You probably hire someone to do your taxes, so why don’t you hire someone to help you with your diet? Getting expert advice on nutrition may not be as expensive as you think. With all the scientific studies, many people find that figuring out their taxes is easier than finding a daily routine they can stick to and keeps them healthy and can help with weight loss. People with diabetes, digestive disorders, food allergies, heart disease, weight problems, and cancer may especially benefit. Your health insurance might cover referrals made for medical reasons. Women trying to get pregnant, breast feeding, trying to lose baby weight or going through menopause are also good candidates.
Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts recommends you find a registered dietitian to work with on developing a weekly meal plan, discuss recipes for healthy meals, learn how to understand food labels, and answer your nutrition related questions. Our weight loss resorts Dietitian, Julie Harrington has designed a very user-friendly cookbook loaded with easy, simple and nutritious meals created from the Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts Program. Using this cookbook can also give you lots of guidance and nutritional information. Working one-on-one with a dietitian will give you advice depending on your age, gender, weight, physical activity and medical history. They should also factor in your lifestyle, food preferences and nutrition concerns.
Beware of so-called nutritionists who might try to sell you unnecessary and costly vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements. You should strive to get all your nutrition from food, supplements are often delivered in high doses and the body is unable to process that much at one time. Also food is packaged naturally with other nutrients that enhance absorption of all the good stuff they have to offer.
Regardless of your goals, a registered dietitian will want to know what you usually eat and the times you eat. Try keeping a food journal for a week before your first visit and take pictures of your meals, too. That way the dietitian will know your portion sizes.
Your health insurance, including Medicare, might cover referrals made for medical reasons. This is particularly true for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and digestive and obesity issues.
How well your body functions relies on the fuel you give it. You are important, so take the time and effort to be good to yourself. Lead by example and show your family and friends that you respect yourself by eating healthy not only for weight loss but for your overall health. Help is there for you, so take advantage. Not sure where to start? The Nutrition Staff at Shane are here to help you become the best you can be!

Antioxidants have been popular in the world of weight loss lately and we have guests at our weight loss camps ask us if antioxidants are as beneficial as everyone is making them out to be. The answer is, it depends. Here are six myths and truths about antioxidants provided by ConsumerReports OnHealth to explain what we mean.

Myth: Antioxidants are all vitamins
Truth: There are thousands of antioxidants and only a limited number of them are vitamins. Antioxidants have the ability to block free radicals. Free radicals are unstable chemical fragments that cause damage throughout your body and can cause abnormal cell growth and reproduction.

Myth: All antioxidants are created equal
Truth: According to Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D. and director of the Antioxidant Research Lab at Tufts University says, “Different antioxidants fight different free radicals.” But what’s nice is that all antioxidants work together like a well oiled machine. For instance, vitamin C recycles vitamin E, meaning that when vitamin E blocks a free radical, vitamin C takes the remaining vitamin E and changes it back to its original antioxidant form.

Myth: Be sure to eat pomegranates, berries and other super fruits
Truth: There is no official definition of a ‘super fruit.’ It can mean whatever someone wants it to mean, therefore it does not hold any significance. All fruits and vegetables have a unique blend of healthy components and some of those include antioxidants. By only focusing on ‘super fruits,’ you are missing out on a variety of other beneficial fruits and vegetables.

Myth: You should amp up your intake with supplements
Truth: Don’t focus on supplements when you can get the nutrients you need from food. Clinical trials have shown that consuming nutrients in supplement form does not produce the same results that found when consuming them in foods. Why waste your money on a single supplement that may work when you can buy foods that can provide multiple nutritional benefits?

Myth: If some antioxidants are good, more is better
Truth: We’ve all heard the saying that “there is no such thing as too much of a good thing,” that saying does not apply to nutrients in supplement form. There has been some evidence to indicate that when taken in megadoses (which many supplements come in) it can cause antioxidants to become pre-oxidents which may actually increase the production of free radicals. The opposite result of what antioxidants are intended to perform.

