I saw this statement on a Christmas plate this weekend at Cracker Barrel and couldn’t decide if I could buy it as a joke or if it went against everything I stand for. I decided on the latter. This is just the motto that gets us all into trouble, doesn’t it?!

Instead, how about making up your own eating motto for this holiday. For instance, “Dinner at home will happen” or “I will eat my veggies before the cookies.” These are just some silly ideas but still possibly true. What if you planned on eating at home every night regardless? What if you ate a piece of produce before you ate a cookie? What if you were active every day regardless? Would these things make this holiday different for your waist line? One small change to your holiday mindset may make a huge difference and prevent those extra pounds from coming on. Think about your eating motto and post below what your’s will be.

Here’s what I think mine will be: I will eat a piece of produce before I eat a sweet.

Who seriously thought skinny jeans were a good idea for women? I tried on my first pair of them today. The only reason was because they were $12 at Target and I figured for that price I’d give them a try. Little did I know a total self-esteem bashing was waiting!

As I perused the wall of jeans, I realized there were a lot of sizes 1,3, 15, and 17. I should have gotten the hint right then and there. Since teeny bopper sizes run, let’s just say, “slightly smaller” than normal woman sizes I grabbed one size up from my normal size. The color I really wanted was only available in 2 sizes up so I grabbed them too…just in case. In the dressing room I began to attempt to cram my leg into the one size-uppers. I COULD NOT EVEN GET MY CALF INTO THEM! Now, I consider myself decently in shape and certainly not blessed with killer, Olympic-sprinter calf muscles. But seriously, you would have to have NO muscle period to fit into these jeans. The moment I squished my leg into them I felt claustrophobic. So on I went to the next size up. I was able to actually pull them up to my waist and button them. I quickly realized that they felt more like leggings then jeans. This can’t be right. I then go back out to the floor to find 3 sizes larger but have no luck. The dressing room attendant tries to help me find them but exclaims “What’s wrong with those (the 2 sizes bigger pants)? They look fine.” So I guess spandex-like and slightly uncomfortable is the mark of a good pair of skinny jeans.

I ended up getting the 2 sizes larger skinny jeans because hey, they were 12 bucks and the attendant said they looked fine. I’m in then right now and still feel slightly uncomfortable. I think I may need to go back to look for the 3 sizes larger if this new skinny jean relationship is going to last.

I share this rant with you because I realized, yet again, that fashion is not a good self-esteem builder sometimes. It’s who you are on the inside and the steps you take to be the person who you want to be that are truly meaningful aspects of life. Enjoy today who you are and not just what size you can fit into.

Have a healthy holiday and watch out for skinny jeans.

The holiday of eating is eating upon us. What is a healthy eater to do?

The holidays can be a daunting time for those watching their waistline, but it doesn’t have to be. Remember that holiday eating (aka overindulging) needs to be monitored….by you. You have to stay conscious of your eating every day! One of the best ways to do this is by keeping a food journal. It is so helpful for you to have accountability by writing down everything you eat. Most people dread food journaling but if you are the only one looking at it, what’s the big deal about being honest? Just write down EVERYTHING — every nibble and graze — and stay connected with just how many calories you are eating. This is step one.

The next step for healthy holiday eating is to plan and think through your schedule. Start by making a game plan for your daily eating. This means that you write down what you plan to eat before the day starts. For instance, if you are going shopping for several hours, you need to plan where you are going to get a healthy lunch and if you need to bring some snacks with you. If you have long work days and parties after, think through how you are going to ensure a healthy lunch since you will be at the mercy of party food later in the day. Plan to not shop or party on an empty stomach.

If you are traveling elsewhere or having extended guests, try to control as many factors of your eating as possible. For instance, buy your own breakfast foods and snacks to ensure you start the day off right. If you are entertaining, you don’t have to have candy out in every room or sweets always available. Set treats out at set times instead of leaving them out for grazing.

Truly one of the most crucial keys for a healthy holiday to stay active! Get involved in a local run or walk this Christmas season. Make sure you take the time to take care of you and be healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m getting a lot of requests for healthy Thanksgiving recipes. There are so many healthy ingredients related to this holiday that get me excited: pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, greens, herbs, turkey and spices. I tend to think of Thanksgiving as an exception in that it’s ok to make some recipes you don’t make the rest of the year. But I also like to incorporate as many healthy ingredients as possible.

Thanksgiving is so nostalgic for me and the enjoyment comes from making our family recipes. So if you were to come to my Thanksgiving dinner you would enjoy my family Thanksgiving turkey recipe (I created this recipe in grad school for a food development project. It’s great and happy to share it if you’d like a new recipe.), perhaps my mom’s homemade cranberry sauce, my mother in law’s squash casserole, last year I made homemade herb biscuits with white flour and butter (gasp), and I also make a homemade apple pie. None of these things are particularly low-calorie but I do try to highlight the health promoting qualities. I love using fresh herbs and spices in my dishes for the flavor instead of a lot of butter. Herb biscuits and herbs in my turkey give a lot of flavor. If I make sweet potatoes I don’t load them with candied nuts or marshmallows as a little can go a long way with this already sweet veggie.

Below is a recipe that I don’t necessarily make for Thanksgiving but I always make it in the fall. Applesauce is so easy to make, makes the house smell wonderful, and is a healthy dessert or snack option. Try this healthy recipe to get you into the holiday spirit and still allows you to get into your pants. =)

Fall Applesauce

3 lbs Macintosh apples, cored and halved (Look for apples with a vibrant red color)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 sticks of cinnamon, depending on your taste or 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

1. Combine apples and lemon in a medium to large sauce pan. Break cinnamon sticks in half and add to the apples.
2. Cover pot and cook over low heat until apples become soft and sauce-like (about 45-60 minutes).
3. Add brown sugar to sweeten, if necessary.
4. Using tongs or a fork remove the apple skins from the applesauce. Press skins through a fine-wire, mesh colander to remove additional sauce. Discard skins.
5. Serve warm for a great dessert or keep in fridge for up to one week.

Makes 2 ½ cups

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/

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 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?

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.

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!

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.