By Guest Blogger Erin Woodbury

It’s often easy to stick to your “diet plan” while at home or at the office. Preparation is the key to any program, which is why the structure of home-life and office-life isn’t too challenging. It’s the restaurants, birthday parties and life events that tend to make or break most nutrition plans. The first thing you need to understand is that food is GOOD. Food is used to comfort, to celebrate and should absolutely be enjoyed. That’s why you should have a “splurge meal” once per week when you reach your maintenance phase. That meal should be the best and most satisfying thing you love, because you want to feel completely satisfied after it’s over so that you’ll be able to get right back on track. When you’re not eating your splurge meal, but find yourself having to dine out, there are many tips to help you stay on track. In general, people have good intentions on the way to dining out, but completely crumble when they smell the warm breadsticks or chips inside a restaurant. They then make deals with themselves as to why cheating seems like a good idea, chalking it up to a special occasion, a well-deserved treat, or simply a moment of weakness. There are ways to stay on plan AND enjoy special occasions. Try the following strategies the next time you’re faced with the diet-dilemma of real world events that don’t jive with your nutrition goals.

1. Study restaurant menus carefully and research options online if you know where you’re going to be eating. Select your meal before you ever leave the house, and don’t be tempted by the menu. If that’s not possible, request the nutritional menu at the restaurant and make your healthy selection based on the calories and ratios listed.
2. If that information is unavailable, stick to what you know: vegetables cooked without oil, lean meats, with sauces and dressings on the side.
3. Order an appetizer as a meal, and stick to items like ceviche, shrimp cocktail, or chicken satay.

Low-Sugar diets are key to keeping blood sugar low and warding off diseases. Cancers thrive in high-sugar environments. Exercise, which reduces elevated insulin levels, can, conceivably, slash your risk if done consistently, especially when it is varied and combined with a diet low in sugar.

Here’s a fun, easy and delicious brownie recipe that has no sugar:

Quick & Fudgy Eggless- Flourless Brownies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup Trader Joes Cashew Butter
1 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (I recommend Quest)
1/3 cup zero-calorie sweetener
2 TBS dark cocoa powder
2 TBS almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar
1 Chocolate Brownie Quest Bar
(Optional: sugar free chocolate chips)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Stir together the applesauce and cashew butter.
3. Add in protein powder though salt and stir.
4. Crumble in the Double Chocolate Chunk Bar and stir.
5. Spread into an 8×8″ pan that’s been coated in cooking spray. Top with crumbled Brownie Bar and any sugar free chocolate you’re using.
6. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until nearly set (keep them slightly underdone in the center).
7. Cool slightly before cutting into 12 squares.
Serves 12
Calories: 100
Protein: 10g
Fat: 4g
Net carbs: 5g

**Huge thank you to Guest Blogger Erin Woodbury of Erin’s Test Kitchen and Living Lean with Erin.  for contributing this article!  She is a chef at Quest Nutrition, an elite fitness instructor, and fit & busy mom of 3.  Make sure to check her out her YouTube Channel, and find many of her delicious recipes on Instagram @livingleanwitherin.