Food is a matter of choice. We usually eat what we feel is best suited to have an adequate supply of energy and keep us healthy. But it rarely goes beyond that.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

List Of Low Fat Foods

It’s always useful to have a list of low fat foods at hand. Remember how many bad food choices you have made… and now imagine how many good choices you could have made if you had that list at hand… especially if you want to lower the fat consumption in your diet.

However, if your goal is to lose a few pounds fast and easy, I think you’d be interested to check out the protein shake diet – no fats or significantly reduced amounts of fats plus approximately 100 calories per serving

It’s not necessary to shop with a list in your hands, but it’s good to know a little more about low fat foods so that you can make healthier and more informative food choices when shopping for a healthy dinner.

You should know that it’s not healthy to lower your fat consumption to ground zero, as well as it’s not healthy to overeat with low or fat free foods, because they still contain calories from carbohydrates and proteins. The best advice is to pay closer attention to food labels.

Here is a small list of the most popular low fat foods arranged in groups:

Meat and Fish

1. Lean ham
2. Lower-fat hot dogs
3. Low-fat cold cuts – 95 to 97% fat-free lunch meats
4. Chicken or turkey – white meat
5. Water-packed tuna
6. Beef – round, loin, fat-trimmed and extra lean ground beef
7. Fish and shellfish – unbreaded fresh, frozen and canned in water
8. Turkey sausage – well drained
9. Vegetarian sausage – made with tofu

Dairy Products

1. Milk – skim, reduced-fat (2%) and low-fat (1%)
2. Yogurt – low fat and fat-free frozen, plain low-fat yogurt
3. Imitation whipped cream – made with skim milk
4. Cream cheese – light and fat-free
5. Cheese – reduced-calorie, low-calorie processed and fat-free
6. Cottage cheese – low-fat (1%), reduced-fat (2%)
7. Mozzarella cheese – made with part-skim milk
8. Ricotta cheese – made with part-skim milk
9. Dry milk powder – made with low-fat (1%), reduced-fat (2%) or non-fat milk

Cereals, Grains, and Pastas

9. Bran flakes, crispy rice, cornflakes
20. Cooked grits or oatmeal – here’s a low calorie recipe for a delicious oatmeal cake
21. Rice or noodles – spaghetti, macaroni
22. Pasta with vegetables (primavera)
23. Pasta with red sauce (marinara)
24. Reduced-fat granola

Baked Foods

25. Hard French rolls
26. English muffins, bagels, reduced-fat or fat-free muffins or scones
27. Low-fat or saltine crackers – lower in sodium
28. Cake – white, gingerbread
29. Cookies – reduced-fat or fat-free (graham crackers, ginger snaps, fig bars)

Snacks and Sweets

30. Fruits – apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, grape fruit, lemons, pears
31. Vegetables – broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes
32. Popcorn – air-popped and light microwave
33. Puddings – made with skim milk

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Cabbage Soup Diet Plan Review

If you want to get fit and need to lose fast a few pounds for some special occasion, then the Cabbage Soup Diet is what you need!

Every fad diet starts like that. Well, I admit the Cabbage Soup Diet is a fad diet, but it will help you lose weight for sure. I know that because my mom is a regular Cabbage Soup Dieter.

What is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet it is an extremely low calorie diet, prepared mostly with cabbage, combined with tomatoes, onions and variety of other veggies. It is designed to help you lose about 10 pounds for the 1 week diet plan.

How the Cabbage Soup Diet works?

The more soup you eat, the more weight you lose – that’s how it works.

For the 7 days of the Cabbage Soup diet plan you can eat as much soup as you want. That sounds great, because you won’t be starving, and yet losing weight.

Cabbage Soup Diet weight loss is not a myth

My mom diets every summer before the summer beach vacation. Every summer, for the last 6 years, she proves that losing weight with Cabbage Soup Diet is possible by succeeding to get fit for her favorite bathing suit.

The Cabbage Soup Diet Plan

The good news is that for 7 days you eat as much soup as you like whenever you feel hungry, in order to keep you away from tasty snacks. You must not snack forbidden foods. Yes, the diet is strict - there is a specific menu for each day, as well as some foods and drinks that are not allowed.

No alcohol or fizzy drinks, not even the diet ones!

Day 1 - eat as much soup as you like + all kind of fruits, except bananas; drink tea and coffee without sugar

Day 2 - eat as much soup as you like + raw or stewed veggies and one baked potato with butter; exclude dried beans and peas

Day 3 - eat as much soup as you like + fruits and vegetables, exclude bananas and potatoes

Day 4 - eat as much soup as you like + 8 bananas; drink as much skim milk as you want

Day 5 - eat as much soup as you like + 10-20 oz of beef* and up to 6 fresh tomatoes; drink lots of water

Day 6 - eat as much soup as you like + beef* and vegetable salads; exclude potatoes

Day 7 - eat as much soup as you like + brown rice, vegetables, and fruit juices with no sugar; no potatoes or any diet drinks

* You may substitute grilled chicken or fish for the beef.

