by kelsey | Sep 15, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This week’s weather felt more like fall and with the change of season, we tend to change our pattern of eating to more soups, stews, and casseroles. These selections are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients into one dish. In addition, they can be very cost effective due to the excess garden produce present in our grocery stores and farmer’s market lately. Here are a few nutrition tips to consider when you’re prepping your favorite meal:
- When using store bought broths or soup mixes such as cream of chicken, choose the low-sodium or reduced fat varieties.
- Use herbs and spices to season rather than salt.
- Add more vegetables and lean meat to the recipe to give you more nutrition.
- Thicken with pureed beans, potatoes, or vegetables.
- Sprinkle your soups or stews with low fat cheese for added flavor and nutrients, without too many calories.
- Think about balance: incorporate something from each food group into your meal to provide your body with a top notch quality and nutritious meal.
- Practice portion control: it’s easy to dish up your plate with casserole or fill up a big bowl of stew and not realize how much you’re eating, so measure out your foods and eat mindfully to ensure appropriate portion control.
- Batch cook: soups are a great way to practice batch cooking. Make up a pot of soup and portion it out into smaller containers and freeze. They are easy to take out and unthaw when you need a healthy meal in a pinch!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 25, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Family, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
School started today in Watertown! It’s always an exciting day for families! It also means getting back into the routine of school lunch and snacks after school! If you’re a parent with school age children, you have probably witnessed this scenario many times: your child comes home from school and they are starving! They rummage through the cupboards and try to find something “good” to snack on until supper is ready. Snacks in between meals help provide the body with energy and aid in metabolism and blood sugar control, but the key is making a healthy snack as junk foods will only provide empty calories, leaving you hungry and looking for more later on.
Below are some healthy snacks for kids. Print off this list and let them pick a healthy snack afterschool!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap around a sesame breadstick.
Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows.
Mini Pizza: Toast a whole-wheat English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, low-fat cheese and lettuce. Then roll it up.
Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your favorite shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges, too!
Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal.
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Make one packet of microwave oatmeal with low-fat milk. Mix in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Sprinkle with apple pie spice or cinnamon.
Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed graham crackers.
Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole-grain crackers.
Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins.
Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.
Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
Toast a whole-grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and peaches.
Mix together low-fat cream cheese, mixed dried fruit bits and shelled sunflower seeds. Spread on a toasted English muffin.
Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.
Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a whole-grain dinner roll.
Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
Reference: Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 17, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
For most students, graduating high school means starting a new chapter in life: college. The first month of college is typically the most stressful time EVER. Worrying about finding your classes, making new friends, and getting good grades takes a toll on almost every student. This can affect those younger students not going to college, but just back to school as well! Being stressed can have a detrimental effect on our overall health, it can even cause us to gain weight. Eating is considered to be a way to handle stress. When we are stressed we tend to eat more and snack more. Most of the time we do this we are eating our favorite tasting foods: candy, cookies, chips, and other processed foods.
If you or your children are going back to school this fall, take these tips into mind to avoid the “Freshman 15” or any weight gain for that matter:
- Choose healthy snacks for study time. Study breaks are needed, especially before exams, and having healthy snacks is an easy way to keep off weight. Eating unhealthy snacks is a major contributing factor for weight gain.
- Don’t skip breakfast! Often times students wake up as late as they can, so they don’t have time to eat breakfast. Wake up a little earlier and make time to eat in the morning. Eating breakfast has shown to keep you full longer throughout the day and can help students be more successful and attentive in the classroom.
- Be health conscious in the dining hall. Go for the healthiest options you can when choosing from your meal plan. Meals that are baked, steamed, or grilled rather than fried or buttered are much better options.
- Avoid liquid calories such as those found in pop, juice, Gatorade, or alcohol (for college students). These empty calories can add up without knowing it! Stick to water or sugar free beverages.
- Hit the gym or incorporate activities into your daily routine. Aim to get at least 30-60 minutes of activity a day.
- Get enough sleep. Sleep is vital for your body to function properly and when we don’t receive the proper amount, weight gain is very common. Sleep helps boost mood and energy levels. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours a night!
