Salads are a great way to get in your veggies. They’re fast and you can top them with all kinds of healthy goodies.
First, either buy the prewashed greens or wash a bunch of lettuce at one time. Pat the lettuce dry and tear it. Place the prepared lettuce in a storage container or Ziplock bag with a paper towel. This will keep it fresh for several days. You can even precut carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. Then making a salad will be a snap.
Here are some of my favorite toppings: [More]
Chicken breast is a lean protein choice great for your diet. But if you’re like me, you probably get tired of plain baked chicken day after day.
Fortunately, you can dress chicken up with lots of flavor and few calories. Here are some of my favorite recipes to turn plain chicken into tasty chicken.
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Who doesn’t love spaghetti! If you don’t love slurping the noodles, you’ve got to love the meatballs…and the cheese. Talk about comfort food. Mmmmm.
It’s a good thing you can replace the white noodles, sugar-laden sauce, and high-fat meatballs with healthier options. And still get that great spaghetti and meatball taste.
First, pick whole grain pasta (my family loves 100% whole wheat Rotini). Check the label to make sure it is actually made from whole grain, not just wheat. Check the fiber content too.
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I love salads. In the warmer weather I eat them every day, at least once if not twice a day. Since the weather has turned frigid, I’m not so inclined to eat cold foods. I want something hot to warm my insides!
Here are 5 of my favorite ways to enjoy hot, cooked vegetables. [More]
We all know that fish is healthy and we should eat it more. But some people don’t love it – and even for those of us who do enjoy it, fresh fish is quite pricy. It’s not something that always fits into the grocery budget.
The first thing I do is watch for sales on fresh fish like tilapia, cod, salmon, and haddock. Every once in awhile a great sale will roll around and I’ll get some fish fillets for my family. If I can ‘t use the fish fast enough, I’ll freeze it in individual portions.
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Sometimes I just want something that tastes really good. Something sweet and delicious. Something cool and creamy. Something rich and chocolaty. Something that tastes bad for me…but isn’t.
Fortunately, I’ve found some healthy alternatives to peanut butter cups and ice cream. When my sweet tooth kicks in, I tame it with these treats (or at least try to!):
Yogurt – mix 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt with Splenda, vanilla, and berries.
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If your kids are like mine, they love pizza. But restaurant pizza is full of sodium, fat, and cholesterol with refined white dough, full fat cheese, greasy meat, and oil in the pan. One slice of a popular pizza chain’s pepperoni pizza has 260 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 590 mg of sodium. (Not something I want my family eating!)
But you can enjoy pizza at home – and make it fun and healthy too!
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We took a family walk today and enjoyed the cool, crisp air of autumn, the golden sun, and the colored leaves. There was something about being outdoors that made me hungry for baked apples. When we returned, I immediately began peeling and slicing apples for a healthy version of apple crisp.
Fall is such a great time to enjoy the many varieties of apples. I love to try all different kinds to experience the flavors and crispness (not to mention their delicious aromas). I enjoy using them in many different recipes and usually eat one every day.
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First of all, make sure you buy LEAN ground turkey or ground turkey breast. Regular ground turkey is full of fat and calories (even worse than ground beef). Check the nutrition label to make sure you’re getting lean turkey.
You can use lean ground turkey to replace ground beef in any recipe. Here are three of my favorite ways to use it:
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I love pancakes. I rarely make them because the typical pancake mix is high in calories and carbohydrates, and low in fiber. So I went looking for an alternative.
I found a way to make a healthy version of pancakes that tastes delicious (my family agrees). They are made from oatmeal, which is a great source of nutrients and fiber, and they have no added fat or sugar.
Oatmeal Pancakes
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cup hot water or fat free milk
1 cup oatmeal flour (grind oatmeal in a blender)
4 egg whites, whisk with fork
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 packets Splenda
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To some people, healthy food means tasteless food. And, yes, if you’re used to sugary, salty junk food, healthy food does have a lighter taste – but healthy food certainly is delicious.
You can find healthier recipes for just about any of your favorite foods – even onion rings, brownies, chili, etc. There are so many healthy cook books and recipes online that you have no excuse for not making healthier foods for you and your family.
These cookies are favorites with my family. You can even stick a few dark chocolate chips on top of each cookie for your kids.
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Take time this weekend to plan healthy meals ahead for next week. If you’re very busy during the week, go ahead and prepare them (or partially make them) so all you need to do is re-heat or cook.
This will help you avoid stress eating at the end of the day when you’re low on energy. Consider also eating the “same” foods during the day and only changing up your dinner foods. This too will help keep your food choices under control, and makes planning and preparing a simple process.
