Life has a way of surprising you with stuff that wasn’t in your plan—especially when you’re on a diet. Sometimes you have to make adjustments as you go. Here’s a set of tools to help:
How to spot “diet food” impostors
How to eat in a restaurant without blowing it
How to eat on the go while managing your weight
How to manage cravings
Many foods are enthusiastically billed as “healthy” or “natural.” Good though they sound, these descriptors are devoid of meaning at best and wholly misleading at worst. Become a skeptic in a good way. Don’t accept clichés, assumptions, or common “wisdom.” Use the information we have provided throughout this book, combined with your own common sense and powers of observation, to decide for yourself what is truly a good food choice for you.
Be wary of “low-fat” foods (other than dairy products). Take a second look—for sugar, calories, etc.
Of course, we understand that not every crumb of every food you put in your mouth has to be an ideal nutritional specimen. There are many times when all of us just want to relax and eat something for fun. However, when we take in empty calories unconsciously and without limit, they can add up quickly and meaninglessly. Remember, when your meals and snacks are devoid of protein, healthy fat, or fiber, they will fly below your satiety radar and you’ll likely eat too much and be hungry again very soon.
So we’re not saying “never” with this list. We’re saying, rather, open your eyes and pay attention—and don’t accept clichés or hype. Be smart. That’s all.
Be skeptical of:
Salads. They are only as good for you as their actual contents. Calling something “salad” doesn’t automatically mean it’s a good weight-control choice. Stick mostly to leafy greens and other vegetables, and make sure the dressing isn’t full of partially hydrogenated fat, sugar, refined starch, or hidden, empty calories. (See the box on here.)
Brown Bread. A dark hue is not necessarily an indicator of whole-grain anything. The brown color in bread could easily be from molasses, for example. Read the nutrition panel to be sure that whole grains are indicated at or near the top of the label, in plain English. A good rule: For every 100 calories of bread, you want to get at least 3 grams each of protein and fiber. (See here–here for more details.)
Yogurt. Yogurt means well. But sometimes it is so loaded with sugar that you wonder how it all fits into that little container—or how you can eat it without your teeth curling into ringlets. Read the label to make sure the yogurt is respectable. (Check out the guidelines on here.)
Smoothies. Commercially prepared smoothies in little plastic bottles have become très chic. But beware the hidden calories in this often-faux “health food”! The protein and fiber count can be very low and the sugar count can be through the roof. Keep in mind, also, that a single container often contains two servings. (Read that label again.) In such cases, double the number of calories to get an accurate count. A better choice: homemade smoothies (here–here) or plain low-fat yogurt (sweetened lightly by you, if you prefer) and a piece of whole fresh fruit, with water as your liquid. That said, there are also a (very) few decent commercially prepared smoothies on the market. (See here–here for guidelines.)
Granola. These can vary greatly, but they all tend to be very calorie-dense. You’re better off eating hot whole-grain cereals that you make yourself (here–here) or a cold cereal with a good calorie-protein-fiber ratio. (See here.)
Muffins. A health food hoax, for the most part. Consider them cupcakes, and (usually) very large ones at that. And unless they are labeled otherwise, you should assume that packaged muffins are loaded with trans fat. Even “low-fat” muffins are riddled with sugar and packed with calories. You’re better off eating a couple of slices of whole-grain toast with low-sugar jam.
Cereal Bars and Granola Bars. Just as muffins tend to be cupcakes with halos, cereal bars and granola bars are often indistinguishable, nutrition-wise, from cookies. Good-quality protein bars with real protein and vitamin and mineral content, less sugar, and often fewer calories, have much more to offer. We’ve given you some guidelines on here.
Fruit Juice. This bears repeating: Fruit juice is loaded with sugar and calories—especially in the case of juice drinks. Juice is often presented as a “healthy choice,” but try to avoid it, or at the very least, dilute it. The much healthier option: Eat whole fruit; drink water.
Pretzels. A few pretzels, once in a while, can be fun to eat. But many weight-loss programs mistakenly recommend that you consider these a good snack choice on a regular basis, because they are generally fat-free or low in fat. Pretzels have nothing to offer you besides the momentary pleasure of salty, crunchy mouthfeel, and their quickly digested carbohydrates cause your blood sugar to spike (see Chapter 3). They will not only not fill you up, but can leave you hungrier. So, once in a while, for fun—yes, but not as a sturdy, regular solution.
