Glycemic Impact Information

Below find info on the Glycemic Impact plan:


Resources & Tools The Top Things to Know
1. How frequently should I eat? The Glycemic Impact Diet recommends eating five to six times a day. No more than five hours should elapse between a Glycemic Impact Diet meal or snack. You should eat meal or snack within an hour of waking and another snack within an hour of going to sleep. This schedule will help keep your insulin at an even level overnight. A meal should sustain you for about five hours, while a snack is designed to hold you over for about two hours.

2. Can I ever have bread or potatoes again? The Glycemic Impact Diet is not about completely avoiding certain foods, but more about balance and making wise choices. No food is absolutely banned on The Glycemic Impact Diet. While we do not recommend eating starchy high glycemic foods often, you can include them with your meals occasionally. As a rule, you should try to keep unfavorable carbohydrates to 25-percent or less of your total carbohydrate allotment.

3. I'm a pure vegetarian. How can I make this diet work for me? Simply add protein-rich vegetarian foods to your existing diet to maintain the correct protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. Ideal choices would be firm and extra-firm tofu, and isolated soybean protein powder. The new generation of soybean-based imitation meat products (hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, etc.) is another excellent way of getting protein-rich vegetarian foods into your existing meals. You don't have to eat meat to achieve a healthy balance.

4. What can I drink? Water should be your primary beverage. Drink at least 64 oz. of water a day. Keep caffeine and artificial sweeteners found in coffee, tea, and diet soft drinks to a minimum or avoid them altogether since they may have a negative effect on your insulin levels. Instead, add a lemon or lime to your water or drink commercial bottled waters that have a hint of fruit flavor added to them. Remember to read the labels to be sure there are no carbohydrate calories or added sugar in them.

5. Can I have my morning coffee on The Glycemic Impact Diet? We don't recommend coffee, some teas or any other caffeinated beverages because they can have a negative affect on your insulin levels. Switch to decaffeinated coffee or limit yourself to one cup a day

Resources & Tools Meal Plan FAQs
What is The Glycemic Impact Diet?

The Glycemic Impact Diet helps you achieve ideal metabolic balance every time you eat. Following a diet that consists of lean protein, low glycemic index unrefined carbohydrates, and healthy fats allows you to achieve balance with The Glycemic Impact Diet. And once you've started The Glycemic Impact Diet, positive changes you can expect include:

Level Blood Sugars: This will improve your mental acuity.

Enhanced Performance in Daily Activities: You will experience peak performance in everything you do as a result of increased oxygen transfers to your muscle cells.

Leaner Muscle Tone: With The Glycemic Impact Diet, you'll lose excess fat and become more fit.

Satisfaction: Say goodbye to those hunger pains. By balancing your diet with The Glycemic Impact Diet, avoid the blood sugar fluctuations that can lead to bingeing and weight gain.
Why do I need The Glycemic Impact Diet?

Attaining a healthy weight is a must if you want to enjoy a long life. As your weight increases, so does your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and several other chronic illnesses. Being overweight not only affects your physical health, but your mental health as well.

Research shows that following a weight loss plan and losing 10 percent of your body weight (if you weigh 180 pounds, that's just 18 pounds) can improve your quality of life in a number of ways, including lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. You'll look better and feel better when you make the choice to follow a diet that can get you on the right track.

Your Glycemic Impact Plan - How is it different from the Glycemic Index?

Your meal plan is based on the glycemic impact rather than the glycemic index of foods. The glycemic impact provides a fuller picture than the glycemic index alone. The glycemic impact indicates the affect that carbohydrates in a food have on blood sugar; the glycemic index value tells you only how rapidly carbohydrate turns into sugar for a specific food. The glycemic index does not address the total amount of carbohydrate in the food, and it does not take into account the other components of the meal or snack.

The way specific foods affect blood sugar can vary from person to person and in different situations. Whether the food is eaten alone or combined with other foods, how the food is eaten (raw or cooked) and even "ripeness" of a food can have an effect on blood sugar levels. For this reason, a list of glycemic index foods is not a complete picture. By following a low glycemic impact meal plan, it takes into account all of the above mentioned factors.

Some foods that have a lower glycemic index than others can be less healthy than you think. For example, soda has a glycemic index value of 90, while cranberry juice is 105. If you were to only look at index, soda would be considered the better choice, as it is a lower value. But when you take into account the other factors, this is not true.

