Currently browsing all entries in the Food & Nutrition category
a Calorie Counter
Here's a new way to track your caloric intake...and then some...
acaloriecounter.com has taken the USDA National Nutrient Database and made it available in the quickest, easiest and most usable format it has ever been in before. A search of any food instantly brings up the full nutrition facts for that food such as calories, protein, carbs, fat, sodium, cholesterol, vitamins and much more.
But it's more than caloric information.
In addition, a Calorie Counter also contains numerous articles about nutrition, weight control and just healthy eating in general. Here are two, Breakfast Cereal Compared and Calorie Counting Guide
It's a fairly new site, so go on in and kick the tires a bit 
Food Fight!!
Ever wanted to get into a messy gooey dripping wet food fight? Well now you can. Online!
Check out the Good Food Fight online game. It's a game specially designed as a unique way to raise awareness of the types of healthy recipes featured on EatBetterAmerica.com. So not only do you stay sticky-free playing a virtual game, it's also calorie free
Have fun!
20 tips for permanent weight loss (16-20)
And the tips you've been waiting for all week, the last 5 tips to permanent weight loss.
- Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal. Opt for cereals with "bran" or "fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal.
- Walk for 10 minutes over your lunch hour or get up a few minutes earlier in the morning and go for a short walk.
- Plan a week's worth of meals at a time. Make a detailed grocery list to eliminate last-minute trips to the grocery store and impulse buys.
- Look for a distraction when you're fighting a craving. Call a friend, put on music and dance or exercise, clean the house, pull weeds in your garden, or run an errand. When your mind is occupied with something else, the cravings quickly go away.
- Reward yourself. Losing weight and keeping the pounds off is a major accomplishment. Celebrate your success with nonfood rewards, such as new clothes or an outing with friends.
So there you go, 20 tips to kick start your weight loss efforts. Happy losing 
20 tips for permanent weight loss (11-15)
Over 1/2 way done, here are 5 more tips.
- See what you eat. Eating directly from a container gives you no sense of how much you're eating. Seeing food on a plate or in a bowl keeps you aware of how much you're eating.
- Vary your activities. Regularly change your activity routine to avoid exercise burnout. Walk a couple of days, swim another and go for a bike ride on the weekend. Seek out new activities — karate, ballroom dancing, cross-country skiing, tennis or Pilates.
- De-stress your day. Stress can cause you to eat more. Develop strategies that can help you relax when you find yourself becoming stressed. Exercise, deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques and even a good laugh can ease stress.
- Eat at home. People eat more food in restaurants than at home. Limit how often you eat at restaurants. If you do eat out, decide what and how much you're going to eat before you start and have the rest boxed to go.
- Plan healthy snacks. The best snacks include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Fruit smoothies, sliced fresh fruit and yogurt, whole-grain crackers, and carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter are all good choices.
Tomorrow: The final 5, tips 16-20
Do you do any of these 5 tips?
20 tips for permanent weight loss (6-10)
Keeping those weight loss tips coming, here's numbers 6 thru 10.
- Plan a family activity. Get the family together to go for a bike ride, play disc golf or kick the ball around in the yard.
- Eat healthy foods first. Eat foods that are healthy and low in calories first so that when it comes time to enjoy your favorites — sweets or junk food, for example — you won't be so hungry.
- Pay attention to portions. Serve meals already dished onto plates instead of placing serving bowls on the table. Take slightly less than what you think you'll eat. You can always have seconds, if really necessary.
- Create opportunities to be active. Wash your car at home instead of going to the car wash. Bike or walk to the store. Participate in your kid's activities at the playground or park.
- Sit down together for family meals. Avoid eating in front of the television. TV viewing strongly affects how much and what people eat.
Tomorrow: Tips 11-15
Do you do any of these 5 tips?
20 tips for permanent weight loss (1-5)
Let's kick off the month of May with weight loss tips to get your body headed in the right directon for summer.
To start, here are 20 ideas to reinforce your healthy lifestyle and to keep you committed to permanent weight loss:
- Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day. If time is limited, exercise for several brief periods throughout the day — for example, three 10-minute sessions rather than one 30-minute session.
- Eat three healthy meals during the day, including a good breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to excessive snacking.
- Focus on fruits and vegetables. Top off your morning cereal with sliced strawberries or bananas. Stir berries or peaches in yogurt or cottage cheese. Liven up your sandwiches with vegetables, such as tomato, lettuce, onion, peppers and cucumber.
- Weigh yourself regularly. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become even larger.
- Don't keep comfort foods in the house. If you tend to eat high-fat, high-calorie foods when you're upset or depressed or bored, don't keep them around. Availability of food is one of the strongest factors in determining how much a person eats.
Tomorrow: Tips 6-10
Do you do any of these 5 tips?
7 Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You
If your gonna pig out, these are safe choices
1. Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a remarkably healthy ingredient, providing 3 1/2 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and a lot of fiber per half-cup serving. Pureed pumpkin lends itself to healthy cooking. It can, like applesauce and prune puree, replace fat in baked goods without giving them a rubbery texture.
2. Roast Turkey: Serve up three ounces of skinless turkey breast and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein with practically no fat. All that and only 100 calories. Plus you fill 25 percent of your daily need for niacin and vitamin B6.
3. Sweet Potatoes: Ounce for ounce, they have as much beta-carotene as carrots. A mere four ounces contain 50 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, as much potassium as a banana and a good amount of fiber. All this adds up to one terrific disease-fighting food!
4. Cranberry Relish: There's a substance in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections by interfering with the ability of bacteria to adhere to cell membranes. Cranberries also contain a potentially cancer-preventing compound called ellagic acid. Make a fresh orange-cranberry relish and get added benefit from the vitamin C in oranges.
5. Potatoes: Whether mashed or in latkes, potatoes are good food. They contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, plus fiber, iron, copper and plenty of B vitamins. Boiling potatoes will destroy some of the vitamin C and dissolve some of the rest of it into the cooking water. To help preserve the vitamin C content, use some of the cooking water instead of milk or cream when mashing them.
6. Figgy Pudding: Figs help make the pudding a nutritional gold mine. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and niacin, plus they have a natural laxative effect.
7. Eggnog: Choose only the low-fat variety and enjoy a holiday tradition while getting a good amount of protein and some calcium. (Just be sure not to drink too much, since there's still lots of sugar and calories in even the low-fat version.)
via diet @ ivillage
Zucchini "Marinata"
Sorry all for the extended hiatus. It has been a hectic time for me and there are still things that need to be fixed. Just to name a couple, my doggie has been pretty unwell and my mother had a second amnesia attack while on vacation. I see a lot of doctors in the near future.
To get some energy and mental power back, I thought about this recipe. It's light, it's tasty and it includes one superfood: flax!
Ingredients (for each serving)
- two thin skin zucchini (if you have an orchard, best if freshly picked)
- one lemon
- one tablespoon pine nuts
- one tablespoon flax seeds
Preparation
- With a potato peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise.
- Salt the slices and put them in a deep bowl.
- Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice over the sliced zucchini. This is the very simple marinate: the acid juices of the lemon, "cooks" the zucchini, making it palatable even when uncooked.
- Let sit for half an hour, then place the slices on a wide plate, pouring the lemon on top of them.
Now it's time to add some sparkle to this recipe.
To roast the nuts, put the pine nuts in a non stick pan and turn the heat on medium. Constantly monitored them, they burn really quickly.
Once the pine nuts are roasted, put them though a grinder with the flax seeds. Sprinkle everything on the zucchini.
It is very important to finely grind the flax seeds. If you eat the seeds whole, your system flushes them without getting the benefits of Omega 3 & Omega 6. Two tablespoons of flax seeds provides all your Omega 3 needs for the day.
