Posted on: Wednesday, September 1, 2004
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SHAPE UP
Switch to 'bargain' foods
By Charles Stuart Platkin
Most of us are on the lookout for bargains in clothes, appliances, food, houses — just about everything we buy. We go to discount drugstores and price clubs and wait until things go on sale, so we can get more for less.
What if we were as cost-conscious about "spending" our calories? The bottom line is that we have a finite number of calories in our body's budget.
That's why we need to look for calorie bargains — foods that are relatively low in calories, taste great and satisfy our strongest temptations. Substitute them for higher-cost foods you normally eat. Here's one off the shelves and one from my own repertoire.
• Low Fat Kettle Krisps Hickory Barbeque Chips:
1 ounce, 110 calories, 1.5g fat, 22g carbs.
Although I'm not really a chip lover, these grew on me. Kettle Chips is a company that takes pride in its ingredients, using no artificial flavors or coloring and no hydrogenated oils. Compared with regular chips, Low Fat Kettle Krisps have 40 fewer calories. If you wouldn't ordinarily eat any chips, pretzels or other snack food, I wouldn't start eating these. But if you're looking for a substitution, they are a good deal. Buy them online at www.shopnatural.com or www.snackaisle.com. Compare them with other chips:
• Simply Naked Pita Chips:
1 ounce, 130 calories, 4g fat, 18g carbs.
• Baked Lay's KC Masterpiece Barbecue: 1 ounce, 120 calories, 3g fat, 22g carbs.
• • • Charles' chicken
OK, here it is — my favorite recipe.
Total cooking time: 10 minutes. 277 calories, 3.5g fat, 15.5g carbs.
Pound the chicken breasts as thin as you can — basically paper thin. That's critical, because it cuts the cooking time and the amount of cooking spray needed — plus, it helps make the portion seem larger. You can ask your supermarket or butcher to pound them for you.
Coat chicken lightly with bread crumbs. Lightly spray a 12-inch frying pan with the cooking spray and turn the heat to high. Give a quick spray to the tops of the chicken breasts and cook, sprayed side up, for three to five minutes. Look for the up side to start turning white. Turn the burner off, flip the chicken over, cover the pan and let the chicken steam-cook five or six minutes more. Season with salt, pepper, onion flakes and garlic powder to taste. Drizzle with sauce and top with Parmesan cheese.
Makes two servings.
Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.
