Because I REALLY like DESSERT!

  

The holiday season is in full swing with a plethora of social events, family dinners and staff parties. For many, this translates to many more calories consumed and even more weight to manage come January. The trick to keeping your health and weight in check this month is to PARTY SMART! Here's a few tips:


1. Pick & Choose - when presented with a variety of appetizers, check out your options and select a few that you know you'll enjoy and put them on a plate or napkin. Don't tempt yourself by standing or sitting right in front of the bowl of chips, candies or cheese and crackers. Throughout the night this can add up to 400-500 calories of mindless munching!!                                   


2. Hydrate - alternate each alcoholic beverage with a small glass of water or sparkling water. This helps to keep you hydrated, slow down your drinking and also minimizes a potential hangover the next morning.

3. Lighten up your drink - avoid creamy cocktails, blended drinks or "fruit flavoured" martinis. Your best bets for alcohol are wine, champagne, light beer and spirits mixed with no-calorie mixers such as water, club soda, diet pop or even crystal light. 


4. Better Nog - For a festive treat I recently discovered "BOLTHOUSE FARMS HOLIDAY NOG" which is made from all natural ingredients. It's 80% less fat and 60% less calories than the traditional. However, at 80 calories per 1/2 cup, portion control is the key! Try a latte with half non-fat                                          milk and half egg nog.


5. Where is the colour? Make an effort to eat really well before and after your event by loading up on colourful veggies and fruits. Take advantage of seasonal  favourites like pomegranates, persimmons, mandarin oranges, squash and anything that is green and leafy.

6. DANCE - Bust a move and burn those extra calories.   Don't be a sitter! If your schedule allows for it, make an effort to do some extra cardio throughout the week. Aim for at least 4 x 40 minute cardio based work-outs.


With all this in mind, balance and moderation are the key. If you happen to go over-board, don't stress about it and get back to healthy eating the next day. 


Enjoy the season and all the best for a healthy and happy year ahead in 2012!

Happy Halloween - Don't Throw Away Your Pumpkin!

 

Happy Halloween!

This year instead of making a Jack-O-Latern out of my pumpkin, I decided to bake it and see how many healthy things I could make for something that cost me only $2.50!

 Firstly, you must cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. I was shocked how easy it was to cut right through my pumpkin compared to other squashes that I've worked with. Now I know why we carve orange pumpkins and not Butternut or Japanese (Kabocha) Pumpkins!!

  De-seeding the pumpkin is much easier to do when it's cut in half vs. doing it through a small space on the top (as when we carve faces on them!). Lay each pumpkin half skin-side-up on a baking pan or sheet and add a few cups of water to the pan in order to prevent it from getting to dry. I baked them at 425 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Literally it's just that easy! Scoop out the flesh and puree with a food processor, blender or hand-mixer. Whenever a recipe calls for canned pumpkin, you can simply substitute with the pureed instead. Here's what you can do with your pumpkin:

1. Snack Time: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
** mix rinsed and dried pumpkin seeds with olive oil (1-2 Tbsp) and seasonings of your choice - chili powder, cumin, Mrs. Dash or salt free herb based seasoning, pepper or spice them up with chipotle or crushed red chili flakes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes - enjoy!

2. Dinner Time: Pumpkin Turkey Chili

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Turkey-Chili/Detail.aspx
I'm going to take the advice from other recipe reviewers and add more spice, beans and extra veggies to make it my own. Instead of topping with the suggested sour cream and cheddar cheese, try 0% fat plain greek yogurt. 

3. Lunch Time: Pumpkin Soup

This recipe received excellent reviews and has minimal ingredients. Perfect as a side to your salad or sandwich. I never use heavy cream so I will omit this and substitute a bit of the 0% fat plain yogurt and perhaps add some cinnamon or paprika for extra flavour!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-soup-2/detail.aspx

4. Dessert Time: Pumpkin Bread

This appears to be the most popular pumpkin bread recipe. However, at 10g of fat per slice some easy modifications can be made to make it healthier. Start with cutting the oil in half, and substituting the remainder with unsweetened applesauce (you could even puree apples yourself if you have an abundance). In addition, cut the sugar from 4 cups to 2-3 cups or consider using alternative sweeteners such as agave syrup or maple syrup! To cut the fat even further you could consider cutting the eggs from 6 to 3, and use 3/4 cup of liquid egg whites.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-bread-iv/detail.aspx

   Happy Baking!