Bagels. Contrary to popular assumptions, most bagels have little or no food value and are a major empty-calorie experience. Even the dark ones are usually pretty much devoid of fiber, similar to brown bread (see opposite page). So, sorry, but these are not a good choice beyond the occasional brunch treat. On that special Sunday, you’ll be better off glycemically (and sensually) if you spread your bagel lightly with cream cheese and heap on the lox, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes.
Here are some survival strategies for eating out at the most popular kinds of restaurants.
Start with a salad dressed with olive oil and vinegar (hold the croutons) or a clear, broth-based, non-creamy soup (ideally one with a few beans and lots of greens).
Try to avoid the bread. If this is just too difficult and will ruin your fun (because you’re the world’s most passionate bread-o-phile), make a deal with yourself to “trade” the bread for rice or potatoes and/or ask the waiter not to replenish the basket after your first go-round.
Ask for olive oil instead of butter.
Make a choice between a pre-dinner drink and wine. Either/or—not both.
Before the food arrives, have a glass of sparkling water.
Instead of an entrée, order one or two appetizers or a few vegetable side dishes. Or, if you order an entrée, request an extra green vegetable instead of a starchy carbohydrate side dish.
Split an entrée with someone else.
Order grilled foods and ask for the sauce on the side—or better yet, just a wedge of lemon. This can be incredibly delicious!
Eat half and take home the rest.
Order a half portion (or child’s portion) of spaghetti with red sauce, or just take three bites of someone else’s pasta.
If you can’t bear the thought of skipping dessert, order one for the table and plenty of extra spoons.
Don’t forget to eat slowly.
Have a tostada instead of a burrito or enchilada–and only pretend to eat the deep-fried shell.
¡Beans, sí!
¡Rice, no!
¡Guacamole, sí!
¡Sour cream, no!
Cheese, so-so. Keep it modest.
Salsa is sacred (close to zero calories, tons of flavor and antioxidants), so pile it on religiously!
If you do order a burrito, ask for it to be filled with any or all of the following: Whole beans, chicken, grilled vegetables, guacamole, and lots of salsa; but hold the rice, go light on the cheese—and throw away at least 30 percent of the flour tortilla.
If having tacos, order the soft kind, and keep it to just two.
One handful of chips—make them last! And ask the waiter to take the rest away or at least to the other end of the table.
If carrying out, skip the chips. You’ll get over it.
No white rice. Easy on the brown rice.
No noodles.
No deep-fried anything.
No dough-wrapped anything.
Try for no MSG.
Ask them to hold the sugar. (They often will.)
Ask for “less oil”—or ask to see the label of the oil they use and confirm it to be trans-free. You could also bring in your own healthy (peanut or canola) oil and ask them to use it! (They often will.)
Tofu should be soft, not deep-fried.
Eggplant can soak up a lot of calories from oil, so enjoy a small portion.
And by now, you’re asking, “What’s the point in eating Chinese?” Please read on:
Soups are mostly all good. Even wonton is okay.
Green and/or mixed vegetables with garlic are a very good choice.
Stir-fried (unbreaded) chicken, beef, and seafood are also very good.
Fill up on unlimited (by anything other than your wallet) delicious miso soup and green tea!
Avoid or minimize the rice.
Go easy on the tempura (order an appetizer-size portion and share it).
Order sashimi instead of sushi.
Little appetizers (pickles, tofu, yakitori) are very good.
Order teriyaki—ask for “light on the sauce.”
Salads tend to be very good (cold cooked spinach, seaweed, etc.). Ask for dressing—or sesame oil and vinegar—on the side.
Skip the mango lassi. Order plain lassi or chai—and, if you need it sweet, sweeten it yourself. Otherwise, it could be supersaturated with sugar.
Eat about a quarter of your hard-to-resist basmati rice or half your naan or chapati. (In other words, rice or bread. Not both.)
Pappadams are fine in small doses.
Deep-fried breads (such as pooris) are not fine.
Unless you can be sure otherwise, assume that the oil in Indian restaurants is high in trans fats and avoid anything made with fat or oil, including most cooked vegetables. (“Vegetable ghee” has the highest trans-fat content we have ever measured.) If the oil is not hydrogenated, ask for less, if possible. (Some dishes are made in advance, so they’re a done deal. Other times, though, they are made to order.)
