The moment October hits all I seem to want to do is bake with pumpkin! Everything from cookies, cakes, quick breads, I love it all. Most of these things are loaded with lots of fat and sugar. This recipe can be used as cookies, baked in muffin tins, made into a cake, it is super versatile, super easy and delicious!
Pumpkin Cookies
1 box spice cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix these two items together just until they are combined and then either scoop them out onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Scoop into a muffin tin and bake for 12-15 minutes. Or put into a 9X13 pan and bake for about 20 minutes. You can even make them extra tasty by adding in some chocolate chips!
10.29.2012
10.24.2012
50 Ways to Burn 100 Calories: Part 3
Yard Work:
Mowing the lawn: 20 minutes
Painting house: 18 minutes
Raking leaves: 23 minutes
Shoveling snow: 15 minutes
Washing the car: 20 minutes
Weeding the garden: 18 minutes
Everyday Activities:
Carrying an infant: 24 minutes
Cleaning, moderate effort: 26 minutes
Cooking: 34 minutes
Doing dishes: 40 minutes
Mowing the lawn: 20 minutes
Painting house: 18 minutes
Raking leaves: 23 minutes
Shoveling snow: 15 minutes
Washing the car: 20 minutes
Weeding the garden: 18 minutes
Everyday Activities:
Carrying an infant: 24 minutes
Cleaning, moderate effort: 26 minutes
Cooking: 34 minutes
Doing dishes: 40 minutes
10.22.2012
Thai Chicken with Basil
I absolutely love Thai food! It is one of my favorite ethnic cuisines, but unfortunately its really not that healthy for you. Every once in a while it is ok but it is not something that I can consistently be eating. This recipe gives me those same great Thai flavors but only has 210 calories and 8 g of fat per serving. If you love Thai food definitely try out this healthified version and if you are a little wary of Thai food this would be a good one to start out with!
Thai Chicken with Basil
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
4 Servings
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pound)
1 T canola or soybean oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red or green jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 T fish sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 T chopped fresh mint leaves
1 T chopped unsalted, roasted, peanuts
Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces.
Spray skilled with cooking spray. Add oil; heat over medium high heat. Cook chicken, garlic and chiles in oil, 8-10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil, mint and peanuts.
Source: Live Better America
Thai Chicken with Basil
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
4 Servings
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pound)
1 T canola or soybean oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red or green jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 T fish sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 T chopped fresh mint leaves
1 T chopped unsalted, roasted, peanuts
Cut each chicken breast into 4 pieces.
Spray skilled with cooking spray. Add oil; heat over medium high heat. Cook chicken, garlic and chiles in oil, 8-10 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil, mint and peanuts.
Source: Live Better America
10.17.2012
50 Ways to Burn 100 Calories: Part 2
Sports and Leisure Activities:
Basketball, shooting hoops: 20 minutes
Bowling: 30 minutes
Dancing around the living room: 20 minutes
Darts: 35 minutes
Golfing, carrying clubs: 15 minutes
Ice skating, moderate: 18 minutes
Kickball: 13 minutes
Mini golf or driving range: 30 minutes
Playing catch with a football: 35 minutes
Playing Frisbee: 30 minutes
Playing soccer, casual: 13 minutes
Skiing, downhill: 10 minutes
Softball or baseball: 18 minutes
Tennis (doubles): 21 minutes
Tennis (singles): 15 minutes
Treading water, moderate effort: 23 minutes
Volleyball, recreational: 26 minutes
Water Skiing: 15 minutes
Basketball, shooting hoops: 20 minutes
Bowling: 30 minutes
Dancing around the living room: 20 minutes
Darts: 35 minutes
Golfing, carrying clubs: 15 minutes
Ice skating, moderate: 18 minutes
Kickball: 13 minutes
Mini golf or driving range: 30 minutes
Playing catch with a football: 35 minutes
Playing Frisbee: 30 minutes
Playing soccer, casual: 13 minutes
Skiing, downhill: 10 minutes
Softball or baseball: 18 minutes
Tennis (doubles): 21 minutes
Tennis (singles): 15 minutes
Treading water, moderate effort: 23 minutes
Volleyball, recreational: 26 minutes
Water Skiing: 15 minutes
10.15.2012
So much more than Guac: 5 Surprising Uses for Avocados
Guacamole is delish, but there are so many more uses for avocados than just dip. While they are higher in calories than other fruits, they are a healthy source of folate, fiber, vitamin E and potassium, and rich in unsaturated fats. Try some of these surprising uses, you just might be surprised!