The Cabbage Soup Diet recipe

Ingredients

  • cabbage (chopped)
  • onions (chopped)
  • canned tomatoes (chopped)
  • green peppers (chopped)
  • carrots (chopped)
  • celery
  • mushrooms (thick sliced)
  • beef or chicken bouillon
  • water
  • salt, pepper, parsley

Cooking

Sauté the onions in a pot with cooking spray; add the green pepper, cabbage, carrots and mushrooms.

Add the bouillon cubes and about 12 cups of water (if you don’t use bouillon cubes, season with parsley, salt and pepper to taste), cover the pot and simmer for at least two hours.

Bon appétit!

Friday, July 29, 2011

4 Day Low Calorie Diet

Lose 1.5 pounds in four days with 4 day low calorie diet plan. The diet paln menu includes about 1000 calories daily, which I know is avery low calorie amount, but the diet is designed for fast weight loss. For best results start at the end of the week.

Thursday

Breakfast
1 glass of skim milk, 2 apples.

At 10 a.m. eat 1 glass of yogurt.

Lunch
5.3 ounces (150 g) lean grilled veal,
1.8 ounces (50 g) roased potatoes,
7 ounces (200 g) tomato salad mixed with 1 tsp of vegetable oil, lemon juice and 1 pinch of salt, eat 1 fruit except for banana.

At 4 p.m. eat 1 ounce (30 g) of yellow cheese.

Dinner
3.5 ounces (100 g) grilled lean fish.

Friday

Breakfast
3.5 ounces (100 g) of cheese, 1 fruit at your choice.

At 10 a.m. eat 3.5 ounces (100 g) desalted cheese, 1 fruit.

Lunch
3.5 ounces (100 g) roasted skinned chicken, 1.8 ounces (50 g) roasted potatoes, 7 ounces (200 g) fresh cabbage salad, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruits.

At 4 p.m. eat 1 ounce (30 g) of ham and 1 slice of brown bread.

Dinner
3.5 ounces (100 g) grilled fish fillet, 10 ounces (300 g) of stewed vegetable marrows or aubergines, 1 apple.

Saturday

Breakfast
3.5 ounces (100 g) of stirred up yogurt, 1 fruit at your choice.

At 10 a.m. eat 3.5 ounces (100 g) desalted cheese.

Lunch
3.5 ounces (100 g) of stewed chicken liver, 1 roasted potato, 7 ounces (200 g) stewed mushrooms with no fat, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruits.

At 4 p.m. eat 3.5 ounces (100 g) tomato salad with 1 tsp of vegetable oil and lemon juice dressing.

Dinner
2 hard cooked eggs, 10 ounces (300 g) oven roasted leeks, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of apples.

Sunday

Breakfast
1 cup of tea with lemon or 1 cup of coffee with no sugar, 1.8 ounces (50 g) of yellow cheese, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruits at your choice.

At 10 a.m. eat 3.5 ounces (100 g) of yogurt.

Lunch
3.5 ounces (100 g) boiled veal or chicken with no fat, 7 ounces (200 g) roasted peppers (you can use sterilized peppers as well), 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruit at your choice.

At 4 p.m. eat 1 ounce (30 g) of ham and 1 slice of brown bread.

Dinner
3.5 ounces (100 g) roasted mackerel, 3.5 ounces (100 g) cabbage salad with a drop of vegetable oil and vinegar, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruits.

Friday

Breakfast
3.5 ounces (100 g) of cheese, 1 fruit at your choice.

At 10 a.m. eat 3.5 ounces (100 g) desalted cheese, 1 fruit.

Lunch
3.5 ounces (100 g) roasted skinned chicken, 1.8 ounces (50 g) roasted potatoes, 7 ounces (200 g) fresh cabbage salad, 3.5 ounces (100 g) of fruits.

At 4 p.m. eat 1 ounce (30 g) of ham and 1 slice of brown bread.

Dinner
3.5 ounces (100 g) grilled fish fillet, 10 ounces (300 g) of stewed vegetable marrows or aubergines, 1 apple.


Thursday, July 28, 2011

1500 Calorie Diet Plan with Healthy Low Fat Meal Plan

If you are still searching for a 1500 Calorie Diet then I think you will like this low fat meal plan. It is simple and healthy, and especially very much heart friendly, that is why I’m sure you’ll love it.

