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    Diet Wreckers in Your Fridge

    By | Healthy Living – Tue, Apr 12, 2011 5:59 PM EDT

    If you see it, you'll eat it. Numerous studies have confirmed that we pop food into our mouths simply because it's there. When eating-behavior expert Brian Wansink, Ph.D., of Cornell University surveyed volunteers about how they knew it was time to put down their forks, "feeling full" did score high, but a surprising number also admitted responding to cues like "when my television show is over."

    We can be equally out of sync when we open the refrigerator. It's too easy to reach for fattening - and often unhealthy - items when they're, well, within easy reach. So use this research to your advantage. Purge your fridge of booby-trap foods and make it easy to graze on or prepare meals from healthy, low-cal choices. Here are five smart swaps to set you up for success.

    1. Frozen Fries
    Convenience at a price of 5 grams of fat, 2.5 saturated.
    Instead:     Substitute nutrient-rich, easy-to-heat frozen brown rice.

    Related: See the Full List of Smart Food Swaps







    2. Fruit Yogurt
    The fruit may be on the bottom, but the sugar is over the top.
    Instead:     Buy plain nonfat yogurt and top with fresh or frozen fruit.









    3. Salad Dressing
    Even if you pour only the "serving size" (2 Tbsp.), it's 120 calories.
    Instead:     Use diet dressing (30 cals) or 0-cal red-wine vinegar.

    Related: Lose 5 Pounds Fast








    4. Mystery Package
    Oh, it's the veggies you forgot.
    Instead    : Place small bowls of produce at eye level (store the rest in the crisper).

    Related: Are You a Junk Food Junkie?






    5. English Muffins
    White-flour muffins deliver just 1 gram of fiber per serving.
    Instead:     Try whole wheat for 3 grams and a fuller tummy.







    What's the biggest diet-wrecker in your fridge?

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