Our "Quick Tips" series brings you effective and easy-to-use weight loss tips you can begin putting to use right now! In this installment, we cover healthier fast food, portion control, low-fat and sugar-free product pitfalls and more.
- Don't Make a Sugar-Free Snafu
Despite what you may think, the special section of sugar-free treats for diabetics at your local supermarket isn't exactly a dieter's dream. These specially-made sugar-free sweets like cookies or snack bars often contain nearly as many calories as their "normal" counterparts on the regular food aisles. Same goes with reduced-fat, "diet" cookies like Snackwells... just because they have less fat than other cookies doesn't mean they don't have calories galore. Calories count, no matter how "diet-friendly" you think what you're eating is! - "Clucker" vs. Burger
Sure, chicken is a smarter choice over burgers, but not so good an alternative if the chicken you choose is battered and fried. That burger just might start looking healthy when compared to a greasy fried chicken patty! In fact, many fast food chains' fried chicken sandwiches have as much (or more) fat than a regular hamburger. Your best choice is always to go with a grilled or baked chicken sandwich whenever possible; add fresh veggies like lots of tomato and lettuce to make your sandwich more nutritious and filling. - Be Choosey About Chicken Toppers
Your next chicken choice pitfall is what you put on top of that sandwich. Mustard is a great fat-free alternative to mayonnaise, which is very high in fat. Be sure to watch out for those mysterious "special sauces" some fast food chains automatically slather on your sandwich. For example, Kentucky Fried Chicken has a roasted chicken sandwich, but the sauce is so fat-laden it literally triples the fat content! The KFC Web site tells us that the healthy-sounding Tender Roast Sandwich with sauce is a whopping 15 grams of fat and 350 calories. Skip the sauce, but have the sandwich, and you'll only be taking in 5 grams of fat. You'll save about 80 calories, too.
