10 Best Foods to Eat

1.   Sweet Potatoes. A nutritional All-Star-- one of the best vegetables you can eat. They are loaded with carotenoids and are a decent source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Bake and then mix in some unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness. I love them as oven fries!
2.   Mangoes. About a cup of mango supplies 100% of a day's vitamin C, one-third of a day's vitamin A, a decent dose of blood-pressure-lowering potassium, and 3 grams of fiber. 
3. Unsweetened Greek Yogurt. Non-fat plain yogurt has a pleasant tartness that's a perfect complement for the natural sweetness of berries or bananas or your favorite breakfast cereal. It has twice the protein of ordinary yogurt-about 18 grams in 6 ounces.
4. Broccoli. It has lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin K, and folic acid. Steam it just enough so that it's still fir and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a spritz of lemon juice. I like it with lemon pepper or lime juice. Yum
5.  Wild Salmon. The omega-3 fats in fatty fish like salmon may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. 
6.  Crispbreads. Whole-grain rye crackers, like Wasa, RyKrisp, Kavli, and Ryvita-usually called crispbreads are loaded with fiber and often fat-free. Drizzle with a little honey and sprinkle with cinnamon to satisfy your sweet tooth.
7.   Garbanzo Beans. All beans are good beans. They're rich in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, but garbanzos stand out because they're so versatile. Just drain, rinse and toss a handful on your green salad; include them in vegetable stews, curries, and soups; mix them with brown rice, whole wheat couscous, bulgur or other whole grains,
8. Watermelon. Watermelon is a heavyweight in the nutrient department. A standard serving (about 2 cups) has one-third of a day's vitamins A and C, a nice shot of potassium and a healthy dose of lycopene for only 85 fat-free calories. 
9. Butternut Squash. Steam a sliced squash or buy peeled, diced butternut squash at the store that's oven-ready, great for stir-fry, or a soup. It's an easy way to get lots of vitamins A and C and fiber.
10. Leafy Greens. Don't miss out on powerhouse greens like kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens and Swiss chard. The leafy greens are packed with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, lutein, and fiber. Serve with a splash of lemon juice, or red wine vinegar. 

Thanks Nutrition Action for this great information.

Asparagus...What You May Not Know

Asparagus is in season right now!  I did not like those green spears when I was a child.  There was a horse pasture across the road and there was asparagus that grew right outside of the fence on the side of the road. My mom would go over and pick it and I dreaded dinner when she did because we were always required to have at least one spear.  I hated chocking those things down!  Now that I am older though I have grown to love those tasty spears. After you read about how great they are, hopefully you will look differently at them next time you see them in the store and will give them a shot!

There are many ways that you can cook asparagus and all sorts of recipes you can put them in.  My favorites are to toss the spears with a little olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and then roast them in the office for about 10-15 minutes.  I like to leave them tender crisp and then we use our fingers and pick them up like they are french fries!  I often make them alongside a panini or burger in place of fries.  Another way I use them a lot lately is to cut them into 2 inch pieces and dump them in my pasta or stir fry along with all the other veggies.

Nutrition Highlights

• Asparagus is a rich source of folic acid, containing about 30 percent Daily Value for ½ cup (about 6 spears or 85 grams) cooked.
• It’s also a good source of vitamin A for healthy vision, and vitamin K, which assists in blood clotting.
• Six spears of asparagus contain about 20 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber.

Varieties

• Asparagus comes in two varieties: green and purple. White asparagus is actually the same variety as green, except that it’s grown without sunlight, which means it can’t produce chlorophyll.

When is Asparagus in Season?

• Because it grows so quickly, asparagus is usually one of the first springtime harvests, though it can grow almost year-round in warmer climates, like California's.

How to Choose Asparagus

• Select stalks that are firm and fresh with tightly closed tips.
• For even cooking time, choose stalks with a uniform diameter.
• The larger the diameter of the spears, the more tender they will be – though they may require peeling.

How to Store Asparagus

• Do not wash asparagus before storing. It will stay fresher longer if you wait until you’re ready to use it to wash it.
• Wrap stalks in a moist paper towel, position upright (cut-side down) in a water-tight container, then and add 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover with a loose plastic bag.
• Stored properly, fresh asparagus will keep 3 to 4 days.

Prepping Asparagus

• Remove the tough ends by cutting with a knife or snapping by hand; spears will naturally break where color fades to white.
• To remove sand and dirt, submerge spears in a bowl of warm water and rinse well.
• Most asparagus does not need to be peeled, but thick spears with tough skin may be the exception. Use a vegetable peeler to get to the more tender stalk underneath. Take care not to peel the tips.

How to Cook with Asparagus

• Boiling: Trim ends and boil in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes. Take care not to overcook. Stalks should be crisp and tender.
• Steaming: Steam asparagus upright using an asparagus steamer for 2 to 6 minutes, or cut into stalks into 3-inch diagonal pieces and place in a steaming basket for 2 to 8 minutes. Asparagus can also be steamed using a double boiler or percolator: tie spears together, stand upright with the tips 1 to 2 inches above boiling water and cook covered for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Sautéing: Cut pieces diagonally into 2-inch pieces, place in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat and stir constantly for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Roasting: Pat stalks dry and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roll each stalk to evenly coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in an oven at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Grilling: Prepare stalks in the same manner as roasting (see above), transfer from baking sheet to grill, positioning stalks perpendicular to grill grates, and flip every few minutes for even grilling. Asparagus is done when slightly browned and still crisp.
• Microwaving: Place asparagus in a microwave-safe dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes.

Source: Live Better America

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful internal antioxidant that supports lymphocyte and natural killer cell activity, as well as white blood cell production (associated with a strong immune system).