It would be perfect if you consume well balanced and complete meals but that’s easier to say than to be done sometimes. Anyway, if you really want to get as closer as possible to a healthy diet plan then you should follow a few very simple rules:

1. Plan your foods ahead, for example the night before. Make sure you always have what you need – your low fat foods should be always at your disposal, so that you don’t need to skip one or two, or worse – to replace them for high fat foods that aren’t even on your grocery list or in the menu.

Speaking of the list, here it is:

Meat/Fish
Turkey Breast (white meat, 14 ounces)
Chicken Breast (white meat, 28 ounces)
Halibut (broiled, 35 ounces)
Fruits
Apple, Banana, Orange (medium sized, 7 each)
Vegetables
Broccoli (7 spears)
Diary
Milk (2% fat, 7 cups)
Mayo (regular with salt, 1 cup)
Cream, fluid, half and half (7 tablespoons)
Grains
Whole Wheat Bread (14 slices)
Rice (white, 7 cups)

2. Consuming small meals and snacks is best, let’s say about 4 to 6 a day.

3. Eat slowly – no need to dine for 2 and half hours, but also don’t swallow your meal for about 15 minutes, just take your time and enjoy your food no matter how much in a hurry you are.

4. Count the calories you eat. It’s easy and below I will give you the exact calorie count of each product you’ll be using in your 1500 calorie low fat meal plan.

5. Healthier food choices are the smarter food choices, so make sure you select a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables; low and fat free diary products and whole grain cereals; low fat meats and fish, poultry without the skin.

6. Eat fruits and vegetables – lots of it. It is the best thing to do for your healthy 1500 calorie diet with a low fat meal plan. Start with 5 veggie and fruit servings a day.

7. Avoid foods that are high in fats and sugars, which automatically means more calories. Foods that aren’t in your grocery list are preferably not to be used, such as candies and candy bars, pastries and similar...

Here is the sample low fat meal plan of about 1500 calories you should follow:

Breakfast – total calories of 299

Coffee with caffeine – 12 ounces – 8 calories
Milk – 1 cup – 120 calories
Cream, fluid, half and half – 1 tbsp – 19 cals
Oatmeal-instant – 1 pack – 152 calories

Morning Snack – total calories of 234

Cottage cheese- 1%fat – 1 cup – 164 calories
Pineapple (canned, chunks) – 1/2 cup - 70 calories

Lunch – total calories of 377.5

Whole wheat bread – 2 slices – 140 calories
Cheddar cheese – 1 cubic inch – 56 calories
Turkey breast/white meat – 1 ounce – 38 calories
Tomatoes small – 1/4 - 6.5 calories
Mayo – 1/6 cup – 137 calories

Afternoon snack – total calories of 134

Cracker/Nabisco-Low Saltines – 8 – 96 calories
Turkey (white meat) – 1 ounce – 38 calories

Dinner – total calories of 509

Halibut (broiled) – 5ounces – 198 calories
Rice (white, steamed) – 1 cup – 164 calories
Vegetables (mixed, boiled, frozen) – 1/2 cup – 54 calories
Small salad (garden with tomato, onion) – 1 – 49 calories
Tea – 12 fl. Ounces – 4 calories

Total 1513.50 Calories

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

When people talk about the calories in food, what do they mean? A calorie is a unit of measurement — but it doesn't measure weight or length. A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it.

Are Calories Bad for You?

Calories aren't bad for you. Your body needs calories for energy. But eating too many calories — and not burning enough of them off through activity — can lead to weight gain .

Most foods and drinks contain calories. Some foods, such as lettuce, contain few calories (1 cup of shredded lettuce has less than 10 calories). Other foods, like peanuts, contain a lot of calories (½ cup of peanuts has 427 calories).

You can find out how many calories are in a food by looking at the nutrition facts label. The label also will describe the components of the food — how many grams of carbohydrate, protein, and fat it contains.

Here's how many calories are in 1 gram of each:

· carbohydrate — 4 calories

· protein — 4 calories

· fat — 9 calories

That means if you know how many grams of each one are in a food, you can calculate the total calories. You would multiply the number of grams by the number of calories in a gram of that food component. For example, if a serving of potato chips (about 20 chips) has 10 grams of fat, 90 calories are from fat. That's 10 grams x 9 calories per gram.

Some people watch their calories if they are trying to lose weight. Most kids don't need to do this, but all kids can benefit from eating a healthy, balanced diet that includes the right number of calories — not too many, not too few. But how do you know how many calories you need?

