Currently Browsing: Good Food Choices
Feb 1st 12
Posted by Sheena in Good choices., Good Food Choices
Sometimes nothing sounds better than a nice juicy burger. But the truth is, we rarely feel great after eating one. Fortunately, fast food isn’t the only great tasting choice you have, come meal time. We recently stumbled upon a list of the three healthiest fruits and vegetables. There should be a least one option that appeals to you.
Three Healthiest Fruits
First on the list are apricots. These little fruits are packed with Beta-Carotene (also found in carrots). Your body converts Beta-Carotene into Vitamin A, which is great for your skin and eyes. It could potentially prevent certain skin cancers. The Beta-Carotene in apricots can also get rid of free radicals.
Apparently, avocados are the second healthiest fruit. The key element is Oleic Acid. This fatty acid lowers levels of bad cholesterol and increases levels of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is a good form of cholesterol that removes bad cholesterol from your blood. It also decreases the risk for heart disease.
Raspberries are so delicious. Thanks to Ellagic Acid, they also have anti-cancer properties. Raspberries are full of Vitamin C and Fiber. Both of these normalize cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. This is good news for people who love to eat raspberries; and a good reason to start, for those who don’t.
Three Healthiest Vegetables
The number one healthiest vegetable is an onion. Onions contain a high amount of Quercetin, which is one of the most powerful plant-derived antioxidants. Research has shown that these antioxidants (also known as flavonoids) help prevent cancer. If you are going to eat onions, just remember to carry gum.
Artichokes contain Slymarin, which is an antioxidant that prevents cancer. They also have plenty of fiber, which regulates cholesterol. Artichokes are a different looking vegetable and some people may not find them appealing. In our opinion, nothing is better than steamed artichokes dipped in butter…Low-fat butter of course.
The third healthiest vegetable is ginger. The main substance in ginger is gingerols. Gingerols can help reduce nausea, fight migraines, and prevent arthritis pain. Ginger is low in fat and calories.
Wow! It seems like every one of these fruits and vegetables either prevents cancer or heart disease. Some prevent both. We don’t have to tell you that a fast food diet will significantly increase your health risks. Next time you are craving a burger, just remember that there are other delicious and healthy food options. If nothing else, put lots of onion or avocado on your burger.
Dec 9th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
The Food Pyramid has undergone some drastic changes over the past several years due to the USDA’s indecisiveness.
Well, now the Pyramid has completely morphed into a Plate…of all objects! That’s right, if you’re behind the times, its recommended that children and adults now follow the “Food Plate.”
How the Plate Looks
The very last edition of the Food Pyramid decided to omit the sweet, sugars, oils, and fats category, which is about the only similarity that we could find between The Pyramid and The Plate.
As for the Plate, its made up of four pie slices that include the food groups of : Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, and Protein. And on the upper right hand corner there is a drinking glass-like object that represents dairy.
And in terms of the breakdown, the Vegetable pie slice seems to be the largest, followed by Grains, Fruit, and then Protein. Dairy is obviously the smallest of the food groups, which is why it was relegated to being the “drinking glass.”
The Guidelines
Every Food Pyramid has also come with written, bullet-point guidelines, and the Food Plate is no different (okay so there’s another similarity). These new guidelines fall under the category of Balancing Calories, Foods to Increase, and Foods to Reduce.
As for the caloric guidelines, people are instructed to “enjoy” what they eat, but to eat less and to avoid large portions. Can you enjoy food and not eat a lot of it?
Moving on to the foods we should eat and decrease, this is where the plate analogy comes into play. We’re instructed to fill half of our plate with fruits and veggies, and to make half of our grain portion whole grains. On top of that, its also wiser to drink fat-free or 1% milk according to the USDA.
On the other hand, foods that are high in sodium should be avoided. These include soups, breads, and even frozen meals. Lastly, a healthy diet will also include more water and less “sugary drinks.”
What I Think of the Change
As for my personal taste between the Food Pyramid and the Food Plate, I kind of prefer the Plate…as silly as that sounds. It’s a more simple analogy and look, and should catch on with people in no time as long as they can get over the fact that the Pyramid is gone.
