I’ve mentioned before that I absolutely love the Weight Watchers system. They encourage eating real food. They encourage eating in proper portions and they help with the science and math of losing weight. Losing weight, after all, has lots of calculation formulas. Since they make it simple, it becomes natural to look at ingredient labels and make decisions based on what you learn.
What I love most that it isn’t a diet. You can eat what you love, you just make better choices about what you eat.
Now they’ve created a new book called Eat! Move! Play! Weight Watcher’s new book actually has some great ideas about making the lifestyle change. Here’s some tips that I particularly love from the book’s section:
How to Make Healthier Choices
Instead of: Grabbing fast food or take-out when you’re rushed and don’t have time to cook dinner
Try: Picking up a rotisserie chicken and cooking frozen veggies you’ve been keeping on hand
Instead of: Indulging the munchies when your child is frustrated, upset, or otherwise out of sorts
Try: Suggesting that you go out and toss a ball or play croquet or badminton to blow off steam
Instead of: Letting bedtime arrive when it’s convenient for everyone or your kids are simply too exhausted to keep going
Try: Establishing a clear bedtime and introducing a consistent sleepytime routine with a bath, reading a story, or listening to calming music together
I really need to focus on the part about not just hopping out to dinner or to a fast food place because no one feels like cooking. You could just as easily go to your local deli and grab a cooked chicken and salad in just the same amount of time as grabbing a fast food dinner.
Here’s a sample recipe that I’ll share from the book.
Mexican Chicken Chili
Serves 10
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
6 bone-in skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1. Combine the chicken and enough water to cover in a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Drain the chicken, reserving the cooking liquid. Cool the chicken, remove and discard the bones, and coarsely shred the meat.
2. Meanwhile, place the same pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, cocoa powder, oregano, and coriander and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, beer, salt, and 3 1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
3. Add the beans. Simmer, uncovered, until the chili thickens, about 30 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and simmer until heated through.
Per serving (1 1/2 cups): 239 Cal, 6 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 44 mg Chol, 488 mg Sod, 26 g Carb, 8 g Fib, 22 g Prot, 103 mg Calc.
Reprinted from the book Weight Watchers Eat! Move! Play! With permission from John Wiley & Sons Inc.
