What I Ate Wednesday......and a Few Things about Salads!

This morning I woke up and thought to myself……..what a great day for “What I Ate Wednesday!” 

·         Breakfast:  Trader Joe’s Bran Flakes combined with Nature’s Path Blueberry Cinnamon cereal, topped with raspberries and milled flaxseed. Served with unsweetened soy milk. Medium Soy Au Lait (half-steamed soy milk and half cup coffee) from Spring Garden Café and Bakery once I got to the office.

·         Morning Snack: Peanut butter/ Dark Chocolate KIND bar. I immediately realized that this was an indulgent snack but it was what I packed along to my morning full of meetings. Perhaps you have heard a thing or two about KIND bars in the news lately. They recently got a hand slap from the FDA for labeling several of their granola bars as “healthy.” The bars in question contain too much saturated fat according to FDA guidelines and made a few other claims that did not sit well with them. My stance and suggestion: Ignore food marketing. I disregard claims such as “natural” and “healthy” and assess the product myself by taking a quick peak at the nutrient facts label and the ingredient list. I am fine with the fat content of the KIND bar because most of it comes from nuts and because of this, they actually fill me up between meals (most others do not). However, a KIND bar is not the most nutritious snack choice out there of course, especially the variety I had today. After all, a lot of added sugar was in my snack as out of the first five ingredients, three of them were sugar (dark chocolate coating, glucose syrup and honey)—yikes!

·         Lunch: A HUGE salad at the office with lots of yummy ingredients including broccoli, edamame, carrots, garbonzo beans, cucumbers, walnuts, green peppers, mandarin oranges……..and so on--see photo!). Topped with a bit of Annie’s Woodstock dressing and served alongside a homemade muffin (whole wheat blueberry turmeric, for more details see my turmeric post a few months back). Apparently it is National Salad Month in May and to celebrate our morale team hosted a salad bar potluck event. Water to drink and a yummy s' more courtesy of a coworker for dessert.

** Some comments on salads……..I cannot tell you the number of times that my patients tell me “I don't know why I am not losing weight, all I eat is salads!” I gotta say, just eating salads does not impress me. In fact, upon further exploration, many of the “salads” eaten are really lots of cheese, a lake of salad dressing, and salty meat sprinkled with lettuce. I usually ask, can you still see all the ingredients in your salad after you add the cheese and salad dressing? A salad is a super healthy choice when planned wisely. Here are some of my tips for creating a nutritious and filling salad:

* For salad dressings,  I usually recommend choosing the real deal and being mindful about how much is used. Try the fork dipping method to get some dressing in every bite (dip each bite lighly in a side of dressing). Avoid fat free dressings as they don't offer fat needed for nutrient absorption and they may have extra salt or sugar in them to boost the taste. Best bet: Extra virgin olive oil and some vinegar.

* For toppings load on the colorful non-starchy vegetables and be sure to include some protein and healthy fat to keep you satisfied longer. No point in eating a wimpy salad at lunch leaving you hungry and more likely to overindulgence later. Some of my favorites: roasted beets, fresh berries,  sungold cherry tomatoes,  nuts, pumpkin seeds, lentils,  hardboiled egg, goat cheese, salmon, and spicy radishes. 

* Go easy on the cheese and avoid lots of fatty, sugary and salty toppings like bacon bits, deli or breaded meats, glazed nuts and croutons.

·         Afternoon Snack: Banana

·         Dinner: Lentils cooked with ginger, curry powder and cinnamon; falafel;  baby spinach drizzled with olive oil and balsamic; a few pieces of raw cauliflower.  Served with water.