Take the example of carrots vs. chocolate cake. Carrots have a glycemic index value of 47 and chocolate cake has a value of 38. If you are only looking at the number, 38 numerically is lower than 47, but clearly chocolate cake is not healthier than carrots. The overall impact of carrots would be less than the chocolate cake when looking at total carbohydrates in a serving. Chocolate cake contains a higher number of carbohydrates than a serving of carrots.

Bananas are also a good example. Bananas are considered to have a relatively high glycemic index of 42-48 (depending upon how ripe the banana is), but a low glycemic impact or glycemic load of 11-12. Therefore, this would be a healthy choice to include on the Glycemic Impact plan.

The recommendation of the Glycemic Impact plan it is to select unrefined complex carbohydrates which are high in fiber and low in simple sugars having a desirable (lower) impact on blood sugars.

Resources & Tools Meal Plan Substitutions
Your Glycemic Impact Diet is designed to help keep your blood sugars stable, to prevent cravings for refined sweets, and to enhance your energy and immunity. This plan contains about 40 percent of the calories from unrefined carbohydrate foods, and about 30 percent from healthy, lean proteins and about 30 percent of calories from healthy fats.

Your substitution list defines each nutrient group by portion size. Use this list to choose foods that are high in fiber (at least 5 grams per serving) and low in refined sugars. If you're choosing packaged foods, the ingredient label should not list sugar in any form as the first or second ingredient. Corn syrup, honey, maltose, dextrose, sucrose or fruit juice are all sugar-sweeteners, for example.

Your Glycemic Impact Diet does not necessarily include only foods that are low glycemic index. The glycemic index is a list of 600 carbohydrate-containing foods, tested to determine their potential to raise blood glucose levels. However, the GI is not the ultimate answer to a healthy diet, because it doesn't include other factors, including how the food is processed, cooked, and how many grams of fiber the food contains; as well as the other foods eaten with that food (fat and protein).

In general, high GI foods are highly processed, such as breads and cereals, mashed potatoes and white rice. Lower GI foods include vegetables and fruits, legumes, unprocessed grains including oatmeal and long-grain brown rice, and of course, dairy and meats. However, foods you'd think are unhealthy may have a lower GI than other, healthier foods.

The glycemic index does not tell you how many carbohydrates are in a serving. According to the GI, soda has a GI of 90, which appears better for you than cranberry juice, with a GI of 105. Carrots have an extremely high GI value, 131, but since the GI is based on 50 grams, that means eating approximately 1/2 pound or carrots, more than the average serving, and carrots are often part of a healthy recipe or meal, of course.

For your Glycemic Impact Diet, we recommend foods that will balance your meal plan, and are high in fiber and low in saturated fat. The best advice from the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association is to enjoy a balanced meal plan, with an emphasis on unrefined carbohydrate foods, including whole grains and whole grain breads and cereals, and whole servings of fruit instead of juice. The skin of fruits and vegetables contain healthy fiber too, so scrub and eat! When choosing packaged foods, read the ingredient label, and make sure the first ingredient is "whole grain" whether the product is made from wheat, oats, corn or other grain. Portion size is important, so pay to your personalized eDiets meal plan, and choose similar portion sizes when you go out to eat.

Use this Substitutions List to make healthy choices when you want to change the item on your meal plan.

Portion Size

All foods are listed with their portion serving size, such as one cup or one ounce, etc, usually measured after cooking. Begin your program with eDiets.com by measuring and weighing your food for a week or so, to learn what a three-ounce serving of meat looks like, for example. This way you'll be able to go out to eat, choose your portions and stay with your plan.

Interchangeable Meals

All eDiets meals in your meal plan are interchangeable. We suggest that you print out and keep your favorite menus and recipes for reference. You can use them as substitutions if you'd like to replace any meal.

Frozen Entrees

If you're on the convenience or combination plan, you'll find frozen entrees on your meal plan for lunch and/or dinner. You may not like or perhaps you're unable to find the particular entree listed on your meal plan, but you can substitute!

Here are some guidelines:

Frozen entrees come in different calorie amounts. When you pick a substitute frozen entree, check the calories per serving. For example, if you pick an entree that has 200 calories per serving, you need to add fruit and other items to your meal to balance that meal. Below you'll find itemized meal plans for different frozen entree calorie levels.

