The Toth Family: The weighting game - Tasty Tuesday get's a makeover

We have been really busy, so I have put Tasty Tuesday on hold for a while. Besides my niece staying with us on her summer break, we have made some other changes around our house. We have decided to change the way we eat. Not diet. Just eat better. We want our kids to eat well and make good food choices as they grow. I happen to be lucky enough to live across the street from a dietician, and she has been helping me with food ideas. So...I am going to pass the better choice ideas along for the next few Tuesdays. I am also going to "tweak" my previous Tasty Tuesday recipes to see if I can make them healthier. Now let me make this very clear...we are not dieting. I don't believe in diets. We are choosing to eat better foods. The first step in this process is shopping the perimeter of the grocery store. Buy the fresh stuff! I almost never walk the "aisles" of the store anymore. We buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. I get the Boar's Head fresh sliced deli meat instead of the processed stuff. I limit dairy, but if I buy it, I buy the fat free version. As luck would have it, the ice cream isle is also on the perimeter of our grocery store. So you know what I buy there?

Skinny Cow is my new favorite thing. The sandwiches have less than 150 calories (a small bag of M%M's has over 250) and you will not feel like you're missing out on treats.

These are also great!

I have only missed one thing: soda. I don't buy it anymore. Not even diet soda because there is evidence that artificial sweetners spike your insulin levels just like plain old sugar. Plus, I don't like the idea of drinking "artificial" anything. We are drinking water. If I go out to eat, I might get a soda, but I ask the waiter to refill with water, not more soda.

I'm sure you're thinking that it is too expensive to eat healthy. If you stop buying all the processed "junk" in the aisles, you can easliy afford to buy the good stuff.

I have lost 8 pounds and Marty has dropped 11! Just like that. In less than a month. So I am going to help you with tasty healthier food choices. Cause let's face it, if the food isn't good, you won't stick with it! That's why diets fail.

So here we go. Breakfast. The most important meal of the day. Keep it around 500 calories. If you have to eat carbs, go for high fiber choices. They will make you feel full longer.

Option A: One cup of "O" cereal (plain, not flavored) and 3/4 cup fat free milk with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Add a banana or an apple on the side.

Option B: A single packet of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, either the low sugar or high fiber flavors. Mix with water (or fat free milk if you have to) and heat in the microwave. Add 1/2 cup grapes or an apple on the side.

Option C: One Weight Watchers low fat yogurt cup plus a banana.