During the hot summer months, there’s no better treat than a refreshing cup of ice cream.  But that cup of ice cream in the evening could add on tons of calories that will counteract your best efforts to look beach ready in your hot, new bathing suit. 

We’ve compiled a list of the best and worst ice cream or frozen yogurt choices to order when you are out on the town or stocking your freezer.

Tanya’s tips:
1. Look for low-fat, fat-free and no-sugar added.  These varieties will be your best bets when it comes to choosing ice cream or frozen yogurt. They tend to have the fewest calories, but be careful because they can still pack on tons of calories. You can usually ask the store for the nutritional information. And if you are buying your own at the grocery store, carefully read the labels! Not all low-fat ice creams are created equal.  Choose ones with about 100 calories per serving and less than 3 grams of fat.

2. Be careful with serving size.  You may think you are being smart by ordering the small, 4 oz. cup, but chances are you are getting double the amount.  Ice-cream scoopers tend to fill the cups past the rim, which may seem like a great thing, but not when you are trying to watch your weight.  A small serving of soft serve can easily reach about 8 oz.  Take some home or share with a friend to cut calories yet still satisfy your ice cream craving.

3. Eat your dessert, don’t drink it. Avoid shakes, smoothies, and any other creation that’s mixed up into a creamy, frothy treat.  They can have double to triple the amount of calories in a regular serving of ice cream.  Plus, studies reveal that your body does not register calories from fluids — meaning that fluids don’t replace food. You will still end up eating the entire dessert, but with all the extra calories. So think twice next time you order a smoothie, which still has tons of calories and carbs even though it seemed like a good choice at the time. 

4. Choose your toppings wisely.  Don’t be fooled by the toppings that may seem healthy. Fruit drenched in gooey syrups and granola should be avoided.  Granola is one of those deceptive foods because we tend to think it’s healthy but in reality, it is not.  One cup of granola contains over 500 calories.  So depending on how much topping you get, you could be adding hundreds of calories to your already caloric dessert.  Your best bets are sprinkles, sugar-free chocolate syrup or fresh fruit. 

5. Bag your own.  If you’re looking for some added crunch to your ice cream, consider bringing a small bag of Fiber One or Bran Buds as a topping for your dessert.  Not only will you have a low-calorie topping, but the added fiber from the cereal will help satisfy you so you don’t overeat the ice cream.

6. Buy single servings.  When shopping at the grocery store, there are many great options of what dessert to buy. Go for bars or ice cream sandwiches that are low in fat and sugar.  Great choices are nonfat, sugar-free fudgesicles (many are under 45 calories!)

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also 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.

Who wants to go to the beach feeling bloated?  Not me!  Bloating is a pretty common occurrence that most of us go through after eating.  Bloating is generally caused by water retention or gas, a buildup of air in the intestines and stomach causing you to feel like someone is pushing on your stomach, from the inside out, which can be very uncomfortable.   Here are foods to avoid and foods to enjoy for your day of fun in the sun!

Fiber:  For a flat belly, try increasing your fiber intake. A healthy adult wants to aim for 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Not only will fiber help you feel full for longer, but it will also increase bowel motility helping to remove waste and avoid any bloating. The best part of fiber is that because it is the non-digestible component of plant-based foods, it will make you feel full without adding calories! Consider eating high-fiber foods such as whole-wheat breads, high-fiber cereals, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Turkey sandwich: 3 oz. lean turkey on a whole-wheat pita, with 2 slices of tomato, romaine lettuce and mustard. This remake of the classic deli sandwich provides you with the perfect combination of fiber and protein on the go. Switching from white bread to whole wheat will bulk up your fiber intake while providing you with essential vitamins and nutrients. In addition, all lean meats such as turkey breast help to speed up the metabolism and burn more fat simply because they require so much energy for complete digestion.

Low-fat string cheese and an apple or pear: Low-fat string cheese is a convenient and healthy snack — especially when you’re on the go.  Although protein will provide you with needed energy, the addition of a fresh, crisp apple or juicy pear will provide you with a wonderful and filling snack of fiber and protein. According to researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro, overweight women who ate the equivalent of three small apples or pears a day lost more weight on a low-calorie diet than women who didn’t add fruit to their diet. This snack will keep you satiated through all your errands of the day.

