usa6

USA Diet Page 6
This page contains:
Supermarket Shopping List and How to Read a Label.

SUPERMARKET SHOPPING LIST
In order to lose weight and eat sensibly you must change your shopping habits.

For best results, please follow these guidelines:

Fruit
(To squeeze) oranges, grapefruits; (To chop) kiwis, apples, pears, melon, pineapple, mangos, bananas; (For cooking) limes and lemons; Plus strawberries, grapes, berries and anything else you fancy. Canned fruit (in juice), any frozen fruit.
Vegetables
Buy pre-peeled or pre-packed selections for extra convenience. Buy carrots, broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers, bean spouts, beetroot, cabbage, zucchini, garlic, ginger, potatoes and anything else you fancy.
Cereal & Muesli
Most cereal is fine. But avoid frosted or candy-coated brands, or those with added glucose. Ideally, choose brands with max.6% fat and 16% sugar. Most muesli is great, but check the label & choose brands with low-fat and low-sugar levels.
Bread
Don’t keep eating the same type of bread. Buy a variety of breads and rolls especially wholemeal or whole-grain varieties. Buy plain rolls, Kaiser rolls, raisin bread, pitta bread, English muffins.
Jelly/preserves
Buy a selection of different jelly/preserves or fruit spreads. You can’t beat bread & preserves as a sweet snack!
Butter/Margarine
Avoid butter. Look for lower-fat soft margarines which are low in saturated or hydrogenated fats. (i.e. with less than 9% saturated fat and no hydrogenated or Trans-fats.)
Milk
1% milk is OK, but fat-free milk is much better. It has the nutrition of whole milk without the fat.
If you can’t drink dairy milk, try fat-free soy milk or oat milk.
Yogurt/Ice-cream/ Sorbet
Buy fat-free brands (less than 0.1g% fat) with ‘live’ or ‘active’ ingredients. Buy only fat-free ice-cream, frozen yogurt, sorbets.
Cheese
Buy lower-fat cheese (max.15% fat.), fat-free cheese or soy substitute, fat-free cream/ cottage cheese, or fat-free non-dairy brands.
Cream etc.
Use only fat-free whipping or sour cream but use sparingly – some brands are full of sugar!
Pasta, Tortillas, Tacos, Pizza-bases etc.
Pasta: Buy any sort except fresh or pre-filled brands. Tortillas/Tacos: Buy the lowest fat brands. Plain pizza-bases: are perfect.
Prepared main meals/frozen meals
Choose meals with 5 grams of fat per 100 grams or less. Your portion should contain a maximum of 10 grams of fat.
Pasta (or Taco) sauces
Buy tomato-based sauces with max.3% fat. If the sauce requires you to add milk – add only fat-free milk, and avoid all butter sauces.
Other Sauces
Buy chutney, relish, salsa, soy, flavored vinegar. mustard, ketchup, horseradish, Worcester, barbecue, low-fat yogurt sauce.
Rice
Rice is great! Buy lots, especially brown rice – it’s much healthier and much more filling.
Eggs
Buy free range eggs. Eat maximum of 4 yolks a week. No limit on egg-whites.
Fish (especially oily fish!)
All fish is great, so buy lots – especially oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring. Or buy lots of tuna in water.
Poultry
Buy lean turkey/chicken (e.g. fillets/breasts). Want a roast? Then choose free range. It’s more expensive but much less fatty.
Meat
Buy loin pork, or loin/round beef. If you want ground beef, choose a piece of round beef, ask your butcher to remove all fat and mince it for you. (It’s better to leave the fat at the butcher’s than wear it.) Avoid burgers, offal, bacon, sausage bacon, lamb or beef roasts.
Pastries
All pastries are high in fat. So avoid all pies, quiches, croissants and Danish pastries!
Deli counter
Lean ham, turkey or chicken is fine. Avoid pates coleslaw, salami, or any salads with added mayo or dressing.
Frozen foods
Buy frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, any oven fries with less than 5% fat, or low-fat ice-cream, vegetarian burgers (e.g.) Boca burger, vegetarian hot dogs, vegetarian Italian sausages.
Soups
Soup is great! Keep a large selection of tinned soups available. Choose low-fat or fat-free varieties. Use them for a light meal with a sandwich, use them to snack on, or use them as an added sauce when cooking.
Seasonings
Buy a good selection of dried herbs and spices – oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, paprika, chili, curry powder, mustards, horseradish.
Dressings
Buy very low-fat brands – ideally fat-free, only. (Max fat 3g /100g)
Oils
Ideally buy fat sprays. Best choice is PAM fat-free cooking spray. Next best is extra virgin olive oil or unprocessed vegetable oil, but remember: all oil is 100% fat so use sparingly!
Canned stuff
Buy canned fruit in juice, vegetables, soups, red beans, white beans, peas, sweetcorn, tuna (in water), sardines (in tomato sauce). Avoid canned meats, stews, corned beef, hot dogs, frankfurters.
Desserts
Buy fat-free frozen yogurt, fat-free sorbet, low-fat ice-cream (less than 2% fat), or any fat-free frozen dessert.
Drinks
Buy any plain bottled water, 100% fruit juices (with nothing added), or diet-drinks. Cranberry juice is a great choice for women: it’s very effective against cystitis.

