Munch Munch Munch

Despite being pegged as the "thick girl" by my sewing guru, I try to keep my curves under control with the help of some healthy eating habits, and at the suggestion of Queen Bee, I'm sharing them with you lovelies. In actuality, being conscious of what goes into my body and being vigilant about how many calories I burn off of it is vital to me. I'm not naturally thin, nor do I have a metabolism complete with an attached jet pack. I've had to learn how to balance diet and exercise, otherwise "plump" would be a good adjective to describe me. As I've said before, it's taken me a long time to find contentment with my body, and now that I'm finally there, here's a sneak peek at some of my nutritional must-haves.

1. Protein Bars - Well, duh. No morning is complete without them. My favorites include Zone bars, Snicks Marathon Nutrition bars (the energy and other varieties are packed with sugar, but the Nutrition ones are amazing) and Power Bar Triple Threat bars (chocolate caramel fusion for moi).
2. Hummus - Hummus was an acquired taste for me. The first time I tried it, I made the mistake of choosing the plain, original flavor. Blech! Being as hypersensitive to texture as I am, this was an absolute no-go. Several years later a friend introduced me to roasted pine nut hummus, and I was in heaven. I've now expanded my palate to include the lemon, roasted red pepper and smoked paprika varieties, although the pine nut is still my fave.
3. Thomas Whole Wheat 100 Calorie English Muffins - I doubt I could survive without these heavenly discs. I am an absolute carb-nut, so life without bread would be a sad, sad plight for me. However, Thomas came out with these English muffins that have astounding nutrition information - 100 calories, 1 gram of fat, 7 grams of fiber and 8 of protein. Amazing! These are the primary vehicle for my hummus cravings, and the pairing provides a satisfying, light, healthy snack at just under 200 calories. However, I despise them toasted. Despise.
4. Edamame - Yum! What a refreshing snack. Seriously! Edamame are the perfect transportable food. Keep in the pods, pop them in a Ziploc or Tupperware, peel and eat. Divine.
5. Fat Free Pringles - I love a salty snack, and fat free Pringles are my go-to. 15 chips contains 0 fat and only 70 calories. You get your salty craving satisfied and don't feel like you've wrecked your diet, because guess what? You haven't! I prefer the original to the other flavors out there.
6. Yoplait Light Yogurt - Despite having the absolute worst advertising on TV (as an advertising quasi-expert, you should trust me on this), Yoplait delivers. I only choose their Light versions (only 100 calories and no fat), and I am never disappointed in their flavor offerings. Many foods' light varieties limit their flavors to 2 or 3, but Yoplait caters to light lovers. While I love them all, my standby standards are Orange Creme and Thick 'N Creamy Cherry Cobbler. So good... like walking barefoot on the sand in the Florida Keys good (oh yeah, I totally just threw back to their commercials).
7. Canned Salmon - With more, and better flavor than tuna, canned salmon packs a protein punch like few other foods. I pick Bumble Bee brand, dump it in a bowl and shake some Lowry's Seasoned Salt and Tony Chachere's on it, then tear a piece of reduced fat Muenster or Provolone on top... zap it in the microwave until the cheese melts... slap it on an (untoasted) English muffin... voila! Upgraded tuna melt.
7. 100 Calorie Packs - I never, ever, ever, ever trust myself with big bags, cans or boxes of any food (except Fat Free Pringles... if you screw up and accidentally consume the entire can, you're still ingesting fewer than 300 calories... NOT the end of the world). I survive on 100 calories packs. Although, just a reminder... if you eat 5 in a row because they're not that satisfying, you've completely defeated the purpose. I may or may not be speaking from experience. For a sweet treat, I highly recommend 100 Calorie Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish and Chips Ahoy candy bites.
8. Mini MoonPies - In case the "dessert" 100 calorie packs aren't cutting it (and trust me, there will be days they don't), I reach for 140-calorie mini MoonPies. Do you non-Southerners know what MoonPies are? You pretty much either love them or hate them, and I'm in the lovin' crowd. I thanked the heavens above when they released the mini varities and always have several sitting in my fridge. Refrigerating them gives them an almost ice cream sandwich feel, and I swear by them.
9. Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches - Duh. Nothing better for a post-workout meal. Nothing.
10. Fruit and Veggies - Boring, I know, but produce is a staple of my diet. Strawberries, bananas, Granny Smiths... you can always find them at my house. In terms of vegetables, I can't get enough squash, zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli. I either sautee them or steam them in the microwave and always, always, always sprinkle with Tony Chacheres (which probably deserves it's own number).

I know I have a lot more I reach for (whole wheat pasta vs. white... of course), but sadly I think those 10 foods make up 96% of my diet. Does that mean I've now shed all my mystery and mystique by sharing that? Probably, although I doubt I had much to begin with. If you've never tried some of those, take my word for it, you'll be glad if you do.

Happy Friday!