Glenny’s Soy Crisps: Rather than grabbing a bag of chips, which contain unwanted calories and loads of trans fat, pick up a bag of Glennys’ Soy Crisps. They’re delectable, baked chips that come in a variety of flavors and pack in fiber and heart-healthy soy protein, and also have about 1/3 of your daily calcium needs. Whether your craving salty or sweet, these will surely keep you feeling satisfied all day long.

Gnu Flavor and Fiber bar: Thank goodness for energy bars convenient, pre-packed, pre-portioned meals that are simple, mess-free and portable! With so many different brands on the supermarket shelves, grabbing one while on the run is a simple way to satisfy your hunger… NOT SO FAST!!!

Many of these “energy bars” although marketed as “healthy” are simply glorified candy bars. Gnu flavor and fiber bars are one of your best options. Gnu bars have less than 150 calories and 3 grams of fat, but contain 12 grams of fiber —nearly half of the daily recommendation. These high-fiber, low-fat bars are a savior when you’re in a car, at the office or the gym. Choose from any of their 5 tasty flavors including cinnamon raisin, chocolate brownie, peanut butter, banana walnut, and orange cranberry.

High-potassium foods: Eating potassium-rich foods will also help combat bloating during bikini season. Potassium counterbalances sodium—which causes water retention and bloating—and has a diuretic effect on the body. So by eating foods that are high in potassium, you can reduce bloating naturally.  When picking from the produce department, choose things like bananas, papayas, kiwis, strawberries, spinach, cooked beets and broccoli.

Increase your vitamin B6 consumption: Vitamin B6 acts as a natural diuretic, which helps to prevent bloating. It’s important never to consume more than 100 mg per day. Foods rich in vitamin B6 include yellow fin tuna, roasted chicken breast and avocado.

8 dried apricot halves with 1 oz. Everybody’s Nuts pistachios (European Roast): Not only are pistachios a great source of both fiber and protein, but they also contain antioxidants and vitamin B6. Enjoy pistachios with a high-fiber fruit such as dried apricots, which provide vitamin A, promoting good vision.

Star-Kist Lunch To-Go tuna kits (omit the crackers) and 4 GG Bran Crispbread high-fiber crackers: Sometimes the most satisfying snacks are those that resemble a meal. And tuna fish on crackers is a great mini-lunch, perfect for an on-the-go snack packed with 20 grams of fiber and and 20 grams of protein! Best of all, it comes filled with mayo, relish and a mini spoon!

Add in some vitamin E and polyphenols:  Foods which contain polyphenols and vitamin E protect skin from damaging free radicals. For example, a preliminary finding in the Journal of Nutrition suggest that a regular intake of poleyphenols found in dark chocolate make skin hydrated and lessen the effects of a sunburn.

Dark chocolate: If a chocolate craving hits, nibble on some dark chocolate which contains both vitamin E and polyphenols.

Green tea: Rather than sipping on an ice-cold lemonade which contains 175 calories and 42 grams of sugar, sip on iced green tea. Not only is this calorie-free and sugar-free, keeping your waistline in tact, it contains polyphenols to protect your skin. And an added bonus, it contains EGCG, which studies have shown can rev up your metabolism and  help you burn fat.

Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are a great snack for the beach and contain high amounts of vitamin E.
Water: Not drinking enough water can cause dehydration, which leads to subsequent bloating. This is why it’s so important to drink enough water. In the summer months, it’s easy and essential to increase fluids by adding sugar-free drink flavor packets to water bottles or fresh lemons and limes to plain water. In addition, water keeps you feeling full so you don’t confuse your hunger with thirst. Aim to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day or keep a water bottle with you to help you reach your water goal!

Foods to Avoid before and at the Beach:

Salty, highly-processed foods: Sodium causes the body to retain water, which in essence causes bloating—this leads to you feeling as big as a balloon. Avoid foods like hot dogs, which are high in both fat and sodium. Also, avoid the fast food counter where options are usually extremely high in sodium. Avoiding any kind of salty snacks such as pretzels and potato chips, is essential to maintaining your bikini body,.  

Gassy foods: Certain foods create more gas in your GI tract than others. This includes raw vegetables and legumes such as cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, onions and cabbage. However, many times if you cook these vegetables, they will deliver the same nutrients, but take up less room in your GI tract — leaving you feeling skinnier and ready to dress in your mini bikini.

