Is It Smart?

Remember back in April when we started talking about the 3 second guide to eating? Then in May, continued that discussion with the first of 3 questions to ask yourself before putting anything in your mouth? Today, we are going to continue onto question 2 of 3 of the 3 second guide to eating – “Is It Smart?”

Smart foods are the ones that help us feel full and satisfied and not deprived – they provide satiety. Did you know that eating protein can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time? Did you know that foods that are high in fiber can help curb appetites and support weight loss? Did you know that eating high volume foods (those with lots of nutrients, but not a lot of calories) can help you to lose weight?

Today I want to talk about the 4 types of foods that will help you feel full, eat less, and lose size and weight. As well as the foods that do the opposite. After we talk about this, you will be able to answer the question of “is it smart?”.

Food 1: High Volume Foods

Research shows that people who eat large volumes of food that have a lot of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and fiber), but fewer calories, lose more weight. Consider this; there are two options in front of you. Option one is a small burger and fries. Option two is a plate of roasted chicken, string beans, sliced fruit, and a side salad. Which is the smarter choice? Well, you’ll actually lose more weight by eating the second option. This is because studies show that our stomach knows how much volume we eat, and we feel fuller when we eat higher volume foods.

Here are a few low volume foods compared to some high volume alternatives.

Low Volume	High Volume (Better Choice)	Low Volume	High Volume  (Better Choice)
Cheese omelet, 3 bacon strips, and hash browns 762 CALORIES	6 Scrambled egg whites with low fat cheese and mushrooms, 1 slice whole wheat toast, and 1 sliced apple 321 CALORIES	4 pancakes and 3 sausage links 737 CALORIES	2 whole wheat pancakes, 1 cup strawberries, 1 apple, and 3 scrambled egg whites 474 CALORIES
Grilled ham and cheese sandwich, French fries, and a soda 980 CALORIES	Open faced cheese melt on whole grain bread and a slice of melted low fat cheese, 1 orange, 10 baby carrots and a glass of nonfat milk 303 CALORIES	1 ½ cups macaroni and cheese and 5 potato croquettes 869 CALORIES	1 cup whole wheat pasta with mixed vegetables, lean ground beef, and tomato sauce. 1 cup blueberries, tossed salad with Italian dressing. 593 CALORIES

When it comes to trying to put together your own high volume meals, try to incorporate some of the high volume foods listed below.

High Volume Vegetables:

Artichoke

Asparagus

Bean Sprouts

Beans

Beets

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Eggplant

Greens

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Mushrooms

Okra

Onions

Pea Pods

Peppers

Rutabaga

Sauerkraut

Spinach

Summer Squash

Tomato

Turnips

Water Chestnuts

Zucchini

High Volume Fruits:

Apples

Apricots

Banana

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Honeydew Melon

Kiwi

Mandarin Oranges

Mango

Nectarine

Orange

Papaya

Peach

Pear

Persimmon

Pineapple

Plum

Pomegranate

Raspberries

Strawberries

Tangerine

Watermelon

Food 2: Lean Proteins

Protein actually produces a greater feeling of fullness than any other nutrient. Research shows that people who have higher protein breakfasts are less hungry and eat less during the day. To fully benefit from this, your protein sources need to be ones that will help you feel full, and also will be healthy for your body. You should choose from healthy lean proteins, and incorporate them into your snacks and meals. Below is a list that might help you get some ideas for your meals and snacks.

Healthy Snack Proteins:

1-oz low fat cheese

Hard boiled egg

10 almonds

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 slice turkey

½ can of tuna

½ cup cottage cheese

3 scrambled egg whites

20 soy nuts

½ of a protein bar

Healthy Meal Proteins:

3-oz grilled chicken

4-oz grilled fish

4-oz tofu

1 large veggie burger

3-oz lean steak or pork

3-oz ground turkey burger

1 can tuna or salmon

Food 3: Fiber

Fiber is good for your health, but it can also help you lose weight. High fiber foods make us fuller longer in several ways. The National Academy of Sciences would like us to eat 21-25 grams of fiber per day. Finding foods high in fiber is not hard, you just need to know where to look and how much to get. A food that provides 3 grams or more per serving is a high fiber food. A general rule is that the less refined or processed a food is, and the more fiber it contains, the more it will help you with hunger control and weight loss in moderate portions. Below are some fiber-fabulous choices.

Food	Serving	Fiber (in grams)
Pear	1 medium	5.1
Dried Figs	2 medium	3.7
Fresh Blueberries	1 cup	3.5
Apple with Peel	1 medium	3.3
Dried Peaches	3 halves	3.3
Dried Apricots	10 halves	2.6
Orange	1 medium	3.1
Raisins	1.5 ounce box	1.6
Fresh Strawberries	1 cup	3.0
Whole Wheat Pasta	1 cup cooked	6.3
Oatmeal	1 cup cooked	4.1
Whole Wheat Bread	1 slice	1.5-3.0
Lentils	1 cup cooked	15.6
Black Beans	1 cup cooked	15.0
Lima Beans	1 cup cooked	13.0
Chick Peas	½ cup	6.2
Peas	1 cup cooked	8.8
Brussel Sprouts	1 cup cooked	6.4
Baked Potato with Skin	1 medium	4.4
Turnip Greens	1 cup boiled/steamed	5.0
Spinach	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.3
Broccoli	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.7
String Beans	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.0

Food 4: Quality Carbs

Quality carbs are also important to your health. Just like there are foods that fill us up without filling us out, there are also foods that can trigger our hunger, potentially causing us to eat more. There are a lot of theories out there about carbs, but let’s explain where the research is clear. Come carbohydrates in the diet are fine, but it’s a question of which ones. Certain carbohydrates promote excessive food intake, making us eat more and maybe too much. An article in the Journal of American Medical Association, it explains that when people eat highly refined carbs, like white bread, their blood sugar may go up and then drop down suddenly. This can make us feel hungrier and eat more. What we want to choose is carbs are unrefined, minimally processed, and choose them in moderate potions.

Substitute a Poor Choice with a Great Choice

Poor Choice	Great Choice
White Bread	Whole Wheat Bread
Dehydrated Potato Flakes	½ Baked Regular or Sweet Potato with Skin
Croutons	Garbanzo Beans
White Rice	Brown Rice
Sugared Cereals	Unsweetened Bran Cereal
Pastry	Whole Wheat Pancake
Apple Juice	Apple with Skin
White Pasta	Whole Wheat Pasta
Soda	Water

Putting It All Together

Here’s how to put all this together when you ask “Is It Smart”?

First, if it is one of the foods mentioned above (a high volume food, lean protein, high fiber choice, or quality carb) then the answer is yes. If you are faced with a food that is not smart, start asking “how can I make this food smarter?”. Instead of hamburger, is there a lean chicken? Instead of sourdough or white bread, is there whole grain? Instead of white rice, how about looking at some healthy veggies? 

Remember that the small substitutions do add up to make a big difference in achieving your weight loss goals.   

Check back soon for the discussion about question 3 of the 3 second guide to eating.

Until next time,

Miranda Harris

BS Exercise Science

NSCA CSCS

ACSM CEP