by kelsey | Dec 18, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Calories and fat consumed over the holiday season can really add up and pack on the pounds over just a few months. Making simple and still delectable swaps in the traditional holiday meal will save you calories and fat in the long run.
Eat this Not that
3 oz Light Meat Turkey 3 oz Prime Rib
125cal 222cal
3g fat 18g fat
25.6g Pro 15g Pro
The big difference between the two proteins is the fat and fat calories. Prime Rib is the part of beef that has some of the highest fat amount, along with the ribs. Boneless and skinless turkey, chicken and fish are lean, or lower in fat. Sometimes the lean meats also provide higher amounts of protein, which will keep you full longer. Another good substitute would be sirloin over the prime rib.
½ C Whole Wheat
Stovetop Stuffing 1 Pillsbury Biscuit
150cal 170cal
1.5g fat 6g fat
3g Pro 3g Pro
Although close calorically, the whole wheat stuffing also provides 3g of filling fiber compared to the 0.5 g in a biscuit. And besides, stuffing is unique to the holiday season whereas biscuits you can have any time of year!
Mulled Wine (1/2 C) Egg Nog (1/2 C)
90cal 170cal
0g Fat 9g Fat
4 g Sugar 18g Sugar
If you decide to have a festive holiday cocktail remember that most are loaded with sugar and empty calories, so consume in moderation. Beverages such as wine and champagne are the better options compared to egg nog or hot buttered rum.
1 Inch Fudge
90cal
2.5g Fat
3 pieces (1/2 oz) Peanut Brittle
73cal
2.5g Fat
Molasses Cookie (2 inch) Pecan Pie (1/8 pie)
57 cal 503 cal
2g Fat 27 g Fat
Candy Cane
55cal
0g Fat
Frosted Sugar Cookie (2 inch)
160 cal
6g Fat
435cal
13 g Fat
All of these treats add up to less calories than a piece of pecan pie! Now I am not saying to eat all these treats, but if you do have a sweet tooth, and like trying everything, you are still able to do so if you keep your portion sizes reasonable. All of the sweets are still considered empty calories and contain enough sugar for a week, but by swapping out better choices you will save excess fat and calories over the holiday.
-Submitted by Lauren Lambert, USD Dietetic Intern
by kelsey | Dec 17, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Food, Goals, Holidays, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The holidays are in full swing, which means festive food, and busy schedules. Many families are enjoying old traditions, or making new ones. Unfortunately also during these Christmas experiences, many people find themselves experiencing weight gain. Countless family gatherings and baking Christmas goodies all month are grounds for overeating, without any time to spare for exercise. By making few simple changes over the day, the holidays do not have to mean weight gain! Here are some simple tips to try out between traveling, parties, cooking, and company.
- An Early Resolution? – Rather than waiting for New Years to start a resolution, make it easier on yourself and gradually work up to your resolution by New Years. This will also help you to stay focused and maintain weight over the holidays, so you can see faster results after. If your goal is to lose weight, maybe you will try to walk two days a week now, and by New Year’s you will be built up to walking 5 days a week!
- Stress less about Exercise- Rather than stressing about shopping and cleaning this year, think of this as a time to multitask. Housework is one of the best ways to get in a workout over the holidays. Whether it’s moving around the kitchen while you bake, or vacuuming before company…it all burn calories! Shopping through the mall crowds, standing in line, and bringing bags out to your car all are positive experiences now that you can count it as a workout, right?
- Quality Time– Rather than taking away from family time to work out, invite your family to do something as a group. Wake up on Christmas morning and enjoy some yoga together before presents, or take the kids out ice-skating or sledding after the famous Christmas dinner. Just remember, building a snowman or looking at Christmas lights will also provide memories that last longer than the memories watching a movie would.
- Think Before You Eat – Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. If you find yourself overeating at one meal, go light on the next. Try to fill your plate with the lower calorie items such as vegetable dishes, and lean proteins, then take smaller portions of the rich foods. Eat slowly, socialize, and enjoy every bite!
Overall, it’s the holidays and you need to enjoy yourself! Don’t restrict yourself from family time and enjoying some of your favorite holiday foods, but be mindful and plan ahead! Stay healthy this season, then after the holidays, your mind and body will thank you!
-Submitted by USD Dietetic Intern Lauren Lambert
by kelsey | Dec 12, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Christmas is less than 2 weeks away! Many of you are working very hard to get ready for your family and friend holiday functions….which usually involves baking! We all know baked goods are not the best for us due to their higher levels of fat and sugar but they are included in our holiday traditions, making them hard to pass up! The following are a few ways to lighten your recipes so you can still enjoy a sweet treat…just without all of the extra calories, fat, and sugar.
Butter, shortening, margarine, or solid fat: Use 1/4 less liquid oil or solid fat called for in the recipe–so if the recipe calls for 1 cup, you could use 3/4 c. If the recipe uses shortening, use 3 Tbsp oil. Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine, or butter. You can also replace 1 c of fat with 1/2 c. prune puree or 1 c of fat with 1 c unsweetened applesauce. Oil in place of a solid fat is also a healthier substitution. If you use any of these, you will want to monitor your baking time as it may need to be reduced by 25%.
Whole milk, half and half, or evaporated milk: Use skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat free half and half, or plain soy milk with calcium
Cream Cheese: use nonfat or reduced fat.
Sour cream or mayo: use nonfat or reduced fat…or use nonfat Greek yogurt and get a little extra protein and calcium.
Cream or whipping cream: use evaporated skim milk or non fat whipped topping or cream.
Eggs: use 2 whites in place of 1 egg or 1/4 egg substitute.
