Healthy cooking tips, recipes, food facts and more from a Registered Dietitian!
Archive for July, 2007
Getting in Steps – Part 1 of 3
Jul 28th
I love wearing my pedometer. It helps me keep track of how many steps I’m taking throughout the day. It’s also an incentive to get out and walk since I know I’ll have to look at that number at night to see how well I’ve done during the day. I found some really helpful tips from Bayer on how to get in more steps and added a few of my own (next 2 weeks: On the Town & At Work):
At home:
- Walk your dog (or your neighbor’s)
- Do a fun family challenge to see who can log the most steps in a week
- Reward your family for meeting step goals with fun activities
- Walk to your neighbor or friend’s house instead of calling or driving
- Take several trips to unload groceries from your car
- If you make a call, walk while you talk
- Don’t use your TV remote control
- Walk around your house during television commercials
- Get up and move around once every 30 minutes
- Try to take half of your goal steps by noon
- Plan walks into your day, for example, with a friend at the beginning of the day, and with your family at the end of the day
- Take a 6-minute walk after dinner and make it a family tradition
- Turn on some music and do indoor aerobics
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Loading ...Shopping 101 – Terms You Need to Know
Jul 27th
When shopping at the store I am always bombarded by many different choices and often have a hard time determining what the difference is between light, reduced fat, low calorie, sugar free, etc. Here’s a helpful “term dictionary”:
- Good Source of – Contains 10-19 percent of nutrient’s daily value per serving
- High/Excellent Source of – contains more than 20 percent of nutrient’s daily value per serving
- Reduced or Less – at least 25 percent less than the regular product
- Light – Has 1/3 the calories or ½ the fat of the food to which it is being compared (ex: 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise has 50 calories and 5 grams of fat, while 1 Tbsp real mayonnaise has 100 calories and 11 grams fat.
- Low Calorie – There still might be some calories in a serving of a “low calorie” food, but it has to be 40 calories or less
- Low Fat – less than 3 grams/serving
- Low Sodium – less than 140 mg/serving
- Very Low Sodium – less than 35 mg/serving
- Sugar Free – Must have 0.5 grams of sugar per serving or less – this does not mean that it does not have a lot of starchy carbohydrates or fat.
- Calorie Free – less than 5 calories- Fat Free – less than 0.5 grams/serving
- Healthy – less than 3 grams fat, less than 1 gram saturated fat, less than 480 mg sodium, less than 60 mg cholesterol per serving
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Healthy Food Spotlight – Walnuts
Jul 26th
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids – the “healthy fats”. Omega-3 fats have been shown to help reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol and reduce total cholesterol levels. A handful of walnuts actually provides more than a day’s recommended amount of omega-3 fats. As a great source of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, thiamin, folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper walnuts can help reduce the risk of some cancers and chronic diseases. Since they are a great source of protein they will keep you full longer and some studies show that eating walnuts may also improve insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk of getting coronary heart disease.
So, throw some walnuts on your cereal, oatmeal, salad, casserole, or whatever you eat and begin receiving the heart healthy benefits of this great nut.
More information and recipes: www.walnuts.org
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Pineapple Souffle
Jul 25th
My grandmother makes the best pineapple souffle recipe! While I enjoy eating it on special occassions, I don’t make it very often because of the high sugar and calories. So, here’s what I’ve found to be a “better” version that’s a little healthier but still very good:
4 cups bread, pinched in bits (we use whatever buns, bread, etc we have)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple – save the juice
1 stick light butter, melted
2 eggs + 2 egg whites
Place bread pieces in a 2 quart baking dish. Drain pineapple, saving liquid, & toss pineapple with bread. Mix together eggs, sugar, light butter, & 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Pour over bread crumbs, pushing the bread down to make sure it is covered with the mixture, but do not stir.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
(3 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5) Loading ...Cute Nutrition Quote
Jul 20th
The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they’ll ease
Your will they’ll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
– Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990
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