'Wich Craft

Mmmmm, lunch. The Pink Patch is no excuse to skip it – skipping any meal means you’ll be twice as likely to gorge later, and to gorge on something downright sinful. Besides, why would you pass up the opportunity to eat? 

Packing lunch is exactly what Pink Patch girls do to make damn sure they don’t swallow a meatball sub or inhale a bag of greasy chips – and also, to protect their wallets. Buying your lunch every day adds up in calories, fat grams and dollars.

There’s a reason or five why the sandwich is the all-star of lunch food: it’s convenient, simple, and endlessly versatile. And you know? They can be pretty diet-friendly, too. All you need is a whole-grain or whole-wheat bread (or tortilla or bagel), a lean meat or fresh veggies, and you’re on your way. Read on for tips, suggestions, and my top four lunches.

Tip: Says world-renowned chef Todd English, "If you toast or grill the bread, the sandwich won't get soggy when you wrap it up and keep it in the refrigerator overnight."

Safe Spreads

- Low-fat mayonnaise

- Mustard

- Hummus

- Neufchatel cheese (a.k.a. low-fat cream cheese)

Lean Lunch Boxes

White-meat turkey, sliced tomato, and Dijon mustard on whole-grain bread, 1 small apple, and 2 low-fat mini-cheese wedges.

Tuna salad (water-packed tuna mixed with low-fat mayonnaise, ground black pepper and chopped celery) and mixed greens wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla. Pack a tangerine for a sweet, juicy dessert.

Whole-wheat bagel spread with Neufchatel cheese (low-fat cream cheese), topped with cucumber and tomato slices. Pack some grilled chicken strips or hard-boiled eggs for extra protein, and a cup of fresh berries for dessert.

Half a whole-wheat pita stuffed with hummus, baby spinach, and sliced red pepper. Pack with apple slices and low-fat string cheese.

Skinny Sides

- Fat-free or low-fat, low-sugar yogurt

- Baby carrots and cherry tomatoes

- Fat-free cottage cheese with a drizzle of honey

- A handful of sliced almonds

- 100-calorie-pack mini rice cakes

- Any fresh fruit

- Small garden salad with low-fat dressing

- Small cup of low-fat, tomato or broth-based soup, like gazpacho, 

  Italian Wedding, or lentil

Happy Birthday Pink Patch!

That's right - it's the first birthday of the Pink Patch! We've received tons of letters, photos and updates from our Pink girls - so send yours over.

Some of our best Pink Patch success stories have been coming from our Pink Sisters across the pond. Check them out here - and don't forget to send yours in too!

Happy Birthday, Pink!

Dairy Queen

2%, 1%, skim, low-fat, fat-free, no-yolk, egg substitute – it’s confusing and a pain in the ass, especially if you’re trying to keep said ass under control. Is fat-free really better than low-fat? Are egg yolks deadly for your thighs? Put on your Pink Patch and read on – we’re about to hit the dairy aisle.

Dairy should definitely be part of your daily meals. It’s a wonderful source of protein and calcium, which are important for everyone, but for women especially. Unfortunately, dairy foods and products also contain high amounts of fat.

In fact, there’s no absolute rule when it comes to dieting and dairy. It really depends on the food itself, and your personal preference. Let’s begin:

Milk

Skim milk is the best option. It tastes great and retains all its protein and calcium. Another option? Soymilk. I highly recommend soymilk if you aren’t a big milk drinker – because it’s equally high in protein, and a much more economical choice. Soymilk isn’t actually dairy, so it keeps two and a half times longer than ordinary milk. If you only drink milk in your coffee and cereal, this might be a better choice. (Also, the majority of soymilks are fortified with calcium, so you won’t be sacrificing it – check the carton to make sure.)

Eggs

Ah yes, the great Yolk-or-No-Yolk Debate. Eggs, in their complete form, are diet safe, especially if you monitor your fat intake already. Eggs are not diet-killers. They’re good for you, PERIOD. However: if you want to be the most vigilant dieter ever, use egg whites only – they are all protein, while the yolk is all fat. Egg whites do need a serious flavor kick, and a bit of a boost in the filling-you-up department, so keep that in mind. Another option? Egg substitute, if you really, really, really absolutely must eliminate all forms of fat from your life.

Cheese

Here’s where things get dicey. Low-fat, not fat-free, is the way to go. Many dieting websites will tell you otherwise, but the truth is that non-fat cheese tastes like cardboard, and frankly, if that’s what you want, I suggest not eating any form of cheese at all. Why even bother? It's disgusting, and an abomination. I cannot sing the praises of low-fat cheese enough: it’s still got the great taste, great texture but for half the fat. BTW: low-fat cream cheese is called Neufchatel cheese, and it’s fabulous. For a more in depth discussion of cheese, check out "Cheese Gotta Have It?"

