Back At The Ranch

It's a universal truth that everything tastes better when it's covered in ranch dressing — salad, pizza (you know you've tried it), french fries and of course those raw vegetable platters people put out at parties as a "healthy" alternative to all the potato salad. As tasty as ranch dressing is, it sort of negates your dieting efforts of eating vegetables in the first place. But here's a tasty ranch substitute that will dress up your veggies courtesy of our diet expert, Sophie Pachella, founder of Eat Strong.
Ingredients:one 5 oz container Fage Total 0% yogurt (or other 0% non-fat Greek yogurt) 1/3 package (or more, to taste) French onion soup mix Assortment of veggies such as carrots, tomatoes, celery, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas radishes and musrooms
Mix the yogurt and soup mix until well blended. Use as a dip for your veggies. This combination packs lots of lean protein — meets one of your dairy requirement for the day, and is far more satisfying due to the high protein content than veggies alone. If you have this as a midmorning snack you can knock out your vegetable quota for the day!

A Sundae For Everyday

Wave off the ice cream man and make your own deliciously low-cal sundae with this recipe courtesy of our diet expert, Sophie Pachella, founder of Eat Strong.
Ingredients:1 container nonfat/lowfat vanilla yogurt, any brand 1 dozen nuts (dry roasted or raw almonds and walnuts are best) 1/2 cup high fiber cereal such as Fiber One Honey and wheatgerm (optional)
Freeze the yogurt for 30 mins (or up to one hour). Pop it in a bowl and top with all the remaining ingredients. You get all the fun of a sundae, minus the junk, dairy (protein), fiber and healthy fats — the perfect high-satiety snack!

A Mighty Muffin!

Who knew a muffin top could help you cure your muffin top? Everyone knows fiber fills you up longer. But there's another fiber benefit and it lies not in what it provides, but rather what it sweeps away. A diet high in fiber cleanses your gut, allowing it to absorb all the nutrients and vitamins in your food. According to Sophie Pachella, founder of Eat Strong.Among the best qualities of fiber is the fact that it retains four times its weight in water and so really fills up up. Following is a very high-fiber snack which will ensure your internal plumbing is operating at full potential.
Ingredients:One chocolate Vitatop one Lightfull shake (chocolate or cafe latte) A dozen almonds or 1 tbsp almond butter
Spread the almond butter on the muffin top and enjoy with the shake. Tip: freeze the shake for 20 minutes prior to drinking and it'll taste very much like a regular chocolate milkshake. 12 grams each protein and fiber.

Get Saucy

If you're feeling bored with your lunch, try saucing it up. Eat Strong founder Sophie Pachella advises you to be a little more creative. Rather than always going for the same salad or sandwich ingredients, try one new item everyday. Liven up grilled veggies with Worcestershire sauce, tumeric, tarragon or ginger. Add watercress, avocado or crunchy jicama to a sandwich. Try one new fruit or vegetable a day, even those you remember disliking as a child. You'd be surprised how taste buds can change. Artichokes, spaghetti squash, leeks, asian pears, plums, blackberries — we tend to stick to staples. It's no surprise then that we turn to other treats to alleviate food-boredom.

Don't Give Fruit The Boot

American's do not eat enough fruit or vegetables. Everyone should consume about 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day. Research has shown that eating 5 a day reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Don't believe the myth that is impossible to eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day. It doesn't have to be that hard! One serving is equivalent to: 1 medium sized fruit, 6 oz. of 100% fruit or vegetable juice, ? cup of dried fruit or 1 cup of raw leafy greens. In her book "10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet," Elizabeth Sumer gives readers a dozen ways add fruit to their diet. She suggests adding chopped oranges to guacamole to make a citrus-y dip for baked tortilla chips, adding blueberries, strawberries or raspberries to pancake batter, mixing diced peaches, apricot jam, and cinnamon to serve over French toast and topping half a toasted bagel with cashew butter and slices of apple, banana or mango. Try these new ways when trying to add fruits and veggies to your diet!

Eggs And Bakin'

You won't even think twice about munching on the office doughnuts or fat-filled muffins at that morning meeting after you've tried these yummy veggie frittatas courtesy of Sophie Pachella, founder of EatStrong. You can make a dozen on Monday and you'll have breakfast and mid-afternoon snacks for the whole week.
Ingredients1 large container Egg Beaters 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as you can possibly squeeze it 2 tbsp parmesan 1/3 cup non-fat cheddar or mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup diced extra lean ham, turkey, Canadian bacon, veggie burger or lean ground beef (cooked) Salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic powder (to taste) Optional: 1 small can chopped mushrooms, 1 small diced onion (cooked)
1.Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Fill 12-serving muffin tin evenly with mixture.
3. Bake at 350-360 for 15-20 mins (until golden) and serve immediately.

Smoothie Queen

We're always in search of the perfect smoothie. Smoothies are like a guilt-free dessert if you make them right. They can be sweet and creamy and full of lots of vitamins and nutrients. Linda LaRue, founder of Crunchless Abs gave us her favorite smoothie recipe. She recommends using fresh, seasonal berries because they will have the best taste, most nutrients, and will be least expensive because they are most likely local.
Wild Berry Smoothie:
Ingredients: 3 cups unsweetened apple juice 1 (12.3 oz) package extra-firm, reduced fat tofu 1 cup fresh, seasonal berries (you can sub. with your favorite frozen) 1 small banana
Directions:
1. Pour the juice into a blender. Add the tofu and fruit and process until smooth.
2. May refrigerate for up to 4 days. The mixture may separate when standing, but just give it a shake to homogenize.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate promptly; may be frozen.
Makes 4 1/2 servings. Nutritional Content: Serving size 6 ounces. Calories: 144; protein 12.75 grams; Carbohydrates: 36 grams; Fat: neg; Fiber: 2.8 grams. Excellent source of Vitamin C, B, A, folacin, iron, fiber.

