You're very welcome Boo!

I saw this article on yahoo home page and thought ( even though I know a lot of you already use some of these, perhaps theres some you hadnt thought about (I know I hadnt).

The Five Best Low-Cal Foods You're Not Eating.
user

by Hungry-Girl, on Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:14am

.Eating the same boring foods over and over again? Maybe it's time to expand your horizons. Check out these Hungry Girl essentials and why we love 'em so much... We think you'll love them too!


Fat-Free Greek Yogurt

PER SERVING (One 6-oz. container): 90 calories, 0g fat, 65mg sodium, 7g carbs, 0g fiber, 7g sugars, 15g protein

OK, this isn't just a yogurt upgrade, people. This is a serious multi-purpose ingredient. The main reasons we like this stuff so much? The high protein, the low calorie count, and the thick 'n creamy texture. Fat-free Greek yogurt has it all! Stir in some fresh fruit, low-sugar or sugar-free preserves, a little sweetener -- whatever you like! -- for a personalized and delicious snack. And use it instead of sour cream when making creamy dips for a protein boost. Marinate lean chicken with it for a super-moist and flavorful meal... like this kebab recipe!



Broccoli Cole Slaw
PER SERVING (3 oz., 1 cup): 25 calories, 0g fat, 25mg sodium, 5g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars, 2g protein

You know that broccoli's good for you -- this is no big shock. But you might not know about this shredded veggie mix, which is loaded with broccoli and friends. A serving of this slaw mix is high in fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Plus... look how low in calories it is. This stuff is good raw or cooked. Just add some light dressing and/or lean protein; enjoy it as is, or throw it into a pan for a stir-fry! (P.S. An awesome Chinese food swap is only a click away.) And for anyone who ever looked at a puny meal and thought, "This could probably use some veggies," a fistful of this stuff will take you from an entree to a MEAL.


Canned Pure Pumpkin

PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 40 calories, 0.5g fat, 5mg sodium, 9g carbs, 5g fiber, 4g sugars, 2g protein

No, it's not just for holiday cooking and pie filling! We're big fans of this mashy canned pumpkin and all the glorious things it's capable of. Adding it to foods boosts the fiber content in a fantastically natural way that makes hungry humans happy. How do you use it? Stir some into your morning oatmeal along with your sweetener of choice for added flavor and nutritional value. Plop a scoop into a blender with your other smoothie ingredients, and that sipper will be thick and delicious. Wanna get real crazy? Mix a standard can with a box of devil's food cake mix, and you can make some AMAZINGLY decadent chocolate muffins without adding any eggs, oil, or anything else. YAY, pumpkin!



Canned Crushed Tomatoes
PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 40 calories, <0.5g fat, 250mg sodium, 7g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g sugars, 2g protein

When you need tomato sauce, do you reach straight for a jar? DON'T! Why? Most pre-made pasta sauces have more added fat and sodium than needed... so cut it out! Take a can of crushed tomatoes, and doctor it up with some garlic and other seasonings; you'll have a delicious sauce that tastes homemade (without having to exert too much effort)! This stuff is like a blank slate -- use it to create a sauce you love. Mmmmm...


Tofu Shirataki Noodles

PER SERVING (4 oz.): 20 calories, 0.5g fat, 15mg sodium, 3g carbs, 2g fiber, 0g sugars, 1g protein

We gab about these things all the time, but there are still plenty of people who don't know about 'em. This noodle swap is made with Japanese yam flour and tofu; the result is a little chewier than regular noodles but VERY low in calories. There is a period of adjustment when it comes to the texture, but if you like to eat large portions, this is worth learning to love! Click here for some super-helpful tips on how to prepare these. Once you know how to cook them, the sky's the limit. Lo mein? Fettuccine Alfredo? Go for it...

For a daily dose of guilt-free tips, tricks, food finds, recipes and more, visit hungry-girl.com and sign up for free daily emails!

Gamegal: Read about the Hungry girl ideas and link and have bookmarked it. I have a question though. I do not know the brand names of any greek yogurt. I have looked at my grocery stores here (Canada) but nothing so far. Could you give me some brand names so I can look up on the internet to see if available here?

LGT = my new fav food. Lean Ground Turkey! Lilydale sells in 485gm (1lb.) packages at Costco and it is nice meat. I fried it up in a small amt of e.v. olive oil in my Wok and have been keeping in the fridge for meals. 1/2 c of it is a great protein serving. I use it for topping my salads, burritos and putting into my veggie stir fry. It has a mild taste and like tofu, it takes on the flavours of what ever you are cooking it with. I did a stir fry recently with yellow onion, green bell pepper, mushrooms, turkey and spinach - with some low sodium soya sauce. Delicious and low cal. Only thing that could have made it better was bean sprouts.

I thought this might be a good alternative for protein for some of you who maybe getting bored with the same old, same old.

Have a great day everyone! Carren

caren- I would love to tell you some brands but I havent been able to find it either. I know for certain almeeker has posted about it so unless others here also eat it, you may have to wait until she returns next week. sorry

I LOVE Hungry Girl! I've been on her daily email list for a couple of years now, and she gives some great advice. Sign up for her emails. They are free and informative!

The brands of greek yogurt that I have tried are Fage and Chobani (I'm in California). They both taste good to me, so I just buy whichever is on sale. I always keep a small container of it in the fridge, and I use it instead of sour cream. My husband doesn't even know the difference when I put it on top of tamales or in burritos. Makes a great dip, too, because it's thicker than regular yogurt.

The tip on adding pumpkin to a boxed cake mix is also something I have tried many times. You just dump the cake mix in a bowl and add one 15oz can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin PIE) and stir until combined. I put it in mini-muffin pans and bake according to the package directions. DO NOT OVERBAKE. The batter is REALLY stiff, and they look the same after they are cooked as they do going into the oven. You can't tell by looking at them when they are done. I put a little powdered sugar over the tops to make them look a little nicer. I wouldn't call them low-calorie, but they are better than regular cake and you can't taste the pumpkin. I've only tried it with chocolate cake mix, but I've heard spice cake mix works well, too. These are great to bring to a party because you know there will be something there that you can eat!

I still haven't gotten up the nerve to try those noodles. I've seen them in the supermarket and they are AMAZINGLY low in calories. I guess they just seem too good to be true. I fear they are going to taste funky, and I like my whole grain pasta just fine!

I joined the gym! Woot! I am going swimming tomorrow night! wahooooo!

And next Fri. I already have a session set up with a really hot personal trainer.

Zoot - since they are tofu noodles my guess is they dont really have a taste unless it picks up the flavor of whatever you put on them. I havent seen them, am not wild about reg. tofu but these might be worth a try. The thing about whole grain pasta.. check out the carbs and calories.. they arent any different than regular pastas Now I know Barilla has 3 kinds of the same pastas. Regular, Plus and whole wheat ( 51% whole wheat).. makes me wonder what the other 49% is? I used to only eat the reg but have changed to the Plus ( just in case there is better nutrients in it) but wont pay the extra for the whole wheat. But thats just me.

Woot CD!! Congrats on the gym!! Have fun and someone gave me a hint once that works well for me so I will tell you... set a specific time to go. Say for instance .. Monday wednesday and Saturday, 3pm. As opposed to I cant predict my schedule so I will go when I can... guess who is more likely to make it? Right. If you have it scheduled at the same time and a specific time, you are more likely to show up. Great news!!

Awesome! I hope you have loads of fun and success there.
My personal trainer is pretty hunky too. He's very easy to look at.

I'm eating shirataki noodles all the time! I prefer the ones without tofu (just konjac) because they have 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 everything, it's just fibers. I've noticed that the different brands have more/less smell when you take them out of their liquid, and different texture too.
I love them! I eat them with everything.

Pam - thanks for the information about noodles, including the Brand name.
Zoot - thanks for the Brand names of a couple of the Greek Yogurt. It is a start and will ask at the local stores if they can get it in.
CD78 - congrats on the gym. I have a World Gym not to far from the house - 20 minute walk. Maybe time to check it out.
Carren

CD78 excellent work scoring the hottie PT, ...oh...and the gym membership too. I'm sure you'll enjoy visiting the gym even more.

I'm excited, OK I'm really super excited! After two weeks of the scale being stuck, I'm down 1.5 this week. Yahoo!!!! My workouts have been consisting of moving furniture and throwing out things I don't need to make way for the new elliptical. It feels good to be ridding myself of other things I don't need to make way for a way to get healthier.

Keep up all the good work ladies, you ROCK!