Portion Control

If there was one thing I learned on my weight loss journey it was too look to see how much was an actual serving before putting food in my mouth.  I used to guess what they were, but you really need to measure and weigh, so you know what you are getting yourself into.  I have a food scale and I have several sets of measuring cups and spoons

so I can measure food all day long.

 I remember the shocking day when I was making my son a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I would always get a spoon and have some peanut butter when I was done making his lunch.  One day, I actually looked and found out that I was eating more than a tablespoon of peanut butter which was more than 100 calories mindlessly!  That is a lot of calories!

If you can't trust yourself or need to grab something easy for a snack, grab some that are already portioned.  I get hungry sometimes in between lunch and dinner and I know I always have preportioned  servings of some kind of nut butter in my pantry.  Just grab one of those and an apple or some celery.  Easy Peasy, right?

Food of the week: Oikos Yogurt Dips

I tried these for the first time this weekend and they are so YUMMY!  For lunch today, I had a plate of veggies and tried 3 of the dips.  :)

The choices of dips are French Onion, Roasted Red Pepper, Veggie and Herb and Cucumber and Dill.  I couldn't find the cucumber and dill dip at the 2 stores I went to.  

The wonderful thing about these dips are that they are made of Greek Yogurt and even if you go absolutely crazy, the entire 12 oz tub would only set you back 275 calories.  YOWZAAAA!  

So, take these to your next picnic or barbecue and feel no shame for eating up some veggies and dip.

Food of the week: EBOOST

Do you drink coffee all day?  Do you look for those energy drinks that have loads of calories or chemicals to help you get through the day?  I found a NATURAL energy drink that has only 10 calories.  It is EBOOST and I LOVE IT!  When I find myself dragging, I get the powder packets and dissolve one in a glass of water and go about my day.  There is pink lemonade and acai pomegranate.  There is also one that is Immunity Boosting.  Both of my kids had colds, so to try to not get a cold myself, I drank the Natural Orange to help boost my immunity.  It worked!!  I also love the fact that I don't crash after a few hours.  I found mine at the Vitamin Shoppe and at Amazon.  I highly recommend these as you can also keep some in your purse to have when you really need it.

Food of the week: Fold it SOFT PRETZEL!!!

Who doesn't LOVE a soft pretzel?  Look at this!  It is a Fold it (from the makers of Flat Out) for your sandwich!  It is only 100 calories and 6 grams of protein!  It is so yummy!  Enjoy this soft pretzel sandwich with your favorite sandwich fixings.  You won't regret it!

Food of the week: UNREAL

Maybe I have been watching too many food documentaries.  I have been taking a hard look at processed foods.  There are far too many processed foods in the world and I am trying to be more cognizant of the foods that I put in my body and my family.  Now, I know I won't be one of those people who will cut all processed foods out of my diet but I certainly can reduce it.

My kids love M & M's and Peanut Butter cups...heck, who am I kidding?  We all love them.  I came across these little gems and was very pleased with them.  They are kid approved and contain no artificial ingredients, no hydrogenated oil, no corn syrup, no preservatives and no GMOs.  Even the coloring for the candy coated chocolates come from beetroot juice, turmeric root extract and purple cabbage juice.

I wouldn't call them healthy candy, but I can feel good about the fact that my family is eating food and not some Frankenfood.  Give them a try!

Food of the Week: NuttZo

I LOVE peanut butter!  That is no secret.  I have even been known to just pass through the kitchen to get a spoon full of the nutty goodness.  I found Nuttzo at Earth Fare (you can get it at Whole Foods as well).  The Original Blue Label is an Organic Omega-3 seven nut and seed blend.  There's only 2g of sugar  (2T), 50% of your daily value of Omega 3 ALAs (2T), and a complete protein –so eat it right out of the jar (You don't need to tell me twice)!  There is no added sugar or hydrogenated oils and it is also vegan and kosher.  

NuttZo Original for 2Tablespoons

There are 3 different kinds of Nuttzo.  The Original Blue label that has Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Brazil Nuts, Sunflower Seeds,  Flax Seeds and sea salt.  The peanut free red label kind has Almonds, Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia seeds,  Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, and sea salt.  There is also Chocolate Nuttzo!  It has Peanuts, chocolate chips (organic cocoa liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, organic cocoa powder), Cashews, Almonds, Brazilian Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, and Sea Salt.


I just want you to know that this stuff is not cheap.  At $12.99 for a 16 oz, I still think it is worth it.  I'm not making sandwiches with it.  I'll eat it with apple slices after a workout or as a snack in some celery. It is really delicious.  Give it a try!

