Tag: healthy foods

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘Let them eat cheese!’ 🧀

Dr Nancy P

‘Let them eat cheese!’ 🧀

We’re often told that high protein is a better option when it comes to snacking. Brands capitalise on this by marketing their products based on their protein content. There is evidence that higher protein can help with weight management – but only because it helps to make you feel fuller, which thereby makes you less likely to consume more calories later. The end result is hopefully that you stick to your calories and are able to maintain or lose weight. Total calories are however the most important factor.

This is a great example of that marketing. The protein balls are delicious and do make a great snack if you’re wanting something sweet – but they actually only have 7g protein for 170 cals. The light babybels on the other hand give you a whopping 10g of protein for only 84 cals! And fat too to keep you full!

So if you’re partial to a bit of cheese, fancy something savoury or are really focusing on higher protein snacks then the babybel is definitely a better option. If you fancy something sweeter then go for the protein balls but just be aware they’re not as high protein! Both make great snack options – just read the labels and then make your choice!

🤗xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Easy Calorie Cuts

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Easy Calorie Cuts ✂️

When you’re trying to lose weight it’s all about being in a calorie deficit so finding ways to cut calories easily without leaving you hungry is key. Here are a few easy cuts that you’ll barely notice.

# 1 Non-stick Pan

Cooking with oils can adds 100s of calories to a meal without contributing much to the taste. So invest a a good non-stick pan and some light 1 cal oil sprays and you can cut those cals without even noticing.

# 2 Skip the condiments

Often we don’t even consider the calories in sauces and dressings. Avoid these sneaky calories by skipping them or going for smaller amounts, or swapping for a lower cal version. Things like balsamic vinegar, mustard and salsa are great options that are lower calorie but pack a punch.

# 3 Reduce liquid calories

We often forget the calories we drink but they can really add up e.g. milk in coffees/teas, soft drinks, smoothies, and booze. Try swapping milky coffees for Americanos, teas for herbal tea, soft drinks for diet versions, and lower calorie alcoholic drinks (e.g. slimline gin and tonic instead of beer)

# 4 Fill up

Opt for more filling foods whenever possible whilst still being mindful of calories. Foods higher in fibre and protein will keep you fuller for longer (but do check the cals). A recent study found foods such as potatoes, fish, oats, apples and oranges, wholewheat pasta, beef, beans, grapes, popcorn and wholemeal bread kept participants fuller for longer so consider including these in your meals.

# 5 Alternatives

Find alternatives for the foods you like that taste good but have less cals. Try swapping your normal ice cream for low calorie ice creams or swapping your dessert/snack to strawberries and 0% Greek yoghurt. If you’re a savoury fan opt for things like popchips instead of crisps, and low fat cheese for a savoury snack (e.g. light mini babybel)

# 6 Spice it up

Adding herbs and seasonings to your meals can add extra flavour to your food and give your meals a kick, without adding any extra calories. Studies have shown it also increases perceptions of fullness.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

The totally nuts protein marketing myth!

Dr Nancy P

The totally nuts protein marketing myth! 🥜

It seems to be the thing at the moment to market snacks as being high protein. This is presumably based on the idea that increased protein can help weight loss (it actually only does this by increasing your feeling of fullness meaning you are less likely to eat more later, thereby keeping your calorie intake lower). This is a great example of a high protein snack…. which is in fact not that high protein. These protein nuts have only 11g protein for 299 cals, which is not really ‘high’. They’ll be priced higher because they’re marketed this way. In contrast a serving of just normal nuts actually contains more protein (13.1g ) for only 4 calories more…

The protein nuts are double the price of the normal nuts… so if you’re choosing them because you like the taste then go for it, but if you’re choosing them because you think they’re a better source of protein then save your pennies, ignore the hype and buy some normal nuts!

Enjoy 🥜 xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Manage food guilt

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Manage food guilt 😬

You succumbed to the biscuits, or had a bad day and had a pizza instead of the salad you planned and now you feel guilty that you’ve ruined your ‘diet’ and sabotaged your goals right? We all do this! There is nothing wrong with indulging in treats. What is sabotaging your weight loss goals is indulging in food guilt about it.

We’re conditioned to think that indulgences are bad, some foods are ’bad’ and we should feel ‘bad’ for giving in to our cravings, or at the extreme that we are ‘bad’ for having them. This will often lead to the “wtf” effect, making you eat even more as you think you’ve blown it.

 

A healthy balanced diet includes occasional treats. What you eat doesn’t affect who you are – indulging in treats doesn’t make you a bad person! Your character, your identity and your values don’t change just because you ate a bowl of ice cream.

 

Food is not good or bad. There are just foods that are better than others in terms of their nutrition. You can incorporate everything in a sustainable way that doesn’t leave you feeling deprived. Here are some ways to manage food guilt:

 

# 1 Don’t label food as “good” or “bad”. Food should be pleasurable, so enjoy foods you love but focus on balance. Having a doughnut as a snack as part of a balanced diet is fine!

# 2 Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are not good or bad because of what you put in your mouth. You won’t change if you have an extra piece of chocolate tonight.

# 3 Listen to your body. Are you eating that biscuit because you’re hungry, or are you stressed or bored and actually doing something else would be a better way to solve it?

# 4 Plan treats in. If you know your favourite treat is around the corner it is much easier to stay on track. Try either planning smaller treats in daily (e.g. a square of choc) or plan in bigger treats once or twice a week (e.g. a pizza at the weekend), but make it fit your calories

# 5 Be mindful when you eat and focus on the food not the TV, your phone etc. Put down your utensils between bites. Try to fit your favourite treat into your diet or find similar swaps that are lower calorie that you still enjoy.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

‘I’m being good and having a weight watchers dessert….’

Dr Nancy P

‘I’m being good and having a weight watchers dessert….’

Most people would assume that the weight watchers (or other weight loss brand foods) are automatically a more virtuous choice of dessert. Whilst the Gu chocolate dessert would be considered ‘bad’.

In reality they’re almost the same in terms of overall calories and the weight watchers one is much higher in sugar, and lower in fat (making it less likely to fill you up). So in reality you could have either as your dessert and it makes little difference to your overall calories.

So don’t automatically assume these weight loss branded foods are always the better option. Sometimes they’re the same or worse than other brands. And they’re often pricier! If you enjoy them then definitely have them, but if you’re only having them because you think they’re ‘good’ then think again.

Read the labels and look at the calories and then make sure choice. If you’re trying to lose weight then go for the lowest calorie option, that you actually want to eat!

🤗xx