HAVE YOU EVER JUST SNAPPED?

Oreos, chips, ice cream, hot chocolate chip cookies , cupcakes - can any of these food send you on a binge?

When was the last time you promised yourself you were going to eat only one cookie or just a handful of chips and you ended up finishing the whole bag? How do you feel after you've emptied out the bag? What do you say to yourself?

We all have foods we call "red light" foods. A red light food is so alluring that we can lose control and wind up overeating. Red light foods are different from your favorite foods(foods that you love), comfort foods (which are often linked to a sense of home and contentment) or food cravings (desire for a food that you haven't had in a long time). Red light foods are distinguished by a lack of self control relating to a specific food.

How do we control these red light foods? In the beginning we may need to avoid them. We may want to to keep them out of the house. Learning to put red-light back into our program in a controlled way will allow us to learn to handle them. Eating a piece of pie at a restaurant is one way to learn portion control. We eat one piece and then leave the restaurant, leaving the rest of the pie there.

Come to the meeting this week and we will share more ideas about red-light foods.

See you at the meeting,

Lorraine

BACON-CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)
Points Value per serving 3

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup shredded low fat sharp cheddar
2 slices center cut bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled
1 scallion, finely chopped

1. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3 inches; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.

2. Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper; mash with a potato masher until the potatoes become creamy. Stir in the cheddar, bacon and scallion.