10 Minutes to a Healthier, Thinner You
Today’s ‘Freebie” is the recently released, Eat Right When Time is Tight:150 Slim-Down Strategies and No-Cook Food Fixes, (NorLightsPress, 2010) by Patricia Bannan, MS, RD, one of our favorite dietitians who lives in Los Angeles. Two readers today will receive a signed copy of Bannan’s new book.
Eat Right When Time is Tight is not a diet book—but you will lose weight if you follow the 10 Master Strategies, no matter how squeezed you are for time.
Since lack of time is one of the major reasons people don’t make healthier choices, the pages in this book are packed with hundreds of quick tips, tricks and no-cook solutions that will improve your diet and actually save you time!
Master Strategy #3: Munch Every Morn
This ground rule tells us to eat something containing fiber and protein within 2 hours of waking up. The benefits of an a.m. meal are extensive. Research shows it helps to minimize junk-food cravings, enhances the use of our grey matter (or mental ability), boosts immunity and helps beat bitchiness. If that’s not enough, the morning meal also helps you slim-down and maintain a healthier weight.
No one has gotten fat from eating a healthy breakfast…but many have become thin. Research shows that some 78% of successful dieters almost always eat breakfast compared to just 4% who rarely eat it. “Front-loading” your calories is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, and all of us can do it.
Patricia Bannan, MS, RD
Below are some of Bannan’s quick-fix breakfasts to give your healthy diet its best chance for success every day.
10 Best-Bet Breakfasts in Less than 10 Minutes
- Oatmeal yum. Top 1 cup of plain oatmeal with 2 tablespoons each of chopped nuts and dried fruit, a pinch of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.
- “Egg-lish” muffin crostini & cheese. Put 1 poached egg, 1 slice of lean ham, and 1 thin (1/2 ounce) slice of Swiss cheese on a ½ toasted whole-wheat English muffin.
- B&B bruschetta. Top 1 slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 tablespoon of all-natural nut butter, 1/2 sliced banana, and a drizzle of honey.
- Cereal & fruit. Pour 1 cup of skim milk (or calcium-fortified soy milk) over 1 cup of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal and serve with 1/2 pink or red grapefruit on the side.
- Waffle wise. Toast 2 low-fat whole-grain frozen waffles with 1/2 cup fresh (or thawed, unsweetened frozen) berries and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
- “Egg-lish” muffin & greens. Stuff 1 whole-wheat English muffin with 1 cooked egg, 1 slice of cooked Canadian bacon, watercress or baby spinach, and a squirt of lemon.
- Cheese toast. Top a slice of whole-wheat toast with 1 slice of part-skim mozzarella cheese with a few fresh basil leaves; serve with 1 cup low-sodium 100 percent vegetable juice (add a few drops of hot sauce for eye-opening pizzazz).
- Berry smoothie. Blend 1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup berries, 1/2 cup of 100 percent apple juice, and 1/2 cup of crushed ice until smooth.
- Greek yogurt & jam. Mix 1/2 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of 100 percent fruit spread or jam of your choice.
- Energy pita. Top 1/2 whole-grain pita with Neufchatel (light cream) cheese, 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts and 2 tablespoons of dried fruit.
For more of Bannan’s tips and tricks, follow her on Twitter @NutritionGoGo or online at www.patriciabannan.com.
To Win Eat Right When Time is Tight: Two AFH.com readers will win a signed copy of the book. To enter to win, please provide a comment about why you are so time-pressed and how crazy busy you are. We’ll award two AFH.com readers who send the best comments.
To qualify, you must be a “Friend” of AFH on Facebook and sign up for our free newsletter. All terms and conditions apply.
I am time pressed because I teach 24 preschool students every day. They range from 3-6 and half of the children in my program have special needs. I not only need to prepare them for kindergarten with academic skills, but I also must make up for lack of self help skills taught in the home. It is an emotionally and physically draining job. The hours in my day are always gone too quickly! I love to cook to give myself “me time”. Getting plenty of sleep, and healthy energetic foods are the only things that keep me going! I would LOVE this book
Thanks.
