Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Recipe Of The Day

Here is a delicious breakfast recipe from Motts.

Breakfast Bread Pudding

Ingredients
1 cup Mott's Natural apple sauce
1 cup 2% lowfat milk
2 large eggs
¼ cup brown sugar
4 slices cinnamon raisin bread, cut into cubes (about 4 cups)

Streusel Topping (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine apple sauce, milk, eggs and brown sugar in medium bowl. Whisk until well combined. Gently stir in bread cubes until well moistened. Pour mixture into lightly greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Top with streusel topping, if desired. Bake 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Streusel Topping:
Mix together 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon until thoroughly combined.

Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
130 calories; 2.5 g fat; 50 mg cholesterol; 75 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 4 g protein; 17% cal from fat

Friday, March 19, 2010

Foods That Fight Fat

Here is some great information I read in Health Magazine.

These 7 foods help you blast fat and make you feel full longer:

  1. Eggs- loaded with protein and nutrition
  2. Dark Chocolate-Compounds found in chocolate slow down digestion and make you feel full longer. A small piece is all you need.
  3. Pine Nuts-The heart-healthy fatty acids in pine nuts boost satiety hormones that make you feel full longer. They can also help keep belly fat at bay.
  4. Cheese-Fresh goat cheese or feta are great choices. They contain a dose of conjugated linoleic acid which help you fee full and burn more fat.
  5. Skim Milk-Milk has proteins that can make you feel more satisfied. It also helps fight fat.
  6. Oranges-Oranges are one of the most satisfying fruits since they are high in fiber. People who eat more fiber have less flab.
  7. Potatoes-They are three times as filling as a slice of white bread and top all of the foods on the satiety index. They also contain resistant starch which has been shown to help your body burn fat.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Recipe of The Week

We all know that beans are super good for us, but they are also super delicious and versatile. Here is another great recipe from Bush's.



BUSH'S® Slow Cooker Chicken Orzo and Garbanzo Beans

Serves: 6
Hands-OnTime: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 4 Hours
Total Time: 4 Hours 15 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved (4 to 6), cut into 12 pieces total
1 (16 ounce) can BUSH’S® Garbanzo Beans
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 diced medium onion (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces dried orzo pasta
6 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1 Add the chicken, beans, tomato sauce, onion, olives, oregano, garlic and pepper to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors are all melded, about 4 hours.
2 Cook the orzo pasta according to the directions on the package.
3 Serve over cooked orzo pasta and top each serving with a tablespoon of feta cheese. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano as desired.

For more family-friendly bean recipes, visit www.VegetableWithMore.com.

Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories 523 (16% from fat) Fat 9.3g Carbohydrate 63.6g Protein 45.5g

Bean Fact
Beans are a naturally low-fat, cholesterol-free source of protein.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Food Labels

Nutrition labels can be hard to understand. Here is some great information I found and I wanted to share it with you.

Be Smart - Understanding Food Labels and Nutrition Facts
Written by Patty Poon, M.Sc.last updated: May 2006

Grocery shopping and reading labels are a delight for some and a real headache for others. Regardless of how you feel about them, determining whether a particular food product fits into your healthy diet plan has become easier. In addition to listing the amounts of macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrate including fiber), a food label may also indicate vitamin and mineral content of the product. This provides good information to help a consumer determine if a particular food product meet his or her nutritional needs.

What is on A Nutrition Facts Label?

Food labels are designed to help consumers make healthy food choices. In 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act went into effect. The USDA and the FDA developed these guidelines so that consumers would have access to useful nutritional information to help make smart choices.

But how do you make sense of a food label?

According to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, all packaged food products must contain the following information:


Common name of the product
Name and address of the product's manufacturer
Net contents in terms of weight, measure or count, and
Ingredient list and Nutrition Facts


Components of a Nutrition Facts panel

Nutrition Facts
Common nutrients, such as total fat, cholesterol, and sodium, are required fields. Other nutrients, such as potassium and Vitamin K, are optional and not required to be listed. Each package must identify the quantities of specified nutrients and food constituents for one serving.

It is important to note the following:
1 g of fat = 9 kcal
1 g of protein = 4 kcal
1 g of carbohydrate = 4 kcal
1 g of alcohol = 7 kcal


Serving Size
Serving sizes are standardized to make for easier comparison among similar food items. They are expressed in both common household and metric measures. It is always important to pay attention to a serving size. For instance, a serving of chocolate chip cookies is typically 2 pieces. Hence, if you eat 4 pieces, you will need to double the amount of nutrition content listed on the label.

