Eat Out Eat Well

Snacking, Noshing, Tasting

Gatorade, Powerade, Red Bull Or Water?

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It’s brutally hot and you’re sweating like a pig.  Was your run really a good idea?  Need something to drink – but what – water, Gatorade, Red Bull, Powerade?  Do you need just water or water plus other stuff?

Designed To Hydrate

Sports drinks, a combination of fluids, carbs, sodium and potassium are designed to replenish fluids and nutrients lost through sweating during exercise.  If you work out for more than an hour, or for very intensely for less than an hour they are the ideal during- and after-activity hydration drink. But, if your workout is of short duration or is low-intensity. a sports drink may not be your best choice.  If you’re just going for a brisk 20 minute walk or doing some other short or low intensity activity, water may be your best choice.

What’s In Them That You Probably Don’t Need For Less Intense Workouts

Two Things: sugar and sodium.

Sugar is a prominent ingredient because it’s a good way feed carbs to your working muscles. But, its an extra two to five teaspoons of added sugar you’re putting into your body for each 8 oz serving. Remember — most bottles contain at least double that amount, so double up on the sugar count, too. The American Heart Association’s recommendation is to limit added sugars to no more than half of your daily discretionary calories allowance which translates to no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar for most American women and150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons, for men.

Although sodium is helpful for higher levels of activity, most of us don’t need to add extra sodium to add to already high sodium intakes.

Don’t Confuse Energy Drinks And Sports Drinks

Energy drinks have a boost of caffeine which research says might enhance athletic performance. Because they have the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee, energy drinks like Rockstar, Monster, and Red Bull are also popular as everyday drinks.

Sports drinks generally have fewer calories because they generally have less sugar than energy drinks.  They do have sodium to help replenish what you’ve sweated out, and generally no caffeine.  Some sports drinks, called recovery sports drinks, have protein and may be marketed as recovery sports drinks. Use them when your activity lasts longer than 6 hours.

When Are Sports Drinks Helpful?

If you exercise at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more, fluids that supply 60 to 100 calories in 8 ounces help supply the calories necessary calories for continuous performance. During normal training it’s not necessary to replace sodium, potassium and other electrolytes you lose during exercise. But, if you exercise in extreme conditions over 3 or 5 hours — like during a marathon or a triathalon — you might think about drinking a sports drink with electrolytes.

SocialDieter Tip:

If you are exercising for over an hour or you’re really busting your butt for a shorter but more intense workout, think about a sports drink for hydration.  Here are some examples of drinks along with their calories, carbs, sugars, sodium, and potassium.  If your exercise time is short or not too strenuous, stick with good old fashioned water.

  • Powerade, Grape, 8 oz,, 50 calories, 14g sugars, 14 carbs,100mg Sodium, 25 mg Potassium
  • Gatorade G Berry, 8 oz , 80 calories, 21g sugars, 21 carbs, 160 mg Sodium, 45 mg Potassium
  • Propel Kiwi-Strawberry, 8 oz, 10 calories, 2g sugars, 2g carbs, 75 mg Sodium, 20 mg Potassium
  • Gatorade G2 Perform Low Calorie Orange, 8 oz, 20 calories, 5 g sugars, 5g carbs, 110mg Sodium, 30 mg Potassium
  • Sobe Lifewater 0 calories Black & Blue Berry, 8 oz, 0 calories, 6g carbs, 0g sugars, 25 mg Sodium, n/a Potassium
  • Red Bull Energy Drink, 8.4 oz, 110 calories, 28g carbs, 27g sugars, 100mg Sodium, n/a Potassium

Is Multi-Tasking Sabotaging Your Weight?

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What Else Do You Do When You Eat?

Where do you have your breakfast?  In the car or train while you’re going to work?  Maybe while you’re walking down the street juggling that cup of joe, a muffin, and your books, papers, and tote.

How about lunch.  Do you eat at your desk?  Standing in front of the kitchen sink?  In front of the computer?

