by kelsey | Oct 30, 2012 | Diet, Eating Out, Food, Weight Management
One of my favorite activities we do in our STRIVE lectures is the label reading activity with nutrition information from restaurants. I find it’s hard to make a good choice if we don’t know what good choices are at those particular restaurants…thus taking the time to read and research the options will ensure a healthy choice is made. You can find the nutrition information online for most chain restaurants and alot of them are posting the calories right next to the choices as a result of new labeling laws. I also like using the Calorie King app on my phone to help me make good choices.
If you do not have the option to look at the nutrition facts, here are some tips to help you make healthy and smart choices when eating out:
- Watch your portions: choose a half portion, share your meal, or pack half or 2/3 of your meal to go before you start eating.
- Add to your meal: add more veggies and lean meats if you have the option.
- Eat consistently: eat balanced throughout the day, even though you know you’re going out to eat later. Skipping meals and snacks to save up calories for your night out, will only result in you over-eating and making poor choices because you are so hungry! Have a snack an hour or two before you go to stave off hunger.
- Read wisely: choose dishes that are grilled, broiled, steamed, baked, or roasted. Stay away from dishes that are fried, breaded, crispy, crunchy, or creamy as they typically have more calories, fat, and sodium.
- Ask for help: it’s ok to ask for substitutions or ways to make your meal healthier.
Eating out it part of our social life, so it’s important to be mindful and smart about your choices to ensure you stay on track with your goals!
-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
by kelsey | Oct 18, 2012 | Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As many have you heard, there continues to be frustrations with the recent changes to school menus. The National School Lunch nutrition guidelines were updated this year to now include more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, low fat dairy, and restrictions on total fat, trans and saturated fat, and sodium. As a dietitian, I think these changes are a great improvement in the nutrition content of the meals and will make a positive impact in our children’s health, long term. Change is never easy and most of us don’t like change, which is partly why we have heard more negative feedback than positive right now.
In the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit with Kaitlyn Hemmingson, SDSU Nutrition Graduate Student who has been assisting Brookings School District with their menu updates as well as the Watertown Coordinated School Health group. From what I’ve gathered from these visits, is that the feedback is really individualized for each district. Some schools have been prepping to make these changes in the last few years so those districts have already gotten their students accustomed to these changes whereas, other district’s are struggling a bit more with student’s appeal and satisfaction to the changes. It will also take some time for the foodservice folks to figure out which foods students like and which need some revising, as well as learning to cook and prepare the foods in a manner students will enjoy. The last update for school menus was 15 years ago and as many know, the health of our nation has greatly changed in the last 15 years as we now have about 66% of Americans in the overweight-obese BMI categories, leaving only about a third of Americans at a healthy weight.
I feel these changes are a step in the right direction and it’s just going to take some time for students to adjust and get used to the changes. In addition, it’s going to take some time for our foodservice workers to adapt the menus and learn how to prepare the new foods in an appetizing manner for students to enjoy. A main complaint is that students are still hungry, so what both Kaitlyn and the Watertown Coordinated School Health groups are recommending is that parents take initiative and pack their child some extra snacks in their bookbag for afterschool or in between sports and we recommend these snacks to be healthy ones to help fuel their bodies. Healthy snacks include whole grain granola bars, fruit, trail mix, half a turkey sandwich, whole grain crackers and cheese, etc. The long term effects of these menu improvements will make a tremendous and positive impact on the health of our nation, so be patient and give it some time to work!
To view the full report you can click this link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf. Page 24-25 lists the chart of recommendations for each food group according to age groups and the sodium restrictions.
If you have any questions about these changes, don’t hesitate to contact me!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 17, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food
Last night’s STRIVE 2 Survive meeting was excellent! Deidra VanGilder, PharmD was our speaker and she did a great job discussing medications, supplements, vitamins, and minerals and what’s best for our body and our health conditions. She is an excellent resource to Brown Clinic and STRIVE 2 Survive and if you ever have questions regarding your medication or supplements, feel free to contact her at the clinic!
We also had some great food (always a favorite part of the night for me!). County Fair Foods provided a very tasty Mango Salsa and provided us with some great omega-3 fatty acids with salmon cakes. Be sure to give these recipes a try!
Quick Mango Salsa
2 mangos peed, seeded, and chopped
1 large tomato diced
1 small onion minced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1 Tbsp cilantro minced
1 lime juiced
Salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy with whole grain chips or crackers.
Salmon Cakes
1 box Zatarans salmon cake mix
16 oz Shurfine pink salmon
1 egg
1/4 c. fat free mayo
1/2 c. cold water
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Let stand in refrigerator for 30 min. Mold salmon cake mixture into small patties. Fry in olive or canola oil until browned.
Dipping Sauce: 1 c fat free mayo, 1 Tbsp hot sauce–mix well.
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 10, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As the weather starts changing and it gets colder out, 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.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 3, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Food, Weight Management
Once again, County Fair Foods provided us with an excellent treat at last night’s STRIVE 2 Survive meeting. The Breakfast Berry Parfait provides us with a great source of nutrients including protein, calcium, fiber, and excellent vitamins and minerals. You can make your own twist to it, but here is their recipe for your enjoyment and nourishment.
3/4 c sliced strawberries
3/4 c blueberries
6 oz fat free yogurt
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 banana sliced
1/3 c granola
To add additional protein to your dish, use the Greek yogurt. It is processed a bit differently than our regular yogurt, thus making it thicker and double the protein and typically lower in carbohydrates. Just be sure to choose the low fat/fat free as some can contain high amounts of saturated fats.
This is good for breakfast or for a snack….enjoy!
-Kelsey
