Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Egg white omelet

My favorite protein yummy!

Egg White Omelet
4 egg whites
a handful of fresh spinach and a couple of mushrooms
spike
Olive oil

very light olive oil in your pan (non stick is great too). wilt spinach and saute mushrooms a couple of minutes. Pour in egg whites. season with Spike. I think Eggs taste best on a low/medium temperature. Serves 1.

Be careful on your olive oil because this is where you can add too many extra calories by accident. Eggs are easy, delicious, good source of protein, cheap, readily available.

I recommend free range eggs, fresh if available. They taste delicious!

More smoothie goodness

Davey's smoothie
one cup OJ, 3 big slices frozen mango, 1/4 cup guava. blend. yummmy. optional honey, wheat germ, ground flax seed.

Meemee's smoothie
one cup rice milk, 2 tablespoons almond butter (or PB), 1/2 frozen banana. blend

Sudie's smoothie
one half cup oj, one half cup soy yogurt, frozen blue berries, pineapple, mango, guava. I add ground flax seed, honey and wheat germ. (I use the salad bar for this recipe)

Happy and delicious health to you. Cheers.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Smoothies

Yummo! as Rachel Ray would say. so easy. I like to use my immersion blender for this. Less mess to clean up. Easy Peasy. a great kid-pleaser, too.

Bananas are good thickeners for these especially if you are trying to go dairy-free.
But here is a good recipe that we like.

Mango Yogurt Smoothie
about 1 cup ripened mango, peeled and cut up
about 1 cup vanilla soy yogurt
crushed ice or frozen bananas. Blend., Enjoy!

It is full of vitamins and delicious. I add ground flax seed to mine.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Organic

What does that mean exactly?

You always hear, "read the labels." but sometime I wonder if I know what I am reading.

Here is a brief explanation about the differences in "organic" labeling:

~ 100% organic: only organically processed, except for salt and water
~ organic: contains at least 96% organic ingredients
~ made with organic ingredients: contains at least 70% organic ingredients
~ "natural" does NOT mean organic. There is no requirement for natural products

Source: US Department of Agriculture

Organic means food processed without artificial hormones, pesticides, or fertilizers by farmers using renewable resources to enhance the environment. That production emphasizes the use of renewable resources and teh conservation of water and soil with distinct concern for enhancing the ecological balance of natural systems.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Start small. Think big.

This is a good approach to changing to a healthier lifestyle.

How about starting today, adding one more glass of water to your day?

You can add a slice of orange or lemon for a "twist."

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The trouble with Bananas

As Gilda Radners said, "it's always something!"

Our beloved banana does have a major drawback to work with, it turns brown after a while. Not looking super appealing. So you need to keep that in mind when planning meals or snacks. I do not like to include bananas in my fruit salad for this very reason.

All things considered, this is a relatively minor inconvenience. Instead of recipes, I am just going to list a couple of banana tips today.

Tip #1 overly ripened bananas are great for banana bread. You can use right away, or remove from peel and freeze.

Tip #2 Bananas are great thickeners for cold drinks. Peel and slice bananas into coins. Fast freeze for later use in smoothies. Our favorite smoothie has frozen bananas, peanut butter and apple juice. Yummy! Seriously yummy!

Tip #3 Bananas can be cut in many interesting ways with the peel on. Now I am not tryign to get you to fashion a banana into a bust of Lincoln or anything. But kids and adults like interesting diagonal cuts. This also makes these small bite-sized snacks easier to pick up.

Tip #4 Dip it! Some kids (and my husband) cannot resist a good dip. One of my wee ones will eat just about anything if she can dip it into something. Little pieces are great for dipping. or you can skewer with some other fruit for a shish kabab which is Latin for "fruit salad in disguise." After the dip, there is nothing better than double dipping. Have seeds or chopped nuts for a final delicious dip. I mix wheat germ in with my chopped nuts for an extra healthy coating.

Tip #5 Stick up! Peel and cut banana in half. Put on a pop stick (like a corn dog). Freeze. Great summer snack.

So what is your favorite banana tip?