Dal and dal soup are excellent choices.
Raita is a superb choice!
Tandoori chicken and fish are also excellent.
Spinach with paneer (a delightfully mild homemade Indian cheese) can be very good.
Chickpea curry can be very good, too.
Be wary of potatoes! They are often present incognito and in copious amounts.
Be wary of eggplant! It absorbs gallons of oil.
Skip the “deep-fried dough in syrup” dessert, rosewater or not.
Try to eat slowly, even if there is live music. (Mollie reports that at one of her favorite Indian restaurants in Berkeley, California, they often feature a live—and lively—sitar and tabla duo. When the music speeds up, everyone starts gulping their food really fast. So just take note, as it were.)
Skip or minimize the rice—or ask for brown rice, which many places now offer.
When you order Pad Thai, ask for extra tofu and vegetables.
Coconut curries are fine. Eat them as you would a soup, to avoid needing the rice for sopping up.
Ask for little or no sugar. Thai chefs use sugar in many recipes—and the food will taste absolutely fine without it!
Take home the other half of your coconut-based curry (the half you didn’t eat because you are so very disciplined, right?). Make this into a lovely leftover Thai dinner at home a few nights later.
Hummus with lots of vegetables (light on the pita) is a great option.
Mezze (traditional appetizer combination platter of tabouleh, hummus, tahini sauce, tsatsiki, and so on) can be a terrific, very satisfying shared dinner.
Grilled chicken skewers are also very good.
A big yes to cucumbers, tomatoes, and other salad items, especially with a tahini-based dressing.
Load up on yogurt and yogurt sauces.
Olive oil is fine.
A few olives are also fine.
If you can’t resist the baklava, go ahead and order it. Ask for a very sharp knife and divide the little treasure into quarters. Share it with your dinner mates, and if you are alone, share it with the waiter (maybe leave it as part of the tip).
Beware all yummy, frothy drinks! Go for the unsweetened options with skim milk.
Non-creamy soups are a good choice—especially those made with lentils, barley, and/or vegetables. Consider this plus a green salad instead of an entrée.
It’s okay to have a pickle or two.
Avoid potato salad.
Avoid macaroni salad (unless whole-grain).
Avoid processed meats. Go for turkey breast or lean roast beef.
Ask for whole-grain bread, if ordering a sandwich.
Pack any sandwich with vegetables such as romaine lettuce, spinach, onion, and cucumber, in addition to protein.
Pack up half of your super-size sandwich and have it for dinner.
Mustard, yes!
Mayonnaise, modest!
Vinegar-dressed, non-creamy coleslaw, yes—in spades!
Creamy coleslaw in moderation.
A few olives are fine.
Large salads containing vegetables and maybe a few beans and a little cheese are fine. Also try a chef’s salad with just the turkey and half the cheese. Dress with oil and vinegar—or, if using a commercial dressing, go lightly, or ask for it on the side.
Breakfast at odd hours can be fun. Poached eggs or lightly scrambled eggs with whole-grain toast (hold the potatoes!) at 2:00 P. M. or 8:00 P. M. are terrific with a generous mound of salsa.
Go for a side of cottage cheese.
Cooked green vegetables with olive oil are fine.
Grilled chicken or fish are good choices. No breading, though.
If you feel the need to order a baked potato, share it with one or two other people. Try seasoning it with olive oil, salsa, or black pepper instead of sour cream. Or, if you use sour cream, ask for it on the side, and dab—rather than dump—it on.
Avoid the rolls—chances are they will be very white and nutrient-empty.
… But only when starvation is the alternative. We have indicated the least-bad choices, all of which will keep you at around 400 calories or less.
Most of the fast-food chains are now offering salads. Having them with grilled chicken may not be the greatest culinary experience, but it can be an okay meal. Do include some salad dressing (as long as it’s not full of partially hydrogenated fat, sugar, or refined starch) and avoid the croutons. It’s fine to consider this a full meal (checking the calorie count, if you wish, to see how it fits into your daily plan). Please note that skipping the salad dressing and going for very low calories is not a great strategy, as this will leave you hungry before too long.
