Nov 27, 2012

Have a Healthy Holiday

Did you indulge a little over Thanksgiving? I would be lying if I said I didn't eat an extra serving of turkey. An extra roll? Perhaps. Pumpkin pie? Absolutely! But thankfully, one meal of semi-indulgence doesn't reverse all my health efforts for the year. Big sigh of relief.


This year, the holidays come during a time when I'm trying to shed the last few baby pounds, so I really don't want to halt - or reverse - my progress. I've jogged a lot of miles and watched my portions too well to let holiday food get the best of me.

To help stay healthy during the holidays, I use a few tricks so my willpower isn't so maxed out. I mean, really. How many times can I say "no" before finally giving in? So I try to maintain a normal healthy lifestyle and save indulgences only for special occasions.


Here's the plan:
  1. Make time to sweat once a day.
  2. Eat small meals regularly throughout the day.
  3. At holiday parties, eat small portions of foods you really like. Don't waste calories on foods you don't love.
  4. Eat until you're satisfied, not full.
  5. Plan holiday activities that aren't food-centered (make a Christmas wreath, dough art decorations, play games, or take a walk to look at decorated homes).

How are you planning on staying healthy this holiday?

Nov 16, 2012

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

 Do you love pumpkin pie? Do you love it so much you could to eat it for breakfast? Me too. Truth be told, pumpkin pie is my favorite part of Thanksgiving. That, and the crisp fall weather. Leaves!

I wish I could enjoy pumpkin pie more often, but between the added sugar and buttery pie crust (oh that glorious crust), it all creates a big calorie bomb I try to limit to a few times a year. So sad. 

I decided I must create a version that is a.) guilt-free b.) easy to make and c) preferably healthy. The perfect canvas? Oatmeal. 

Oatmeal is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and whole grains. And best of all, it's easy to make. To oatmeal, I added pumpkin puree, which also contains loads of good-for-you vitamins (like vitamin A and C) and is low in fat. It's a winning combo, both in the nutrition and taste department.

Making this recipe tells your family you love them. 

Start with your oats.


Will was my little helper (he likes wearing hats).

 
Grab your pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.


And here we go....

Recipe adapted from Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Serves one

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1-2 packets Splenda
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1 T maple syrup
Preparation

In a small saucepan, combine the water, milk, oats, pumpkin and pie spice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Next, remove from heat and add splenda, vanilla and about a tablespoon of maple syrup.

Nov 8, 2012

Giveaway Winner + Chicken Pesto & Goat Cheese Pasta

 Hey Friends! Congratulations to Emily, who won the Attune Cereal Giveaway!

 
This week, it's back to work for me. I've enjoyed my time off so much, but am also happy to start back to my very part-time dietitian job (one day per week). Does that even count as a real job? I don't know.

In light of work starting up again, I like to have a few easy weeknight meals that require minimal prep work, but are still tasty and healthy. This one is just that: delicious, healthy and easy to make. First off, it's pasta, so, yeah it's good. Second, there's pesto! I have a love affair with pesto, rivaled only by goat cheese. So why not throw them together? A love pasta, of sorts.

Although both pesto and goat cheese are higher in fat, pesto contains lots of healthy ingredients like basil and heart healthy fats like olive oil and nuts. And because of the rich, creamy texture of goat cheese, you don't have to use as much.



I adapted this recipe from Pesto and Goat Cheese Pasta


Ingredients:

Penne Pasta (whole wheat for added fiber and protein)
Basil Pesto, Prepared
Goat Cheese, Crumbled
Baked Chicken Breast, Diced

Simply throw these together and let the magic begin. I didn't measure exactly since it's kind of up to you how much of each ingredient you want. I just made sure to go easy on the basil pesto and goat cheese, since these ingredients contain the most fat. I added just enough to coat - not saturate - the pasta.

We enjoyed this easy weeknight meal with steamed broccoli. Hope you enjoy!

Nov 2, 2012

Post #100 + A Giveaway!



This is officially post number 100 and I'm kind of excited. When I started blogging, I had no idea what would happen. I just wanted a fun way to share nutrition tips and recipes with my friends and family. Now, thanks to you guys I'm getting more readers daily and lots positive feedback. I appreciate every one of your comments, questions and emails and am so grateful for all I'm learning from you.

So, I guess I just want to say THANKS!

To celebrate and to thank YOU for reading, I want to send you a gift: Three boxes of healthy, tasty cereals from a company called Attune Foods. They make all types of nutritious cereals and - bonus - chocolate bars with probiotics. Yes, please. 

You can find their products at most local health food stores and I like them because many of the cereals are 100% whole grain, high in fiber and protein and low in sugar. Basically, they pack a nutritional punch at breakfast, which is an important meal that fuels our bodies for the rest of the day. I don't receive compensation for saying these things, it's just my dietitian opinion.

If you'd like to try some of their yummy cereals and receive a coupon for 2 free probiotic chocolate bars, choose one of the following ways to enter:

1. Post a comment below
2. Like me on Facebook
3. Subscribe to follow my blog

If you do two of these items, your name will be entered twice. If you go big and enter all three ways, your name will be entered three times. A winner will be chosen at random a week from today.

Good luck and healthy eating!