- Grilled avocado boats. These are sure to surprise your dinner guests. Slice the avocado in half, removing the pit. Stick them on the grill, face down, and cook until they start to melt and get grill marks. Fill the “boats” with a black bean-tomato-corn salsa or shrimp salad.
- “Creamy” green pasta. Add smashed avocado mixed with a little pasta water for a delicious “cream” sauce for noodles. The avocado lends an amazing texture and a cool green color to the pasta.
- Fat replacer. Using avocado to replace butter decreases saturated fat and increases nutrients in baked goods. Avocado makes baked goods soft, creamy and less crumbly (it’s also a fantastic standby in vegan and vegetarian baking).
- Smoothies. Avocados enhance the color and texture of green smoothies. Blend avocado with yellow-colored fruits (like mango, bananas and pineapple) and some leafy greens for an electric-green smoothie filled with flavor and nutrition.
- Face mask.Wondering how to use those overripe avocados? Smash it up and smear in it on your face. The essential oils can help rehydrate the skin, giving you a smooth finish and refreshed look!
10.10.2012
50 Ways to Burn 100 Calories: Part 1
Every single thing that you do burns calories-breathing, sleeping, standing, and all of the activities and other active pursuits you enjoy. But what does it take to burn 100 calories? You might be surprised by how little-or how much- activity you have to do to achieve that goal of the daily calories you want to be burning! To put it all in perspective read through these 50 ways to burn 100 calories. From standard exercises at the gym, to everyday chores around the house, you just might be surprised. Keep in mind that not all movements are created equal. To classify as a cardio exercise you must be working between your target heart rate and maximum heart rate. Even though periods of less intense activity don't classify as part of your "workout", they still provide health benefits and burn extra calories. And all are much better than just sitting around!!
(Values are approximate and are based on a 150 pound person.)
Workouts:
Biking: 23 minutes of casual biking
Cardio dance class: 15 minutes
Elliptical: 8 minutes
Jumping rope: 9 minutes at a moderate intensity
Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes
Pilates: 24 minutes
Rowing machine: 13 minutes
Running stairs: 6 minutes
Running: 9 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace
Swimming: 15 minutes of moderate intensity
Walking stairs: 11 minutes
Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace
Water aerobics: 23 minutes
Yoga: 20 minutes
Zumba: 11 minutes
(Values are approximate and are based on a 150 pound person.)
Workouts:
Biking: 23 minutes of casual biking
Cardio dance class: 15 minutes
Elliptical: 8 minutes
Jumping rope: 9 minutes at a moderate intensity
Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes
Pilates: 24 minutes
Rowing machine: 13 minutes
Running stairs: 6 minutes
Running: 9 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace
Swimming: 15 minutes of moderate intensity
Walking stairs: 11 minutes
Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace
Water aerobics: 23 minutes
Yoga: 20 minutes
Zumba: 11 minutes
10.08.2012
12 Ways to Cut Calories Without Eating Less
The fact is that to lose weight you have to cut calories. There is just no way around it. But eating less is a superfine way to feel dissatisfied after every meal. Instead of shrinking your portions, bulk up your meal with foods that will fill you up without weighing you down like fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. These healthy eats pack fewer calories per bite than higher fat items like nuts, dark chocolate, butter and bacon. Try out these tips to add volume and subtract calories from your meals.
1. Add Veggies to...Everything: Filling up on water and fiber is the key. So load your meals with vegetables so there is less room for higher calorie meat and grains. At lunch stuff a lettuce wrap with tomato, grated carrots, sprouts, bell peppers and sliced cucumbers. At dinner you can still enjoy carb heavy favorites like casseroles, pasta dishes and rice stir-fries by bulking them up with more veggies.
2. Fill Up on Fruit: Select fruits that contain the most water and leave plenty of room for them on your plate. Opt for watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, oranges, apples and blueberries over higher calorie plantains and bananas. A cup of sliced banana contains 133 calories but you have to eat more than 2 cups of strawberries or peaches to take in the same number of calories.
3. Start with Soup or Salad: Starting your meal with a broth based soup or salad with light dressing can help you eat less over the course of the meal, according to researchers at Penn State. "It fills you up with fluid, or veggies, without giving you a ton of calories and makes you feel more satisfied," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Its also visually pleasing: "A big, piping hot bowl of broth-based soup can be very satisfying compared to having half of a hamburger because you're going to get a lot more soup."
4. Eat Flaked or Puffed Cereal: Ready to eat cereal can help you slim down when you stick to a single serving and use it to replace a higher-calorie meal. To stretch out that serving choose your brand wisely, you can get a lot more flaked or puffy cereal when compared to dense granola. Choose a high fiber, whole grain variety.