A poll of more than 1500 people (Wansink, Mindless Eating), found that:

  • 91% usually watch TV when eating meals at home alone
  • 62% are frequently too busy to sit down and eat
  • 35% eat lunch at their desk
  • 26% often eat while they drive

Multi-Tasking = Distraction = Mindless Eating

When you multi-task you are distracted.  Distraction is the enemy of weight management.  Any kind of distraction will make you eat, or forget what or how much you are eating, or even why you are eating.  When you’re distracted your focus is certainly not on your food the classic recipe for mindless eating.

SocialDieter Tip:

Everyone is busy.  Everyone eats.  Putting the two together can lead to mindless eating and poor weight management.  How about making some rules for yourself?  I won’t, without guilt, recommend eating without doing other things.  That’s the classic recommendation – but I would be two-faced to utter it because I frequently eat while I work.  However, if you are like me, perhaps set a rule that you are going to serve yourself a certain portion and that’s all you will eat.  Or, maybe you want to turn over a new leaf and solely concentrate on your meal.  The choice is yours.  Just make it a mindful one.

When You Eat A Sandwich Does The Filling End Up In Your Lap?

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Sandwiches, Wraps, Paninis

Whatever you call it, it’s food — usually meat, cheese, or fish, sometimes vegetables — sandwiched in bread holder. Doesn’t matter is the bread is sliced, a wrap, a pita, a bagel, or a roll.  Other stuff is added to make it taste good — and sometimes to make it look pretty.  Sometimes so much stuff if shoved in that toothpicks are necessary to keep it together.  Problem:  what happens when you take the toothpicks out and try to get your lunch into your mouth?  What’s your dry cleaner bill like?

Soggy Is Gross

Soggy sandwiches take a whole lot of the fun out of eating your lunch.  Some things that can decrease the dampness factor:

  • Heavier, grainy, crunchy bread adds texture and substance and usually holds up better than the softer, squeezier Wonder Bread types. Rolls and bagels hold up even better – and you can always take out some of the softer stuff in the middle of the roll that might hold some liquid.
  • Coating the inside of the bread with butter or cream cheese helps to keep the fluid from some of the sandwich ingredients from getting through to the bread.
  • With wraps, layering the inside of the wrap with a very dry lettuce leaf before adding the filling and then tightly rolling the wrap will help to keep the wrap dry and the lettuce intact.  Trying to eat a soggy wrap is a feat unto itself.
  • With plain old bread, putting the slightly wet lettuce toward the middle of the sandwich not just under the bread, will help keep the bread dry.
  • Ditto for tomatoes – they’re added to sandwiches – a lot.  So are pickles.  Both are really wet.  If you salt the tomato, it gets even wetter.  Ever pick up your sandwich and have the tomato squirt right out?  Sandwiching it in the middle of your sandwich filling helps.  Put the tomato or pickle slices in the middle of the sandwich – essentially sandwiched by the meat or bread.  This helps keeping the wet stuff away from the bread and, if done right, can help keep the tomato in your sandwich and not on your lap or splattered on your plate.
  • If you are transporting a sandwich, bring the mayo, pesto, ketchup, mustard, or whatever dressing you use on the side and add it just before eating.  This really helps the soggy factor.

Getting The Sandwich Into Your Mouth Without The Filling Going Splat

This gorgeous (maybe not) and yummy looking sandwich is staring at you waiting to be devoured.  The thing is it’s about 6 inches thick.  How are you going to get it into your mouth?

Good question.  Some suggestions, especially if you are making your own sandwich.

  • As above, put the wetter, thicker stuff in the middle – it helps with the slippage factor. This also goes for onions, peppers, shredded lettuce, and cole slaw.
  • If you are using thick bread or a roll, scoop out some of the doughy stuff in the middle.  It’ll make the sandwich flatter and hold the filling better.
  • Many delis and sandwich take-out places will not lay the sliced meat flat but layer it on in almost a crumpled fashion as it comes off of the slicer.  This adds volume to the sandwich and makes it look like you are getting a whole lot for your money.  This kind of layering is easily squishable because the filling is plumped up with air spaces between the filling slices. Squishing it may get the sandwich down to a size that fits into your mouth.  If you are making your own sandwich and want quantity over presentation, lay your slices flat so the sandwich fits into your mouth more easily.
  • Don’t put so much stuff on.  Balance the amount of meat and cheese or whatever your fillings are.  Too much of one thing makes it taste just like that one thing.  Balance and layer your fillings so that you can taste them all not just the one dominant flavor.

