First of all I want to thank Traci Higgins our lecturer for doing a phenomenal job. I understand parking was a nightmare out on Hayes Street due to the Symphony gala, so my apologies to those of you who were unable to get there. Regardless, I'd like to share some of the highlights with you:
1. We learned that a Big Mac, a Starbucks blueberry muffin and a small, non-buttered popcorn all have the same amount of fat. Very scary!
2. Traci discussed how to cut calories throughout your day.
a. instead of eating a huge Noah's bagel with cream cheese, buy whole grain mini bagels and put Laughing Cow cheese on it instead. You get the same taste and save over 200 calories.
b. when buying yogurt, get the smaller container and you save calories there
c. Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Das each have come out with single serving ice creams. Instead of buying the pint size and eating too much, buy the single serving. You will save yourself close to 200+ calories
d. the food industry has created "monster" fruits which do not truly reflect the serving size we are meant to eat - buy the small apple not the one the size of a basket ball.
3. Traci's restaurant tips
a. When out at a Mexican restaurant, say no to the chips and ask them to bring out corn tortillas instead. Cut these into quarters put salsa on them. It is much more satisfying than chips and you save hundreds of calories.
b. always order soup or salad before your meal. Ask for a side of fresh herbs with your salad - basil, rosemary, dill whatever. By adding these to your salad, you create more flavor and you just need a bit of olive oil to make it taste even better.
4. Never skip breakfast. If you store your calories up for a big meal out, you will inevitably overeat. Try to have fiber in the morning, like a high fiber cereal and a piece of fruit.
5. All meals should contain a protein, a fat and a carbohydrate. Do not fear carbs, your brain needs them to function.
6. Eat several small meals throughout the day so your body doesn't crash. A particularly unsatisfying lunch is a salad with nothing else. Try nuts, an egg, a slice of cheese, perhaps some hummus or even peanut butter to round out your experience.
7. If you eat a sugar like a chocolate, you must combine it with something like a fruit to balance it out so your insulin doesn't spike. Don't eat crappy chocolate, get the good stuff and savor it.
8. Most people only eat a variety of 15 items. She recommended we go to the grocery store produce section and go through everything there and list what we buy and what we don't. The list will amaze us. We should all try something new each week. Whether it is a new fruit or vegetable or a recipe we found online, we need to make the effort to try new things.
So much more was said, but those were some good points. Traci also recommended snacks like 1/2 cup of hummus and 1/2 whole wheat pita; whole wheat tortilla with 3 oz meat, 1tb cheddar cheese and black beans heated and accompanied by salsa or avocado or even an apple, pear or banana with 2 tb reduced fat peanut butter.
It was really eye opening to be shown the appropriate serving sizes for cereal and other snacks. Yes a quarter of a cup is depressingly small, but it is even more depressing to constantly be dieting. For more information about Traci, go to her website at www.dininginsf.com.
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