A Mealtime Makeover

Georgia Butor-Pavlock lost more than 20 pounds in seven weeks on the Slim Fast diet. Now, she's ready to give the family's diet a healthy makeover.

As she cooked her famous pork chops and rice dish, the "Weight Off" participant and Kinry Road Elementary School teaching assistant said it is her two kids' favorite dinner.

The key ingredients to her pork chops recipe? Mayonnaise and bread crumbs, she said. As for her "incredible rice," they are "two cans of chicken broth, a whole stick of butter, and a whole can of chicken gravy." The problem, of course, "It's really a lot of calories," she said.

Seven weeks after changing her own diet, Pavlock is faced with a new dilemma: Finding a way to reduce the fat and calories in her family's daily meals while keeping them satisfied.

"Before I started this diet, I would shop for flavor. The butter that I would buy, any food that I would buy, it would be for flavor. It wasn't for calories," she said.

So The Early Show asked registered dietician Aimee Burton to spend a Saturday with Pavlock and re-evaluate the foods in her cupboards. Burton says any diet changes are best made all at once.

With Pavlock in the kitchen, Burton advised her to get rid of foods that are tempting. "Right away, I'm going to take away these chips," she said while looking at Pavlock's pantry and advising her to shop for new healthier foods.

"The foods that I know my family will not absolutely give up is ice cream, and I know is the rice," said Pavlock.

Even the cereal bars had to go. "These cereal bars are great for kids, but too much sugar. Even a granola bar is a better choice," Burton said. Pavlock's husband noted, "We used to buy granola bars. Seems like we got worse once the kids came along."

As is the case in so many kitchens, Pavlock's shelves and refrigerator were stocked with foods high in sugar, carbohydrates and saturated fats, balanced by just a few healthy items like water, Burton noted as she took a look.

"Do most people eat fruits and vegetables? I really have to say of the majority of clients that I see - they do not. Condiments are really the downfall of a lot of habits that we have. It's the add-ons, the butter, the mayonnaise, the cream cheese, the sour cream," Burton said.

Once the two cleared the shelves and assessed the damage, it was off to the market to re-stock.

"I think if someone wants to stock their refrigerator, the best way to do that...is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. You pick up your fruits and vegetables, you pick up your fresh meats, whether it's chicken, turkey, lean beef, lean pork, go around to the dairy case," Burton said.

At the deli counter, Pavlock asked for a substitute for bologna. And ham bologna was the perfect trade-off - 80 calories per serving compared to 150 calories in regular bologna. Pavlock saved her family 70 calories a portion. Next stop, snacks and ingredients to recreate a low calorie version of her famous rice dish.

"For the chips, I would substitute pretzels, or maybe even some popcorn that doesn't have much butter on it. A good low-fat popcorn would be good to have," Burton suggested.

With shopping complete, Pavlock was excited to finish the food makeover back home. Once at home, she had a little unfinished business - to take care of…throwing things in the garbage.

"I think that Georgia and her family can live with these new choices," Burton said.

Here are Burton's hints for making over your meals:

Shopping:

1. Avoid unnecessary temptation. Make a grocery list and then stick to it.
2. At the store, shop the perimeter of the store first. That's where you'll find dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables and meats and poultry.
3. Go into the aisles ONLY to get items on your list. Do not wander aimlessly up and down the aisles.
4. Don't shop when you're hungry. Everything is tempting on an empty stomach.
5. Arm yourself with information. Read labels to find out how much fat and carbohydrates are in each food.

The Shopping List:

• Think in terms of substitutions. What low-fat, low calorie items can you substitute for high-fat, high calorie foods favorites? Snacks can be healthy ones.
• Kids love cereals that are loaded with sugar. Cut down on sugar by combining half a serving of the favorite cereal with a one lower in fat (corn flakes).
• Instead of chips and dip, substitute pretzels or low-fat popcorn.
• Instead of ice cream, substitute frozen fruit ices or pops, especially the ones with fruit juices. Go-gurt (yogurts in a tube) can be frozen and are a healthy snack or dessert.
• Beware of condiments. Mayonnaise, salad dressings, and butter are high in fat. Instead of butter, use low- or no-fat salad dressings, balsamic vinegar for salads. Use low-fat instead of regular gravy.
• Select low-fat luncheon meats instead of regular ones. Try ham bologna, turkey or chicken instead of beef.
• At the dairy counter, select skim milk, low-fat yogurts and cheese.
• In the bakery, switch from white bread to whole wheat or grain breads.
• Eliminate soda and substitute water. Soda is very high in calories.

Be aware of serving sizes.

Don't eat after 8 p.m.

Make healthy snacks.