Posts Tagged ‘healthy’
Perfect Portions
Posted on: August 20, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 2 Comments
So I wasn’t really into the Jillian Michaels brownies I made 😦 . Quite sad, I was hoping for a good healthy brownie! Other people who have tried this have liked it, though. Both blogger, Pretend Cook, and one of the teenage foster girls I work with really liked them so maybe my taste buds are just on strike.
Sad, they look so good. What a tease!
For dinner I made Garlic-Chile Flank Steak, originally from Eating Well Magazine. It was REALLY good and I didn’t over cook it (this is a big deal for me with steak)!
Steak and veggies
Tender + Juicy = Eat Me!
Did you notice the lack of potatoes to go with my steak and the massive amounts of green on my plate? I hope so! I’m working on eating the right portions so I’ve decided to do two things for every plate of dinner I eat:
- At least half of it will be filled with veggies
- The other half will be home to the animal protein and grain.
- Each serving of meat I eat will be no larger than a deck of cards (which is the recommended portion size)
These rules are pretty easy to follow and they really do help me get the amount of each type of nutrient I’m supposed to have. Some grains and protein and lots and lots of veggies! I’m lucky I’ve always been a vegetable lover!
Questions for You:
Do you like veggies? If so, what’s your favorite veggie dish and how do you make it? If you don’t like veggies, how do you find ways to sneak them into your diet?
You May be Interested in:
Making Sense of Portion Sizes – MealsMatter.org
How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10 Ways to Control Portions – About.com
Hummus Stuffed Chicken Breast
Posted on: August 14, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 3 Comments
Hummus adds creamy garlic flavor (and protein!) to breaded chicken cutlets.
I tried this recipe from Sabra.com last night. It was such a quick and easy recipe that turned out to be awesome! It’s even boyfriend approved 😉 He was wondering what my “special sauce” was. Who knew hummus could disguise itself so deliciously well! Try this out on a day you’re not feeling too up to a complicated meal–you can whip this one up quickly and easily. Even better, stuff them the night before work so all you have to do is throw them in the pan when you get back. Almost a pre-made meal!
What you need:
- ½ cup Sabra hummus (choose your favorite variety)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 ounces each, tenderloins removed)
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, egg whites only
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1½ cups bread crumbs, Panko are the best
- Salt and pepper to taste
- â…“ cup olive oil
What you do:
- Place trimmed chicken breast in a large, Ziploc, plastic bag. Pound with a meat pounder or a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Repeat with all chicken breasts, each breast should be about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide.
- Lay the chicken breasts smooth side down on work surface and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly about 2 tablespoons hummus on the chicken breasts leaving about ½ inch border all around. Roll each chicken breast and wrap each rolled breast in a sheet of aluminum foil (or plastic wrap works also). Twist the ends like a candy wrapper and chill in the refrigerator about 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400° degrees. Using 3 pie plates (or shallow dishes) pour the flour in one, lightly whisk the egg whites and water in the other and place the breadcrumbs in the other. Unwrap the chicken breasts and using tongs, roll in the flour (shake off excess), then submerge in the egg whites (let the excess drip off) and then finally place in the breadcrumbs, use your fingers to press the breadcrumbs so that they stick.
- Heat 1/4-cup olive oil in a large non-stick skillet until shimmering, about 4 minutes. Place the rolled chicken breasts in the oil, seam side down. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on all sides. Put the chicken breasts (seam side down) in a baking dish and cook about 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice on a bias into 4 or 5 pieces. I like to serve this dish with a side of vegetables, such as sautéed Spinach-see below, or a side of rice for a more filling meal.
Finish the Fat Talk Flu!
Posted on: August 12, 2010
“Your body is the most powerful instrument you will ever own.” – Baz Luhrman.
Treat it with care, nourish i, love it, accept it. You have innate intelligence that will guide you.
(From a note I found in a copy of Bethenny Frankel’s Skinny Girl Dish at Borders (which, btw, looked really good from what I read)
I’ve always avoided being around girls when the conversation turns to the topic of “I-look-so-fat-I-can’t-wear-anything-let-me-look-for-imperfections” and all its variations. Sure, I might look in the mirror and think how nice it’d be to have a sports illustrated swimsuit model’s body but I also recognize that that is impossible to attain. All of the pictures of models we see are retouched (see Huffinton post article on an Ann Taylor model) even though those models are super skinny and “perfect” to begin with! Furthermore, a lot of those models are most likely getting in that shape in an unhealthy way (kudos to those who do it the healthy way). Being overweight is unhealthy but so is being underweight.
Aside from “skinny”, we have to stop seeing our differences as imperfections. See them as parts of you that make you unique or symbols of the life you live. For example, my scars have stories. The one on my shin is from falling on a metal soccer cleat (ow!), a testament to my unharnessed high energy (and clumsiness!). My birth mark is just that, the mark of the miracle of life and my presence in this world.