Spaghet Me Not

We all sigh at the spaghetti scene in "Lady and the Tramp" — partly because it doesn't get any more romantic than two dogs sharing a spaghetti, but mainly because we're jealous of the fact that Lady doesn't know how many carbs she's ingesting and as a dog, she doesn't really have to worry about it. Lucky. If you've gone low-carb, but miss your old spaghetti nights, we've found the perfect substitute for you. Try Sophie Pachella's Spaghet-Me-Not.
Ingredients:1 large spaghetti squash 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese Flaxseed oil Any tomato pasta sauce (which does not contain high fructose corn syrup) Or: dry pesto powder mix - reconstituted with skim milk
Directions:
1. Poke holes all over squash and microwave squash for 15 minutes or until completely soft. Turn occasionally in microwave.
2. Cut open, get rid of the seeds, scrape all the squash into a serving bowl
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Pop Stars

There are many options in the popcorn family and just like any family, there is the angel child and the trouble maker. The troublemaker being, movie theater popcorn, that bucket full of salty goodness hosed down with butter which is a dieter's worst nightmare. But it's angelic sibling, homemade air-popped popcorn can be a healthy snacker's best friend According to Dr. Fred Stutman, author of "100 Weight-Loss Tips That Really Work". This type of popcorn is one of the best diet snack available because it is low in calories, cholesterol and high in fiber — as long as you lay off added salt, oil and butter. Most microwave popcorns hold a high amount of fat but new low-fat brands are 'popping' up everywhere so just check the label. You could also invest in a hot-air popper that uses no oil, has no added fat and is quick and easy. One of the best things about popcorn is it is very versatile and you can add it to a bowl of unsalted peanuts or mix it with different flavors like cheddar cheese or garlic. Be sure to go easy on the amount of sugar and fats you add to the popcorn.

Put A Little Sizzle In Your Salad

Summer is a time to try all the fresh new light salads. Here's one to try from BOCA Meatless Products. This salad is perfect for a sunny afternoon when you are grilling poolside and it's easy!
INGREDIENTS:
2 frozen BOCA Meatless Bratwurst
Dressing:¼ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard or country Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar Pinch of black pepper
Salad:3 cups torn mixed salad greens ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion ¼ of a medium cucumber, sliced 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Grill bratwurst as directed on package. Meanwhile, mix dressing ingredients with wire whisk until well blended. Toss salad ingredients with 1/4 cup of dressing in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for another use. Divide salad mixture between two plates. Top each salad with one bratwurst, cut crosswire into slices.
Each serving contain 340 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein.

Coo Coo For O'coco's!

As much as we wish it weren't true, it's hard to find a healthy substitute for a chocolate craving. When you're feeling loco for cocoa, rice cakes with peanut butter are just not going to cut it. Fortunately we did find one substitute that seems a little more up to par. O'Coco's Organic Baked Chocolate Crisps. They come in 90 calorie packs of chocoholic satisfaction. Despite the small packaging that may leave you wanting another bag, these crisps contain the perfect amount of rich flavor to tame your inner chocolate beast. O'Coco's Baked Crisps also come in mocha and cinnamon flavors. You can even enjoy the chocolate crisps for a guilt free dessert. Carry them in your purse for a quick fix.You never know when a chocolate craving is going to hit and eating this bag is way better than grabbing a bag of any other chocolatey cookie.

Fiberlicious Dessert

There's a new yogurt in town. Yoplait's new digestive system friendly yogurt, Yo-Plus, contains 3 grams of fiber per serving but unlike most fiber packed snacks, you can't taste it. It's creamy and sweet and the vanilla flavor taste most like a dessert than a fibery yogurt. And you can get it all for only 110 calories per serving. The yogurt will come in four packs and is recommended that you make this a daily routine to help regulate your digestive system. Four packs of a daily yogurt mean four day work weeks, right? This yogurt also comes in three other tasty flavors, strawberry, peach and cherry. Look for Yo-Plus in stores in August.

On The Run

One way to feel less guilty about that vending machine snack is to up your mileageyou're your calories burned each day. Ever wonder how many miles you are running or walking? Those blocks really do add up when you are walking them everyday. Sometimes it is hard to estimate the distance you are burning off calories for. Now you can figure it all out with mapmyrun.com. This website allows you to put in your starting and ending location and you can see how many miles you ran or walk. You can mapwhere you might want to jog and will help you in adding up your total miles ran each week. You can also save and email yourself routes that you want to try out. This site also allows you to find races, events and local routes in your area.

The List

With all the low-fat, heart-healthy, no trans-fat labels on snacks, it's hard to tell the true healthy snacks from the healthy label hype. What is a healthy snack anyway? We asked nutritionist Sophie Pachella to come up with a list of criteria for you snackers out there to evaluate whether your food choice is diet-friendly or not. From now on, we'll be adopting these criteria to bring you the best in diet-friendly snacking. If a snack meets three out of the five rules, it's CYC-worthy.
1. 200 kcal Sophie says she'd never recommend snacking on less than 200 cals — that's a minimum. "Anything less sparks your metabolism, gets you going, but leaves you hungry."
2. Less than 25g carbohydrates
3. At least 3g fiber
4. At least 7 grams protein
5. Less than 1g saturated fat
One non-negotiable is trans fats. "People should check labels because if it has less than 0.5 gram trans fat the company can round to zero, but eat 4 servings of .5 grams and you get 2. 2 which is really the upper limit for a whole day," Pachella says. Look for "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" in the label to find trans fats.

Fill Up On Fiber

Cutting calories doesn't have mean going hungry. One easy way is to fill up on fiber. According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center, women who doubled their fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams per day cut their calorie intake by 90 calories per day. That's almost 10 pounds a year! Eating a high fiber diet can also add energy to your day. Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of "The F-Factor Diet", writes, 'By eating a combination of fiber and protein at every meal, you are providing your body with long-term energy. If you eat a meal with simple carbohydrates (carbs without fiber), you will find yourself crashing soon after and heading to the vending machine for a quick pick me up. Try eating food enriched in fiber, like a cup of raspberries, to avoid the trip to the vending machine.

Fruit Of The Summer

Kiwi is the new black. Dr. Dharma Khalsa, author of, "Food as Medicine", says kiwifruit is one of the most underrated healing foods. Rutgers University conducted a study of 27 fruits to determine which fruit provides the most nutrition. Kiwi was found to have almost twice the amount of vitamin C than that of an orange and was found to be the top low-sodium, high potassium food. Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth," ranks kiwifruit within those 150 healthy foods. Bowden suggests adding kiwi to fresh juice and notes that if you juice kiwi unpeeled they are rich in healthy enzymes. We suggest adding kiwi to your summer fruit salads for some extra color and vitamin C.

How To Live To 100

Stop Stress Snacking

We've all been there. The boss is on your back. You get stuck in traffic. A huge project deadline is looming. It's enough to send anyone running straight for the ice cream and potato chips! It's called stress snacking and researchers from the University of California in San Francisco have came up with a scientific explanation for it.
In a groundbreaking 2003 study, they found that when we're under chronic stress, some primitive part of our brain thinks the solution is to seek high-calorie foods, spill a little cortisone into the blood to help convert them into fat, and pack on a few pounds around the middle pronto. Now this may have been a good thing back in the days when chronic stress was caused by things like drought, famine or some other calamity that may interrupt your food source for awhile. But in the modern world where food shortages aren't the problem, it just means an extra layer of belly fat — a prime risk factor for all kinds of health problems from heart disease to diabetes.
So when the pressure is high back away from the snacks, sister, and try one of these healthier tension reducers instead: exercise, do yoga, or get busy in the bedroom. You'll bust stress and burn calories. How great is that?

Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight

Ok, what is it with those French women? They look fabulous despite eating a diet based primarily on bread, butter, cheese, and red wine. Not to mention, they are surrounded by men with one of the sexiest accents in the world. And now this — they claim chocolate is the key to losing weight!
Called, "The Chocolate Dream Diet," it centers around eating three bite sized pieces of rich French dark chocolate a day. The patented product, called SlimDelices, contains a proprietary slimming complex called DM-26, a naturally derived formula with green tea, guarana, chicory inulin and artichoke powder. The manufacturer's claim scientific studies found people using the product lost over 4 pounds in one month by doing nothing more than adding 3 SlimDelices a day to their diet.
While we can't promise it will work quite that easily, why let French women have all the fun?

Spice It Up

There's something about summer and BBQ potato chips that just seems to go hand-in hand. They're practically a picnic staple. But they don't seem like such a great summer nosh when it comes time to slip into that bikini! So what's a girl to do? Branch out, my dear! Here's a snack idea that provides all the spice of BBQ chips, with far fewer fat and calories courtesy of Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of "The F-Factor Diet". And the good news is, you can eat more than one!
Spiced Garbanzo Beans
2 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans 2 tablespoons cumin 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
1. Preheat over to 350 F. 2. Drain garbanzo beans and place in a bowl. 3. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss well to coat. 4. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Spread garbanzo beans out in a layer and bake in oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. 5. Place in a bowl and serve warm.
Makes 8 servings. nutritional content per serving: 198 calories, 33 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 11 g protein, 3 g total fat, 0 g sat. fat, 267 mg sodium

7 Ways To Survive The Summer Party

There are few challenges more daunting to someone trying to eat right than facing a summer BBQ. Think hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, corn slathered with butter, brownies and cookies, and you get the high-fat picture. So what's a calorie conscious gal to do? Take along these tips for navigating the summer BBQ without regrets from expert Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Management Center
1.The first bite is the best. Can't resist something? That's ok. Just stick with bite sized servings of your favorite indulgences.

2.Avoid grazing.Make a one-trip-thru rule and stick to it.

3.Watch the alcohol.It's packed with empty calories and can lower your ability to make good choices.

4.Bring a healthy dish.Veggies and dip, a green salad, or fresh fruit, for example. You'll know there's at least one option you can dig into.

5.Scan the spread.You don't have to try everything. Pick only the foods you really like, and leave the rest.

6.Get active.Instead of sitting, join in on games like backgammon, croquet, or Frisbee. Burn off those calories!

7.Avoid confessions. Telling others you're watching your weight seems to lead to everyone urging you to eat, eat, eat! Don't give them the opening.

Summertime Is Berry Good

Tired of hearing lists of all the "don't" foods out there? It's enough to send you running straight for the fridge in rebellion. But wait! Here's a definite "do" that's just right for summer — fresh berries! Think strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, Marion berries, blueberries, gooseberries, and the like. They're nature's perfect snack. And these sweet treats are low in calories, but packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. For example:
Strawberries: 1 cup sliced, 53 calories, 3 grams fiber, 163% of your daily Vitamin C. Raspberries: 1 cup, 64 calories. 8 grams of fiber, 54% of your daily Vitamin C. Blackberries: 1 cup, 62 calories, 7 grams of fiber, 50% of your daily Vitamin C. Blueberries: 1 cup, 83 calories, 3 grams fiber, 23% of your daily Vitamin C.
For a decadent treat, go for the freshest, most delicious berries at places like the Farmer's Market, roadside stands, and u-pick farms. Buy a flat and freeze them up individually on cookie sheets, then pack them into freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, and you can savor the taste of summer on cereals, sprinkled on yogurt, blended in smoothies, floating in drinks, and all on their own all year long. Mmmmm. Berry good!

Easy Summer Snacks

When it's hot outside, the last thing you want to do is cook. So why not make sure you have some easy and healthy snacks on hand for summer nibbling. Need some ideas? How about:
Snap Peas: These little green gems really satisfy a hankering for something sweet without the guilt. Just 26 calories per cup, plus vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.
Cherry Tomatoes: Not only are these glowing red, yellow, orange, and green globes a feast for the eyes, they're also great for popping in your mouth when a snack attack hits. And with just 21 calories per cup, plus vitamin A and C, there's no post-snacking regrets.
Frozen Grapes: When you need something cold, frozen grapes really hit the spot. And unlike ice cream, popsicles, and the like, at just 3 calories each, they won't leave you with extra baggage in the form of fat later.
Bell Pepper Strips: Summer is a great time to feast on peppers. Buy a red, yellow, and green one, bring them home, cut them into strips, and keep them on hand in the for when the munchies hit. Plus, 10 strips have just 5 calories!

The Gender Weight Divide

As the saying goes, when it comes to equal rights, we've come a long way, baby.
But when it comes to why men and women want to lose weight, the genders aren't the same, says researcher Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer at Weight Watcher's International and author of the book, "She Loses, He Loses."
Miller-Kovach analyzed the reasons men and women gave for wanting to shape up and found some interesting differences. Women were likely motivated to change their appearance and often cited an upcoming event like a high school reunion, a wedding, or swimsuit season as a prime driver. On the other hand, men said health scares, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, or joint pain, were most likely to get their attention.
Interestingly their preferred approaches varied, too. Women usually started by cutting calories, while men tended to hit the gym. So who wins? Neither. A combination of both exercise and diet proved the very best way to get the scale moving in the right direction, Miller-Kovack says.

