't meant you have to give up your favorite meals -- we asked Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN and National Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) for the top diet-friendly staples and dishes from your favorite cuisines. From Italian lovers to comfort-food-cravers we've got you covered with the low-cal, low-fat cooking and ordering tips.
You Don't Have to Cut out Dairy When You Cook
Milk, cheese, and butter may be caloric offenders, but low- and fat-free dairy products may actually aid weight loss. If you're going to substitute a bag of chips for a cup of skim milk or low-fat yogurt, not only will it be more likely that you'll lose weight but you'll boost your bone health too. Make sure that your dairy serving has no more than 3 grams of fat per ounce, as recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA). Plus, fat-free and one-percent milk actually contain more nutrients than whole or two percent.
On the Go: Low-Cal Dairy Orders
For dessert or snacks with dairy the AHA recommends low-fat ice cream, low-fat or nonfat frozen or fruit yogurt, sherbet, sorbet or low-fat puddings. Whatever you do, avoid these dairy disasters.
Prepare Skinny and Sustaining Salads
Whether you like romaine, mixed greens or regular iceberg it doesn't matter -- lettuce typically contains 20 calories per 2 cups. It's what you add that can get your diet off track. Raw vegetables, which are low in calories, and lean proteins like grilled chicken or hard boiled eggs make for satisfying and guilt-free toppings. Avoid marinated olives or roasted peppers, which are swimming in fat. For dressings, vinegar is the most diet-friendly and when making your own dressing at home use lemon, mustard and even Horseradish sauce to add a tangy delicious taste without the added calories.
On the Go: Un-Supersize That Salad
Not only are restaurant-style salads immense, but the high calorie extras and dressing they come with could tack on 600 calories or more. Order dressing on the side and then ask for Balsamic or Wine vinegar -- mix a small amount of the dressing and dilute with vinegar to reduce the calories without losing flavor, says Taub-Dix. Avoid extras like dried fruits and nuts. While packed with nutrition, they're also loaded with calories -- dried cranberries contain 130 calories for 1/3 cup and sunflower seeds and walnuts both contain 180 calories per cup.
When You're Craving Comfort Foods
Enjoy chicken and dumplings or chicken pot pie without guilt when you use calorie- and fat-cutting measures like substituting olive oil for butter and using whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose or whole grains instead of refined ones. Use lean meat like ground turkey instead of beef and increase the vegetable content of your comfort food- more greens, less potatoes. Portion control is imperative as well.
On the Go: Macaroni for Two
If your favorite dish is a high-calorie comfort food like macaroni and cheese, share it with a friend if he or she is ordering a leaner entrée which you can satisfy you both. Remember: it's perfectly acceptable to ask the waiter or waitress what your food is cooked in because if you know how it is prepared, you to request for adjustments to rid your dishes of excess fat content and calories. For instance, you could ask if non-fat cooking spray can be used instead of butter.
For Italian Lovers
Instead of refined white pasta, switch it up and cook with whole grain pasta because although the calorie content is pretty similar, it's healthier for you. Remember to control your portions -- a 1-to-2-cup serving of cooked pasta counts for about 200 calories, that's not the mention the sauce on top and the bread for dipping.
On the Go: Beat Bread Temptations
That bread basket may be tempting but don't go crazy. One slice is fine, but remember that one piece of bread is the equivalent of half a cup of cooked pasta, says Taub-Dix. Order simple sauces like pomodoro (basic fresh tomato sauce), marinara, or even oil and garlic sauce -- but ask the waiter to go light on the oil to shave calories. Whatever you do, avoid Alfredo sauce and remember that at family-style Italian restaurants the portions are meant to be shared.
Leanest Asian Cuisine
Asian cuisine can range from healthy to unhealthy with the flip of the fryer. While most dishes are loaded with veggies and servings of lean protein from fish, tofu and chicken, the American versions are usually drenched in sauces, which means higher in fat and calories, according to HelpGuide non-profit health information organization. Strive for authenticity, and use more vegetable or chicken broth and less oil. Using non-stick pans, since they require little or no oil for cooking, and steaming your brown rice, will make your meal leaner. Use non-fat cooking sprays and broths to add flavor with minimal fat and calories.
Recent Comments
Gregdenco 09:17:08 PM Nov 30 2008
I think this falls into the discussion. Thanksgiving I met my girlfriend's mother for the first time. When this woman walks her butt looks like half a dozen pigs in a gunny sack fighting to get out. I have never heard of deep fried porkchops for Thanksgiving. This woman loved them! She would snort, chomp, stop for a breath and go back for more. She even let loose of a smelly, moist cloud of warm air from her bottom she was shoveling it in so fast. My friend says Mother like Daughter. I could not deal with an overloaded caboose like that..should I dump this chick now?
PearlPoppr 05:45:05 PM Nov 27 2008
Great Article. I read something similar on http://www.healthy-diet-news.com and loved it :) This is great information especially with the upcoming holiday :)
Powdered x Nose 04:28:22 PM Nov 27 2008
i have dropped 25 lbs my first 2 mo. doing this diet and going to the gym for 30mins 3 times a wk... its the diet that contributes to my weight loss though... and it sounds complicated but if you have any questions... email me at Erin_Leona_909@hotmail.com and i can write it all out for you... the way my nutritionist has (who is liscenced and a retired bodybuilder who has written books on weight loss, so he knows how to help people LOSE weight, not just help guys build muscle, but help women lose weight too)
Powdered x Nose 04:24:32 PM Nov 27 2008
i started a new exercise/diet plan in Sept.... this is all thanks to my dad who signed me up to a private gym.. heres the secret to the diet which is the most essential part of losing the weight! every 3 hrs, PROTEIN!!! either a protein shake (half scoop for females- but still add all the crushed ice it calls for) in the morning and a starchy carb...like the new low fat oatmeal. watch the portions..!!! you have proteins whether its lean meats such as top cuts of beef, or turkey, or skinless chicken breasts (chicken is easiest and cheapest if you can stand the bland taste) or non fried/non greasy fish... you can eat the starchy carbs up until 3pm....remember not ALL carbs are alright to eat, be smart...and you dont have to have a starchy carb every meal, which IS every 3 HRS!!! and your meals after 3 should contain a protein and non-caloric carbs...aka VEGGIES (these you can eat all day long anytime you want morning/noon/night/midnight/WHENEVER...leafy greens/broccolli/cauliflour/spinic
SlackerGirl121 01:55:28 AM Sep 19 2008
I don't crash diet. I'm on The Pen and Paper Diet. I am biased though, my husband came up with it. That and I've lost over 50 pounds in less than a year with no exercise (besides chasing around a 2 year-old :). www.thepenandpaperdiet.com
Getwau 10:13:37 PM Sep 18 2008
Admittedly, crash diets are not healthy, but they tend to be healthier than being overweight for years and the health related issues that come from being obese. Let's face it: being overweight came from an "unhealthy diet," right? I know what it's like to try and lose weight. I lost 47 pounds in 6 weeks using the Rapidthin diet at www.rapidthin.com. Good luck to all. Use what works for you.
JonSJ6 08:43:17 PM Sep 18 2008
The "Whole Body Cleanse" is a bunch of bullsh*t. Cleanse your body from "toxins". First off what are the toxins, and no crash diet is safe.
King of pugville 08:40:20 PM Sep 08 2008
It is hard to believe the ingnorance of some people thinking that everyone can lose wieght by controlling there caloric intake. True it works for some but things like thyroid and diebites make the task much more complicated for some.