Thanks for stopping by and visiting us today.
Healthy eating!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Banananana

Bananas are one of those big bang for your buck kinda snacks. There is so much you can make with a banana. and of course, they are delicious just straight up. They are inexpensive, readily available all year long, and full of good nutrients including a good source of potassium.

This is one of those things that I strongly encourage you to buy organic. It is my opinion that there are some produce that it really doesn't make a huge difference between organic and convention. But bananas do make a difference. Conventional bananas are gassed with very dangerous chemicals to kill insects and to ripen them. ack!

My current favorite banana snack is so easy and my children think they are enjoying a decandent treat. It is a recipe inspired by Elvis himself.

Elvis's Baked Banana Surprise
Take a medium organic firm banana. (the star of our show)
Peel down leaving the peel attached. Take a knife and make a shallow cut for the peanut butter down the length of the banana.
Take up to 2 tablespoons of ground peanut butter (or almond butter) and fill in the semi-slice.
Sprinkle a couple of chocolate or carob chips and a few marshmellows.
Replace peeled back peel.
Wrap banana with peel in aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. You can use a toaster oven.

Let cool and remove banana treat from peel.
Eat and enjoy. It is like a banana split. It is really delicious and goey. mmmm. and did I mention that it is a healthy snack? We sprinkle some wheat germ on ours too.

What is your favorite healthy banana recipe?

Healthy eating.




Sunday, January 13, 2008

Take it, if you can get it

Take all the support and help you can get. It may be the difference in staying on the healthy wagon, or falling off and ending up in the MickeyD's drive through.

There are some conveniences available. I'll admit that there are times that I take full advantage, cost be damned. These conveniences are pretty straight forward.

First, in the produce section they will have pre-cut veggies or fruit. I am all for this. Depending on our schedules, its cost is small compared to the benefit of staying on track (and keeping my sanity).

The second trick I use is the salad bar. I will just do "goodies." For instance, I gather chopped red onion, sliced black olives, sliced mushrooms and diced green peppers for a yummy and nutritious egg white omelet. Sometimes these smaller quantities are a perfect solution for my week's plan. Overall it can be less expensive and less wasteful. (and I use fresher ingredients, as well.) I love to get sprouts, fruits, and other goodies.

I say when it comes to convenience and ease, take the help, if you can get it.

Healthy eating!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Fruits

If you are quietly (and covertly) trying to change your family's eating habits, a great place to start is in the fruit aisle. Fruit is nature's candy. Who doesn't love fruit!

Top Ten Fruits (per my internet research)
#1 Apple
Banana
Orange
Strawberries
Grapes
Pineapple
Watermelon
Peaches
Cantaloupe
Cherries

This week try to introduce (or re-introduce) some fruit to your diet.
Organic is best. No preservatives or genetic modifications.
Whole fruit is best. Frozen is better. Canned fruit is good. Fruit from a box, not the best.
Fruit in season and grown locally is not only environmentally friendlier, but healthier too.

I will try to come up with some Fruity snacks or small meals this week.

Healthy eating!

Let's get started!

Many people have expressed an interest in eating healthier. But the information out there is overwhelming, to say the least.

I thought I would start this little blog to share some healthier alternatives for little meals and snacks. These recipes and ideas have to be simple, ingredients readily available, and fast! sound easy enough?

We worry that our children are at the biggest risk of not eating healthy. Food provides the building blocks for a strong and healthy body. Food affects their energy levels, their moods, and their ability to fight off illness. As parents, we want them to have it all; balance, wisdom, health, energy, self-esteem, strength.

It is important, in my opinion, to start eating healthy as young as possible. We want to train their palates to crave a variety of fresh and healthy foods.
Additionally, we want a good and balanced attitude toward food. What a great gift to give to your children!


So here's the plan. I will share some recipes. These ideas and recipes will only be ones that my family has tested and given a thumbs up. I will also try to provide some tips and strategies to overcome the most common obstacles that keep us from eating as healthy as we would like.

No guilt. No judgements. No pressure. Just us, trying to give ourselves and our families a healthier life through good food.

Wishing you all healthy eating!