Portion Plates

Weight loss researchers say one of the biggest causes behind the growing obesity epidemic isn't carbs or fat. It's huge plates, monstrous fountain drinks, and out-of-control portion sizes!
Researcher Sue Pederson at the University of Calgary was curious if portion control dinnerware may provide a solution. The dinnerware, made by Diet Plate Limited of England, is divided into areas for veggies, meats, and grains and comes downsized in diameters that automatically help cut calories by leaving less room on the plate.
Pederson asked 65 study participants to eat off the specially designed dinnerware, while another 65 did not. Patients in both groups were overweight. After six months, those who did nothing else but use the special dishes dropped about 2% of their total body weight, compared to a 0.1% loss in the control group.
Get the same results by reading food labels and measuring out single servings until you can eyeball a "recommended" portion and exchanging your usual dish for a smaller plate.
The moral of the story? Go ahead, eat what you want, Pederson says, just be careful about how much of it you eat.

Beware Liquid Calories

If you're a fan of fresh juice, smoothies, and protein shakes, beware - they could be adding more to your caloric bottom line than you think.
Researchers from Purdue University recently studied the role such liquid calories play in weight gain and found something startling - such drinks not only contain extra calories of their own, but they also seem to stimulate the appetite for the rest of the day!
In the study, the food intake of 120 participants was tracked for a three day period. Researchers found that when meals were paired with milk, juice, or coconut milk instead of water, study participants ate 12 to 20% more calories that day, despite reporting that they felt full after eating. Or in other words, they ate between 120 and 400 calories more if they aimed for a 2,000 a calorie a day diet, which could lead to a weight gain of between 12 and 41 pounds per year! Yikes!
Bottom line? Make water, iced tea, or other calorie-free beverages your drink of choice at meals and you'll eat less all day long. Talk about an easy way to trim the fat!

More about liquid calories

Drink calorie shockers

Slimmer summer sippers

Treat Yourself To Some Biscotti

Coffee and biscotti just seem to go together. But at 127 calories each, maybe you thought your biscotti days were over for good. Not true! Whip up a batch of these low-fat, low-calorie treats courtesy of Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., author of "The F-Factor Diet" and start savoring your coffee breaks again!
1 cup white flour 1 cup whole-wheat flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 whole egg 2 egg whites 1 cup Splenda 1 tablespoon almond extract 1 cup dried cherries 1 cup slivered almonds
1. Preheat over to 350 F. 2. Sift together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. 3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, egg whites, and sugar with a mixer until thick. Add almond extract, cherries, and almonds. Mix 10 seconds. 4. Add dry ingredients to wet and combine until mixture is moistened. The dough will be very sticky. 5. Flour a board and turn dough out onto it. Divide dough in half. 6. Roll each half into a 3" X 2" log. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until dough is golden and cracked on top. 7. Remove from over and let cool 10 minutes. Lower over temperature to 325 F. Cut each log on the bias in 1/4-inch slices (use a serrated knife for easier slicing). Bake again at 325 F for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Place the slices flat in the pan and bake 4-5 minutes on each side. 8. Let cool completely (they get harder once they are cooled off completely) and serve.
Makes 50 cookies. Nutritional content per cookie: 62 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein, 2 g total fat, 0 g sat. fat, 26 mg sodium

Is Diet Pop Healthier?

If you've switched from regular soda to diet in an attempt to shave off some empty calories and live a healthier lifestyle, a new study may leave you rethinking your approach.
In the study that included over 9,000 middle aged men and women, researcher Dr. Vasan Ramachandran of Boston University School of Medicine compared the health of those who drank one or more regular sodas daily against those who drank one or more diet sodas per day.
Rather than see an increased risk in the group drinking regular pop, as expected, the researchers were shocked to find both groups shared an equal risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other ills.
The researcher admits more study is needed to see if the two groups share another common link that could explain the trend, like perhaps both groups were eating a fast food meal along with the soda.
Until the verdict is in, try replacing your diet pop with a glass of iced tea or water, instead. Both have zero calories and hydrate your body better than soft drinks. Bottoms up!

3 Snacks Under 100 Calories

You've likely seen the prepackaged cookies, crackers, and chips that weigh in at 100-calories each. They're a great idea for those who need to grab a quick nosh without having to face portion control on an empty stomach.
Why not take this same idea and run with it, prepackaging some 100-calorie snacks of your own? Try:
Veggies and Dip: Pack up a cup of fresh veggies like broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, snap peas, pepper strips, baby squash with two tablespoons of hummus or light ranch salad dressing for a snack that's packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Oatmeal in an Instant: Pair an individual serving of flavored instant hot oatmeal (check package labels to find one under 100 calories) with a little hot water and you'll have a stick to your ribs snack that satisfies one serving of whole grains, too.
Hot Potato: Bake or microwave one medium potato, then cut it in half (set aside one half for another meal). Fluff the potato within the skin with a fork, then top it with 2 tablespoons of salsa. Skin and all, this snack only weighs in at 90 calories, but has protein, fiber, and vitamin C.

Healthy options for any diet

Two minute toners

11 foods to have on hand

The Forbidden Fruit Diet

You've probably heard the advice that an apple a day can keep the doctor away. But you may not have heard about the 3-apple-a-day diet plan.
The idea is simple, have an apple before each meal, and you'll naturally eat less without feeling hungry. The diet's creator Tammi Flynn, R.D. claims that the strategy — when paired with a simple food plan (based on eating more, not less), 8 glasses of water a day, and a daily walk — will melt the extra pounds away and keep them off. Flynn says the technique has helped tens of thousands of people win their battle against obesity without feeling hungry.
Even if you can't stomach the thought of three apples a day, adding more to your diet is a wise idea. And there are dozens of apple varieties to try, which keeps things interesting. The non-forbidden fruits also make a great snack choice, with just 80 calories, 5 grams of soluble and insoluble fiber (20% of the daily total), cancer-fighting flavanoids, and antioxidants. Plus, they're portable and come prepackaged in their own skin. Hey! Maybe Eve was onto something!