Your body cannot make vitamin C on its own, so you have to get it from food and/or supplements. It's essential for numerous bodily processes, including bond and connective tissue health.  Vitamin C also increases the body's absorption of iron and regenerates vitamin E.

You can reduce the frequency and duration of colds and the flue, particularly in extreme athletes and those living in cold climates; boost energy; alleviate allergies; strengthen bones; enhance collagen production; and reduce your cancer risk.

Daily dosage vary widely for every person. In general, at least 1,000 mg of vitamin C and up to 15,000 mg daily can be used.  Abdominal bloating, gas, and loose stools are signs that you've taken more than your body can absorb.

Ester-C is a proprietary form of vitamin C that is non-acidic and highly absorbable. It is available in capsules and powders.

Signs that you need more vitamin C:

• Low energy/fatigue
• Poor/slow wound healing
• Frequent colds and/or infections
• Lung problems

There are also a lot of great ways to get more vitamin C in your diet just from the foods you eat. 

• Papaya
• Bell Peppers
• Strawberries
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Lemon Juice
• Pineapple
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kiwi
• Kale

Source: betternutrition

Are You Eating Enough of THIS Veggie?

I was reading a Women's Health article on potatoes and was surprised at some of the things I have learned.  Researchers are saying that eating potatoes is just as important as filling up on more colorful produce.  Read through all of their interesting findings and see if you can't start finding ways to incorporate more potatoes into your diet! 

In the past, spuds haven't been a vegetable that received a lot of love.  Researchers in nutrition science are now wanting all of us to know that we definitely shouldn't avoid them.  They are finding that eating potatoes is just as important as filling up on the other, more colorful veggies, according to a new supplement published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.

Researchers gathered at Purdue University to bust the myth that white veggies--potatoes in particular--aren't as nutritious as colored ones.  While potatoes get a bad rap for being starchy, they are also filled with vital nutrients, says supplement coauthor Connie Weaver, PhD, head of the department of nutrition science at Purdue University.  One medium baked potato provides 11 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake and 12 percent of your recommended daily magnesium intake.  What's more, potatoes are the highest dietary source of potassium.

It's not hat you have to replace other vegetables with potatoes, says Weaver.  But since people in the U.S. generally don't get enough fiber, potassium and magnesium according to the National Institutes of Health, you don't want to nix them from your diet either. 

The bottom line: when it comes to which veggies you eat, it's not one versus the other, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It and nutrition expert in New York. 

"The important thing to emphasize is variety," she says.  "One fruit or vegetable doesn't give us everything we need--it's the blend of colors that count, and that includes potatoes."

Winter Fruit Salad

Winter Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 1 lemon
• 5 large navel or blood oranges
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 2 firm bananas, peeled and diced
• 5 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 12 kumquats, very thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)

Directions

Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, the ginger and vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon and 1 orange, add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.
Meanwhile, peel the remaining oranges with a paring knife, cutting along the natural curve of the fruit. Hold an orange over a large bowl and cut along both sides of each membrane to free the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze each empty membrane to release the juices. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Add the mangoes, bananas, kiwis, kumquats and pomegranate seeds and gently toss. Pour the syrup over the fruit and chill overnight.
Before serving, remove the citrus zest, ginger and vanilla pod. Spoon the fruit and syrup into bowls.
To remove pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit into quarters, then break apart in a bowl of water. Skim off the pith that floats to the top and drain the seeds.

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. 

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. 

Smart Snacking

Prepare Healthy Snacks in Advance
Making your own granola or trail mix helps you control the ingredients and put in it what's good for you. You can also keep plenty of fresh fruit and cut veggie sticks in the fridge to grab in a hurry. The easier it is for us to grab a healthy snack; the better we seem to do at choosing them first. Cut up fruit and veggies and keep in individual bags in the fridge for on the go snacks.

Keep Healthy Snacks With You
Make it your habit to stash some fruit, whole grain crackers, or carrots in a workout bag, back pack or in your car so there is healthy food for a quick fix in a moment of hunger. You will choose better food if it is readily available and keep you from stopping at the drive-thru.

Make It Interesting
Healthy snacking doesn't have to be boring as long as you give yourself a variety of choices. Whole-wheat pretzels with spicy mustard, rice cakes with peanut butter and raisins, or low-fat yogurt are healthy and easy. They taste good too!

Satisy Cravings
Use healthier approaches. If you must have chocolate. Try hot chocolate to drink instead of a chocolate bar. An 8 ounce mug of hot cocoa has onlly 140 caloies and 3 grams of fat. A chocolate bar has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat. Substitute non-fat frozen yogurt for ice cream or have yummy fruit sorbet.
If you crave salty munchies. Try baked tortilla chips instead of regular corn chips. Eat salsa with them instead of sour cream.  Have pretzels for a salt craving instead of chips.

Read Serving Size Information
A "small" package of cookies may actually be 2 servings which means double or even triple the fat and calories and sugar on the label. Companies print a small werving amount on the label to keep the fat and calories seemingly low, so you FEEL that it is healthier. Careful look at the ounces, or number of chips, cookies etc., so you have a more accurate picture of what you are really taking in.

In summary...You don't have to go hungry! Small planned out snacks and meals throughout the day can satisfy your cravings, and keep you on track. You are less inclined to overeat at meals if you have had a healthy snack in between.

Don't slip up after dinner. Evenings can be a tempting time to cave in to sugary, fatty snacks. If you feel hungry don't ignore it. Instead, pick the right snacks to fill the hunger gapl. Whole-wheat fig bars, rice cakes, or air-popped popcorn can do the trick, as can fruit with cheese or yogurt. Don't over do with a large amount--stick with a small serving.

Don't overthink it or you won't do it. Just eat a little less, a little healthier, and use smaller serving sizes. You will be well on your way to your goal.

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