Finally, you can "treat: yourself by adding some grated parmesan.
Two raw zucchini slices takes up quite a bit of stomach real estate. Just what you want to happen when dieting. By adding nuts and seeds to this recipe, it makes the dish rich while remaining very light!
Enjoy!
Nutritional Info
Calories: 177
Carbs: 21 grams
Fat: 10 grams
Protein= .6 grams
P.S. This recipe also covers 59% of your Vitamin C daily needs!
When Tacita isn't filling her tummy with slices of raw zucchini, she's blogging.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds: Known as linseed in Europe, flaxseed is prized by health-conscious eaters everywhere due to its abundant omega-3 fatty acid content. Small, oval-shaped flaxseeds come from the flax plant, which is grown in European countries, including France, Belgium, Russia, and Germany. In the United States, flaxseeds are primarily produced in Montana, Minnesota, Texas, and the Dakotas.
Availability
Flaxseeds are available year-round.
How to Select and Store
Flaxseeds can be purchased either whole or already ground. The two different forms offer distinct benefits. Although ground flaxseeds may be more convenient, whole flaxseeds feature a longer shelf life.
Whole flaxseeds are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the flaxseeds are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure their maximal freshness. Whether purchasing flaxseeds in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture. If you purchase whole flaxseeds, store them in an airtight container in a dark, dry and cool place where they will keep fresh for several months.
Ground flaxseeds are usually available both refrigerated and non-refrigerated. It is highly recommended to purchase ground flaxseed that is in a vacuum-sealed package or has been refrigerated since once flaxseeds are ground, they are much more prone to oxidation and spoilage. Likewise, if you either purchase ground flaxseeds or you grind them at home, it is important to keep them in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent them from becoming rancid.
Flaxseed oil is especially perishable and should be purchased in opaque bottles that have been kept refrigerated. Flaxseed oil should have a sweet nutty flavor. Never use flaxseed oil in cooking; add it to foods after they have been heated.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Grind flaxseeds in a coffee or seed grinder in order to enhance their digestibility and therefore their nutritional value. If adding ground flaxseeds to a cooked cereal or grain dish, do so at the end of cooking since the soluble fiber in the flax seeds can thicken liquids if left too long.
Quick Serving Ideas
- Sprinkle ground flaxseeds onto your hot or cold cereal.
- Add flaxseeds to your homemade muffin, cookie or bread recipe.
- To pump up the nutritional volume of your breakfast shake, add ground flax seeds.
- To give cooked vegetables a nuttier flavor, sprinkle some ground flaxseeds on top of them.
- Add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to smoothies.
Nutritional Highlights
Flaxseeds, 1 Tbsp
Calories: 59
Protein: 2.3g
Carbohydrate: 4.1g
Total Fat: 4.1g
Fiber: 3.3g
*Good source of: Magnesium (43.4mg)
Tomorrrow, a recipe for Zucchini "Marinata" that includes flaxseeds.
Light Hummus on the go
I used to have problems at lunch times. The only option for a vegan like me seemed fatty snacking. Even delis preparing vegan sandwiches didn't take into account I wanted a light, fat free lunch.
Well, I started making this light hummus and I was hooked.
The options to make it taste different each time are countless and the end results are pleasing. Don't be discouraged by the apparent messiness of this lunch when compared to a sandwich. It's practical to carry and it is won't disappoint: two small Tupperware dishes and a spoon is all it takes.
This has become my staple lunch: less than 300 calories and I am good to go!
Ingredients
- 1 (240 grams) of canned chick peas: make sure to read labels well. Most chick peas are about 80-95 calories per 100 grams but there are a number of varieties which are only 64-66 calories per 100 grams. These are my chick peas of choice.
- 3 big carrots (or any other raw veggie for dipping in the hummus)
- Your choice of:
- one tablespoon of strong mustard
- one tablespoon of capers + one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- half a lemon juiced + salt + parsley
- one teaspoon of hot sauce + one teaspoon of tomato paste
- some cumin and curry powder
- Or anything else fancying your mood. It is pretty amazing how a little flavoring changes the taste
Preparation
- With a potato peeler, skin the carrots. Cut them to have long thing slices, rigid enough to enter in your dip without breaking though, as much as you can lengthwise.
- Rinse the chick peas from the cooking liquid and put in a blender with your flavoring of choice.
- Cover with water: be a little short on the water at first. You can still add it later if needed, but you do not want to put too much right away or your hummus may be too runny.
- Blend well until the chick peas are totally mashed and blended with the other ingredients.
- Dip in your carrot slices and bite! I cannot tell you how tasty this spread can be with the right ingredients!
Nutritional values are excellent and the amount of food satisfying for a light lunch at work. Technically, this is not hummus, since tahini, an excellent but fatty sesame seed butter is missing. It would be more accurate to call this a Chick Peas Spread. Either way, it is really tasty and satisfying, leaving room for that little piece of chocolate you would love to indulge in at mid afternoon! [Renee's note, Tax, you know me so well ]
Nutritional Info (calculated with honey mustard)
Calories: 285
Carbs: 45 grams
Fat: 4 grams
Protein: 13 grams
When Tacita isn't spreading her chick peas, she's blogging.
Veggie Skewers
Summer barbeques are great but can be a bit heavy on the fat. With a little planning, you can stuff yourself with healthy veggies and avoid overindulging in meat and fatty condiments!
These veggie skewers are great for the grill and deliciously light in calories! Let's start sticking!
Ingredients (yields about 8 skewers)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1medium zucchini
- 1/3 of a small eggplant
- 1 small onion
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 pepper
- 100 grams of firm tofu (alternatively some feta cheese)
The secret to good results is the pre-cooking of the veggies and marinade. Veggies are tough to grill, so you'll need to briefly cook them in salted boiling water. This softens them just enough to allow for successful grilling. [Renee's note: wow, I did not know that, will pass that tidbit along to my aunt ]
Preparation
- Wash all veggies
- Cut carrot into roundlets, about 1/2 inch thick
- Cut zucchini pieces a big bigger
- Cut eggplant pieces even bigger than the zucchini
- Peel garlic cloves and onion
- Cut onion in half
- Add half a glass of vinegar and salt to water. Put to boil.
- Put all veggies in the pot of salted boiling water
- Let the veggies cook about 5 minutes, even if not totally cooked.
- Finally put them on the skewers. Get creative and remember to add your tofu or feta.
At this point all that's left is to do is marinate. These are my 4 favourite light marinades, all are simple to make and quite flavourful!
Hot Marinade
- one cup of tomato sauce
- one tablespoon tomato paste
- hot pepper sauce to taste
Mustard Marinade
- one tablespoon mustard (preferably balsamic mustard)
- half a cup of balsamic vinegar
- half a cup of water
Lemon Parsley Marinade
- the juice of enough lemons to cover your veggies
- a bunch of fresh parsley
- salt
- garlic
For best results, blend parsley, lemon and salt in a food processor. If you like a stronger garlic flavour, blend the cloves too. Otherwise slice the cloves and remove before grilling.
Balsamic Marinade
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- a bunch of fresh basil
- garlic to taste
- salt
Like above, blend the basil with water and vinegar to get the flavour. I like blending garlic with this one.
Nutritional Info (for all the skewers + tofu, not including marinade)
Calories: 300
Carbs: 42 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Protein: 20 grams
Not bad, uh?
With these values, you can eat all the veggie skewers you made. Dive into the veggies and you are sure to stay lighter on the fat side!
When Tacita isn't sticking veggies with sharp objects, she's blogging.
No Fat Zucchini Lasagna
Think about this word, lasagna…
What does it inspire to you think about?
Warm feelings of fat, creamy, oily, delicious food...
Would you like some?
Oh yes, bring it on!