Mom Snacks, Dad Snacks

A new study revealed something tots figured out long ago— if you're looking for a junk food snack, ask dad instead of mom.
Research by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Grain Foods Foundation found dads were more likely to dole out cookies, chocolate, or chips at snack time, while mom was more likely to serve crackers, pretzels, fruit, or yogurt smoothies.
Registered dietician Judy Adams, also president of the Grain Foods Foundation, advises that parents aim to serve up a carb and a protein when kids ask for a between meal snack. Two simple ideas include half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or crackers and a low-fat cheese stick. Single serving microwavable popcorn bags are another kid-friendly snack, Adams says.
In short: Good (and bad) habits start early. So start teaching your kids how to make wise snack choices now. And while you're at it, don't forget to be a good role model yourself!

Calculate your calories

17 Healthy Office Snacks

Let's face it, there isn't anything in that office vending machine that's good for you. And it's even worse if you work at a place that sells unhealthy snacks! So what should you bring to nibble on at work? Try these suggestions, from nutritionist Sue Gilbert:
Ready-to-eat, serving-sized boxed cereals (high fiber, low sugar, low fat)
Power Bars
Granola Bars (low-fat variety)
Homemade trail mix (include nuts, dried fruits, cereals, pretzels, etc.)
Dried fruits (especially apricots, figs and raisins)
Cookies (ginger snaps, graham crackers, animal crackers, oatmeal, Fig Newtons)
Pretzels (whole wheat)
Whole grain, low-fat crackers (Melba toast, Wasa, low-fat Triscuits, etc.)
Breadsticks
Dry-roasted mixed nuts (eat only a few at a time since they are high in fat and calories)
Popcorn
Rice cakes
Low-sugar peanut butter (with knife for spreading)
Juice boxes (100 percent juice, Vitamin C-rich or vegetable juice)
Shelf-stable low-fat puddings
Applesauce cups
Instant oatmeal or other hot cereal
Be sure to remember portions and calories. This is not an all-you-can-eat list!

Catch The Breeze

If plain old H2O is starting to get, well, plain old boring here's a new alternative to shake things up, a new sports water spiked with aloe vera juice. Called Aloe Breeze, the functional water sweetened with stevia instead of sugar contains no calories, carbs, additives, or preservatives, and carries a zero glycemic load. It comes in four flavors: cranberry raspberry, kiwi lemon lime, mountain berry, and orange mango.
Each serving contains two ounces of pure aloe vera juice, plus key electrolytes and minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and chloride; 7 essential amino acids; vitamins B1, B2, B6, Niacinamide, Folic Acid, C, A (betacarotene), E, B12; as well as enzymes and mono/polysaccharide. The drink's maker claims it not only hydrates as well as water, the addition of aloe vera enhances digestion, boosts immunity, soothes inflammation and promotes healthy skin from the inside out.
And the best part? It's as good for you as it tastes! Bottoms up!

Power Up Like Popeye

Remember how eating spinach would make Popeye's forearms swell and Olive Oil swoon? Well it turns out that wasn't all just a ploy to get us to eat our spinach. It seems Popeye knew something we didn't: Dark or brightly colored fruits and veggies like spinach, carrots, peppers, eggplant, raspberries, pomegranate, and the like are rich in phytochemicals. These natural cell protectors pack a big nutritional boost and have been linked to everything from fighting cancer to stalling aging.
So far researchers have identified over 200 types of phytochemicals and they are just beginning to understand the role they play in your overall good health. So aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, experts recommend. And think variety — the more colors on your plate, the more types of phytochemicals you're likely to consume.
And — how good is this — the foods that are high in phytochemicals are usually naturally low in calories. Just remember, water can leech the good-for-you boost out of the foods during cooking, so enjoy your fruits and veggies fresh, grilled, or steamed for best results.

Team Up And Lose Weight

A new study suggests if you're serious about losing weight, don't just call your doctor before you begin, see a dietician, too. That's the take away advice from researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who asked if more really was better when it came to weight management advice.
In the study they took a team counseling approach, with doctors weighing in on fitness and dieticians weighing in on food, with a group of 80 people who wanted to lose weight. After an average of 30 months, over 80 percent of those involved in the study had dropped an average of 5.6% of their total body weight, and kept it off — far better than average.
Why did it work? Researchers speculate that the holistic approach, rather than focusing on diet or exercise alone, provided people with the entire picture of how food choices and activity levels work together to create sustainable weight loss.

Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

If your friends are heavy, are you more likely to be heavy too? Or in other words, can your friends (or co-workers) make you fat?
A new study took a look at the question with interesting results. After studying the social lives of 12,000 people, researchers decided that yes — you and your friend's BMI's may indeed be linked. Why? It all boils down to habits and support. If your friends pile their plates high and make food the focus of every gathering, chances are you will too.
However, the researchers aren't suggesting anyone cut heavyweights from their social circle — just that people be more aware of their behavior when in situations where they may be encouraged to overeat by others.
Another tactic: replace the tendency to socialize around food with some healthier options like:
Get together at times not normally associated with a daily meal (like at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. or after 8 p.m.)
Go for a walk instead of grabbing a coffee
If you are sharing a meal while dining out, take advantage of the power of numbers. Split an entree between two, or a dessert between four
Meet with friends at locations where food isn't the focus like the pool, the ice rink, the museum, the park
Remember the only person in control of your weight is you. Stick to your goals regardless of the choices those around you are making

Quiz: Are your friends making you fat?

Just Say No

We've all been there, despite our best efforts to resist, we find ourselves caving to urgings from family or friends to have a drink, finish off the plate, or to eat a piece of grandma's famous pecan pie. After all, she made it just for you!
Resisting the pressure (and guilt trip) from others to overeat can be difficult. Sometimes, avoidance is the best tactic says Kathleen DesMaisons, author of The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program. She recommends:
If you're in a situation where others are drinking alcohol, order a seltzer water with a slice of lime. People will assume you're drinking, and you'll avoid having to explain why you're not.
Don't like seltzer? Have the lime in a glass of ice water or diet soda. Again, nobody will be the wiser.
Learn the art of disappearing. When it's time for dessert to be served, excuse yourself to run out to your car, go to the bathroom, make a phone call, check on the kids. By the time you return, everyone will be too busy eating to notice you're not.
If someone does question your efforts to eat or drink in moderation, turn the conversation back on them and take the heat off you. Ask them what party food they can't resist or something they just can't eat without feeling terrible. Soon they'll be so busy talking about themselves, they'll forget to pressure you to go off your diet.

