Build-A-Meal: Healthy Eating Made Easy

By Shawn McKee
Staff Writer

Healthy eating does not need to be complicated. In fact, it can be just about as easy as grabbing fast food if you know what foods pair well and make for a balanced meal.

"Eating a meal or snack shouldn’t involve making difficult decisions -- the only tough decision is deciding what will satisfy your palate," explains eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pam Ofstein.

"Choosing a meal or snack is all about picking foods that complement each other with a proper balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein and recognizing proper portions."

The first step to understanding how to make a meal is to establish your calorie range so you know how to break your meals up.

"It is important that you consume the correct amount of calories to meet your needs and keep your fat, protein and carb ratios as balanced as possible," suggests Pam.

"This will help keep those hunger pangs at bay, keep your blood sugar levels stable and help you avoid any extra calorie intake throughout the day. I am a big proponent on eating more often and having smaller meals."

Build the perfect breakfast >>

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Drive-Thru Diet: Fast-Food Facts

By Shawn McKee
Staff Writer

One of the leaders in fast, cheap food is now ready to help you shed those excess pounds. Taco Bell's Drive-Thru Diet is a clever marketing campaign masquerading as a weight-loss plan that is perfectly timed for America's annual resolution to lose weight.

Upon an initial viewing, the commercials seem to be for a legitimate weight-loss plan, complete with a success story and registered dietitian's approval, but if your eye is keen enough to catch the fine print, it's clearly meant to be campy satire that promotes their Fresco menu.

The Fresco menu is basically seven regular menu items with the shredded cheese and sauce replaced by tomato, onion and cilantro salsa. This lowers the calorie count of these items by up to 100 calories.

"The Fresco items all fall below 350 calories per serving, which can fit into a meal plan but some items are better choices than others," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pamela Ofstein.

"As with most restaurant-type food, sodium levels generally tend to be higher. There are a few items on the Fresco menu, like the Fresco Crunchy Taco that is lower in sodium but higher in fat. Usually with fast food, there is a toss-up when it comes to weighing out the nutrients. The Fresco Burrito Supreme, for example, is higher in fiber but also higher in sodium with over 1300 milligrams."

Although the Drive-Thru Diet already boasts one success story, Christine Dougherty, 27, who lost 54 pounds over two years, the disclaimers make it clear it is not a diet. The fine print reads:

"Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet is not a weight-loss program," "not a low-calorie food" and "exceptional experience."

The weight loss breaks down to a little more than 2 pounds per month, which if you're eating Taco Bell almost daily, isn't bad. However, with a complete meal plan and exercise program, like those supplied by eDiets, members can expect to lose 2 pounds per week!

This marketing ploy from the company that brought us a "hidden layer of nacho cheese" and "Fourthmeal," which refers to squeezing in a run to T-Bell between dinner and breakfast, plays right into our new year push to get healthy.

"They cater to those of us looking for a quick, convenient meal, but you have to look closely at the whole picture," says Pam. "Cutting calories can help you lose weight -- we know that part -- but understanding that weight loss involves balanced nutrition, incorporating activity and, above all, understanding the principles of healthy eating."

Like Jared's Subway diet before it, the fast food is actually just a small piece of how they lost the weight. Making better choices at fast-food restaurants as part of calorie reduction is the real key to these "fast food diets." Jared also exercised while Christine cut 500 calories from her daily intake.

"Fast food items can be worked in to a meal plan here and there," says Pam. "But you don't want to make them a regular staple, you want to include more whole, nutrient-rich foods and recipes to be sure you are getting all the nutrients that your body needs."

Making better choices is critical because you won't always have time to make something at home. But simply knowing what you are actually eating can be confusing because menu items can be misleading. For example, 4 out of 5 salads -- and I use that term liberally -- at Taco Bell have more calories than the chain's half-pound burritos.

Even when choosing low-calorie options, your choice may still be high in fat and sodium and low in nutrients. There is generally a trade off when it comes to health and convenience. Eating an abundance of fast food is not healthy, even if it is low in calories.

It is good that Taco Bell is coming up with slightly healthier options for when we have to eat on the run; it's just unfortunate that their ads present a misleading picture of what it really takes to lose weight.

"Fast-food dieting strategies don't necessarily teach you how to eat properly, cook or prepare a meal for yourself," says Pam. "Which ultimately will lead back to old habits and regaining the weight, because it's tough to live a life of only eating at the drive-thru -- who wants to do that forever?"

So, try Taco Bell's Fresco Taco the next time you have to eat in a hurry -- anything is better than their 900-calorie salads. But instead of going to the drive-thru, try literally making a "run for the border" and get a little exercise on the way. Now that's a fast-food diet!