Do you know how fattening lasagna can be? Well, we all know the answer to that. This is the major reason lasagna is off-limits when dieting. Here come the cries and sobs and tears, "But I still want some," you softly whimper.
Listen my child: this is not real lasagna, but it's close enough to the original. Best of all you can eat as much as you want while getting loads of veggies. [editor's note: Veggies? Did someone say loads of veggies? Yummers! - Renee]
Give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it:
Ingredients (yields 4 generous servings)
- Zucchini, 600 grams
- Tomato Sauce, 2 cup
- Carrots, raw, 1 medium
- Onions, raw, 1 medium (2-1/2" dia)
- Sun dried tomatoes, 5 pieces
- Spices
Your choice of:
- 1/2 cup Ground TVP*
- 150 grams crumbled firm tofu
- 150 grams minced meat
- if you want to skip on the proteins and keep this recipe even lighter try one yellow pepper cut in cubes
Toppings:
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast**
- low fat parmesan cheese, it's veggie equivalent or any other melt able cheese
*TVP = Textured Vegetable Protein - a soy products super rich in proteins, 50 grams every 100 grams of product. You can buy this at your health food store.
** Also found at your local health food store. Nutritional yeasts are excellent for crusts and are loaded with vitamins.
Preparation
- With a potato peeler slice the zucchini lengthwise into long strips.
- Using a food processor, cut up the carrots, onions and sun dried tomatoes.
- If using the TVP, boil one full cup of water, adding in any spices you like and hydrate the dry TVP in it.
- Mix the hydrated TVP/the tofu/the meat/the pepper with the chopped veggies with the tomato sauce and any spices you like. For extra flavour I suggest adding powdered bouillon.
- Cover with the zucchini strips the bottom of a square or rectangular pan: the zucchini, if cut thinly, should cover the pan with two layers or else the lasagna will not cut up well.
- Place some of the sauce on the zucchini and then add another two layers of zucchini before placing on another layer of the sauce. Continue until you have finished both the zucchini and the sauce. Top layer should be the sauce.
- On the top sprinkle some nutritional yeast or cheese.
- You can either bake or microwave this lasagna. Microwave at 750 W for 13 minutes or bake a 220 degrees Celsius for about 30 mins. As with most appliances, your oven times may vary.
- Eat warm!
Nutritional Info - the following values are for the TVP and nutritional yeast version (I am vegan in the end, no?)
Calories: 158
Carbs: 27.4 grams
Fat: 0.9 grams
Protein: 13.8 grams
Pretty damn good, right?
I can easily eat two portions (portions are pretty big!) for dinner and only net +/- 300 calories. You can actually eat the entire pan of lasagna, though we here at fatfighterblogs.com strongly advise against that, for a super stuffing dinner and only consume 600 calories with nearly 60 grams of protein! It's like a protein shake with better looks and taste.
If you are just not that into zucchini, substitute it with thinly sliced eggplant. Or mix the two. Either way, this mock lasagna is great taste.
One final variation, add flax meal to the tomato and veggie sauce. You'll get a load of great nutrients without altering the flavour.
Enjoy!
When Tacita isn't whipping up delish veggie eats, she's gets busy blogging.
No Fat Summer Dessert: Banana Cream!
Are you hot and sweaty, running on that treadmill?
Does the AC seems never to be enough?
Is the only thing you crave is a creamy, relaxing, delicious ice cream?
Yeah, me too!
But, and there is a but in this story especially if you do not want your butt to get bigger, don't indulge in that rocky road delight looking temptaciously at you from the ice cream window….
Does that mean no ice cream this summer?
Hell no!
I promise this Summer Banana Cream will do it for you. With no added fat, it's low calorie and high in fiber! You can do a number of variations to suit your tastes, all will be delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 banana per serving
- 1/5 cup of soy milk (regular milk will do too)
- Your choice of either flavor:
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon rhum
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon of instant coffee with a dash of low cal sweetener (otherwise the instant coffee gives the cream a bitter taste)
- Frozen strawberries or blueberries
Preparation
- Cut the banana into 4 long strips
- Dice them into small pieces.
- Spread them evenly on a piece of aluminum foil.
- Freeze.
- When they are well frozen, put into a food processor with the milk and your "flavor" of choice.
- Mix until you have a smooth icy cream and all the pieces of banana have melted in it.
- Eat & Enjoy!
Now, why is this a good idea? Aren’t bananas high in calories and sugars? True, bananas are not the least sugary fruit out there, but they have loads of fiber and potassium. The calories in this recipe remain limited, while satisfying your craving for ice cream and sweets!
One medium banana has about 100 calories. The total recipe is no more than 130 calories for nearly 150 grams of banana cream. A regular ice cream treat runs more for 270 calories for each 100 grams, making it twice as caloric, not to mention higher in fat.
This is probably why this recipe was suggested by Dr. Furhman, author of Eat To Live, a best selling dieting book. He designed this as a basic recipe and my super sweet tooth worked out all the possible modifications I suggested.
Alternatively, if you were craving for a more fruity flavour, you can follow the same procedure using diced and frozen cantaloupe (in that case I strongly suggest you do not use anything else but soy milk and frozen berries). The end result is an even lighter treat: a fruity sherbet!
Nutritional Info (for the chocolate variation)
Calories: 130
Carbs: 31 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Indulge without the guilt feeling!
Visit Tacita's site.
Orange-Green Summer Salad
Get in two veggie servings and two colours of veggies with this pretty salad, prefect to bring along for a picnic or to a barbeque!
The salad is made of just two type of vegetables: zucchini and carrots, two veggies in season now which you can quickly cook or serve raw, and a light but creamy dressing. Perfect for these summer days!
This is what you will need to make it!
Ingredients
- two medium carrots
- two medium zucchini
- low fat yellow mustardM
- one tablespoon tomato paste
- the juice of one lemon
Preparation
- With a potato peeler, peel the carrots. Wash the zucchini.
- Also using the potato peeler, slice thinly both veggies lengthwise: this step will give you thin, bendable veggie slices, which also look pretty and fancy!
- At this point you can decide to cook the veggie OR to serve them raw. Many people like the taste of raw zucchini, but I am not one of them so I decided to go ahead and cook both. The best method is to steam them quickly, about 5 minutes. But alternatively you can dip them in boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender.
- Drain well or the salad will become pretty soggy.
- Prepare the dressing mixing one tablespoon of yellow mustard with the same amount of tomato paste. Add lemon juice to make the dressing more liquid. You will not really need any salt, which is great, since we all know how bad salt is for dieting!
- Add the dressing only at the moment of eating the salad, mixing well in the veggies.
Wherever you are, enjoy this light and filling dish! It is god with sautéed white fish like cod, for a nice and light lunch.
The nutritional values are pretty
6 Ways to Curb Your Appetite
The Mayo Clinic has six tried-and-true tips to help you curb that hunger and eat less.
- Don't skip breakfast - You'll be less likely to overeat at lunch if you have a breakfast that includes high-fiber cereal, whole-grain bread or fresh fruit.
- Eat slowly - Savor each flavor and texture and remember it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you are full.
- Think small - If you always eat everything on your plate, start with half the amount of food you usually eat. To make less food seem like more, have your main course on a salad plate or dessert plate.
- Eat only when you're hungry - Stop and ask yourself whether you're hungry or just stressed or bored. Then eat--or don't eat--accordingly.
- Ride out the urge - Cravings generally pass within seconds or minutes. Do something unrelated to food until the desire to eat passes. Exercise is an especially good and healthy distraction.
- Allow an occasional splurge - An occasional lapse won't hurt you. In the long run, it will have little impact on your lifetime plan for controlling your appetite.