Have A Cow

For many people, ice cream and summer go hand in hand. But watch out — a large serving of ice cream in a waffle cone can contain over 900 calories and 54 grams of fat. Yikes! Unless you feel like walking for three and a half hours afterwards to work it off, it's best to steer clear of this caloric catastrophe. But that doesn't mean you have to suffer the dog days of summer minus a cold, sweet treat. Try having two Skinny Cow mini fudge pops, instead. With just 25 calories and 1 gram of fat per bar, you can get your frozen chocolaty fix without feeling like a not-so-skinny cow afterwards. Our advice? Move out the ice cream and moooooove this smart snack choice on into your freezer!

Cut carbs

For our third installment of the Week in Healthy Brownies, we chose a lovely low-carb treat.
Pick #3:The Fat Free Experience
To the true brownie connoisseur, a "low-carb brownie" may seem like an oxymoron, or at least an impossible feat. But the baking whiz behind The Fat Free Experience has managed to whip one up that still satisfies. Each cookie-shaped confection maintains a chocolaty taste and chewy center, but with much fewer carbs and less fat than your average brownie. This is all made possible thanks to the use of whole-wheat flour and maltitol, a sugar-like sweetener made from corn that packs about half the carbs of sugar. These brownies may not taste exactly like Duncan Hines, but they're a vast improvement from past stabs at the low-carb variety.

Take it to go

For our fourth day of The Week in Healthy Brownies, we've got a brownie you can take on the go.
Pick #4 Almond Brownie Balance Bars
If you crave brownies all day and all night, why not make your mornings a little more mouthwatering with a brownie breakfast? Balance Bars are made to replace meals, so you don't have to worry about filling your body with empty calories — they're based on the 40-30-30 nutritional philosophy (a diet high in protein with moderate carbs and fat) to mimic a healthy meal. And their Almond Brownie flavor tastes so convincing, you'll think you're indulging in dessert — not breakfast. So if you're on the go or tend to grab whatever you can on the way to work, try this yummy option instead.

Cut the guilt

To wrap up our last day of the Week of Healthy Brownies, we bring you the Guiltless Gourmet's Hot Chocolate Brownie Dessert Bowl.
Pick #5 Guiltless Gourmet Hot Chocolate Dessert Bowl
Even the name sounds like heaven. When that late-night craving hits, just pop it in the microwave and you're just 60 seconds away from some ooey-gooey goodness that won't ruin your waistline. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well— it's not! This little bowl of fun tastes yummy enough to quell your yen for something hot and chocolatey. It may not fill you up much the way polishing off an entire box of Oreos would, but that's not the way to fit into those skinny jeans again, now is it? Just keep your eyes on the prize, and you'll find this dessert can really satisfy a desperate dieter in need of a fix.

Burn, baby, burn

According to "The Secrets of Skinny Chicks" author Karen Bridson, a great technique for staving off cravings is calculating how many calories you'd have to burn off exercising to see if that cookie is really worth it. "The amount of calories in two cookies will mean an extra 15 to 20 minutes of running," Bridson says, "That 45-minute spin class won't even burn the amount of caloreis you consumed on your all-out binge. Think of the sweets and extra helpings in terms of workout time, and it will put your efforts into perspective." Maybe that works for some people, but we'd still go for the cookie — we'll just take the longer route the bakery. Try our Calories Burned Calculator to find out how long you need to run, bike or walk to burn off your favorite treat.

Protein to the rescue

You're tummy's been rumbling for an hour or so, but you don't want to give in to your cookie craving. You've worked to hard at the gym to let your time on the elliptical go for naught. You need a quick snack, but an apple or banana just won't cut it. You need something meatier. Well, you're in luck....
In the battle of the bulge, protein is one of your best allies. Lean protein can also provide an energy boost without as much fat. Some great lean meats rich in protein and low in calories and fat are beef tenderloin, chicken breast, egg whites, flounder, lobster, scallops, shrimp, and turkey. The seafood also boasts omega-3s. Moderately increasing the amount of leans meats you consume will cause you to eat fewer calories and lose weight according to Keri Glassman, author of "The Snack Factor Diet".
Try "The Snack Factor Diet" Shrimp Salad: In a serving bowl, toss mixed baby greens with 4 to 6, steamed and peeled shrimp, 2 slices of avocado, and 2 sliced hearts of palm spears. Squeeze on lemon juice and season with sea salt for a great tasting salad with some lean protein.

On the rocks

Want any easy way to lose some calories daily? Drinking iced water can help you lose an extra 7 pounds a year! If you are already drinking the recommended 64 ounces of water a day, you are just one step away from drinking away some weight. According to Dr. Brian Wansick, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," your body has to use energy to heat up an iced beverage approximately 1 calorie for every ice-cold ounce you drink. Drinking those 64 ounces of recommended water will be much easier now knowing that you are burning an extra 70 calories!

A little less evil

We all know the best snacks — and food in general — are whole foods. Simply put, it's anything that doesn't come from a box or a can. Most dieticians advise doing the majority of your shopping on the periphery of your grocery store and avoiding the middle aisles as much as you can. The middle aisle are filled with processed food — cookies, chips, frozen pizzas. But what abot when you have a craving for chips and carrot sticks are not going to cut it?
In these dire cases, you must go for the Lesser Evil. Mainly known for their delicious flavored popcorn which is lower calorie than most tubs, the Lesser Evil, just released a healthier alternative to chips. Krinkle Sticks are crunchy, baked, all natural potato snack made from real potatoes, with gourmet spices and nothing artificial. At 110 calories per serving and have 75% less fat than the leading potato chips, they may not be as healthy as a leafy salad, but they won't do the nutritional damage of a bag of cheesy puffs either. These snacks come in 4 flavors of evil: Cajun Kaboom!, Old School Bar-B-Que, Sour Cream & Onion and Classic SeaSalt.

