Choose Right, You Can’t Go Wrong
If you make smart choices that limit calories, you don’t have to eat less to lose weight.
There's no need to suffer or deprive yourself to lose weight. If you make the right choices, you could even eat more!
How? It is easy - thanks to what is referred to as the energy density of foods. Energy density refers to the quantity of calories in a specific food. Certain foods have a high calorie content in low volumes.
Remember these examples and you'll be ahead of the game:
| Instead of ... | Choose ... | You'll get: |
|---|---|---|
|
Breakfast Large commercial blueberry muffin* |
1 plain yogurt + 80 ml (30 g) of Muesli type cereal + 1 kiwi | A balanced breakfast with less fat and no trans fat. |
|
Lunch Croissant with ham + 1 can of soft drink |
Whole-wheat tortillas with ham, Mozzarella cheese, tomato and lettuce + 1 vegetable juice + 1 plain yogurt + 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of dried fruit |
A much more balanced and satisfying lunch with about the same number of calories but 3 times as much fibre. More vitamins and minerals too! |
|
Snack 1 small bag (60 g) of chips |
1 homemade bran muffin + 7-8 almonds + 1 glass of milk | A much more nutritious snack that is rich in fibre, calcium and B vitamins. |
Nutritional values: Valeur nutritive des aliments, Brault Dubuc et Caron Lahaie
* Blueberry muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts
Lite products that aren’t so light!
Despite popular belief, "light" products often contain almost as many calories as the original version. Why? Since they're reduced in fat, more sugar may be added to these products to give them flavour and a softer, smoother texture. The catch? Because of the claim "light in fat", we don't worry about eating them and, more often than not, we eat more. Result? More calories!
Since there is often very little difference between the calories contained in light and regular products, with the exception of salad dressing and mayonnaise, choose the regular version and just have a smaller serving. Regular foods often have the advantage of being more filling, which means you won't be left feeling hungry!
Do you have healthy eating habits? Find out with My Healthy Weight Assessment!
What is a balanced meal?
Breakfast is considered “balanced” when three of the four food groups are included: a bowl of cereal (grain product) + milk (milk product) + a sliced banana (fruit).
To be considered balanced, lunch and dinner must include the four food groups: a chicken salad (vegetable and meat) + a small whole wheat roll (grain product) + yogourt with fresh fruit (milk product + fruit).
Mayonnaise and salad dressing - two "light" foods that are worth their weight!
Few light products are really valuable from a nutritional point of view. However, if you compare light mayonnaise and salad dressings to regular versions, the difference is nothing to sneeze at. For example, light mayonnaise has half the calories and fat of regular mayonnaise. It’s worth changing.
