The Healthy Foodie

What is better to do on a warm summer day than going to the beach???  Well, yesterday, my husband and some of our friends went to the beach early evening for happy hour.  The sun was still warm but not scorching hot, so it was a beautiful time of the day!  We all brought beer (Corona Light for me, which equals 110 calories) and each brought a snack type food.  My packaged snack food of choice is Quaker Quakes in Nacho Cheese.  These chip sized rice cakes have the crunch and flavor of Doritos but nowhere near the fat and calories.  9 of these mini cakes can be enjoyed for 70 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.  What an easy, light happy hour that tastes delicious and refreshing while lounging in the sun with friends! 

This weekend, save yourself some work and instead of hosting people at your house, invite your girlfriends, some couples, your family, whoever, out to dinner!  Restaurants can be tempting and sometimes it is hard to know what is safe to order.  Here are some key words to look for or avoid when following a healthy diet:

Look for:  Steamed, grilled, fresh, baked, poached, light

Avoid:  Fried, crispy, crunchy, creamy, rich, buttered, tempura

If you’re anything like me, you struggle to come up with creative side dishes to go with your dinners.  I usually end up putting more emphasis on my main dish rather than sides (my husband and I have become very familiar with steamed broccoli!).  Anyways, this side dish is extremely easy to do when grilling and goes well with poultry, fish, or pork tenderloins.

 Grilled Blue Cheese Plums-4 plums, 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, Pam or any cooking spray

Cut each plum in half and remove the pit.  Spray both sides of each plum half with pam.  Grill for 2-3 minutes per side.  Sprinkle with goat cheese and let melt.  This is a WONDERFUL combination and looks just as good as it tastes!

Luaus pop up as themes all over the place in summer.  Whether it’s a child’s birthday party, a retirement party, an engagement affair, etc.  Most of the food served at these parties can be more on the unhealthy side (burried pig anyone?).  Here is my luau themed appetizer that will have guests at your party begging for the recipe!

Open Faced Hawaiian Sliders

1 pound pork tenderloin, 1 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup fat free mayonaisse,  1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon more pineapple juice, 2 rings of fresh pineapple, and 4 Hawaiian Rolls, 8 toothpicks

Marinade Pork Tenderloin in 1 cup pineapple juice.  Place PT on prepared grill and cover for 15-20 minutes or until insides reach 160 degrees.  Mix mayonnaise, horseradish, and 1 teaspoon pineapple juice and spread mixtures on separated sides of the Hawaiian rolls.   Slice PT into 2 oz portions (should yield about 8 slices) and place 1 slice onto each roll.  Cut pineapple rings into fourths and place one chunk ontop of each open faced sandwich.  Secure with toothpick and enjoy for only 3 g fat and 130 calories!  Eat 2 plus some fresh fruit and walk away with a meal under 400 calories!

Summer is in full force and what better way to wind down at night than with a delicious cocktail.  Problem is, sometimes your favorite cocktail has more calories than that brownie sundae you have been avoiding for the last 5 years.  Here is one of my favorite cocktails that tastes delicious but has less than 150 calories!

Mojito-2 oz white rum, 1/2 oz lime juice, 1 teaspoon Splenda, 6 mint leaves, 2 oz soda water

Crush mint leaves, juice, and Splenda in the bottom of a glass.  Add rum and ice and mix.  Top with Club soda and enjoy for only 128 calories.

Since it is summer and the sun stays up much later, my husband and my social circle has begun having barbeques much more often than going out to restaurants.  Every couple brings their own meat and drinks to share and we divide up who brings what side.  Tonight, my job is to bring the salad, but I do not like to bring just any old iceburg/tomato mix.  I go for the easy recipes that have a culinary twist!  Here is my easy and healthy salad recipe that is sure to please!

 Spinach and Pear Salad

1 bag baby spinach leaves, 2 pears sliced, 1/2 cup fat free feta cheese, 1/4 cup almond slices, 1 bottle low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing

 Toss all ingredients except dressing.  Let each guest decide how much dressing they want on their salad, but since YOU are the one trying to be healthy, drizzle just enough to give your salad flavor.  This tastes great with grilled chicken or salmon and a chilled glass of white wine.  Enjoy!

Every Wednesday, my sisters, mom, aunt, and any additional friends have girls night out at a local Mexican restaurant.  It’s a pretty universal concept; women like to get together with no men to discuss topics their significant other just doesn’t have as much passion for (Brangelina, those new shoes you have your eyes on, etc.).  Why not switch things up for a week and host a girls night in?

