New Year, New You!

Over the past year, I have slowly changed my eating habits. I LOVE to cook & eat and two of my biggest vices are BREAD & CHEESE. I refuse to deny myself what I love and I will never diet, so here are some things that I changed in our fridge & pantry last year to make it a little more healthy - getting more nutrients (& less fat) for the same flavor.

BEFORE: Now Eating...

Sandwich bread: "Flat Out" bread, make wraps & Orowheat 100% Whole Wheat "Sandwich Thins" (kids love these toasted...almost like paninis)

Tortillas: "Flat Out" bread, make quesadillas for the kids or sub in any "tortilla" recipe.

Bagels: "Flat bagels" {throw a Morningstar mini sausage & 1 poached egg on top of this or the "sandwich flats" and you've got a killer breakfast sandwich!}

Cream Cheese: Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat)

Sour Cream: Fage 0% Greek yogurt. I sub this in every sour cream recipe & sauce. {Add a little Mexican hot sauce and you have the perfect white sauce for fish tacos!}

Granola or Oatmeal: GoLean crunch (brown box) w/ 0% milk; I leave a bag in the car and eat as a snack.

Breakfast = Coffee: Now! Coffee + GoLean (red box) cereal w/ 0% milk, Trader Joe's Vanilla 0% Greek yogurt w/ GoLean crunch (brown box) sprinkled on top, protein shake w/ 100 calorie vanilla protein mix.

I no longer over snack on "empty" healthy foods like carrots & grapes. They serve their purpose and are better than eating chips but instead I munch on a cup of nuts or a high antioxidant fruit like blueberries, raspberries or an apple...or a 1/2 banana or apple w/ peanut butter or a couple wheat/flax crackers w/ 2 slices of low fat cheese.

Eating these snacks in between meals has increased my metabolism and now I'm getting more protein in my diet - building muscle - decreasing fat. It works! Last year, I lost over 3% body fat (in 4 weeks!) by doing this & working out 3x/week {at www.studiosweat.com - thanks Cat!}. And I'm not starving...I'm eating (over 1500 calories of) what I love, just differently.

If you want a great "helper" for the New Year, check out www.myfitnesspal.com - it has the best "app" for the iphone & droid too.

On a spiritual note, if you want to kick off the new year refreshed read Ortberg's book "The Me I Want to Be" - an encouraging way to be all God wants you to be.

Happy New Year!