Every Spokane Nutrition expert knows that when you want to lose weight, you have to cut out the junk food. Say goodbye to Spokane’s fast food, cookies at midnight, candy bar snacks, and doughnuts for breakfast. But have you ever noticed that when you stop stressing about food, it seems to become easier to calm the cravings?

  Life is about balance. So then we CAN have a meal out at Taco Bell? Yes, if it is only once a month and we don’t eat everything on the menu! And when you’re at your best friend’s birthday, you can still have a piece of cake, but keep it small. Don’t eat all the frosting, or say no the ice cream topper.

 In the end, try to remember that goodies are not all bad, but they can wreak havoc on a Spokane mom trying to shed some baby weight. When we tell ourselves that we can’t EVER have another piece of pie, we will set ourselves up for failure. Instead of worrying about every cookie you can’t have, try concentrating on the simple and positive things that you can do:

•  drink more water
• eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables
• exercise at least 15 minutes every day

 If you’re like most of Spokane’s stressed out moms, food can become like a comfort blanket. It ceases to be nourishment, and instead becomes like a significant other. Water is a girl’s best friend. Drink it all the time, up to twelve 8oz glasses a day. When your stomach is full of water you won’t be as likely to binge on brownies. You’ll feel full, and stay hydrated at the same time.

 If you really want a boost to your health, check out www.spokanefitnesscoach.com and see how your life can change for the better. Cravings will still come occasionally, but knowing that you can indulge occasionally or stifle them with a healthy alternative really helps.

If you think that ordering a Spokane Fast Food kids meal might save you on calories, fat and salt because it is smaller, think again.

On Monday, August 11, a non profit public health group released a study highlighting kids fast food choices. Over all, parents are left with very few healthy choices. Nearly every possible combination of the children’s meals at Taco Bell, Jack in the Box Sonic, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Chick-fil-A are too high in calories, the report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest said. Spokane fast food restaurants are included.

Examining the nutritional content of kids meals at 13 major restaurant chains, the center found 93 percent of 1,474 possible choices at the 13 chains exceed 430 calories — an amount that is one-third of what the National Institute of Medicine recommends that children ages 4 through 8 should consume in a day.

For example, Chili’s Bar and Grill, including Spokane’s Chili’s, has 700 possible kids’ meal combinations, but 94 percent, or 658, of those are too high in calories. One Chili’s meal composed of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk contained 1,020 calories, while another composed of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade contained 1,000 calories.

The “Big Kid’s” Meal at any Spokane Burger King which includes a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk at 910 calories, and Spokane Sonic’s have a “Wacky Pack” with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie. While there are healthy choices to be found, parents have to navigate a minefield of salt, fat, and calories to find them. The report also found that 45 percent of children’s meals exceed recommendations for saturated and trans fat, which can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease, and 86 percent of children’s meals are high in sodium.

Six restaurants, all found in Spokane (Applebee’s, TGIFriday’s, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Red Lobster and IHOP), weren’t included in the report because they do not disclose nutrition information about their meals even when asked, the center said. Other Spokane restaurant chains included in the report are Wendy’s, Dairy Queen, Arby’s and Denny’s.

The report recommends that all restaurants start including more fruit and vegetables,whole grain foods, and reformulate all meals to have fewer calories, saturated and trans fat, and salt, with choices like fruit and vegetables and low fat milk the default sides instead of French Fries and soda.

They also suggested that restaurants add nutrition on menus and menu boards. New York and San Francisco are among the cities and localities that have adopted menu labeling policies. Hopefully Spokane Fast Food Restaurants will follow suit.