One Wednesday, I hosted an appetizer party at my house.  The concept was simple:  everyone bring ingredients for their favorite, easy, healthy appetizer.  Recipes should be as few ingredients as possible since everyone will be transporting their groceries to one house and refrigerator space may be limited.  One by one, each woman demonstrates how to prepare the dish and then distributes samples for everyone to try.  This is a great way to learn new healthy recipes, try some tastey food, and chit-chat with the girls.  Here is my appetizer of choice:

Garbanzo Spread1 7 oz tub of original flavored hummus (such as Athenos)1/2 cup fat free feta cheese crumbles (Athenos sells these as well)1/8 cup fruit preserves or syrup (I like to use Smuckers blackberry syrup)Handful of fresh mint leavesHandful of fresh cilantro2 Pitas cut into wedges (whole wheat if possible) 

Spread hummus over the bottom of a plate.  Sprinkle with feta crumbles.  Drizzle syrup or preserves over the top of the spread.  Finally, dice the mint and cilantro and sprinkle over the top.  Dip pita wedges into spread and enjoy!

I don’t know about all of you, but I find that eating right at work can be a challenge.  Between the 100 or so people in this room, there is either a birthday party, baby shower, retirement, or holiday pretty much every day being celebrated.  The typical celebrations include donuts, pizza, cupcakes, etc.  So how can you and your co-workers make these office parties a little healthier?  Here are some simple swaps to make!

1.  Swap donuts for homemade muffins.  This way you can control the amount of sugar and fat being added.  Plus, this way you have control of portions.  Often times store bought muffins are enough to feed 3 people and have even more calories than donuts!  See my yummy muffin recipe below!

2.  Swap pizza for salad bar.  Instead of ordering pizza, have each person bring in a salad ingredient to share and make your own salad bar.  Some good ideas of items to bring are light dressing, spinach, romaine, tomatoes, corn, beans, diced chicken breast, broccoli, artichoke hearts, almonds, etc.  Try to limit options high in calories and saturated fat like whole fat cheese, whole fat dressing, bacon, and croutons.

3.  Swap grocery or bakery cakes for No Fudge Pudge Brownies.  These can be found in the baking sections of many grocery stores and are super easy.  All you do is add 1 cup of yogurt to the pack and bake.  They are moist and delicious and are drastically lower in calories then the typical birthday cake!

Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins 

Yield:  12 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup oats
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
 Cooking spray
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º.  Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine yogurt, butter, milk, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place 12 foil cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each liner. Top each with 1 teaspoon jam. Top evenly with the remaining batter. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375º for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place on a wire rack.

Nutrition info. per muffin:  150 calories, 1.5 g fat, 30 g carb., .5 g fiber, 4 g protein

When it’s hot outside and I’m too lazy to grill, I often have ”Summer in Paris” night for my husband and myself.  As we sit on our patio table, I imagine we are at a streetside bistro in France indulging in the best cheese and wine the country has to offer.  My reality, however, costs way less than a ticket to Europe and costs me way less calories.  Here is my grocery list for these such nights:

Light French Onion Laughing Cow Wedges

1 Box Kashi TLC Honey Sesame Crackers

Grapes

Apples

White Wine

Seltzer Water

Each meal consists of 7 crackers, 1 wedge of cheese to spread on the crackers, 1 cup grapes, 1/2 apple, and 2 wine spritzers (1/4 cup wine, 1/4 cup seltzer water).  Enjoy this American version of a Parisian ”meal” for just 350 calories and 3.5 g of fat!

This weekend I am lucky enought to have some visitors from good old Illinois.  We are going out in Old Town for some Mexican food and margs which will not be good for the diet but will be good for the entertainment value.  I love a good marg and can’t skip one when out and about, but when I’m at home I make my own version for less than 100 calories!!!  All you do is mix 3 parts Crystal Light with one part tequilla.  Try it, you can have 3 of these “margaritas” for the same amount of calories as 1 real margarita! 

 Guacamole and sour cream are another problem I have when eating out at Mexican restaurants, however, when I am at home I have a solution!  Use fat free plain yogurt and make your own “guacamole”  using 1/2 avocado, 1 cup peas, a little pico de gallo, a tiny splash of lime, and a pinch of salt.  This combination is delicious and a little less harmful to your diet!

 Use these tips and have a buena fiesta minus mucho calories!