Holiday Survival Plan

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).

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.

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.

Chicken Scaloppine over broccoli rabe

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

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