If you pick a 200-calorie entree, add:

1 fruit
1 cup of salad
1 Tbsp. of dressing
1 cup of yogurt
If you pick a 250-calorie entree, add:

1 fruit
1 cup of salad
1 Tbsp. of dressing
1 cup of milk
If you pick a 300-calorie entree, add:

1 fruit
1 cup of salad
1 Tbsp. of dressing
0.5 whole-grain cereal bar
If you pick a 350-calorie entree, add:

1 fruit
1 cup of salad
1 Tbsp. of dressing
If you pick a 400-calorie entree, add:

1 cup of salad
1 Tbsp. of dressing
How to Substitute Within Each Food Category

Within each food category, Starches, Meats, Milks, Fruits, Vegetables, & Fats, there are many different food items. The items in each food category are interchangeable, and we show you the portion size for one serving of each food item.

For example, in the Starches category, you'll find the Breads & Crackers section. If your meal plan calls for a serving of bread of choice, you can choose either one slice of whole wheat bread, or 2 slices of "diet" bread, or 1/2 English muffin, etc. If you don't want bread or crackers, you can choose 3/4 cup of cold cereal (from the Cereals & Grains list) or even 1/2 cup of cooked corn (from the Starchy Vegetables list).

Starches

Each serving in the starch group has approximately 60-90 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein and 0-1 grams of fat per serving. The foods in this section are all interchangeable.

Breads & Crackers

Whole grains and whole-grain breads, pancakes and waffles are the best choices; they contain the most fiber and best nutrition. Look for "whole wheat" or whole grain" as the first ingredient. Most of the items below may be found as whole-wheat versions.

All of the following servings of bread or crackers are interchangeable. (Each of the following servings equals approximately 1 ounce or 28 grams.)

Bread:

1 slice bread (white, including French or Italian, whole wheat, pumpernickel or rye)
2 slices 40-calorie "diet" bread
1/2 small bagel (approximately 1/2 "Lender's"-type 2.5 to 3 oz. bagel)
1/2 English muffin
1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
1/2 pita bread, approximately 6 inch across
2 Wasa Light Bread (type of flat-bread cracker)
4 Melba Toast
6 saltine crackers
2 4-inch rice cakes, approximately 35 calories each
1 tortilla (corn or flour, approximately 6-8 inch across)
2 low-fat pancakes (approx. 4 inch diameter; frozen or prepared
1 low-fat waffle (approx. 2.5 oz., 4 inch square; frozen or prepared)
1 slice low-fat French toast; (frozen or prepared)
1 "board" of matzo, (approx. 1 oz.)
Bread sticks, crisp (4-4" x 1/2" breadsticks or ~2/3 ounce total)
Bread sticks, soft, plain (3/4 stick or ~1 ounce total)
Cereals, Grains and Pasta

For cereals, serving sizes vary depending on the brand and type of cereal. Most cold cereal packages show a serving size of one ounce on the Nutrition Facts label, and we are providing the measurement amount for your convenience. For best nutrition, choose high fiber/low sugar cereals with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving, and choose a cereal with less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.

3/4 cup flaked or "Chex"-type cereal: low sugar, ready to eat, like bran flakes or wheat Chex
1 1/2 cup puffed cereal like puffed wheat or puffed rice
1/2 cup cooked hot cereal like oatmeal, Wheatena or farina
1/3 cup nugget-type cereal like Grape-Nuts
1/4 cup low-fat granola
1/2 cup cooked kasha, millet, grits, barley or couscous
1/2 cup pasta, cooked
1/3 cup cooked white or brown rice
1 (4 Tbsp.) oz. Wheat Germ
Most recipes will display measures of pasta, rice and grains uncooked. The rule of thumb for cooking is: most pasta, grains and hot cereals double in volume, and rice triples in volume when cooked: Here is information to assist you in preparing portions for one:

Starch Uncooked Cooked
Oatmeal or Grits 3 Tbsp. 1/2 cup
Farina 2 Tbsp. 1/2 cup
Spaghetti & Macaroni 1/4 cup 1/2 cup
Dried Beans & Dried Peas 1/4 cup 1/2 cup
Lentils 3 Tbsp. 1/2 cup
Rice 2 Tbsp. 1/3 cup

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables have 15 grams of carbohydrate per serving which is higher than vegetables like broccoli and spinach, which have only 2 grams. That's why starchy vegetables are included in the starch group.

