by kelsey | Feb 6, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
We had some excellent treats last night at STRIVE 2 Survive thanks to County Fair Foods. Both are very tasty and healthy! Be sure to give these a try!
Angel Lush (above picture)
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg (1 oz) vanilla fat free/sugar free instant pudding
1 c thawed lite cool whip topping
1 pkg (10 oz) round angel food cake cut into three layers
10 small fresh strawberries
Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently stir in cool whip. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake. Refrigerate for one hour. Top with berries.
Chicken Veggie Wrap
Garden vegetable wraps
Cooked chicken breast
Garden vegetable 1/3 less fat cream cheese
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Alfalfa sprouts
Lettuce
Dice chicken and vegetables. Spread cream cheese on wrap. Layer chicken and vegetables. Roll, slice, and enjoy!
by kelsey | Jan 31, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Food, Weight Management, Winter
The weather is making headlines today as we woke up to -40-50 below with wind chill. It’s very hard to get motivated to do anything on days like today as we’d rather just curl up in a blanket in our sweatpants and watch a movie. Even though we may feel like being a bum, it’s still a good time to get a little workout in which will help raise your body temperature and give you more energy throughout the day. We also typically eat more soups, stews, and hot-dishes on days like this. If you are watching your waist line, it’s important to be careful of how much you consume of these foods as they can be high in calories, fat, and carbs… depending on how you prepare them. Broth based soups and stews are lower in calories and fat than cream based. In addition, if you’re making a hot dish, you may consider cutting calories by choosing fat free soups to add to your dish, such as fat free cream of chicken or mushroom soup. They also have low sodium varieties of these so if you’re watching your blood pressure or sodium intake, you may consider using this variety. And, as always, be sure to incorporate your lean proteins and plenty of fruits and veggies to your meal. Two of my favorite cold weather meals are my mom’s beef stew that has carrots, peas, potatoes, onion, and roast meat and her chicken noodle soup that also has plenty of veggies with white meat chicken. Nothing beats either of these on a cold winter day!
If you venture out today, be sure to dress appropriately and cover up!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 9, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
County Fair Foods treated us to some delicious treats last night at our STRIVE 2 Survive kick-off! My personal favorite was the Berry Parfait. They’re super easy to make and loaded with great nutrients. This treat is a good breakfast or a snack….be sure to give it a try!
Berry Parfait
3/4 c sliced strawberries
3/4 c blueberries
1 6 oz tub fat free vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 banana sliced
1/3 c granola
Layer all of the ingredients in a bowl or cup using about 1/3 of each until you have used all of your ingredients. Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Dec 19, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Weight Management
Christmas is just 5 days away! Many of you are working very hard to get ready for your family and friend holiday functions….which usually involves baking! We all know baked goods are not the best for us due to their higher levels of fat and sugar but they are included in our holiday traditions, making them hard to pass up! The following are a few ways to lighten your recipes so you can still enjoy a sweet treat…just without all of the extra calories, fat, and sugar.
Butter, shortening, margarine, or solid fat: Use 1/4 less liquid oil or solid fat called for in the recipe–so if the recipe calls for 1 cup, you could use 3/4 c. If the recipe uses shortening, use 3 Tbsp oil. Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine, or butter. You can also replace 1 c of fat with 1/2 c. prune puree or 1 c of fat with 1 c unsweetened applesauce. Oil in place of a solid fat is also a healthier substitution. If you use any of these, you will want to monitor your baking time as it may need to be reduced by 25%.
Whole milk, half and half, or evaporated milk: Use skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat free half and half, or plain soy milk with calcium
Cream Cheese: use nonfat or reduced fat.
Sour cream or mayo: use nonfat or reduced fat…or use nonfat Greek yogurt and get a little extra protein and calcium.
Cream or whipping cream: use evaporated skim milk or non fat whipped topping or cream.
Eggs: use 2 whites in place of 1 egg or 1/4 egg substitute.
Sugar: Reduce sugar by 1/4 to 1/3- if recipe calls for 1 c, use 2/3 c. You can also use sugar substitutes such as Splenda and use the equivalent chart on the back of the bag. Baking time may be shorter, so be sure to watch it closely!
If you choose not to lighten your recipes, practicing portion control is another great tool to use. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but in moderation and be sure to get your exercise in!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 6, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Food
Have you ever wondered what the proper storage for certain foods is? I like to read the daily updates and news bits on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website (eatright.org) and today’s post was especially interesting! I encourage you to check out the full story at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442472969#.UJmCvpFub4s. From the proper way to store honey, to keeping tomatoes fresh, to olive oil and butter, this short clip provides you the recommendations to keep your foods fresh and safe to consume! I also encourage you to check out the Food Safety site: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/index.html for your complete storage guide! Not only does proper storage keep your food safe to consume, it also allows you to enjoy it and get all of the nutritional benefits.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 24, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Food
County Fair Foods offered us some more great treats last night. Here are the recipes for your enjoyment!
Healthy Pumpkin Pie
15 oz can pumpkin
8 oz skim milk or low fat soy milk
3 egg whites
Reduced fat graham cracker crust
3/4 c. Splenda
Pumpkin pie spice
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the sides on the graham cracker crust and discard. Mix pumpkin, milk, and egg whites until smooth. Gradually stir in Splenda 1/4 c. at a time. Add the pumpkin pie spice, taste and add more if needed. Our onto the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 15 min. then reduce the temp to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.
The make the crust crispier, beat 2 egg whites and brush over the crust and bake for 5 min at 350 degrees.
Holiday Jelly Party Dip
8oz fat free cream cheese
1 small jar of jalapeno jelly
1 box of whole wheat snack crackers (Triscuits or Wheat Thins)
Place cream cheese on a plate. Spread jalepeno jelly over cream cheese. Enjoy with whole wheat crackers.
-Kelsey
