It's that time of year.....Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, need I go on? A hard time of year when you are trying to watch what you eat. I found this article in Good Housekeeping magazine and thought it was worth sharing; especially for those of us who won't be taking BMB next time.
"Make sure your holiday bulge doesn't stick around: Get a close friend to watch you step on the scale now and after New Year's. When researchers weighed 19 people before Thanksgiving and again mid-January, participants' weights stayed the same-even though they consumed 36 percent more calories a day, on average, over the holidays. Knowing they'd be held accountable motivated volunteers to shed the extra pounds, suggest reserchers..."
DO THE MATH
1 slice pecan pie (670 calories)=5+ scoops of Edy's Slow Churned Butter Pecan Ice Cream (120 calories per 1/2 cup).
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Holiday Survival Plan
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A few more quick snack and lunch ideas...
I join Kellie as a fellow finicky eater - my mom catered to my pickiness when I was little and I've found myself working hard to try foods that are outside of my comfort zone.
I tend to rotate the same snacks into my weekly meal plan. Calories are my average calculations and may vary depending upon your serving sizes.
- apple and cheese cubes (my latest craving has been Granny Smith and CoJack): 190 calories
- celery and peanut butter: 209 calories
- Craisins and almonds: 298 calories
- cottage cheese and crushed pineapple: 160 calories
- pumpkin seed flatbread and Laughing Cow cheese wedge: 135 calories
- banana cranberry bar and a glass of milk: 225 calories
My current lunchtime staple is a light grilled cheese. I use the Sara Lee Delightful multi-grain bread. It's 90 calories for 2 slices but actually tastes like normal bread. I spray the outsides with a few spritzes of margarine spray, tuck in a thick slice of CoJack cheese, and put it onto my indoor grill.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Not Rocket Science Snack Ideas
Ok, I am a really, really, really picky and plain eater so these are just a few things that I like to snack on - nothing fancy.
A few Snack Ideas
1. Low-fat graham crackers with a little peanut butter or grahams with fat-free cool whip (maybe a slice of banana or strawberry too)
2. Sugar-free pudding with bananas/strawberries and a little cool whip mixed in
3. Handful of almonds and/or an apple - really curbs your appetite! I eat this about 20-30 minutes before lunch each day
4. 100% whole wheat toast with low-sugar strawberry jam and glass of skim milk
5. Kashi snack bars
One of my favorite DINNER ideas:
Tortilla Pizza
100% whole wheat tortilla
jar pizza sauce
low-moisture, part-skim mozz. cheese
onion
turkey pepporoni
any other toppings you like
Just brown tortilla on both sides by broiling in oven (watch carefully though - burns quickly), add sauce and toppings, put back in oven (can bake vs. broil) for 5 min. or so and you're ready to eat.
It's a really simple, thin-crust pizza, made just the way you like. This is great for your family because it is healthy and allows the kids to help out!
Whether it is a snack or meal, I'm trying really hard to stay away from the "Top 5." This comes from the book, You: On a Diet! by Roizen and Oz. If you haven't read it, it is a really great read. It is an informational book about your body and how it processes the foods you eat. Has some great receipes as well. Anyway, they say to stay away from the following if they are listed in the top 5 ingredients on the label (most everything in a box/jar!):
1. Simple sugars (brown sugar, dextrose, fructose, corn sweetner, honey, lactose, sucrose, ...)
2. Saturated fat (most 4-legged animal fat, milk fat, butter or lard, tropical oils)
3. Trans fat (parially hydrogenated fats, vegetable oil blends that are hydrogentated, many margarine and cooking blends
4. Enriched flours (want 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat - not "whole wheat," but "100% whole wheat/grain")
You can check out a video with "You: On a Diet!" recommended exercises at www.realage.com
Kellie Konrad
Banana Cranberry Bars
These bars have a lot of substance to them and are quite filling.
Banana Cranberry Bars
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
1 Tbsp light butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1 cup uncooked oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp orange zest
2/3 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
1 large banana, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Coat an 8" x 8" pan with cooking spray.
- Put butter, brown sugar and banana in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add oats, flour, baking powder, and pulse until blended.
- Add zest, orange juice, and cranberries and pulse until a smooth batter forms with bits of cranberry throughout.
