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Healthy Game Day Food Swaps

by | Oct 14, 2015 | Health Tips

With football season in full swing, I thought for today’s post I would offer you some healthy food swaps to incorporate into your next game day party! Don’t think for one minute that by making a few healthier versions of your favorite snacks that you’ll be sacrificing flavor. These ideas are still very delicious and can be a great addition to the next time you’re cheering on your favorite team!

  • Homemade Dips. Rather than purchasing pre-made vegetable, spinach, or artichoke dips, why not make your own! By making your own dips, you’re able to have more control of the ingredient list, thus eliminating added fillers and preservatives that are often times found in pre-made, packaged foods to preserve shelf life.
    • Simply swap nonfat Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise or sour cream that the recipe typically calls for, and you’ve already got yourself a delicious protein packed version of your favorite dips without sacrificing flavor.
    • Making healthier versions of artichoke or spinach dips is another great way to consume additional veggies throughout the day. Both spinach and artichokes are nutrient powerhouses containing an excellent amount of dietary fiber as well as vitamins A, K, and C (I touch upon the health benefits of several different vitamins and minerals throughout previous blog posts, so feel free to check them out! 🙂 ).
  • Oven baked buffalo chicken wings. We know that consuming too many fried foods on a regular basis can be detrimental to our health, so instead of ordering wings for your next party, bake your own at home by purchasing a bag of frozen all natural chicken wings and seasoning yourself! There are many simple recipes for baking your own wings at home, which I will link to our Pinterest page. Baking your own wings will help limit additional unhealthy fats from the oils in which the wings are fried.
  • Cauliflower buffalo bites. These are very simple to make and a great way to sneak in extra vegetables for the day. As I stated in my last post, cauliflower has a very neutral taste, thus making it very versatile in cooking. Simply wash and dry a head of cauliflower, break apart into florets and coat with a drizzle of olive oil, hot sauce, or whatever spices you enjoy and roast in the oven until desired crispiness! Not only will you have a crowd-pleasing side dish to munch on during the game, but you’ll also be serving a dish packed with healthful nutrients like vitamins A and K and minerals calcium and phosphorous!
  • Homemade guacamole. Avocado, the main ingredient in guacamole, is known to contain a variety of healthful nutrients like potassium and vitamins K, C, and E, in addition to being a great source of monounsaturated fat, which may help reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol and decrease risk for heart disease. When eaten in a moderate amount, avocados can help your body properly absorb the nutrients from other nutritious foods eaten with avocado, due to its high healthy fat content. If you have the ingredients: lime juice, cilantro, garlic, diced tomato, onion, salt, pepper, then you’ve got yourself everything you need to make your own guacamole!
  • Homemade chips. To pair with your homemade dips, you can even make your own chips by baking fresh pita or whole grain tortilla wraps. Simply slice into triangles, brush your ‘chips’ with a little olive oil sprinkle with a little sea salt, and bake at 350 degrees until desired crunchiness!
  • Make-your-own tacos/taco salad. This can be another easy and healthy idea to have at your football party! Simply set out your typical taco ingredients, and let your guests do the work! 🙂 Taco filling ideas to have available include cooked ground beef or turkey, shredded lettuce, salsa, chopped onion, fresh chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheese. This is another place where you can swap plain Greek yogurt for sour cream and where you can use your homemade chips and guacamole!
  • Muffin-tin crab cakes. Finally for all those Baltimore Ravens and MD crab cake fans, this easy muffin-tin crab cakes recipe is for you and a must at your next football party!

I hope you enjoyed these ideas and will incorporate a few of them into your next football party!

Go Team!

Alyssa

References

American Heart Association. (2015, September). An avocado a day may keep bad cholesterol at bay. Heart Insight Magazine. Retrieved from: http://heartinsight.heart.org/Fall-2015/An-Avocado-a-Day-may-Help-Keep-Bad-Cholesterol-at-Bay/

WebMD. (2004). A little fat helps the vegetables go down. Retrieved from: www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20040727/fat-helps-vegetables-go-down

*As always, please discuss any questions or concerns with your medical physician regarding your health, as the information I provide is based on my own research and experiences and should not replace any medical advice.

Easy and Creative Ways to Add Vegetables to Your Diet

by | Sep 28, 2015 | Health Tips

It is common knowledge that we need to eat vegetables daily to help ensure that we are consuming a healthy, nutritious diet with a variety of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet because of their high nutrient and vitamin profile.  Therefore, eating vegetables help to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases while also ensuring we’re fueling our bodies with adequate vitamins and minerals which all have different positive benefits for the body. However, I know for some, it can be difficult to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, and in fact, the overall population tends to fall short in meeting what is recommended to consume on a daily basis.