Yogurt

Fat-free all the way, babe. If you can’t find any on the shelf, then do low-fat. But for the life of me, I cannot tell the difference between fat-free yogurt, low-fat yogurt and full fat yogurt. Diet food recommendations don’t get much better than that. It’s creamy and delicious, can stand alone AND be used as a substitute for things like sour cream in pretty much any recipe.

Mayonnaise

Fat-free mayo? Ick. Ick ick ick. Low-fat is how to do it; as with cheese, low-fat mayo tastes almost exactly like ordinary mayo, for half the fat (only 5 grams). If you’re a Feminazi Fat Fighter, then use fat-free plain yogurt in mayo’s place.

Sour Cream

Non-fat, I guess. I mean, it’s cream – why really bother removing fat? I would simply use fat-free plain yogurt instead, especially since yogurt – even when it’s packed to the gills in fat grams – is better for you. But if you absolutely must, must, must have the consistency, then do non-fat. Taste and texture are fairly indistinguishable from the full fat version.

Butter

Yeah – not acceptable at all. I’m not sure reduced fat butter even exists, since butter is just fat. Use Pam Butter flavor for frying, sautéing and baking, butter substitutes (Smart Balance is a good one) for toast and muffins.

Eating Out: Fast Food

Yes, you know – you should avoid it as much as you can. Not only does fast food amount to Diet Armageddon; the food itself is made with poorest-quality ingredients – because they’re cheap. It’s rough, both for a girl who loves food AND for all of us in today’s economy. So slap on that Pink Patch and take a look at the basics of fast food diet-survival. Remember, the Pink Patch will make these rules even easier to follow.

You don’t have to follow all the rules, but try to follow at least 4 of them, and you’ll have saved yourself a lot of fat and calories without sacrificing your enjoyment. Also, make sure you read the original Eating Out Guide; it's got great tips for any dining establishment.

Read carefully and pick out the rules that apply to the establishment you’re going to, whether it’s a burger joint (McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Sonic, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen), wings and other fried things (KFC, Popeye’s, Long John Silver’s), sandwich-craft (Subway, Arby’s, Dairy Queen, Jack in the Box), or Tex-Mex (Taco Bell, Del Taco).

1. Only drink water. There’s no excuse for sugary sodas or fattie shakes.

2. Get salad dressings on the side, and only use half the container. Dip your salad, this helps you control the amount of dressing you consume.

3. No cheese, please. Ditch the cheese and you ditch a whole lot of fat.

4. Discard the bun, taco shell, or bread, or only eat half. You’ve just cut about 200 calories (or 100, for half the bread)

5. Split potato sides and/or avoid carb sides. Load up on the veggies options (if you can). Remember, splitting ANYTHING is the way to go (plus it makes you look generous).

6. Choose condiments carefully. Swap mustard for mayo where you can, avoid meals with heavy sauces, slathered with mayo, or swimming in grease.

7. Avoid anything that’s been breaded. Ha ha ha, that’s a tall order in some of those places. But check out the menu carefully, there actually are a number of options that aren’t battered.

8. Go online and find their nutritional stats. You’ll be surprised at how safe some of the foods can be.

Cheese Gotta Have It?

Cheese is quite possibly one of the best foods in the world, and naturally, it’s terrible for dieting. The Pink Patch can alleviate your lust for the fantastic-yet-diet-killer, but does that mean we have to give up cheese?

No. Not really, anyway. A lot of diets and diet-food websites will tell you to only eat non-fat cheese or soy “cheese” (which, defying all reason, actually exist).

F*CK THAT.

I’d rather eat cardboard. If you’re lucky enough to have never sampled those heinous, inedible creations: never, ever buy them. It’s a waste of your money and your stomach.

LOW-FAT cheese is definitely the way to go: it cuts out a lot of fat, but it retains the flavor and texture of wonderful, glorious cheese. Creamy cheeses, like ricotta, mozzarella, or cream cheese (of course) are excellent in low-fat form.

Unfortunately, not all cheeses are available in low-fat form. To indulge, you must economize your calories and fat grams. Keep all other foods low-fat and low-calorie on the day you buy a wedge of Brie or Havarti or Gouda (mmm!). That way, you’ll have earned the sinful glory.

Fabulous Diet Secret: Parmesan is diet-safe in its true, full-fat form. It’s very low calorie, and very low fat, because of the way it’s made. In fact, this is true of most hard cheeses.

Good To Know: Low-fat cream cheese is known as Neufchatel cheese – that’s what you should look for in the supermarket, and luckily, the majority of grocery chains carry it. For extra flavor (and luxury!), try adding chopped chives, or finely diced veggies like sweet red pepper or tomato, or even a little honey and a handful of raisins to Neufchatel – any (or all, if you’re so inclined) are fantastic with a whole wheat or whole grain bagel or toast.