- Spread batter in baking pan and smooth top. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting into 8 squares.
Taken from weightwatchers.com recipe exchange (2 points per bar.)
Info from Calorie Count recipe analyzer: 124 calories, 2.4g fat, 13mg sodium, 1.9g fiber, 2.5g protein.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Chicken Scaloppine over broccoli rabe
Serve with baby carrots and roasted new potatoes. If you can't find cutlets, place chicken breast halves between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken cutlet and 1/2 cup broccoli rabe mixture)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), cut into 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
4 lemon slices (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Combine breadcrumbs and pepper in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add wine, broth, juice, and butter to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in broccoli rabe; cover and cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is tender. Stir in parsley and capers. Serve chicken over broccoli rabe mixture. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
318 (21% from fat)
Fat:
7.4g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 1g)
Protein:
44.3g
Carbohydrate:
14g
Fiber:
3.9g
Cholesterol:
101mg
Iron:
2.9mg
Sodium:
577mg
Calcium:
102mg
Alison Lewis, Cooking Light, AUGUST 2004
vanilla honey- nut smoothie
Vanilla Honey-Nut Smoothie
Flaxseed boosts heart health and may enhance vision. You can find it in health-food stores already ground. Or grind whole flaxseed in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh. Enjoying this smoothie also helps you meet your daily calcium needs.
Yield
3 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients
2 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup cubed soft silken tofu
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)
Preparation
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Sprinkle with flaxseed, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
270 (30% from fat)
Fat:
9g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.7g,poly 2g)
Protein:
9.2g
Carbohydrate:
41.5g
Fiber:
0.6g
Cholesterol:
14mg
Iron:
1.8mg
Sodium:
117mg
Calcium:
250mg
Cynthia Nicholson, Cooking Light, JULY 2004
Baked Couscous with summer squash and herbs
Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)
Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
Cooking spray
2 cups sliced yellow squash (about 2 small)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Bring 1 cup chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in uncooked couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add squash, onions, basil, oregano, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until squash is tender. Set aside.
Combine fontina and Parmigiano-Reggiano; set aside. Combine couscous, squash mixture, and half of cheese mixture in a large bowl; stir in remaining chicken broth, egg substitute, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 8 x 8-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese mixture. Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
161 (31% from fat)
Fat:
5.6g (sat 1.9g,mono 1.6g,poly 1.3g)
Protein:
8.1g
Carbohydrate:
19.9g
Fiber:
2.2g
Cholesterol:
9mg
Iron:
0.8mg
Sodium:
351mg
Calcium:
112mg
Joanne Weir, Cooking Light, JULY 2005
Pan Roasted new potatoes with asparagus
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 (1 1/2 pounds) small new potatoes, scrubbed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
Preparation
Heat oven to 400°.In a large ovenproof skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook the potatoes until golden, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Cover the skillet and place in the oven until the potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes. Add the asparagus to the skillet and roast uncovered for 10 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the Sole with Almond and Wine Sauce.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
201 (0% from fat)
Fat:
7g (sat 1g)
Protein:
5mg
Carbohydrate:
32g
Fiber:
4g
Cholesterol:
0mg
Iron:
2mg
Sodium:
603mg
Calcium:
35mg
Rori Spinelli-Trovato, Real Simple, MARCH 2001
Apple-Berry Crisp
This time of year I love homemade comfort food and DESSERTS. This is one of my favortie fall desserts and it is short on calories (if you eat just one serving).
2 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 TBS lemon juice
cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed and undrained
1 cup regular oats
3 TBS reduced-calorie margarine, melted
2 TBS honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine apples and lemon juice; toss gently. Place apple mixture in a 10x6 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with raspberries.
3. Combine oats and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over fruit mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and oat mixture is lightly browned.
8 servings, 139 calories a serving
Beef and Pasta Stew
This is a yummy, quick and easy crockpot reciepe. It is full of veggies and grains and is a complete meal by itself. The nice thing about this reciepe is you can add extra veggies or subtract veggies that you don't like.
BEEF AND PASTA STEW
4 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups quartered small red potatos
1 cup dried Great Northern or navy beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2 pound lean boneless round steak, cut into small pieces
1 (14.5 ounce) can pasta-style chunky tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can fat-free, less sodium beef broth
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Combine first 11 ingredients in a large slow cooke. Cover with lid, and cook on high for 6 hours. Add zucchini and next 7 ingredients; cover and cook on high an additional 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Ladle into soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups stew and 1 tablespoon cheese) Calories per serving 287.
Baked Turkey Chimichanga
My niece's birthday was this week and she picked the Alamo for a lunch destination because of their chimis. Of course, they are deep fried and coated in cheesy goodness, so I passed on ordering one. But my WW leader had passed out this recipe a few weeks ago and I gave it a try last night.
Baked Turkey Chimichanga
Serves 12
1 pound ground turkey
16 oz fat free refried beans
16 oz salsa
4 oz chopped green chili peppers
1 tsp chili powder
3 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
12 8" fat free flour tortillas
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Coat large skilled and baking dish with cooking spray.
- Brown turkey in skillet and drain well. Stir in beans, 8 oz. salsa, chili peppers, spices and onions.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of mixture onto tortilla, fold in sides and roll.
- Put chimichangas into baking dish. Bake uncovered until crisp and brown, about 20 minutes.
- Serve with cheese, additional salsa and sour cream.
I plugged it into the recipe analyzer at Calorie Count and it came out with the following:
1 chimichanga = 250 calories, 8.1g fat, 534mg sodium, 6.8g fiber, 18.3g protein
We only used about 1/3 of the meat mixture, so we saved it and are going to use it for nachos while watching the race today.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Proudest moments of a Personal Trainer
Today I recieved this email for Andrea. She is in our 9:30 a.m. class. I am so proud or her. She tries really hard with everything that I ask her to do. She sees results because she does all her homework, keeps track of her calories, and continues to exercise regularly. Here is what she wrote in an email to me today.
"I had a very pleasant surprise when I went to weigh in this morning -
I finally surpassed the 75 pounds lost mark! :)"
The cool thing about her comment is that she started this healthy journey on her own with weight watchers I think. She then hit a wall and stopped losing the weight. She realized at that point that she needed to add exercise and strength training into her life. Now that she is doing that she losing weight again, building muscle, and strengthening her core.
We love you Andrea!!! You are an inspiration to us all and I hope your family in Australia notices how hot you look now.
Proud moments of a Personal Trainer
Today I did the KC marathon. It was a great feeling to complete a long time goal. I am not a fast running by any means. In fact I started at the back of the race and walk/ran with my 2 friends, by the end I was running when others around me where tired a walking. For my first I think I did a good job conserving my energy on the first half of the race. Which from what I understand is the ultimate goal for a marathoner. I do my second marathon in one month --- Gobbler Grind is next. If the thought of doing a 1/2 or full marathon has ever crossed your mind I encourage you to explore it. There are many people who walk, or walk/run marathons. I burned 2650 calories this morning. You better believe I am eating pizza for dinner!!!
I am loving your recipes. Keep them coming. I still need to post my dinner recipe, but maybe tomorrow, I need a nap.
Sweet and Spicey Snack Mix
SERVES 12
Ingredients
2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzos, rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup dried pineapple chunks
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 15 1/2-inch-by-10 1/2-inch baking sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Generously spray a heavy skillet with butter-flavored cooking spray. Add garbanzos to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the beans begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Transfer garbanzos to the prepared baking sheet. Spray the beans lightly with cooking spray. Bake, stirring frequently, until the beans are crisp, about 20 minutes.
Lightly coat a roasting pan with butter-flavored cooking spray. Measure the cereal, pineapple and raisins into the pan. Add roasted garbanzos. Stir to mix evenly.