Recommendations on the number of servings of vegetables and fruits you should aim to consume per day varies based on your total caloric consumption (i.e. age, gender, weight, activity level), but as a general rule of thumb, the USDA advises filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables. For today’s post, I’m going to focus specifically on vegetables and how you can easily and creatively incorporate more into your diet!

  • Vegetable noodles. A great alternative to eating spaghetti/pasta is using a spiralizer to make zucchini or squash noodles! They taste very similar to actual noodles; just simply swapping out half of your serving with zucchini noodles will help to increase your vegetable consumption, and you won’t hardly even notice! Zucchini can even be thinly sliced to make an easy zucchini lasagna. It may sound daunting and time consuming, but there are plenty of easy recipes (see our Pinterest page for ideas!) out there. 🙂
  • Add veggies to tomato sauce. Serving pasta or spaghetti? You can easily add cooked spinach, mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini, etc. into your tomato sauce. It’s an easy way to add in an extra serving with minimal effort! Another alternative to regular spaghetti is spaghetti squash! It’s filled with nutrients like beta carotene and fiber.  See our Pinterest page for how to cook spaghetti squash and easy recipes!
  • “Mashed potatoes and rice.” Cauliflower is extremely versatile and can be mashed/blended to replicate mashed potatoes! Cauliflower has a very neutral taste, similar to potatoes, so with a few simple seasoning additions like sea salt, pepper and a little butter, you have yourself a creative vegetable serving added to your day! Again, as I stated before, even just swapping in half the mashed cauliflower with your mashed potatoes is an easy way to sneak in a vegetable serving.
    • Cauliflower can also be made into rice. Using a food processor, process a head of cauliflower until it turns into the consistency of rice. Sautéing it in a little olive oil, sea salt, and pepper can serve as a tasty alternative to your typical rice dish. Trader Joe’s also sells cauliflower rice in their freezer section if you’d rather purchase it instead. 🙂
  • Spinach. Spinach can be added to smoothies. Even though it will turn the smoothie green, it’s tasteless but will give you that additional veggie serving for the day! Add spinach (or other veggies of course!) to omelets as well, as a simple way to increase your vegetable consumption.
  • Pile on the veggies. Add extra vegetables to your sandwiches or wraps like shredded carrots, sliced beets, tomato slices, cucumbers, onion, spinach, peppers etc.! There are many options for the type of vegetables you can add, and it will add a nice flavor addition to your meal.
    • Making or ordering pizza? Add on extra vegetables! You can even puree the more starchy vegetables like carrots or butternut squash, and use it as a sauce on your pizza crust or as a spread on your sandwich or wrap.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful! There are many ways to add vegetables into your diet.   With a little creativity (but little extra effort), you’ll find yourself eating more vegetables and enjoying them in no time!

Alyssa

References

USDA. (2015). My plate. Retrieved from: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/about

USDA & HHS. (2010). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dietary_guidelines_for_americans/PolicyDoc.pdf

Time Saving Healthy Eating Tips

by | Sep 14, 2015 | Health Tips

I wanted to focus today’s post on time saving healthy eating tips by providing you with a few simple tips and suggestions to staying healthy week-to-week! One of the biggest misconceptions I frequently hear around healthy eating is that it’s too time consuming, so it’s often easier to choose something that’s convenient and quick. This is simply not true! While that may feel like the easier route to take, eating healthy can be MUCH easier than you think with little extra time commitment. The end result will leave you feeling better and healthier, and you’ll actually end up saving yourself more time and money throughout the week!

Meal Planning

  • My first tip is to take just a few minutes the day before the start of your week or before your grocery-shopping trip to plan a few meals in advance. This way you don’t find yourself at dinnertime during the week with no idea what to cook which may lead you opting for convenience instead. Just planning out a couple meals, even if you end up switching the night you eat the meal, will help ensure that you have the necessary ingredients on hand. For ideas and suggestions on healthy breakfast options, see my post on ‘Overnight Oats’ and ‘From Hectic to Healthy: How to Jump Start Your Day in a Healthy Way!”

