Diet Friendly and Yummy!

magenta321 · #1 10-07-2001, 12:58 AM

Ok, we all know the old stand-bys when it comes to eating healthy, such as carrots and celery, and lots of rabbit food (lettuce). I am sure you all have found great-tasting, guilt-free products that you could share with us. I will share mine:

Kashi cereal -- very high in fiber, tastes great, can eat with or without milk, low in calories and fat. Also known in my house as "colon-blow" thanks to a SNL episode about a cereal which made you...

Smartbeats cheese -- American cheese-like substance, low in cholesterol and fat, and only 1 WW point, if I remember correctly. Actually melts like real cheese, so you don't have to give up grilled cheese sandwiches, if they are a weakness (and it's getting to be tomato soup weather... and what goes better with tomato soup?)

Green tea -- tastes good, helps you get your water quota for the day, and helps to cleanse the body

AmyLEnsor · #2 10-07-2001, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by magenta321
Smartbeats cheese -- American cheese-like substance, low in cholesterol and fat, and only 1 WW point, if I remember correctly. Actually melts like real cheese, so you don't have to give up grilled cheese sandwiches, if they are a weakness (and it's getting to be tomato soup weather... and what goes better with tomato soup?)

Well, Kinsey Millhone would say that only real American cheese would do. Or would it be Velveeta? I can't remember now.

Veggie burgers on high fiber light bread are low in points. My WW leader told me that a reduced fat hotdog on a Wonder Lite roll is only 2 points. I'm trying to eat a more whole foods diet though. I'm trying to think of some other good lowpoint snacks right now, but none spring to mind.

**pluckyduck** · #3 10-07-2001, 07:41 AM

Margaret!

You've joined the psychic connection in the forum. I wanted to start this thread yesterday, with my list of products and never got around to it.

Go you!

I'm too groggy yet this AM, but in the word's of Arnold, "I'll be back."

Andrea

cyndilouwhoo · #4 10-07-2001, 08:43 AM

There's nothing worse than having someone say, "Gee you should try XXXXXXXXXXXX, it's great, tasty and low in calories...You'll love it--really". Then you try it of course and it's something only an addled dieter would love.

94% fat free popcorn immediately springs to mind

Barry's French Twists most assuredly do not fall into this category.

These are a heavenly indulgence--so good they should be a zillion calories apiece--but they aren't. The only downside to this is that they come 12 to a package--so you have to exercise incredible control in order to prevent yourself from scarfing the entire bag in one sitting. (Just keep repeating to yourself, "portion control, portion control"

)

They are exactly like the french twists you get in the bakery--with the taste and flaky consistency of a Palm leaf (some bakeries call these confections "elephant ears")

I don't have the package in front of me to give you all the good news (I just threw out an empty bag yesterday

) but in WW Lingo, they are only a point apiece. If I recall correctly, they have no gluten, very little salt, little or no fat and oodles of flavor. They are awesome!

(Note: can't remember what kind of sugars it is sweetened with--so if you are a diabetic or need to control sugar intake, check the package for exchange info.)

There are 4 or 5 different flavors-- but my personal favorites are the Maple Syrup French Toast--and the Raspberry. I can't think of the others, but don't worry they are all good.

I have 3 for breakfast, along with a cup of coffee and skim milk or fruit. Voila! A decadent breakfast, sans guilt.

They make an excellent snack or dessert too! :lick:

They are in the "whole foods" section of my grocery store--but I have heard tell that they are in the gourmet section at others as well as the good ol' cookie section in regular old supermarket.

Indulge--and then write to thank me!

Cyndi

Who wants to personally thank Margaret for starting this yummy thread!

magenta321 · #5 10-07-2001, 08:56 AM

Cyndi -- I know exactly what you are talking about. Stop and Shop doesn't have them though

and Trader Joe's, the only place that I know has them is almost an hour a way

I love the cinamon ones even more than the raspberry ones. And you are right, they are hard to control, portion-wise.