-Written by Braden Carmody, SDSU Dietetics Student
by kelsey | Aug 3, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! Yes, you have probably heard this before, but are you a breakfast eater!? Having a good breakfast is a great way to start out the day. It’s not only important for our body, but our mind too. Many times we’ll have excuses such as I was running late, I didn’t feel like eating, I’m not hungry in the morning, and this actually accounts for about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the population! Starting the day without breakfast is like driving your car on a low tank of gas. We know we can’t go on forever on a low tank of gas, so we shouldn’t do that to our bodies either! Those that skip breakfast tend to snack more on high fat and lower nutritious foods…and are more likely to overeat at lunch because they are over-hungry. Studies have also shown that those working on weight loss are more successful when they eat breakfast as this really jump starts their metabolism and starts their day off right. In addition, eating a healthy breakfast helps our kids excel in school as it helps fuel the brain!
So what should you eat for breakfast? It’s important to get a balance at your meals and especially include a source of protein and a whole grain as these provide satiety. Here are some examples for you:
- Ready-to-eat cereal (>3g fiber, <2-3g fat, a ratio of greater than 4 g carbohydrate:1 g sugar)
- Hot cereal (oatmeal)
- Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter
- Yogurt Parfait
- Fruit and yogurt smoothie
- Peanut butter or hummus on whole-wheat toast
- Breakfast quesadilla with low-fat cream cheese and sliced fruit
- Breakfast burrito or taco
- Toasted whole-wheat English muffin with lean ham and low-fat cheese
- Toasted pita with scrambled egg and low-fat cheese
- Low-fat milk and 100% fruit
- Meal replacement drink
If you are one who is not a fan of breakfast but understands the importance of it, I encourage you to try a variety of these options and see which one works best for you. I also encourage you to plan ahead. You may need to wake up 5 minutes earlier to fit breakfast in or make your smoothie the night before so all you have to do it pull the bottle or container out of the freezer or fridge in the morning and drink it on your way to work. Starting your day with a full tank will provide long lasting benefits to you and your body!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 28, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Food, Wellness/Health
Snacking can sometimes become an issue in the summer. Children are often at home more with a less structured schedule and older children are alone for certain periods of time. To avoid consuming too many extra calories (which leads to weight gain) try these tips.
Buy Good Food
- Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Chips, candy, pizza rolls, etc. are filled with calories but almost no vitamins or minerals.
- Fruits and vegetables contain tons of vitamins and minerals with less calories. They are a quick snack to prepare and delicious raw.
- Encourage water as the main beverage this summer. Kids need the hydration.
- Avoid sweetened beverages (see the article on the next page).
- Switch to skim or low-fat milk products.
Set a Loose Schedule
- Encourage a morning meal to start their day and an evening meal with others to provide structure.
- Emphasis eating a nutritious mid-day meal and 2-3 small snacks through the day.
- Make a rule that all food must be put on a plate or in a bowl. Cut down on consuming extra portions out of the container.
- Make a rule that food is to be eaten at a counter or dining table. Cut down on mindless munching in front of the TV or reading a book.
Fun Snack Ideas
- 1/2 cup low-at yogurt with fresh fruit
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- Apples or celery dipped in natural peanut butter
- Dried fruit (raisins, dried apples, etc.)
- Baked tortilla chips dipped in salsa
- Keep fruits and vegetables handy for munching on
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies are a great way to guarantee your 5-A-Day natural nutrients while keeping you cool in these hot temps. Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes while delivering fiber and vitamins. Contrary to the common belief, consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be inexpensive and in the long run will save you money in terms of medical bills.
There are endless smoothie recipes you can use to make a quick breakfast, after a workout, or for an afternoon snack. Adding an extra boost to your smoothie such as protein powder or Greek yogurt will additionally provide other valuable nutrients. Here’s a guide to help get started
Add Fruit/Vegetable
|
Add Liquid
|
Add Thickener
|
Extra
|
| Banana, Berries, Apple, Pear, Peach, Kiwi, Pineapple, Cherries, Mango, Orange, Spinach, Kale, Beets, Carrots |
Dairy, Soy, Rice, or Almond Milk, Fruit Juice, Water, Iced Tea |
Peanut butter, Yogurt, Frozen yogurt, ice cubes, or oats. |
Honey, Cinnamon, Protein Powder, Mint, Figs, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed. |
| Choose 2-3 |
Add 1-2 cups of liquid |
Pick your consistency |
Your preference |
Here are some examples:
Green Smoothie: Mango Chunks, Banana, Kale or Spinach, Apple Slices, Water, Plain low fat yogurt
Carrot Smoothie: Carrots, Orange, Pineapple, Low-sugar Apple Juice, Ice Cubes, Cinnamon
Desert Smoothie: Banana, Apple Slices, Low Fat/Skim Milk, Peanut Butter, Top with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
