For this blog, we look at a simple dish that many people order in restaurants; traditional pasta primavera which on average includes 330 calories and more if it’s prepared with a cream sauce or sitting in floating butter. If you reduce the amount of spaghetti, and increase the amount of vegetables (steamed), omit the cream sauce in favor of a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), splash balsamic, red wine, fig, or any flavored vinegar on the dish, sprinkled with shaved asiago, parmesan or low fat feta, you can lower the calorie count to around 260 calories. It would seem like the plate of food in front of you is much bigger, because you‘ve taken off the denser pasta and replaced it with vegetables that are lower in calories and less dense, so you can eat a lot more of them. The used to describe these swapping is called evaluating food density. http://www.cincinnati.md/kbviewer.aspx?query=portion food control&s=1&hwid=nutria
Try to steer away from large portions of heavy meats, bread, and white pasta and rice. Try to exchange them for whole grains, smaller meat portions, seafood, lean chicken and pork and lots of vegetables, non-fat dairy and lots of water. In general, when in a restaurant, ask for the portion to be cut in half and boxed in the kitchen, or ask for a to-go-box when your food is delivered. Take a portion off and put away. You won’t miss what you don’t see, and the average restaurant portion is typically 2 times an appropriate size.
Little changes that you can make everyday help you to keep your eating on tract ahead healthy.
Please be careful tonight when you are out celebrating, don’t drink and drive and watch out for those who do.
Paula
12/31/10- Saturday Workout : My energy level was very low early morning. I felt better as the day progressed
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12/ 31/10- Friday Food Diary: my stomach is still recovering
Breakfast-
1 cup egg whites
Lunch-
2 oz oat meal(120 cal)
Dinner- restaurant
4 oz pork chop
cabbage
1 glass wine