Archive for May, 2009
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Sunday, May 31st, 2009 | Food Finds, Thoughts | No Comments
Are you kidding me? I was just looking through old posts, and I realized that I have never posted about breakfast… really??? It’s totally my favorite meal of the day. It’s the highlight of every morning, and I love it so much that sometimes I have breakfast for dinner or lunch too! Are you on the breakfast bandwagon yet? It really gets your metabolism going , boost weight loss, and is in general a happy way to start your day! What are your favorite healthy breakfasts? Here are a few of my ideas:
Omelet made with 1 egg and one egg white, tons of veggies and low fat sharp cheddar cheese, yum!!!
Old fashioned oatmeal with combos of my favorite mix-ins: (lots of great oatmeal ideas here)
- pumpkin
- banana
- grated apple
- applesauce
- frozen berries or cherries
- cocoa powder (the baking kind)
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- syrup
- brown sugar, or raw sugar, or splenda
- honey
and toppings:
- fresh berries, apples, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, plums or any fresh fruit
- 2 Tablespoons crunchy cold cereal like Kashi Go Lean Crunch
- 1 Tablespoon of peanut, almond, cashew, or hazelnut butters
- 2 Tablespoons of dried fruit
- 1-2 Tablespoons of chopped nuts
- 1 teaspoon chocolate chips or coconut
- 1 tablespoon all fruit jam
Whole wheat cream of wheat made with skim milk, cinnamon, sliced banana, maple syrup (or honey, or sugar free syrup), and almond butter (give cream of wheat a chance!!! it’s awesome!!!)
Hi fiber pancakes, like Fiber One or Krusteaz Fat Free brand with sugar free or maple syrup (or peanut butter) and fruit (freeze extra pancakes and pop them in the toaster tomorrow, or use them to make homemade McGriddles)
Eggs in a basket (cut wholes in light or whole wheat bread with a cookie cutter, lay bread in a nonstick pan, crack eggs into the whole of the bread, and flip after 2 minutes, I like over medium, but you could cook until yolk is set)
Slices of polenta (either the prepared tubes or homemade) pan fried in a nonstick skillet or baked on a cookie sheet until crispy with maple or sugar free syrup - this sounds weird, but taste like french toast sticks!!!
Omelet muffins (scrambled eggs and muffin fixings in muffin tin baked at 350 until browned on top and set - 15-20 minutes) you can fridge these and have breakfast all week
Hi fiber muffins like southaven farms or vitamuffins with fruit and yogurt
Yogurt Parfaits - yogurt (greek style is super yummy!) layered with hi fiber cereal, and fruit…eat with your eyes this one is gorgeous!
I have so many more ideas!!! What do you eat in the morning?
Shameless Plug for Fresh Local Food
Friday, May 29th, 2009 | Recipe, Thoughts | No Comments
I am shamelessly promoting eating locally today. You mean eating in town, like… at my house? No… I mean eating something grown around here! Food grown close to you doesn’t have to take a long ride on a big truck, which means it can hang out in the ground longer and get ripe and delicious. That sounds like a crazy trend for people on a coast you say, I don’t have time for that! But you do, and it can save you cash, and most importantly… give you more “food experience” for every calorie you eat.
I’ve been a fan of local food for a long time, but this week, I really became a believer when I opened my CSA (community supported agriculture) box this week and bit into my very first tiny little local strawberry. The first bite told me that I’d never really eaten a strawberry. Oh sure, I’ve had tons of strawberries from the grocery store, it’s one of my faves, strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, but this, this strawberry was unlike any I’ve ever had before. It was tiny, with a complex flavor, and a melting texture, very unlike the large crispy industrial strawberries that I had up to this point eaten. This was a whole different ballgame a whole new fruit! I found that I was unable to contemplate making anything out of the berries, they were just too perfect on their own… so guess what? Instead of adding extra calories by putting something on my berries, I was satisfied with them alone. Bonus!!! Really, you only get a certain number of calories or points per day right? Why not make them phenomenal? When each bite is amazing, you aren’t left wanting more!
Farmers markets are revving up all over the place, and when things are in season, you can get some great deals there! Last year I found red bell peppers 6 for a dollar in season, corn 5 for a dollar, you can’t beat that! Plus you know your dollars stay around and support a local family’s livelihood, important in this economy!