I believe one of the most interesting things about those french twists is that they are egg free. I have no clue how they could be egg free, but they are, and they are ab fab!

And Amy, you are right, veggie burgers are great.

I also am partial to Morning Star Farms products, especially the chick nuggets. I don't have the box in front of me, but while not entirely low in fat, they are much lower in fat than their chicken counterparts. And I feel like they really taste like chicken. I love them! The chick patties, and buffalo flavored chick nuggets are also excellent.

cyndilouwhoo · #6 10-07-2001, 09:18 AM

Not to cross post--but this is where advocating for yourselfcomes into play:

If you want a grocery store to carry something you especially want...

NAG!

I have been known to bring in things I like in order to torture my local grocery store manager. I actually make the manager try them.

That's how I got the Barry's into the grocery store I regularly shop.

He is happy (The display is constantly empty) I am happy.

It's a win-win!

Cyndi

Who is getting really good at getting the things she needs to succeed!

magenta321 · #7 10-08-2001, 12:36 PM

Oh, I just thought of another one -- couscous. If you haven't had it, it's a grain, and it tastes great. I like to eat it with chicken. It spices up the routine a bit.

I also found that roasted red peppers dress up a boring sandwich or salad. In fact, I am learning to use a good amount of vinegar with a touch of oil as a dressing on sandwiches and salads. The roasted red peppers, and the use of spinach instead of lettuce really makes things yummy!

Sorbet is good -- less fat than ice cream, and still satisfies a sweet tooth.

Sometimes I also flavor rice or mashed potatoes with chicken broth instead of butter.

Ok, that's all for now. And, hey, where's Andrea? I thought she was coming back to share with us

#8 10-08-2001, 02:17 PM

How many Weight Watchers points is a bong hit, anyway? I figure everyone will be leafing through their equivalency charts while I'm stoned out of my mind playing Strip Deal-A-Meal with the Rockettes.

You call it Tae Bo, I call it High Bo.

murasaki · #9 10-08-2001, 05:01 PM

Couscous is really good!

I like edamame (boiled and lightly salted soybean pods). They're very good for snacking, especially since one usually needs both hands to get the beans out of the pods.

One of my favorite quick meals is cutting up a tomato, lightly sprinkling it with olive oil and basil. Very good, and you can skip the olive oil (though it's the good kind of fat).

--naomi

AmyLEnsor · #10 10-09-2001, 06:29 PM

94% fat free popcorn, like Smart Pop? That is the only kind of microwave popcorn I buy!!! It is much better than air popped popcorn. I'm not normally a dieter, so I don't think of it as something as only a dieter would love.

I thought of a treat that is low in WW points. Trader Joe's mint chocolate chip meringue cookies. I think a serving of six is something like 2 points, but I can't remember now. I do remember that the women I served them to were following the WW points program and were quite pleased. Unlike the other meringue flavors, the mint ones do have a gram of fat per serving and taste richer because of it.

I usually have whole wheat couscous when I have it, and it does have more fiber than the regular kind. At first when I was trying to figure out the points I was surprised that they seemed so high, but then I realized I wasn't converting the dry to cooked measure correctly. Cooking Light had a recipe for couscous salad that uses fresh basil, ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and olive oil. It is pretty good.

Oddly enough something I like is cooked bulghur wheat (or brown rice) with a little flax oil, dulse flakes and some salt. It sounds odd, but it can be quite satisfying and the dulse flakes and flax oil add flavor.

AmyLEnsor · #11 10-09-2001, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by magenta321
I also am partial to Morning Star Farms products, especially the chick nuggets. I don't have the box in front of me, but while not entirely low in fat, they are much lower in fat than their chicken counterparts. And I feel like they really taste like chicken. I love them! The chick patties, and buffalo flavored chick nuggets are also excellent.

