Eat Less with Activity Foods

About a month ago I was encouraging a client to add more fruit to her diet. Pushing fruit in February is like selling pork in an Orthodox neighborhood. It isn’t easy.  At the time I was loving Cara Cara oranges and suggested them to my client. “Oranges are too much work,” she said.  “What do you mean an orange is work?” I asked. “The peel, the juice, the mess, I don’t have the time.” I let it go and I think we settled on apples (less work).  It got me thinking though, this “work” my client referred to is a good thing when it comes to food. “Activity Foods” as I call them are foods that take time to eat. This slows us down and may just lead to eating less. Convenience isn't always a good thing when it comes to food. Here are my favorite activity foods:

Nuts/Nutcrackers

My first memory of eating nuts was in my Grandparents den. There was always a bowl of nuts on the table. The nuts were whole and a silver nutcracker rested next to them. As a child I remember many failed attempts at nut cracking. I probably consumed 1 nut per day back then. I don’t even know that my kids would know nutcrackers are used for eating nuts.  I vote for a nutcracker revival.

Edamame

Edamame are a great source of protein and the ultimate activity food. Buy edamame in the shell, non-GMO. Enjoy them as a snack with some sea salt and a little cayenne.

Shellfish

Attending college in New Orleans, some of my favorite memories are chowing down on crawfish or peel and eat shrimp. You really work for your food when eating these. Other shellfish options are mussels and lobster.

Artichokes

One of my favorite spring vegetables is artichokes. Artichokes take a little work to prepare and time to eat. Watch what you “dip” into. Artichokes are low calorie and high fiber, creamy sauces aren’t.

Olives

As much as I love a dirty martini, I love olives on their own too. Olives are high in fat (good fat) but fairly low in calories. Make sure to buy olives with their pits. Again, the pitting (and spitting) takes time.

Whole Fish

People are scared of whole fish (or grossed out) and I think that’s a mistake. Cooking fish whole renders a delicious end product and is a very healthy method of preparation. Furthermore, find me someone who can race through eating whole fish, you can’t.

Pistachios

If you’re not up for nutcracking, try pistachios. Pistachios are great as they lower LDL cholesterol and also because you can eat more (for same calories) than other nuts. Removing the shells is sort of fun…unless you had a manicure recently.

If you’re a speedy eater, activity foods will slow you down leaving time to savor the food that you’re eating and realize when you’re full (or tired of “working”).

Do you like activity foods? Any good ones I left off this list? Do you think oranges are a lot of work?

Crunchy or Smooth?

Are you a morning person or a night owl? An exercise lover or exercise hater? Chances are answering each of these questions required little thought. Most of us fall into one of the 2 categories. It’s not so much a matter of what you want to be but what you are. I would venture to say the same is true of peanut butter or “nut butters” as we now inclusively refer to them. The world is divided into “crunchy” and “smooth.” While I don’t dislike smooth peanut butter, I can’t for the life of me understand anyone choosing it over crunchy.

I was reminded of my place in the crunchy camp recently when I tasted the most delicious nut butter, Nuttzo. Nuttzo brings crunchy to another level. There are all different kind of nuts: hazelnuts, almonds and brazil nuts. The peanut free version also has flax and chia seeds. This makes it a “multicrunch” nut butter with all different flavors and textures in every bite. Two studies, one by Murakami et al and the other Cassady, connected crunchy foods with increased satiety. If we apply this to nut butter, crunchy may be the better choice when it comes to weight management.

If I am going to go smooth, it’s never for an average peanut butter. I happen to enjoy Peanut Butter and Co.'s Dark Chocolate Dreams which is now available in squeeze packs. . This is unbelievable on an apple. Peanut Butter and Co. also makes a spicy peanut butter called The Heat is On. This makes a great dip. These flavors may distract me from their “smoothness” but I’d be open to tasting crunchy versions.
Another peanut-free great tasting, crunchy option is the Natural Crunch Sunbutter . Sunbutter is used in many schools, has a nice mild taste and is made primarily from sunflower seeds.
Are you smooth or crunchy? Do you think there are peanut butter personalities? What is the stereotypical “crunchy” or “smooth”? And what is your favorite nut butter?