Zero Hero

One of my favourite food descriptions from weight watchers is a ‘Zero Hero’ – this basically covers all the foods that are zero points. If you’re following a calorie controlled diet then of course this doesn’t really apply but what it does mean is you get to know the list of foods that are very low in calories, healthy and usually contribute to your 5-a-day. Almost all fruit and vegetables hold a zero point value, the exceptions being sweetcorn and peas. Don’t be put off though, they’re still low and very good for you. The real zero heroes are the recipes that can be put together to form a meal or part of a meal and still be zero points. My particular favourite is the Curried Butternut Squash Soup which you can find in my recipe section. It’s a lovely winter warmer and can be served with a mini naan to create a hearty low point lunch.

Another personal favourite is Cauliflower Rice which is a great accompaniment to curries, Mexican dishes and stir fry. It can bulk up the meal and contribute to keeping the overall points value / calories low. You can read more about this in ‘A Bag of Pumps.’ Along the same lines as cauliflower rice are boodles. A new made up word that just sounds so normal to me now, ha. Basically boodles are butternut squash put through a Spiralizer and made into noodles. They are delicious served with an Arrabiata Sauce or thrown into your normal stir fry as a replacement to pasta or egg noodles.

When you’re tracking your meals for the day or planning your calories, having zero hero snacks in between can be the key to sticking to your daily plan. Here’s a few of my zero heroes:

• Bunch of grapes
• Orange
• Portion of strawberries
• Apple
• Banana
• Cherry tomatoes

I’d like to discover more zero heroes to introduce into my weekly food plans and would love to hear from you if you have any tips or ideas!

Mutha Fitness

Mutha Fitness is a blog to share my weight loss story so far. I'm a 30 something Mum embarking upon a journey of general health, fitness and overall wellbeing.