Plain burger with half or none of the bun (condiments okay)
Grilled or broiled chicken (ditto on the bun and condiments)
“Veggie” burgers (ditto on the bun and condiments)—if edible
Salads (minus the croutons and with a nonsweet dressing)
Scrambled eggs
“Pita” offerings (as in Jack in the Box’s Chicken Fajita Pita or South-west Pita)
Thin-crusted plain pizza (as in 2 slices of Domino’s Crunchy Thin Crust or 1 slice Pizza Hut’s Thin & Crispy “Veggie Lovers”)
Subway—Veggie Delight; Deli Ham; Deli Turkey Breast. Sandwiches can be whole-grain and tailored, including hollowing out the bread, adding more vegetables, and using less mayonnaise.
Taco Bell—Fresco Style menu
Knowing how, what, and where to eat decently while you are out and about can be one of the best tools for maintaining the wonderfully trimmed and toned body you are acquiring through the 21-Day Diet and our other eating plans. Weight management and healthy eating are as portable as you are organized and willing. Invest in some good food-packing supplies and decide that you really don’t mind being known as that rather odd person who is always carrying around her own food. Who knows? Maybe you’ll become known as a trend-setter and plastic food containers will soon become as fashionable as designer water bottles. Besides, they’ll make a smashing accessory to your own great new look, as you slim down and glow with shining health. (For menus, see the Portable Plan, here–here.)
Now that you’re becoming a well-versed healthy menu-planner and cook, get into the habit of making more food than you can eat at one meal. We call this creating deliberate leftovers, and they’re the best way to keep yourself eating well and affordably no matter where you are. Anticipate the days when you’ll be away from your kitchen or cafeteria at mealtime, and pack up the extra food for these times.
For those of you who spend a lot of time driving, don’t fill up at the “snack mart” where you stop to fill up the car. Instead, here are some things you can do to keep your eating healthy and on track.
May the cooler be with you. If you are a car commuter, it can make a very big (and positive) difference to adopt a small cooler for toting real food—your deliberate leftovers or a Very Tall Sandwich (here), for example—and high-quality one-handed snacks (fresh fruit, baby carrots, small pull-top cans of tomato juice, and so on). Make it part of your routine to refreeze your plastic ice pack each night just as regularly as you charge your cell phone. This is also a good plan for an errand day, carpooling, or just general traipsing around.
Make that road trip into a picnic. For long road trips, consider packing a basket of delights. This takes a bit of advance planning, shopping, and preparing, but it can be a truly enjoyable ritual—and a very economical and refreshing departure from truck stops and other unpredictable, not to mention unpoetic, places to stop and grab possibly inedible fare.
Even when airlines used to serve real meals, it was by and large a sad story. Nevertheless, those of us who brown-bagged it on the plane were looked at askance by our aisle mates. (In all fairness, it could have been the fumes from the dill pickles. But still.) Nowadays, it is much more common to carry one’s own food on planes, as there is often no other option beyond the sad little snack boxes they offer—or have the nerve to charge you for. Still, be wary of the packaged foods sold at airports (very cleverly, in many cases, right at the gate) or in the plane itself. These tend to be ridiculously expensive and caloric—and will rarely have good nutritional content. It’s always better to plan, prepare, and pack your own. A carry-on bag filled with food is a great idea and it’s really worth the trouble. Here are some suggestions:
Breakfast on the fly. For a morning flight, pack some high-quality whole-grain cereal in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. When the beverage cart arrives, ask for some milk (it’s all low-fat these days) and just pour it into your container. Voilà! Breakfast! (Don’t forget to carry a plastic spoon.)
Pack your bags, then pack a sandwich. Make yourself a sandwich on whole-grain bread, packing some of the more perishable or delicate components separately (i.e., put the lettuce, tomato, and other vegetables in a sealed plastic bag, so they will stay crisp. Wrap each half of the sandwich separately and tightly in plastic wrap, or pack the sandwich in a sandwich-shaped hard-plastic container with a tight-fitting lid to keep it from getting crushed).
Take back the snack. Carry a nice little chunk of good cheese (it stays good for a day at room temperature), some Super Trail Mix (here) in a sealed plastic bag, a couple of apples, assorted cut vegetables in another sealed plastic bag, and whole-grain crackers—and don’t forget a nice piece or two of dark chocolate. Also, a good-quality protein bar (here) can be a very decent “meal solution” for travelers. This way, you are not only going to eat better, but you will be on your own schedule—not at the mercy of whether they might or might not happen to be coming around with their dubious snacks.