Okay, okay, I’m getting kind of mushy now so I’ll stop. The moral of the story is we need to stop this negative talk! Mostly because the more we talk, the more we get this false impression that the subject of our conversation is important and meaningful. I started hanging out with a girl a few years back who lived her life by attacking her looks, talking herself down, and doubting that she looked good when she looked great! After spending time with her, I noticed that I started thinking the same way but applying it to myself! This way of thinking is contagious! The fat talk consumed her and anyone she came into contact with. Sadly, I had to minimize my time with her to protect the health of my thoughts and eventually we just stopped being friends.
There are days when we aren’t feeling our best and we have some doubts. That’s normal. If you need to talk with a close friend about your feelings, that’s fine. The idea here isn’t to pretend we don’t have insecurities sometimes; the point is to stop making these thoughts a casual and usual subject of conversation.
Remember, fat talk is contagious so when you stop spreading it, others will be less likely to come down with the “fat talk flu”, and then they won’t spread it–and so on and so forth, you get the picture!
Finish the Fat Talk Flu!
Question: How do you deal with fat talk thoughts?
May be of Interest:
How to Put an end to “Fat Talk” – Self Magazine
Fat Talk – Healthy Tipping Point
Ann Taylor Website Glitch Reveals Un-Retouched Images – Huffington Post
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes | South Beach
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Made a really good dessert last night that took literally 30 seconds to make.
All you need is store-bought chocolate peanut butter (or make your own) and strawberries. Scoop some peanut butter into a bowl, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds, dip your strawb, place in mouth, melt.
Skinny indulgence in a jar
Good nutrition, check! Wholesome ingredients, check! (Double Click to check it out for yourself!)
Easy peasy dipping "sauce"
So good, how could this have protein and antioxidants in it?
*Suitable for Phase 2 of South Beach Diet
Question:
What’s your go-to quick dessert?
Thai Chicken Stir Fry
Posted on: August 12, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes
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I made this tonight (with my new All-Clad saute pan!!! I looove it) and it’s definitely one of my favorite dishes. Very filling, flavorful, and full of protein and veggies! Those of you who don’t like it hot might want to omit the red pepper flakes and chili sauce but beware, it probably won’t taste as good!
Stir crazy: in progress
Tasty Thai: Success!
What You Need:
| 1 cup | Quinoa |
| 2 cups | Chicken stock |
| ¼ cup | Low sodium soy or tamari sauce |
| 2 tablespoons | Oyster sauce |
| 1 tablespoon | Fish sauce |
| 3 tablespoons | Sweetener (I used sucanat) |
| 3 tablespoons | Peanut Oil |
| 1 | Vidalia Onion, halved and sliced into strips |
| 1-1 ½ lbs | Chicken, cubed |
| 5 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| ¼ cup | Chili sauce |
| 2 | Bell Peppers |
| 1 cup | Baby bella mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 cup | Sprouts (Any kind but soy sprouts have tons of protein) |
| 3 | Plum tomatoes, cut into eighths |
| 1 ½ cups | Fresh basil leaves (Thai is best but I used Genovese) |
| Ground pepper | |
| Red pepper flakes | |
| 1 | Lime (or lemon) |
What You Do:
- Prepare quinoa (Rinse quinoa to remove bitter coating, boil the chicken stock, pour in quinoa, simmer until moisture is absorbed)
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sweetener. Set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onions and chicken.
- When onions are fragrant, add garlic and chili sauce and stir for 1 minute.
- Add bell peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, tomatoes, and basil and stir-fry until soft.
- Turn heat down to medium and add ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Squeeze lime directly over ingredients in pan.
- Serve stir fry over a bed of quinoa and a few spoonfuls of sauce from the pan. Enjoy!
Question for the Foodies:
What’s your favorite grain?
Mine is quinoa. I love the texture and the fact that it’s protein packed. Mix it with veggies and you have an easy, well-rounded dinner! I just bought hard red wheat berries today so I’ll be trying those in a recipe for the first time soon. Stay tuned!
May Be of Interest:
Dan’s Mexican Breakfast Sandwich
Posted on: August 9, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 2 Comments
Dan is really good at throwing together a meal off the top of his head. He isn’t really into recipes and what he makes is usually so amazing it boggles my mind that he could have winged it! What he makes is usually pretty simple to create and fast too. Wish I could cook like him!
When I came back from my walk down to Lake Champlain this morning, he was making something that looked so yummy and delicious, I had to let you all know about it.
The Egg and Cheese Pack on the Protein
Our kitchen is so small, poor Dan had to deal with me watching his every move. I wanted to know exactly how to make it!
And I did!