Or… you could do what I did and sign up for a CSA. A CSA is an arrangement with a farmer where you agree to pay them a certain amount per week, usually $15 or $25 say, and they give you a box of whatever is in season right then in return. So that means you know you’ll get fresh fruits and vegetables, but you’re surprised every week! I love surprises, so for me it’s like Christmas. Figuring out what to do with what I get is half the fun! There are also all different kinds of CSAs, some are only produce, some have eggs, or meat, or bread or other products included so make sure you know what you’re signing up for. I only wanted fruits and veggies, so that’s what I get! (I do buy the farm eggs and meat on the side though) Plus, all you do is go and pick up a box, no wandering around the grocery store looking for things, just pick it up and go, it’s a time saver! Check out what farmer’s markets and CSAs are close to you here.
Besides the strawberries, my CSA box this week held an assortment of things honestly, I would probably not think to buy (at least not together) at the grocery store, but I’m so glad they were in there!!! I took a few and made a salad which was a yummy component of my lunches all week, here’s what I came up with, it was a huge hit and I highly recommend it!
Spring (Almost Summer) Spectacular Potato Salad (6 servings)
- 3 pounds new potatoes (quartered)
- 3 green onions (sliced thin)
- 1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (you can use green beans if you don’t get favas)
- 5 medium to large radishes (diced)
- 1 tablespoon mustard (I had Dijon, others would be great)
- 1/3 c vinegar (I used an herby vinegar, balsamic would be nice, so would apple cider vinegar)
- 2 t olive oil (or another healthy oil!!!)
- salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove, when it’s boiling throw a dash of salt into the water. Put your quartered new potatoes into the water and boil. About 3 minutes after adding your potatoes, put the fava beans or green beans into the water and boil with the potatoes. While potatoes and beans are boiling put mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper into a medium bowl and whisk until combined with a fork. When potatoes are fork tender, drain and add potatoes and beans to the bowl with the dressing in it. Add radishes and green onions, and toss until coated. The hot potatoes will soak up a lot of flavor from the dressing. Chill and serve! You could add a chicken breast or ham, and your lunch is done!!!
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Nutrition Facts
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| 6 Servings | ||
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Amount Per Serving
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| Calories | 201.3 | |
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| Total Fat | 2.1 g | |
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| Saturated Fat | 0.3 g | |
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| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.3 g | |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 1.2 g | |
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| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg | |
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| Sodium | 49.6 mg | |
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| Potassium | 1,146.3 mg | |
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| Total Carbohydrate | 41.3 g | |
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| Dietary Fiber | 4.2 g | |
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| Sugars | 3.2 g | |
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| Protein | 6.2 g | |
Food For Thought
Friday, May 22nd, 2009 | Thoughts | 1 Comment
A little light reading for your holiday weekend… I’ve seen so many great articles lately, I just wanted to send a quick note to share a few!
Apparently healthy menu items cause us to choose the unhealthiest… sound familiar? here
Make small changes here
What is a healthy lifestyle anyway? here
There’s a lot of talk about taxing soda and sugary drinks just like alcohol and tobacco, what do you think? here
Have you ever thought about how unhealthy the average American school lunch is? Check out what Italian, Japanese and french kids are getting here
Tough economic times don’t mean you can’t make yummy filling foods, check out this guys blog here
Wanna ruin your appetite? Things NOT to eat here (Warning: Super Yucky)
Dig Out Your Recipes People, It’s a Memorial Day Grilling Round-up!
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | Recipe | No Comments
Are you grilling this weekend? This is the unofficial kick-off to summer and grilling season and I for one am more than ready!! Woo hoo get some sun, eat outside, hang out with friends; sounds like a fun time to me. I’m such a grill fan I even went to see Bobby Flay when he came to town, and got a personally autographed copy of his grill book!!!
Grilling is also an awesome cooking method, it’s tasty, feels festive, and of course is healthy for you! So… this time I’m asking for help. I’m going to give you some grilling ideas, and you should give me some too!
Send in your most creative outside/grill recipe, I want to hear the good, the unique, the old standbys people, meat, pizza, dessert, whatever you’re grilling folks. Also, if you haven’t got a recipe, but you have a sort of recipe (like say… grilling chicken breasts and then rolling them around in wing sauce) send those too, let’s build up a big fun pile-o-ideas for summer people!
Oh, and while you’ve got your grill hot, throw on a bunch of extra chicken breasts, you can save yourself some prep time and eat them for lunch all week!!!
Grilled Pepperoni and Mushroom Ranch Pizza (2 servings)
In college I adopted the not so healthy habit of eating my pizza crusts with ranch dressing. This is that idea, lightened up! If you’ve got dressing…. why not salad too? Don’t be afraid to grill your pizzas the smoky flavor from the grill is spectacular!
- 2 Western Bagel Alternative Pitas
- 1/2 c tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes (NOT marinara sauce)
- 6 fresh basil leaves or 1/2 tsp dried (fresh is yummy, grow it on the window sill!)