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Ask Pam: Drive-Thru Dieting

Can I really lose weight through the drive-thru?

If only it was that easy! Sure, if you don’t order anything then you just might, but that isn’t where we're going with this question.

If you're like many of us out there, an occasional run through the drive-thru happens. In this day and age with work, family and little spare time, it can be convenient to grab a quick bite. Plus, it's hard to pass up a $1 menu item even if it isn't exactly what you want or should be eating.

Losing weight doesn’t happen by going through a drive-thru (although the media may think so). If you occasionally incorporate some fast-food selections along with overall healthy food choices and exercise, it can work as part (not the whole thing) of your daily menu. It all depends on the choices.

Fast-food dieting can make eating easier, but does it teach the principles of healthy eating? Does it teach you how to lower your sodium intake? Or how to make a meal higher in fiber to promote heart health? Most importantly, does it encourage you to move (activity) more? These are all things that help make losing weight successful for a lifetime.

Drive-thru eating and dieting does cater to our need for convenience, but it doesn’t provide the whole picture.

Fast-food items here and there are okay, but focus on including more whole, nutrient-rich meals and recipes to be sure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. A taco is fine for lunch, but maybe the next day you can pack a salad with some grilled chicken, low-fat cheese and a piece of fruit for a balanced approach.

Here are some quick fast-food tips next time you head through that drive-thru:

- Limit the additions. Skip the cheese, sour cream, sauce or toppings.
- Avoid the doubling up on burgers, sides and drinks.
- Chose your sides wisely. Opt for the side of fruit (applesauce, fruit cup, apple slices) vs. the fries or higher calorie/fat side item.
- Pay attention to healthy items like vegetables and salads and avoid adding extra calories or fat to them (e.g., salad dressings or sauces).
- Chose grilled or broiled items vs. fried.
- Opt for a children’s size portion. They're usually half the size, half the calories and have healthier options to pick from.

Have a diet question for Pam? Email askpam@ediets.com and check back to see if your question is picked! And if you missed a previous column, click here to see the archive.

Looking for a way to make weight loss easier? With personalized meal plans and fitness routines, eDiets can help! Join now and save 25%!

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Tweak of the Week: Drink to Weight Loss

By Shawn McKee
Staff Writer

The slogan "think before you drink" doesn't just apply to alcohol.

One way that excess calories slip into your daily life is through sneaky soft drinks and juices. Most people don't even consider how many calories are in what they drink, and they don't eat less to adjust.


Consider this: You're at a restaurant and eating a salad so you go ahead and have a soda. No big deal, right? Wrong. You get free refills and so you double up -- you've just added roughly 300 calories to an otherwise healthy lunch -- assuming the salad isn't loaded with fatty dressing, bacon bits and cheese.

Hidden calories lurk around every crouton and under pop tops everywhere.

A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola packs 140 calories and 39 grams of carbs. If you have one can a day, as an afternoon pick-me-up, with dinner or any other time, over the course of the year that adds up to over 51,000 calories -- that's roughly 14 pounds!

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There is a conspicuous correlation between U.S. soft drink consumption increasing simultaneously with the U.S. obesity epidemic. Americans drank 22 gallons of non-diet soft drinks per person in 1970, and by 1997, that number nearly doubled to 41 gallons per person -- and obesity ballooned 112 percent.

If you need a caffeine fix, your best bet is to switch to coffee or tea to save calories and carbs. However, stay away from too much sugar and creamer to keep the calorie count down as each teaspoon of sugar will add about 16 calories.

Sports drinks are another unnecessary source of calories in your diet. The casual exerciser does not need them. If you are exercising for 45 minutes or less, water will be just fine to replenish your fluids. Most of these drinks pack over 100 calories per serving and can undo a lot of the exercise you just did.

If you still need flavors in your fluid, a lot of new sports drinks pack little or no calories and are pretty tasty. But just like diet sodas, you'll see a lot of unpronounceable ingredients listed on the package which may be a cause for concern in the long run.

The best thing to do is stick with that fantastic weight loss miracle drink of the stars -- water. No secret there -- and no calories either. Drinking a glass of water before meals will help prevent overeating and drinking it with your meal will save you calories and money. It's a win, win.

Our experts can offer a lot of other small changes you can do right now. Send your questions to our nutritional experts today!

Check out last week's tweak about breakfast and come back next week for Healthy Sandwich Switches.

Do you have a simple switch, tip or trick for losing weight and living healthy? Post it below to potentially be featured in an upcoming Tweak of the Week.

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