Stopping at Starbucks for a morning Latte? Need that afternoon Ice Cappuccino to get you through the day? Whether you realize it or not, those early-morning and mid afternoon caffeine boosters may be adding on lots of extra calories and fat to your diet that are causing your waistline to expand. The good news is, you don’t have to cut out all of your favorite coffee drinks. Here’s a list of the best and worst options to satisfy your caffeine needs.
Tanya’s Tips:
1) Ask for skim milk. Nonfat milk has zero grams of fat and 80 calories per cup compared to 5 grams of fat and 120 calories in reduced fat milk. A lot of coffee houses use whole milk if you don’t request differently, adding 150 calories and 8 grams of fat.

2) Use sugar-free syrup. Two pumps of the regular syrups that are used in any of the flavored drinks contain about 40 calories vs. 20 calories for sugar-free syrups.

3) Skip the whip. Whipped cream adds about 120 calories and 12 grams of fat (most of which are saturated).

4) Pair your coffee with a high-fiber snack. Coffee alone, if made with nonfat milk, contains some protein, but has no fiber. Add Fiber-sure to your coffee for an extra 5 grams of fiber per teaspoon. Some high-fiber snacks are GNU Flavor and Fiber bars or 2-3 fiber crackers with peanut butter and sugar-free jelly. The combination of protein from the milk and fiber from the snack will keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout the day.

5) Don’t drink your calories, eat them. Studies reveal that your body does not register calories from fluids. Meaning that fluids don’t replace food—you will still end up eating as much, but now you have to add in the calories from your beverages. So think twice next time you order a Mocha Frappuccino with whipped cream. It’s practically a meal in itself and most likely won’t fill you up.
Here’s a list of the do’s and don’ts from some of your favorite coffee houses:
Starbucks: (nutritional counts are for a Grande sized coffee drink)

*F-Factor Best Sips

Starbucks:

Dunkin Donuts:

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Eating fruit is one of the best ways to increase your fiber intake while still satisfying your sweet tooth.  Fruits are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins.  They are highly beneficial when incorporated into your diet on a daily basis.  They are low in caloric density, so they fill you up on few calories.
While fruit might seem better to binge on then a box of cookies, it is hard to gauge how much you are eating without measuring an actual portion. To avoid overconsumption, measure out the amount you plan to eat and stick to that. According to a study conducted by the ADA, many people think eating after a meal leads to excess calories, which eventually leads to weight gain. Actually, it’s not when in the day you eat that matters, it’s what and how much you eat. At the end of the day, it is calories that control weight gain or weight loss. Even the healthiest foods, when eaten in greater amounts than needed for energy will be stored as fat.

Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods. It cannot be broken down or digested, therefore it add no calories to your diet—allowing you to fill up without filling out. While all fruits contain some fiber, some pack a bigger punch than others. Fruits you eat with the skin on, like apples and pears, tend to have more fiber than fruits that you peel (oranges and bananas). Fruits with seeds are filled with fiber, which makes raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, figs, and blackberries all great choices. While dried fruit is a good source of fiber, be careful with the quantity since they pack a lot of calories and are sometimes sold in sugar-added varieties. Canned fruits have the least amount of fiber since they are stripped and processed, so stick with fresh fruit whenever possible.
 
 Here is a list of fruits for you to enjoy!

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com. 

Everyone’s favorite food in a Mexican restaurant is the burrito.  I bet you didn’t know that a typical shrimp burrito is crammed with close to 800 calories and 70g of carbohydrates; and that’s after sharing a platter of quesadillas!
Here is a great version that I love preparing at home. These high- fiber burritos will satisfy even the most devoted Mexican-food lover. They have great flavor and texture, for less than half the calories and carbohydrates. (Note: Many fish counters will clean shrimp for you at little or no cost.)

Ingredients:
• 1 pound fresh shrimp, cleaned, shelled, and deveined
• 1 small onion, chopped
• ½ green pepper, chopped
• ½ red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons green chili peppers, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 8 La Tortilla Factory whole-wheat low-carb/low-fat tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups spinach leaves, steamed

Directions:
1. Chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces
2. Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick spray. Sauté onion, green and red peppers, corn, green chili pepper, and garlic until the vegetables are tender (about three minutes). Add the shrimp, water, chili powder, cumin and salt and cook about 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in brown rice.
3. Meanwhile, place tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave on high for 20 seconds to soften for easier rolling, or warm in a 200F oven
4. Spoon ½ cup of shrimp filling onto the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese and ¼ cup spinach. Fold bottom edge of each tortilla up and over  filling. Fold opposite sides in, just until they meet, Roll up from the bottom
5. Arrange burritos on a baking sheet, seam sides down. Bake in a 350F oven for 10 minutes until heated through.
6. Serve warm

Serves 8

Nutrition Content:
Per Serving: 237 calories, 32g carbohydrate, 16 g fiber, 27g protein,6g total fat,1g sat fat, 546mg sodium

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Choosing to eat healthy is challenging for many people.  Swapping French fries for steamed broccoli or ordering a salad with dressing on the side are difficult decisions to make.  But then your spouse or best friend orders a burger and large fries, it makes eating healthy that much more difficult.  However, you can’t let their bad habits sabotage your efforts to eat right.  Here are some helpful tips when dieting while eating or living with a non dieter.

