Lunchable Vegtable

As we add fruits and veggies to our diet to meet the five (or more) a day goal, let’s look at lunch.

• Salad bar? Stack on the dark green leaves and other vegetables instead of so many of the extras like eggs, bacon and cheese.(keep the dressing ON THE SIDE)
• Add frozen veggies to any pasta. (Even the canned stuff.) You get more good stuff and more flavor too.
• Skip the fries and add a vegetable. Most all restaurants will do that. (Even the fast food places offer a value size salad.)
• SMACK! Have a V8!
• Have fresh fruit for desert.

TODAY: LOOK FOR WAYS TO ADD MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO YOUR LUNCH.

5 A Day Help

Eat your vegetables! I’ve never had to be told more than once. I’ve always like veggies, but I couldn’t be a vegetarian. (Have you ever seen an overweight vegetarian?) Three servings used to be the norm. Now the USDA says eat five. That’s a good thing. Though you may think it’s a lot, it’s easy to do. I’ll give you some suggestions over the next few days.

Let’s start with breakfast.

• Add fruit to your cereal, oatmeal, waffles or pancakes.
• Punch up you eggs with fresh sliced veggies or some frozen spinach.
• Top whole grain toast with raisins and cinnamon.
• Create your own yogurt flavors with plain yogurt and different of fresh fruit.
• Wrap a banana in a whole wheat flour tortilla with some peanut butter for a quick grab and go meal.
• Don’t forget the juice!

Lunch tomorrow.

TODAY: START ADDING MORE FRUIT AND VEGGIES TO YOU DIET.

It’s St. Pat’s Day – Add Some Green To Your Dinner

I know it’s not Irish but try it anyway. You know, the pasta part of spaghetti really doesn’t add much to spaghetti. It seems that it’s just a device for carrying the sauce from the plate to our palate, while it adds all those carbs. Instead, try a simple sauce with ground beef or Italian sausage added ladled over steamed broccoli or even mixed veggies like cauliflower, zucchini, onions and squash. It is actually much more flavorful and definitely better for you.

If you want to make your own sauce try this quick and Flavorful Tomato Sauce  from Gluten Free Goodness. Then go ahead and enjoy your “Veghetti”.

TODAY: DO EXERCISES. WARM UP BY DOING TORSO TWISTS, TOE TOUCHES AND DEEP KNEE BENDS THEN PROGRESS TO LEG LIFTS, SIT-UPS AND PUSH-UPS. FINISH BY JOGGING IN PLACE. YOU CAN DO IT! EVEN IF IT’S ONLY A FEW OF EACH.

Spread Yourself Thin

Jelly can be a source of hidden calories. Sure, you think it’s just a little dollop of goodness. It’s made from fruit, so how bad can it be? Well… most jelly os almost pure sugar and a tablespoon is a whopping 50 calories. But I found a great jelly that is actually low cal and sweet and even has fiber! At just 10 calories per tablespoon Polaner Sugar Free has now also added 3 grams of fiber to that. So if you’re following Atkins you actually get back 3 grams of carbs. So that can offset some of the carbs from a slice of whole grain toast.

I also like to skip the toast and just use a spoonful as a condiment with sausage, or ham and eggs. The berry ones are great with meats and I even skip the meat entirely and fry a couple of eggs hard and top them with some orange marmalade. I know… it’s odd, but it has a flavor a little like a crepe. So add a jar of the Polaner Sugar Free jelly to your pantry and have a guilt free treat.

TODAY: DO SOME STRETCHING EXERCISES.

Don’t Swallow The Hype

Do you really think that a pill can be the answer to getting fit and trim? I know, you want to, THEY want you to. But if it was possible to take it off and keep it off by simply swallowing a capsule don’t you think that there would be far fewer overweight people in the world. The fact is that the number is growing. Face it, the way to better health is actually NOT swallowing… at least not swallowing as much.

TODAY: EAT LESS, EXERCISE MORE.

Feel Better With Chicken Noodle… Hold The Noodle

Cold weather can make you feel like eating all the time. You actually are burning more calories keeping warm The problem is getting calories that won’t make you put on warming layers of fat. Soup always is a great choice. But it can be full of hidden calories and carbs. This is where chicken noodle soup without noodles comes in. A handy container of chicken broth is a fast, easy snack. Pop a cup in the microwave and enjoy a satisfying snack. By simmering some veggies you make a substantial meal. I also really like matzo ball soup. But of course the matzo is full of carbs. But I’ve found that by just cooking celery in the broth you have a really close replica.

So stock up with stock and when spring comes you’ll be less stocky.

TODAY: ADD SOME STOCK TO YOUR PANTRY.

Sauce Up Your Food

I love chicken wings. They’re great diet food as long as you fry them “naked” with no batter or crust. You can make a sauce that’s to your heat liking with just hot sauce, melted butter and a some cream. Or keep the calories down by sticking to hot sauce. Just dip the wings, don’t drench them. They’re easier to eat. Decadent, yet still reduced carb.

Discovering that hot sauces are low or no carb was a huge thing for me. It definitely is not all about the heat. There are an amazing variety of flavors from habanero to mustard. The Tabasco brands are a mainstay. But one of my current favorites is Wild Turkey hot sauce. Yes the bourbon is in it. I got it as a gift at Christmas and have to find more soon.

Keep a variety of hot sauces on hand and try it on anything and everything from eggs to veggies. It will spice up your diet in more ways than one.

TODAY: EXERCISE EXTRA TO MAKE UP FOR YESTERDAY!