SocialDieter Tip:

Keep lots of napkins on hand.  Try using pitas that haven’t been sliced all of the way around.  Take some of the filling out of rolls.  Cut your sandwich in quarters – somehow it’s easier to eat.  Maybe wear an old tee shirt while you eat your sandwich – and then toss it into the washing machine or just walk around with your lunch on your shirt and not worry about it!

Calorie Saving Ice Cream Toppings

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I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream

Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good old ice cream sundae.

As far as I’m concerned – and I’m far from an ice cream purist – my favorite thing is the stuff you can put on top of ice cream.  The mixture of the topping and the ice cream – or frozen yogurt – is what makes it!

So Many Toppings

You can put just about anything on ice cream.  I’m not suggesting broccoli or smoked salmon, but my guess is that some inventive person, somewhere in the world, has incorporated flavors or put flavors on top of ice cream that we normally wouldn’t even dream of.

Toppings Can Add A Mountain Of Calories

The standard fare:  hot fudge, whipped cream, peanuts, walnuts in syrup, crushed heath bar, caramel sauce – can all add hundreds of calories to your sundae.  For instance:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Hot Fudge Topping:  2tbsp, 39g, 140 calories, 4g fat, 24g carbs, 2g protein
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping Pecans in Syrup Topping:  1tbsp, 36g, 170 calories, 10g fat, 20g carbs, 1g protein
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool Whip, extra creamy:  2tbsp, 32 calories
  • Regular m&m’s:  10 pieces, 20g, 103 calories, 5.2g fat, 12.1g carbs, 1.9g protein
  • Peanut m&m’s:  about 16 pieces, 38.8g, 200 calorie, 10.15g fat, 23.48g carbs, 3.72g protein
  • Peanuts (1oz): 160 calories, 14g fat, 5g carbs, 7g protein

Some Stand-bys Are Lower In Calories

Some favorites are lower (not necessarily low) in calories, like:

  • Rainbow Sprinkles (Mr. Sprinkles):  Serving Size: 1 tsp (4g); Calories: 20, Total Fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 3g, Protein: 0g
  • Chocolate Sprinkles (jimmies):  Serving Size: 1 tbsp.; Calories: 35, Total Fat: 0g, Carbs: 6g, Protein: 0g
  • Smucker’s Spoonable Ice Cream Topping Light Hot Fudge, Fat Free:  2 tablespoons (39g), 90 calories, 23g carbs, 2g protein
  • 10 mini marshmallows:  22 calories, 0 fat, 5.7g carbs, .1g protein
  • 18 gummi bears (40g): 140 calories, 0 fat, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein

Think Outside The Box For Lower Calorie Choices

The world is your oyster in terms of toppings.  Why not fruit, cereal, or an already counted for you, crushed up 100 calorie pack of anything? Here are some other suggestions:

  • Smucker’s Spoonable Pineapple Topping:  2 tbsp, 40g, 100 calories, 0g fat
  • Regular Redi Whip:  2tbsp, 20 calories, 2g fat, 1g carbs
  • Fat Free Redi Whip:  2 tbsp, 5g, 5 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs
  • Cool whip, light:  2tbsp, 16 calories
  • Cool Whip, fat-free:  2tbsp, 15 calories, 43.5g carbs, 0 protein
  • 1 mini box of raisins (.5 oz):  42 calories, 0.1g fat, 11.1g carbs, 0.4g protein
  • One medium banana: 105 calories, 0 fat, 27g carbs, 1g protein
  • One cup strawberry halves: 49 calories, o.5g fat, 11.7g carbs, 1g protein
  • Sugar-free Jello puddings:  60 calories
  • One cup of Froot Loops:  118 calories, o.6g fat, 26.7g carbs, 1.4g protein
  • One cup of blueberries:  83 calories,  0.5g fat, 21g carbs, 1.1g protein
  • Crushed pretzel sticks, 1 oz:  110 calories, 1g fat, 23g carbs, 3g protein