Myth: Packaged food with labels that promise antioxidant benefits will boost your health
Truth: Just because a package advertises antioxidants, does not mean that they carry a health benefit as well. Since antioxidants are desired by consumers, manufacturers will add vitamin C or E and then advertise that their food contains antioxidants. They do this in hopes to drive up the sales and price of their product but in turn do not yield the benefits that consumers expect. Some products may already contain the antioxidant and the manufacturer is not even adding anything to the product.

We are still discovering more about how antioxidants work within our body so the best advice we can give you to promote a healthy diet and help you achieve your weight loss goals is to make sure that you eat a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes every day. Sometimes staying true to eating a balanced diet of whole, natural foods is still the best way to go.

We’ve all heard of and maybe have tried the fad diets like SlimFast, South Beach and Atkins to lose weight. But they all seem to have some major nutritional holes in them that aren’t good for you in the long run. Recently, here at Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts, we have received a lot of questions about whether or not the Mediterranean diet is good for weight loss and the answer is, no. But, the Mediterranean diet is good for heart health.

According to an article from the Mayo Clinic, the Mediterranean diet focuses on getting plenty of exercise; eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts; replacing butter with healthy fats like olive and canola oil; using herbs and spices to flavor foods rather than salt; limiting red meat consumption to a few times a month; eating fish and poultry a minimum of two times a week; and drinking red wine, in moderation of course. They found that following this way of eating wasn’t necessarily correlated to weight loss but helped lower heart disease and other heart related problems.

How to get started:

• Eat your fruits and veggies and switch to whole grains: Your meals should consist of a variety of plant based foods that are minimally processed and bought in season. The goal is nine to ten servings of fruits and veggies a day. Start eating whole grain bread, cereal, rice and pasta products.
• Get nutty: Almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts are great to have on hand for quick snacks, plus they are filling. Instead of buying peanut butter that has hydrogenated fat, buy a natural peanut butter.
• Leave butter behind: Use olive and canola oils for cooking instead of butter or margarine.
• Spice up your life: Instead of using salt to season your food, use herbs and spices. Not only will they help make your food taste good, they contain health enhancing substances.
• Go fishing: Eat fresh fish a couple times a week. Stay away from fried fish, unless it has been sautéed in canola oil.
• Replace red meat: Switch red meat for fish or poultry. When you do have red meat make sure the portions are small and that they are lean cuts. Avoid high fat meats like sausage and bacon.
• Focus on low-fat dairy: Consume more skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low fat cheese.
• Raise your glass: Having a glass of red wine at dinner has been shown to help lower heart disease. As long as it’s okay with your doctor, it’s okay with the Mediterranean diet.

Approximately 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and fatalities from heart disease could have been prevented in high risk patents if the individuals had changed their diet to follow more closely with the Mediterranean diet.

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted a clinical trial to see its effects on various heart risks. They ended the study early, due to the startling results. They found that the Mediterranean diet did indeed improve the heart health of the individuals participating and that it was not necessary to continue the trial.

The important thing to remember when changing your eating habits, whether if it’s to improve heart health, lose weight or both, make sure you are getting the nutrients you need. Do some research and find some recipes before you start and you’ll have all the tools you need to be on your way to a healthier heart and life.

Why is it so hard to lose the last 10 pounds?” Weight loss is tricky in that multiple factors play into how much weight is lost, how quickly it comes off and for how long the weight loss is maintained. To successfully lose a sizable amount of weight, a person needs to be committed to significant long-term lifestyle changes. With a lot of effort you can achieve a new steady-state, but it requires a great deal of persistence and effective nutrition and physical activity strategies.

