Posts Tagged ‘cheese’

Diet spy

June 24th, 2009

Do you know by eating just half a grapefruit a day will melt off 20-plus pounds in three months without you having to make any changes. But all of us have a problem here: How to shoot down our a.m cravings for tasty pastries with nothing more than the chipper declaration?

You should try a Grapefruit Brulee. Here’s how:

As you’re brewing your morning joe, fire up the broiler. Then take a grapefruit, slice that sucker in half, spoon a layer of brown sugar on top and broil for a minute. Voila – that bubbly brown-sugar crust transform a standby into a superlative!

Here are some options of what we should actually choose when our crazy cravings hit us!

The office vending machine’s worst fear

Last night you promised yourself that you’d pack those baby carrots and tote them to work. But due to an unforeseeen snooze-button incident this morning, you were forced to rush out the door empty-handed and were late for a meeting, to boot. Now it’s 3 P.M. and you are hallucinating with hunger, seconds away from skipping down the yellow-brick road to the vending machine. But wait: What’s this usassuming granola bar in your desk? Jackpot! It’s a Quaker Fiber & Omega -3 Dark Chocolate Chunk Bar. With all the buzzwords on the package , these babies may look like health food, but they taste totally decacent. Their secret: In between the good-for-you ingredients are hefty chunks of dark chocolate. A satisfying snack with no ensuing sugar crash? Maybe you’ll survive until dinner.

Chewy Multigrain with Dark Choc Chunk

Chewy Multigrain with Dark Choc Chunk

Calling all you Cheez-It friends

Have you seen your mug shots in your post office? No matter how many times you’re caught orange-handed, you can’t resist the goodness of a crunchy, salty, fatty cracker or better yet, an entire box. But in an effort to clean up your act, you’ve struck out in search of a more nutritious option. And boy, did you find a winner with Ak-Mak 100% Whole Wheat Crackers. These fiber-rich Armenian offerings don’t look like much (apart from roofing shingles), but try some.

Ak-Mak Cracker with spread

Ak-Mak Cracker with spread

See? Surprisingly complex buttery flavor enhanced by nutty sesame. Care for another? We thought so. To lend these lovelies even more mmm, give them a generous smear of The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Spreadable Cheese. You’ll be saying “Cheez-who?” in no time.

Spicy buffalo wing lovers unite

WS001

Just a single whiff of saucy hot wings and our stomachs launch into a full-blown volcanic rumble. But whoa, watch out! With 1,000 calories and 66 grams of fat in the average serving, these wings can still fly…well, straight to your thighs. It’s a good thing there’s a way to get that palate-tickling blend of spicy, crispy zing without having to get the waistbands of your pants professionally altered. You call these nibbles First Buffalo Blings, but you’ll call them downright delicious. To make: Nuke a bag of 100 calorie microwaveable popcorn, then sprinkle in a few drops of Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce. Clamp the bag shut, shake, shake, shake and dump it all into a bowl preferably one that nestles right into your lap. That’s a big yum yum treat without adding inches to the tum!

Sandwiches: Fillers that aren’t diet killers

June 22nd, 2009

subway-sandwich

Hollywood stars like Mandy Moore know that when it comes to sandwiches, less isn’t more. If you skip the mayo but add a little coleslaw to your sandwich, you’re only packing another 50 calories. A huge scoop of slaw, however, delivers a walloping 200 calories. Also, it’s good to add tomatoes to your sandwich because they contain lycopene, a cancer fighter that also helps you fight off heart disease. Mustard has only nine calories. As for cheese, cheddar is better than provolone because you save upward of 70 grams of salt. If you want to save calories, skipping any full-fat cheese will reduce your luunch by a major 100 calories. Skip the pickles or you might as well suck on a saltshaker.