Don’t get too excited, guys and women, I’m talking about cheating on your diet, not your significant other. After all, I’m a dietitian, not a private eye. The truth is that even if you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle (you know, you eat well, exercise regularly, rarely overindulge), temptation is still everywhere. If you’re not careful, one loving look from a juicy burger (with bacon, mayo and cheddar) across the room could be the end of you. An innocent night out for hot wings and beer may result in your being a “bad boy” (especially if somebody catches you in the act).

As a dietitian, I’m here to tell you it’s okay to cheat on rare occasion (ladies, you didn’t hear it here). But if you’re gonna’ give in to fat and carbohydrate overload, why not choose foods that can actually serve you? I call these the “best” of the “worst”—the top 10 foods you can eat and still like yourself in the morning.

Before launching into the list, let’s point out the obvious; some foods are better than others. Nutrient dense foods should comprise a majority of your diet. But I’m not saying you should live a life of deprivation either. Sometimes splurging on something “bad” is good. After you indulge, however, hop right back on the bandwagon.

The Top 10 Best Of The Worst

Next time you’re glued to Monday Night Football, consider splurging on some of these foods—bad, but not so bad for you, they can’t be good too:

Food
Baked chips and guacamole

Why
Avocado (the green in guacamole) is a loaded with antioxidants, such as vitamin E and glutathione, which are both good for the heart and immune system and lutein, which is important for the eyes. Avocado is also a great source of heart healthy fats, to keep those lipids under wrap.

Food
Mixed nuts

Why
Squirrels aren’t stupid; nuts are excellent sources of B-vitamins, which are important in maintaining energy levels. They’re also great sources of vitamin E and low in saturated fat, making your heart happy.

Food
Pizza

Why
Opt for meat-free; pepperoni and sausage offer little in the nutrient department. Instead add a veggie topping or order it plain. The tomato sauce in pizza offers a hefty dose of lycopene, an important nutrient for prostate health. The added vegetables will add beta-carotene and vitamin C, among others, to fight free radicals, which promote aging.

Food
Hamburger

Why
You’re out with the guys and they insist on stopping at the local BBQ joint. While this might sound appealing, give the plain hamburger a try. Have it without mayonnaise or butter. Taste the burger for a change. It won’t kill you. Literally! This will keep the fat lower, and provide just as many muscle building nutrients like protein and iron.

Food
Sweet potato fries

Why
If you insist on fries, give the sweet potato fries a chance. Rather than solely adding fat to your diet, like normal fries, the orange shoe strings will at least provide a good dose of beta-carotene.

Food
Dark beer

Why
Forget about “tastes great” and “less filling”. Preliminary studies show dark beer may offer more “free radical fighting” flavonoids than light beer, which may help fight blood clots. But if you need to be rolled out of the bar or peeled off the “porcelain king” you’ve negated any benefit. Drink in moderation, dude.

Food
Dark chocolate covered strawberries

Why
Dark chocolate is high in a compound called phenols, that may help prevent “bad cholesterol” from forming plaque in your arteries. (Hey, it’s never too early or too late to protect your heart). Add the benefit of strawberries, a great source of vitamins C and A, and dessert never sounded so good. Let’s not leave out that most women find these foods romantic, so your heart may not be the only thing that benefits.

Food
Snickers Almond Bar

Why
Quiz: It’s the middle of the day; you’re starving at your desk and can’t concentrate. What do you do? Reach for a Snickers Almond Bar; the almonds provide some heart healthy fats and are high in B-vitamins. This version is lower in total fat and saturated fat than the “regular” Snickers too. And even if you think you’re king, don’t go for King Size. That’s a surefire way to find yourself the court jester.

Food
Berry pie

Why
Unfortunately carrot cake doesn’t count as a vegetable, so instead order berry pie for dessert. Berries have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or vegetable and have even been shown to contain compounds that help prevent Alzheimer's; the darker the berry, the higher dose of nutrients, so blueberry or blackberry pie would be great options. Skip the a la mode and leave some crust behind; they’re loaded with saturated fat.

Food
Shortening

Why
You’re alone on a Friday night; you’re wife does all the cooking and she’s out of town. Shortening is great if you want something quick and easy; spoon it right out of the container and you’ll go immediately to saturated and trans-fat heaven, where your arteries are so clogged, Draino wouldn’t do the trick. Alright, I got carried away. Please don’t eat shortening by the spoonful as it lacks anything that could be construed as healthy.

The Worst Of The Best

If these formerly questionable foods can be good for you, can “good foods” be not so healthy? You bet. Three, in particular, will pack weight on faster than prey fattens a bear preparing to hibernate. Avoid, if you can:

Salad, which by itself is great. But loaded with bacon bits, cheese, butter soaked croutons and creamy dressing? Deadly. Instead, load it up with fresh veggies and low-fat dressing and go crazy.