A few tips:

1. Change up your endurance routine. The goal is to burn more calories. You can do this without increasing the amount of time spent on cardio by upping your intensity. Otherwise, you’re going to have to increase the amount of time committed to cardio whether that’s adding 15 or 20 minutes to your current routine or increasing the number of days per week.
2. Strength train at least twice per week. When you lose a lot of weight, about a quarter of weight loss comes from muscle if you don’t include a strength-training component to your workout routine. This helps explain why those last few pounds are so hard to lose. Your metabolism has slowed down; therefore, you’re burning fewer calories at rest. The metabolic rate is directly linked to the amount of muscle you have. For every pound of lean muscle mass, you burn about six calories per day. While that doesn’t sound like much, if you lost 20 pounds of fat and kept all of your muscle mass, the five pounds of muscle mass you kept (versus what you might lose without a resistance training program) would help you lose about three extra pounds. Maintain muscle mass while continuing to lose weight by committing to your resistance training routine.
3. Eat a little less. To have successfully lost weight in the first place you have to have made some significant dietary changes. If you want to continue to lose weight, you’ll need to make further cuts. Assess your approximate daily caloric intake and then come up with strategies to cut an additional 250 calories per day (provided that will still keep you at a healthy calorie level and not at risk for nutrient deficiencies). If you eat 250 calories less per day and do not make any changes to your exercise regimen, you’ll lose those last 10 pounds over the course of the next five months.
4. If you exercise more, it will come off faster. Anyone can finish a 5K or a 10K but not everyone can finish a marathon. It takes a high level of commitment and ongoing diligence to successfully train for and compete in such a long race.

Weight loss application: Somewhere around 40% of women and 30% of men are trying to lose weight at any given time. Some are successful initially but most are unable to lose and keep off the weight.

Losing weight is tough. Keeping it off requires a constant effort. To achieve and maintain your weight loss goals you’ve got to be in it for the long haul. Slowly and steadily progress to your goal with each of the small decisions you make every day take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for the fresh apple instead of the apple pie. After all, being the first one done isn’t the goal, it’s just about having the strength, endurance, and mental toughness to successfully cross that finish line. And if you’re looking to lose your last 10 or first 10 Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts is here to help.  With help from our expert Nutritionist, Fitness instructors and Behavior Change coaches, we give you all the tools you need to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off for good.

Most baked goods are often high in fat and sugar. Muffins, often assumed as a healthier choice, can even sometimes be a “cupcake” in disguise. You may think it’s impossible to create a lower calorie, healthier baked good that is just as tasty as the original.

Try these simple swaps the next time you’re baking.

Everybody knows what professionals are saying: eat whole grains, don’t eat refined carbohydrates, and stay away from white bread-that seems to be the generic, go-to saying now-a-days.  But what does that mean when you walk into the bakery section of your grocery store?  There are so many different options; it gets confusing out there in the world of grains and breads! So here are a few tips on how to make sure you are choosing the healthiest possible (and usually the most delicious) breads and grains.

First things first- when you walk into the bakery isle, what do you see? White bread, multigrain bread, 9 grain bread, 12 grain bread, whole grain bread, whole wheat bread, wheat bread, oats and honey bread, and cinnamon raisin bread – the list goes on and on.  For some reason, there is an incredible variety of “healthy” breads out there, but are they really healthy?

We’ve all heard that white bread is refined and not the best choice for us, but why?  Well, white bread is definitely more processed than whole grain breads.  During manufacturing, they literally remove the “whole grain”.  They take out all the deliciously nutritious stuff like fiber and B vitamins and leave nothing but sugar and empty calories.  Now, I am not bashing white bread, I am simply stating a fact: it provides no nutritional value to its consumers.  But what is the difference between white bread and whole grain bread?  The difference is there is much less to process in whole grain breads because they use the entire grain, they don’t selfishly remove anything from it which keeps it  full of the fiber and vitamins that our bodies crave, making it a much healthier choice.

Now the next problem is how do you know what you are buying is in fact whole grain bread?  It’s simple-you can start by looking at the package and reading how it is advertised.  The problem is that manufacturers very often advertise in a way that may make us believe something is healthy when it is truly not. In order to outsmart them, read the ingredient list. They must, by law, include all of their ingredients in this list.  Looking for the word “whole” – not grain, not multigrain, not wheat – whole!  The word whole will tell you everything you need to know.  If it says “whole” you know, for sure that it is a whole grain product.

Next- you want to make sure it is 100% whole grain/wheat.  This is usually labeled on the front of the product because when manufacturers are actually producing a product that is healthy, they want their consumers to know it.  So if it says “100% whole wheat” you have made a great choice.

