When I’m making food decisions, I always like to say I prefer to choose options that give me a better “return on my investment.” But what does this mean?
I’ll explain with a common scenario:
If I’m craving chocolate, I could choose to snack on some fun size snickers bars…it’d feel great in the moment and I’d get rid of my craving. The downside is, I am not providing much nutrition for my body (not much return on my investment), and the lack of fiber would probably mean I’d be hungry again in a short while.
Another Alternative:
If I instead, chose to snack on some raspberries and chocolate chips, I’d get rid of that craving AND would benefit from all the nutritional value of those foods.
The more you learn to balance these decisions, the easier it is to meet your nutritional goals in the long term. Take a look at some more examples, below, and tell me what you think in the comments!
M&Ms
3 Fun Size Packs = 220 cals = 0g P, 33g C, 9g F ** 27g Sugar (9 tsp) & 3g Fiber
Benefits: Your heart is happy & you dont feel restricted!
or
1 Medium Banana + 1 T Peanut Butter = 201 cals = 5g P, 31g C, 8g F ** 16g Sugar (4 tsp) & 4.5g Fiber
Banana Benefits : High in fiber to keep you full, promotes better digestion, truly a powerhouse of nutrients (potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and B6), fights anaemia (high iron).
Peanut Butter Benefits: Also high in fiber, a fantastic source of potassium, which helps your kidneys filter blood, a great source of magnesium, which is good for muscle recovery and also great for bone building!
Hershey’s Chocolate
3 Fun Size Bars = 201 cals = 3g P, 24g C, 12g F ** 24g Sugar (8 tsp) & 0g Fiber
Benefits: Your heart is happy & you dont feel restricted!
or
1 Pack of Blueberries + 20 Raw Almonds = 210 cals = 6g P, 23g C, 12g F ** 14g Sugar (3.5 tsp) & 6g Fiber
Blueberry Benefits : High in fiber to keep you full, high in antioxidants ( which neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-“stealing” reaction) , and also a great source of vitamin C and vitamin K.
Almond Benefits: Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E Almonds can help lower blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.
Snickers Chocolate
3 Fun Size Bars = 240 cals = 4g P, 32g C, 12g F ** 24g Sugar (8 tsp) & 1.5g Fiber
Benefits: Your heart is happy & you dont feel restricted!
or
1 Pack of Raspberries + 33 Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips = 208 cals = 2g P, 35g C, 7g F ** 19g Sugar (5 tsp) & 12.5g Fiber
Raspberry Benefits : High in fiber to keep you full, high in antioxidants ( which neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-“stealing” reaction) , an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin E, magnesium, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Semi Sweet Chocolate Benefits: Semi-sweet chocolate does not contain any milk ingredients. It is made up of dark chocolate and sugar. Therefore, we compromise and enjoy semi sweet instead of a bitter dark chocolate (BECAUSE IM REALISTIC) and our hearts are happy!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
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4 Miniature cups = 176 cals = 3g P, 21g C, 10g F ** 18g Sugar (4.5 tsp) & 1g Fiber
Benefits: Your heart is happy & you dont feel restricted!
or
3T Chocolate PB2 + 1 T Peanut Butter = 162 cals = 10g P, 12g C, 12g F ** 6g Sugar (1.5 tsp) & 2.5g Fiber
PB2 Benefits : PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter is high in protein and low in fat so we get the best of both worlds! Freshly roasted peanuts are pressed to remove most of the oil, mixed with cocoa a little sugar and a dash of salt for flavor!
Peanut Butter Benefits: is high in fiber, a fantastic source of potassium, which helps your kidneys filter blood, a great source of magnesium, which is good for muscle recovery and also great for bone building!