Looking for high-quality, low-calorie proteins? I’ve put together a list of 53 choices with their calorie counts, total grams of protein, and protein count per gram, to make it fast and easy for you to select the proteins that are right for you.

If you have any others you want to add to the list, send them on over!

1 . Almonds: 312 cal, 11g, 28.36 cal/g

2 . American cheese: 70 cal, 4g, 17.5 cal/g

3 . Bacon: 103 cal, 7g, 14.71 cal/g

4 . Beef jerky: 130 cal, 16g, 8.13 cal/g

5 . Black beans: 140 cal, 7g, 20.0 cal/g

6 . Buffalo burger: 280 cal, 43g, 6.51 cal/g

7 . Button mushrooms: 15 cal, 2.2g, 6.28 cal/g

8 . Canned salmon: 90 cal, 12g, 7.5 cal/g

9 . Canned tuna: 70 cal, 15g, 4.66 cal/g

10 . Casein protein: 120 cal, 24g, 5.0 cal/g

11 . Cashews: 240 cal, 7g, 34.23 cal/g

12 . Cheddar cheese: 113 cal, 7g, 16.1 cal/g

13 . Chicken breast (deli slices): 70 cal, 11g, 6.36 cal/g

14 . Chicken breast: 130 cal, 27g, 4.81 cal/g

15 . Chicken wing: 98 cal, 9g, 10.7 cal/g

16 . Clams: 50 cal, 9g, 5.56 cal/g

17 . Cottage cheese (0% fat): 70 cal, 13g, 5.38 cal/g

18 . Cottage cheese (1% fat): 90 cal, 16g, 5.63 cal/g

19 . Egg: 70 cal, 6g, 11.66

20 . Greek strained yogurt (0% fat): 90 cal, 15g, 6.0 cal/g

21 . Hamburger (80/20): 290 cal, 23g, 14.5 cal/g

22 . Hamburger (90/10): 200 cal, 23g, 8.70 cal/g

23 . Italian salami: 100 cal, 7g, 14.29 cal/g

24 . Kashi Go Lean Protein Cereal: 200 cal, 13g, 15.38 cal/g

25 . Lamb: 331 cal, 27.57g, 12.0 cal/g

26 . Mozarella: 60 cal, 6g, 10.0 cal/g

27 . Muenster Cheese: 120 cal, 8g, 15.0 cal/g

28 . Mussels: 70 cal, 9g, 7.78 cal/g

29 . Ostrich steak: 160 cal, 36g, 4.44 cal/g

30 . Oysters: 57 cal, 6g, 9.5 cal/g

31 . Peanut Butter: 190 cal, 7g, 27.14 cal/g

32 . Peanuts: 160 cal, 7g, 22.85 cal/g

33 . Pork chops: 152 cal, 15.6g, 9.74 cal/g

34 . Portabella Mushroom: 26 cal, 2.5g, 10.4 cal/g

35 . Provolone cheese: 70 cal, 5g, 14.0 cal/g

36 . Pumpkin seeds: 46 cal, 2g, 23 cal/g

37 . Quinoa: 636 cal, 22g, 28.9 cal/g

38 . Salmon filet: 130 cal, 22g, 5.91 cal/g

39 . Sesame Seeds: 158 cal, 5g, 31.6 cal/g

40 . Shiitake mushrooms: 21 cal, 3g, 7.0 cal/g

41 . Shrimp: 90 cal, 17g, 5.29 cal/g

42 . Sirloin Steak: 260 cal, 43g, 6.05 cal/g

43 . Skim milk: 80 cal, 8g, 10.0 cal/g

44 . Smoked salmon: 70 cal, 13g, 5.38 cal/g

45 . Soybeans: 100 cal, 10g, 10.0 cal/g

46 . Spirulina: 26 cal, 5.92g, 4.39 cal/g

47 . Sunflower seeds: 262 cal, 10.48g, 25.0 cal/g

48 . Tofu: 610 cal, 35g, 17.43

49 . Turkey breast (deli slices): 60 cal, 13g, 4.62 cal/g

50 . Turkey breast: 146 cal, 33g, 4.42 cal/g

51 . Walnuts: 688 cal, 14.7g, 46.8 cal/g

52 . Whey protein isolate: 100 cal, 23g, 4.34 cal/g

53 . Yogurt (0% fat): 70 cal, 6g, 11.66 cal/g

Let’s talk about my butt.

I have many wonderful qualities but my butt isn’t one of them. I’m one of those “apple-shaped” women: skinny arms and legs, thick middle, flat butt. (Fortunately I have a sparkly personality to compensate but whatever.)

Seriously, having a flat butt is a problem. My weak glutes have caused my hips to be unstable, causing iliotibial (IT) band tightness and preventing me from running. And let’s not even talk about jeans shopping.

