Dishin’ on Nutrition Part II

Welcome back, friends! I found so much information on common nutrition mistakes from this Cooking Light here. Back to the matter at hand – digging into common slip ups in the kitchen.

• Considering fruits like apples and bananas “free”. Weight Watchers recently changed their system to make fruit free, the thought being it would encourage dieters to make healthier snack choices. While the theory of making healthier choices is a good one, it’s important to remember no food with calories is free. A banana has 105 calories, a good substitute for chips, but simply adding fruit to your diet will eventually add up in calories.
  • Bottom line: Concentrate on making healthy choices in diet and exercise, and less on calories.

• Swapping turkey bacon for the pork kind. What it really comes down to is the cut of the meat. A thinner, naturally leaner, center cut pork bacon fares better than some fattier turkey cuts; and vice versa.
  • Bottom line: Another reason why reading labels is so important. If you like pork, pick a lean cut.

• Not eating before you hit the gym. A snack thirty minutes prior to exercise can be thought of as fuel for the tank. There has to be calories to burn for your body to make it through the workout and be a more effective.
  • Bottom line: Aim for 100-200 calories of a mix of carbs and protein – a banana and some nuts or a slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter. This is especially important if you’re an early bird in the gym!

• Measuring ingredients. This might seem like a no brainer, but research shows that when people guess they commonly over pour. This may not seem like a big deal, but consider this: the difference between a half-teaspoon and a teaspoon of salt is about 1,200 milligrams - half the daily recommendation. Doing a free hand shake of cereal into your bowl each morning can also be costing you calories.
  • Bottom line: Measure!

• Setting the treadmill for a 300 calorie workout so you can indulge in a 300 calorie treat. Cardio equipment is known for overestimating calorie burn. The best ones ask for you height, weight, and gender, but even then are only estimating.
  • Bottom line: If weight loss is your aim, you might be better off investing in a heart rate monitor (the kind that straps around your chest), which gives you a better idea of how hard you’re working and how many calories have been burned.

• Stocking up on veggies. Almost all vegetables begin losing nutrients as soon as they’re harvested. After a week in your fridge, green beans have lost 77% of their vitamin C!
  • Bottom line: Shop for produce a few times a week to keep things at their healthiest. Relying on locally grown produce can also help as it typically has shorter travel time. Frozen vegetables are also a good choice since they are frozen immediately upon harvesting, locking in their nutrients.

And there it is... a list of some of the most common nutrition mistakes, and how to correct them! I was shocked by the turkey bacon. Which one of these was most surprising to you? Do you have other solutions to correct any of these misconceptions?