by kelsey | Jul 7, 2011 | Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management
Have you ever wondered how you can enjoy a sweet treat without all of the added calories?! Here are a few ideas for you:
- Mix flavored yogurt or plain yogurt honey and your favorite fruit.
- Drizzle a bit of honey over mixed melon balls.
- Blend bananas and strawberries, freeze into cubes, and eat like ice cream.
- Sauté or bake 1/2 banana and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped nuts.
- Take three of your favorite kinds of berries; cook half of them with just enough water to prevent burning. Cool and stir in remaining berries. Portion 1/2 cup of the berry compote with 1 tablespoon of your favorite vanilla ice cream.
- Try making your favorite flavor of sugar free pudding with low-fat milk.
- If it’s ice cream that you really want- skip the scoop-yourself containers and buy single-serving novelty treats such as fudgesicles, creamsicles, even chocolate-covered ice cream bars. You’re more likely to limit your portions if they already come in a single serving
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 5, 2011 | Food, Holidays
After a fun filled holiday weekend, many (myself included) are recovering from a weekend full of fun times with family and friends and of course good food! The STRIVE 2 Survive team encourages you all to take advantage of these fun times but to get back on track with your nutrition and exercise goals right away! You may have heard someone say…”well I’ll start again on Monday”. We encourage you not to wait until Monday…why not today!?! Try to get out for a walk or bike ride and get back on track with several small meals and snacks a day with balanced portions. I am looking forward to grilling up some lean beef tonight with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. I love grill season!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 29, 2011 | Food, Holidays
As I was looking through my snack recipes to make up for the 4th celebrations I noticed many of them call for seasonings such as garlic salt, onion salt, etc. A quick tip for you when grocery shopping and preparing your foods that call for seasonings, the “powder” versions are going to have less sodium than the “salt” versions so if your recipe calls for garlic salt, you can easily substitute garlic powder and have less sodium added to your tasty foods! Even though I do not have high blood pressure, I still try to watch the salt in my diet as I am sure I am getting plenty as many foods are already packed full of it! The new dietary guidelines tightened up the recommendations for sodium and are now recommending those with heart disease or high blood pressure consume 1500-2400 mg of sodium a day. To put this in perspective, the average American consumes anywhere from 4000-5000 mg/day!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 28, 2011 | Food, Holidays
As you all prepare your menu for the 4th of July festivities, I encourage you all to be health conscious and include healthy items such as fresh produce into your menu plans. Instead of the usual hotdog or brat on the grill, try making kabobs with lean meats such as chicken, pork , or shrimp along with some healthy veggies. If your holiday fun is anything like my family’s, it ends up being several days full of great food that is very tempting so planning some healthy items into your menu will save some calories and extra pounds post holiday!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 23, 2011 | Food
Below is the list of the Clean 15, those produce that have the least amount of pesticides. You will notice that several melons are listed. Even though they have a thick outer covering, it’s still good to thoroughly wash the outside before cutting in to prevent the spread of food borne illness. Enjoy! -Kelsey
The Clean 15
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
by kelsey | Jun 22, 2011 | Food
Recently the Environmental Working Group released their findings of produce are most contaminated by pesticides (known as the dirty dozen) and those that are the cleanest. The rankings reflect the amounts of chemicals on the food when eaten. The samples are washed and peeled before testing, however it is difficult to remove all pesticides because some may be taken up by the entire plant and/or may reside on more than just the skin. Pesticides are used for several reasons. They are used in efforts of preventing food borne illnesses and more recently have been used to promote a longer shelf life. Even though the pesticides may be found in small amounts and long term affects are unknown, it’s still useful to practice proper food safety and be knowledgable of the dirty dozen list. Stay tuned to learn about the Clean 15 tomorrow!
-Kelsey
The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens
