“You can’t exercise away a bad diet.”

This is something you may hear in our office, often by Dr. Weckenbrock.

How Long To Burn Off Calories

Many people think if they exercise then they don’t have to worry about what they eat. This just simply is not true. What you eat not only affects your weight, but your overall health. You may not see the affects today, but it will catch up with you at some point.

One example Dr. Weckenbrock likes to remind our patients is:

“A large sweet tea from McDonald’s takes two hours on a treadmill to burn off.” Now try to do the math for how long you would have to live on a treadmill to burn off a supersized meal! Maybe it would be easier to start making some healthier food choices.

How Can I Start Eating Healthier

So how can you start eating healthier? Spend more time cooking in the kitchen. Eating from home will always be a healthier choice then anything you find eating out. Why? Because you are in control! You control the quality of ingredients, the amount of sodium and the overall calorie count of foods you cook yourself.

To get you started cooking, try this chili recipe for a healthy and delicious one-pot meal just in time for tailgating.

Beef and Butternut Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 1 ½ lbs ground beef
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2/3 cup beef broth
• 1 packet low sodium chili seasoning
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, no salt, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
• 6 tablespoons plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat with 1 teaspoon oil. Add beef to pan and brown. Remove beef, drain fat and set aside.
2. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Return beef to pan.
3. Stir in chili seasoning, tomatoes, and kidney beans, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 1 hour. Add butternut squash and carrots, and simmer for 1 hour.
4. Top each serving of chili with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 teaspoon cilantro.

*Chili tastes even better the next day!

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups

Calories: 450 Protein: 29 g Carbohydrates: 34 g Fiber: 9 g Sodium: 364 mg

If you want more information, click here to review an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that discusses why what you eat is more important than exercise for weight loss.