NB. GET USED TO READING LABELS!
Check fat, esp. saturated, hydrogenated fat. Check sugar, esp. glucose.
Choose foods which are low in both.

QUICKTIP No 26 – NEVER ENTER A SUPERMARKET WITHOUT A WRITTEN LIST
Supermarkets are tempting places. They are carefully designed to tempt us. For example, cookies & candy bars are usually given a HUGE amount of shelf-space in order to get us to buy. The same goes for snack-foods like potato chips. So in order to protect yourself (and your figure) don’t wander the shelves: you’ll only fall into temptation! Make a list before you go out and stick to it.

QUICKTIP No 27 – LITTLE PRESENTS CAN MAKE YOU FAT!
A couple of weeks ago, when my husband stopped for petrol, he bought me a Blueberry Muffin. ‘How nice’ I thought, until I looked at the label. My nice, innocent-looking muffin contained 23g of fat. What did I do? I looked for the nearest bin! If I hadn’t checked the label, I would have eaten 60% of my daily fat allowance in 2 minutes. The moral? Little presents can make you fat – always check the label!

HOW TO READ A FOOD LABEL
No one has time to read every food label. However, it’s worth knowing how to read one, in order to compare the content and nutrition of similar-looking brands. So here are a few basic tips.

1. Check the Big (Front) Label
Look out for these best claims:

Look out for these best claims:

Conclusion:
No matter how delicious this cocoa is, it has 1.5g of fat, 14g of sugar, and 80 calories in each 2 tsp serving. Which makes it very fattening.

3. Check the total fat content per serving
There is no easy way of deciding which food product is best. Some have slightly more calories, others may have more fat, or salt or sugar or fiber. So, unless you have time to study labels in detail, I advise you to ask yourself one simple question: How many grams of fat does each serving contain?

Remember, your daily quota of fat is 30g. So by checking the total amount of fat in each serving, you can tell at a glance how appropriate the particular food is, for you.

As a very rough guide, the less fat, the better. So if you can’t decide which product to buy, choose the one with the least fat. This is not a perfect method, but it’s the simplest and often it’s the best.

HOW TO COOK GRAINS, PASTA, LENTILS, POTATOES & TORTILLAS

LONG GRAIN BROWN RICE – Use up to 1/3 cup uncooked rice per person
Wash the rice several times to remove starch. Put rice in a large saucepan. Fill pan two-thirds full with boiling water. Boil gently, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

BOILED WHITE RICE
Cook as for Brown Rice but boil for about 12 minutes.

PASTA – Use 1 cup uncooked pasta per person
There are numerous shapes of pasta. Follow directions on pack.

BULGUR CRACKED WHEAT – Use 4 tbsp per person
Put bulgur in a bowl, add enough water to cover and then add an extra cup of water. Leave to soak for 1 hour. Strain well in a sieve and then squeeze as dry as possible.

MIXED HERBED TABOULI
Ingredients: ¾ cup bulgur wheat, ¾ cup cold water, 2 cups mixed green herbs (parsley, chives, mint, basil), 4 scallions finely chopped, 3 medium tomatoes chopped, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil. Method: Combine bulgur and water in a bowl. Allow to stand until all the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Drain well and remove any remaining water. The bulgur should be as dry as possible. Chop the herbs and combine these and the other remaining ingredients with the bulgur. Chill. This will keep for several days if covered in the refrigerator.

GREEN LENTILS – Use 1/3 cup dry lentils per person
Put lentils in a saucepan with three times the quantity of cold water to lentils ( ½ cup lentils plus 1½ cups water). Bring to the boil, uncovered and skim any foam off top. Reduce heat and continue to cook uncovered for about 40 minutes.

RED SPLIT LENTILS
Cook as for Green Lentils but for about 20 minutes.

POTATO WEDGES
Peel 2 medium sized potatoes per person, cut into wedges and cook in boiling salted water for 10 mins. Drain, spray with non-fat cooking spray, sprinkle with paprika, then bake in pre-heated oven, 400º for 20-25 mins.

ANNE’S POTATOES
Peel and thickly slice 2 medium sized potatoes and 1 onion per person. Layer slices of potato and onion in a pan and barely cover with vegetable stock. Cover, bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 mins.