5. Opt For Egg Whites: Science suggests that eating eggs can help keep your weight in check. Studies show that eating two eggs in the morning can cut your calorie consumption throughout the day. Cut calories and cholesterol by using egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs. While a large egg will set you back about 80 calories, 2 eggs whites only have about 34 calories.
6. Switch to Low Fat Dairy: When you make the switch from whole milk to low-fat milk you can drink almost twice the amount for the same number of calories. The same thing applies to other dairy products too.
7. Look for Leaner Sources of Protein: Shrimp, tilapia, light tuna in water and roasted turkey breast are packed with protein, but not fat and calories. When you pick fish you can eat almost three times as much food as when you select something like sausage.
8. Select Less Dense Desserts: A half-cup of frozen yogurt contains about 110 calories, while a half-cup of premium ice cream contains about 290. Or pick fruit like melon or grilled pineapple, over cake and cookies, to fill up on water and fiber. While a single Double Stuff Oreo sets you back about 70 calories, you could eat 1.5 cups of watermelon or three-quarters cup pineapple for the same number of calories.
9. Buy It Whipped: Whipped cream cheese and butter come with added air and contain fewer calories than regular spreads. Just don't think that buying the lighter gives you license to eat more.
10. Pick a Puffy Snack: If you want a salty snack that you can eat more than one handful of, opt for popcorn. "That way you get to indulge in the whole bag," says Giancoli. She recommends popping kernels on the stove with a small amount of oil or buying 94 percent fat free 100 calorie bags. Just be careful or ready made varieties. Some counterbalance popcorn's benefits by adding lots of calories with butter.
11. Go Raw: You don't get much food for your calories when you munch on traditional snacks like crackers, cookies and cereal bars. They contain very little water. For a voluminous, water-dense snack you can dip vegetables rather than chips into salsa. Or enjoy a bowl of vegetable soup or Greek yogurt with fruit.
12. Dilute Dressings and Dips: Topping your salad with a creamy dressing can instantly add hundreds of calories to your plate. But if you can't imagine eating greens without your favorite Caesar dressing, you can cut calories and fat but extending your dressing. Try mixing your dressing with lemon juice, a mashed avocado, or plain, no-fat Greek yogurt.
1. Add Veggies to...Everything: Filling up on water and fiber is the key. So load your meals with vegetables so there is less room for higher calorie meat and grains. At lunch stuff a lettuce wrap with tomato, grated carrots, sprouts, bell peppers and sliced cucumbers. At dinner you can still enjoy carb heavy favorites like casseroles, pasta dishes and rice stir-fries by bulking them up with more veggies.
2. Fill Up on Fruit: Select fruits that contain the most water and leave plenty of room for them on your plate. Opt for watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, oranges, apples and blueberries over higher calorie plantains and bananas. A cup of sliced banana contains 133 calories but you have to eat more than 2 cups of strawberries or peaches to take in the same number of calories.
3. Start with Soup or Salad: Starting your meal with a broth based soup or salad with light dressing can help you eat less over the course of the meal, according to researchers at Penn State. "It fills you up with fluid, or veggies, without giving you a ton of calories and makes you feel more satisfied," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Its also visually pleasing: "A big, piping hot bowl of broth-based soup can be very satisfying compared to having half of a hamburger because you're going to get a lot more soup."
4. Eat Flaked or Puffed Cereal: Ready to eat cereal can help you slim down when you stick to a single serving and use it to replace a higher-calorie meal. To stretch out that serving choose your brand wisely, you can get a lot more flaked or puffy cereal when compared to dense granola. Choose a high fiber, whole grain variety.
5. Opt For Egg Whites: Science suggests that eating eggs can help keep your weight in check. Studies show that eating two eggs in the morning can cut your calorie consumption throughout the day. Cut calories and cholesterol by using egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs. While a large egg will set you back about 80 calories, 2 eggs whites only have about 34 calories.
6. Switch to Low Fat Dairy: When you make the switch from whole milk to low-fat milk you can drink almost twice the amount for the same number of calories. The same thing applies to other dairy products too.
7. Look for Leaner Sources of Protein: Shrimp, tilapia, light tuna in water and roasted turkey breast are packed with protein, but not fat and calories. When you pick fish you can eat almost three times as much food as when you select something like sausage.
8. Select Less Dense Desserts: A half-cup of frozen yogurt contains about 110 calories, while a half-cup of premium ice cream contains about 290. Or pick fruit like melon or grilled pineapple, over cake and cookies, to fill up on water and fiber. While a single Double Stuff Oreo sets you back about 70 calories, you could eat 1.5 cups of watermelon or three-quarters cup pineapple for the same number of calories.