How the Body Uses Calories

Some people mistakenly believe they have to burn off all the calories they eat or they will gain weight. This isn't true. Your body needs some calories just to operate — to keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing. It is a great idea to play and be active for at least 1 hour and up to several hours a day. That means time spent playing sports, just running around outside, or riding your bike. It all adds up. Being active every day keeps your body strong and can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Watching TV and playing video games won't burn many calories at all, which is why you should try to limit those activities to 1 to 2 hours per day. A person burns only about 1 calorie per minute while watching TV, about the same as sleeping!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

1200 Calorie Diet Plan

Here is a sample 1200 calorie meal plan and menu

Protein (g)

Fat (g)

Carbs (g)

Calories

Breakfast: MultiGrain Oatmeal

16.85

4.58

47.64

286.92

Lunch: Chicken and Rice

38.32

6.69

70.04

502.46

Snack: Fruit: Grapes

1.09

0.24

27.33

104.19

Dinner: Lime Chicken (17 mins)

18.56

3.79

43.13

284.21

PM Snack: Carrots

0.48

0.1

6.18

26.25

Total:

75.3

15.4

194.32

1204.03

Breakfast: MultiGrain Oatmeal

1.50 cup -- Milk, 1%, with added vitamin A

1.00 cup -- QUAKER MultiGrain Oatmeal, dry

Lunch: Chicken and Rice

2.00 tbsp -- Soy Sauce

1.00 breast, -- Chicken, bone and skin removed

1.50 cup -- Rice, brown, cooked

Snack: Fruit: Grapes

1.0 cup -- Grapes, red or green, raw

Dinner: Lime Chicken (17 mins)

1/4 cup -- Brown Rice, before cooking

0.12 fruit (2 inch diameter) -- Lime

0.01 cup -- Corn-starch

0.12 cup -- Apple-Juice

1.00 tsp -- Bouillon Soup Cubes, reduced sodium (dry)

0.50 breast, -- Chicken Breast, skin removed

Preparation Instruction:


Mist skillet with low or nonfat cooking spray, raise to medium heat then add chicken. Cook for 8 - 10 mins, or till tender ,* Flip breast over and brown.

In a large bowl, blend juice from lime or lime-juice, apple-juice, corn-starch and bouillon. Put ingredients into a skillet and cook till it's thick. Add sauce on top of chicken

PM Snack: Carrots

5.00 large -- Carrots, baby, raw

DAILY GROCERY LIST FOR THE 1200 CALORIE MENU

1.5 cup (366 grams) -- Milk, low fat, fluid, 1% milkfat, with added vitamin A

1.5 breast, bone and skin removed (129 grams) -- Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, fried

1 tsp (2.6 grams) -- Soup, bouillon cubes and granules, low sodium, dry

1 cup (1 NLEA serving) (40 grams) -- Cereals, QUAKER, QUAKER MultiGrain Oatmeal, dry

0.12 cup (29.76 grams) -- Apple juice, canned or bottled, unsweetened, without added ascorbic acid

1 cup (151 grams) -- Grapes, red or green (European type, such as Thompson seedless), raw

0.12 fruit (2" dia) (8.04 grams) -- Limes, raw

5 large (75 grams) -- Carrots, baby, raw

2 tbsp (32 grams) -- Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu)

0.01 cup (1.28 grams) -- Cornstarch

0.25 cup (46.25 grams) -- Rice, brown, long-grain, raw

1.5 cup (292.5 grams) -- Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked

Monday, July 25, 2011

Free Weight Loss Tips for Dieting

When developing a free diet plan, consider these important steps:

  1. Estimate calorie requirements for your present weight
  2. Roughly calculate your present calorie consumption by recording food consumed in an average day
  3. Start the diet by reducing your present daily calorie intake by about 300 calories
  4. When weight loss slows reduce calorie consumption by a further 100 per day.
  5. A diet plan should consist of mainly natural foods low in calories and high in nutrients to help avoid any nutrient deficiency
A diet plan can be kept nutritionally sound by consuming a balanced diet consisting mostly natural wholesome foods and ingredients, essentially high in fiber and low in fat. The diet plan should never be completely changed from your old eating habits so the simplest way is to consume foods you normally eat but substitute them for the more natural type.

A good diet plan should introduce any changes slowly and not drift too much from normal food preference. Trying to consume foods your not keen on wont help motivation so try to use more herbs and spices to add flavor and even a detox diet.

The diet plan should be designed to fit into your lifestyle effectively by planning how meals will be prepared each day so take a while to think about your free diet plan to see if any changes will affect you and whether you are prepared to accept these changes.

Free diet tips:

choose low fat varieties similar or same as your normal food choices
always consume slightly less calories than the body requires
never go below 1500 calories per day
after weight loss of 3-5 pounds readjust your daily calorie intake
exercise regularly
raise your activity level

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