1 small potato or 1/2 medium potato, baked or boiled (about 3 oz.)
1 small sweet potato or 1/2 medium sweet potato, baked or boiled (about 3 oz.)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup winter squash (butternut or acorn)
1/2 cup cooked plantain or cassava
1/2 cup cooked corn
1 small (5 oz.) piece corn on the cob
2/3 cup cooked lima beans
1/3 cup baked beans
1/2 cup cooked dried beans and peas such as kidney, black, pinto, or white beans
1/2 cup cooked lentils, split peas or black-eyed peas
1/2 cup cooked soybeans
1/2 cup green peas
Convenience Breakfast Foods and Snacks

The serving size given for each of the items below has about 60-90 calories, about 10-15 grams of carbohydrate, and about 2-5 grams of fat.

If you're on the convenience plan, choose low fat breakfast bars and snacks. If you cannot find the item that's listed in your meal plan, you can substitute with another low fat cereal bar that has 3 grams of fat or less per serving. Select a bar that doesn't have some form of sugar in the first two ingredients if possible. Notice that the serving size of some cereal bars and snack bars is 1/2 of the bar.

2 Snackwell's Devil's Food cookies
8 Animal Crackers
1 Barbara's Fruit Bar
1 Health Valley Peanut Crunch Oatmeal Cookie
3 graham crackers, 2.5-inch square
3 cups air popped popcorn
1/4 bag "light" microwave popcorn
15-20 (3/4 oz.) fat-free baked potato chips or baked tortilla chips
3/4 oz. pretzels
1/2 Kellogg's NutriGrain Bar (Replace with any low fat snack bar)
1 Nature Valley Bar (Replace with any low-fat snack bar)
1/2 Quaker Oat Bar (Replace with any low-fat snack bar)
1/2 Health Valley Energy Bar (Replace with any low-fat snack bar)
1 Health Valley Crisp Rice Bar (Replace with any nonfat or low-fat toaster pastry)
1/2 Health Valley Scone (Replace with any low-fat snack bar)
1/2 Health Valley Healthy Tart (Replace with any nonfat or low-fat toaster pastry)
These starchy foods count as a serving of starch plus one serving of fat

1 biscuit (2 1/2 inches across)
1 cup croutons
1/4 cup regular granola
1/3 cup of stuffing
2 taco shells
16-25 small French fried potatoes
1/2 cup Chow Mein noodles
Meat and Meat Substitutes, including Poultry, Seafood, Cheese, Eggs and Soy Products

Each serving of lean meat has approximately 7 grams of protein, 1-5 grams of fat and 55-75 calories per item. All meat is not created equal! Choose lean cuts of meat such as loin, round and flank -- they have one third of the fat of ribs. Ground "beef" generally has three times the fat as the top round. Choose ground turkey breast instead of ground turkey, and always remove the skin from all poultry. All types of fish are interchangeable, as are shellfish. Tofu and soy products are available in regular and "lite" versions. Processed and canned meats and fish and meat substitutes are generally higher in sodium than fresh. Amounts shown are yield after cooking: when buying meat, fish and fowl, don't forget about shrinkage: four ounces of raw meat, poultry or fish generally yields three ounces after cooking. Three ounces looks like a deck of cards.

1 oz. lean meat, veal, or pork. Trim off visible fat before or after cooking
1 oz. skinless poultry, including chicken, turkey or Cornish hen. White meat is leanest.
1 oz. game meat such as venison, ostrich or buffalo
1 oz. fish, including fresh or frozen cod, flounder, halibut or fresh tuna
1 oz. of shellfish, including clams, shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops or imitation shellfish
1 oz. water packed canned tuna, salmon or sardines
1 oz. low fat sausage or turkey sausage
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup egg substitute (liquid, not "vegan": contains eggs) Powdered egg substitute: 1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons of water = 1 egg
1/4 cup nonfat or 1 percent cottage cheese
1/3 cup nonfat or low-fat ricotta cheese
1 oz. low fat or nonfat cheese (feta, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 slice Luncheon meat: (Choose Healthy Choice brand or Louis Rich Low Sodium brand, or any other brand that contains 3 grams or less of fat per serving and approximately 160 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.)
1 oz. tofu or 2 oz. low-fat tofu
1 oz. tempeh (soybean cake)
1 vegetarian burger = about 2 oz lean meat: Morningstar Farms Prime Patties are interchangeable with Garden Burgers or Boca Burgers or any vegetarian burger. Choose a veggie burger with 3 grams of fat or less of fat per serving.
Milk and Milk Substitutes

Nonfat and 1 percent milk provides 12 grams of carbohydrate, 8 grams of protein, about 0-3 grams of fat and approximately 90-110 calories per 8 ounce cup serving. For best nutrition, choose dairy products and dairy substitutes that are enriched with vitamin D and calcium. You can find many milk substitutes in your local grocery store or natural foods store.

