Product Reviews - Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones

Like I said in my last blog post I am allowing some frozen/processed foods in my diet.  It has been interesting so far.  Not all of these products are created equal.  Let's start with the bad.

I was extremely hopeful that I would like the Healthy Choice  Lobster Cheese Ravioli.  It certainly sounded good.  However, I am convinced now that Lobster has to be fresh.  It just tasted too fishy.  I didn't even finish it.  Instead, I immediately put it down the disposal and nuked the Healthy Choice Pumpkin Squash Ravioli.  I ate it all, but it was strange.  I thought it was going to be a combination of sweet and savory.  It was heavy on the sweet and too easy on the savory.  The addition of the granny smith apples seemed entirely out of place.  Today I tried the Healthy Choice Portabella Marsala Pasta.  It was much better than the raviolis.  It is highly rated on the Healthy Choice website.  I will definitely be reading more of the reviews on the website before purchasing anymore Healthy Choice frozen entrees.  Some of their soups are okay, but soup tends to already be fairly low in calories if you pick the right ones.  With that in mind, I prefer brands like Amy's Kitchen and Wolfgang Puck.  Both brands are organic and packed with flavor.

The Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli is much better than the Healthy Choice Ravioli.  Overall I haven't tried very many Lean Cuisine meals.  It seems like they have often disappointed me in the past.  One of my client's said that the Three Meat Pizza is quite good and satisfying.  It's 390 calories.  If you have tried a few of the Lean Cuisine products that you really enjoyed, then please post them in the comments.

As far as pizza goes I found some frozen pizzas that I really like that don't break the calorie bank.  For a supreme pizza I like DiGiorno 200 Calorie portions.  I also really like the California Pizza Kitchen small pizzas.  I particularly like the BBQ Chicken (around 500 calories) and Margherita (430 calories) pizzas.  Sometime over the next week I'm going to try the Hawaiian pizza (380 calories).  I was also quite pleased with Freschetta Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom pizza by the slice.  I can't remember how many calories it was, but I believe it was under 400.  It was delicious and full of flavor.

As far as food from the freezer aisle, I have also tried several of the Smart Ones. My favorite so far is the Pasta with Spinach and Ricotta.(300 calories, 8 points).  Since the Smart Ones entrees were on sale today at the grocery store I stocked up on a variety of different ones to try.   I will blog my reviews over the next two weeks.  Let me know if you have a favorite Smart Ones, and I'll be sure to put it on my grocery list.

Now I am off to get ready.  My husband is taking me out to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary.  It's actually tomorrow, but who says we can't celebrate early?  It's definitely going to be a cheat meal.

Planning for Success

I must admit that my holiday detox did get a bit derailed, but I am decidedly unapologetic.  I learned that it was too extreme for me, and that I really don't want to give up my Starbucks Espresso & Cream Doubleshot.  I do intend to keep the rules of detox in mind for moderation.  For example, I am going to cut back on sugar and fat intake simply because it makes low-calorie eating more comfortable.  It is easier to eat low-calorie when you fill up on low-cal fruits and vegetables that are packed with nutrition and fiber.  I am also cutting back on meat.  I'm going to try to stick with mostly fish, chicken, and vegetarian meals.  I hope to limit my intake of beef and pork to 2-3 meals per week.

Also to set myself up for success I'm going to stop eating with my husband, Carl, during the work week.  Carl tends to eat later in the evening, and he cooks the most amazing food.  However, I tend to overeat his delicious cuisine.  I also don't need to eat that late, because I go to bed relatively early.  He can eat that late because he has an awesome metabolism.  Plus he's 6' 7" so if he gains a pound or two he wears it well.  I'm not so lucky.  

In an attempt to get ready for pool season (it's just around the corner!), I am determined to watch my calories during the week.  I will allow myself a couple "cheat days" on the weekends so I can still enjoy my husband's delicious cooking from time to time.

To plan ahead I brainstormed several different lunch and dinner options to have at home or on the go.  I put the list in the notes on my iPhone so that it's with me everywhere I go.  For the purposes of ease, calorie control, and portion control I am including processed and frozen foods in my diet.  However, I hope to balance them out with fresh produce.  I am also allowing some fast food, but I don't plan on eating it all the time.

Within this post I will list lunch and dinner options together since they are mostly interchangeable.  Most of the items on the list reflect my personal taste so it is not an all-inclusive list by any means.  If you have other favorites in mind, then please add them in the comments.