1) Switch to low-fat versions of full-fat favorites.  Your spouse won’t even notice if you start cooking with lean proteins or switched from full-fat cheese to low-fat cheese. So go ahead and use ground turkey breast or lean ground beef in your favorite burger recipe.  And make your omelets with egg whites and low-fat cheese instead of whole eggs and full-fat cheese.  Just remember to use nonstick spray instead of smothering the pan in oil or butter.  Not only will you be saving tons of calories and fat, but your spouse won’t even realize you made the switch.

2) Keep healthy snacks on hand.  There is no need to have regular potato or tortilla chips lying around the house.  Instead buy baked varieties.  Also, keep fruits available such as apples and pears that are easy to grab on the go.  Having healthy options easily accessible will keep you from munching on unhealthy foods when you’re watching TV or running out the door.

3) Switch from regular soda to diet soda.  One can of regular soda has 155 calories and 40 grams of carbohydrates.  That is equivalent to almost 3 slices of white bread.  In comparison, diet soda has no calories or carbohydrates.  So if your spouse likes regular soda, make sure to have diet soda available for yourself.

4) Add Fiber-sure fiber supplement.  Mix Fiber-sure into any food such as cereal, oatmeal, yogurt and coffee.  For each teaspoon, you are adding 5 grams of fiber, which will help to keep you, as well as your spouse, fuller longer and help to avoid overeating.

5) Not all metabolisms are created equal.  Ever notice if you try to eat the same way your guy eats you gain weight and he doesn’t? That is because men naturally have more muscle mass than women do, so they have faster metabolisms.  Therefore, if you are eating the same foods and quantities as your husband or boyfriend, you are going to gain weight.  Realize that and stick to your diet.  And if you are going to order the same dish as your guy, make sure to eat a smaller portion. 

6) Ask for support. Making your spouse, best friend and family members aware of your dieting efforts will help keep you on track.  Your mom will stop pressuring you to try her homemade chocolate cake and your husband may even offer to skip out on pizza for dinner.

7) Switch to whole-wheat products.  Buy whole-wheat bread and wraps and I promise the refined white breads won’t be missed.  Instead of regular pasta, use the whole-wheat blends pasta.  These products taste similar and just as good as the white varieties but contain fiber and whole grains.  Also, have high-fiber cereals available such as Fiber One.  This is a great snack to add to yogurt or cottage cheese and even as a topping to a small cup of low-fat frozen yogurt.

8) Don’t make food the focus.  Spending time with loved ones doesn’t have to revolve around food.  Go out for a walk instead of meeting for dessert or find another hobby you and your mother-in-law have in common other than baking.  Arrange meal times with family and friends who share your healthy habits.

9) Dining out doesn’t have to sabotage your dieting efforts.  Make sure to start off with a soup or salad so you are less tempted to dig into the fried calamari your partner ordered.  Make the decision in advance to order a large salad with grilled chicken or broiled fish with steamed vegetables and order before others do.  This way, when the waiter comes around, your mind is made up and you are less likely to deviate from your healthy plan.

10) Have that bite of cake, but not the entire slice.  Allow yourself a bite or two of the dessert so you don’t feel deprived.  But order a cup of coffee or tea so that you’re occupied while the others are digging in to that tiramisu or chocolate cake.  You will be less tempted to continue eating the dessert if you’re busy sipping your tea and making good conversation.

11) Plan Ahead. If you’re nervous about maintaining your healthy diet while dining out with friends, do some research and plan ahead. Check out www.menupages.com and peruse the menu for healthy options.  You’ll be less pressured at dinner and can make an informed, F-Factor friendly, meal decision.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Growing up one of my favorite comfort food was none other than macaroni and cheese. However it usually comes with the burden of 20g of fat per serving. I eliminated the guilt, but not the flavor, by using low fat milk, reduced fat cheese and a fiber rich pasta cutting the fact to 4 times less than your usually bowl. Once you try this healthier alternative, you’ll never go back and neither will your kids!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup 1% low- fat milk
• 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1  ½ cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8  teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound Barilla Plus multigrain elbow pasta
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
  
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and keep warm.
3. Cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain pasta and return to its pot. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir well to combine. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish or casserole and sprinkle the top with bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Nutritional Contents:
Per Serving: 410 calories, 40g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 26g protein, 5 g total fat, 3 g sat. fat, 715 mg sodium
 
Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

What is fiber?

Fiber is a substance found only in plants, such as fruits, vegetables and grains.  Fiber is not found in any animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs or cheese.  The part of the plant fiber that you eat is