7 Eating Styles That Make You Fat
Researchers, Larry Scherwitz and Deborah Kesten, from the California Pacific Medical Center, have identified seven specific eating patterns that may make us overeat and are linked to being overweight or obese. These patterns of eating will negatively affect your relationship with food. Let's see how many styles I personally recognize.
1. Fresh Food, Fast Food: If you find yourself eating at McDonald's for lunch and heating up packaged frozen dinners at night, you're eating too much processed, high-calorie food and not enough fresh foods.
[At the height of my food & health ignorance, this was totally me. I considered the lettuce on a Big Mac enough veggies for the day :eyeroll:]
2. Food Fretting: Are you so concerned about what you eat that you experience negative and guilty feelings when you think about food?
[Nah.]
3. Task Snacking: You're too busy to sit down and eat right. So you just grab things to eat at your desk or in the car. If you're distracted when you eat and you're dining at the dashboard, chances are you'll eat more and gain weight.
[Very much me. Since I recently moved, I'm trying to make eating it's own thing. No eating in front the computer or TV. I make and effort to sit down at the kitchen table.]
4. Eating Atmosphere: Where you eat is as important as what you eat. When you dine in a calm setting, you're less likely to struggle with how much you eat.
[I'm working on this and agree eating at a frenzied pace makes me pick poor foods and/or inhale my food so I end up eating more.]
5. Social Fare: People who eat alone tend to overeat. When we enjoy meals with others, we're far more likely to slow down and eat less.
[Yea, guilty of this one too.]
6. Emotional Eating: Are you using food to manage your feelings?
[Have they been reading my diary. Do this too.]
7. Sensory/Spiritual Nourishment: People who eat this way are infusing their food with special meaning.
[Finally the yes streak is broken, I don't do this. But, I get the whole "Well it's a holiday so I *should* engorge myself on yada yada yada..." The last few years I've been weaning myself off that mentality by saying, i can have turkey and stuffing any day of the year, it doesn't just grow on Thanksgiving Day so there's no need for me to eat as if I'll never see it again.]
Ok, you heard my sordid confessions, how about you? Do you recognize yourself?
No Fat Cauliflower Stew
I used to hate cauliflowers! Cooked, they are smelly... and I thought I hate the taste! Thanks to a Chinese roommate who cooked them with garlic, now it is one of my favourite veggies!
There are two ways you can go about this recipe:
- one pan "I am not into washing the dishes" VS. more equipment "I am on diet! I am rather eat the ebst fod possible and not spare on the cleaning"
- no fat "I am dieting, darling!" VS. low fat "I need a small greese confort at least once a day!"
Either way, these are the ingredients:
-cauliflower: about 15 flowerets
-tomato sauce (with no added seasoning or fat): one cup
-one medium onion
-olives: about 20 in a mix of green and black, pitted
-capers: about one tablespoon drained
Wash the cauliflower (let's start with the obvious, shall we?).
If you want to obtain the most visually pleasing result (picky!), and use extra equipment you will need to clean after, steam (or boil) the cauliflowers until cooked but not totally tender: make sure you can stick a fork into the caulifower without it breaking into pieces. In the meanwhile, cut the onion in slices and put them in a deep pan, either just with water (the no fat option) or with a table spoon of olive oil (the low fat option) first and then, when the onions have taken some colour. a third of a cup of water.
If you go the one pan option(lazy!), put the flowerets into a deep pan and cover with water. When the cauliflowers are almost tender, add the sliced onion in the pan and cook until both vegetables are cooked and the water has almost totally evaporated. This way the flowerets have more chances of crumbling: the taste will not change but the end result will be less aesthetically pleasing. But hey! In the end you will only have one pan to clean!
At this point, add to the vegetable mixture, which should still have some water in, the tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes), salt and pepper and the sliced olives and capers.
Finally, let cool a bit and eat, while still hot but not steaming! Enjoy!!!
The sweet taste of the onion cooked in water matches welll with the caulifower and with this dish you can stuff yourself up withtou guitly feelings!
Personally, I don't like to add much more spices to the mixture since the olives and capers are already providing with the necessary flavouring for the bland cauliflower and the rather sweet onion, but you can add some hot pepper if you like.
Also, adding a bit more water to the tomato sauce, you can cook in the sauce some fish (like cod or seafood) or lean meatball, for a complete, stuffing meal: indeed this recipe was copied by my mother's original recipe for squids!
The nutrional values (for the no fat version) are as follows: calories=280 , carbs=45 , fat=11 (they all come from the olives: reduce their number for a leaner dish), protein= 11.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower: This member of the cabbage family takes its name from the Latin words caulis, meaning stalk, and floris, meaning flower. As the head forms, the cauliflower crown is shaded from the sun in order to protect its milky white color; this prevents chlorophyll from developing and turning it green.
Availability
Cauliflower is available all year long.
How to Select and Store
Cauliflower can be found in the produce section of most health food stores, specialty markets, and supermarkets. Choose a firm, heavy head with compact, cream-colored florets and no sign of brown specks, which form as cauliflower ages. Store it in a plastic bag with holes poked in it for up to two days.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Wash cauliflower well just before using. Cut it into florets by pulling away the leaves and cutting around the core on the underside. Separate the florets by cutting them apart from the inside of the cauliflower. The green leaves at the base are edible, but have a stronger flavor than the florets. Adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or a cup of milk to the cooking water will prevent discoloration. Cut cauliflower into large florets, toss with olive oil and fresh thyme, and roast, or steam it and serve with a light cream or cheese sauce.
Nutritional Highlights
Cauliflower (raw), 1 cup (100g)
Calories: 25
Protein: 1.98g
Carbohydrate: 5.2g
Total Fat: 0.2g
Fiber: 2.5g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (46.4mg)
*Good source of: Folate (57mcg)
[source 1]
Tomorrrow, Tacita's recipe for No Fat Cauliflower Stew
'Healthy' Foods a Pitfall for Dieters
Kate Kowalczyk tossed out the junk food and stocked up on her idea of good-for-you staples like yogurt and low-fat cookies.Despite her persistence, the 35 pounds she was trying to shake wouldn't budge.
It turns out those "healthy" foods were just as fattening as the chips and soda they replaced: The yogurt was filled with Reese's Pieces and the low-fat cookies were brimming with sugar that kept her hunger on razor's edge.
I understand Kate's dilemma, though I'd never, even in my vending machine only days, would consider Reese's Pieces yogurt, er, healthy, I think she's on the right track. It took me a long while to even consider eating yogurt as snack and the kind I picked? Low fat or fruit flavored. Nowadays I'm ready to go for plain unsweetened yogurt. Why? So I can add my own fresh fruit.
As concerns grow over rising obesity rates, so does confusion about the difference between what is healthy and what aids weight loss _ with many believing the two are interchangeable."That's why so many people just give in and so many diets fail," said Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. [source]
I think the key is to not give up. Rather than look at my sugary, aspartame laced yogurt choice as a failure, I choose to see it as a step up from snacking on a Snickers bar. As I've been educating myself, now I know why plain, full fat even, yogurt is better. Despite the quick fix mentality lose 10lbs in 2 days diet industry, you soon learn this is all a journey of learning and growing vs. destination getting it right away.
Is there any food, you started off thinking was healthy and later found out wasn't all it was cracked up to be?
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Paige was gracious enough to send me her delish recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers. Tailored to suit those of you following Weight Watchers. Happy eating and if you have a meal that you customized for whatever diet plan you are following and would like to share it with the masses, shoot me an email.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
- 4 medium green bell peppers
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 8 ounces 93% fat-free ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese, Precious -- shredded
Preparation:
1. Cut tops off peppers and seed. Place in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
2. In large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray brown beef and onions. Drain.
3. In large bowl combine beef mixture, tomato sauce and rice. Spoon evenly into peppers.
4. Place peppers in a sprayed casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle cheese evenly over peppers and bake for 5 additional minutes or unitl cheese is melted.
