Foods that Are Good for Dieting that You Thought Were Bad

Eggs, butter, a thick, juicy red-meat steak, spaghetti with lots of noodles, a cup of coffee, chocolate cake, brownies... oh man, now I'm hungry! What about you? Would you think that on a diet these things would all be off limits? They're not! I know, because they're on my diet that my nutritionist has designed with my doctor.

Now, I'm on a special diet for health reasons, and not for weight reasons, but two of the side effects of this diet they have me on are: 1) I'm losing weight and it's easier to maintain weight and 2) I'm never hungry!

When it comes down to it, my nutritionist tells me all the time how there is no 'bad' food. There's only bad ways of preparing foods and bad combinations of food. Anything that grows in nature is good, until you slather it with grease, bread it in starch, deep fry it, cover it in salt and high fructose corn syrup, etc.

You Thought EGGS Were Bad, But Eggs Are Good for Your Diet!

Eggs have gotten a bad rap for having high cholesterol, and many people pan fry eggs with grease or butter or margarine or even cook them in the grease from sausage or bacon. But what many don't realize is that eggs, when properly prepared, are quite healthy for you, in moderation.

One or two eggs for breakfast, either hard or soft boiled, poached, or pan fried without a little bit of natural sesame or canola oil are perfectly acceptable for a healthy diet. There's an added bonus if you eat the eggs for your first morning meal, because you will get a boost of protein energy. Protein can give more energy than a cup of coffee, and it will stay with you longer too!

You Thought STEAK Was Bad, But Steak is Good for Your Diet!

Lean cuts of protein packed, natural red meats limited to 3-6 ounces per day, and one or times per week. Again, the protein can boost metabolism and give you a boost of energy. The important part is choosing the right cuts, such as sirloin tip steak instead of a marbled with fat ribeye.

You Thought PORK Was Bad, But Pork is Good for Your Diet!

Okay, so you're now drooling thinking about sausages and strips of bacon dripping with grease, right? Well, I'm sad to report, that's not the type of pork I'm talking about. The pork that is good for you is the pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin actually has about the same amount of fat as a piece of steak, and when properly prepared an give you a boost of protein and add another flavor or meat to your diet. Again, limit to 3-6 per day, and only one or two times per week maximum.

You Thought SNACKS Were Bad, But Snacks are Excellent for Your Diet!

Snacking is very important for dieting, especially if you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. The point of snacking is to keep food in your belly every 1-2 hours, so you can keep your blood sugar steady, without the usual dips and peaks that can destroy a diet by making you ravenous.

Choose healthy snacks whenever you can, and some of the best snacks include small portions (1-2 ounces) of nuts. Nuts will make you feel full, give a little protein boost, and keep you from craving those sugary snacks. Other snacks include fresh veggies, a piece of medium sized fruit, or some cheese (the real stuff, not the processed cheese slices or cans).

And earlier, I mentioned chocolate cake, and I don't want to let you down. First, you can have chocolate cake. I'd recommend learning how to bake, though, and making the most natural chocolate cake that you can. Consider using Just Like Sugar in place of regular sugar (this is not an artificial sweetener, but an all natural sweetener), using whole grain unprocessed flour, etc. Then, eat a small amount.

When it comes down to it, any diet that completely excludes an entire food group is not a healthy diet. Also, any diet that excludes the bites now and then of a snack or goody is doomed to fail. Allow yourself the things you REALLY want, but just take one or two bites and not a whole serving!