Men’s Fitness Australia – June 2017

JUNE 2017 MEN’S FITNESS 33

Walnuts

CALORIES:

190 per 30g

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

1 handful (14

halves)

■Eating walnuts

issuchagoodway

to get omega-3

fattyacids—which

promote heart

health and maybe

even weight loss

—they’reafaveof

government health

authorities.

Being 15%

protein and 65%

fat, however, they

also pack massive

calories, so proceed

with caution. A

handful seems to be

the sweet spot. That

amount, according

to recent research,

may help lower

blood pressure,

cholesterol and

inflammation.

Dark

Chocolate

CALORIES:

170 per 30g

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

30g-60g

■Lowerinsugar

than milk chocolate

(oralmostanyother

confectionary),

dark chocolate —

with at least 70%

cacao—isfullof

antioxidant and

anti-inflammatory

flavonoids.

Still, even the

darkest chocolate

isn’t calorie-free,

sohaveacoupleof

squares, then wrap

that bad boy up.

Coconut Oil

CALORIES:

120 per tablespoon

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

1–2 tablespoons

■With its medium-

chain triglycerides,

coconut oil provides

energy and may

promote fat loss.

It also seems to

raise HDL (good)

cholesterol, even

though its main fatty

acid is saturated—

usually a bad thing

(we’re looking at you,

red meat).

Whether coconut

oilisthenutritional

saviour it’s been

paintedasisstillto

be determined — but

compared with fats

like butter or lard, it

absolutely delivers.

ice going: You’ve sworn off processed and fast foods and

are now a card-carrying member of the superfood fan club,

stocking up on enough health-boosting, illness-thwarting

edibles to make a nutritionist weep sugar-free tears of joy. But

even superhealthy foods can have less-than-super downsides.

We’re talking calories: Shovel quinoa down your throat or stuff

your cheeks with walnuts and it’s your arse that’ll pay the price.

So go the “ration-al” route instead by sticking to these guidelines.

But the dehydration

process also crams

all the fruits’ sugar

into little diet-killing

calorie bombs; so mix

them into salads or

trail mix, but resist

theurgetoeatthem

straight from the bag.

Olive Oil

CALORIES:

120 per tablespoon

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

1–2 tablespoons

■This oil, a

monounsaturated

fat — the good kind

— has been found

tohelplowerriskof

heart disease and

high cholesterol.

It’s also full of

antioxidants called

polyphenols, which

battle cell-damaging

free radicals and

help tamp down

inflammation.

One downside:

Like all oils, olive

is basically just

fat, making it super-

high in calories.

Sohavealight

hand when

you pour.

Nut Butters

CALORIES:

90 per tablespoon

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

2 tablespoons

■The good news:

Nut butters are

versatile and full

of healthy fats,

vitamins, minerals,

flavonoids and plant-

based protein.

The not-quite-as-

good news: Just two

tablespoons will

run you about 200

calories—and,who

ever stops at two

tablespoons?

To keep temptation

at bay, buy your

favourite nut butter in

smaller jars or tubes.

Dried Fruit

CALORIES:

100 per 30g

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

30g-60g

■Dried fruit packs

more antioxidants

than fresh, plus

tons of nutrients

(vitamin E, potassium,

magnesium).

Bean-Based

Pasta

CALORIES:

200 per ¾ cup

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

¾ cup

■Pastas made

with bean, lentil

or pea flour are

gluten-free, and

have more fibre and

protein than regular,

grain-based pasta.

They’re also rich in

nutrients like folate

and thiamine — both

essential for revving

the metabolism and

turning food into

energy.

Just be sure your

pasta’s 100% grain-

free, not the same

old flour noodles

gussiedupwithjust

a smidgen of bean —

those alternatives

are usually higher

in calories, fat

and sodium.

Quinoa

CALORIES:

222 per cup

SUGGESTED DAILY LIMIT:

½ cup

■Unliketruegrains,

quinoa has more

antioxidants, more

protein (including all

nine essential amino

acids) and fewer carbs.

Buthere’stherub:

Quinoaisalsohigher

incaloriesthanpasta

or rice, so it can be

easy to overindulge.

Try mixing in plenty

of antioxidant-rich

vegetables, like kale

and cauliflower, to

max the portion size

but minimise calories.

Nut butters are

chocka with

nutrients but also

pack a heap of

calories.

N

●Game Changers Get lean

Dark chocolate is lower in

sugar than milk chocolate

and is full of antioxidant and

anti-infammatory flavonoids.

BY ADAM BIBLE & TIFFANY GAGNON