At Shane Diet & Fitness Resorts, our nutrition education classes are designed as an open forum to help you take the guess work out of making healthy choices at the supermarket.  It used to be you walk into the store, you choose your produce, you choose your meats, and you choose whole wheat or white bread.  Today is harder but it is more important than ever that we eat good, healthy food. So take an extra 10 seconds to read the food labels and be good to your bodies.  When you are good to your body, it will be good to you in return.

Nutritious eating is key to your healthy lifestyle. The key foundation to any healthy diet is moderation.

Many “dieters” believe that pizza is off limits when trying to lose weight. That’s why diets don’t work. Try not to think of food as being “off-limits”.  The second you decide certain foods are off limits, it becomes natural to crave them more.

Think smaller portions. Start small and think about serving sizes in realistic terms. Restaurants typically have 2-3 servings on one plate, which can lead to overeating and weight gain. Split an entrée with someone and order a salad with it. At home, try using smaller plates to encourage a healthy portion for weight loss.

Growing up, my family usually ordered pizza on Friday nights.  Many people on a weight loss diet view foods like pizza as “cheating.” No food should be viewed as cheating because after eating it, a feeling of guilt will occur. You can still enjoy pizza without feeling the guilt.

Tip #1: Enjoy your pizza with a side salad.

Tip #2: Cut your piece of pizza in half. Now you have two pieces to enjoy.

Tip #3: Skip the extra cheese and meat for toppings and swap for vegetables.

Tip #4: If the pizza place offers a whole-wheat crust, choose that.

Tip #5: Try thin crust pizza.

We all know how difficult it can be some days to get the daily recommended amount of vegetables in your weight loss diet.  There are little tricks to sneak in vegetables for your healthy lifestyle and you won’t even realize you are eating them.

Regardless of the season, smoothies are a delicious treat. When ordering a fruit smoothie out, it can be loaded with sugar, fruit juices, ice cream, and often times no real fruit. It can be misleading when you think you are picking a healthier option for weight loss success. For example a popular smoothie chain has a flavor of banana berry flavor which racks up 560 calories and 115 grams of sugar.

By making one at home you can control what goes in and can also sneak in some vegetables with it. Would you ever think that spinach could go into a fruit smoothie? Most people automatically crinkle their nose and question it. Spinach in a smoothie? It may sound like a strange ingredient, but you cannot even taste it and you are able to get a serving of vegetables in for the day. It gives the benefits of nutrition, plus it turns your smoothie into a pretty green color!

Banana Berry Smoothie
(serves 2)

• 1 banana
• ½ cup strawberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup low fat vanilla yogurt
• 2 cups of spinach
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup of ice

Combine the banana, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt and water in the blender. Blend until smooth. Then add in the spinach and blend again until smooth. Add ice and blend and then serve.

Each serving is only 152 calories. It’s a perfect treat for any occasion! Fruit smoothies are so versatile you can create your perfect smoothie with your favorite fruit combinations. Try combining some of your own favorite fruits and veggies to see what you like best and feel free to share your new recipes with us here!

We’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it is important to make sure that the first meal of the day sticks to your healthy diet plan for weight loss. There is no need to over-indulge and eat too many calories in one sitting, so it’s best to keep your breakfasts homemade rather than driving through a fast-food restaurant. A recent online article from Prevention highlights the worst fast-food breakfasts, with their healthy alternatives. Don’t subject yourself to extra calories and potential weight gain! Stick to a low-calorie meal to lose weight.

Starbucks Zucchini-Walnut Muffin

Muffins may be delicious, but they can definitely pack on the calories and leave your stomach grumbling. Although the Starbucks muffin seems to be made with healthy ingredients like zucchini and walnuts, it still has close to 500 calories and 28 g of fat.

Try Instead: Zucchini-Raisin Muffin

These delicious muffins are half the calories and nearly a third of the fat as the Starbucks alternative. Be sure to load up your bread batter with lots of zucchini shreds and add raisins for sweetness.

