Dieting is not just about knowing what to eat, it’s just as important that you know what not to eat as well. If you’re serious about weight loss, here are twelve foods that you’ll definitely want to avoid…

1. Mac and Cheese

It might be a traditional feel good dish, but the extra calories are not going to make you look good. With an average twelve ounce serving size offering up a whopping 529 calories, you might want to look elsewhere for feel good.

That calorie count can soar if you add cooked meats or extra cheese to the dish. And given that mac and cheese is often served as a side dish, don’t forget to add in all the extra calories that you’re getting from your main meal. Seriously not a good choice.

2. High Fat Barbecue

A twenty ounce T-bone can give you a huge 1,540 calories, making it a hugely unhealthy choice. Yes, you can eat meat, but some meat is better than other meat choices. Avoid pork or beef ribs, T-bones and big burgers. Opt instead for pork tenderloin or skinless chicken breast.

3. Pasta Carbonara

Pasta in a thick cream sauce with bacon and garlic, it’s delicious, but incredibly high in calories. Depending on preparation and serving size, a pasta carbonara can set you back close to two thousand calories…
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Snacking is a great way to keep your blood sugar even and prevent overeating at meals. But when you’re on the go all day it’s not always easy to make a healthy snack choice. Vending machines are close, and convenient, and you just don’t have the time to prepare something as healthy as you’d like. So here are twelve handy snack ideas that are convenient and healthy…

1. Nuts

A handful of nuts is a great convenient snack. Keep roasted and unsalted nuts in your bag, any mixture is fine. A handful is about a quarter of a cup. Roasted almonds, for example, contain only 6.7 grams of carbs for every quarter cup serving.

2. Peanut Butter and Celery

For the little kid inside you peanut butter and celery is an awesome snack. Prepare it in the morning, stick it in a tupperware container, and you’re ready to go. All natural peanut butter contains a mere eight grams of carbs, so it’s a good choice.

3. Cheese Sticks

Another kid’s favourite, cheese sticks or string cheese, are readily portable, don’t need to be kept refridgerated, and are great for you. Make a careful choice when you’re shopping, as all cheese is not created equal, but in general a cheese stick should be around fifty calories and less than one gram of carbs. Read more

If you’ve made the decision to live a healthy life and to eat a nutritious diet, that doesn’t mean that you should be eating boring rabbit food all the time. Going grocery shopping should be an exciting experience that leaves you hungry to try new foods and innovative recipes.

And there are some great, and versatile, products that should be on your shopping list. If you’re tired of shopping for the same old things, then put some of the below items on your list. Your taste buds and your body will thank you…

1. Bok Choy

Delicious in salads or in stir fries, bok choy is packed full of vitamins A and C as well as folate. It adds an interesting twist to a boring salad, or can be cooked alone in the same way that you would make spinach.

2. Dates

An excellent snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth, dates are a good source of simple carbohydrates. Best eaten before a work out or when you need a quick energy boost.
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