Sugar: Reduce sugar by 1/4 to 1/3- if recipe calls for 1 c, use 2/3 c. You can also use sugar substitutes such as Splenda and use the equivalent chart on the back of the bag. Baking time may be shorter, so be sure to watch it closely!
If you choose not to lighten your recipes, practicing portion control is another great tool to use. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but in moderation and be sure to get your exercise in!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Dec 11, 2013 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We finished a great fall session of our 12 week wellness program STRIVE 2 Survive a few weeks ago. Our participants have been coming in for their post program workups (lab and body composition) and we are once again very pleased with their efforts and results! We are seeing great improvements in weight, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol. It’s amazing how improving your nutritional habits and getting into a regular activity routine can really help!! This 12 weeks is just a snapshot of our lives, but we hope we have provided the appropriate tools and education to help everyone live a long and healthy life!
Our next session will start March 5th…and here are the details!
STRIVE 2 Survive 12 Week Wellness Program
6 Lectures: every other Tuesday at County Fair Banquet Hall @ 5:30-6:30pm.
March 4: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
March 18: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger
April 1: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness
April 15: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, Pharm D
April 29: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey
May 13: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team
6 Take Home Lessons: sent to you during the weeks we don’t meet.
Topics are focused on wellness.
Evaluations
- Lab Work: lipid & glucose labs: beginning and end of program
- Body Composition Testing : beginning and end of program
- Weigh Ins: Thursdays @ Northridge location, Fridays @ Main location
Cost: $130 includes lab work, body composition tests, lectures, lessons,
and Strive 2 Survive t-shirt
STRIVE 2 Survive applies to all who have a heartbeat…adolescents to the elderly!!
For more information and to sign up, contact: 884-4226 or email strive2survive@brownclinic.org
If you want to work on our wellness goals before March, I would love to work with you individually, so be sure to contact me today to get started!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Dec 4, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Family, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving! My family had a great time together eating, laughing, and making fond holiday memories! Since black Friday shopping has turned into Thursday night shopping, we were able to take the little kids (my nieces and nephew) to the Children’s Museum in Brookings on Friday. If you haven’t been there yet and you have little kids (kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors, etc!) be sure to check it out! It is a great place to spark children’s imaginations and educate them about a variety of things from music, mechanics, art, history, reading, etc. My favorite place in the museum is the grocery store and it was evident my nieces and nephew really loved it too! The picture shows me helping my nieces check out their items they “purchased” in the store. This is a great way to teach young children about healthy eating as involving them in the process of grocery shopping and meal making will help them learn and understand the importance of healthy eating better than just telling them what to do. Teaching our children at a young age about healthy eating will help them achieve a healthy weight and have overall healthy habits throughout their lives. This is much of what we educate on in our Strive Kids wellness program. I feel it’s really important to not only educate, but involve the kids in learning activities to help them apply what they are learning. And most importantly, it’s essential for us adults to practice what we preach…so when you are asking your child to eat fruits and veggies, do it with them! When you prepare your grocery list and go shopping, include your kids in the process, and lastly, let them help you in the kitchen with meal prep!
Our Strive Kids program started in October and it is an on-going wellness program focused on improving the health and wellness for kids of all ages. If you’d like to learn more about our wellness services for kids, please contact me today!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
strive2survive@brownclinic.org
605-884-4226
by kelsey | Nov 26, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Happy Thanksgiving to you! The Thanksgiving holiday is always a fun one enjoyed by all as we stuff ourselves and then resort to the couch to watch football or the start of the holiday tv shows. Here are some tips for you to get through the holiday without putting on all those undesired extra pounds.
- Survey the entire table before you take any food. Decide what foods are worth eating and what can be ignored, and then stick to that decision. Why waste calories on foods that don’t bring you pleasure?
- Eat a snack before you leave home. If you arrive at a party starving, you’ll be more likely to overindulge.
- Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Stick to lower calorie or calorie-free drinks (diet sodas, water, light beer, or wine spritzer) instead of punches, eggnogs, and mixed drinks that can have up to 500 calories per cup.
- Sip a large glass of water between every alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic punch or eggnog. This will help keep you hydrated and you’ll drink fewer calories by the end of the night.
- When you are the host or hostess, include nutritious and lower-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on the menu. When you are a guest, bring along a lower-calorie dish to share.
- Try not to hang out near the food. Find a comfortable spot across the room and focus on people instead of eating.
- Watch your portion sizes. Don’t cover your plate completely with food. In most cases, especially when it comes to holiday sweets and alcoholic beverages, less is better. Use a smaller plate or bowl and have just a sliver of pie like the picture shows.
- Drop out of the “clean plate club”. Leave a few bites behind every time you eat, especially if you are eating something you don’t really care for.
- Enjoy your favorite holiday treats but take a small portion, eat slowly, and savor the taste and texture of the wonderful foods of the season.
- Skip the pie crust and go for the filling.
- Choose light meat over dark meat.
- Use home-made cranberry sauce over canned cranberries that are jam packed with added sugars.
- In soups, sauces, puddings, and desserts: Replace whole milk or cream with low-fat milk, evaporated fat-free milk, or nonfat dry milk.
Lighten up your recipes:
- To make dips and toppings: Use low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese or sour cream, or non-fat Greek yogurt.
- To make salad dressings: Use nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat buttermilk.
- In place of 1 whole egg in recipes: Use 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute.
- In place of regular cheese: Use fat-free or reduced-fat cheese.
- In place of full sugar: replace half with Splenda or reduce half completely.
- In place of fats: use unsweetened applesauce or oil (1-1 replacement), or prune puree (1 cup of fat=1/2 cup puree).
More importantly is ENJOY your family and friends and all that have to the THANKful for!
-Kelsey
