March 29, 2014

Week 10: Weight Watchers' Zero Point Foods & Healthy Low Cal Snacks

Early on in my current journey I explained that I was using an app to track my food which is based on Weight Watchers Points Plus system.  Since I have only ever used their online program (many years ago) and have never been to a meeting I thought I should investigate how their new system works.

I quickly picked up on the basics such as zero points foods.  These foods are designated as zero points in the Points Plus system.  Simply stated most all fruits and vegetables are zero points with the exception of avocados, olives, potatoes, corn and peas.   Yes bananas are zero points, but obviously if you go hog wild they could overtake the built in 5 servings they plan for in this program.  It would seem that their goal on the surface is to encourage eating healthier. My wife and I agree that providing these zero point foods is a good way not to make folks choose between nutritious whole foods and processed junk.

Not everyone is using a point system so just to emphasize my point here is a list I found online of 100 calorie snacks using whole foods.  Ok not exactly snacks because some are quite large, but this list will give you an idea of exactly how much more food you could be eating if you choose right.

100 Calorie Examples

1/4 of an avocado
1.75 cups apple slices
1 medium banana
1 cup grapes
2 cups berries
1.5 cups sliced peaches
1.25 cups orange sections
1.25 cups blueberries
2 cups diced watermelon
1 cup sliced pears
1.33 cup diced pineapple
1.5 cups raspberries
1 cup cherries
2 large kiwifruit
3 clementines
4 cups cherry tomatoes or 10 plum tomatoes or 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 medium baked sweet potato
1 small baked white potato
2 cups carrot strips or slices
12 cups torn lettuce
10 large broccoli spears
8 cups sliced cucumbers
5.5 cups sliced bell or sweet peppers
5 cups whole raw mushrooms
32 spears cooked asparagus
2.5 cups cooked green beans
80 snow or sugar snap pea pods
4.5 cups mixed vegetable salad (without dressing)
1/2 cup cooked grain/rice/pasta (most, bulgur is 3/4s cup)
1 jumbo hardboiled egg
20 large boiled or steamed shrimp
2 oz chicken breast meat (a little more than 2 oz)
2 oz sirloin steak (a little less than 2 oz)
0.75 cup plain fat free yogurt
3 cups air popped popcorn


I think you get my point.  Here are some links to 100 calorie snacks that may be easier than 12 cups of lettuce.

100-Calorie Snacks That Actually Satisfy Your Hunger 

88 Unexpected Snacks Under 100 Calories

18 Low-Calorie Snacks That Satisfy


Weigh-in: I lost 2 lbs this week for a running total of 22.4 lbs lost.  See you all next week.

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