A Good Find at Chili’s November 9, 2009

I grew up eating at Chili’s. I love that place. Unfortunately there are not a lot of calorie appropriate options there. Most of the options on their Guitless Grill menu are tasty (Tilapia and Salmon are excellent) but you may not always want to limit yourself to this part of the menu. My favorite non-guitless entree is the Chicken Fajita Pita which has 450 calories, 17 g of fat, 43 g of protein, and 3 g fiber. Ask for the dressing on the side and you can reduce the calories even more.  Instead of fries I order their delicious kettle black beans for only an additional 110 calories, 1 g fat, 8 g protein, and 6 g fiber. Choosing beans as a side dish is a great low-cal alternative to fries and adds plant-based protein and lots of fiber.

Check out all the nutrition facts for Chili’s at: http://www.chilis.com/menu/

On the Menu this Week November 8, 2009

Here is my meal plan for our dinners this week:

Monday: Braised Chicken (sounds fancy but very easy) with vegetables over brown rice

Tuesday: Barilla Plus pasta and spaghetti with ground turkey

Wednesday: Possible dinner with friends. If that doesn’t work out, I will be home early so I am going to try  cooking a new fish, wahoo, that I picked up from our local seafood market on Friday.

Thursday: Boboli individual whole wheat pizzas with spinach and 2% mozzarella cheese;  side salad

Nothing too crazy this week but my schedule. The Boboli whole wheat individual crusts have been a life saver lately! They are so quick and yummy.

Take a little time to meal plan this week and enjoy healthy eating!

It’s November 1st… November 1, 2009

It’s November 1st and that means it’s the day after October 31st and you probably have a lot, or at least some, candy laying around the house. This is not usually a good thing, at least for us. My hubby and I love sweets and all the Reese’s peanut butter cups will get eaten if they stay at my house. A little bit of candy is fine. But 1 peanut butter cup leads to another and another and …. I also know that I have a full and hectic week coming up and I love to soothe myself with chocolate.

So what do we do with all this candy? Well, I think you should do something with it. Is there a place you can send it to? School, work, church, favorite store? You could keep some in your purse or on your desk and give one piece to every person you encounter — along with a “have a great day!” I just committed my husband to taking his into work and giving it out to his students or fellow coaches. Don’t take it into your work place if you know you will just end up eating them there.

There are some dentist offices who collect candy in exchange for money or other prizes. There are also some organizations that collect excess candy to send to US troops abroad. Both of these are great ideas.

If you have kids at home who are pumped about their candy, I recommend using a guideline for consumption. My husband shared with me what his parents did and I think it’s a great idea that I will share. Set a limit for the pieces of candy that your children can take in their lunch and the number they can consume after dinner. For my husband it was 2 at lunch and 3 after dinner. If you  have older children that you would like to teach a deeper nutritional lesson, give them a calorie budget for each (like 200 calories after dinner from candy) and help them add the information up.

Does anyone else have any good ideas of what to do with Halloween candy?

Eating Out October 27, 2009

This past week in my weekly nutrition class we discussed eating out. This is a major obstacle for all healthy eaters because it’s so easy to go overboard in the calorie department. My thinking on the subject is that you can eat out often and be healthy but it takes discipline and knowledge. I will start posting some of my favorite options from restaurants on here to help give you some ideas of what’s available. Sometimes I may identify an item just because it’s a calorie appropriate option. I will also highlight items that are very high in nutritional value. The goal is to find entrees that are both!

I will start out with the Cheesecake Factory…dun dun dun dun. This restaurant is known for its huge portions and super high calorie entrees. My hubby and I were taken to this restaurant a couple of weeks ago by friends. I was hesitant to go at first because of the above, but I was delightfully surprised to find a new portion of their menu called “Small Plates and Snacks.” All these items were tapas style portions and many of them look very reasonable. They still do not list the nutrition facts on their website, which I have a problem with, so I guessed at the best option that I would enjoy. I ended up with the Ahi Tartare and Arugula Salad. They were both delicious and just the right amount. I really enjoyed my experience here and was glad I didn’t have to deal with my inner battle of to eat or not to eat.

So check out this great little menu next time you are at the CF.

Please add your thoughts or great restaurant finds for other to benefit from. We need to help each other out to find healthy, delicious food.

TV Appearance October 25, 2009

Tomorrow, October 26th, I will be on the CBS Channel 4 (local Jacksonville) morning show during the 8am hour. I will be teaming up with Chef Art to discuss healthy Halloween treats. Tune in and let me know what you think!

How to Cook Winter Squash October 21, 2009

Up until about a year ago, I don’t think I had ever cooked any type of winter squash. They are pretty to look at and use as decorations, but what do you do with them?