There's fruit in my chocolate

Just because you are trying to lose weight does not mean that you have to give up all of your favorite foods — just find new ways to eat them. Daphne Oz, author of "The Dorm Room Diet," encourages dieters to find healthier ways to enjoy the foods they can't bear to give up. Chocolate, anyone? Oz advises putting down the candy bar and going for a chocolate-dipped strawberry; it satisfies your craving and sneaks more fruit into your diet. Oz also notes that letting yourself eat something naughty every once in a while will help you to avoid binging later. So go ahead. Have the cookie. Just recognize that your craving has been satisfied and leave the rest on the plate.

Coffee addict fix

If you're trying to lose weight, you may want to rethink that cup o'calories —I mean flavored latte — you pick up from Starbucks. Even the smallest lattes have a couple hundred calories. A regular cup of coffee contains only a couple of calories — it's all the extras that adds calories to your coffee. If you want to add some extra flavor to enhance your coffee for fewer calories, try Splenda's new Flavor Blends for Coffee. Sprinkle one individual stick to your coffee, stir it in your coffee and enjoy! At zero calories per packet, it's enough to get you buzzed just thinking about the calories and money you'll save . The flavor blends come is 3 choices, Mocha, Roasted Hazelnut, and French Vanilla.

Snack on this

Sick of the same old snacks day after day? Glenny's Naturals has organic soy crisps that are worth tasting. Glenny's Organic Soy Crisps are a delicious baked snack made with organic soy and organic rice flour. Each serving has 7 grams of heart-healthy soy protein, is gluten free and is also naturally cholesterol free. These tasty bites are only 110 calories for every serving. They come in 4 different flavors, but we recommend the White Cheddar. The best thing about these snacks is that they are flavorful and won't break your diet. Another bonus is that these are cholesterol and gluten free!

Lean on me

Sometimes, you need a little help from your friends. And no doubt, they'd be more than happy to lend a hand in your effort to avoid those snacking demons. Here's how: Pick a friend or coworker who's usually available -- on the phone or in person -- at the times when you're most vulnerable. Ask her if she'll be your designated conscience. Then the next time a bad craving hits, she can distract you, talk you out if it or just remind you of your weight loss goals. If she's also trying to stick to a diet, the two of you can work together to make smarter food choices. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Go back to kindergarten

Though many of our favorite lunch-box snacks came wrapped in cartoon character packaging or were shaped like animals, it's some of Mom's healthier options that have stuck with us. Case in point: ants on a log, otherwise known as pieces of celery spread with peanut butter, then topped with a few raisins. A perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy, the snack targets all the major craving groups and tastes good to boot. It's also got the goodness of raw celery (that legendary "negative calorie" veggie) and the protein-fat combo of peanut butter, which will help fill you up and ward off cravings for the rest of the afternoon. To make it even healthier, try swapping the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter, which are often lower in sugar, calories and carbs. Mom probably didn't do that, but she was still on the right track.

Broc 'n roll

Here's a Conquer Your Cravings Classic tip. We're bringing back some of our favorite tips in case you didn't catch them the first time around.
Like a good girl, you eat your veggies -- and you usually enjoy 'em. But don't green things always taste better when they're covered with cheese? We've just stumbled across a guilt-free way to enjoy our broccoli and cheddar: Health Is Wealth's Broccoli Cheddar Munchees. These bite-size wheat pockets filled with broccoli, soy cheese and low-fat dairy cheese are also packed with protein and not an ounce of trans fats. Six pieces (filling enough for a meal) are 180 calories and 4.5 g of fat. Visit HealthIsWealthFoods.com.

Go exotic

Are you constantly in a full on war with your very own sweet tooth? Why does sugar seem to be our archenemy when beach season rolls around? We always seem to be hearing about the negative effects of sugar, so what is a girl to do when she catches that irresistible craving for something sweet, but still wants to keep her beach ready body in check? Try some fruit. I know this one sounds obvious, but listen if you're tired of the same old fruits — bananas, apples, etc, try something exotic like a mango, starfruit, or even a coconut. They may just satisfy that craving you have and the cute guy on other side of the office will certainly notice that woman with the interesting fruit choices.

Be smooth with your snacks

It's summertime and the last place you want to be is at work although we can't get you out of that we can tell you how to kick start your day with something sweet and healthy to help you escape the mundane reality. Try a homemade smoothie. Start with fresh fruit such as a couple strawberries and a banana, yogurt, and a couple of ice cubes. It sure hits the spot on a beautiful sunny morning spent sitting in your cubicle. You can pretend you're sipping it on the beach being fanned by the cabana boy. We won't tell anyone.

Get a new sweetie

When it comes to sugar substitutes, every dieter has flirted with the big boys: Splenda, Equal, NutriSweet. But there's a new sweetie in town and he's about to give you an all natural sugar fix. If you're sick of Splenda and Equal = tummy aches, try the natural sweetener steevia. Steevia is naturally sweet plant from the Stevia Rebaudiana plant family. South Americans have been using it for years. Although there haven't really been many health benefits found, trying this plant it is a way to enjoy sugar without the calories and negative effects of the sugars in your bloodstream and on your waistline.

Positive energy

Love those energy drinks but know how bad they are for you? We've got our hands on the new healthy pick-me-up beverage. New Sun Nutrition's drink, FRS, has been recognized for its ability to increase performance, mental alertness, boost the immune system and reduce fatigue. FRS gives you a healthy burst of energy without the eventual crash like other energy drinks and contains many antioxidants found in various fruits and vegetables to allow for this healthy burst of energy. FRS comes in 2 all natural flavors and 3 low calorie flavors. They are now offering a free trial of any one of their products- check out their website for more details.

Fruity booty

The sun is out and all you can think about is lying on a beach with a fruity drink in hand, but unfortunately most of us are cooped up in our cubicles and the nearest fruity drink is that packet of Tang that must have been in the kitchen since 1985. Here's a better way to get your fruit fix:Del Monte's Fruit Naturals. Each 8 oz. cup contains one serving a fruit — the recommended daily amount of fruits per day is 2 to 4. This serves as a great juicy and cold snack. Stick these in the fridge at work for a sweet and fat-free snack in the afternoon. These Del Monte Fruit packs come in four flavors — our favorite is the Red Grapefruit because recent studies have shown that red grapefruit contains beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that are associated with decreasing the risk of cancer and health disease.