That being said, I wouldn’t be overly surprised if the USDA switched back to the Pyramid or another object in the future. After all, it never seems like they can make up their mind.
If you want to learn more about the new Food Plate, click on this link.
Nov 21st 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
Tailgating and football go hand-in-hand just as much as chips and salsa. Speaking of chips and salsa, there are several ways that you can make this dish and others at your tailgate party a little healthier by making a few smart food choices.
In this post, we’ll let you know how you can still enjoy good food, watch some great football, and keep those inches off your waste by sharing with you a few of our tailgate recipes.
So without further ado, back to those chips and salsa….
Skip the Cheese
Chips and salsa, and fries for that matter, get a whole lot unhealthier when you drench them with melted cheese. So do yourself a favor and omit the cheese if you can allow yourself to do so. Sure, cheese tastes great with anything, but it also contains a lot of fat and extra calories that you don’t need.
Also, have you noticed how Subway and Gandolfo’s have started selling baked Lays and other brands of potato chips? That’s because baked is healthier! Needless to say, you can also find baked tortilla chips at your local grocery store. Not only are they healthier, but they are just as tasty as well.
Lean Meat and Wheat Bread
Speaking of sandwiches, meat is always a must at a tailgate party. Along those lines, concentrate on buying lean meats that won’t balloon your fat count. The leaner the meat, the healthier of an option it’ll be.
Also, if you’re planning on making a bunch of subs, you should also consider buying wheat bread or rolls instead of white. Wheat contains fiber that is essential for a healthy diet because of its ability to cleanse a body’s system. And if you’re wanting to eat super healthy, you can also avoid the mayo or miracle whip as well.
Consider the Vegetable Platter
Now, we know that veggies aren’t the most popular food item…especially at a tailgate party. But it doesn’t hurt to at least have a small platter as an option for you and other health-conscious guests. Containing a host of vitamins and minerals, there is nothing better for your body than a hearty helping of veggies.
Also, we all know that a veggie platter has to come with dip right? Look for a low-fat dip alternative that can complement your healthy food option. After all, its no good to take one step forward, if you’re just going to take one step back by drenching your carrot in a high-fat ranch or cream cheese dip.
Fruit Over Cookies
Lastly, dessert is a must as well when it comes to tailgating. Sure cookies, brownies, and the like are great and all. But you’re body is not going to like all that sugar and fat that it intakes…trust us on this one. Although you’ll probably still want to accommodate your friends with some goodies, you can also consider providing a healthy dessert alternative such as a fruit platter or kebob.
After all, who doesn’t like grapes, watermelon, pineapple, honey dew, cantaloupe, and especially strawberries?
Last Word
In ending, we’d encourage you to try out these ideas. See which ideas your friends and family like, and don’t like, and then stick with the one’s that work. You may be surprised at how much they enjoy eating healthy food options…
Nov 1st 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
Often, we tend to eat out when we don’t feel that we have enough time to cook a well-prepared, healthy meal – or at least that’s our excuse anyways. Well, if you’re someone who feels that you’re always in a time crunch and that its affecting your diet, we’re here to help you out!
In this post, we’re going to go over a few of our favorite “30 minutes to prepare or less” meals that can have you well (and healthily) fed and still leave you with enough time to attend to other things.
Fish Tacos from Heaven
If you like Mexican, and you life fish, you’ll love this easy-to-make recipe. Sure, you can go to any mexican or tex-mex restaurant and probably find a hearty sampling of fish tacos, but making them yourself will be much healthier and less expensive.
Here is what you’ll need for this recipe:
-Store-bought fresh salsa
-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/3 cup beer (or ginger ale)
-8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips
-2 teaspoons canola oil
-4 corn tortillas, warmed
Now then, once you have all the ingredients you’ll need, you can start cooking. First of all, you’ll want to combine the salt, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. From there, you can whisk in the beer or ginger ale if you don’t drink alcohol, to create your batter.
