(Continuing) Healthy Food Ideas...

So, I probably shouldn't even try posting on the weekends. With dates, long runs, and family activities it just doesn't happen! But better late than never, right? So here's the post I've sat down to write three times...also, they changed the blogger site and the formatting is not agreeing with me, so plz bear with me as I figure out how to get the program to listen to me and format how I want it too! :) First, I want to post some internet sites I found recently at the request of a friend... These are diabetes-friendly recipes that are healthy options even for people not suffering from diabetes. Eating like this now can prevent getting the disease later. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Diabetes/DiabetesToolsResources/Diabetes-Friendly-Recipes_UCM_313900_Article.jsp http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/diabetic-recipes/ http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307365,00.html Flipping though these tasty-looking recipes reaffirmed to me my belief that there is a healthy option for every food you love. That truth is what has helped me stick with this change in lifestyle. Love omelettes? Great. Make them with egg whites or egg-substitute and pile on the veggies and low-fat cheese (mozzarella or provolone are lighter options! Love chocolate? Fine, whip out some sugar-free alternative and start baking. Crave mexican? Cook some ground turkey up with taco seasoning. There is always a healthy way to cook the same food! I don't even think about what "I can't have" because all I think about is what "I can have..." The options are endless. Here are some more ideas of low-calorie food options I've come to love... 6. Egg-White Skillet- It's basically what it sounds like. I cook up some eggwhites (which are only 20 calories per egg) with onions, tomotoes, mushrooms and freshly chopped garlic. I don't cook it in butter, but just give my non-stick pana quick spray of vegetable oil. Mrs. Dash helps me season my tasty creation without salt. So yummy and filling!

7. Veggies With Dip or Veggie Sandwiches- I know there are some vegetarians out there so this is a double option. Sliced cucumbers, tomato, celery with a little low-fat peanut butter, sour cream or hummus is a great snack option. For me, the protein is what really makes me feel full, so I also recommend string cheese with veggies, or lean deli poultry slices or tuna. Put it inbetween two veggies for a cute, healthy little veggie-sandwich! 8. A Bowl of Cereal with Lots of Milk (it DOES do a body good!)- Cereal is something else I used to eat four bowls of before feeling full. Now I know to choose cereals with some grains to fill me up faster, but even more important, I finish my milk! Chances are you will be getting most of your protein from the milk so give your body a chance to take that in and digest before filling that bowl of leftover milk with more cereal. You probably don't even need it. :)

9. Popcorn- One of the reasons I felt frustrated and put off healthy eating habits 100% of the time was because I didn't want to feel like I always had to be eating something different from the rest of my family. Popcorn was one of the first foods where I felt like I could make a healthy choice and include my family too. There are tons of light, low-calorie options for this snack. Just look at the label above to see the difference when you use a lighter oil. You can buy portion-sized packets, pop it yourself over the stove and omit the salt, or just use a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray for some flavor. Best of all, with this food choice you can enjoy your movie and still stick to a healthy lifestyle. 10. Creamy Goodness and Desserts- What else have I filled our fridge with to satisfy our sweettooths? Sugar-free puddings and jello cups, Greek Yogurt, light popsicles (some are only 15 calories), Fat-free cool whip to dip fresh fruit in...really there are SO many low-cal options I couldn't list them all. I can't say that I will always use sugar substitutes, but right now getting my waistline down is what's most important for my heart and health and eating fewer calories is part of that process. I'm finding that while the flavor isn't always quite tha same (although sometimes it is- I LOVE Greek Yogurt and Sugar Free popsicles and chocolate pudding) I'm satisfying a craving for something sweet without indulging and loving it SO MUCH that I have to have third and fourth servings. In other words, in a way I'm satisfied sooner because it's good but not so good I want to have the whole package. :) I hope these ideas for enjoying more fruits and veggies in your diet and ways of swapping out high-fat and calorie foods for lower sugar and lower calorie options make their way into your meal-planning. Again, I just have to mention that I am no a doctor or nutrionist. These are tips I've picked up from reading, watching The Biggest Loser and trying out myself and they are chainging my life. Have a great day! Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I love hearing your ideas too. Love, Eva

Cooking With Kids: 10 Easy, Healthful Food Ideas

I've been wanting to write this post for a while and maybe I'm finally doing it now because yesterday ended up being kind of a food splurge. I didn't feel that great afterwards, even while watching my portion sizes, because the food was high in fat, oil and sugar.

I don't remember where I heard it, but I once heard that the body is so much more adaptable to change than we give it credit for. It's the mind that struggles with the addction- the body can adapt and be done with something long before the person is mentally. Smoking is a great example of that. The body wouldn't generally seize up and die if someone quit smoking cold-turkey. Yes, it would be extremely uncomfortable, but the body would adjust and move on. Yet, how many people wish they could quit but "just can't." It's the mind that's addicted, the body will adapt. Clearly, that's true for food too. My body is already reacting adversely to having these fatty, oily foods in its system again. It's used to eating light and feels better running on this new "cleaner fuel" after only a couple of months. To me, that's incredible.

So what stops us from choosing what's better for our waistlines and arteries? Time? Money? Convenience? Taste? Well, here are 10 options where I don't feel like I have to sacrifice in any of those areas, and best of all MY KIDS EAT IT TOO! Check 'em out...