Food of the week: Quest Protein Bars

I know.  I haven't posted much lately.  Our kitchen is being renovated and it is not a big motivator to try new recipes.  We should be back to normal soon.  Hang in there with me.  All I wanted was a new backsplash and it has snowballed into something much bigger.  We are all waiting on the new counter tops now.  :)

In the meantime, I found my PERFECT 3pm snack!  Quest Protein bars!  They are HIGH Protein (20 grams!!), high fiber and gluten free!  They are the perfect snack to get me from lunch to dinner.  Plus, they are yummy!  There is quite a selection of flavors.  The only downside is that I can only get them at my GNC.  They aren't available in grocery stores.  Check out the link and see the flavors and the nutritional info.  You will be surprised all this great stuff can be found in one bar.  I love them!

Food of the Week: Chobani Bite

Heaven in a cup

I just came back from the grocery store and had to share a very yummy treat I got.  They are called Chobani Bites and they are single sized Greek Yogurt snacks that can curb your afternoon cravings.  This is my new favorite 3pm snack.  The one I had today was Coffee and Dark Chocolate flavored.  Ummmm, YUMMMMMM!  They are only 100 calories each and have 8 grams of protein!  That is the perfect snack to help me get through to dinner.

They come in 4 different flavors, Fig with Orange Zest, Caramel with Pineapple, Coffee with Dark Chocolate Chips, and Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Chips.  I can't wait to try more!

Food of the Week: Salad Dressing

Does your salad dressing have more calories in it than your entire salad you are putting it on?  It shouldn't.  A serving size of salad dressing is 2 Tablespoons.  For example, two tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing is 140 calories.   Salad dressing is one of those things that you just pour on your greens without even thinking about it because you are eating a salad, right?  It must be healthy.  Measure out 2 tablespoons and see what that looks like.  Make sure you know for the next time you have a salad.

When I started my weight loss journey, I used lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar, or even salsa!  All of those are very low in calories and won't blow your diet.  

I came across these little gems from Bolthouse farms in the refrigerator section of my produce department.  SALAD DRESSING MADE WITH YOGURT!  Thank you!  They make creamy salad dressings made with yogurt at only 35-45 calories for 2 tablespoons.  They have Classic Ranch, Salsa Ranch, Chunky Blue Cheese, Zesty French, Caesar Parmigiano, Thousand Island, Honey Mustard.  I have only tried 2 of them, but I LOVE the Salsa Ranch!  Try it!

Food of the week: Pop Chips Tortillas!

To say that I have been stalking when and where to find these would be an understatement.  I am a huge fan of pop chips, but I LOVE TORTILLA CHIPS!  I LOVE chips and salsa!  I texted this photo with the caption, "I FOUND THEM!!!" to my husband and told him to hurry home because a taste test was happening!

I could only find 3 of the 4 flavors.  I did not find the salsa flavored one.  :(

My husband and I both agree to the order of our favorites.  We loved them all, but we REALLY loved the ranch pop chips.  They are so yummy!  Next we liked the nacho flavored pop chips and then the chili limon.  I decided that chili limon were the perfect chip to dip in salsa.  The flavor was subtle, but had a spicy kick to them.   The others could stand alone on their own.

In case you haven't heard about pop chips, this is from their website:

"naturally delicious and healthier. that’s popchips. when they said it couldn’t be done, we raised the snack bar. how do we do it? well, first, let's talk about how we don't do it. we never fry our chips. that just puts a lot of stuff in there that we could all do without. we never bake our chips either. that just takes a lot of flavor out, which, as snackers, we simply can't do without. so we came up with a chip like no snack aisle has seen (or taste bud has tasted). thanks to the magic of popping, we found a way to pop all the flavor in, while keeping fake stuff and at least half the fat of regular flavored chips out."

THIER pledge: no fake colors, no fake flavors, no preservatives, no fluorescent orange finger tips.  TheY do not use hydrogenated oil or msg.

Food of the week: PB2

Yes, I love peanut butter.  Last week my food of the week was peanut butter and so is this week.  Hi, my name is Kim and I am a peanut butter addict.  I don't even have to put peanut butter on anything...a spoon works just fine.  It is a quick snack when I am running around and don't have any time to prepare anything.

When I saw this product, my mouth dropped.  It has 85% less fat?  HOLY COW!  I'm in love.  This is what the website says.

"PB2 has the same consistency as full fat peanut butter with all of the natural roasted peanut flavor, but with nearly 85% less fat calories. PB2 is made with high quality peanuts that are slow-roasted to our specifications and pressed to remove the oil. All natural with no artificial flavors,sweeteners, or preservatives.

PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter is mixed with water to create a traditional peanut butter mixture. It also works and tastes wonderfully in recipes that call for the use of peanut butter. "

All you have to do is add a tablespoon of water to 2 tablespoons of the powder and mix it until you get the right consistency!  Amazing!  Does it taste exactly like peanut butter?  Not exactly, but it is pretty darn close!  Does it taste the same in recipes?  Heck, yeah!  The website also has plenty of recipes for you to choose from in order to make your favorite peanut butter snack.