Once you have the batter prepared, you can dip and coat your tilapia into the batter. From here, take a large skilled and heat it over a medium-heat burner. Once the skilled is nice and hot, place your tilapia on the skillet and let it cook until the outside has a nice crispy and golden tinge to it. You can also flip the tilapia over after a few minutes to brown both sides evenly.
Once your tilapia is done cooking, simply serve it with the corn tortillas and salsa! This recipe only contains 2 grams of saturated fat, 57mg of cholesterol, 408mg of sodium per serving, and 409 calories combined, per serving.
Grilled Cheese Anyone?
Grilled Cheese can be the perfect lunchtime meal or with tomato soup on a cold, winter day. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including:
-4 poblano peppers (see Note)
-1 14-ounce can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium
-3 tablespoons prepared salsa
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
-2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
-3 scallions, sliced
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
-8 slices sourdough bread
* You’ll need a panini maker for this meal as well
Once you have all of your ingredients in order, you can place the 4 poblano peppers in a covered bowl and microwave them on High for about 3 to 4 minutes. Once they are done, let them cool.
While the peppers are cooling, you can combine the salt, salsa, and beans in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Make sure to “paste” the beans by mashing them up with a fork. Once you’ve accomplished this task, you can combine the yogurt, scallions, cilantro, and cheese in another bowl.
Now, back to the peppers. Once they are cool, cut them in-half and be sure to slice off the stems and seeds. When you’re done cutting the peppers, turn you’re panini maker onto its High setting. While the panini maker is heating up, you’ll want to spread your bean mixture evenly over 2,4,6, or however many slices of bread you’re going to eat (remember, 2 slices = one sandwich).
From here, you can sprinkle the cheese mixture on top of the bean mixture, put 2 pepper halves over the cheese, and then you’re all set! Place one slice of bread on top of the other, and you can stick it in the panini maker.
This recipe only calls for 415 total calories, 3 grams of saturated fat, 13mg of cholesterol, and 761mg of sodium per serving.
The Mac and Cheese You Don’t Bake
You’ve probably heard of No Bake Cookies before, but have you heard of No Bake Mac and Cheese?! Here is what you’ll need for this recipe:
-8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles (2 cups)
-1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
-1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
-3 tablespoons flour
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
-3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Once you’ve gotten all of these ingredients together, you’ll first want to get a large pot of water boiling. Once the water is boiling, throw your pasta in. From here, you can add the frozen broccoli and continue to stir occasionally until the broccoli and pasta is cooked.
In the mean time, you can heat the milk in other pot until its simmering. While the milk is simmering, go ahead and add the garlic powder, salt, pepper, flour, and a little more milk together in a small bowl. This mixture can then be combined with the simmering milk. Once this is done, continue to stir and cook the mixture until it looks thick.
When the mixture is done, you can take it off the burner, and add your cheddar, parmesan, and mustard cheese into it until they all melt. Now you can go back to your broccoli and pasta, drain it, and add it to your cheese sauce mixture. This should all then be put over the burner again for a few more minutes to heat your mac and cheese all the way through.
In this recipe, you’ll only be indulging in 412 calories, 7 grams of fat, 37mg of cholesterol, and 640mg of sodium per serving.
Final Word
We hope you’ll try these recipes out and give them a shot. Its always nice to be able to feel “domesticated” while you’re preparing an easy, healthy, and speedy meal for yourself and your family.
Sep 14th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
Organic Craze
Everything is organic these days! Whether its fruit, potato chips, or even frozen dinners, you can pretty much find an organic substitute for any food in your local grocery store. That said, are these organic options actually healthier for you and your body? There has been much debate on this topic, with sound facts coming from both sides.
Organic is Definitely Better for the Environment
Whether or not organic foods are healthier, this much is known – organic farms tend to preserve the environment and cut down on waste production by leaps and bounds in comparison to their non-organic counterparts.
Organic farms do not spray their produce and food with artificial chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, and other food-preserving chemicals. These chemicals not only preserve the food, but they also kill the soil located around the food.
That said, organic food does spoil before non-organic food does…just one example of the pros and cons found on both sides of the debate.
Are Non-Organic Foods Harmful?