1 cup low-fat (1 percent) or nonfat (skim) milk
1 cup low-fat or nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup evaporated nonfat milk
1/3 cup dry nonfat milk
1 cup low-fat or nonfat soy yogurt
1 cup pudding made with nonfat milk (sugar-free if desired)
1 cup low-fat or nonfat yogurt: (sweetened with nonnutritive sweetener or aspartame if desired.)
1 cup low-fat or nonfat soy milk (enriched with calcium and vitamin D)
1 cup low-fat or nonfat rice milk (enriched with calcium and vitamin D)
1 cup low-fat or nonfat Lactaid milk (low-fat or nonfat)
1 cup low-fat or nonfat almond milk
1 cup low-fat or nonfat oat milk
Fruit

All fruits are "good" fruits, but pay attention to the serving size. Each serving of fruit has approximately 60 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrate.

1 small (4-5 oz.) apple, orange, peach or pear
1 cup cubed melon (for example: cantaloupe, mango)
1 cup berries (blueberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries, etc)
1/2 medium banana
17 small grapes
12 (3 oz.) sweet fresh cherries
1/2 large grapefruit
4 ounces fruit juice, fresh, from concentrate, or frozen from concentrate: no sugar added
1/2 cup canned fruit�canned in juice or water, not syrup
1 kiwi fruit
2 Tbsp. raisins, 4 dried prunes or 5 dried apple rings
4 apricot halves
Salads & Vegetables

A serving of vegetables is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw and provides approximately 25 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate...your meal plan will include at least 2 servings per day, and you may add at least 2 servings of cooked vegetables and unlimited raw salad daily

A salad is at least 2 cups of your choice of salad greens and you can may add any vegetable of choice, except starchy vegetables like corn, peas, dried beans and potatoes, turnips, and winter squash. Starchy vegetables are counted as servings of starch, and can be found under "Starches" at the beginning of this page.

These vegetables are all interchangeable: 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked:

A: artichokes, asparagus
B: beans (green beans, snap beans), bean sprouts, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
C: cabbage (all types), carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, cucumber, chives,
D: dandelion greens
E: eggplant, endive, escarole
F: fennel
G: garlic
H: horseradish
J: jicama
K: kale, kohlrabi
L: leeks, lettuce (all types)
M: mushrooms, mustard greens
O: okra, onions (all types)
P: peppers (yellow, red, green), parsley, pea pods
R: radishes
S: seaweed, snow peas, spinach, summer squash, sorrel, shallot, sprouts (bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts)
T: tomatoes
W: watercress, water chestnuts
Z: zucchini

Fats

1 fat = 5 grams of fat and 45 calories tsp. = teaspoon; Tbsp. = tablespoon

1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. oil: canola, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, etc.
1 tsp. margarine or mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. "light" butter or mayonnaise
1 tsp. salad dressing
1 Tbsp. "light" dressing
2 tsp. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese
3 Tbsp. nonfat cream cheese
1 Tbsp. regular sour cream
3 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream
8 olives
1 oz. of avocado (although a vegetable, avocado is quite high in (healthy) fat; so use sparingly)
All Nuts are high in fat, but generally it's "good" unsaturated fat. Be careful of the serving size, one ounce is generally one serving, and read the label to see how many pieces equals one ounce:

6 almonds, cashews (170 calories per ounce)
10 peanuts (170 calories per ounce)
4 pecan halves (190 calories per ounce)
Shelled pistachio nuts (170 calories per ounce)
Like nuts, seeds are high in fat, mainly polyunsaturated oil:

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (160 calories per ounce
1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds (160 calories per ounce)
Herbs & Spices

Dried spices and herbs may be used in place of fresh. If your shopping list calls for fresh, and it's unavailable, use dried 1/4 tsp. dried to 1 tsp. fresh. All seasonings may be used in unlimited amounts; however, if you're sodium sensitive and need or want a lower sodium diet, make sure your dried herbal seasonings and spice mixes are sodium-free.

Canned Soups

We recommend canned soups that contain 3 grams or less of fat per serving, and approximately 500 mg. or less of sodium per serving. Some healthy choices include Healthy Choice, Health Valley and Campbell's Healthy Request soups.

