Add It Up: Double Time

As I mentioned in my last Add It Up post...people rarely stop and add up the combined total of their choices.    I'm going to give you an example based off what I think is a good idea to order at the "build a burrito" places based on their nutrition counter.... I remember when I learned that gosh darn tortilla  took up such a huge chunk of calories and more, and contributed nothing!  No taste, nearly no nutrition, pretty much pointless!

What I like to order:

Bowl, 

Chicken

Beans

Guacamole of course, a delightfully healthy addition

Grilled Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms,

Pico

Salsa

Cucumbers

Olives

As much cilantro as they'll give me

This only "costs" me  548 calories, 23 grams of fat, only 3 saturated, 49g of carbs, 18 g fiber, 35g protein

Now I'll get between 2-4 meals out of that bowl.  

Finally it's occurred to me to take a bunch of greens at home, add salsa etc, then use the bowl as toppings for that salad.  My GOSH what a good idea!  That would help me SO much with food prep if I got into the habit!

So let's see what would have happened had I made the mistake of adding on some junk....

JUST the tortilla is 310 calories, 8g fat, 3g saturated, 13% daily sodium, 51g carbs!!!! 8g protein  with only ONE measly gram of fiber!  It's more gluey cement in your intestines than a broom!

Adding Sour Cream and cheese--- oh boy here we go

170 calories, 14g fat, 9 saturated! 8g protein, 0 fiber

Queso, because why not go for stroke after all that dairy!  

150 calories, 13g fat, 8 saturated, 25% sodium 6g protein

Rice isn't the worst but let's see, I just think it's better without and needless, flavorless addition, rather leave more room for vegetables!

110 calories, 0 fat, 23g carbs, 3g protein,  0 fiber.  

So what happens when you add on JUST those things that I do NOT include, but many if not most people do?

Super duper!

740 Calories     35g fat   20g saturated,   30% of your daily cholesterol, 52% daily sodium, 80g carbs, 1g fiber, 25g protein.
I'm sorry ONE gram of fiber!?!??!   I'm going to need to do a whole other post on the lack of fiber in the American diet and what you get to look forward to around age 40 after trying to pass cement for so many years!

54% of your daily fat, 100% daily saturated fat...

You could have a whole other salad in exchange for just those toppings which really don't offer much benefit at all.  Not much flavor, tons of constipation on every level, all your saturated fat and a bunch of sodium for the day and for what?  Have you ever tried it without?  I mean I can see being used to the tortilla, you hold it etc.... but if you just got rid of the dairy only.... I bet you would hardly notice it, ESPECIALLY if you got the guacamole!  That is a DELICIOUS substitute for sour cream in SO many things, like chili, etc...avocado I prefer now to cream cheese!  Since I was such a cheese lover, I thought a hamburger would be depressing without it.  I didn't miss the bun, especially in having large lettuce leaves to replace it.... and it turned out, once I put the relish and mustard or other flavorful topping on, I HAD NO CLUE the cheese wasn't there, it didn't taste ANY DIFFERENT!!! It was all psychological!  And even if the majority of the world was NOT lactose intolerant after elementary school age,  why spend that many calories and fat when you can't even savor it!?!?

So friends I implore you....go and enjoy the flavors, but just make them mostly vegetables, with some meat if you want and beans....and just skip the grains and dairy... just try it....and or if you have to pick one, get rid of the dairy... and hopefully the tortilla...    the rice will be fine to take its place, but like I said,  even better to leave more room for the good stuff, then put it on top of a salad at home.  Then you're getting the most health you can, and you're making the most of your $.