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 clove or 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese
- 2 Tb shredded Parmesan cheese (I use the real deal, it’s a bargain considering how much flavor you get for such a small amount!)
- 10 peices turkey pepperoni
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (whatever kind you like!)
- 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup grape tomatoes
- 2 Tbs light ranch dressing
- non-stick cooking spray
Fire up the grill, and get it good and hot with red coals, but not with flames still shooting up to the grill grate. Spray one side of your pitas, and put them spray side down onto the grill for one minute (time depends on the heat of your grill) until they’re just toasted. Pull them off onto a plate, hot side down. Spray the cold side with non stick spray and flip them back over hot side up.
Mix next 6 ingredients together as your sauce, and distribute equally on the hot sides of your pitas. Top with cheeses, pepperoni, and mushrooms. Lay the pizzas back on the grill with a spatula. Put the top on the grill and leave there for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Carefully remove pizzas from grill with a spatula, top with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and equal amounts of ranch dressing. Enjoy your personal ranch pizza!!!
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Nutrition Facts
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| 2 Servings | ||
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Amount Per Serving
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| Calories | 272.4 | |
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| Total Fat | 6.0 g | |
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| Saturated Fat | 1.1 g | |
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| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5 g | |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.7 g | |
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| Cholesterol | 23.8 mg | |
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| Sodium | 1,549.5 mg | |
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| Potassium | 443.4 mg | |
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| Total Carbohydrate | 37.3 g | |
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| Dietary Fiber | 9.9 g | |
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| Sugars | 4.6 g | |
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| Protein | 23.5 g | |
Banana Boats (2 servings)
This one is a throwback to my illustrious career as a Girl Scout. It brings back funny memories of my mother escaping snakes in the campground outhouse. I’m sure she’s excited I remember that!
- 2 medium bananas
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 Tb Peanut Butter
- 2 Tb chocolate chips
Split bananas in half lengthwise without removing the peel, spread peanut butter inside bananas, and stuff marshmallows and chocolate chips inside. Wrap stuffed bananas in aluminum foil, and place on hot grill, not directly over the hot coals. Put cover on grill and wait 10 minutes until banana is hot and soft. Remove bananas, let cool, and eat with a spoon.
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Nutrition Facts
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| 2 Servings | ||
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Amount Per Serving
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| Calories | 181.9 | |
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| Total Fat | 7.4 g | |
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| Saturated Fat | 2.7 g | |
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| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.3 g | |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 3.0 g | |
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| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg | |
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| Sodium | 49.0 mg | |
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| Potassium | 290.9 mg | |
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| Total Carbohydrate | 29.9 g | |
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| Dietary Fiber | 2.3 g | |
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| Sugars | 12.7 g | |
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| Protein | 3.2 g | |
I used to hate beer.
Monday, May 18th, 2009 | Thoughts | 1 Comment
But not anymore!
I used to prefer fruity, candy flavored concoctions whirred up in the blender (there’s still a place for those in my opinion), but I spent a summer in Bavaria, and those die hard beer loving folks showed me the error of my ways. First they lured me in with their half beer and half soda concoction called radler, but soon I discovered the joys and beer on it’s own and began swigging huge mugs of weissbier and swinging the mug to the tune of oompah music with all of my friends.
That’s when I made another discovery about beer…. it’s not calorie free. Bummer! Sneaky beer looks like just a beverage, but some of those huge German beers probably have as many calories as a whole meal!! Unfortunately liquid calories seemed to pack it on like nothing else. (I guess that’s why they call it a beer belly right? You think I would have made that connection sooner!) Not only that, but for some reason those beer makers don’t have to let you in on the secret of how many calories are actually in the beers they’re making! No nutrition label, no ingredient list on the bottle… nothing!
It’s hard to make great choices when you don’t have all the information, and what with Memorial Day, and other summer celebrations coming up these choices will come up more often for many of us.
Yay for the Internet age, nutritional information lists for beer abound (like here), and what you see as you peruse them may hold some surprises. Of course light beer is usually a better choice, but all light beers are not created equal! Make sure you pay attention to MGD 64 and Becks Premier Light, two brands advertising their low low calorie count. Some beers are surprisingly high in calories (usually the ones higher in alcohol), and some you may not have considered, are better than you’d think (Guinness anyone?). The main idea is to be informed ahead of time, so you can make choices that are worth it!
As for me… I’ll spend my summer with Sam Adams light, a good balance of flavor and calories in my opinion…
Big Bummer, or Big Break?
