How do you work in an office and not gain weight? Birthday parties, baby showers, holiday festivities, and they don’t seem to ever end. These high calorie, party foods can really pack on the pounds. Try bringing your own healthy snacks to parties, and inviting others to sample what you bring. Pretty soon, it becomes clear that your health and weight matter more, and you have found a solution by bringing healthy foods to the work site. Ditch the high calorie carbs from cakes, cookies and crackers, and replace with hummus and carrots, apples with yogurt as a dip, fruit trays, or meat rolls with string cheese.
Participating in office parties, but watching your calories by eating smaller amounts than everyone else? This adds up, too. Just one handful of nuts, a sliver of cake, and 1 cookie can equal up to 500 calories, yet you feel like you are doing better than others because you are only having very small servings. This 500 calories, once a week, for 52 weeks of the year, can equal a 7 pound weight gain in one year. Maybe you aren’t eating less that others, but wish you were? This can easily add up to a 15 pound weight gain in one year! So to avoid all these extra workplace calories, shop the outer aisles for fresh fruits and veggies, healthy, low calorie yogurts and dips, lean meats and low fat cheeses. Make your health count, starting today.
Butter Bean Hummus
Ingredients:
- 1 (13 oz.) can Butter Beans or Baby Limas, rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice from half of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Dash of sea salt
- Garnish w/ fresh parsley as desired.
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend into a cream consistency. Enjoy as a dip for raw vegetables.
Makes 4 servings. Each serving equals: 150 calories, 4 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 23 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 8 g protein.
