Newbies

Hi, kswanson. It means ham made from turkey or chicken, instead of pork.

Hi, sanmoe. Try these tips here:
• If you can, get online to search for the ideal place ahead of time, filtering the options by features. Look for restaurants with an emphasis on whole foods, including vegetables and even ‘slow’ cooking – or at least a de-emphasis on junk food, deep-fat frying, heavy sauces, and rich sweets.
• If you know in advance where you’re going, peruse the menu ahead of time and prepare yourself with the right choices. The usual wisdom applies here: salads, cooked or ‘hidden’ vegetables (i.e. red sauce and salsa), baked or sautéed entrees, light sauces, and fruit for dessert. Or if nothing else, “prepared how you like it”.
• Avoid the bread or chip basket, or any other ‘empty calorie’ filler that a restaurant may offer before a meal. This will add a whole new course that you hadn’t anticipated, usually made up of refined carbohydrates an undesirable oils. This can be diet sabotage, so kindly ask the server in advance to leave the breadbasket or chips and salsa off your table, so you are not tempted. If you order unsweetened tea or water with lemon in advance for sipping, you may not miss it. When it comes to the real food, eat bulky, low energy-density (a.k.a. ‘low-calorie’) foods first, generally high in water and fiber – order a salad or clear soup as your first course, and when dinner arrives, start with the lightest foods on your plate, usually the vegetables.
• Don’t be shy about asking how your food is prepared. They are there to serve customers, of which you are one. Even if your server doesn’t know, the cook does, and if you do, you can take it or leave it – or improve it. Find out if butter, margarine, or oil is used, and what is available for substitution. Ask about the sauce that comes with an entrée, and if it has “cream”, “butter”, or “cheese” at the core – then go with a healthier alternative.
• Look for foods on the menu that are broiled or grilled (but not charred or blackened), poached, steamed, roasted, or baked; avoid foods that are fried, crispy, creamy, creamed, au gratin, escalloped, or breaded – all of which are synonyms for high amounts of added fat prepared in an unhealthy way.
• Balance is key. If you really want a high-calorie item, balance it out with lighter choices for the rest of the meal.
• Every food has a healthier version. Order the leaner type or cut of meat, and exercise portion control (take advantage of the doggie bag, and only eat half if the portion is too large). If you love fish and chips, then try grilled fish and oven-fried potatoes, etc. Substitutions can usually be made. Here are some healthy choices you can make at different types of restaurants:
– At a pizzeria, choose a plain cheese pizza (not ‘extra’ cheese) with a plain crust (not ‘stuffed’), or pizza with vegetable toppings instead of meat toppings, such as ‘Margarita’ with fresh tomatoes.
– In an Italian restaurant, if you like chicken, veal, or eggplant parmesan, try grilled chicken or eggplant with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Ask for oil and vinegar on the side to dress your own salad. Order pasta with red sauce such as marinara, instead of such creamy white or butter sauces as Alfredo. Mushrooms make a great low-fat meat alternative. Have sorbet or a cappuccino for dessert instead of rich cake – unless you’re splitting it 4 or more ways.
– In an Asian restaurant, choose steamed rice instead of fried rice – brown if you can get it! – steamed dumplings or vegetables instead of fried egg rolls or tempura, as well as vegetarian entrees that include a number of different vegetables instead of meat; particularly avoid deep-fried entrees such as lemon chicken and ‘sweet-and-sour’ pork or chicken. Be sure to avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), which can work against your weight and health goals, and opt for low-sodium soy sauce. Have a salad or clear/miso soup as a first course.
– In a Mexican restaurant, choose salsa instead of sour cream or cheese dips; avocado is a great source of ‘good’ fat, but it is still quite dense, so go easy on it. Choose dishes made with plain, soft tortillas that aren’t fried, such as burritos, soft tacos and enchiladas. Have baked instead of refried beans.
– In a cafeteria or food-buffet restaurant, fill your plate with plain vegetable side dishes before you go for the heavier items. Look for grilled, broiled or flame-cooked chicken, fish, and lean meats or tofu, and avoid anything breaded, batter-dipped or fried. If there’s a salad bar, concentrate on crisp, crunchy vegetable and bean mixtures; leave the potato, macaroni and tuna salads behind. Avoid going back for seconds on all items except vegetables, and be sure to use dressings sparingly unless naturally light, such as lemon juice and/or vinegar.
• If you want a salad with dressing on the side, ask for it. If the house dressing is too rich, oil and vinegar are almost always available, at least upon request. Vegetables can always been steamed instead of fried, and lemon and spices added instead of butter. If you want your chicken grilled instead of fried or smothered, go for it. The same goes for marinara sauce instead of the regular cream-based sauce. You get the idea.
• Stick with sound serving sizes, though sometimes this is easier said than done. Many restaurants, especially the ‘affordable’ ones, make it a point to fill your plate to give you a sense of value. Though this seems like a good idea, be aware that it can take up nearly your entire daily allotment for fat and/or energy. Cut your ‘gains’ right away, and divide your restaurant portion into two – share with a dining partner, or just eat half there and pack the other half to go – in this way, you avoid the problem of eating too much and paying for it later. If you know you’ll be tempted to eat more than you should, ask to have your ‘doggy bag’ prepared in advance, so you’ll only get a sensible portion size at the table. Some restaurants will even let you buy a half order or children’s portion of an entrée.