HOME-BAKED OVEN FRIES
Scrub 2 medium sized potatoes per person, leave skin on and cut into thick fries. Rinse in cold water, dry, then lay fries in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet lightly coated with non-fat cooking spray. Bake in hot oven, 400º for about 20 minutes, turning once.

DRY-ROAST POTATOES
Peel 2 medium sized potatoes per person and cut into chunks. Rinse in cold water several times, then pat dry. Place on a non-stick baking sheet lightly coated with non-fat cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in a hot oven 400º for about 30 minutes.

TORTILLAS (Makes 8×8 inch)
Ingredients: ¾ cup sifted plain flour, ½ cup maize meal, ½ cup warm water. Method: Combine flour and maize in a bowl. Make a well in the center and gradually add the warm water. Mix to a dough using a knife. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for few minutes until smooth. Divide into 8 portions and roll out into 8 inch rounds. Heat a dry heavy-based frying pan and cook the tortillas, one at a time, for about 10 seconds each side. Store in an airtight container.

HOME-MADE COLESLAW
Mix thinly sliced white cabbage and thinly sliced onion with grated carrot and any non-fat mayonnaise style dressing.

HOME-MADE POTATO SALAD
Cut boiled potatoes in cubes or mash. Add finely chopped onion, salt, black pepper and chives. Mix with any non-fat mayonnaise style dressing.

QUICKTIP No 28 – IS IT TIME TO PLAY A NEW ROLE?
Once upon a time, there lived a young actress called Meryl. She had appeared in several popular plays, but nothing very special. She was still looking for her big break. Then one day, she heard that a Hollywood film producer was in town looking for an actress to star in a major film. Perhaps this was her big chance. Without further ado, she telephoned the producer for details and was told that he was looking for an actress who could play the part of a fat lady. How fat? Meryl asked. About 200 pounds, replied the producer. No problem, said Meryl, who was only 130 pounds, herself. So the producer invited her to come and audition for the part, in three days time. Overjoyed at the prospect of auditioning for a major film, Meryl began her homework immediately. In order to play the part of a 200 pound person, she would have to find out what it was like to be fat. So she dressed herself in 5 pullovers, 5 pairs of trousers, a huge overcoat and a pair of heavy shoes. By the time she was finished she looked enormous. Hardly able to walk, she tottered over to the scales to see how much she weighed. Only 160 pounds! She flopped down on the bed. How could she make herself 40 pounds heavier? Then she had an idea. She went down to the kitchen and filled all her pockets with bags of flour, sugar, tins, two solid ornaments and anything else that looked heavy. With sweat pouring off her, she climbed back upstairs and stood on the scales. Still only 185 pounds! She sat down while she thought how to make up the extra 15 pounds. Of course! Her shoulder bag! That would do the trick. She rummaged in her wardrobe but the effort was too much. She almost collapsed from the weight she was carrying. So she took off all her extra clothing, found the shoulder bag and filled it with lots of heavy things. Then she got dressed again and stood on the scales. Success! She weighed exactly 200 pounds. She turned to the mirror. Her face was bright red and her hair was damp with sweat. She had been 200 pounds for less than 15 minutes but the stress of it was already visible. For the first time in her life, she felt what it was like to be fat. And it felt awful. She couldn’t breath easily, she couldn’t move easily and there was no way she could bend. After a moment’s rest, she slowly descended the stairs. By the time she reached the kitchen, the muscles in her back and legs were throbbing with the effort. She sat down for another rest. While she did so, she thought to herself: How does anyone of 200 pounds manage? How do they get through a whole day with such a weight on their body? After catching her breath she decided to walk to the mall, about half a mile away. It would help her to learn how to walk like a 200 pound woman. She opened the front door and set off down the street. But after less than 100 yards, she had to stop. Walking with all the extra weight on her was simply too difficult. She carefully returned to the house and flopped onto the sofa, completely worn out. Then she rang the producer to cancel her audition. There had to be an easier way of getting into Hollywood, she decided.
Well girls, are you acting the part of a 200 pound person? Have you grown accustomed to lifting 200 pounds around everywhere you go? If so, here’s a suggestion. Why not try playing the part of a 150 pound person. The money’s just as good, the hours are no different but the working conditions are infinitely less painful. Interested? Then here’s what to do. Eat sensibly for 3 months. Start tomorrow and you’ll be 170 pounds in about 3 months from now. Then, if you like being 30 pounds lighter, eat sensibly for another 3 months and you’ll easily get down to 150 pounds. And because your weight loss has been nice and gradual, you’ll find it much easier to stay slim. Of course, you can always go back to playing the part of a 200 pound person, if you prefer. But I don’t think you will.