Substitute high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods that taste great

During the bodybuilding competition season, it's hard to find foods that taste great and fit within my nutrition plan. My nutrition plan is stringent, and in the past I gave up certain foods because they were too high in fat or calories. The monotony of the nutrition program made it easy for me to crave foods that were not listed as part of my program.

For this season I tried several food items that were low-calorie and tasted great. I normally don't eat items that are considered diet foods, but I found some items that made my bodybuilding nutrition program easier to follow.

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Peanut butter and jelly sandwich: High protein, low calorie and low fat

100 calories per tortilla

Whether you're in need of a tasty treat, or a fast meal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are super simple to make.  Although wholesome, they can be very high in calories depending on the ingredients used.

I don't eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches too often, but have found a low-calorie, low fat and high protein version that is tasty and heart healthy.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe

• 1 Santa Fe Tortilla 
• 2 T Pb2 with 1 T water mixed together
• 2 T Sugar free raspberry preserves (your preference)

I buy Santa Fe Tortillas at my local Costco. There are twenty to a pack, and are freezable. According the package the tortillas are 100% whole grain, with no Trans fat and has seven grams of fiber. Deducting the fiber from the carbohydrates leaves this tortilla with a total of six net carbohydrates per serving. These are the same wraps created for the South Beach Diet, as well.

There's even a chocolate version

Pb2 is a powdered peanut butter that uses two tablespoons of Pb2 with one tablespoon of water, and makes a serving that contains 1.5 grams of fat. This is extremely low compared to the average 16 grams in regular peanut butter. It only contains 45 calories per serving.

Although you can choose any type of jelly I prefer Smucker's Sugar Free Raspberry Preserves. For two tablespoons it's only 20 calories, and darn good.

Instructions:

Place the Pb2 concoction and jelly in the center of the tortilla. Push it out towards the edges, and fold the tortilla in half. Or, place it under the broiler (open face) for a few minutes for a hot peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Be careful when folding it in half. The peanut butter and jelly can ooze and burn you. Eat it whole or use a pizza cutter to slice it into wedges.

Great on oatmeal 

Calories

• 100 Santa Fe Tortilla
• 20  Smucker's Sugar Free Preserves (2 servings)
• 45 Pb2

The total calories for one peanut butter and jelly tortilla sandwich are 165 calories with 13 grams of protein. Add a glass of skim milk to this sandwich for a well rounded breakfast, or snack. 

Note: Please click the item links if you have any other nutritional questions about the products.

Simple low calorie teriyaki marinade

I'm a sucker for all things teriyaki, and could drink a bottle of Mr. Yoshida's sauce like nothing,  but during the competition season it's not a possibility. The amount of sugar in the sauce certainly doesn't fit into my nutrition program. However, I found a way to get a great tasting teriyake marinade that's extremely simple to make.

Preparing chicken

Simple low calorie teriyake marinade with chicken

• 3 lb. chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Kikkoman soy sauce 
• 2 packs Splenda
• 5 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped green onions (optional)
• ginger (optional)
• sesame seeds for garnish
• 3 T sesame oil (not needed for grilling)

Heart healthy substitutions

• Pam cooking spray
• Truvia sweetener
• Stevia sweetener
• Low sodium soy sauce

Simple low calorie Teriyake marinade preparation

Pan seared chicken in teriyake marinade

I cook in very large portions for my bodybuilding program and for my family, but this teriyake marinade is adjustable for smaller portions. You can see, I used it for three pounds of chicken.

In a large mixing bowl add chopped green onions, soy sauce, garlic and Splenda. Add ginger if you are using that, also. Stir it well. Add chicken. Let it sit for an hour or two. Overnight is better, or freeze your chicken in the teriyake marinade for the future.

Pan seared or grilled

Grill the chicken or pan sear it. There's no need to use the sesame oil if you plan to cook it on the grill. In the bodybuilding off season I use one table spoon at a time to cook one pound of chicken; then repeat the cooking process. Tonight I used Pam cooking spray. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the chicken.

*If you use Splenda, green onions, soy sauce and garlic in those quantities the calories total 106. I used www.Fitday.com to get these numbers.

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