Meal Prep

  • Take some time Sunday before the start of your week to prep your food in advance. You don’t have to prep for the whole week, and you don’t even have to prep each meal individually. Preparing enough for two to three days is plenty to help decrease mealtime stress!
  • Cook extra quantities of meats/protein sources like chicken, fish, turkey, pork, or whatever other protein sources you enjoy that can be used in healthy meals throughout the week. Many of these meats are versatile, such that they can be incorporated into a variety of different dishes, so you’re never tired of the same meals!
  • Hardboiled eggs are another great protein source to prepare ahead of time that can be eaten as snacks, on top of salads, with breakfasts, or made into egg salad!
  • Cooking extra portions of baked potatoes, squashes like spaghetti & butternut, pasta, rice, or other whole-grains you enjoy will allow you to create quick, healthy meal options on busy nights.
  •  A colorful diet of fruits and vegetables will help ensure you’re eating a variety of nutrients. Simply spend a few minutes before the start of the week to chop up fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, or cucumbers to have on hand and store in your refrigerator for both meals and snacks! Frozen bags of vegetables like sliced peppers and green beans are great for meal prep as well, because it will save you the time of cutting and chopping, and, ultimately, money in the long run!

Crock Pot

  • If you want to make it even easier on yourself, and you have a crock pot, you can take a few minutes in the morning to have your meal all ready to go by the time dinner rolls around! There are TONS of simple, healthy crock pot/slow cooker recipes (See PTF’s Pinterest page for ideas 🙂 ) that you can follow to ensure a healthy, delicious meal for you and your family with little effort!
  • In line with my meal prep tip, the crockpot can even be used to cook a large batch of your favorite protein source like chicken before the week begins in which you can use in a variety of different meals throughout the week! I’ve even made a big batch of oatmeal in the crockpot at the beginning of the week to have ready for early morning breakfasts. A simple oatmeal recipe can go a long way when you get creative with healthy toppings and add-ins like sliced banana, nut butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and almonds. Changing up the flavors and add-ins each day will keep a variety of nutrients in your diet and decrease boredom surrounding your meal!

Cook Ahead

  • Depending on the size of your family, you can even take it a step further and freeze some of what you prep for future meals later in the week or for the following week. For example, you can make up a simple chicken and veggie pasta dish with your prepped chicken and pasta. Simply add some veggies, spices, tomato sauce, olive oil, and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and freeze for a future meal! Other ideas include turkey chili or meatballs, hearty soups, chicken and veggie stews, baked ziti with added veggies, or casserole dishes!

Meal Ideas

  • Your prepped food can be used in a variety of healthy, simple meals such as in stir-fry’s, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, stuffed peppers, on top of salads, or in tacos to name a few! By having the necessary ingredients already prepped and on hand, you can eliminate the guess-work and rest assure that you will have yourself a healthy, delicious meal after a long day at work!

Happy prepping!

-Alyssa

Healthy ‘Kid Friendly’ Lunch Ideas

by | Aug 31, 2015 | Health Tips

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again for kids to go back to school! Before we know it, the holiday season will be upon us. Of course, it’s much too soon to think about that right now. So instead, let’s discuss some healthy lunch ideas for your kids to take to lunch this school year!

There’s many ways to make your kids’ lunches enjoyable yet healthy. It doesn’t have to be a complicated or expensive process either! A few simple swaps can make a big difference, and I think you’ll be surprised to find your kids actually requesting these lunches from now on. 🙂 I also think it’s important to note that despite being ‘kid friendly’ meal ideas, these are great options for YOU as well! Balance and variety is important for providing your body with different nutrients, so it doesn’t become deficient in certain areas and allows your body to function optimally. Plus, it can be boring eating the same things over and over again. Kids typically have about 20-30 minutes to eat lunch at school, and generally speaking, finger foods are always a hit for kids. Sticking to simplicity when thinking of creative healthy lunch ideas is key!

Some suggestions I also encourage are buying your child an insulated lunchbox with a freezer pack, which will allow you to pack more fresh fruits and vegetables, and foods that need to be kept cold such as yogurts and cheeses. I also suggest eliciting the help of your child when packing his or her lunches. This will help engrain how to make healthier choices for your child and something you can engage in together!

Lunch Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with the classic lunch sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a carton of milk or juice, but that can become boring quickly. Try a new spin on your child’s favorite sandwich by turning it into a wrap roll up! Does your child like turkey and cheese? Then instead of a sandwich, use a 100% whole grain lavash flat bread or a whole grain tortilla wrap (tip: you want the first listed ingredient to be ‘whole wheat, oat, bran, whole wheat flour, etc., remember the shorter the ingredient list, the better!) and add some lean turkey, cheese, spinach, and shredded carrots for an added crunch, and depending on your child’s taste preferences, mustard or mayo for a tasty lunch wrap! Roll it up and slice into three sections and you’re good to go! Pair this wrap with a carton of milk or 100% fruit juice and a side of cut carrots (or your child’s favorite veggie) and a piece of fruit like a sliced apple, and now you have a yummy balanced meal for your child!

