Healthy Eating Tip from Smart Workout

Healthy eating would be easy if fresh fruit, lean proteins and green leafy vegetables surrounded us all day.?? But that is not the case for most of us.? Wouldn't it be great if there was a nifty switch that would make us immune to junk food temptations?? Well, there is.? Sort of.

New York City health club owner Elaine Platt finds herself tempted by sweets and treats all the time.? She knows that it is unrealistic to expect herself never to indulge. So she's come up with a way to manage those indulgences in moderation.? And, as part of a Smart Workout all-inclusive Fitness Vacation, she teaches others to do the same.

One Question to Ask Before You Eat

Before you eat the donut or cookie or mound of French fries in front of you, ask yourself this question: Is eating this food a choice or an impulse? Knowing the difference may empower you to make a healthy eating choice.

• Choice: You've made this treat part of your daily food plan.? You know how many calories you'll be consuming and know how to compensate so that your daily calorie count isn't tanked by eating this food.
• Impulse: You have no idea how eating this food will affect your diet, but it looks really good so you've got to have it.

For many people, just knowing that they can make a choice to eat a treat takes away its power.? And being able to decipher between the choice and the impulse helps to puts you back in the driver's seat of your weight loss plan.

Photo source: Smart Workout

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Smart Snacks

Counting calories? That doesn't mean you have to swear off snacks. Regular, healthy snacking will help keep your metabolism going strong and prevent over-eating. Consider working these snack ideas with 200 calories or less each into your day:

200 Calories or Less

• Dry roasted unsalted almonds (22) -- 169 calories
• Mixed dry roasted unsalted nuts (1 oz.) -- 168 calories
• Ben & Jerry's Low Fat Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt (1/2 c.) -- 170 calories
• Skippy Reduced Fat Peanut Butter (2 Tbsp.) on two celery stalks -- 190 calories
• David original sunflower seeds (1/4 c.) -- 190 calories

150 Calories or Less

• Hershey Kisses (6) -- 150 calories
• Chocolate pudding (sugar free) with 1 Tbsp. whipped topping and two Nilla wafers -- 150 calories
• Act II Light Butter Microwave Popcorn (6 cups) -- 150 calories
• Keebler Golden Vanilla Wafers (8) -- 140 calories
• Animal crackers (14) -- 140 calories

100 Calories or Less

• Dry roasted unsalted peanuts (30) -- 80 calories
• Popcorn, air-popped (1 cup) -- 31 calories
• Sargento Light String Cheese Snacks (2) -- 100 calories
• Athenos orignal hummus (4 Tbsp.) -- 100 calories
• Nabisco Wheat Thins 100 Calorie Pack -- 100 calories

To find more snacks to fit within your calorie budget, check out Calorie Count Plus where you can search for your favorite foods or browse a variety of food categories.

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Smart Advice for Seniors

Never got around to creating the exercise habit? Don't worry. It's never to late to get started with an exercise routine. Check out About.com' exercise Guide's Exercise Basics for Seniors.

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