Nutritional Highlights
Calories: 273.9
Fat grams: 9.7
Fiber grams: 2.7
WW Points: 6
Next Friday is a holiday weekend in the US of A, so Tacita's good vegan eats will return the first Friday in June...I got a sneak peek...all I can say is, you'll never look at a cauliflower the same...yum!
If you have specific questions on preparing this meal, leave it in the comments and I'll let Paige tackle them.
Bell Peppers
Bell Peppers: AKA: Banana Peppers, Bell Peppers, Bull’s Horn Peppers, Cubanelle Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Pimiento Peppers, Red Bell Peppers
Sweet peppers range in color from green to yellow, orange, red, purple, and black. Red bell peppers are fully ripened green bell peppers, with a milder, sweeter flavor. Other peppers include the red, heart-shaped pimiento; the pale green, slender and curved bull’s horn; the long, tapered Cubanelle, which ranges in color from yellow to red; and the sweet banana pepper, which is yellow and banana-shaped.
Availability
Most sweet peppers are available all year long, with a peak from July through September. Fresh pimientos are available from late summer to fall.
How to Select and Store
Choose peppers that have deep vivid colors, taut skin, and that are free of soft spots, blemishes and darkened areas. Their stems should be green and fresh looking. Peppers should be heavy for their size and firm enough so that they will gently yield to slight pressure. Avoid those that have signs of decay including injuries to the skin or water-soaked areas. The shape of the pepper does not generally affect the quality, although it may result in excessive waste or not be suitable to certain recipe preparations. Peppers are available throughout the year but are usually in greater abundance during the summer months.
Peppers can be found in the produce section of health food stores and supermarkets. Choose firm, heavy peppers with deeply colored, shiny skin, and avoid any that are shriveled, soft, or limp. Store peppers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Wash peppers just before using; remove the stem, seeds, and interior membranes, and add to salads, soups, or stir-frys. Peppers can be sautéed, steamed, or baked. Roast peppers by holding them over an open flame, or broiling them about 1/2-inch (1.25cm) from the broiler flame and rotating every minute or so until they blacken evenly. Put charred peppers in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes, then pull off the blackened peels and rinse the peppers under cold water. Pat dry, remove seeds and stems, and slice peppers. Use roasted pepper slices in salads, or purée in soups.
Nutritional Highlights
Peppers, 1 cup (sweet, green, raw)
Calories: 40
Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrate: 9.6g
Total Fat: 0.24g
Fiber: 2.7g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (133mg), and Vitamin A (942 IU)
Tomorrrow, a recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers.
Breakfast On the Go
Pressed for time in the morning? Do you need a few quick and easy breakfast ideas that are also healthy? Here are 12 grab and go goodies. Enjoy!
1. Single-serving bowls of whole-grain cereal are packed with vitamins and minerals.2. Pair string cheese with whole wheat crackers.
3. Hard-boil several eggs to have on hand for busy mornings.
4. Small cartons of low-fat yogurt are a good combination of carbohydrates and protein.
5. Whole-grain English muffins can serve as a base for a breakfast sandwich. Spread on peanut butter, a source of satisfying protein and heart-healthy fats.
6. Make breakfast wraps with whole wheat tortillas; roll in lean protein, such as turkey and low-fat cheese, scrambled eggs with diced peppers and onions, or peanut butter and bananas.
7. Keep low-fat cheese slices on hand for breakfast sandwiches.
8. Single-serving cartons of low-fat, low-sodium cottage cheese are a good source of protein; stir in berries or fruit for fiber.
9. Top whole wheat toaster waffles with a tablespoon of peanut butter and/or fruit preserves.
10. Try soy or lean turkey sausage patties (you can eat them alone or put them in a breakfast wrap or sandwich).
11. Stir a tablespoon or two of fruit preserves or chopped dried fruit into plain instant oatmeal to add a touch of sweetness.
12. For protein, add a tablespoon or two of nuts to your yogurt or oatmeal. Stir frozen berries into oatmeal or yogurt to boost the vitamin content.
Tomorrow I'll share some make ahead low calorie recipies for muffins, shakes and smoothies.
No Fat Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
-2 medium size zucchini
-1 small red onion
-3 oz canned beans
-3 oz tomato sauce
-your favourite spices
Preparation:
Cut the zucchini in halves lengthwise. Using a melon baller, a teaspoon or a knife, carve the zucchini making thin zucchini boats. Put what you have carved out into a food processor and the boats on a nonstick food placque and start cooking them (microwave or oven: both work pretty good).
Put the onion, the beans, the spices and the tomato sauce in the blender as well. Pure everything. When the zucchini boats start to be tender, put the mix in and cook for another 15 minutes, until everything is well roasted.Take out and enjoy!
This is a light and quick recipe that makes it easier to enjoy vegetables. You can modify the stuffing as much as you like, adding carrots, celery, garlic or what you like.
Alternatively, you can also use red or yellow peppers and even eggplants to do a similar, as tasty dish. I hope you like it!
Zucchini
Zucchini: Probably the best known of the summer squashes, zucchini is a type of narrow squash that resembles a cucumber in size and shape. It has smooth, thin skin that is either green or yellow in color and can be striped or speckled. Its tender flesh is creamy white in color and features numerous seeds. Its edible flowers are often used in French and Italian cooking.
Availability
Zucchini are available all year long, but are at their peak during late spring.
How to Select and Store
When purchasing summer squash, look for ones that are heavy for their size and have shiny, unblemished rinds. Additionally, the rinds should not be very hard since this indicates that the squash are overmature and will have hard seeds and stringy flesh. Purchase summer squash that are of average size since those that are overly large may be fibrous, while those that are overly small may be inferior in flavor.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Wash zucchini just before using. The thin skins don’t need to be removed. Slice zucchini lengthwise and roast with sliced onions, add to soups or crudités, or stew with tomatoes, garlic, and basil.
Nutritional Highlights
Zucchini (raw, chopped with skin), 1 cup (135g)
Calories: 17
Protein: 1.4g
Carbohydrate: 3.6g
Total Fat: 0.17g
Fiber: 1.5g
*Good source of: Vitamin C (11mg)
Tomorrrow, a recipe for No Fat Stuffed Zucchini
Good Vegan Eats
Starting Friday, Tacita will be sharing some of her writings on vegan nutrition and recipes!
According to her site
I am vegan and I have been for years. But this did not stop me from getting to weight almost 70 kg. Now I am dieting. It has been over a year since I started: I lost 10 kilos and now I weight 60. I have 10 more kilos to go.
I am so excited to have a guest blogger and it'll be interesting to learn more about vegan eats and see how they chow down. If you'd like to guest blog, post an article on a particular topic from time to time, once or twice a month is plenty, drop me a line. I can work you into the rotation. This Friday: No Fat Stuffed Zucchini.
Diet Strategies II
Switch to this amped-up plan, choosing one 500-calorie-zapping strategy from the diet & exercise column per day, and you'll burn a total of 7,000 calories -- or two pounds -- in seven days.
How to Lose 2 Pounds in a Week• Instead of an egg salad sandwich on a kaiser roll, have a ham sandwich with 3 ounces of sliced lean ham and mustard on light bread.
• Swap kung pao chicken takeout for this homemade dinner: 3 to 4 cups of steamed veggies and 4 ounces of tofu with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
• Cut out all sugar for one day: Have a single serving of cereal such as Fiber One instead of a frosted variety, and skip the teaspoon of sugar on top. Leave the sugar out of your coffee and honey out of your tea; trade your peanut butter and jelly sandwich for two pieces of toast with sugar-free jam and skip the brownie for dessert.