So what happened a year ago? Last year I began to receive organic produce delivered to my door by a wonderful company called Palmetto Organics (www.palmettoorganics.com). I do not get to choose the produce I receive as it’s based on what is in season. So when fall rolled around squashes appeared in my delivery bag and I had to figure out what to do with them. I soon realized that the most difficult part of preparing squash is cutting them open. The rest is cake! Pretty much all winter squash can be prepared the same way – roasting in the oven.

This week I had a spaghetti squash to deal with. I had some time this morning so I roasted it up with some cinnamon. I served it to my nutrition class tonight and they loved it! I served it cold, not intentionally, and many said that it was delicious! Who would have thought?! So here is my simple recipe for roasting squash. Add more time or take away time based on the size of the squash. It is done when you pierce it with a fork and it is soft all the way through.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash, split length-wise

cinnamon (optional)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (water or white wine can also be used)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle cut sides of squash with cinnamon (or you can use salt and pepper or other spice mix).

4. Place squash, cut side down, in 9×13 pan. Pour in liquid of choice.

5. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender throughout.

6. Let cool for 10 minutes and then rake a fork through the flesh to create the “strings” of squash. (If using another type of squash, simply scoop out flesh and serve as a side or puree for a soup.)

Another option is cut up a squash into chunks and roast the chunks on a baking sheet. This may take less time.

Nutrition Facts: Spaghetti squash is low in calories (about 40 calories for 1/2 cup of strings) and has a balance of many vitamins and minerals. It contains about 2.5 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup and is a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, particularly.

More Ways to Use Flax Seed Meal October 19, 2009

My posts on flax seed are by the far the most popular. Kudos to everyone who is interested in eating more omega-3 rich foods. Flax seed is one easy addition to your diet that will add inflammation-fighting, cholesterol-lowering, and higher-fiber-cancer fighting benefits.

I am always looking for ways to add some flax seed meal to my food. Here are several uses that I go to on a regular basis.

1. Add 2 tbsp to your morning smoothie.

2. When breading meat, add flax meal to the breading.

3. Add flax to your pancake or waffle batter – about 1/4 cup.

4. Stir in 2 tbsp of meal to your oatmeal, after you’ve cooked it.

5. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp on top of peanut butter in a PB & J sandwich or on an English muffin.

 

So now tell me, how do you use flax meal in your every day eating?

Spinach Walnut Pesto October 15, 2009

Tonight in my nutrition class we talked about healthy fats. The best types of fats are monounsaturated – canola, olive and peanut oils, avocados and nuts. This is a somewhat limited category to get the majority of your fats from. It’s also important to remember that monounsaturated oils have a low smoke point so you have to be careful how you cook with them. I came up with this yummy pesto that includes a vegetable, healthy fats, and no cooking!  I got some rave reviews from my participants tonight. Enjoy!

Spinach Walnut Pesto

 

3-4 cups baby spinach leaves

¼ cup walnuts

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1-2 tsp lemon zest (grated lemon peel)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1.  In a food processor, blender or magic bullet combine spinach, garlic, walnuts, and lemon juice. Lightly pulse.
2. With motor running (unless using a Magic Bullet), stream in oil till slightly creamy.
3. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parmesan cheese.

 

Serve over grilled chicken or toss into pasta. To freeze, pour into an ice cube tray.

 

Makes about 1 cup.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving = 1 tbsp

Servings per recipe = 16

Calories 33; 3.25 g fat; 27 mg sodium; <1 g carbohydrate; 0 g sugar; 0.18 g fiber; 0.875 g protein

 

Supplements Make Great News October 10, 2009

Yet another interesting article has come out about supplement continamination. It really is risky business. I am NOT against supplements but I think that you should know why you are taking them and what is in them. The poor guy in this article failed a drug test because of a weight loss supplement. Please do not trust every supplement company. Be skeptical of everything and work with a medical professional to determine was is best for you, if you even need anything.

http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=2017&query=TOC_

Dinner is ready! October 8, 2009

It’s 7:45 am and dinner is ready. I love that! I am relying on my trusty, programmable Crock Pot to have dinner ready for us when we get home late. Crock pots are wonderful! I can program mine to cook for so many hours and then it switches over to “warm” mode that keeps my food in a safe temperature till we are ready to eat. Tonight we are having taco soup. I know pretty much everyone has a version of this meal in their recipe cards. Try it in your crock pot for an easy, no fuss meal.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

2 cans of any type of beans — Today I used pinto and kidney

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 can shoe peg corn, drained

ground turkey breast, cooked

1 packet powdered ranch dressing

1 packet taco seasoning

3+ cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion diced

1. Line your crock pot with a liner for easier cleanup.

2. Dump everything in your crock pot and mix.

3. Cook on low for anywhere from 4-6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

4. Serve over baked chips or just with a little reduced fat cheese and fat free sour cream on top.

Variations: Add any type of veggie to the mix you would like. This would be great with shredded carrots.