Calorie countdown

Many times you don't realize the amount of calories you are taking in each day either because you don't know how many calories are in the foods you are eating or because you have the wrong calorie count on the foods you are eating. One simple way to help you count your calories would be to check out the book, "The Diet Detective's Count Down." The author, Charles Platkin has the calorie intake of over 7500 different foods and also has included the amount of time it would take to burn off those calories in a number of different exercises for each different food. After realizing how long it would take you to burn off that Baby Ruth bar (51 minutes of walking!) you might opt for a different snack the next time you are hungry.

Don't be salty

You've heard by now that most Americans are consuming far too much salt in their diets. But it's hard to shake the salt from your routine. Luckily Elisa Zied and Ruth Winter, authors of "So What Can I Eat?!" compiled a list of 'Fill-Ins for Flavor' as salt alternatives. For lean meats try parsley, sage, thyme, chives or lemon juice. For lean pork try thyme, savory, rosemary or sage. And for poultry try rosemary, nutmeg, mustard, lemon juice or bay leaves. Replacing salt in a recipe for one of those ingredients will give you lots of flavor which may cause you to pitch your salt shaker forever.

Take a hike

Looking for an easy way to curb your appetiate? According to Dr. Fred Stutman, author of "100 Weight-Loss Tips That Really Work," 'the combination of walking before and after meals will help you take in fewer calories and burn off more so you lose weight faster and more easily.' Studies have shown that your appetite decreases if you walk before meals. You can burn more calories after a meal because your metabolism increases by 5-10 percent. So talk a walk before and after a meal — you will be burning calories and curbing your appetite.

Skinny secrets

We all are familiar with the mighty roar of the tummy. Most of us are all to eager to obey when our hunger calls. But what if you're misinterpreting your body's signals? The authors of "The Skinny: How to fit into your little black dress forever," say one of the reasons we may eat even when we aren't hungry is because we are thirsty. Pour yourself a drink. Sorry, not that kind of drink. And no, not a regular soda or have a high sugary drink. We know it sounds boring, but water is the best option. If you want to jazz it up, try a little spritz of something like lemon or indulge in a diet soda or tea. After sipping something with some flavor, those vending machine snacks may stop calling your name.

Find your magic number

We all know there is there is no one magic bullet way to lose weight. If there was one diet or one exercise plan that worked for everyone there wouldn't be hundreds of diet books and workout plans and 2/3 of Americans wouldn't be overweight. The one rule that every dieter should follow is to reduce the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight and exercise to help speed up the weight loss plan. To find out how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight, multiple your current weight by 12. So if you want 150 multiply that by 12 which gives you 1,800, so you need 1,800 calories every day to maintain your current weight. One quick way to lose weight would be to cut 300 calories from your daily intake and burn an additional 200 calories each day for a total of 500 calorie loss each day. One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories so you would lose about a pound a week.

Love your body

What's your dream vacation?

Are you a snackanista?

Find your magic number

We all know there is there is no one magic bullet way to lose weight. If there was one diet or one exercise plan that worked for everyone there wouldn't be hundreds of diet books and workout plans and 2/3 of Americans wouldn't be overweight. The one rule that every dieter should follow is to reduce the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight and exercise to help speed up the weight loss plan. To find out how many calories your body needs to maintain its current weight, multiple your current weight by 12. So if you want 150 multiply that by 12 which gives you 1,800, so you need 1,800 calories every day to maintain your current weight. One quick way to lose weight would be to cut 300 calories from your daily intake and burn an additional 200 calories each day for a total of 500 calorie loss each day. One pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories so you would lose about a pound a week.

Love your body

What's your dream vacation?

Are you a snackanista?

Think skin

Here's one of our favorite CYC tips.
The next time you're tempted to snack on something that's tasty but not so healthy, think about your skin. You might be temporarily satisfying your stomach, but it's your face that's going to be left in the lurch.
"Protein and starch demand different enzymes from the body in order to be broken down," explains Joanna Kruszynski, a master aesthetician and board-certified holistic health practitioner who works with New York physician Dr. Robert Guida. "Combining the two in the same meal can cause an 'overload' in the digestive system, which can lead to breakouts."
For healthy skin, Kruszynski recommends lots of leafy green vegetables (their alkalinity helps to reduce skin inflammation and redness) as well as watermelon and grapefruit, which act as a natural diuretic and help reduce water retention in the skin and body. Fruits in general "have amazing cleansing properties and serve to purify the skin of toxins," she explains, adding that eating some fruit first thing in the morning on an empty stomach "will allow the nutrients to be digested into your body, and skin, in as little as 30 minutes." Now that's instant gratification.

Love snacks? Join the club!

Choose your own adventure

Get the scoop on the healthiest food for you

Brought to you by nature

Here's one of our favorite classic CYC tips
What 78-calorie snack is filling, loaded with protein and omega-3s and comes in a stylishly minimalist, environmentally friendly container? A hard-boiled egg! Think like an old-fashioned picnicker: Wrap one to go with a pinch of salt and have it ready and waiting for your midday munchies -- no bread or mayo necessary. You won't be hungry again until dinner.

Chip away at your diet

Here's another classic CYC tip!
You're a deep, complex girl with needs, and there's no time for anything as useless as empty calories in your life. So when you're craving something crunchy and salty, best avoid those cheesy puffs. Glenny's Soy Crisps come in all the flavors of your favorite junk foods -- cheddar, barbecue, ranch, apple cinnamon and more -- but half a bag of the cheddar variety has 70 calories, 2g of fat (unsaturated) and 4.5g of protein. The soy protein makes them rather filling too, so you'll actually stop eating before someone grabs the bag away from your grubby little hands.

Dieter's Brag Quilt

Best Foods for Your Diet

For today's craving conquerer, we've gone decadent. No more carrot sticks for you. Try this low-cal, high protein treat courtesy of our diet expert, Sophie Pachella, founder of Eat Strong.
1. Buy the ingredients:one 5 oz container Fage Total 0% yogurt (or other 0% non-fat Greek yogurt) 1/3 package (or more, to taste) sugar free/fat free chocolate Jell-O pudding mix
2. Stir and top with a squirt of non-fat Reddi Whip
3. Eat immediately.
Other flavors you can try are:Tiramisu — Add 1 tbsp instant coffee granules to cheesecake Jell-O pudding mix Orange — Add a few drops orange flavoring. Try the pistachio, cheese cake or white chocolate pudding flavors.
Total cals 130, 0 grams fat, 15 grams protein

Love snacks? Join the club!

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