4 Nutrition Questions: Is it Healthy?
As a personal trainer in Ballantyne I get a lot of nutrition questions, and here’s the most recent questions from our clients. Please ask us more.
Q1: What about oatmeal? Is it healthy?
A1: Plain oatmeal has a lot going for it:
- Low in calories. 1 cup oatmeal has just 158 calories, whereas 1 cup of cooked quinoa (also a starch) has 222 calories.
- High in fiber. 1 cup oatmeal has 4 grams of fiber, whereas 1 cup of cooked brown rice has just 3 grams of fiber.
- It’s also super cheap, easy to make, and very filling.
- My praise is for plain oatmeal vs the flavored packets because those can easily double the calories.
Q2: What about avocado mash (which is like unflavored guacamole)?
A2: Avocado is 82.5% fat by calories, so it is a high fat food. Given that fat has 225% more calories per gram than either carbs or protein, its something you want to be careful with… by careful, I mean measure (ideally weigh) how much you are having.
Avocado does have some advantages over other high fat foods:
- 1 cup of avocado has 240 calories, whereas 1 cup of almonds has a whopping 825 calories!
- 1 cup of avocado mash has 10 grams of fiber, whereas 1 cup of any cheese will have zero fiber.
- Avocado mash is in the “or” category not the “and.” Meaning have it or cheese, not and cheese. Plain vegetables would be in the “and” category – have cucumbers and carrots and celery.
Q3: What about chia seeds? Flax seeds? Is it healthy?
A3: Chia seeds, like all seeds and nuts, are very high in calories (calorically dense). Chia seeds also have a lot of fiber, so consume with caution – meaning, you want to pay attention to the serving size.
- 2 tbsp of chia seeds has 8 grams of fiber and 130 calories.
- For contrast, 2 tbsp of almond butter (also a seed) has just 4 grams of fiber and 190 calories.
- If you are making chia seed pudding, try using a mix of Fairlife fat-free milk and fat-free Greek yogurt to make something high in protein and fiber with a reasonable number of calories.
- Flax seeds and chia seeds have very similar nutrition profiles: they’re both high fiber and high fat seeds.
- Chia has slightly fewer calories (because it’s fat content is slightly lower), and a bit more fiber.
- Chia seeds are nice thickening agents.
- Flax seeds are crunchier.
Q4: What’s the best cheese option?
A4: Pre-sliced. The cheese connoisseurs might hate my answer, but having the cheese pre-sliced makes portion control very easy and unambiguous. Slices are more convenient than shredded because the unit is very easy to count, whereas the shredded cheese or blocked cheese would require someone to weigh how much they’re using. Weighing is easier (and more accurate) than measuring, but it is still a pain in the ass.
With that out the way, here are the lowest calorie (per ounce) cheese suggestions:
- Part-skim cheddar cheese has just 70 calories per ounce.
- Part-skim mozzarella has just 72 calories per ounce.
- Feta has just 75 calories per ounce. (not available pre-sliced LOL)
- Goat cheese (soft), also has just 75 calories per ounce. (also, not available pre-sliced, soft goat and Feta both have high water content which means their calories are lower because water has no calories, and that they’re not sliceable)
- Swiss cheese has just 110 calories per ounce.
Looking for more nutrition information? Check out this post of protein timing.
For a realistic timeline to lose body fat check out this video.