Zucchini-Raisin Muffin

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

2 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and butter a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center, add the egg mixture, and stir just until combined. Fold in the zucchini and raisins.
4. Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the muffin tin and cool on a rack.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 198.9 cal, 10.4 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 184.2 mg sodium, 25.4 g carbs, 15.6 g sugar, 2.1 g dietary fiber, 3.5 g protein

Sonic Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Toaster

A classic sausage, egg, and cheese seems harmless enough- filling and protein-packed. However, the Sonic  version has over 620 calories, 42 g of fat, and 1,400 mg of sodium. That’s the sodium equivalent of eating an entire bag of salty potato chips before lunch!

Try Instead: Open-Faced Broiled Egg, Spinach, and Tomato Sandwich

Swap out the sausage for tomato and add spinach to get a serving of veggies first thing in the morning. This alternative has nearly a third of the calories of the Sonic sandwich, a quarter of the fat, and over 1,000 mg less sodium.

Ingredients (makes one serving)

1/2 whole wheat english muffin

1/4 cup fresh spinach, cooked and squeezed dry (about 4 ounces)

1 slice tomato

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced widthwise

1 tablespoon omega-3-enriched mayonnaise

salt-free seasoning blend (such as mrs. dash)

1.    Set the muffin half on a toaster oven pan or double sheet of foil. Top with the spinach and tomato. Lay on the egg slices in an overlapping spiral. Dollop on the mayonnaise and swirl slightly to partially cover the egg slices. Sprinkle on seasoning to taste.

2.    Place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully, until the mayonnaise is lightly browned.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 213.3 cal, 11.4 g fat, 1.8 g sat fat, 389.6 mg sodium, 18.8 g carbs, 3.9 g sugar, 4.2 g dietary fiber, 11.2 g protein

McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hot Cakes

The immediate red flag in this menu item is the word “big.” You don’t need to eat a tremendous breakfast off of a fast-food menu. This breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sausage, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns, and two hot cakes. That is a lot of food! You can see why this one dish has over half your day’s calories and over 55 g of fat, plus a whopping 2,150 mg of sodium.

Try Instead: Pancakes with Berries and Cinnamon

Try these light and fluffy low-calorie pancakes as an alternative. The trick is baking them in the oven. Top them with berries and cinnamon and you’ve got a delicious and nutritious breakfast for the whole family to enjoy.

Pancakes with Berries and Cinnamon

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup oat flour

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons raspberry or blueberry fruit spread, warmed

1. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and salt. Process until smooth, about 15 seconds. Remove to a medium bowl, cover, and let rest for 45 to 60 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 9″ oven-safe skillet over medium heat and cook until frothy. Pour in the egg-flour mixture. Place in the oven and bake until puffy and set, 14 to 16 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Spread the fruit over the pancake, and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Using a spatula, fold the pancake in half (or roll it up) and slide it onto a platter. Slice into 4 pieces.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 222.7 cal, 14.9 g fat, 7.5 g sat fat, 120 mg sodium, 14.7 g carbs, 7.8 g sugar, .8 g dietary fiber, 8.4 g protein

Cinnabon Regular Caramel Pecanbon

If you’ve ever been to a shopping mall, you probably know how amazing Cinnabon can smell. Try to resist that urge to eat one of their treats, as one caramel-pecan bun comes in at almost 1,100 calories. It’s also loaded with more fat than nine chocolate chip cookies.

Try Instead: Maple-Pecan Cinnamon Roll

This homemade version still has the delicious gooey characteristics, with nearly a third of the calories and a quarter of the fat. You can even pop it in the microwave for that “just baked” taste and scent.