• Have breakfast for dinner. Replace a hearty meal of pasta with sauce, one piece of French bread and salad with vinaigrette with a bowl of low-fat cereal such as Special K with nonfat milk and 1 cup of blueberries.
• Eliminate between-meal snacking. Skip your 10 a.m. cereal bar, your 3 p.m. yogurt with nuts, and the late-night ice cream.
• Go halfsies: At breakfast have half of a bakery bagel or a mini bagel instead of a regular-size whole bagel. At lunch, have a half sandwich. At dinner, have one-half cup of rice or half a baked potato.
• Hold all the bread. At breakfast, forgo the bagel with your fruit and cereal. At lunch, have the insides of your sandwich only. At dinner, skip the roll and any spread.
Tomorrow, 500 calorie busting exercise sessions
25 Quick Steps Towards A Healthier Diet
25 quick tips that will help you shape up your food choices while slimming down your waistline.
Increasing Vegetables
• Learn to properly steam vegetables.
• Decrease the meat and increase the vegetables called for in stews and casseroles.
• Add grated carrots, zucchini or cabbage to chili and meatloaf.
• Offer washed and trimmed carrot and celery sticks for snacking.
• Add finely grated carrots, pumpkin, or zucchini to baked breads and cakes.
Increasing Whole Grains
• Substitute whole-wheat flour for bleached white flour when you bake.
• Top casseroles with wheat germ or whole-wheat bread crumbs.
• Serve bran-based cereals, or those made from shredded wheat.
• Serve imaginative whole-grain side dishes (bulgur, kasha, etc.) instead of egg noodles.
• Offer crackers and corn chips containing whole grains.
Reducing Fat
• Cook with less fat by using non-stick skillets.
• Blot all fried meats on paper towels.
• Add a spoon of water or broth as needed instead of more fat when sautéing onions and vegetables.
• Substitute low-fat yogurt for mayonnaise.
• Substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
Reducing Salt
• Substitute lemon juice or herbs for salt when cooking pasta or grains.
• Avoid cooking with soy or Worcestershire sauce.
• Substitute garlic or onion powder for garlic or onion salt.
• Avoid using products that contain monosodium glutamate.
• Use unsalted or low-salt vegetable broths and products.
Reducing Sugar
• Choose canned fruits packed in water instead of heavy syrup.
• Use only fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh is unavailable.
• Cut the sugar called for in most recipes by one-third to one-half.
• Sweeten waffles and quick breads with cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla or almond extracts.
• Add pureed banana to baked goods and reduce the sugar.
[source]
12 pre-workout snacks
There are many different views about eating in relation to working out. Some say don't eat an hour before, others say eat 15 minutes before. Some say don't eat an hour after, others say eat as soon as you are done.
I lean more towards the, if it works for you do it, side of things. Some days I try not to eat for an hour, others days like Saturday as I'm used to eating breakfast in the AM if I workout during that time, I can't wait a full hour. I end up getting queasy, so I eat.
Here's a list of great pre-workout snacks to eat before your next run, bike ride, walk, or swim. Regardless of when you chow down, the benefit is they are all low in calories and packed with carbs, a good thing to fuel your workout by the way.
- Six ounces vegetable juice and 1/2 cup dried apricots
- High-carbohydrate energy bar (look for one with 40 grams of carbohydrate and fewer than three grams of fat)
- One piece whole grain pita topped with three tablespoons fruit spread
- One glass sports drink and one cup ready-to-eat, whole grain breakfast cereal mixed with one Tbsp of raisins
- One package instant oatmeal made with four ounces vanilla soy milk or fat-free milk with a dash of cinnamon and sugar
- One toasted plain bagel with two teaspoons jam, a banana, 1/2 cup cooked rice sprinkled with cinnamon, and eight ounces sports drink
- One 1/2-ounce box of raisins
- Two mini bagels spread with low-fat cream cheese mixed with two Tbsp dried cherries
- Six ounces applesauce poured over three three-inch squares of cornbread and topped with two Tbsp raisins
- One cup sliced banana in vanilla yogurt
- 10 chocolate animal crackers and a glass of cranberry juice
- One cup cooked pasta tossed with 1/2 cup dried cranberries and two tablespoons honey
*[source] (I got that from msn.com but now the link is dead)
Best Drink for Working Out
This may seem disgusting, but the next time you finish a sweat-inducing workout at the gym or a hard run in the neighborhood park, skip the sports drink. To refuel your muscles reach for a tall, icy cold glass of...
Chocolate Milk!
Chocolate lovers of the world rejoice!
"Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."The study: Nine cyclists biked until their muscles were depleted of energy, rested four hours and then biked again until exhaustion. They did this three separate times. During the rest period, the cyclists drank one of three beverages: low-fat chocolate milk, a traditional fluid replacement sports drink or a carbohydrate replacement sports drink.
The results: During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that the cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long before reaching exhaustion than those who consumed the carbohydrate replacement drink and just as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink.
Why? The researchers theorize that the combination of carbohydrates and protein found in chocolate milk is what helped enhance the cyclists' performance and suggest that flavored milk may be an optimal beverage for refueling muscles after exercise. In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete's health, including bone-building calcium. No other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in flavored milk. Chocolate milk is also cheaper than commercial sports drinks. The study findings were published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. [source]
Off to stack up on chocolate. Er. Milk. Chocolate milk. Right.
Easy Way for Teens to Lose Weight
Teenagers who give up the sugar-sweetened soft drinks for the diet version are likely to lose weight, reports Reuters of a new study from Children's Hospital in Boston, Mass. [source]
To which I'm sure most teens will respond, "Well duuuhhhhh!"
Freeze
Fat tax on Soda
One of every five calories in the American diet is liquid. The nation’s single biggest "food" is soda, and nutrition experts have long demonized it.In reports to be published in science journals this week, two groups of researchers hope to add evidence to the theory that soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks don’t just go hand-in-hand with obesity, but actually cause it. Not that these drinks are the only cause — genetics, exercise and other factors are involved — but that they are one cause, perhaps the leading cause.
[snip]
Nutrition experts want 'fat tax' on sugar-sweetened drinks [source]
Even when I was a big soda drinker, up to 3 Cokes a day, I was never a fan of the diet stuff, it seemed to lack the kick. I don't see how they can pull off taxing soda though.
Go for balance
Low calorie foods don't always work, try to eat healthy, balanced meals instead.
Start your day with a whole grain cereal or oatmeal topped with low-fat milk and fresh fruit. The fiber in the cereal will help keep you full longer. Then for lunch have a sandwich made of turkey or lean meat on whole-grain bread. Add mashed avocados as a spread instead of mayo. Avocados are a healthy monounsaturated fat and packs some powerful phytochemicals. Top it off with a few slices of tomato and some fresh romaine lettuce. Finally, for dinner, start with a hearty vegetable soup and have some protein and green vegetables or a salad.
During the day munch on fruit and yogurt. It keeps you from getting too hungry and helps boost energy. If you are pressed for a full exercise session, try to do a brief 10-minute walk that day.
Chocolate junkies unite
I know my buddy Mel will loooooooove this story:
Candy makers are working on new heart-healthy sweets that might take the guilt out of the world's favorite guilty pleasure once and for all.
Mars Inc. is planning dark-chocolate versions of its M&M's, Snickers and Milky Way candies made with flavanols, which supposedly help reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol."Chocolate ... is the No.1 flavor ingredient in the world. Heart health is the No.1 concern," said Mars official Jimmy Cass. "Putting those two together is automatically a big idea."
So does this mean you can gorge on candy bars and dump the tofu, yogurt and granola?
Not exactly.
Nutritionists say the new chocolates may be a bit better for you than the heart attack in a wrapper that came before it. But health food, it ain't.
"If you enjoy the taste of dark chocolate, enjoy it," said Rachael Brandeis of the American Dietetic Association. "But you always have to be conscious of how much you're eating."