Get the best of the beverage cart. Drinks that are food: Tomato juice. Milk. That’s about it. (And to make this even more limiting, be aware that tomato juice is usually extremely high in sodium, so you don’t want to be chugging it down in large quantities.) These are your best choices, in addition to bottled water (which is really the best choice, especially when accented with a wedge of lemon or lime). Easy on the orange juice and other fruit juices. Remember, they’re full of sugar, so if you crave them, consider diluting them greatly with sparkling water. They’re much more thirst-quenching that way.
Bring your lunch. This requires some planning. We’re here to help! (See here–here for ideas.) Besides saving you lots of money, packing a lunch lets you be in complete control of portion size and nutritional content.
Make the most of the kitchenette. If you’re lucky, your workplace will have a refrigerator and a microwave. Make both a part of your routine so you can enjoy a nice, warm, sustaining lunch (especially one that relies on deliberate leftovers).
Lunch meeting strategy. Go for non-creamed soups, salad with oil and vinegar dressing, fruit salad, and sandwiches made with whole-grain bread, if possible. Try to eat just half a sandwich, and go back for seconds on fruit salad. When they bring out the cookies, eat just half of one.
Okay, so you’re just not a born food carrier. Not everyone is. Don’t feel discouraged if you are not inclined to do all the planning, preparing, and packing described above. Here’s another alternative: Stop and buy your on-the-go foods at supermarkets. This will often be a much more affordable and healthful solution than getting your lunch at restaurants or cafés on the fly. Our recommendations:
Drop in at the deli. Order the closest approximation they have to a Very Tall Sandwich (here). (You can ask them to stuff it with many extra vegetables.) Or try some plain, sliced deli meat or some roasted chicken.
Belly up to the salad bar. Buy a small container of cut-up vegetables or fruit salad as a snack or light meal. Salads that you fix yourself are ideal, or you can buy a prepared one that looks fresh and isn’t smothered with a creamy dressing or sauce. If you are a vegetarian, be sure to include some beans, nuts, and/or hard-boiled eggs. A touch of cheese is also fine.
Pick produce. Stop by the produce section and stock up on baby carrots and other cut vegetables (increasingly available). Choose some fresh fruit (whole, such as apples, peaches, cherries, or berries; or cut-up fruit, such as melon halves, which you can eat with a spoon).
Dairy to be different. The dairy aisle offers high-protein quick fixes, such as low-fat milk, decent yogurts (see here), and small containers of cottage cheese. Mozzarella sticks can also be handy.
Grab and go natural. If you are in a big “grab and go” hurry, do your grabbing at the natural foods fridge. Reach for a neat little rectangular shrink-wrap of baked tofu (quite tasty straight from the package) or a container of hummus or bean dip. Grab some fresh salsa while you’re at it, too.
Say yes to a snack bar. While you’re running to the check-out counter, you can also grab a respectable protein bar. Just make sure it’s one that really delivers, nutritionally speaking (see here).
(Last, and Definitely Least, but Better than Something Worse)
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Packaged nuts
Packaged trail mix (look for those with more nuts and fewer raisins and sugared fruit)
Peanuts in shell
Sunflower seeds in shell
Pistachios in shell
“Good” chips—many chips are now trans fat–free, and make a decent snack if limited to small (1- to 2-ounce) servings. SunChips deserve a special note, as they are whole-grain and made with healthy fats.
Good-quality protein bars (see here)
Good-quality yogurt (see here) Good-quality smoothies (see here–here)
A carton of low-fat or skim milk
A loaf of whole-grain bread with a good profile (see here–here)—eat some now, and take the rest home.
A small jar of peanut butter (and a plastic knife), to go along with the bread
Packaged cut vegetables
Special K in an eat-in-the-pack arrangement (better calorie and protein counts than instant oatmeal), while not terrific, is always there for you if you are desperate. Eat with low-fat or skim milk.
Fresh sandwiches and wraps
If you have access to a microwave:
A small can of chili
Just-add-water, eat-in-the-pack soups. Avoid noodle soups, which tend to have no nutritional value and loads of sodium, and opt for split pea, lentil, or anything with beans.
