by kelsey | May 26, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Summer has officially started now that school is out! The kids are back home and they’re going to be eating more of the foods that you keep stocked for them at home. Active children burn through their energy stores very quickly and need to replenish them often. Snacking is an important part of keeping your kids energized for their play-filled summer days.
Snacks should be a combination of fiber and protein so that they are filling and satisfying. Pistachios are a good snack as they contain both fiber and protein. You can also pick out two foods that will meet the fiber and protein combination needs. Some ideas are:
- An apple and a teaspoon of peanut butter
- String cheese and a few whole wheat crackers
- Baby carrots and hummus
- Low-fat yogurt and almonds
- Mixed nuts and raisins
- Celery sticks filled with peanut or almond butter
Just be sure to keep in mind that snacks are just to get by until the next mealtime, so snacks should not be a significant source of calories. Kids have small stomachs so keep the portion sizes small as well. This is a good time to instill healthy habits in your child so try to avoid having the TV or video games going during snack time in order to discourage mindless munching. Any fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy product, or whole wheat grain product makes a good snack so find out what your child likes and get creative with the combinations!
-Written by Kara Schmidt, SDSU Dietetics Student
by kelsey | May 21, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
| Looking to eat locally and economically? Grow your own produce in a garden, either in the ground or in pots. This is also a fun way for children to be active outdoors during the summer and can help them to learn about where their food comes from! Almost any container can be used for planting, just make sure that there are holes in the bottom so that excess water can drain.Easy vegetables, like cherry tomatoes and sugar snap peas, might be a good start for a first-timer. However, most vegetables will grow in containers. You can buy seed packets, which will have the best planting and harvest times, or buy starter plants from your local greenhouse. When the vegetables are ready, just harvest, wash, and enjoy!
If you do not want to grow your own garden, be sure to check out the great locally grown produce at our farmer’s market every Saturday morning at the Runnings parking lot!
-Written by Kara Schmidt, SDSU Dietetics Student |
by kelsey | May 20, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Last night was our last night of STRIVE 2 Survive until fall. The treats County Fair Foods served are healthy and tasty appetizers and would be a great addition to your holiday get togethers this weekend! Be sure to give these a try!
Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip (pictured above)
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 oz reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
1 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp pepper
Fresh veggies, pretzles, or sliced bread
Place yogurt, feta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and crushed garlic cloves in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon yogurt mixture into medium bowl; stir in spinach, fresh dill, and black pepper. Cover and chill before serving.
Mock Tuna
1 (19 oz) can garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp mayo
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
2 green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
In a food processor combine garbanzo beans, mayo, mustard, relish chopped, onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill and serve fresh veggies, pretzles, or sliced bread.
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 19, 2015 | Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Today marks our last STRIVE 2 Survive lecture until fall. This icon is one of my favorites at is wraps up the basics of wellness. We put a lot of focus on diet and activity, however in order to truly be successful with those key components of wellness, one must be happy and content inside. Weight loss, eating healthy, exercising, etc are not easy…they do take some effort, motivation, and determination, but once you get into the swing of living a healthy lifestyle, it becomes easier and easier and eventually it’s your new lifestyle. Many times we consider ourselves failures due to our previous unsuccessful efforts at wellness or weight loss, we compare ourselves to others and downgrade our abilities as we don’t believe in ourselves and our abilities, and then we obsess or over-think about it that it basically inhibits us from moving forward and truly being successful. Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone, there are many struggling with this! No matter what your weight status is, you deserve to have a healthy body…and you are worth it! Whatever is inhibiting you from your past experiences, let go of it. Everyone has our own unique genetic makeup so quit comparing yourself others and accept your body for what it is and work it as you are able to (ie- if you are genetically predisposed to carry your weight in your butt and thighs, it’s unrealistic to think you’re going to have stick legs!). Journal your daily intake and personal insight and include at least one positive thing about yourself daily to help boost your self worth and self esteem. Surround yourself with positive, happy people and let the little things go. Reflect on these 7 rules of life and apply them to help you live a healthier life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 13, 2015 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Etc., Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I have a few more recipes for you to try thanks to County Fair Foods! Both of these are delicious!!
Garden Cottage Cheese Salad (pictured above)
1 (22oz) container 1% cottage cheese
1 cucumber, cubed
1 regular tomato, cubed
1 pkg Good Seasoning Italian Dressing
Directions: Mix together and put in refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Could also add other veggies per your liking! 🙂
Blueberry Drop Cookies
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening
1/4 c milk
1 egg
1 c sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 c fresh blueberries
Directions: In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, egg, milk, almond extract, and lemon zest. Mix well after the addition of each ingredient. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; blend into sugar mixture. Fold in the blueberries. Cover and chill for 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop dough by tspful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes in the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
This is a good option for your sweet tooth! The recipe can be altered to be lighter as well such as using Splenda, applesauce, oil etc in place of the sugar and fat.
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