Luckily things have gotten better since I’ve been working out my great trainer, Erik Taylor. I’ve seen significant improvement in my glute strength thanks to regular workouts involving single leg exercises, kettlebell squats, and core work.

I wanted a lower-body focused workout to do between Erik’s workouts so, thanks to Google, I came across the The Original Buns of Steel with Greg Smithey.

The video is hilarious, campy and (pardon the pun) a butt-kicking great workout.

Review

Made in 1987, the 49-minute video is a step back into aerobics history. Spandex leotards, slouch socks, high-top Reeboks—they’re all here. And let’s not forget the terrycloth headbands, which everyone wears to keep their teased bangs from flopping into their black-lined eyes.

The nine-minute aerobic warm up feels a little long but contains progressive dynamic stretches, pushups and tricep dips. The second time I did the workout I added hand weights, which made it more challenging.

The 38-minute floor work is where “the magic happens” as instructor (and former world class pole vaulter) Greg Smithey says. We worked the glutes and inner thighs with many, many reps of exercises like leg lifts and hydrants. By the time we got to the ab crunches at the end, my butt was burning and I was ready for the two-minute stretch. I was sore the next day.

Positives

You don’t need any equipment for this workout and the floor exercises really do target all the muscles in the glutes. It’s no wonder the video has gotten 5 out of 5 stars on Collage Video.com.

Negatives

I will not lie: the video is dated. It has a bad soundtrack and Chuck Norris lookalike Smithey uses outmoded words like “buns” and “stomach muscles.” Although personable and upbeat (and look at that sassy kerchief!), Smithey focuses a lot on looking good (“for us and our loved ones”) and building a “beautiful body” and “beautiful thighs!” to point where it gets creepy.

Favorite line: “We’re going to squeeze those cheeseburgers right out of your hips!”

Conclusion: I haven’t found another video with a better butt segment than this one so I’m going to keep doing it. In the future, though, I’ll probably just do the floor work and skip the rest.

If you’ve done this video tell us about it (or, if you happen to have Buns of Steel, tell us how you got them.) Leave a Comment or send an email to Shannon@positiveportions.com.

Check this out…Some Dunkin’ Donut stores are now offering a Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, a crazy concoction of bacon and a pepper-fried egg on two halves of a glazed donut. (You kind of have to wonder about the exec who thought this was a good idea in our age of obesity but that’s a whole other blog…) Now you wanna hear something really scary? At 360 calories, 20 grams of fat, and 13 grams of sugar, it seems almost tame compared to some other morning meals out there. Women’s Health recently put together a list of the worst breakfasts in America. Click here to read how NOT to start your morning.

When I was a kid, I loved my Grandma Gizzarelli’s spinach pies. Now I’m sharing the love with you.

Customizable to your tastes, these individual pies are fun to make (get your kids in on the rolling action), delish, and make a welcome addition to any dinner, potluck, or next-day lunch.

Ingredients

• Bridgeford frozen bread
• 2 to 3 bags of frozen spinach
• Filling ingredients such as chopped olives, cheese, sausage or mushrooms
• Butter

Instructions

Dough:

• Defrost the Bridgeford frozen bread per the instructions on the package. Let the dough rise at least once before you try to work with it. Knead it after the first rise, making sure to flour your hands first.
• Roll the dough out as thin as possible on a floured space. It will fight you but stick with it.

Filling:

• Defrost the frozen spinach. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and dry it on paper towels. This is important because otherwise your pies will get soggy on the bottom and you don’t want that (ain’t nobody likes a soggy pie).
• Mix the spinach with whatever other ingredients appeal to you such as sliced mushrooms, black olives, cooked sausage or bacon, and/or cheese. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, mustard if you want, and/or butter—make it your own.

Making the pie:

• Cut out a circle of the dough. Place the filling in the center. Fold over one half of the dough so you have a turn-over shaped pie. Seal the edges all around with a fork.
• Brush melted butter over the top. You can also sprinkle sesame seeds, cheese, or salt on the top.
• Bake according to the bread instructions. It will depend on how big your pies are as to how long they cook. When they are brown and about 1 1/2 times the original size, they are done.

Do you have any favorite family recipes you’d like to share? Add them in the Comments section or send an email to Shannon@positiveportions.com.

Don’t let the sprinkles fool you…sugar is evil.

Having been a sugar addict all my life – now ten years sugar-free – I’ve always known that sugar is addictive, mind-altering, and just plain bad for you.

But it wasn’t until I read the article, “The Many Ways Sugar can Harm your Health” by Nancy Appleton, PhD, author of the book Lick The Sugar Habit that I learned that sugar can…

• Feed cancer cells
• Contribute to the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach
• Impair your defenses against infectious disease
• Interfere with absorption of calcium and magnesium

To read the article, click here.

