4 Smart Food Moves - Part Two

DUMP THE JUNK!!!! As your intake of processed and fast foods increses, so does your risk for obesity. Choosing foods in their most natural state, potatoes instead of chips, milk instead of shakes, and blueberries instead of pie, almost always means more nutrients and fewer calories, fat, sugar and salt. Three way to dial down the empty calories: *SWAP SMART* Look for less processed versions of the foods you're craving, like strawberries instead of Twizzlers or oatmeal instead of oatmeal raisin cookies. Cynthia Sass, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, suggests satisfying a case of the munchies with a handful of a whole grain cereal like Cheerioes instead of chips. You can also shave a few hundred calories by having a Fudgesicle or fruit juice bar instead of ice cream, says Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., and adjunct assistant professor of nutrition at New York University. Or try her favorite: "dip a banana in chocolate, roll it in crushed peanuts, and freeze it." *EAT A BETTER BREAKFAST* Trade doughnuts, toaster pastries and muffinsfor the gold standard of breakfasts: a bowl of whole-grain cereal, nonfat milk or soy milk and a piece of fruit, which will put your blood sugar on an even keel and ward off midday cravings *LIGHTEN UP YOUR GROCERY CART* The greater the variety of goodies you have stashed in your cupboard, the more you'll eat. "Limit the number of junk foods you throw in your cart to one a week," says Sass. That includes chips, candy, ice cream and any other food without at least 10% of the RDA for either protein, fiber or a vitamin or mineral. *SNACK DEFENSIVELY* Prevent yourself from getting so hungry that you'll eat whatever junk is within reach. When running errands, bring healthy munchies along so that you'll be less tempted by the giant cinnamon rolls at the mall food court. Apples, nuts and whole-grain crackers are perfect portable snacks. Stay tuned for 4 Smart Food Moves - Part Three **Disclaimer - this information was pulled from Fitness magazine**