A can of soup. Go for bean or lentil. Avoid “cream of anything” or anything with noodles.
Quaker Oatmeal Express. Eat with low-fat or skim milk.
It can be sudden and overwhelming—that seemingly irresistible desire to tear into a bag of corn chips or inhale a whole box of Ho Hos. Just as when we meditate, we can become neutral, nonjudging observers of our less-than-lofty thoughts as they come and go, we also have it within ourselves to stand outside our extracurricular food urges until they subside. And they usually do subside.
This brings to mind the “three-minute mantra” often invoked in smoking cessation workshops, which goes something like: “A nicotine craving lasts for three minutes. So it’s not about how to get through life without cigarettes, it’s more about getting through the next three minutes without this cigarette.”
Yes, the good news is, cravings dissipate. The not-so-good news is that they also return. It’s just one of those plain facts of life. But the ultimate good news is that there are tools we can acquire that will not only help us avert a meltdown, but even allow us to keep a sense of humor about it all—and stay on track.
Give yourself a time-out. Take a few deep breaths and pour yourself a glass of cold water. Better yet, make yourself a cup of herbal tea. (Licorice tea mixed with a little peppermint can be very perky—and is naturally sweet.) Try to figure out if you are really hungry or just bored or lonely. All too often, if you are eating from an emotional cue, the more you eat, the worse you feel. Try writing down your feelings—or a list of things you’d like to do, or even a shopping list of groceries or craft supplies, or fun home improvement, gardening, or office items. Scotch tape is a nice diversion. So are colored paper clips. Or how about a really good book or a CD of samba music? You get the drift.
Bag a bad habit. Becoming conscious of a negative eating pattern is the first step to getting on top of it—and once you do, you’ll realize that what felt like a craving was just a habit. One of Mollie’s friends, a stay-at-home mom who is with her children (and their favorite crummy snack foods) during the afterschool and early evening hours each day puts it this way: “I couldn’t resist those big bags of junk cookies where you get, like, four hundred of them for three dollars. But, you know, I decided that avoiding this didn’t require some big mystical insight. I mean, what I needed to do was just not open my mouth. Period.” So she did. Not open her mouth, that is. She just cold-turkeyed the habit. And she reported that by as early as day two, it was no longer an issue.
Cook away cravings. It might seem odd, if not downright counterintuitive, but cooking can actually avert an eating binge. Take out your pots and pans and dive into a whole new relationship with food. It can be a remarkably effective way to become more conscious about food by applying a different, more creative part of your brain to it. You don’t just reach for it, you participate in it—and thus appreciate it more.
Snack mindfully. Pour a glass of water first, then prepare yourself a lovely platter of, say, baby carrots, with a scattering of raisins and a few almonds. Don’t eat it yet! Sit down, take a deep breath, and drink all the water first. Take a few more breaths, then eat the carrots and raisins and almonds slowly, one by one. Drink more water. Sit and breathe a little more.
Brush your teeth. Seriously! It’s a very effective strategy for riding out a craving.
Revisit your diet. Maybe, when you experience cravings, it is for the simple, straightforward reason that you are not eating enough nutritious food. Daily caloric needs are a very personal thing. There is no “one size fits all” template. And such needs can wax and wane, depending on activity, stress level, and other factors. If you are currently following the 21-Day Diet, remember that it is quite low in calories, and perhaps you need a bit more. Try beefing up your protein intake (so to speak) or drizzling a little more olive oil onto your delicious green vegetable. Have more of the vegetable itself, while you’re at it. Add another serving of fresh fruit with some good yogurt to your daily snack. You can deliciously augment your healthy intake without adding empty calories. And the more you satisfy your nutritional needs, the less you’ll reach for nutrition-challenged food-shaped objects when you feel yourself flagging.
Sometimes you really want what you think you want. All of the above notwithstanding, sometimes you just want that chocolate, period. It’s not about existential longing or latent frustration—it’s truly about the Hershey’s Kiss. Well, have it! Have several. But let yourself enjoy the experience. Eat slowly and deliberately—and really taste the chocolate. And if you need a safety net under your eating urges, see here for some simple guidelines to allow “That Thing You Crave” into the diet itself without causing the sky to fall.