Food

Healthy alternatives to those fall favorites August 21, 2009 at 9:38

Perfect Little Snack! December 30, 2008 at 18:34

This is my favorite healthy snack of the moment: 5 whole grain pita chips and 1/2 a cup of low fat cottage cheese. The chips are 65 calories and the cottage cheese is 90 calories. This snack provides a great source of lean protein, calcium, whole grains, and fiber. Add a big glass of water and you can kiss your afternoon munchies goodbye!

We want to hear from you:
What’s your favorite healthy snack?

Meal Makeover Tips December 3, 2008 at 15:20

My dad and step mom are both amazing cooks. Thanksgiving was wonderful as always (there’s dad before the guests arrive!) however, my parents are both trying to drop a few pounds, so we tried some of these tips from the WomenHeart ALL HEART Family Cookbook. Our dinner was still delicious and all we did was use foods that are low in saturated fat, sodium and calories instead of the full fat and calorie alternatives. Except the whipped cream. Somethings can’t be compromised!

Make healthier choices at the supermarket
Try fat-free or 1 percent milk.
Buy only reduced-fat or fat-free cheese.
Eat fruits and vegetables without butter or sauce.
Serve brown rice, beans, and whole grains.
Choose lean cuts of meat, fish, and skinless turkey and chicken.
Buy low- or reduced-sodium or no-salt–added versions of foods whenever possible.

Revamp recipes with these substitutions.
Use two egg whites for each whole egg, or use cholesterol-free egg substitutes (1⁄4 cup equals 1 egg).
Use olive oil instead of butter.
Use light mayonnaise instead of the full-fat version.
Use fat-free yogurt or sour cream instead of the regular version.
Use reduced-fat cheese instead of regular varieties.
Use 1 percent or fat-free milk instead of whole.
Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat rather than canned or processed types.

Rethink preparation and serving habits.
Make meat loaf and meatballs with lean ground turkey.
Make tacos with skinless chicken breast.
Cool soups and gravies and skim off the fat before reheating.
Top a baked potato with salsa instead of butter.
Make spicy baked fish seasoned with green pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, lemon, or cilantro.
Bake, broil, or grill foods instead of frying.
Eat fruit instead of pie or cake for dessert.

Egg-cellent Breakfast Tip November 18, 2008 at 13:44

Eating breakfast is essential to a healthy lifestyle and researchers just discovered that eggs may help you lose weight. The study found that men and women who ate two eggs for breakfast as part of a low-calorie diet lost 65% more weight and had a 61% greater reduction in BMI than their counterparts who started the day with an equal-calorie bagel breakfast. Eggs, a high-quality protein, keep people more satisfied until their next meal, which helped them stick to and succeed on a reduced calorie diet.

Smart Snacking November 15, 2008 at 18:26

Do you get hungry in-between meals? If you’re human the answer is probably yes. Follow this snacking trip from nutritionist Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD , to keep you from consuming too many calories:

Eat up to 100 calories per hour for each hour between the snack and your next meal. For example, if it’s 4 PM and dinner isn’t until 6 PM, limit yourself to no more than 200 calories. Choose a high-fiber carb, such as fruit, as your base then add healthy protein or fat to help you stay satisfied longer.

If your next meal is in:
1 hour Have a medium apple (100 calories)
2 hours Have a medium apple + 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (200 calories)
3 hours Have a medium apple + 1 tbsp PB + 5 whole grain crackers (300 calories)
4 hours Have a medium apple + 1 tbsp PB + 5 w.g. crackers + 8 oz glass of
fat-free milk (400 calories)