By: Joy Manning
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Hot Dog
Typical nitrate-and sodium-filled dogs get 84% of their calories from fat.
Better: A low-fat turkey dog.
Best: A low-sodium uncured chicken dog like Trader Joe's, which has only 60 calories and 250 mg of sodium.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Hot Dog: Bun
Skip the potato roll (puffed up with sweeteners and refined flour).
Better: A 100% whole wheat bun.
Best: A sprouted-grain bun adds 6 g of fiber plus beneficial plant-based enzymes that aid digestion. Find them in the grocery-store freezer section.
Photo Credit: Mitch Mandel
Hot Dog: Mustard
It's low calorie, but sodium can run high, says Karen Ansel, MS, RD.
Better: Yellow mustard--it has less than half the sodium of Dijon.
Best: Try a sodium-free squirt of fresh lemon juice for a tart, bright flavor.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Hot Dog: Cheese Sauce
This creamy topper is a troublemaker.
Better: Use 2 tablespoons of shredded reduced-fat Cheddar, cutting out 4 1/2 g of the fat in the jarred stuff.
Best: Sauerkraut contains probiotics, and it's virtually fat free.
Photo Credit: Thomas MacDonald
Hot Dog: Chili
Meat chili adds 55 calories, no fiber, and 242 mg of sodium.
Better: Canned bean chili--1/4 cup veggie chili provides 48 calories, 3 g of fiber, and 195 mg of sodium.
Best: A homemade bean chili that curtails the salt.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Burger: Beef
An all-beef patty is loaded with fat.
Better: Bison, which has 152 calories and 7 g of fat.
Best: "Mix equal parts lean ground beef or turkey with ground mushrooms to instantly cut calories in half," Ansel says.
Photo Credit: Mitch Mandel
Burger: Bun
Today's plus-size buns add 200 calories.
Better: Switch to a whole wheat deli thin. "That saves you 100 calories and adds 5 g of good-for-you fiber," Ansel says.
Best: Wrap your burger in a lettuce leaf.
Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Burger: Mayo
The white stuff is not the right stuff.
Better: A canola oil version that has half the fat and calories of the typical kind, in addition to heart-smart omega-3s.
Best: Mashed avocado.
Photo Credit: Thomas MacDonald
Burger: Lettuce
Iceberg doesn't pull its weight nutritionally.
Better: With more vitamins, romaine is an upgrade.
Best: "Use antioxidant-rich spinach or kale," says Bethany Thayer, RD.
Photo Credit: Mitch Mandel
Burger: Pickles
Bread-and-butter and sweet-and-sour pickles can add calories because they have added sugar.
Better: Dill pickles, which are sugar free.
Best: Cucumber slices flavored with vinegar.
Photo Credit: Mitch Mandel
Burger: Ketchup
It's loaded with salt.
Better: "Try fresh sliced summer tomatoes instead," Ansel says.
Best: Roasted red peppers, for the extra vitamin C.
Photo Credit: Thomas MacDonald
Burger: Bacon
Pass on pork.
Better: Turkey bacon, but make sure you check the label, because brands vary.
Best: Soy-based vegetarian "bacon," which has about 20 calories and almost no fat per slice.
Photo Credit: Thomas MacDonald
Burger: Cheese
Full-fat slices do you no favors.
Better: Packaged cheese sliced extra thin, to save about 50 calories per slice.
Best: A reduced-fat, low-sodium cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment