**Foods & Drinks**

Healthy Foods & Drinks For Everyone!!

I am asked so often.... Eydie, what do you eat, what do you drink?? So, I have put together a list! These are items that are really for everyone, not just people who are trying to lose weight, or that have had the surgery! These are things that I serve and have in my own home!

PROTEINS: Low fat cheese sticks, cottage cheese, turkey, chicken, ham, venison, roast beef, eggs, yogurts (Greek Yogurt has more protein), Laughing Cow Cheese (many different flavors), etc.

FRUITS: bananas, apples, pears, oranges, kiwi, grapes, grapefruits, star fruits, mango, peaches, pineapples, etc.

Fresh fruits are the best, but also can use frozen or canned. If you use canned fruits, make sure they are packed in their own juices... NO ADDED SUGARS!

VEGETABLES: carrot sticks, celery sticks, tomatoes, romaine lettuce (any of your darker green lettuces - no iceberg lettuce as there is no nutritional value in it), spinach leaves, green-red-orange peppers, cucumbers, radishes, etc.

DRINKS: Powerade Zero, G2, Crystal Lite, FUZE... and most importantly... water! When buying the drinks... always check the labels! So many of these look alike, and it is so easy to buy the wrong thing! The Powerade Zero, and G2 look just like the regular Gatorades, but we can have only the ZERO or the G2!!! These have so much less sugar, or no sugar! When buying the FUZE... again, watch labels. There are a few varieties that have 5 or 10 calories... these are great, but there are also a couple of them that are extremely high in sugar and calories, so be careful!

IDEAS FOR HEALTHIER SNACKS:
Apple wedges with peanut butter
Apple wedges with soft 'Laughing Cow Cheese'
Celery sticks with peanut butter
Carrot sticks with 'Laughing Cow Cheese'
Cottage cheese with pineapple tidbits
Cheese stick wrapped with a slice of deli turkey or ham
Yogurt with fresh fruit
Veggie sticks with dip made from Greek yogurt & Onion Soup Mix
Grape tomatoes dipped in 'Laughing Cow Cheese'

FOODS TO AVOID!!!!

BREADS & PASTAS! They are made from the unhealthy carbs that trigger cravings! Proteins keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. The more carbs you eat, then hungrier you get. You still get your healthy carbs through your fruits and vegetables.

ALSO AVOID POP, CHIPS, AND CANDY.... AT ALL COSTS!!! These are foods that bring on fat the quickest, and... there is NO nutritional value in them at all! Once you eat them, it is so quickly, that you will be craving more... and then more, and then the cycle just keeps going! You never get "full" with these foods!

By eating the healthier snacks, you will feel more satisfied for a longer span, and ... once you rid your body of the "JUNK FOODS" you will notice a difference within. You will start to feel "CLEANER". Yes, it will be tough at first, but... use the "TOUGH LOVE" on yourself... You are SO worth it!!

**REMEMBER: NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS HEALTHY FEELS!!!!!<strong>