Chewing gum: Many people don’t realize this, but chewing gum can cause bloating because it causes you to swallow air. All that air gets trapped in your GI tract and causes pressure, bloating and belly expansion.

Sugar-free candies: Sugar-free candies and gum often contain sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sugar substitute that acts as a laxative, which draws water into the large intestine. As little as four sticks of sorbitol-containing gum can cause bloating and abdominal pain.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also 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.

Over the past few years, the hottest trend in the food industry has been the onslaught of healthy food labeling, like “healthy fats, fat-free, low-fat,” etc.  They are everywhere it seems. Unfortunately, many of these foods are packed with fat, sugar and empty calories.  Below are some of the most devious diet foods today. Don’t fall into the hidden traps.

Olive oil: Sure it’s heart-healthy, monounsaturated oil, but it’s also rich in calories and fat. Oil is oil, whether its olive oil, or some other kind of oil, it still has 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. You’re better off using a pat of butter (for bread) than dipping it in olive oil because the bread sops up the oil like a sponge. So a little bit of butter is better than a lot of olive oil.

Tuna fish: Think that tuna sandwich is a light lunch? Think again. The average overstuffed tuna sandwich served in a restaurant contains 700 calories and 43 grams of fat. The culprit? The mayo. Tuna fish has just 35 calories per ounce and it’s full of omega-3s, but mayonnaise has 100 calories per tablespoon. You’re better off having a turkey or even a roast beef sandwich. Even chicken salad is better than tuna salad, because tuna is so fine there’s a lot more surface area for the mayonnaise to fill. Switch to fat-free mayo or mustard to save on more than half the calories and fat.

Granola: Granola may sound like the healthiest term, but beware — it’s often loaded with tons of calories and fat. That’s because granola cereals often contain oils, including coconut oil — which is high in saturated fat, sugar, nuts and other high-calorie foods. Something like Fiber One has 60 calories per half cup and 14 grams of fiber versus a half cup of granola, which was 240 calories, 5 to 10 grams of fat and just 3 grams of fiber. Increasing your fiber intake is the key to feeling full and satiated.

Sushi: Japanese food is inherently healthy, but when you Americanize it and start adding things like cream cheese and avocado, that’s when you run into problems.  For example, a spicy tuna roll has 290 calories and 11 grams of fat, and a tempura roll has 320 calories and 17 grams of fat. Instead opt for lean tuna sashimi, which has about 35 calories and 1 gram of fat per ounce. You’re better off going with sashimi, miso soup (36 calories) and a salad (35 calories with a tablespoon of non-creamy ginger dressing).

Frozen diet meals: Sure Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers frozen entrees are fairly low in calories and convenient, but they’re also highly processed and high in sodium. I understand the convenience factor, but most of these meals have more than 600 milligrams of sodium, the portions are really small and they’re not very satisfying.  So you eat one for dinner and then by 9:00 p.m. you’re hungry again. You’re better off eating a slice of whole-wheat bread with some light sauce and light mozzarella, or an egg white omelet with some vegetables.

Protein bars: Another convenient food — but not very nutritious — protein bars are basically glorified candy bars. They’re also often high in calories, fat and do little to satisfy a person’s hunger. A better choice is grabbing a piece of fresh fruit and a piece of string cheese or some dark chocolate and an ounce of nuts. These combinations of fiber and protein will help fill you up without filling you out.

Pretzels: They’re low in fat and low on nutrition. They’re basically empty calories, inherently, pretzels themselves are not unhealthy, but they’re basically all sugar so they’ll make you hungrier and you’ll gain weight as a result of over-eating. Instead, opt for whole-grain crackers to satisfy the crunch with a boost of fiber and spread some low-fat peanut butter or cheese on it. If it’s just the snack factor you’re looking for, pop some popcorn in your microwave for a low-cal, healthy snack of fiber and protein.

Fat-free, sugar-free muffins: Regardless of whether a muffin is fat-free or sugar-free, they still usually have around 600 calories. It’s nothing but cake in disguise, especially these double chocolate chip-type muffins. But even bran muffins are very dense and very high in calories. The same thing goes for scones. People think that because they’re not sweet, they’re healthy.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also 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.