Hi, dsugar904.Canola oil can be fine if you choose the organic, cold-pressed (not refined) type.
Regarding exchanges, they are building blocks for a menu that contain an approximate set of nutritional values based on the corresponding food group. The exchange system is used by nutrition groups around the world to make menu planning easy and to ensure that nutritional needs are met. The following are the general nutritional values of each of the exchanges:
1 carb exchange = 15 grams of carbohydrates + up to 3 grams of protein
1 protein exchange = 7 grams of protein + up to 5 grams of fat
1 fat exchange = 5 grams of fat
1 fruit exchange = 15 grams of carbohydrates
1 vegetable exchange = 5 grams of carbohydrates + up to 2 grams of protein
1 sweet exchange = up to 15 grams of carbohydrates + up to 5 grams of fat
1 free exchange = up to 5 grams of carbohydrates or up to 2 grams of protein or fat
In the toolbar above your finished menu, you will see the “Exchange mode” button – when you click on it, you will see the exchanges you are allotted for each meal and day.

I am sorry I reread it and I understand it, I read it when I was half asleep. I am 74 yrs old and never been sick but all hell broke loose last year, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I was eating healthy and going to the gym 3 to 5 times a wk. and my doctor advised me to go on the keto diet, so that is where I am at. I’m just wanting to be as independent for as long as possible.

Hi, dsugar904. I was responding to your original question as you typed your clarification!
Thanks – I see that you are interested in a keto diet. See my previous email for the recommendations.
To make your menu keto-compliant, access the subapplication of the Menu Planner by clicking on the circular arrow icon on the right side of each meal header. Once in that area, select foods of your choice to match the food group exchanges listed, but making the following substitutions:
1. Two fats for each carbohydrate exchange
2. Non-starchy vegetables instead of fruits, one exchange for one exchange
3. No sweet exchange
4. Talk to your health care provider about multivitamin/mineral and calcium supplements.
You may find our sample menu helpful (http://www.trimdownclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/14-Day-Keto-Express-Meal-Plans.pdf). Note, however, that the portion sizes may differ from those needed to meet your nutritional needs – it is still best to refer to your menu pattern (visible by clicking on “Exchange mode” in the toolbar above your menu) and list of exchanges (http://www.trimdownclub.com/exchanges-lists).

Note that limiting salt is very important in congestive heart failure, and because getting enough of other nutrients is important, please do consult your doctor about the option of a multi-vitamin/mineral product, as well as potassium.

Hi, dminks, and welcome back! The Trim Down Club is low-carbohydrate, so no worries there. As far as hypothyroidism, it is a matter of limiting your intake of “goitrogens.” These are highest in soy, and moderate in cruciferous vegetables (deep green leafy, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, Brussels sprouts, radishes), peaches, strawberries, and peanuts. Light steaming will lower goitrogens in the vegetables mentioned. Soy is the only food recommended to be avoided entirely. Note that the Menu Planner application lets you select the foods to go into your menu and to avoid whatever you need.

Hi, hebuehne. Congratulations on the wonderful news! We wish you continued success and health, and are happy to help however we can.

Hi Ossie, I hope you are doing today. As for me, I think I am doing good. I’ve only been on your plain for a wk and I lost 5 lb. Most of it is probably water but at least I am going in the right direction. I need to know if I can use 7 grain? The Health only has 7 grain. The name of the health store is Earth Fair.