Some health and nutrition experts believe that all those chemicals sprayed on non-organic foods are actually poisonous to our bodies. Others, on the other hand, believe that the dosage levels of those chemicals are so small that they couldn’t possibly harm our bodies in a negative way.
After all, that’s why we have stomach acids right? Again, who should we believe in this debate?
The Verdict
I once talked to a gym trainer who told me that he never even bothers eating organically. He said that in large quantities, yes, the pesticides sprayed on non-organic foods could be potentially harmful. But those quantities are never large enough to affect our health in any negative way, according to the trainer.
In my own opinion, I’ll have to side with the gym and nutrition guru. Sure organic is better for the environment and it cuts down on the waste that we as humans produce, but the argument can’t be made at this point and time that organic foods are a healthier option.
That said, I could always change my mind if future findings can establish the health risks of eating non-organically. But for now, I’ll continue eating my chemically-sprayed foods just like many other healthy individuals around the world.
No Impact Man
By the way, if you would like to develop your own opinion on this issue, there is a great documentary titled ‘No Impact Man’ that you should watch. Basically, this man by the name of Colin Beavan, chronicles his family’s journey as they strive to not only eat organic but to live completely organic as well.
Here is Colin’s official blogspot: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/
Jul 13th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
Unfortunately, our country is suffering from an epidemic of obesity, which has lead to outbreaks of several other health issues including type II diabetes and heart disease. Dozens and
dozens of companies see this as an opportunity make it big and have flooded the internet with
secret health foods, diet pills and miracle weight-loss supplements. Unfortunately, these products are usually bogus, and are simply crafty marketers taking advantage of the desperate. Here are a few things to look for to not get scammed, or at least sucked in:
Studies
The first thing you can do is find conclusive studies on the product. And I don’t mean go to the product’s website and take their study’s word for it: find studies by universities or un-invested organizations. These are more likely to have an unbiased opinion, and will perform the survey for the sake of information, not money.
Testimonials
Testimonials usually can’t be trusted either: any company can invent testimonials by paying an actor. And all testimonials related to the site will be positive besides, not giving a clear cut idea about the product. Look for a forum thread that has talked about it; these will have real conversations of concerned though maybe biased, individuals.
Wikipedia
Sure many authorities doubt its legitimacy, but it has always worked as an unbiased source for me. You might not be able to find a particular product, but you can look up its ingredients. This way you can find any studies that have gone into the ingredients, their effectiveness, and any potential side effects.
Time will Tell
In the end, it’s the time proven methods that will help you lose weight. Has a product only been around for a month, a year or a decade? These diet ideas haven’t withstood the test of time yet. Studies and testimonies cannot compare to age-old truths. They can’t know the long term effects of something until they’ve been around for the long term.
As for our healthy ancestors, we should always be grateful for the centuries of experience that has gone into modern medicine. If your doctor prescribes something for your health, don’t get “age-old truths” get confused with “old-wives tales”.
Jul 6th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
There is an old myth that chocolate causes acne. This is quite unfortunate, because it will do quite the opposite. Acne is usually caused by stress and hormonal imbalances, both of which chocolate work to reduce.
Fight Stress with Chocolate
Chocolate is chock-full of calming chemicals, endorphins, that work to calm the body. This lowers blood pressure (reducing stress in the skin) and generally promotes relaxation. Chocolate is also thought to be an aphrodisiac, which healthy sexual activity is proven to relieve stress.
Stay Calm
Chocolate’s calming and aphrodisiac properties also help moderate hormones. This means when the body is chemically balanced, it won’t produce acne.
A Word of Caution
While chocolate is great for your skin, low quality chocolates have too much added sugar and fats. This means they have a higher glycemic index than cocoa itself, which can lead to breakouts.
Enjoy!
Chocolate is not only good for your skin, but has a plethora of health benefits.
May 13th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
Well I am back to report on my visit to Carl’s Junior to sample the Turkey Burger. And I must say it was quite enjoyable with it’s 490 calories. The turkey meat tasted like it should and the wheat bun, lettuce and tomatoe was the ideal accompaniment, although that did not stop me taking some of the fresh tomatoe, onion and cilantro salsa to put inside part of the burger. So I recommend this fast food for it’s low calories, nutrition and importantly flavor.
