Weight Loss Secret—Breakfast For Dinner by Mindy Hermann, R.D. (NAPSA)—MyneighborBill is a lawyer whooften gets homelate from work. Rather than eat a tra- ditional dinner, Bill’s favorite choice is cereal topped with milk. Although his wife complains, Bill seems to be perfectly satisfied. He also happensto be quite slim. Whyis breakfast for dinner a smart strategy? Heidi Skol- nik, M.S., C.D.N., co- author of “The Reverse Diet,” explains that breakfast in the evening Mindy Hermann is a perfect choice —_——" because “breakfast foods tend to be quick, easy and light. They’re just right at the end of a long day.” One premise of “The Reverse Diet” is that calories should be spread out evenly during the day rather than piled on at the end of the day. If you’re like most, you eat a small breakfast, mediumsize lunch and large dinner. Compare this to the way that you burn calories—chances are that your body uses morecalories during the day, when you are more active, and fewer calories at night, when you’re relaxing at home. So why not flip meal size around and make dinner your smallest meal? Breakfast cereal is a versatile evening food because it takes so little time to make and can be embellished with ingredients like fresh or dried fruit, milk or yogurt, and different types of nuts. Cereal eating also appears to be linked to weight management. People who eat cereal the most often, more than seven times Breakfast For Dinner Try one ofthese delicious “breakfast for dinner” suggestions: French foast topped with yogurt andberries Whole Grain Totalcereal with milk, fruit and nuts Pancakesor waffles topped with apple-cinnamonsyrup (mix equal amounts applepiefilling and maple syrup) Veggie omelet wrap Whole Grain Total Fruit Parfaits—layercereal, yogurt, peaches and raspberriesor fruit of your choice. @ over a two-week period, have a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who eat cereal less often, according to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Skolnik points out that it’s okay to eat traditional dinner foods in the evening, but in smaller portions. “Try to make your evening meal your smallest meal while increasing the size of breakfast and lunch.” An added benefit of eating bigger meals during the day is that you maybe less hungry at dinnertime. People tell me that they are often so hungry when they get home from work that they raid the fridge and pantry without much regard to what or how much they’re eating. “Eat a bigger breakfast and lunch and you may find it easier to manage your weight because you are not overeating in the late afternoon and evening,” says Skolnik. Mindy Hermann, M.B.A., R.D., is a nutrition writer for women’s, health and fitness magazines. She is the co-author of “Change One” and the American Medical Associ- ation’s “Family Health Cookbook.” ween eee eee ene eee eee eee WOE on ee eee ee eee eee nee eee Note to Editors: This is Series VI-19 of 26.