 

Does your child like peanut butter and jelly? No problem! Get creative and add sliced banana or apple to the sandwich made with 100% whole grain wheat bread, 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter, and a dap of jelly! Get even more creative for your young ones and make the sandwiches to resemble those frozen uncrustable sandwiches that are widely popular among children by using a cookie cutter or bottom of a large cup to shape your bread. This will work for grilled cheeses as well. Making them at home will eliminate the added preservatives, artificial flavors, and fillers that are sometimes found in pre-packaged foods.

 

Leftovers from dinner the night before? Instead of chicken nuggets, pack your child grilled chicken strips added to a 100% whole wheat wrap, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, and perhaps a couple slices of avocado for a make-shift chicken burrito!

 

Does your child like lunchables? Make your own! You can easily buy divided food containers that resemble the lunchable box. For example, to replicate the ham and cheese lunchable, you can create one by adding a bunch of grapes, nitrate free lunch meat slices, carrot sticks, cheddar cheese, and whole-wheat crackers.

 

How about the make-your-own pizza lunchable? You can even make this for your child at home by using whole-wheat mini pitas, shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and pepperonis. English muffins or mini whole-wheat bagels make an excellent choice for replicating mini pizzas as well. Add celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, or carrots as a side, or a piece of fruit.

 

Finally, some other great ideas include adding diced apple, raisins, or sliced grapes to tuna or chicken salad that will not only enhance the flavor but the nutrient content as well! Make-your-own yogurt parfaits can be another great idea by packing your child Greek yogurt, low sugar granola, and fresh berries that he or she can enjoy by mixing them together! Expose your kids to the different kinds of fruits that they can enjoy. Rather than the typical banana or apple, have them try plums, peaches, kiwis, clementines etc.! Variety will help your child expand his or her taste preferences and learn about how there’s so many delicious fruits and vegetables to try! Finally, sneaking in a few chocolate Hershey kisses is totally acceptable. 🙂 Remember moderation and balance is key to sustaining a healthy lifestyle!

Healthy Fall Foods

by | Aug 16, 2015 | Health Tips

It’s hard to believe but the summer is quickly coming to an end and before we know it, school will be back in session, and the fall season will be here! With the fall, comes cooler temperatures, color changes in the leaves, and most importantly many delicious super foods will be hitting their peak! Today’s post will highlight a few of these super foods and their health benefits, so you’ll know what to look for come this fall!

Apples

Who doesn’t love a sweet, crunchy apple? Apples are a nutritional powerhouse. A medium sized apple contains a good amount (roughly 200mg) of the mineral potassium, which is needed for your body to maintain normal muscle growth, healthy digestion, and heart and brain function. Containing about 8.5 mg, an apple is also a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps promote a healthy immune system meaning it can help your body fight off illnesses. Another benefit of eating apples includes its fiber content of about 4.5 grams in a medium sized apple. The skin of an apple contains insoluble fiber while the inside of an apple contains soluble fiber (I recently talked about fiber’s function in the body in my Overnight Oats post!). So you might want to think twice before peeling off the skin the next time you snack on an apple. 🙂

There’s so many ways to enjoy apples so get creative! I love pairing a fresh sliced apple with a TBSP or two of a healthy fat like nut butter, adding them to a spinach salad topped with feta cheese and a homemade dressing of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. You can even bake them into a delicious baked apple dish topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a drizzle of honey!

Pumpkin

Of course, we can’t think of fall without thinking of Halloween and jack o’-lanterns, but did you know that pumpkin has a great nutrient content and can be incorporated into a healthy diet?

Pumpkin is rich in beta carotene (i.e. what gives pumpkin its orange color). Your body converts this into vitamin A, which can aid in your vision health. Pumpkin is another great source of fiber, with about 3 grams/cup, thus keeping you feeling full longer while giving your body the added benefits of consuming enough fiber daily. Pumpkin is also seen as a very good source of iron, a mineral that is essential for the transport of oxygen throughout the body, which helps give us energy throughout the day. It also aids in our skin, hair, and nail health!

Pumpkin doesn’t have to only be consumed in pie form. From pumpkin muffins, pancakes, soups, breads, puddings, or simply baked pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon and ginger, there’s plenty of ways you can integrate pumpkin into your diet! A simple Google search can give you an array of healthy options to try.