Calories (kcal)
Calories provide a measure of how much energy you obtain after eating a portion of food. It is always important to find out the total calories. Many consumers are surprised to find that a fat-free product is not necessarily low in calories. Similarly, a sugar-free product is not always low in Calories or low in fat.

Nutrients listed
Total fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, total carbohydrate (including fiber and added sugars), protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron are required on the label. Other nutrients are optional and may be listed at the discretion of the manufacturer.

In addition to total calories and total fat, a few other nutrients relevant to heart health are important to pay attention to when reading a label. These include saturated fats, cholesterol and fiber. Effective Jan 2006, all labels should also include trans fatty acids.

Percent Daily Values
Percent Daily Values provide an estimate of the percentage of a nutrient from one serving in a typical 2000 kcal diet.

Daily Reference Values Footnote
This footnote reminds consumers of the daily intake of different foods depending on their own nutritional needs.

Reading Food Labels - the Bottom Line: Food Labels and Nutrition Facts enable you to compare products based on key ingredients. When comparing products, focus on those nutrients that are important to you.

If you are concerned about your weight, you should compare products based on BOTH calories and fat.

If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, you should focus on the amount of total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Choose products containing less than 20% Daily Values for fat, cholesterol and sodium. If you have diabetes, you should pay attention to the amount of carbohydrate, sugar added as well as fiber.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Weight Loss Tips from Prevention Magazine

Here's some great tips I found from Prevention Magazine:

By Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, Prevention

There's nothing like a weight loss strategy that takes almost no time or effort--but still works like a charm! Here are 10 successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that literally take 60 seconds or less.

1. Mix a juice spritzer
Combine your favorite juice (half of your usual amount) with plain or sparkling water. You can cut up to 85 calories per glass--and lose 5 pounds or more a year.
2. Walk while you talk
Burn calories while you talk on the phone: Do the laundry (68 calories), set the table (85), or water plants (102).
3. Study the wrapper
At a quick glance, that candy bar appears to contain 220 calories. But a closer look may reveal that it (or a bottle of juice, bag of crackers, or bag of nuts) provides two or more servings--which more than doubles those calories.
4. Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)
5. Pack a lunch
Dining out more than 5 times a week may make you eat more--nearly 300 calories a day--than if you dine out less frequently.
6. Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories, on average, than those who used butter.
7. Sprinkle flax on cereal
High-fiber ground flaxseed can help curb your appetite and eliminate calories. Add it to yogurt or muffin and bread mixes--it's available in health food stores.
8. Schedule a blood test
About 1 in every 12 women (most of whom don't know it) has an underactive thyroid, which can slow down her metabolism.
9. Supersize your H2O
Buy the big bottle when it comes to good-for-you stuff such as water: You'll drink more.
10. Eat a chunky salad
Chop carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, zucchini, or other veggies instead of shredding or slicing. It takes more effort to munch bigger pieces; you'll do more chewing and eat less during the main course.

Monday, March 1, 2010

National Nutrition Month

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? Now is a great time to adopt some healthier habits. Eating healthy plays a large role in reducing the risk of many diseases. It is important to eat a variety of foods in order to give your body all the healthy nutrients it needs.

Fruits and vegetables provide many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is important to eat a variety of different types and colors. This will help boost your immune system. Choose fresh, frozen, canned or juice. Some great ones are:
Broccoli
Blueberries
Oranges
Pumpkin
Spinach
Tomatoes

Carbohydrates are great for energy. Breads, cereals, pasta and rice are all good examples. Try to make half of your daily servings of carbohydrates whole grains. Some great examples are:
Oats
Bulgur
Quinoa ( keen-wah, kee-noh-uh)
Barley
Brown rice

Proteins are good in helping build lean muscle mass. Lean meats, fish, eggs, beans and nuts are great sources of protein. Some great examples are:
Black beans
Salmon
Soy
Lean turkey
Walnuts

Fats are also very important in your diet. They provide essential fatty acids and help with vitamin absorption. Choose monounsaturated fats like avocados, olive oil and peanut butter; Polyunsaturated fats like soybean and sunflower oil; and Omega 3 fatty acids like tuna, flaxseed and tofu.

Drink plenty of water. It will help keep you full in between meals and keeps you hydrated. Aim for 6-8 glasses per day.

Watch your portion sizes. Choose to fill up on fruits and vegetables while adding modest amounts of meats and starches.

Avoid too many processed foods. These can be high in saturated fats, cholesterol, trans fats and sodium. Shop the parameters of the grocery store. This is where most of your healthy foods are found.
Remember everything in moderation. As long as you’re eating healthy most of the time, you can afford to indulge in the occasional treat now and then.