Now along with the Carl’s Junior brand there is a menu branded as Green Burito which I didn’t sampled but which I will check into to see what is acceptable food on that menu. And in addition I see “Eat This, Not That” on their website has “The Nine Healthiest Mexican Foods,” which I’ll be looking at. There is a great deal of information available on the internet about what is good for your health and what tastes good.
I went to Carl’s Junior about 12.30 and the lunch time trade was going strong with a full parking lot and almost no free tables. But I’m pretty sure they weren’t all there chomping on the Turkey Burger. And that is OK because at the moment we still seem to have some free choice in what we eat despite encroaching Government nannyism. You don’t really change behaviour by force and government directives, you just send the behaviour underground with the consequent attempts to circumvent the controls. So while I advocate healthy food choices, I want to emphasis the word choices.
Now I was so impressed by the quality of the food at Carl’s Junior and the friendly service that after I left I thought I’d like to instigate a regular lunch time meeting for the men in the family. I have seven sons and the eight of us could enjoy a relaxing trip to Carl’s Junior for food and friendship maybe once a week. A male bonding experience! The only hitches to that plan could be that one of the boys runs his own pharmacy and has a hard time leaving the business, and another is a vegan. He tells me Burger King has a veggie burger but I don’t think that Carl’s Junior has that option. Getting eight busy males together may be difficult but I think it would be great to communicate (usually about football, and basketball) and have some fun. That too can contribute to good health; believe me, as there would be plenty of laughing and joking. We all need a break from the stresses and strains of life. So have fun.
May 5th 11
Posted by in Good Food Choices
May 5th 11 Posted by Joseph Ratliff in
I want to mention the “Eat This Not That” phenomena as I am determined to try something that I would not usually endorse. I am planning to visit my local Carl’s Junior fast food dispensary to eat a turkey burger. Claimed to be the first turkey burger to be offered by a hamburger chain Carl’s Junior’s new burgers are recommended by Men’s’ Health Magazine and the Eat This Not That campaign. Besides the original turkey burger, Carl’s Jr. customers can order the Teriyaki Turkey Burger and Guacamole Turkey Burger, while Hardee’s customers can try the Mushroom Swiss Turkey Burger or the BBQ Ranch Turkey Burger. They all weigh in at under 500 calories. Just skip the fries and the Coke. Now a bit more about Eat This Not That.
Eat This, Not That
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD.
WebMD Expert Review
Eat This, Not That: What It Is
Most diet books tout a secret formula, or mystifying scientific-sounding plan to melt away pounds but not Eat This, Not That, the latest diet book from Men’s Health Editor-in-Chief David Zinczenko and Men’s Health food and nutrition editor Matt Goulding. The diet is not a diet in the traditional sense, but a calorie counter’s dream. Many people are clueless when it comes to the calories in the foods they eat and even when they guess, they usually underestimate the numbers.
The authors promise you will lose weight if you make smarter food choices, but don’t be fooled into thinking that ordering a Big Mac instead of a Whopper with cheese will lead to weight loss as depicted on the book’s cover.
Part expose, part nutritional guide, and part picture book of mouth-watering food images, Eat This, Not That comes in a handy size to take along to the grocery store, restaurant, or mall. It is loaded with calorie, fat, sugar, carbohydrate, and sodium counts designed to help you make smarter food choices.
“We chose calories as the most important criteria for the foods we chose because it is the top cause of weight gain and the gauntlet of health problems so when it comes to prudent eating, nothing matters more than calories,” Zinczenko says.
The authors do an excellent job exposing the obscene number of calories in certain foods, such as Outback’s Aussie cheese fries that weigh in at 2,900 calories, Chili’s Awesome Blossom at 2,710 calories, and Lonestar’s 20-ounce T-bone — an astonishing 1,540-calorie steak. And as a result, several restaurants have removed calorie-laded items from their menus.