Cauliflower

I feel as if I never see cauliflower inspired recipes. I typically always see broccoli as the cruciferous vegetable of choice, but cauliflower’s neutral flavor makes it so versatile in cooking, and it packs in a hefty amount of health benefits when added to your diet! Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C and also contains adequate amounts of the vitamins A, K, folate, and choline (choline is an important nutrient that can enhance brain health!). Finally, cauliflower also is a good source of calcium and phosphorous, two minerals that are crucial for the health and formation of your bones and teeth.

With the versatility of this cruciferous vegetable, there are endless possibilities on how to incorporate it into your diet. Some ways I like to eat cauliflower is sautéed in a drizzle of EVOO, or slightly steamed with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. It’s also a great addition to omelets or pasta salads for an added crunch! If you want to get really creative, you can even blend it to create a mashed potato-like side dish!

Of course, this list is not inclusive of all the benefits of the foods listed above nor does it include all the wonderful super foods this fall will bring. Other great fruits and vegetables that will be in season include pears, butternut squash, pomegranates, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes to name a few! If any of these foods sound like something you may enjoy, don’t be afraid to integrate them into your diet. You may be surprised with how much you enjoy them!

*Disclaimer: As a friendly reminder, the information I write about is intended for educational purposes only. I encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns with your physician regarding your health and dietary needs, as the information I provide should not replace any medical advice. I write based on my own personal research and experiences.

References

Chen, Michael A. (2014). Potassium in diet. Retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002413.htm

Sanders, L. M., & Zeisel, S. H. (2007). Choline: Dietary Requirements and Role in Brain Development. Nutrition Today, 42(4), 181–186. doi:10.1097/01.NT.0000286155.55343.fa

Watson, Stephen. (n.d.). What you need to know about iron supplements. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/iron-supplements

Tips on Healthy Eating when Dining Out

by | Aug 4, 2015 | Health Tips

Do you ever feel like when you’re dining out at a restaurant and open the menu, you find yourself staring at a textbook size list of options? You know you want to enjoy yourself and eat something delicious, but you also want to be mindful and enjoy something healthier. Have no fear! Today’s blog post will offer a few simple tips and tricks on how to eat healthy when dining out!

  • Many, if not all, restaurants will typically have their menu posted online. So before you even go out to eat, check out the menu! This will help give you a few ideas of what to choose, so you’re more likely to order a healthier option you’ve already determined.
  • When looking at the menu, opt for menu items that are grilled, broiled, poached, roasted, baked, or steamed while limiting dishes that are described as fried, sautéed, creamed, rich, buttery, au gratin, breaded, or crispy. Tomato and vegetable based toppings are typically a good choice compared to creamy or oiled toppings or sauces.
  • Rather than starting your meal with the bread from the bread basket, opt for a broth based soup or a starter salad. This way you’ll be starting your meal with a nutrient dense option and help you feel satiated sooner.
  • Stick with drinking water during your meal rather than carbonated beverages. Water will help stimulate digestion and of course will save you money on your total bill!
  • Also, don’t be afraid to ask your waiter how the food is prepared or to make substitutions. So for example, if a sandwich comes with French fries, ask to sub in a side salad or fruit as your side dish, or if you’re ordering a salad entrée, ask for the dressing, cheese, bacon bites, fried noodles etc. on the side (Bonus tip: with the dressing on the side, dip your fork into the dressing then spear your salad; you’ll still have the flavor with very little dressing). This way you’ll have more control of the portion size and can use a sprinkle of these toppings. Also, don’t be shy about asking to go light on the sauce if ordering a pasta dish for example, or, to have your veggies prepared without added butter or oil. Asking for double veggies is a great idea too!
  • Many restaurants tend to serve very large portion sizes. Rather than eating the full plate, ask to box up half your meal and save it for later. It’s like getting two meals for the price of one! Sharing an entrée with someone else is another great way to control portion sizes.
  • If dining out for a special occasion and you want to order dessert, why not just order one dish for the table and share a few bites each? Restaurant desserts are typically rich so just a few delicious bites should be quite satisfying!
  • Finally, if you’re only dining out on occasion, you don’t have to deny yourself of something you really want. Moderation and balance is key to sustaining a healthy diet. Like I stated above, splitting that “not as healthy” dish with a friend or significant other or boxing up half to eat at another meal is a great way to still enjoy something you like without feeling deprived by not ordering something you’re truly craving. Be mindful of what you’re eating and savor each bite. This will help you be more in tune with your fullness cues and know when you’re satiated.

 

Happy Dining! 🙂

Alyssa