My Easy Low-cal Lunches and Dinners

English Muffin Pizzas (Make with your own favorite toppings, pizza sauce, and 2% cheese.)
California Pizza Kitchen Personal Size Pizza (Margherita or BBQ Chicken, each 430 calories)
DiGiorno 200-calorie Portion Pizza paired with a salad
Subway Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread (Ham & Cheese or Veggie Delite)
Panera*
Panda Express Panda Bowl*
Jimmy John's Unwich*
Veggie Gluten-free Quesadilla*
Oscar Mayer Sub Sandwich (Steakhouse Cheddar, 430 calories)
Progresso Light Soup (100 calories per cup) and small side salad
Healthy Choice Zesty Gumbo Soup (100 calories per cup) and a biscuit or corn muffin
Wolfgang Puck Organic Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (140 calories per cup) and a salad
Wolfgang Puck Organic Tomato Basil Bisque (150 calories per cup) and a grilled cheese sandwich
Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli (260 calories) and 3 oz. grilled chicken or salmon
Smart Ones Lasagna Florentine (310 calories) and a small salad or cup of soup
Smart Ones Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach (280 calories) with a Tbsp.of grated parmesan and 3 oz. Rotisserie chicken breast (no skin)
Lean Pockets paired with a cup of soup, small salad, or crudite
California Sushi Rolls (small roll from the supermarket)
Wendy's Half Salads*
Chipotle*
Fish Tacos and Black Beans*
Curry Chicken Lettuce Wraps*

*See previous blog post in the archives for recipe or a more extensive list of options.

For breakfast I am sticking with my Espresso & Cream Doubleshot.  I will get the Light version when I can.  If I wake up hungry I will have some oatmeal. Otherwise, I will have my oatmeal as an afternoon snack.  For more variety of snacks I will choose from my previous post, "Bunches of Low-Calorie Snack Options."


Please feel free to post your favorite, easy low-calorie meals in the comments.

350 Calorie Gluten Free Veggie Quesadilla

 

 Nutrition Info

• Calories: 350.2
• Fat: 15.6g
• Carbohydrates: 41.3g 
• Fiber: 8.0g
• Protein: 13.6g

Ingredients

2 Soft Corn Tortillas
1/4 cup Kuner's Refried Black Beans with Lime Juice
1/4 cup Colby Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded
1/3 cup Bird's Eye Ultimate Southwest Blend (frozen corn, onion, black bean, and poblano pepper mix)
2 Tbsp. Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. Pico de Gallo
Cooking Spray

Directions

The first step is optional. I spray each side of the tortillas with cooking spray. Then place the tortillas on a cookie sheet. Broil them on high for 1 minute on each side in the oven to soften them.

Next preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Spread the re-fried black beans evenly on each tortilla. Be sure to coat close to the edge of the tortilla.

Next top each tortilla with the colby jack cheese. Only 1/4 cup!  Make sure you measure it or it won't be a 350-calorie quesadilla!

Microwave the frozen Southwest blend for 30 seconds to thaw/heat the vegetables. Drain and add to each tortilla.

Bake each tortilla open-faced in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Next broil them on high for 2 minutes until the cheese is slightly browned for added flavor. Make sure you keep an eye on them so that the tortillas don't burn. Then flip one tortilla on top of the other and cut it into quarters. Garnish with the sour cream and pico de gallo.

Serving Size: 1 quesadilla

Holiday Season Detox

Christmas Day with My Cousins at Aunt Pat's!

I have been a very naughty trainer the past couple months.  Not only have I not been blogging, but I also have not been eating low-calorie through the holidays.  Like most people I over-indulged and gained some weight.  I would love to lie to you and say I followed all my own advice, worked out everyday, and watched my portions.  I must confess.  I did not.

Now I am in total detox mode.  Don't jump to any conclusions!  I am not getting a colonic or doing a colon cleanse.  By "detox" I mean that I am in diet overhaul.  You might be thinking this is just some weird New Year's resolution.  It's not.

I actually haven't been feeling very well the last couple months.  I thought I was just getting older and entering perimenopause.  I have had symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, mild depression, hot flashes, night sweats, intolerance to cold, low body temperature, joint pain, hypoglycemia, etc.  After doing a lot of research on the internet I discovered I have numerous symptoms of adrenal fatigue.  Symptoms that I thought were totally unrelated might have to do with the impact that stress and diet have on my adrenal glands.

I must inform you that adrenal fatigue is not widely recognized as an actual diagnosis by the medical community.  However, considering I have had a lot of the symptoms of this so-called condition I decided to research more about it.  I found a website for Dr. Lam in California.  He has a lot of interesting things to say on the subject of adrenal fatigue.  He treats patients individually based on his/her hormonal imbalance.

