The Encore Fitness Blog Resources and information from top Las Vegas personal trainers, fitness and dietary experts. Carol Strom.

April 15, 2011

7 Breakfast Foods to Swap In, Not Out

Is breakfast really the “most important” meal of the day? Maybe, at least that’s what they told us in health class.

So if breakfast is the first meal of the day and you’re trying to lose weight, it’s probably a smart idea to make your first meal a good one.

And since most dieters judge food by two simple factors: fat and calories. Here are seven foods you should ditch and seven foods you should switch to if you’re looking for a better breakfast.

English Muffin or Bagel?

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Sorry, but a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese just isn’t Kosher – at least not for dieting. You’re better off switching to toasted nooks and crannies dripping with melted butter.

*English Muffin, with butter
5.8g total fat
189 calories

Bagel, with cream cheese
8g total fat
436 calories

Apple or Banana?

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Let’s face it, both apples and bananas are awesome – probably the healthiest foods on this list – but, if you’re looking to cut calories, go with the apple.

*Apple
0.17g total fat
50 calories

Banana
0.33g total fat
100 calories

Blueberry Yogurt or Oatmeal?

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Even without the “probiotics,” eating a light yogurt is smarter than a bowl of old fashioned oatmeal.

*Dannon Light’n Fit Blueberry Yogurt (6oz)
0g total fat
80 calories

Old Fashioned Quaker Oats, with water (1/2 cup)
3g total fat
150 calories

Coffee with Skim Milk or 2% Milk?

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For most people, missing their morning coffee is grounds for murder. So please, drink up! But make sure you stick with non-fat milk, not 2%

*Starbucks Coffee, with non-fat milk (short)
0g total fat
35 calories

Starbucks Coffee, with 2% milk (short)
2g total fat
50 calories

Wheaties or Raisin Bran?

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One cereal uses professional athletes to push product. Another is peddled by the sun. The sports stars win, go with a bowl of Wheaties.

*Wheaties (1 cup)
1g total fat
110 calories

Raisin Bran (1 cup)
1.3g total fat
190 calories

Turkey Bacon or Pork?

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It isn’t real bacon – it might not even taste like it – but the fat and calories don’t lie. Spare a pig, eat a turkey!

*Butterball Bacon-Style Turkey (1 slice, 18g)
3g total fat
40 calories

Pork Bacon (3 slices, 19g)
7.9g total fat
103 calories

Grapefruit Juice or Orange Juice?

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Grapefruit juice might not taste as sweet, but choke it down. It’s better than orange juice. And when you drink grapefruit juice, it’s less likely to squirt in your eye.

*Tropicana Grapefruit Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
90 calories

Tropicana Orange Juice (8 fl oz)
0g total fat
110 calories

January 14, 2011

The Yolk’s On You!

image courtesy from cooltownstudios.com


Food for thought:
Did you know that egg yolks are one of the few foods that contain all of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)? Still, the lowly egg yolk continues to be much maligned, due to its relatively high cholesterol content. Although the American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their yolk consumption to no more than four per week, eggs are still a great source of high-quality protein. One way to keep your consumption of egg yolks down while increasing flavor is to mix one yolk in with several egg whites.

Cooking with eggs at this time of year can be a bit tricky. Egg salads and hard-cooked eggs should be kept refrigerated. When you are eating outdoors, keep eggs out of the heat to prevent spoilage.

To avoid the nonharmful but unsightly greenish-black tinge that can appear when eggs are hard-cooked, follow these simple steps. First, make sure you simmer your eggs, and never let them boil. Simmer eggs for 15 minutes, as cooking too long can cause yolk discoloration. After the eggs are done simmering, immerse them in cold water to minimize the release of sulfur gas, which can migrate to and stain the yolk.


Original article by Diane Lofshult

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