The new chocolate is dubbed CocoaVia and is made from a type of dark chocolate high in flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that is thought to have a blood-thinning effect similar to aspirin.
The snacks, which will cost a bit more than regular chocolate, also are enriched with vitamins and injected with cholesterol-lowering plant sterols from soy, the main ingredient in healthy tofu.
There's no hard evidence any of this will make your average chocolate bar-chomping American any healthier, said John Swartzberg, a University of California professor of health and medical science.
"But it did taste good," he said.
Whole Grains Must Be Better Labeled
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced this week that anything labeled as containing whole grains must contain a comparable amount of the fibrous, protein-dense and nutrient-rich portions of grains in the same proportion normally present in the intact grain.
I like the sound of this.
Whole grains include barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, wheat and wild rice. Foods containing those grains can be promoted as whole grain as long as they are kept from being over-processed and stripped of their health benefits, which is the case for white flour.[snip]
Currently, food products can be labeled as an "excellent source" or "good source" of whole grains. However, the new FDA draft guidance said that these statements should be replaced with factual, measurable information such as "10 grams of whole grains" or "half ounce of whole grains." [source]
While I mainly eat boring cereal, ie Fiber One, now I'm even suspect of it's grainy goodness. I just went to the General Mills Big G Cereals site and you can click each product to check the nutritional value & ingredients.
I see why the FDA is trying to curtail the confusing advertising. If you click on something like Cocoa Puffs, across the front in a big blue box it states "ALL General Mill Cereals are made with WHOLE GRAIN". What's the first ingredient for Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs? Sugar 
It's only in the last year or so I've become a more educated consumer about what's in the food I buy, but even trying to do my part and stay on top of things, is hard. I think the companies should just state the info and stop hiding behind slickly worded marketing slogans based on the current diet fad.
Last year, as white carbs got banned from people's lips and whole grains made a comeback, all of a sudden cereal boxes got an extreme makeover to say, "Hey guys we are whole grainy too".
They really need to stop.
What's your breakfast cereal of choice?
Guilt-Free Chocolate Desserts
Especially for Mel
What could be a sweeter holiday gift than a chocolate dessert that tastes wickedly wonderful despite being low in sugar and fat? That's the idea behind these six treats, which, thanks to the use of the sugar substitute Splenda, let you have your Christmas cookies and eat them, too--with as few as 7 g of carbohydrates (and that's for a rich, creamy cocoa cheesecake!).But in addition to satisfying your sweet tooth, these delicious desserts are packed with ingredients such as green tea, bananas, cinnamon, walnuts, and berries, which all are proven to play a pivotal role in preventing disease--particularly heart disease, the leading cause of death among women.
Here are 6 sinfully delicious confections that won't damage your waistline, I know they look good but please refrain from licking the screen.
Green Tea Truffles
Chocolate-Walnut Macaroons
(
Flourless Chocolate-Raspberry Cakes
Mexican-Style Chocolate Bananas
Chocolate Berry Cups
Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You
You read the bad. Now here's the good. It's kind of funny 3 of foods listed on the worst list, made the best list. Then again, it's all in how you eat it.
1. Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a remarkably healthy ingredient, providing 3 1/2 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and a lot of fiber per half-cup serving. Pureed pumpkin lends itself to healthy cooking. It can, like applesauce and prune puree, replace fat in baked goods without giving them a rubbery texture.
2. Roast Turkey: Serve up three ounces of skinless turkey breast and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein with practically no fat. All that and only 100 calories. Plus you fill 25 percent of your daily need for niacin and vitamin B6.
3. Sweet Potatoes: Ounce for ounce, they have as much beta-carotene as carrots. A mere four ounces contain 50 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, as much potassium as a banana and a good amount of fiber. All this adds up to one terrific disease-fighting food!
4. Cranberry Relish: There's a substance in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections by interfering with the ability of bacteria to adhere to cell membranes. Cranberries also contain a potentially cancer-preventing compound called ellagic acid. Make a fresh orange-cranberry relish and get added benefit from the vitamin C in oranges.
5. Potatoes: Whether mashed or in latkes, potatoes are good food. They contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, plus fiber, iron, copper and plenty of B vitamins. Boiling potatoes will destroy some of the vitamin C and dissolve some of the rest of it into the cooking water. To help preserve the vitamin C content, use some of the cooking water instead of milk or cream when mashing them.
6. Figgy Pudding: Figs help make the pudding a nutritional gold mine. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and niacin, plus they have a natural laxative effect.
7. Eggnog: Choose only the low-fat variety and enjoy a holiday tradition while getting a good amount of protein and some calcium. (Just be sure not to drink too much, since there's still lots of sugar and calories in even the low-fat version.)
[source]
World's Most Fattening Holiday Foods
Of the 14 foods they listed, I only know of and/or have eaten 5.
...most holiday foods contain fat; that's why they taste so good. [snip] The real catastrophe to the waistline is overeating. Think twice before having that second helping. Do you really need to sample both kinds of pie? Too many people just can't say no, and by Jan. 1, weight loss centers like Weight Watchers are slammed with new clients.So while it's not fun to think about the harm that holiday foods have on the body, it's always smart to be aware of what you're about to eat.
These foods range from 300 to 850 calories. Per Serving.
Apple Pie
A classic American treat for the holidays that's packed with sugar.
Calories: 552, Calories from fat: 230, Total fat: 25.6g, Total carbohydrate: 72.9g, Total protein: 2.4g
Almond Kulfi
Eaten during the widely celebrated Indian festival Diwali--the festival of lights. Though almonds can be healthy, this dessert is full of sugar.
Calories: 363, Calories from fat: 189, Total fat: 21g, Total carbohydrate: 28.9g, Total protein: 16.6g
Christmas Cheeseball
Popular at holiday parties as a snack with chips or crackers, but cream cheese is full of fat.
Calories: 421, Calories from fat: 350, Total fat: 39g, Total carbohydrate: 6.7g, Total protein: 13.7g
Christmas Pudding
A classic British dessert filled with sugar.
Calories: 344, Calories from fat: 165, Total fat: 18.4g, Total carbohydrate: 43.6g, Total protein: 3.9g
Churros Con Chocolate
Eaten in Spain on New Year's Eve after the countdown. Not only is the dipping chocolate fattening, but the churros are also deep fried in oil.
Calories: 553, Calories from fat: 488, Total fat: 54.3g, Total carbohydrate: 14.8g, Total protein: 3.3g
Egg Nog
A rum-filled drink sipped for the holidays, and it's packed with fat and sugar.
Calories: 335, Calories from fat: 187, Total fat: 20.9g, Total carbohydrate: 19.4g, Total protein: 7.3g
Gebackener Karpfen (Fried Carp)
Served in Austria during Christmas. The rough translation of "gebackener" in English is "bake," but the recipe for this dish requires the carp to be fried. Mix that with flour and breadcrumbs and say guten tag to fat.
Calories: 840, Calories from fat: 457, Total fat: 50.9g, Total carbohydrate: 24.7g, Total protein: 67.6g
Holiday Creamed Corn
A favorite side dish from the southern U.S. that is filled with fattening cream and butter.
Calories: 330, Calories from fat: 247, Total fat: 27.5g, Total carbohydrate: 21.6g, Total protein: 3.9g
Julekake
Norwegian Christmas Bread filled with butter and sugar.
Calories: 519, Calories from fat: 158, Total fat: 17.6g, Total carbohydrate: 81.5g, Total protein: 9.3g
Latkes (Potato Cakes)
Served during Hanukkah. A tasty food, but it's basically starch deep fried in oil
Calories: 319, Calories from fat: 18, Total fat: 2g, Total carbohydrate: 67.3g, Total protein: 9.8g
Melkkos (Milk Food)
A South African dish served mainly during winter because it is served hot. The ingredients scream fat and sugar--tasty, but not healthy.