BRUNCH FOR TWO!

Start your weekend on the right foot with a delicious, balanced breakfast. It will give you the energy you need for activities like running, biking, hiking or swimming. Even if you're not prone to physical activity on your day off, eating a balanced meal will help power you through errands and social events.

 Last weekend I made "Mexican Eggs" with a small green salad, fresh fruit and a non-fat latte. What are Mexican eggs you may ask?

2 eggs
1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup spicy re-fried beans (no fat, less salt: the western family brand is actually quite good!)
1/2 cup salsa - mmm...we used a mango salsa!
1/2 grated low fat cheddar cheese
- other great additions: bell peppers, corn, spinach and whatever veggies you need to use up!

Other breakfast/brunch options that I like include basic vegetable omelettes with a whole wheat english muffin or sprouted grain toast - always with fresh fruit!

I'm also a huge fan of whole grain pancakes. I actually use a mini-burger pan to make them, that's why they look like waffles! Normally I always recommend making them from scratch using whole wheat flour, oats, milk, eggs and a small amount of oil & sugar. However, I've recently discovered this mix from Costco - INN ON THE CREEK FOODS - 6 GRAIN PANCAKE & WAFFLE MIX. 80 cal for 1/4 cup dry, 3g fibre, 4g sugar (1 sugar cube) and only 5% or 115 mg sodium - which is pretty much unheard of for a pre-made pancake mix.

              WHO'S ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO WEEKEND BRUNCH?

Fruit of the Week: FRESH FIGS!

A personal goal that I have for myself is to try a new, different or seasonal fruit or vegetable each week. When shopping at costco, I couldn't resist the neatly packaged California Figs. Nutritionally figs are a good source of fibre, contain potassium and have a very pleasant sweet taste - similar to a strawberry crossed with a peach.

However, fresh figs are quite perishable and I had 20 large figs to use in 3 days. At 50 calories and 10 grams of sugar per fresh fig, there's only so many that you can eat raw! What's a girl to do with this many fresh figs? Here's a few ideas:

• Cut into bite size pieces and add to your salad

 - A nice addition to baby spinach, mini-bocconcini, fresh heirloom    
    tomatoes, celery and bell peppers

• Make a salad dressing or marinade

       - blend together 2 chopped figs, 2 parts (1/2 cup) balsamic vinegar, 

         1 part (1/4 cup) olive oil & 1 Tbsp mustard (*add water if thick)

• Fig & Oat Squares 

       - 1 1/4 cups porridge oats

       - 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

       - 1/4 cup agave syrup

                                                            - 1/3 cup becel margarine
                                                            - 1-2 tsp cinnamon
                                                            - 10-12 large fresh figs, chopped

      Heat oven to 350F. Cream margarine with agave syrup. Add oats, flour and cinnamon. If the mixture is too thick consider add a splash or 2 of water. Press mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 pan and spread chopped figs over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, you could spray the bottom of the pan and add the figs first, and then the oat mixture on top.

Summer BBQ Ideas!

Canada Day marked the unofficial beginning of the summer and BBQ season. It's a time to get together with friends and family and share in some fresh tasty meals. BBQ'ing can be a great way to involve the men in the cooking process and save on some added fats. Don't waste your time on processed and salt saturated hot-dogs or fatty hamburgers. Opt for these lean options that provide heart healthy fats and will keep you're body in beach-ready shape.

Mains:

Grilled Wild Salmon Burgers
Top a whole wheat bun with 1/4 avocado, sweet chili, spinach and tomato slices

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs:
Cube chicken breast and marinate in your favourite salad dressing or marinade - think greek feta & oregano or lemon, olive oil & rosemary. Thread cubed chicken on kabob and alternate with eggplant, zucchini & bell peppers.

Sides:

• Whole wheat pita wedges and hummus
• Raw veggies and bean dip
• Greek Salad

Dessert

• Sliced strawberries with lime, mint and a bit of sweetener (agave syrup)
• Angel food cake with fresh berries
• Fruit crumble with vanilla ice-cream