Tag: caloriescount

Nutrition

Good snack?….

Dr Nancy P

Good snack?….. 🍫

I often hear people telling me they need to choose “better”snacks, or that they’ve swapped their usual chocolate for “good” snacks. So something like 30g cashew nuts is often perceived to be a “good” snack, whilst 30g of chocolate (Maltesers in this case) is considered to be a “bad” snack.

The key to being in control of your weight management is really understanding that there is no such thing as a “bad” or “good” snack – they’re just different. There are nutritional differences between the chocolate and the cashew nuts of course, but we don’t just choose food on the basis of it’s nutritional breakdown.

The cashew nuts are a great option for a snack. They provide healthy fats such (monounsaturated fatty acids) which help give healthy levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). They also contain magnesium, iron, zinc and other micronutrients which support the immune system. They also provide some protein too so may keep you fuller for longer.

The chocolate provides you with energy, mainly in the form of sugar, and some fat. The chocolate also tastes good and for many people can give an emotional boost as well as an energy one.

Overall the calorie difference between the two is pretty marginal. So if you’re choosing the nuts in a effort to lose weight, then think again. If you’re choosing them because you like them then brilliant – keep having them. If you fancy some chocolate, then have that!

There are no good or bad foods – all foods can be accommodated within a balanced diet. Being aware of the calories in different foods empowers you to make that choice.

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Eating too much in Lockdown

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Eating too much in Lockdown 😋

Home workouts and our allowed outdoor exercise are great but many of us are going to be far less active during lockdown and therefore worried about weight gain. This can lead to a cycle of feeling rubbish and eating rubbish etc. However with a few little tweaks you can make sure you come out the other side of lockdown feeling physically and emotionally better!

The most important thing is to eat to your current activity, not your ‘normal’ activity. But now is definitely NOT the time to try drastic fad diets, or to be cutting out food groups, so instead focus on these tips:

#1 Reduce portion size

This is the simplest thing to do. You don’t need to cut foods out, just eat smaller portions. Start by using a side plate instead of your usual dinner plate. Reducing portions will reduce cals without needing to think too much about it.

#2 Load up on veg and fruits

Fill your plate with vegetables. The higher amounts of fibre will help to keep you full, and of course the vitamins and minerals will help your immune system. Snack on fruit; a whole punnet of strawberries is only 100 cals or so, so load up! They’ll help quash any sweet cravings too – win win.

#3 Protein and fats

Make sure every meal contains protein and fats. Protein will help with muscle maintenance, and combined with fats will keep you fuller for longer. So half a plate of veg, and the remaining half split between protein (lean meat, fish or plant based proteins), fats and obviously some starchy carbs (pasta, rice etc).

#4 Water

Make sure you’re drinking enough. If you’re out of routine you may be drinking less than usual – double check you’re having 2-3 litres in a day.

#5 Think before you eat

This is the toughest one but try to ask yourself one question before you reach for that snack. Are you really hungry or just bored? If you’re used to dashing around and suddenly you’re not then you may be boredom snacking. Pop a post-it on your fridge posing that question, so you stop and think before you snack.

Hopefully these will help you stay on track.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Lockdown Snacking…..

Dr Nancy P

Lockdown Snacking….. 🍫🍦

Whether you are currently isolating, or just in lockdown, or even still out there going essential work, it’s quite likely that with the increased stress, uncertainty, inability to go out as you normally would etc that snacking and having “treats” is likely to increase.

Now there is absolutely no point trying to avoid snacking completely. It’s not realistic, it’s also putting unnecessary stress on yourself at a time when other things are far more important. Instead some simple, lower calorie, swaps can really help reduce the impact of all those extras.

You can still have “treats” and things you enjoy but you can minimise the impact and hopefully prevent too much overeating. You can make some really simple swaps – swapping your chocolate for something like a curly wurly, a grab bag of crisps for some pop chips, and choosing a a low calorie ice cream could reduce your snack calories by two thirds!

Finding similar tasting treats that are simply lower in calories is a great way to cope with the snacking temptations of being at home more, or the added stress and anxiety without negatively impacting on your fat loss goal.

🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Healthy frying…

Dr Nancy P

Healthy frying… 🍳

With most people’s general activity levels lower at the moment and a natural focus on eating more “healthily” to stay well it seemed like a good opportunity to consider how to fry food more healthily.

There is an assumption that coconut oil is a healthy choice for cooking. As with other oils (e.g. olive oil), it does have some health benefits. The oil contains saturated fat, specifically medium-chain triglycerides, which are easily absorbed by the liver and converted to ketones (an alternative energy source in the brain) and there is evidence that it could be beneficial for dementia and related conditions. There is also evidence that coconut may help type-2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels and may assist weight loss.

So many people recommend using coconut oil to cook with – dolloping in a spoonful of the stuff for stir fries, pan frying meat and fish etc. Now whilst it is healthy it’s also extremely calorie dense. A spoonful (15g) of coconut oil is approx 129 cals. If you used this for one meal a day that would give you a total of 3,612 calories over the course of a month.

Thats a lot of extra calories! If you’re using oil simply to ensure the food doesn’t stick then you’d be far better off buying a good non-stick frying pan and using no oil at all! Or if you really need it you can get a 1 calorie coconut oil spray.

By using a non-stick pan you can save those extra calories (which you’re probably not accounting for anyway) and spend them on something else. It’s a small sacrifice for some big savings and assuming you’re having a balanced diet overall then you won’t suffer a decrease in health by cutting it out.

🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Grabbing a “healthy” snack ….. ‘

Dr Nancy P

‘Grabbing a “healthy” snack ….. ‘ 🥓🍞🥜

I think if you were going to choose a “healthy” late morning snack/brunch option you’d probably assume the mixed nut bag is probably a better option than a bacon roll. And you’d assume it was healthier and certainly better for you if you’re trying to lose weight/fat.

Nuts, seeds and blackcurrants are full of nutrients – “good” fats, protein, antioxidants like Vitamin E etc. So nutritionally they are a good option, but the bag also contains a whopping 607 cals, with 28g fat and only 10g protein. The combination of fats and protein will help keep you full and satisfied but thats’s a really hefty snack that probably isn’t worth those calories.

In comparison a bacon roll would probably be perceived as a “bad” choice. In reality it has far fewer calories than the “healthy” option with only 389 cals in total. It’s also lower in fat with only 17.4g and higher in protein, 18.1 g. It still provides carbs, protein and fat so will keep you satisfied until lunch. I’m not suggesting you have one every day, but it’s certainly not terrible!.

So if you’re trying to lose weight/fat, and you really enjoy a bacon bap then go for it! As long as it’s part of a balanced diet which contains fruit and veg etc it’s fine! Don’t be swayed by the idea that nuts/seeds are inherently a “better” option – they’re not always!

🤗

Xx