Before rushing off to get expensive supplements and bio-identical hormone replacements, I decided it would be wise to save my money by implementing a few changes first.  Dr. Lam makes a lot of recommendations regarding diet.  You can read his Detox Diet Protocol on his website.  He recommends making lifestyle changes to your diet over the course of 12 months.  There is no better time than January to start.  In summary, these are the following changes that he recommends making slowly over the course of a year:

1. Decrease in fat intake
2. Decrease desserts, candies
3. Increase vegetables and fruits intake
4. Use whole grain products
5. Reduce milk and dairy products
6. Cut down on eggs
7. Decrease meat intakes
8. Stop using processed meats
9. Cut down on coffee, tea and cola beverages
10. Cut down on alcoholic beverages
11. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
12. Cut down on snacks and between meal eating


I have implemented a lot of his suggested changes to my diet over the past four days.  Surprise, surprise!  I already feel a lot better.  I am making the changes a bit faster than he recommended.  On day three I had a wicked headache, but that was it.  Now I feel great, and I have lost 2 lbs (probably water weight, but I'll take it!).  I cannot say that giving up some of my favorite things has been easy.  It has actually been really hard, but I keep reminding myself that I am feeling better. 


I would be remiss if I did not divulge that I have also made additional lifestyle changes to make the whole process easier.  For stress release I have been doing several of these things each day:


1.  Epsom Salts Bath at night to wind down
2.  Drinking Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Tea (Chamomile) to help me fall asleep
3.  Playing the Hypnosis Customizable Pack iPhone App to help me fall asleep
4.  Relaxation Yoga
5.  Cardiovascular Exercise to wake-up (instead of my Starbuck's Espresso & Cream)
6.  Subbing Green Tea for Coffee (less caffeine)

It has only been four days so I could be experiencing a placebo effect.  I truly hope it all lasts.  My energy and motivation is back up.  I am sleeping quite a bit better.  Most importantly, I feel happier, healthier, and calmer. 
  
Happy New Year!

Sara 
Choices Coach


Disclaimer:  Please check with your doctor before embarking on any diet, supplement, or exercise program.

Wild Blueberries & Split Routine Training

 

I have to admit I have not been working out that much over the last week and a half.  I have been battling what seems to either be an overuse knee injury or osteoarthritis.  I had decided to lay off my knee to see if it would help, while taking a heavy dosage of Ibuprofen that my doctor prescribed.  Admittedly, I could have worked my upper body over the past week and a half.  I didn't.  I was feeling a little depressed about the whole thing.  The pain in my knee has persisted over the past 3 months.  It feels like the meniscus (or menisci) in my left knee is either inflamed or possibly degenerated.

I can't say that the medicine or rest is helping so far.  However, today I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself.  If I can't do high impact aerobics, squats, and lunges, then I will just do what I can.  The past couple of days I have been counting my calories on Spark People.  I'm trying to stay within a 1300 to 1500 calorie range.  In addition, today I did one of Leslie Sansone's low impact walking videos for 30 minutes.  Afterwards, I went to the gym in my building and did a "push" upper body workout:

Chest Press Machine (1 set)
Military Push-Ups (15 reps)
Crocodile Hold (10 seconds)
Single Leg Plank (2 sets, 30 seconds each)
Tricep Pressdown Machine (2 sets)
Tricep Chair Dips (1 set of 20)
Bicycles (2 sets of 100)
Side Plank (30 seconds on each side)
Prone Cobra (2 sets of 30)

I ended my workout with some yoga stretching, and it felt great to be moving again.  It was certainly better than nothing, and my knee feels the same (no better, no worse).  Tomorrow I will do some type of "pull" split-routine, and cardio as my knee allows.  On Friday I will just do cardio, shoulders, and more core work.  More about "push/pull" split routines...

I'm trying to eat blueberries and drink a lot of green tea each day to get more antioxidants.  Studies have shown that,  "antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties."  I like Trader Joe's frozen wild blueberries (wild blueberry faq's).  They are grown naturally with no pesticides.  One cup is only 70 calories.  They are delicious, sweet, and tiny.  In my opinion they taste more like the blueberries in blueberry muffins than regular blueberries.  Plus they are better for you.  Woohoo!  I especially love them sweetened with agave nectar, served over a buttermilk pancake.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area, then you might check your local health food store.

Check out these low-cal recipes from some of my favorite sites & blogs:
Blueberry Lemon Bread
Heart Healthy Oatmeal with Berries
Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle
Blueberry Cheesecake
Blueberry Smoothie