10 Best Foods For Your Waist

Options
This was on the today show home page

Smart shoppers often get tripped up by seemingly healthy foods that are lacking in vitamins and nutrients, or are relatively high in calories and fat. To help keep your waistline in check while giving your meals a nutritional boost, Health magazine suggests 10 trade-offs to make on your next trip to the grocery store.

Rethink: Grapes
Reach for: Raspberries
While grapes are heart-healthy, they’re very low in fiber and vitamins. Raspberries are a great source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce bad cholesterol and makes you feel fuller faster — great news for your waistline. Save money by buying frozen when raspberries are out of season.

Rethink: Beets
Reach for: Asparagus
Beets just look healthy, don’t they? And they’re deliciously sweet (even sweeter when you roast them). But there’s a reason for that. Beets are full of sugar, sending your blood sugar on a glycemic roller coaster. When your blood sugar goes up and down, you get hungry faster, so you eat more often. It also causes you to store extra calories as fat. A smart alternative? Asparagus. Like beets, it’s yummy roasted, but it has the advantage of being much lower in sugar. Plus, asparagus is high in folate and vitamin C.

Rethink: Vanilla soy milk
Reach for: Skim milk
Vanilla soy milk is more like a dessert than a substitute for milk or a good source of soy. If you’re not lactose-intolerant choose skim milk, which has a lot of calcium but no fat or sugar. (Even plain soy milk has a little more calories and fat than skim milk.) If you just can’t break the vanilla-soy-milk habit, use a little in your coffee rather than in a big bowl of cereal or a smoothie.

Rethink: Vitamin-fortified water
Reach for: Flavored seltzer
One bottle of vitamin-fortified water can have more calories and sugar than a can of cola! And the vitamins are negligible, compared with the amount of sugar you’re getting. Replace it with flavored seltzer (zero calories) or a no-cal flavored water (like Hint) that contains no artificial sweeteners or added sugar.

Rethink: Couscous
Reach for: Bulgur or quinoa
Turns out couscous has the same nutritional value as white pastas like penne or rigatoni. The same amount of bulgur has fewer calories and three times the fill-you-up fiber. Quinoa is high in fiber, too, plus it’s a great source of protein (on par with a piece of chicken). Play around with different grains like wild or black rice, farro, or amaranth. You’ll find one you love that’s a whole lot healthier than white pasta or rice.

Rethink: Ground turkey
Reach for: Extra-lean ground sirloin
Surprised, right? Unless the label reads “lean ground turkey” or “turkey breast,” you’re actually getting a mix of white meat, dark meat, and even some skin, which all add up to 325 calories and 20 grams of fat for a 5-ounce serving. Compare that to 95 percent lean ground beef, which has 240 calories and 10 grams of fat. Lean beef also supplies a good helping of iron — almost five times more than turkey.

Rethink: Canned chickpeas
Reach for: Low-sodium red, black or white beans
Chickpeas are sneaky: They’re like beans, but with more fat and calories. Adding a few to your salad is fine. But for a main ingredient, try black, red or white beans, which have no fat, plenty of protein, fewer calories, and lots of nutrients like zinc and folate. Canned beans do have a lot of salt, though, so choose a low-sodium variety.

Rethink: Tricolor pasta
Reach for: Whole-wheat pasta
Many people are mindful about filling their dinner plates with colorful foods, so they may opt for tricolor pasta instead of white. But, there’s almost no spinach, beets, or other vegetables in each serving. Plus, the fiber-and-iron content is identical to that of plain white pasta — meaning it has fewer of these nutrients than whole-wheat pasta. The best color choice for pasta is brown. While they have similar calorie counts, whole-wheat versions have more fiber than white, so you fill up faster and eat less.

Rethink: Banana chips
Reach for: Dried apricots
Talk about a food that only sounds healthy! Most banana chips are deep-fried, with 220 calories and 15 grams of fat per half-cup — yikes! The same amount of dried apricots, on the other hand, has about 150 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (plus loads of vitamin A). Buy organic and you’ll also avoid sulphites, which can trigger migraines and even disrupt sleep.

Rethink: Goat cheese
Reach for: Feta cheese
Both of these cheeses have strong flavors, so the good news is you usually don’t go overboard with serving size. The Greek-salad staple is a healthier bet, though: It has about 4 grams of saturated fat per serving, compared with 7 grams in goat cheese, and around 15 fewer calories per ounce. Sold!

Replies

  • magichatter06
    magichatter06 Posts: 3,593 Member
    Options
    This was on the today show home page

    Smart shoppers often get tripped up by seemingly healthy foods that are lacking in vitamins and nutrients, or are relatively high in calories and fat. To help keep your waistline in check while giving your meals a nutritional boost, Health magazine suggests 10 trade-offs to make on your next trip to the grocery store.

    Rethink: Grapes
    Reach for: Raspberries
    While grapes are heart-healthy, they’re very low in fiber and vitamins. Raspberries are a great source of soluble fiber, which helps reduce bad cholesterol and makes you feel fuller faster — great news for your waistline. Save money by buying frozen when raspberries are out of season.

    Rethink: Beets
    Reach for: Asparagus
    Beets just look healthy, don’t they? And they’re deliciously sweet (even sweeter when you roast them). But there’s a reason for that. Beets are full of sugar, sending your blood sugar on a glycemic roller coaster. When your blood sugar goes up and down, you get hungry faster, so you eat more often. It also causes you to store extra calories as fat. A smart alternative? Asparagus. Like beets, it’s yummy roasted, but it has the advantage of being much lower in sugar. Plus, asparagus is high in folate and vitamin C.