SocialDieter Tip:

Get creative with your toppings.  You can have taste, nutrition, and caloric bargains if you think beyond the standard toppings (although sprinkles are a lot of bang for the caloric buck but low on the nutritional scale).  The other important thing is to watch the portion size of the ice cream or frozen yogurt under the wonderful topping(s) – and try low fat, sugar free, fat free, slow churned ice creams and frozen yogurts and the many wonderful flavors of sorbet.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame . . . And Let Me Eat For Nine Innings

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Batter Up

Baseball season is in full swing. If you’re going to be at a game – major league, minor league, or little league – it’s become almost a habit to chow down on the food being hawked by vendors or purchased from the food court.

Listed below are examples of some snacks and drinks common to baseball games.  You might be surprised at the calories in some of your favorites.

SocialDieter Tip:

To avoid the caloric onslaught you can:

  • Choose your food wisely
  • Avoid eating every inning
  • Bring some of your own snacks with you
  • Drink water or non-caloric drinks
  • Eat and/or drink “lite” versions (just be aware that some reduced or fat free foods have just as many calories as full fat varieties – fat has been replaced with sugars

Game Time Food and Drinks

Beer

Bottle of Budweiser:  144 calories, 12.8 carbs, 4.7% alcohol

Can of Bud Lite:  110 calories, 6.6 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller Lite:  96 calories, 3.2 carbs, 4.2% alcohol

Bottle of Miller MGD 64:  64 calories, 2.4 carbs, 2.8% alcohol

Non-alcoholic Drinks

Snapple Orangeade (16 oz):  200 calories, 52g sugars

San Pelligrino Limonata (11.15 fl oz can):  1

41 calories, 32g sugars

Perrier Citron Lemon Lime (22 oz bottle):  0 calories

Vitamin Water Focus Kiwi-Strawberry (20 oz bottle):  125 calories, 32.5g sugars

Hint Blackberry (16 oz bottle):  0 calories

Can of Coke (12 oz):  140 calories, 39g sugars

Bottle of 7Up (12 oz):  150 calories, 38g sugars

Gatorade G Orange (12 oz bottle):  80 calories, 21g sugars

Root beef float (large, 32 oz):  640 calories, 10g fat

Water (as much as you want):  0 calories

Snack Food

Fritos (28g, about 32 chips): 160 calories, 10g fat

Ruffles potato chips (28g, 12 chips):  160 calories, 10g fat

Rold Gold Pretzel sticks (28g, 48 pretzels):  100 calories, 0g fat

Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn (28g, 1 ¾ cups):  160 calories, 10g fat

Cracker Jack (28g, ½ cup):  120 calories, 2g fat, 15g sugars

Curly fries (7 oz)  620 calories, 30g fat

Kettle corn (31/2 cups):  245 calories, 6g fat

Candy

Raisinets (1/4 cup):  190 calories, 8g fat, 27g sugars

Peanut m&m’s (about ¼ cup):  220 calories, 11g fat, 22g sugars

Snickers (1bar, 59g):  280 calories, 14g fat, 30g sugars

Large cotton candy:  170 calories, 0 fat

Ice Cream

Good Humor Chocolate Éclair (1 bar, 59g):  160 calories, 8g fat, 11g sugars

Fudgsicle Fudge Bar (1 bar, 64g):  100 calories, 2.5g fat, 13g sugars

Klondike The Original (1 sandwich, 81g):  250 calories, 17g fat, 18g sugars

Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat, 2g sugars

Blue Diamond Almonds (1oz):  170 calories, 14g fat 0 sugars

Planter’s Nut & Chocolate Trail Mix (1oz):  160 calories, 10g fat, 13g sugars