Are you living sugar free? How did you kick the habit? Leave a message in Comments and tell us how you did it.

Made with beans, quinoa and wheat germ, these veggie burgers are flour-free, packed with protein, and easier on your budget than store-bought kinds. Plus the recipe lets you put your own  “flavor” (literally) on your burger and change it up so you won’t get bored. (Because healthy eating should be fun, right?)

Now go on…get your burger on.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 pepper (any color), chopped
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups cooked beans (black, pinto, kidney), rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
• ½ cup cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, feta…or none if you’re avoiding dairy)
• Seasoning (Italian, Cajun, taco…whatever type of flavor suits your mood)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup wheat germ
• Coconut or canola oil, for cooking

 Instructions

1. Combine 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water. Stir well and set aside.
2. Spray a pan with olive oil and heat to medium. Add onion and pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.
3. In a bowl or food processor, combine beans and quinoa. Mix until well blended. Add onion and pepper mixture and stir in cheese, seasoning, and eggs. Mix until combined and then add in flax and wheat germ.
4. Form into patties and place the patties in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (to help them hold together better).
5. Heat oil to medium and cook until browned.

Here’s a dish  from Laylita’s Recipes that has everybody in office freaking out about how good it is.  And you can’t go wrong with the combination of salmon and avocado, which gives you a protein, Omega 3 fatty acids and phytonutrients (health compounds believed to help fight disease).

Thanks, Laylita!

Ingredients (for 4 people):

2 lbs salmon, cut into 4 pieces

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp black pepper

Avocado salsa

1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

3 mild hot peppers, seeded and deveined, diced or sliced

Juice from 2 limes

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix the salt, coriander, cumin, paprika, onion and black pepper together, rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and this seasoning mix, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Pre-heat the grill.
3. Combine the avocado, onion, hot peppers, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt in a bowl and mix well, chill until ready to use.
4. Grill the salmon to desired doneness.
5. Serve the salmon topped with the avocado salsa, and with rice, salad, vegetables or even thick green plantain chips on the side.

I think the word humility gets a bad rap. Most people confuse it with humiliation (a “state of being mortified” according to the dictionary), which is unfortunate because humility can actually bring the opposite of humiliation: peace of mind, security, and confidence.

Although for years I’ve had a working definition of humility being “getting down to one’s right size,” I recently came across a definition that I liked even better.  Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Dr. Bob kept a plaque on his desk with a definition of humility so great I had to share.

Here it is…

 - From Dr. Bob and the Good Old-timers

Do you have a definition of humility? If yes, please share via shannon@positiveportions.com or in the Comments section.

Recently Women’s Health released their 20 Best Workout Songs of All Time. Not only can music make exercise fun, it can actually energize us to work harder, faster, and stronger. Below is their list and also ten faves of my own.

What are your all-time favorite workout songs? Please share in the Comments section so we can all rock our workouts (and those skinny jeans as well).

Women’s Health Top 20

1. Push It, Salt-n-Pepa
2. Ray of Light, Madonna
3. Pump It, Black Eyed Peas
4. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now), C+C Music Factory
5. The Middle, Jimmy Eat World
6. I See You Baby, Groove Armada (Fatboy Slim Remix)
7. Just Dance, Lady Gaga
8. Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
9. Sexy Back, Justin Timberlake
10. Like to Move It, Reel 2 Real
11. Stronger, Kayne West
12. Lose Yourself, Eminem
13. Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
14. Starships, Nicki Minaj
15. Mr. Brightside, The Killers
16. Where Have You Been, Rihanna
17. Get the Party Started, P!nk
18. Maniac, Michael Sembello
19. Work It, Missy Elliott
20. Titanium (featuring Sia), David Guetta

10 of Shan’s Favorite Workout Songs

1. Baby Got Back, Sir MixaLot
2. Settle Down, No Doubt
3. Squeeze Box, The Who
4. Boy Meets Girl, Haircut 100
5. It’s Tricky, Run D.M.C.
6. Me So Horny (clean version, of course), 2 Live Crew
7. Do a Little Dance, Make a Little Love, KC & the Sunshine Band
8. Weird Science, Oingo Boingo
9. Weapon of Choice, Fat Boy Slim
10. That’s Not My Name, the Ting Tings

Super-cute and super-easy to make, these Santas are made out of fresh strawberries and are a healthier alternatives to holiday cookies. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large strawberries
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar (or sugar substitute to taste)
• 1 teaspoon alcohol- and sugar-free vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top (enough for a hat). Clean out the whole strawberry with a paring knife, if necessary (some of them are hollow already). Prep all of the strawberries and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar or substitute, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill the strawberries with cheesecake mixture.

3. Once strawberries are filled, top with the “hats.” Decorate according to photo.

4. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.