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 | Thoughts | No Comments
How do you feel about what you’ve accomplished so far? Are you excited about how far you’ve come, or do you focus on the setbacks, and what you haven’t done? Is your attitude about yourself positive, or are you putting off celebration until some far off unnamed day when you’ll just lose 3 more pounds (or 40) and a magical transformation will occur and everything will be easy and perfect. (NOT!)
Whoa, what’s with the questions? Well, this journey, the one towards health and weight loss, it turns out that it’s a lot more about what’s inside than what’s outside! Your attitude, and flipping your outlook to be more positive makes a huge difference. It’s easy to see your issues with weight as a big bummer, but really, it may be your big opportunity.
This guy took his battle with weight, and turned it on it’s head, through his own struggle he saw a greater obesity problem in the nation, he used his struggle to found the Million Calorie March, getting Americans on their feet, and trying to prevent kids from going down the path of unhealthy eating. Do you think he would have done that if he’d never had a weight issue? (Note: Check the video… he was not at his goal weight when he started the Million Calorie March!)
What about this guy? During his weight loss journey, he found out what he was really hungry for, a sense of making a difference in the world. He overcame 140 pounds and is helping to end world hunger. Here
So… are you supposed to end world hunger now? Of course not, but your positive attitude can help you and people around you succeed in little ways every day. Next time somebody says, “Wow, you look great!” Stop yourself from saying “Thanks, but I’ve only lost 5 pounds” and try “Thanks, I’ve been working really hard.” A little focus on the positive and what you CAN change will get you a long way!
Check out www.darynkagen.com, it’s full of inspiring stories that help me put my own life in perspective, and it’s run by a former CNN correspondent, who…(like many people in these trying economic days) was fired. She decided not to let that become her big bummer, and started this website that share news stories about people who overcome the obstacles in their lives.
Recipe Exchange!
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 | Thursday 6:30 Merriam WeightWatchers | No Comments
BUZZZ!!! Recipe Exchange BUZZZZ!!! Recipe Exchange BUZZZZZ!!!! Recipe Exchange
This is a recipe exchange alarm clock set to remind those of you in the Thursday 6:30PM Merriam WW Meeting that tomorrow is the first meeting of the month, so that means…. recipe exchange!!!!! Bring your faves to share!!!
Thanks Mom!
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 | Recipe | No Comments
So… my mom is the best. No you say, my mom is the best! Well, that’s just about the most unwinnable argument possible, so I’m sticking with my story that I have the best mom in the universe. She really has always been my biggest fan, even during those icky teenage years when she would have had complete justification in running away from the house screaming every day to escape me.
Mothers Day is coming up, and I have great memories of bringing my Mom breakfast in bed as a kid. (I think it was mostly burned peanut butter toast and watery orange juice, but she always appreciated the effort. This year, do your mom one better, bake her this easy brunchy puffed pancake! (Really a slimmed-down version of my very own mother’s famous recipe!)
Mom’s Puffed Pancake (Sometimes called German Pancakes or Dutch Babies)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) 1% low-fat milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 cup(s) fresh orange juice
1 tbsp orange zest
4 tbsp powdered sugar
Place butter in 13 by 9 inch casserole dish. Place in a 425 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes or till butter melts. Remove pan and swirl around to distribute melted butter. In your blender combine next 6 ingredients until blended well.
Immediately pour into the pan. Bake about 25 minutes or till puffed and well browned. (When removed from the oven it will be tall and puffed like a soufflé, but will quickly fall, this is a wonderful spot for fruit!)
Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. This dish is wonderful for brunches and special occasion breakfast, it is lovely topped with strawberries, raspberries or any other kind of fruit. Cut in to pieces and serve warm. Makes 8 servings
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Nutrition Facts
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| 8 Servings | ||
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Amount Per Serving
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| Calories | 127.3 | |
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| Total Fat | 1.9 g | |
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| Saturated Fat | 1.1 g | |
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| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.5 g | |
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| Cholesterol | 5.9 mg | |
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| Sodium | 245.7 mg | |
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| Potassium | 247.9 mg | |
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| Total Carbohydrate | 19.3 g | |
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| Dietary Fiber | 0.5 g | |
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| Sugars | 7.2 g | |
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| Protein | 7.3 g | |
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Thoughts and Sites
- 9 Cold Hard Diet Truths
- America’s Healthiest Diets
- Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes on YouTube
- Bacteria and Weight Gain
- Calorie Counting is coming back!
- FANTASTIC Muffin Alert!!
- Learn the French Way
- What do you mean you don’t have time to plan healthy meals????
- Who is Sabotaging Your Weightloss?
- You Are What You Eat?