In a large glass measuring cup combine honey, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Stir to mix evenly. Pour the mixture over the snack mix and toss gently. Spray mixture again with cooking spray. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from burning. Remove from oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
Nutritional Analysis(per serving) Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories 154
recipe found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00448
Stuffed veggies
this is yummy, family approved
Stuffed Veggies
1 small onion grated
1 large egg
3 Tbs Ketsup
3 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1/3 c romano
1/4 c dry bread crumbs
2 sm. zucchini
any color bell peppers you like
1 lb ground turkey
1 1/2 c marinara sauce
combine meat, egg, grated onion, ketsup, seasonings, cheese and bread crumbs, mix and chill. core out meat of zucchini and prepare peppers, stuff with meat mixture, place in pan and cover with marinara sauce, bake 400 for 45 minutes
this is one of those recipies I tweek to what I like, you can leave out the cheese and it still tastes good if you are trying to save on calories.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Breakfast Pies
Ingredients
3/4 pound breakfast sausage
1/8 cup minced onion
1/8 cup minced green bell pepper
1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated biscuit dough
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, onion and green pepper. Cook until sausage is evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
Separate the dough into 10 individual biscuits. Flatten each biscuit out, then line the bottom and sides of 10 muffin cups. Evenly distribute sausage mixture between the cups. Mix together the eggs and milk, and divide between the cups. Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until filling is set.
Amount Per Serving
calories: 303cal
total fat: 22.1g
cholesterol: 91mg
sodium: 669mg
carbohydrates: 16.2g
fiber: 0.6g
protein: 9.8g
Preparation Time: 20 min.Cooking Time: 20 min.Ready In:
40 min.Servings: 10
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Mendy's lunch and snack recipes
Lunch - Strawberry - Arugula Spinach Salad
Ingredients
1/4 cup low fat yogurt, preferably Greek drained yogurt
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1 pound baby spinach
1 pint strawberries, quartered
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toastedDirections
Prepare the dressing. Combine yogurt, zest, lemon, sugar or sugar substitute, poppy seeds, and salt, mix well. Stir in olive oil and chill.
Place spinach and strawberries in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately. I love this...it is so easy and I eat it all the time.
Snack-Healthy Banana Bread1 1/2 cups Four
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinn.
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 cup mashed bananas
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup of applesauce
mix ingredients together and bake in 2 loaf pans at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 127 Calories per slice. We make this all the time. The boys love helping me and licking the bowl.
cocoa granola
Cocoa Granola(10 servings) 1/2 c. serving cal. 175
4 and 1/2 cups old fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup honey
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients until all of the oats are moist and the mixture looks even.Spread the mixture evenly over a large cookie sheet or two smaller cookie sheets.Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, stirring the granola every 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven.Optional: At this point when the granola is still warm, you can mix in extra ingredients like a 1/4 cup of raisins or other dried fruit.Let the granola cool completely before serving or storing.Optional: When the granola is completely cool, you could stir in 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips for Double Cocoa Granola. Just make sure the cereal is cool or you end up with a melty mess. Trust me. Store well for 3 weeks in an air-tight container.This is a nice granola to have as a cereal with milk. It's also a terrific snack. Try adding mini chocolate chips at at the end to make Double Cocoa Granola.
I do not know about everyone else but I really like chocolate stuff. anything I can find. now this is not as good as a bar of Swiss extra dark chocolate but it was not bad in my yogurt this morning. my calories is with out any of the the options. I think it would be really good with raisins or some organic dark chocolate pieces in it.
from mr breakfast .com
enjoy
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pork Kebabs with Mango Salsa
Mangos were on sale at HyVee, so this recipe got dropped into the weekly meal plan. I serve it with a small side of brown rice (not included in the calorie info.)
Pork Kebabs with Mango Salsa
Makes 4 Servings
1 skewer with 3/4 c salsa: 263 cal, 6g fat, 7g fiber, 400mg sodium
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp olive oil
Directions:
- To make the salsa, combine the beans, mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, honey, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the bean mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Spray the broiler rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the broiler.
- Toss the port, vinegar, oregano, chili powder, cumin and oil in a medium bowl until well coated. Thread the pork onto 4 (8-inch) metal skewers. Broil 4 inches from the heat, turning often, until the meat is tender and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve with the salsa.
The transversus abdominus
The transversus abdominus
I am always screaming at my clients about standing tall and pulling in the TVA(transversus abdominus). Here is a very scary picture on day five of Disney World. It is late afternoon and I am frustrated with the kids. Check out my posture after 5 days of walking.....Naval to Spine Mendy!!!!!!! A shout out to my hubby a big "thanks" for taking this picture.
The transversus abdominus is made of a wide band of fibers that wrap horizontally around the middle of the body. It forms a supportive girdle for the trunk, making it an essential muscle of core stabilization. Pulling in the transversus abdominus results in a reduction of diameter of the abdomen. In other words, it gives you a waist.