1. Fruit- It's hard to find a snack that's cheaper and more convenient than a banana or apple. I used to snack on crackers or toast but now I reach for fruit and veggies, easily saving myself a couple hundred calories a day. I say the same thing to my kids, "if you're hungry, eat some fruit." If they don't want it they probably aren't really that hungry (same goes for me.) They love fruit salads and sometimes we'll even mix in some light cool whip for a special treat. This is a great dessert option for summer- you don't even have to turn on your oven!

2. Protein Salads- Notice that word in front of salad? I mean it! Get some protein on your veggies and you will be loving life! I could eat three bowls of salad and not get full but one bowl with a couple ounces of lean poultry or light cheese and I'm set. The kids love some croutons on theirs and that's fine with me if it's helping them get through a healthful salad. Darker greens have more vitamins. Be sure to throw in lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives...any veggie you and your kids like. Also, don't waste your calories on the dressing. Go light or use red wine vinegar to make the most of your meal. :)

3. Turkey Pepperonni Pizza- I know, you might be able to taste the difference. But you will also feel the difference and see the difference on yourself by swapping out the fat stuff for a more lean, healthful meat. If convenience is still a must buy cheese oven pizzas and then top it with your own veggies and turkey pepperonni. These usually have thinner crusts and less cheese than delivery, and they are less expensive too. But you can still see the grease dripping off of them, so use sparingly...


If you have the time, you can make these cute english muffin pizzas. These are great because you can buy the wheat or low-calorie bread, and it's easier to watch your portions (especially on the cheese!) Just cover with toppings and cool for a few minutes on broil. My kids love helping make these and eating them too!

4. Smothered Veggies- This is the name I came up with for the following...take one of those Shake n Bake seasoning packages (in the deli section, with cheese...)and use it on zuchinni, tomato, really any veggie of your choice! I love these because they are baked, not fried, and they really get you to want to eat your veggies. Of course, try to choose one that's lower in salt but if you're just transitioning into eating more vegetables, seriously, just be glad you are eating vegetables! :) I made this for the first time a month or so ago and now I can use less and less of the seasoning per veggie serving because my family is more used to eating veggies! It's great, yummy and quick! Gotta love it...

We always do some with the chilen too...

This is the one I used. And no, I am not getting paid to mention their product. :)

OK, since this is turning into the longest post ever, I'm going to write it in two parts. Here is the last suggestion from Part 1...

5. Smoothies- I used to look at smoothies as high-calorie drinks, which they can be. That's probably because I used to always put (just a little) of ice cream in my smoothies. No more! Now it's just ice, fruit, low-fat milk and high protein yogurt. My kids love 'em because they feel like they're part of The Fresh Beat Band and they help create their own recipes by choosing the fruit and logurt flavors. I've found Greek yogurt to be the highest in protein while still being low-cal. I love 'em because we're all eating healthful fruits and dairy. If you don't do dairy, try some low-calorie juice in there too. This is a great oppotunity to mix in some soy powder or protein powder too.

I hope these suggestions are helpful for you today! More on the way tomorrow...thanks so much for reading!!! You all keep me going!! luv, Eva

My Breakfast Tips...That Include Frosted Cereals!

First, I gotta say that this is just what I am doing. I am not a Nutrionist (though that was my first major in college, so the interest is there) but these are some things that have been working for me in the morning...

I used to wake up and eat breakfast RIGHT away, like at 7 AM. I think I was super hungry because I would snack during the night or late at night and that would keep my hunger going, getting me to eat way more than I needed to. Now if I need something to chew on to keep me up at night it's one apple slice, and I make it last! LOL

I wait until about 9 AM to have breakfast now and it's great because it means I'm thinking about and accomplishing other things besides eating first. I feed my kids. I start a load of laundry. I read or even workout. I've jumpstarted the effectiveness of my day because it wasn't focused on food.

Before it was all carbs- I would eat 4 pieces of toast sometimes because that's what I loved! Well, for a while I went gluten free and found myself just eating fruit in the morning and I loved it. For example, a banana and apple and some water or other beverage was a great way to get my day started.

Now I occasionally have a bowl of cereal with some fruit. That combo really fills me up fast. Every few times I will measure the cereal and milk portions to remind myself of the amount I need. You wouldn't spend more on a purchase than you need to, so why spend more calories on a meal if you don't need to? The amount of cereal I used to pour is probably about twice of what I have now and I'm still totally satisfied. :)

By the way, breakfast cereals are sneaky! Just because it has granola (which is really high in fat) or raisins (which are high in sugar) doesn't make it "healthy." And "all natural" means nothing. Check out what I discovered this morning: Frosted Cheerios is WAY LOWER IN SUGAR than Raisin Bran. Yeah.





There's almost twice as much sugar in Raisin Bran, probably because they want to make sure that bran tastes good to the potential consumer (YOU!) You can also see Raisin Bran has MUCH higher Sodium and Carbs. Again, more sodium to make it taste better and get you to buy it. :) Just some facts to help us rethink what is "healthy."

I'm making sure I eat fresh, cheack labels and keep my portion sizes reasonable. By waiting a little later to eat breakfast I'm not needing to snack between breakfast and lunch. Plus, I'm getting more done which makes me happier. I hope these ideas help you! Live well!!! Luv, Eva