Free Foods
Beverages

Your beverage of choice should be water... It's the best for hydrating you and quenching your thirst. Recommendations are for eight 8-ounce glasses daily. We advise you to limit caffeinated beverages to one or two cups daily. You can replace 2-4 glasses of your water with any of the below:

Low-sodium bouillon or broth
Sugar-free drink mixes
Sodium-free club soda or seltzer
Herbal tea or decaffeinated tea
decaffeinated coffee
Water (add a squeeze of lemon or lime for flavor)
Sweets

1 sugar-free gelatin dessert (limit to 3 daily servings)
jam/jelly sugar free (2 tsp.)
Nonfat sugar free whipped topping (2 tbsp.)
Sugar-free gum (1-5 sticks daily)
Condiments
(You can buy many of these items as low sodium items.)

Ketchup, horseradish, mustard, dill pickles, salsa (1 Tbsp.)
vinegar
Lemon and lime juice
Veggies

unlimited raw salad (see Salad & Vegetables)
Other

nonstick cooking spray
Alcohol

We do not advocate drinking alcohol. Alcohol is "empty" calories, is metabolized like fat and contains no important nutrients. Protein and carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, fat provides 9 calories per gram, and alcohol 7 calories per gram. So moderation is the answer, and you should consider that when you're in weight-loss mode it's better to avoid alcohol.

Although there may be a place for alcohol in a healthy diet, when you're watching your calories and trying to balance your scale in your favor, stay away from drinking. When you're trying to be frugal with your calories, drinking can decrease your inhibitions and you may be tempted to eat more than you need. We've seen research that has shown, however, that small amounts of alcohol may be beneficial, so once you've achieved your goal, you may include alcohol as part of your meal plan -- but don't sacrifice good nutrition for alcohol. Make sure you review your alcohol intake with your personal physician.

1 serving of any of the following alcoholic beverages provides approximately 80-100 calories:

8 oz regular beer
12 oz light beer
4 oz wine
1.5 oz distilled spirits (whiskey, scotch, gin, vodka, rum)
Keep in mind that mixed drinks, made with regular soda, juice, or mixes, will have double or triple the calories. Use sodium-free club soda or sugar-free tonics or sodas to control the calories.

Other
Brown Bag Lunches

If you want to bring or "brown bag" your lunch, or just want a guideline for choosing portions when eating out, choose this "brown bag lunch". Here you'll find the portions of food for lunch or dinner that will keep you on your meal plan. The calories in your "brown bag lunch" equal approximately 30 percent of your calories for the day, and are based on your personal profile requirements. Each food item in your lunch is interchangeable with any other items in its food category; for example, 3 oz. of luncheon meat is interchangeable with any other serving of meat in the "Meat" section above.

2 slices of whole-wheat or whole-grain bread
or
1 large whole-wheat pita
or
2oz. bagel OR 12 Saltine crackers
AND
2 oz. fat-free luncheon meat
or
4 oz. tuna, packed in water
or
3 oz. chicken or turkey breast
AND
1 salad with 2 Tbsp. of fat-free dressing
or
1 cup of raw vegetables
or
1/2 cup of cooked vegetables
AND
1 fruit

Soft Diet
You've had some dental work, and now your mouth is so sore! No crunchy cruciferous vegetables for you, no whole fruit for a while. Here are some suggestions for a "soft" diet, while your mouth heals, and you'll avoid straying from your healthy meal plan!

Breakfast:

1. eDiets Healthy Shake

1 cup non-fat milk
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 cup berries or melon (frozen or fresh) strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, mango, or 1/2 banana
Sweetener of choice: Sweet'N Low, Equal or 1-3 tsp. sugar or honey (about 16 calories per tsp.)
Crushed ice
Whip it up in the blender

2. Hot Cereal and nonfat milk and/or yogurt

3. Scrambled eggbeaters with hot cereal

Lunch:

Hot Soup and soft cooked vegetables, bean or beef chili

Dessert -- fruit compote or applesauce

Nonfat or low-fat yogurt (not fruit on bottom)

Dinner:

Tofu and soft-cooked vegetables and rice, soft-cooked fruit and yogurt.

A easy way to soft-cook vegetables and fruit is in the microwave in a glass or Pyrex bowl, or on the stove top in a non-reactive (non-copper or aluminum) pot with just a little water. Use lemon, spices, ginger, garlic and pepper to liven up the taste.