I am time-pressed because I am a full-time MBA graduate student and dietetic intern. I intern 3 days a week for 8 hours in downtown Chicago, when I come home I have less than an hour to prepare and eat dinner before heading to 3 hours of business class 3 nights a week. I usually make oatmeal for breakfast and lunch for the next day is prepared around 10pm when I get home from class. My hectic schedule requires me to plan ahead. As a soon-to-be RD I would love reading what Patricia Bannan’s tips are for eating right when time is tight!
I am a wife, mom, full-time employee and full-time student who is learning how to eat healthier!! I need all the help I can get!! I am already pressed for time, and I work out for an hour each day ( except for recently…just had surgery on 1-13). Trying to be a good role model for my kids too….I was just asking a friend for healthy snack ideas! This book sounds perfect!! Crossing my fingers!! I WANT THIS BOOK!!
As a wife and the mother of two young boys, I am the housekeeper, chef, taxi driver, activities planner, and caretaker. This is enough to keep anyone busy, but I also work outside of the home. I find that I spend so much time taking care of others’ needs, that I neglect to take care of myself. Since the weight has crept on the past few years, I need advice that will allow me to kick the “not enough time to take care of myself” excuse, and get myself back in shape. This book looks like an ideal way to begin my journey back to health!
I am pressed for time because I work at full-time job(retail industry), keeping up with housework, cooking meals and raising two boys ages 10 and 13 years. My job and home life often physically drains me. I need to learn about foods that will help to give me energy and motivate me to keep going with my hectic lifestyle. Between work, parent teachers conferences and after school activities I am left tired and in need of a pick me up. I would love to read this book and learn of healthy foods and how they can affect your life and health.
Thanks
Sherry
I am a wife, mom of 2 beautiful girls (10 & 15), full-time employee working with persons with severe mental illnesses, and a full-time student in graduate school. I am finally learning what it takes to be healthy, but I need all the help I can get!
my days are crazy busy, but I’ve been making my health a priority! I work out for an hour every day (except for lately due to surgery I had on 1-13) and I’m trying hard to be a good role model for my kids!! This book would be perfect for this busy but finally health-conscious mom!! I’ve got my fingers crossed!! I want this book!! 
hope my post works this time! 
thanks!!
How busy am I! Would you really want to know?
I am a full time student in Quebec city, Canada to become Nutrition Master. I’m a registered nutritionnist that actually work for differents medias such as magazines, blogs, books and maybe soon a big TV project!
I’m always working, kinda workaholic person! No need to sleep!
Would really enjoy reading your book, maybe I could refer to it!
Have a good day and keep on the good work!
Hubert Cormier, nutritionnist
Like all other full time working moms, I too find it terrible hard to find the time and energy to prepare healthy meals and snacks. My family could really benefit from any shortcuts and tips for healthier eating.
I have recently retired from a secretarial job that I held for 35 years and have never been busier. I find myself away from home more than I was when I worked. Visiting nursing homes, hospitals, shut-ins, voluneering at church, the family life center, school, preparing meals for ill friends and family members keeps me from concentrating on my own health and good eating habits. I have put on pounds slowly and would appreciate having some helpful advise that does not require a lot of time to take off the extra pounds. I feel your book giving ideas for slim-down stratigies and no-cook fixes just might be the right one to rescue me.
I am the definitition of busy! I work six jobs (full-time as an RD for a behavioral health facility, part-time as an RD for a home health care agency, as RD consultant regarding celiac disease/gluten intolerance and the gluten-free diet, I have two jewelry websites (I make jewelry and sell vintage jewelry) and sell jewelry at two stores, and I am a Wildtree representative. I volunteer some of my writing skills and this month am in the process of moving and have two articles written by the end of the month! I am also publications chair for an ADA DPG newsletter. I am behind in my jewelry business and have tons of backorders because I had six months where my hands were out of order, and now all my beads are packed up! Between the five e-mail accounts I have, I won’t even tell you how many remain unread! I still make time to eat well and fit in exercise, but I think this book would be nice to read and to share with clients.
Thanks for all these responses. I get tired just reading about what all you ladies are doing…..
The two winners for the book giveaway are
Susan and Pat
However, due the great response, we will feature more excerpts and hopefully guest editorial from Patricia Bannan herself!
I’m so excited to be getting this book!!! Can’t wait to read it!!
Thanks a bunch!!