I love the Morningstar chick nuggets, or at least I did the last time I had them. I also like the Trader Joe's chickenless nuggets. I have tried many different types of veggie burgers from the vegan mushroom kind that the healthfood store carries to Morningstart, to the many varieties of Boca and Gardenburgers. I've had the black bean patty at Chili's and the big veggie patty that Fuddrucker's serves. I even made my own from the Sproutman cookbook, but with ground soybean sprouts, tahini and sunflower seeds, they were very high in fat. Really good though! At first I really liked the burgerlike Boca burgers with their high soy content, but I don't like them anymore for some reason. I do like the Gardenburger Flame Grilled kind which are also soy and more burgerlike. I guess the fake smoke flavor hasn't worn on me yet. Oh, and the tempeh burgers sold in the refrigerated section of my health food store are really good, but rather pricey.

**Joubert**[$] · #12 10-10-2001, 11:29 PM

Listen, guys can't eat couscous for the same reason we can't eat chips --- portions.

I think couscous is a great side dish. Didja ever look at the recommended serving size? My gosh - that's not even more than a forkful or two! Reminds me of an ex-roommate who was trying to lose weight once and told me that 3 Lean Cuisines would fill him up, but he couldn't blow the thousand calories every night even with lite beer.

I do like the roasted peppers idea. Bannana peppers do the same for almost any dish or sandwich.

(What the hell am I doing posting in H&F - I have neither!)

**taurusmoon** · #13 10-10-2001, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by joubert
(What the hell am I doing posting in H&F - I have neither!)

Stick around. We can take care of that.

Sara

AmyLEnsor · #14 10-11-2001, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by joubert
I think couscous is a great side dish. Didja ever look at the recommended serving size? My gosh - that's not even more than a forkful or two

My couscous box lists a serving size as 1/3 cup dry which has 220 calories, 1 gram of fat, 7 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein. 1/3 cup dry makes a pretty good serving size when cooked. But maybe couscous isn't that compelling to me. I usually eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup of my grain foods (rice, bulgur) depending on how if I am eating something else or not. Now adding butter or oil, that might make it more addictive but I usually just eat it plain.

AmyLEnsor · #15 10-11-2001, 03:26 PM

Of course it occurred to me after I made that post that couscous could be just as addictive as other forms of pasta. I tend to eat it in situations where I would eat rice, but I will admit that I will eat much more of stuff like angel hair pasta. Especially since I've given up on buying the whole wheat kind, but I still only buy brown rice or whole wheat couscous. Hmmm...

Something else that I remembered was that 4 slices of lowfat polenta (the kind they sell in a tube, although I'm sure you could make your own if you'd rather) with 1/2 cup of black beans and 1/2 a cup of salsa is only 4 points on Weight Watchers and is a nice filling meal, especially when you add a salad or some vegetables.

**AuntieEmma**[$] · #16 10-11-2001, 03:46 PM

My current favorite convenient healthy food: Familia no-added-sugar Swiss Muesli cereal.

Complete ingredients list: Oat flakes, wheat flakes, millet flakes, dried raisins, whole flour from wheat, rye and barley, dates, wheat germ, hazelnuts, dried apples, bananas, almonds.

It actually says on the front of the box, "Not a low calorie food" (something I've never seen on a box before -- I'm guessing they put that there because they thought "no added sugar" might be misleading), but a serving is 200 calories, which doesn't sound all that bad, and it's very filling -- filling enough so that I'm not tempted to go buy a pastry two hours after breakfast. It tastes great. I've tried other brands of muesli, and thought they were pretty bad -- the Familia is the only one that I've tried that I like.

**Joubert**[$] · #17 10-11-2001, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AuntieEmma

It actually says on the front of the box, "Not a low calorie food" (something I've never seen on a box before -- I'm guessing they put that there because they thought "no added sugar" might be misleading)

The closest thing I could find that discusses this issue is at the FDA's web site, which states in part:

Foods that claim to contain fewer calories or less fat than similar servings of similar products must show the difference on the label. For example, on a container of low-fat cottage cheese, the label would show that a serving of the low-fat product contains 80 calories and 1.5 grams of fat while regular cottage cheese contains 120 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.