Welcome to 2023! Your NYBG Dietitians have compiled a “Hot or Not” list to help you.
Here are our Top 5 favorite patient questions asked and if they are “Hot or Not” for the new year!
#5 Chili
Chili is a great food to eat if you are more than 4 months post-op or more than one month after your balloon has been placed. It packs a flavor punch and can add quality fiber to your diet. Try adding variety of ground meats to change the flavor panel. Turkey or white chili maybe more easily tolerated than a beef chili with a tomato base. Ground pork, chicken, and or veal are also great additions to add to your chili. Always select the leanest protein (90% lean). Popular add-ins can be all varieties of beans, sweet potato, lentils, quinoa, tofu, and mushrooms. Most popular spices for chili: cumin, chili powders, paprika, garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves.
Don’t forget the toppings!
Our favorites are diced tomatoes, red onion, scallions, sliced jalapeno chiles, sliced avocado, shredded low fat cheddar cheese, and fresh cilantro.
Available for purchase at the NYBG Store:
INSTANT CHILI
#4 Hot Sauce
No one wants to eat food that is bland and boring. So go ahead and flavor your food! Did you know that hot sauce is at least 2,400 years old? Since 1868 Tabasco Sauce is the oldest commercial company. Sriracha is the second most well-known. So here is the scoop on hot cause. In order for it to be called hot sauce it must contain a chili pepper. This awesome pepper contains more Vitamin C than an orange, more Vitamin A than carrots, Vitamin B6, Potassium, iron, and is very low calorie. So hot sauce is a great choice for you.
REMEMBER:
If you overdo the heat- casein, the protein in milk, is the best way to stop the pain caused by the capsaicin (the burn) in the pepper!
#3 Hot Wings
What’s hotter than hot wings? Did you know that hot wings were invented in 1964 in Buffalo, New York and have been gaining popularity ever since. 1.33 billion chicken wings are eaten every year in the US. They are typically seen on restaurant menus, served as appetizers and always at sporting events. Wings can cater to many different taste pallets as there is a never-ending list of sauces that you can add to provide flavor! Wings are a great source of protein, often tolerated well by bariatric surgery patients -as the bone in wings retain their moisture well. Boneless wings are also great options when eating out to help avoid the mess. Hot wings are often fried but can be just as delicious when baked.
Baked wings will be much lower in fat than fried and with your favorite
sauce, can yield the same pleasure!
If you haven’t had hot wings last year, make sure to add it to your HOT list for 2023!
#2 The Air Fryer
The air fryer has been all the rage for the past few years and remains on the HOT list for kitchen appliances. If you’re looking to cook up a crispy and crunchy entrée or side, then the air fryer will deliver.
Cooking in an air fryer can cut fat and calorie intake by up to 80%!
The air fryer can be used to make some fun finger foods like chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries and one of our other featured favorites this month, hot wings! Some other colorful and tasty options are Brussel sprouts, cauliflower bites and stuffed peppers. While air frying may not give the food the exact same color or texture as traditional frying, it is a close second. This is exactly the message we promote about finding heart healthy alternatives for popular and favorite foods. Over the years the air fryer has come down in price, remains compact, takes up very little counter space and often comes with recipes and cooking guides to make getting started easier. So, grab your hot sauce and add the air fryer to you must have kitchen list this year!
# 1 Hot Cocoa
Want a healthy way to warm up during these cold winter months? Hot cocoa is a fan favorite and can be enjoyed after surgery! Believe it or not, hot chocolate was originally not intended to be sweet. The Mayans and Aztecs drank a bitter brew they called “xocoatl,” typically made with chilies, water, toasted corn, served lukewarm and frothy to warm their bodies on cold winter days. Nowadays, when people crave hot chocolate, they certainly do not crave chilies; they think of Swiss Miss or a similar brand, whose instant products have up to 200 calories and 32g of sugar! This equates to downing three entire tablespoons of sugar! Do not worry – NYBG has created a healthy alternative to that creamy cup of delicious chocolate, and best of all, it fits into your post-bariatric diet. Our NYBG hot cocoa is not only low calorie (80 cal) and low sugar (2g), but also has 15g of protein, making it a protein supplement if you recently had surgery, or a nice warm snack even years later! Look for our hot cocoa products – traditional, cinnamon flavored, mint and amaretto, raspberry, mocha or try a variety pack – at your local NYBG office or from our NYBG Store online.
Available for purchase at the NYBG Store:
HOT CHOCOLATE VARIETY PACK
Cheers and enjoy!