    Rethink: Vanilla soy milk
    Reach for: Skim milk
    Vanilla soy milk is more like a dessert than a substitute for milk or a good source of soy. If you’re not lactose-intolerant choose skim milk, which has a lot of calcium but no fat or sugar. (Even plain soy milk has a little more calories and fat than skim milk.) If you just can’t break the vanilla-soy-milk habit, use a little in your coffee rather than in a big bowl of cereal or a smoothie.

    Rethink: Vitamin-fortified water
    Reach for: Flavored seltzer
    One bottle of vitamin-fortified water can have more calories and sugar than a can of cola! And the vitamins are negligible, compared with the amount of sugar you’re getting. Replace it with flavored seltzer (zero calories) or a no-cal flavored water (like Hint) that contains no artificial sweeteners or added sugar.

    Rethink: Couscous
    Reach for: Bulgur or quinoa
    Turns out couscous has the same nutritional value as white pastas like penne or rigatoni. The same amount of bulgur has fewer calories and three times the fill-you-up fiber. Quinoa is high in fiber, too, plus it’s a great source of protein (on par with a piece of chicken). Play around with different grains like wild or black rice, farro, or amaranth. You’ll find one you love that’s a whole lot healthier than white pasta or rice.

    Rethink: Ground turkey
    Reach for: Extra-lean ground sirloin
    Surprised, right? Unless the label reads “lean ground turkey” or “turkey breast,” you’re actually getting a mix of white meat, dark meat, and even some skin, which all add up to 325 calories and 20 grams of fat for a 5-ounce serving. Compare that to 95 percent lean ground beef, which has 240 calories and 10 grams of fat. Lean beef also supplies a good helping of iron — almost five times more than turkey.

    Rethink: Canned chickpeas
    Reach for: Low-sodium red, black or white beans
    Chickpeas are sneaky: They’re like beans, but with more fat and calories. Adding a few to your salad is fine. But for a main ingredient, try black, red or white beans, which have no fat, plenty of protein, fewer calories, and lots of nutrients like zinc and folate. Canned beans do have a lot of salt, though, so choose a low-sodium variety.

    Rethink: Tricolor pasta
    Reach for: Whole-wheat pasta
    Many people are mindful about filling their dinner plates with colorful foods, so they may opt for tricolor pasta instead of white. But, there’s almost no spinach, beets, or other vegetables in each serving. Plus, the fiber-and-iron content is identical to that of plain white pasta — meaning it has fewer of these nutrients than whole-wheat pasta. The best color choice for pasta is brown. While they have similar calorie counts, whole-wheat versions have more fiber than white, so you fill up faster and eat less.

    Rethink: Banana chips
    Reach for: Dried apricots
    Talk about a food that only sounds healthy! Most banana chips are deep-fried, with 220 calories and 15 grams of fat per half-cup — yikes! The same amount of dried apricots, on the other hand, has about 150 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (plus loads of vitamin A). Buy organic and you’ll also avoid sulphites, which can trigger migraines and even disrupt sleep.

    Rethink: Goat cheese
    Reach for: Feta cheese
    Both of these cheeses have strong flavors, so the good news is you usually don’t go overboard with serving size. The Greek-salad staple is a healthier bet, though: It has about 4 grams of saturated fat per serving, compared with 7 grams in goat cheese, and around 15 fewer calories per ounce. Sold!
  • agapita1965
    Options
    :smile: Thanks for sharing that helpful information!!
  • MisoSoup79
    Options
    YAY for Feta Cheese!!!

    FYI, though... Soy milk and coffee DO NOT mix! I tried it, it was horrible. The soy separates and forms a top layer on the coffee that looks like and oil spill and the "creamy" part becomes chunky. Ugh! Even if you stir it constantly, it just doesn't work like milk or creamer. :grumble:
  • LeeAnn11
    Options
    Thanks for the info - I had no idea about the beet since I tend to eat them at least 3 times a week. I love them in my salads!
  • Lizjkp
    Lizjkp Posts: 278
    Options
    Thanks for the interesting info :flowerforyou: . I love beets :heart: so don't like the idea of swapping them for asparagus :noway: which give me awful wind :ohwell:.


    "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have forgotten how to fly"
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    Options
    Wish I'd seen that yesterday. I just bought some grapes last night. :ohwell: Oh well, I'm going to enjoy them anyway. :smile: Thanks for the post.
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
    Options
    I noticed this about the turkey and chicken the other day. I got ground chicken breast because the regular ground chicken and turkey were awful in the fat content and at my grocery it is not treated with hormones.:drinker:

    Amy:bigsmile:
  • msujdak
    msujdak Posts: 141
    Options
    Great tips!
  • Heather125
    Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
    Options
    thanks thats some interesting info
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    Options
    And another thing about turkey--sometimes they pack it full of sodium to give it more flavor. Screw you, Jenni-O!
  • strangesangria
    strangesangria Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the information. I use ground turkey all the time. Maybe not so much anymore
  • Losing_It
    Losing_It Posts: 3,271 Member
    Options
    And another thing about turkey--sometimes they pack it full of sodium to give it more flavor. Screw you, Jenni-O!

    Ok, this made me spew the drink of water I was taking while reading this!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I've noticed some brands have much more sodium, too!
  • magichatter06
    magichatter06 Posts: 3,593 Member
    Options
    You're Welcome! :flowerforyou:
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Options
    thanks for the info...I have always wondered about the claims on Turkey....prefer siloin anyway...and couscous..I thought such a hippy food should be good for you
    thanks