9. Buy It Whipped: Whipped cream cheese and butter come with added air and contain fewer calories than regular spreads. Just don't think that buying the lighter gives you license to eat more.
10. Pick a Puffy Snack: If you want a salty snack that you can eat more than one handful of, opt for popcorn. "That way you get to indulge in the whole bag," says Giancoli. She recommends popping kernels on the stove with a small amount of oil or buying 94 percent fat free 100 calorie bags. Just be careful or ready made varieties. Some counterbalance popcorn's benefits by adding lots of calories with butter.
11. Go Raw: You don't get much food for your calories when you munch on traditional snacks like crackers, cookies and cereal bars. They contain very little water. For a voluminous, water-dense snack you can dip vegetables rather than chips into salsa. Or enjoy a bowl of vegetable soup or Greek yogurt with fruit.
12. Dilute Dressings and Dips: Topping your salad with a creamy dressing can instantly add hundreds of calories to your plate. But if you can't imagine eating greens without your favorite Caesar dressing, you can cut calories and fat but extending your dressing. Try mixing your dressing with lemon juice, a mashed avocado, or plain, no-fat Greek yogurt.
10.01.2012
Eat More Veggies!
Remember these tips to increase the veggies in your diet, and to actually enjoy eating them! Chock full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, no wonder the USDA recommends that half your plate be filled with fruits and vegetables. Make it easy and tasty, with these tricks and recipes.
1. Eat with the seasons. This usually means you are eating food that is locally grown or even grown in your backyard. The seasonality of your favorite vegetables makes you appreciate and anticipate when they will be in season so you can devour them before they are gone!
2. Don't forget frozen vegetables. Stock your freezer with them, its another great way to make sure you are eating enough. Studies show that nutrients in frozen vegetables are "locked-in" following the freezing process. You are also more likely to include vegetables with dinner on a busy night if they are at the ready in your freezer.
3. If at first you don't succeed...try, try again. Getting your kids to eat their veggies can be tricky, but don't get discouraged if they refuse them the first couple of times. It can take up to 15 times or even a few months to develop a taste for a new vegetable, so keep offering them. And set a good example by eating them yourself.
4. Dress them up. If serving veggies with a little butter, melted cheese or ranch dressing will help your family to eat them then by all means go for it! Adding a little bit of fat to vegetables helps to unlock their fat-soluble nutrients and a few extra calories is worth the additional nutrient boost you will be getting.
5. Give them a disguise. Whether or not you need to trick someone into eating them, it is still a great idea to fortify foods with vegetables whenever possible. Muffins, pasta sauces and smoothies will still taste amazing even if you sneak in a little pumpkin puree or spinach. You will be surprised at how much you can get away with!
6. Take your veggies on the road. We all find ourselves eating on the run, whether its at work or on the way to soccer practice. Take along containers of crunch cucumbers, celery, radishes and carrots so you can get a nutritious veggie fix while curbing your hunger.
1. Eat with the seasons. This usually means you are eating food that is locally grown or even grown in your backyard. The seasonality of your favorite vegetables makes you appreciate and anticipate when they will be in season so you can devour them before they are gone!
2. Don't forget frozen vegetables. Stock your freezer with them, its another great way to make sure you are eating enough. Studies show that nutrients in frozen vegetables are "locked-in" following the freezing process. You are also more likely to include vegetables with dinner on a busy night if they are at the ready in your freezer.
3. If at first you don't succeed...try, try again. Getting your kids to eat their veggies can be tricky, but don't get discouraged if they refuse them the first couple of times. It can take up to 15 times or even a few months to develop a taste for a new vegetable, so keep offering them. And set a good example by eating them yourself.
4. Dress them up. If serving veggies with a little butter, melted cheese or ranch dressing will help your family to eat them then by all means go for it! Adding a little bit of fat to vegetables helps to unlock their fat-soluble nutrients and a few extra calories is worth the additional nutrient boost you will be getting.
5. Give them a disguise. Whether or not you need to trick someone into eating them, it is still a great idea to fortify foods with vegetables whenever possible. Muffins, pasta sauces and smoothies will still taste amazing even if you sneak in a little pumpkin puree or spinach. You will be surprised at how much you can get away with!
6. Take your veggies on the road. We all find ourselves eating on the run, whether its at work or on the way to soccer practice. Take along containers of crunch cucumbers, celery, radishes and carrots so you can get a nutritious veggie fix while curbing your hunger.
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