Weight Watchers Power Foods are good for you, keep you feeling satisfied, and they’re delicious! Weight Watchers is encouraging members to eat more Power Foods with their Simple Start Program.
WW Fact: Power Foods are selected not only because of their fat, fiber, protein, and carb content (which = points value) but also by their abuse potential (i.e. they’re less likely to trigger food cravings and derail you!)
Here are some of my favorites…
Fiber One Original Bran Cereal
My go-to breakfast—and TOP WW Power Food.
- Mix it with fat free Greek Yogurt and milk for a long-lasting, super-satisfying breakfast. Add frozen blueberries for extra antioxidants.
- You can even crush it up to make breading! (My hubby would NEVER eat that, so it’s not something we do in my house, but many WW peeps do.)
BTW: Fiber One 80 Chocolate Squares are the best non-power-food nighttime snack—only 2 PointsPlus for 3/4 cup.
Greek Yogurt (not just a food fad)
Greek Yogurt has double the protein of regular yogurt, and even the fat free versions are thick and creamy, and very versatile.
- Mix your favorite flavor with fat free milk to make Zoku Mini Pops—100% guilt-free fun! (Or puree strawberries, bananas, and plain Greek Yogurt)
- Adding it to my morning cereal gives me at least an extra hour before my stomach starts to growl (see above)
- Best mid-morning snack: Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt Blends (my fav is Toasted Coconut Vanilla)
- Sour Cream Substitute: Top Butternut Squash & Apple Soup or Quick Mexican Chicken & Hominy Soup for added protein and creamy tang.
Oats
Don’t think of Oatmeal as just another breakfast food; it’s great for those times when you just need a warm bowl of comfort!
Four of my Top Costco Picks involve oats.
- Microwave Quaker Oats with chopped apples, Splenda and cinnamon if you’re craving sweets at night.
- Minsley Organic Cooked Steelcut Oatmeal: BEST WW Breakfast-To-Go, or emergency office desk food.
- Coach’s Oats: Nutty, hearty, Steelcut Oats without the loooong cooking time.
- Corazonas Mini Oatmeal Squares: 2 WW PointsPlus for one heart-healthy delicious square. I’mobsessed with the Peanut Butter ones—don’t go anywhere without carrying one in my purse!
If you’re nowhere near a Costco, have no fear—you can purchase all of these oaty gems on Amazon! Got Prime?
-or-
Try Oat Bran for a change! (It’s like Cream of Wheat meets Oatmeal)
Polenta
Love, love, love, polenta. It satisfies that carb craving without breaking the points bank.
You can find pre-made logs at most grocery stores. (on the shelf with the pastas)
- Sauté slices in cooking spray (try TJ’s Coconut Oil Spray for a change) and top with Fat Free Refried Beans, fat free cheese, salsa and fat free sour cream (or Greek Yogurt!). Can you even believe that all this is FREE? (i.e. WW Power Foods = no points) Yumm!!
Hominy
If you haven’t tried hominy, you are missing out! Its like giant puffed up pieces of corn, with that starchy, pasta-like chew. You can find it at most grocery stores (at least here in California) with the canned corn, or in the Mexican Foods section (if there is one).
Eggs, eggs, eggs
I always have hard-cooked eggs on hand. (You can buy ready-cooked ones now at Costco, Trader Joe’s, etc.)
Only $4.59 for 24 hard boiled eggs at Costco
- Mix with fat free mayo and curry powder (and S&P, of course) I just eat it straight out of a cup, but you can put it on a Sandwich Thin for a Power Food Sandwich Fix. (Boy, I sure wish we had all this when I started WW!)
- Veggie Burger Chop Suey: Sauté an Asian veggie burger with julienne veggies of your choice and eggs beaten with soy sauce and salt for a gr8 Chinese Take Out Fix!
- Make a Light Egg McMuffin with fat free cheese. (These turn out even better if you purchase English Muffin Rings for forming your eggs into rounds.)
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)
These cute little ancient grains bring me joy—especially now that you can buy them pre-cooked from Trader Joes (freezer) or Costco (Minsley bowls on the shelf). They’re higher in protein than most grains, and have a pleasing chew! (You can find Minsley Cooked Organic Quinoa on Amazon too)
Turkey!
Don’t laugh… but we eat so much turkey in my house, that on Thanksgiving that’s the one thing I DON’T need to eat.
- Make Turkey Pickle Rollups with Boar’s Head All Natural Roasted Turkey Breast (sooo good!) and your favorite fat free dressing (mine is Thousand Island), eggplant hummus, or even Trader Joe’s Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce—the possibilities are endless!
- Add Taco Seasoning to lean ground turkey, and serve on top of a baked potato (or sweet potato for extra credit). I don’t even need the potato—I just top salad greens dressed with seasoned rice vinegar and olive oil. Yumm!
- Season Lean Turkey Burgers with Bone Suckin’ Sauce Seasoning & Rub (Whole Foods), Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, and Pepper and pan fry in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray.
Fat Free Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette
I’m surprised at how few people know about Trader Ming’s Fat Free Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette. If you haven’t tried it, please rush off to Trader Joe’s and get some! Any time I’m having an Asian-inspired meal, or even sushi takeout, I make a side salad with this dressing to fill me up.
Litehouse Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing is also great. (I found it at Ralphs/Kroger and Gelsons Market with the refrigerated dressings)
Whip up a Light Asian Broccoli Slaw Salad in no time: top broccoli slaw (or cole slaw) with tuna (or Dr. Praeger’s Asian Veggie Burger), pomegranate seeds, edamame, and your favorite Fat Free Ginger Soy Vinaigrette.
94% Fat Free Kettle Corn
The first thing on my list when I need to get back on track. A little salty, a little sweet—the perfect nighttime snack!
So, whether you’re trying Weight Watchers Simple Start, or you’re a die hard Simply Filling follower, or you’d just like to try being healthier by choosing more WW Power Foods, I hope I gave you some ideas. (I didn’t list the obvious fruits and veggies, because… well, they’re obvious!)
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What are your favorite Weight Watchers Power Foods? I’d love to hear from you.