What You Need (for each sandwich):
- 1 Whole grain Arnold’s sandwich thin
- 1 egg
- Salsa
- Reduced fat sour cream
- Reduced fat cheese of your choice
- Salt
- Pepper
What You Do:
- Sprinkle some cheese on one half of the sandwich thin and place on a griddle (or pan) on medium heat/350 degrees until the cheese melts. Place the sandwich thin on a serving plate.
- Make an egg sunny side up.
- Spread a spoonful of sour cream on the other half of the sandwich thin and place the egg on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Spread a spoonful of salsa on top of the cheese.
- Unite the two halves and enjoy!
Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto
Posted on: August 8, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes
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I’ve always liked risotto, except for the rice. Which I know doesn’t really make sense since rice is pretty much the main ingredient. So you can guess how excited I was when I came upon this recipe for Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto on pbfingers.com which she borrowed from health.com. Just like Julie (from Peanut Butter Fingers), I served it over a bed of steamed broccoli.
It smelled and tasted so good and was surprisingly creamy given that there was only a small amount of butter and some parmesan cheese in it. Dan and I had just one serving and we were full.
Mmmmmmm
(Makes four 1-cup servings)
What You Need:
- 3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup lightly pearled barley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
What You Do:
1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and salt. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Add shrimp; cook 4 minutes. Stir in cheese, butter, and pepper.
Nutritional Information: Calories 387, Fat 9g, Protein 26g, Carbs 52g, Fiber 10g, Cholesterol 97mg, Iron 3mg, Sodium 653mg, Calcium 200mg
World’s Healthiest Foods: Barley – WHFoods.org
7 Healthy Risotto Recipes – Health.com
Play a Little!
Posted on: August 7, 2010
For me, this week seems to be about finding ways to make exercise convenient and fun–two things everyone wants! I didn’t plan this out or make a goal. For some reason I’ve just been seeing creative opportunities to get my sweat on! I’ve also been super motivated by a healthy lifestyle blog a 25 yr old girl named Julie writes called Peanut Butter Fingers. Julie’s positivity is delightfully contagious. Check it out!
So what have I done to get some activity in conveniently? Wednesday I had two calls to make that I knew would take a while. They were with my mom and one of my best friends, Kaitlin. Although I love talking to them I hate being unproductive on the phone. I can’t multi-task being on the phone with doing chores; it’s just too much of a bummer to have to hold the phone with my neck (ow) while making the bed, doing the dishes, etc. And I can’t talk while doing anything involving thinking either (the person on the other end of the phone deserves as much ADD-impaired attention as they can get!
ANYWAY, so what did I do? I went for a walk the entire time I was on the phone (the beauty of cell phones). I got to enjoy the beautiful sunset, talk to my loved ones, and burn some cals. Woot woot health points for Allie!
“Pumpkin Pie” Steel Cut Oats
Posted on: August 5, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes | South Beach
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Feel Like You're Cheating, but You're Not!
I just threw together the yummiest breakfast food; It tastes like pumpkin pie but you’re really being quite healthy! Steel cut oats have so much fiber in them and they are whole grains. The spices and pumpkin add antioxidants into the mix and the Splenda is calorie free. And it’s filling too. PERFECT, right?
Here’s What You Need:
- Canned Pumpkin (Which is already cooked. I didn’t know that before researching it!)
- Splenda or whatever sweetener you want
- Pumpkin pie spices (I used just cinnamon and nutmeg but you could use anything you want)
- Vanilla Extract
- Steel Cut Oats
Here’s What You Do:
- Cook steel cut oats according to the directions. My box said to boil 3 cups of water, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, add 1 cup of oats, simmer and cover. Then stir occasionally for 10 (al dente) to 20 (creamy) minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes. It didn’t say to strain it but I did since there was some water left.
- Scoop 1 cup of oats into a bowl and save the rest for later (cold oats are yummy).
- Add 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a packet of splenda (or two packets of regular sugar), and several shakes of spices.
- ENJOY!!
Let me know what you think.
Of Possible Interest:
Health Benefits of Pumpkin – Suite101.com
Spices and Herbs, Unexpected Sources of Antioxidants – HealthCastle.com
Top Fresh and Dried Herbs and Spices for Antioxidants – Eating Well Magazine
I’ve read way too many blog posts, heard from several friends, and read in too many magazines that you can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise it off. This is similar to the false belief that you can have a healthy body as long as you consume less calories than you burn off (maybe you’ll lose weight but it won’t be healthy). These are not healthy ways to live!!
If you want to have a healthy weight and healthy body, this is the formula Tosca Reno, author of the Eat-Clean Diet follows: A beautiful healthy body = 80% nutrition + 10% exercise + 10% genetics.
This comes as a shock to many people but it’s a good thing! If genetics only play a 10% role in our health, then we have the most control over it! And if you aren’t a work-out-a-holic, have no shame! There are tons and tons of ways to eat delicious yet healthy food.
Healthy Balance, Healthy Life 