Citrition Nutrition

Most adults need around 21 - 30 grams of fiber per day. If you’re eating your 7 - 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, plus whole grains, you’ll have no trouble. But, for anyone who’s falling a little short, try including Fiber One’s new chewy bars in your diet. At 9 grams of fiber each, that can mean 1/3 to 1/2 the amount you need for the day. That’s not to say these should be a substitute for fresh fruit and vegetables, but they sure beat a bag of chips for a snack.

How often do you hear people tell you what a great snack nuts are? Yet, despite eating them regularly you can’t seem to lose weight. Well, nuts are very nutritious, but they are also very high in calories. A serving of most nuts is about 10 - 15 nuts and can pack in 150 calories. So, instead of reaching for a handful of nuts, try some seeds instead — pumpkin, sunflower… You can eat a lot more for the same number of calories and you’ll still get a ton of the nutrition found in nuts.

Are you concerned about gaining the dreaded holiday weight gain? Each week I’ll provide another tip to help you get through the rest of the year.
1. When you are at a party, stand away from the food table. That means take your conversation to the other side of the room. You’ll actually have to excuse yourself from a conversation to get food rather than being able to continuously reach for more food while you are talking to someone. It’s a great way to prevent mindless eating and cut back on the number of calories you eat at the party.

It’s that time of year where the candy is everywhere. Beware of keeping candy in eye’s view (ie a bowl of M&Ms or miniature chocolates on your desk). While it may be a way to tempt colleagues to stop by and chat, studies show that if it’s in front of you, you’ll eat significantly more. So, get rid of the candy bowl… you’ll not only save a lot of calories, but maybe end up a lot more productive at work.

Ever feel like you need some extra motivation to stay on the treadmill or even get to the gym in the first place? Try going when your favorite show is on television — whether it’s Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Project Runway or even Friends reruns. The time goes much faster when you have something good to watch, and you’ll be much more likely to stay on for a few more minutes to see what happens. Plus, it gives you something to talk about with the person on the machine next to you… whoever that may be.

Concerned about what’s in the food you’re eating? For many people, organic food has become the solution to this problem. Even if you’re not sold on buying all organic food, when companies are making organic versions of your favorite foods, why not try it? Kellogg’s has now come out with some of your favorite cereals in Organic varieties - check out the new Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran and Frosted Mini Wheats.

With the outbreak of E.coli in bagged spinach, a lot of people are concerned. E.coli, which can cause a deadly food-borne illness, is often associated with undercooked, contaminated beef. However, produce can also be contaminated as E.coli is found in animal and human waste. Make sure to always wash all fruits and vegetables well (including salad in bags) and cook beef to at least 160 degrees.

Now that summer is over, most people revert back to eating less fruit. Of course, the summer offers a wide array of delicious fresh fruits that aren’t available in the winter. But, that doesn’t mean when the summer ends you have to stop eating them. Frozen fruits are a great way to get your nutrition and still enjoy the fruits of summer. Look for assorted frozen fruits in your supermarket — particularly the berries. Frozen fruit is just as nutritious as fresh fruit. So, continue your healthy eating all winter.

If you are — you’re not alone. Many Americans eat a breakfast that has very little or even no protein (ex.bagel, cereal). Protein helps fill you up — think chicken or steak dinner…
If you find that your breakfast isn’t holding you until lunch, try an egg white with breakfast or a small handful of nuts in your cereal. The protein can really help hold you until your next meal.

It’s that time of year - the last few weeks of summer - when you are probably going to attend a few bbqs. When choosing food at a bbq, keep these tips in mind:

• A hot dog usually has less calories than a hamburger (although a hamburger is usually more nutritious)
• Try either without the bun to save some calories
• Corn is a starchy vegetable. That means it counts like a piece of bread, not like a vegetable
• The calories in mayo in cole slaw and potato salad really add up. Go easy on those foods
• Watermelon is high in antioxidants and water making it a very healthy snack or dessert

So, enjoy those bbqs and going easy on the alcohol!