Maple-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 large eggs

1/4 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups white whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

3 tablespoons trans-free margarine

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Warm the milk in the microwave until the temperature reaches 100° to 110°F, 30 to 40 seconds. Stir in the brown sugar and yeast and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, or until bubbles form. Combine the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
2. Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Slowly add the milk and yogurt mixtures while the mixer is running on low. Knead for 8 minutes, adding the raisins after about 5 minutes. Coat the bowl and dough with cooking spray. Cover and keep in a warm place until the dough is doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
3. Meanwhile, mix the margarine and 1/4 cup of the maple syrup in a small bowl and set aside. Combine 1 cup of the pecans, 1/4 cup of the syrup, and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon in another small bowl and set aside. Coat a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with cooking spray and pour the remaining 1/4 cup syrup over the bottom. Cover with the remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Set aside.
4. Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/2″ thick. Spread the margarine mixture over the dough, leaving a 1″ border around the edges. Slowly pour the pecan-syrup mixture into the center and spread over the margarine mixture.
5. Starting on a long side, carefully roll the dough into a log shape. Slice into 12 equal pieces. Arrange the pieces cut side up in the baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls uncovered for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 421.7 cal, 14.8 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 156.5 mg sodium, 64.7 g carbs, 26.9 sugar, 7.8 g dietary fiber, 9.1 g protein

Hardee’s Double-Loaded Omelet Biscuit

This omelet packs 800 calories and comes with three types of breakfast meat – bacon, sausage, and ham – all on top of a buttery biscuit.

Try Instead: Hearty Egg Sandwich

This sandwich alternative still fills you up but swaps out the fatty breakfast meats for avocado and tomato slices. This version has less than 400 calories and cuts down on fat and calories with reduced-fat Cheddar.

Hearty Egg Sandwich

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1 toasted whole wheat English muffin

1/4 C mashed Hass avocado

1 slice reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2 tomato slices

1. Scramble 1 whole egg with 1 egg white in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Place on toasted whole wheat English muffin spread with 1/4 c mashed Hass avocado, and top with 1 slice reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and tomato slices.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 367.5 cal, 16.8 g fat, 4.2 g sat fat, 723.6 mg sodium, 34 g carbs, 7.2 g sugar, 8.6 g dietary fiber, 24 g protein

Dunkin’ Donuts Chocolate-Coconut Cake Donut

You probably already know that a doughnut isn’t a very safe food for your healthy diet. This particular doughnut accounts for over a quarter of your day’s calories and has nearly as much sugar as a whole chocolate bar.

Try Instead: Strawberry-Banana-Topped French Toast

You can still satisfy your sweet tooth without going overboard on calories. This rich meal is less than half the calories of just one doughnut.

Strawberry-Banana-Topped French Toast

Ingredients (makes 1 serving)

1 egg

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 slice (1 ounce) whole grain bread

1 teaspoon trans-fat free spread

1/4 cup sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sliced banana

1. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with the milk and cinnamon. Dip both sides of the bread in the milk mixture.
2. Melt the spread in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bread in the pan. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through. Cut in half diagonally. Place half on a plate. Top with half of the strawberries and bananas. Cover with the other toast half and the remaining strawberries and bananas.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 254.2 cal, 9.7 g fat, 2.8 g sat fat, 267.9 mg sodium, 29.5 g carbs, 11.9 g sugar, 4.5 g dietary fiber, 13.5 g protein

Halloween is over now, but it is still pumpkin season! Pumpkins are full of vitamin A and fiber, and naturally a low calorie food and can promote weight loss.

Conveniently pumpkin comes prepared in a can already pureed. Incorporate pumpkin puree into your diet all year round to help move toward your weight loss goals. One serving of pumpkin puree is 40 calories, 0.5 g of fat, and 5 g of fiber. Make sure the label says 100% pure pumpkin rather than pumpkin pie mix which has added sugars.

Pumpkin puree works especially well in substituting ingredients in baking. Try substituting pumpkin puree for oil when baking to lower the fat content for your healthy diet. Here’s a delicious pumpkin muffin recipe to try:

Pumpkin Yogurt Muffins

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups low fat vanilla Stonyfield Farm Yogurt
1 16oz can pumpkin puree (Libby’s is my favorite!)
4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Beat eggs until foamy, add sugar, yogurt, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
4. Add dry ingredients slowly to the yogurt mixture and mix until moist.
5. Line two muffin tins with muffin liners or grease the pans.
6. Evenly fill each of the muffin tins.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the top.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 100
Total Fat: 0.7 g
Total Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 3.5 g