Day 26: Small, Smart Substitutions

Today were talking about making small and smart substitutions to cut calories!
These are simple swaps to cut calories and make your meals more weight-loss friendly :)

Here are just a few that I use (at times).

• Throw the innards of any sandwich, burger, taco or anything else that you could fit into a bun, between two slices of bread, or within a tortilla wrap and make it FLY! That's right, wrap it in lettuce instead of bread or tortillas. You cut all those calories and carbs and get a light, fresh, crunchy low-cal wrapper instead. Iceburg or any broad-leaf lettuce works best.
• Buy and use a MISTO or similar custom sprayer, instead of buying aerosol-spray, fake pan spray. It has less chemical preservatives, and you don't use as much oil when you spray instead of pour or measure.
• Drink almond milk instead of cow's milk! Almond milk is only 30-60 cal per 8 ounces/cup (depending on what kind you buy) where-as nonfat milk is 120 calories per cup, and the calories only go up if you like 2% or whole milk.
• Use avocado instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich, burger, or in place of mayo in potato or noodle salad.
• Slice and use cucumber slices instead of crackers or chips with meat and cheese or dips.
• Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream on potatoes, tacos or wherever it is called for to replace cholesterol and fat with lower calories and extra protein!
• Add extra juicy tomatoes to sandwiches and hot dogs instead of ketchup to cut back on sugar!
• Serve hummus instead of ranch dressing with cut veggies.
• Use balsamic vinegar or make your own fruit juice-based dressing instead of full fat salad dressing.

Here are a few that I love!

Easy-peasy dressing

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, One quarter lemon, 1/4 teaspoon honey

Raspberry salad dressing
2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons whole fruit raspberry preserves, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice,, Whisk all three together in a bowl and put on your salad

Citrus balsamic dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, one clove of grated garlic, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, zest of one full line, juice of half a lime, one and a half tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ginger salad dressing
1/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger- finely chopped, 1 tablespoon lime juice, one half teaspoon grated lime peel

Pineapple poppyseed dressing
3 pints, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of honey mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

My personal favorite: honey poppy seed salad dressing
Three-quarter cups honey, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/8 cup finely chopped onion, 3 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 cup organic olive oil, 1/4 cup water








I put up my fall decorations yesterday, and built my first fire in the fireplace. I love to sit on the floor in front of the fire with a cup of hot tea, and just soak in the heat! There's nothing like it!

The Biggest Loser mini Blueberry Banana Bran muffins or the B3 muffins! The official fuel of the B3 project! Or at least for a couple of days :) Here they are, as promised!!

I made a double-batch of the dry ingredients for next time! I LOVE these muffins!







THE B3 MUFFINS!!
1 1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran or oat bran

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Three-quarter cup fat-free milk (I used almond milk, only 30 calories instead of 120!)
1/3 cup honey

One right medium banana mash with a fork
One large egg (I used liquid egg whites)
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used grape seed oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries  (I used 1 1/2 cups, I like 'em extra juicy!)

Preheat oven to 400*, spray mini muffin tins with oil from your MISTO!! Mix together all the dry ingredients, then all the wet ingredients separately (except for the blueberries), slowly mix together half the wet ingredients into the dry (make a well in the dry, and pour in the wet), then pour in and mix the rest. Once fully mixed, carefully fold in the blueberries. Scoop 1 TBS size-scoops into the muffin tins, and then bake for 9-10 minutes. The muffins will be done when they are slightly springy. Let them cool for 10 mins and then remove from muffin tins.
ENJOY!


So, how'd I do??

FOOD
Breakfast: a Greek yogurt, peach and raspberry breakfast parfait
Snack: a cup of green tea and 4 B3 muffins and 1/2 a banana
Lunch: Half a Veggie Sammy and 1 HBE
Dinner: a Subway ham and turkey sandwich
Snack: a cup of green tea and 3 B3 muffins

EXERCISE
Insanity!! Abs day! Short, but tough!!

Thanks for reading all! And Bon' Chance'!