Calories: 682, Calories from fat: 266, Total fat: 29.6g, Total carbohydrate: 76.7g, Total protein: 27.4g
Roast Goose
Great for any holiday meal, but goose is a high-fat poultry.
Calories: 784, Calories from fat: 465, Total fat: 51.7g, Total carbohydrate: 16.2g, Total protein: 60.3g
Roast Pork With Pineapple
Pork is a high-fat meat and adding corn syrup makes it worse.
Calories: 852, Calories from fat: 302, Total fat: 33.6g, Total carbohydrate: 74.6g, Total protein: 65g
Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows
Served up in the U.S. along with turkey on Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are healthy on their own, but add the butter and sugar (from the marshmallows too), and it's a fat trap.
Calories: 419, Calories from fat: 123, Total fat: 13.7g, Total carbohydrate: 59.6g, Total protein: 5.6g
[source]
If your holiday favorite isn't listed and you want to know what the caloric damage is, check out recipezaar.com. There you can put in the ingredients and get the nutrional breakdown.
Cranberries block tooth decay
Scientists have found a compound in the fruit can stop bacteria from clinging to the teeth, blocking the formation of damaging plaque deposits. [source]
Thought people would be happy to know one of the holidays most popular indulgences, comes with an added benefit. It's no excuse to eat the whole can though. 
The 5 Best Foods for Fall
Fall brings to mind one of my favorite words, cornucopia. And that picture of a funnel shapped basket full of food. Aside from turkey dinner and dressing, I never really thought Fall had foods.
Maybe pumpkin. Corn too. I guess apples. Okay I give. Fall does have food and lucky for us, the good folks over at msn.com has released The 5 Best Foods for Fall which according to them, will not only please your taste buds, they'll make your waistline happy as well because they're low in calories and contain numerous health benefits.
Apple. Whether you pick your own, travel to your local farmer's market to seek out traditional varieties or shop at your local grocery store, apples are a mainstay of fall. Research shows grandma was right—because of their high antioxidant content, apples really do help keep the doctor away. I never pass up the chance to munch on a shiny, raw apple, but broaden your horizons! Add chopped apples to your morning bowl of oatmeal, top a peanut butter sandwich with sliced apples for a wonderful crunch, or serve baked apples topped with Craisins, a touch of brown sugar and frozen vanilla yogurt for dessert.
Cranberries. Cranberries really do help prevent urinary tract infections, and they're packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and C. One-half cup of fresh cranberries has only 25 calories, so go ahead and enjoy an entire cup! Sprinkle chopped fresh cranberries into salads (both vegetable and fruit salads), or add dried cranberries (sometimes sold as Craisins) to muffins and slaw. One-third cup Craisins has 120 calories, but they're also a good source of fiber.
Winter squash. Acorn, Hubbard, spaghetti, butternut, delicata, even pumpkin—there are almost more varieties of squash than I can count! Winter squash is a great source of vitamin A and fiber, and even though it's a "starchy" vegetable, it's lower in calories than you might think. One cup baked squash has only 80 calories, less than a slice of most types of bread! Pack in six grams of fiber, and you can't go wrong. Of course we folks here in Vermont top our baked squash with maple syrup, but a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg is also delicious. Add chunks of squash to your favorite soups or stews instead of potatoes or rice for a satisfying meal.
Cabbage. Cauliflower, broccoli and all types of cabbage are at their peak in the fall. Salads don't need to stop with summer! Toss together a quick fall salad with these crispy veggies and dress with your favorite vinaigrette. These cabbage family veggies have well-known cancer-fighting properties, plus they're superlow in calories. Raw broccoli with low-fat dressing for a "dip," steamed broccoli tossed with roasted walnuts and olive oil or thinly sliced Napa cabbage as the base for a colorful stir-fry are delicious ways to include these veggies in your weekly meal plans.
Grapes. With only 60 calories per cup, grapes are absolutely packed with health-promoting phytochemicals that protect against some types of cancer and heart disease. Make a fruit salad that includes grapes, chopped apples and cranberries, to include three of my favorite fall foods. Add red grapes to the pan when you saute chicken or pork, stir chopped grapes into your favorite salsa for a subtle sweet taste, or add chopped grapes to rice pilaf. My favorite way to enjoy grapes is as a frozen snack. Simply wash a bunch of grapes, put in a bowl and stash in the freezer for a few hours. It's a healthy and delicious way to humor your sweet tooth!
Smart Eating Tip
You don't have to fear sabotaging your diet the next time you head for the Chinese food buffet or order take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Simply try to steer clear of high-fat, calorie-laden dishes that are deep-fried like egg rolls, meats (i.e., sesame chicken), and desserts (i.e., ice cream). If the pu-pu platter or fried banana are too appealing to turn down, then by all means enjoy a taste or two.
But as a general rule of thumb, request that your food be prepared with minimal oil and opt for:
- Soups (like wonton and hot and sour)
- Steamed spring rolls or wontons
- Steamed rice (if possible, order brown rice for added fiber and nutrients)
- Stir-fried or steamed entrees with chicken, tofu, fish or seafood and lots of veggies
- Fresh fruit for dessert
Pomegranate Juice
One Juice May Prevent or Slow Cancer
If lab results translate to real-world benefits, it appears that pomegranate juice will be the next big health drink. Pomegranate extract shows major promise in preventing prostate cancer or slowing its growth, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Prostate cancer is the most common invasive cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. Why pomegranates? This fruit that is native to the Middle East is packed with polyphenolic compounds, which makes its juice higher in antioxidant activity than both red wine and green tea.
The Wisconsin research team wanted to find out if the extract from pomegranates would not only kill existing cancer, but also help prevent cancer from starting or progressing. Using human prostate cancer cells, the team first evaluated the fruit extract's effect at various doses on those cells cultured in laboratory dishes. They found a "dose-dependent" effect. That is, the higher the dose of pomegranate extract the cells received, the more cells that died.
The research team then progressed to tests in mice that had been injected with prostate cancer cells from humans and developed malignancies. The 24 mice were randomly divided into three groups. The control group received normal drinking water, while the animals in the second and third groups had their drinking water supplemented with 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent pomegranate extract respectively. The doses for the mice were chosen to parallel how much pomegranate juice a typically healthy human might be willing to eat or drink daily.
The results were dramatic: The mice receiving the higher concentration of pomegranate extract showed significant slowing of their cancer progression and a decrease in the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker used to indicate the presence of prostate cancer in humans. The animals that received only water had tumors that grew much faster than those in the animals treated with pomegranate extract.
"Our study--while early--adds to growing evidence that pomegranates contain very powerful agents against cancer, particularly prostate cancer," lead author Dr. Hasan Mukhtar, professor of dermatology in the UW Medical School, said in a news release. "There is good reason now to test this fruit in humans both for cancer prevention and for treatment." And that is the next step these researchers will undertake. The study findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [source]
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Resist to urge to rush out and buy this by the gallon folks
Like all things, I think drinking pomegranate juice in moderation when added to an overall healthy routine, including eating right and exercising, as well as maintaining stress and getting rest, may make a difference.
I heard about the health benefits of pomegranate juice earlier this year, but it was hard to find and quite expensive. Reading this article makes me think the investment now may be worth it later.
For the imbibers in the house, here's a recipe for ya:
Pomegranate Martini recipe
Ingredients
2 oz citrus vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice
1 oz simple syrup
Directions
Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a dash of rose water if available. Garnish with flamed orange peel, and serve.
Not today
Ok, I have an idea for this category but need to do a wee bit more research & planning to get everything better arranged. I *should* have it all ready to go by next Friday.