Here are some ideas for healthy plan-ahead meals:
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Whole grains are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You can easily add them to your diet by replacing “white” grains with whole grains in recipes, snacks, and meals.
This whole wheat spaghetti pie uses whole wheat pasta in place of white spaghetti. It offers lots of nutrition and great taste the whole family will enjoy. Add a salad or a side of steamed veggies for a complete meal.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti Pie
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Tired of plain old bread? How about adding some variety to your diet with tortillas?
The key with tortillas is to carefully check the nutrition label. They can be loaded with calories! There are great options available though. Look for whole grain, low carb tortillas or wraps. Usually the calorie range will fall between 70-90 calories with 5-9 grams of fiber. They are often quite large too. So you get lots of great taste and nutrition for low calories.
Try switching your bread with tortillas to make some of these tasty sandwiches and wraps:
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Bananas are not usually a fruit I go for. I love berries and apples the best, but occasionally I have a super high craving for a banana.
I noticed that my banana cravings usually hit when I am tired, stressed, or irritable. So I checked out some info on the big, yellow fruit and found out they are great mood food!
Why? The serotonin and norepinephrine in bananas can boost your mood and make you feel better. The vitamin B6 calms you and helps relieve stress. The magnesium helps your body recover from fatigue. (Bananas are even said to help alleviate PMS symptoms and hangovers.)
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In the summer we grill almost every weekend. My hubby loves Angus beef burgers. My kids love hot dogs. I often make chicken for myself, but sometimes I want a “burger” that is healthy and tasty.
Here is a recipe I put together for a lean turkey burger (watch video). Adding veggies keeps the meat moist and gives it tons of great flavor. You can also make the patties ahead and freeze them raw. This works great for when you only need one at a time – like when you need one just for you!
Turkey Garden Burgers
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My six-year-old son loves French fries. Every time we go out to eat, that is what he wants. He asked if I could get a fryer to make French fries at home so he could have them “all the time.”
I explained that though they taste good, French fries are not good for you. “They take a big vat of oil, make the oil really hot, and put the fries down in the oil to cook them. When they take the fries out, they have to let the oil drip off. Then they put lots of salt on them.” We talked about why too much fat is not healthy and why foods like French fries should only be treats, not regular fair.
My son’s eyes got big and he didn’t ask for a fryer again.
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My favorite meal to get at a Mexican restaurant is chicken fajitas. It’s a lot of food so I only eat one tortilla and bring half of the chicken and veggies home. That’s how I got the idea to make a chicken fajita salad.
We had been out to eat at a Mexican restaurant and I brought half of the meal home. When I reheated the chicken and veggies, I decided to drop it on a bed of lettuce leaves. It was really good.
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Do you love the spicy flavors of Mexican food? Much of it can be made in a healthy way, such as black beans and rice, grilled chicken fajitas, and whole grain tortilla wraps.
Spicy foods not only taste great, they can increase your metabolism and help you burn more fat and calories. (Read the full article.) Salsa, peppers and onions, and seasonings also have few calories. So, spice up your foods for lots of flavor and extra calorie burn.
Here’s a simple, healthy, and delicious salsa recipe you can make to serve with baked tortilla chips, put on salads, or top grilled chicken.
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Having an ice cream craving? Want something sweet and cold, but don’t want to blow your diet?
Here’s a thick, creamy, deliciously berry smoothie that’s sure to turn on your taste buds. Even my son gave it a thumbs up.
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 Dannon Light & Fit blueberry yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1-2 ice cubes
1 packet Splenda
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Usually on Sundays after church, I like to make a really nice meal for my family. It’s a time when we can sit down together without being rushed and enjoy family time.
Of course, everybody wants dessert. But I don’t want to load them (or me) up with lots of calories and fat. Here’s one of our favorite lower calorie desserts that’s super easy to make.
Banana Cream Pie
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You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods to watch your waistline. Many foods can be made over into delicious, healthy alternatives.
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Protein shakes are quick and easy, taste good, and are a great way to get in a serving of protein. They make a great breakfast-on-the-go or a between-meal snack. You just need a blender and the following ingredients:
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I bought a George Foreman grill for a steal on an after-Christmas sale. I’ve got to admit I’m in love my Foreman. Never has it been so easy to make chicken, turkey and fish. (Actually, you never would’ve wanted to eat my fish before.)
I use my grill every day. Even my family is eating my meat with smiles and compliments, instead of choking it down with a gulp of water. And no extra fats. Just clean cooking with herbs and spices.
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