Monday, October 13, 2008
I love pizza!!
PEPPERONI THIN CRUST PIZZA
1 Italian Herb Flatout
1/3 cup pizza sauce
18 Pepperoni slices (I opted for the turkey version)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon oregano (optional)
Heat oven to 350°F. Lay FLATOUT on nonstick cookie sheet; bake for 7 minutes. Spread pizza sauce evenly over partially baked Flatout. Top with Pepperonis, Mozzarella and oregano. Bake 15 additional minutes or until Mozzarella melts. Cut FLATOUT into 6 squares or 16 wedges for appetizers.
I found the recipe at http://www.flatoutbread.com/movie.html
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese
One of my biggest struggles is getting veggies in. I could eat fruit all day, but the prospect of a salad makes me lose my appetite. I'm trying new veggie sides for the next few weeks to try and add some variety to the meal plan. I made this last night and my husband was shocked when I dished a second serving onto my plate.
Ingredients:
6 cups cauliflower florets, fresh or thawed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450.
- In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Transfer cauliflower to a large baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
- Roast until cauliflower is golden brown, tossing occasionally (approximately 15 minutes.)
- Remove from oven, transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Toss to mix.
Serves 6. Taken from Weight Watchers website (1 point per serving.) They don't give any caloric info, so I plugged it into the recipe analyzer at Calorie Count. 1 cup = 63 calories, 3.5g fat, 288 mg sodium, 2.5g fiber, 3.6g protein.
Taco Pasta Bowl
½
pound ground round
1
(15 ½ -ounce) can chili beans (do not drain)
1
(10-ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes
2
ounces chopped green chilies
1
(10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
2
teaspoons chili powder
¾
teaspoon cumin
1/2
teaspoon garlic powder
3
cups cooked pasta shells
1
cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese
½
cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Cook ground round in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to crumble; drain. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, green chilies, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add pasta to mixture and heat 3 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted and well blended. Serve in bowls. Makes 6 servings.
PER SERVING: Calories 357 (35% fat) Fat 14 g (6 g sat) Cholesterol 44 mg Sodium 480 mg Fiber 6 g Carbohydrates 38 g Protein 18 g
Monday, October 6, 2008
Why Quik Trip is my new enemy...
So I'm standing at the gas station and I notice the ad panel atop the pump. It's got a photo of a giant sticky cinnamon roll with the oh-so-clever slogan...
"Because you have all day to burn it off."
This annoyed me to no end, mostly because I was on my way home from sweating my buns off with kicks and runs and all manner of Mendy workout goodness. I've just wrapped up a couple of weeks where I thought I had a great ratio of calories in/calories out and still didn't see the scale move much. If I had gotten a sticky roll, I might as well just adhere it onto my hips because that's where it would be hanging out for a while. One roll per day x seven days per week = *ugh*
With marketing like this, is there any wonder why obesity is such an epidemic in the US?
Now I'll hop off the soapbox and use it for some tricep work. :)
Confession of a personal trainer........
So last week I was truly on vacation. I had a dessert almost every day that I was there. It was part of the dining plan with our vacation. I almost never have ice cream in the house or make cookies for my kids after school so allowing all of us to cut lose a bit was really a treat. I did gain 3 pounds though. It was a perfect example of how eating bad can cancel out all that exercise. I worked out 5 of the 7 days that we were there, walked a ton around the Disney parks, and still managed to gain 3 pounds just because I was not eating my usual fruits, veggies, grains, beans...
Another thing I did wrong was eat toooooo big of meals. One night I ate so much at the Boma Buffett that my stomach hurt while we watched the Vice Presidential Debate. Yes, I made my boys sit through the debate even at Disney World, but it made them fall asleep faster!!!!!
It feels good to eat healthy again today. I feel really bloated, ya know. That is one thing I remember Karen Nichols saying to me about eating smaller better meals (Karen is one of our gals). She said, " I really feel less bloated this week" during week 2.
I hope you all are allowing yourself a little "vacation" once a week to eat ONE bad meal. It keeps us real, keeps us going, and allows us to enjoy food on a planned basis instead of an emotional or mindless one.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
OMGOSH!
Excuse the profanity, but in this case the use of it is 100% necessary...