There is also a PB2 with premium chocolate!  HELLO!  I will be buying that one next!

Food of the Week: PB Crave

I love ALL things that have chocolate and peanut butter together.  It came as no surprise that I fell in love with PB Crave Choco Choco.  The label says it best, "A delicious double dose of semi-sweet and rich dark chocolate with premium peanut butter and wild honey."  The first thing I did when I brought it home was the spoon test.  How did it taste just on a spoon with nothing else?  Delish.  Then, I thought I needed to try it again....  ;-)

I am excited to add this to my oatmeal, English muffins, and on fruit.

PB Crave comes in 4 flavors.  The other flavors are Coco Bananas (chocolate and banana peanut butter), Razzle Dazzle (dark chocolate, white chocolate and raspberries) and Cookie Nookie (chocolate chips and cookie dough flavor).  I can not speak for the other flavors, but I will let you know once I have tried them as I was certain it was not a good idea to have 4 jars of delicious peanut butter in the house at the same time along with a multitude of spoons.

Two Tablespoons of Choco Choco has 180 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein.

Food of the Week: Beanitos

I haven't done an item of the week in a while.  I am actually eating these right now with a little salsa as a snack.  I LOVE the Chipotle BBQ ones because they have quite a kick!  These chips are either made from pinto beans or black beans.  They are corn free, gluten free, low glycemic and high in fiber as well.  One serving of these little power houses have 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of dietary fiber and are 140 calories!  That is what I like to see in a snack!  I can also pronounce every ingredient!

Food of the week: WRAPS

One slice of bread can be up to 120 calories depending on the type you choose.  You can save yourself a lot of calories just by eating wraps.  I eat tons of wraps for lunch and I love them!  The round wraps I eat are only 60 calories and the oblong ones are 90 calories.  You really need to read the nutritional information on the wraps at the store because some of them are over 200 calories a piece. So, enjoy a wrap for your lunch!  Wiggity wiggity wack!

Food of the week: Almond butter

I am in love with this stuff.  More than I probably should be, but it is very yummy.  Tonight, I added a couple of teaspoons to my banana ice cream.  :)  This almond butter is all natural, with only 2 ingredients. I love that!

Spread it on crackers for a yummy afternoon snack!  You won't regret it!

Food of the week: LARA BARS

I am in love! I may have been the last person to discover these, but I am happy to join the bandwagon of Lara Bar lovers.

I have been trying to eat cleaner. Now, I am not going to lie I do have a relapse every now and again, but I must say that I am doing so much better at it. I have days, just like most people, that are completely crazy and I do not get a chance to make lunch or a snack. I work from home, so I take for granted that the fridge is right there, but nothing is already made to grab really fast when I need to eat.

These bars are phenomenal. None of the bars have more than 9 ingredients and all of the ingredients are a food that you would eat on their own. I had the Apple Pie Lara Bar on my way to the grocery store. In that bar are dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. It was truly delicious.

There are more than 20 flavors. I can't wait to try Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Lemon and Peanut Butter and Jelly. I'm excited to make my way through every one of them. Do any of you have a favorite one I need to try next?

Food of the week: Shirataki

When we have stir fry, we normally have it over brown rice which has 230 calories for a cup. That really isn't bad since we normally put shrimp and a ton of veggies on it. Tonight we had our stir fry over Tofu Shirataki.

I followed the directions on the bag and drained it, rinsed it, and put it in the microwave for a minute. Then I dried it and tossed it in our stir fry. They were actually very good. Pretty much just like spaghetti. Even my husband, the picky eater, liked it.

The Shirataki noodles are 20 calories a serving (4 oz) and have half a gram of fat, 3 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. We will definitely be having them again. Our stir fry was a whopping 306 calories.

Almond Milk

This little gem is a great calorie cheat. It is only 40 calories for a whole cup (less than half the calories of skim milk) and you can replace it where you use skim milk. It is pretty tasty in your coffee and in your cereal in the morning. I'm not going to say that I was so excited about the calories that I saved that I dunked a shortbread girl scout cookie in my coffee at breakfast. :)

I'm a sucker...

While watching The Biggest Loser last week, we saw Dolvett introduce a product to his team (gotta love product placement). When my husband and I saw the Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie, we literally paused the show and he ran to the store to pick it up. We made the smoothies, unpaused the show and watched the rest of the show in absolute bliss. It was so yummy. There are several different yummy flavors, but the chocolate banana is my favorite. Each bag makes 2 smoothies, you just add skim milk. The smoothies are between 110 and 130 calories per serving.