Rice cakes. Once a dieters dream, rice cakes have gone the way of the eight-track, since they offer zero nutrients and will blow your blood sugar through the roof. Besides they taste like cardboard and who wants to eat that?

Low-carb hot wings (yes, I have seen these advertised). Guess what? Wings never had carbs, they’re a saturated fat nightmare. They’re also loaded with calories, so skip ‘em. Chew on your wife instead.

Well, there you have it. The best of the worst, and the worst of the best. Follow these guidelines and nobody can ever call you a cheater again.

Dr. Chris Mohr RD, PhD is a health nutrition consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including Discovery Health Channel, Clif Bar, Waterfront Media, and Fit Fuel. He has authored and co-authored several textbooks and textbook chapters, including consulting with LL Cool J on "LL Cool J's Platinum Workout" (Rodale Press, 2006). He is also co-creator of Meal Plans 101 nutrition software.

 
 

1. Eat 4-6 small meals day a day instead of the usual 2-3 large meals. Eating frequently will help regulate and boost your metabolism to burn more calories.

2. Consume whole foods that are high in fiber and low in sugar such as lean protein (lean beef, chicken, fish, and whey protein), fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, peppers, asparagus, carrots, nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains.

3. Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates such as vegetables, whole-wheat products and oatmeal instead of refined processed carbohydrates which usually come in a box or a bag.

4. Recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Since the average diet contains only 14 grams we could all use more fiber. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage when they are elevated.

5. Eat some type of lean protein at each meal. Protein helps to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary building blocks to maintain lean body mass while losing body fat.

6. Consume adequate amounts of healthy fat foods such as olive oil, walnuts, almonds, Omega-3 fortified eggs or other Omega-3 products. Healthy fats are great antioxidants as well as help with brain function and many other essentials processes that take place in the body on a daily basis. Essential Fatty acids also help prevent certain diseases.

7. Recommend eating 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day to meet your micronutrient needs. Vegetables also contain a good amount of fiber and help to control appetites and curb hunger.

8. Consume Green Tea or Water instead of calorie filled drinks such as soft drinks. Green Tea has many health benefits and should be drinking 1ml of non-caffeinated fluid for every calorie that you consume. This works out between (8-12) 8oz glasses of Green Tea or Water a day.

9. Balance your fat intake for the day. 1/3 should come from saturated fats, 1/3 from monounsaturated fats, and 1/3 from polyunsaturated fats.

10. If you want to start building habits then you need to follow a plan. Habits are formed by repetitively following a prescribed plan. Therefore map out your meals every day and follow them. If you follow your plan everyday for 2-3 weeks you will form habits that become part of your daily routine and you won’t even notice it. How do you think bad habits are formed? By repetitively doing something over and over again.

11. Include what I call “Superfoods” into your meal plan on a daily basis. These include but not entirely lean meat, salmon, low fat plain yogurt, tomatoes, spinach, mixed berries, whole oats, mixed nuts, olive oil, flax seeds (or flax meal), green tea, and various beans. These are just some of the “Superfoods” who should be incorporating into your daily meal plans.

12. Keep total fat intake under 30% for the day. This can be accomplished by not adding too many extra fats such as butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to completely eliminate these items, but do not eat them as a regular food item every day.

13. EXERCISE! You can lose weight by just following a nutrition plan on its own but very few succeed at it and it takes much longer than when you eat properly as well as exercise. I am not talking about just getting on a treadmill for 30 minutes every other day. Though you can lose weight this way it is not the most efficient use of your time nor maximizing the ability to burn calories. The most effective way to lose fat is by strength training or some type of interval training utilizing strength training and cardiovascular exercises. A properly designed program can burn more overall calories in 20 minutes than 20 minutes on a treadmill. Also, the X factor in all this is that you will burn more calories per minute hours after you finished strength training because of the EPOC effect. Static exercise on a treadmill doesn’t produce this X factor.

14. Record what you eat and drink. You will be amazed at what you consume and not even realize you did it until you right it down and reflect back on the day. Keeping a food log is critical to your success because if modifications need to be made you need something to be able to evaluate and analyze. If changes aren’t happening like you had hoped the answer can usually be found in the food and or exercise journal.

15. Follow the 90% rule. If you can follow your plan 90% of the time then that is enough to have success with weight loss. If you find yourself breaking the rules more than 90% of the time then the chance of being successful with weight loss is not as likely. Your chances of failing increase significantly. Lose the all or nothing attitude and just take one day at a time. Reflect on your day before you go to bed at night and instead of getting down on yourself because you weren’t perfect just set goals to accomplish next day that would eliminate those errors.

Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS, is a registered dietitian and fitness professional with more than 10 years of experience. He has worked with 1000’s of individuals in achieving their ideal body and has been published in numerous magazines. He is also co-creator of Meal Plans 101 nutrition software.