Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese
Course: side dishes
POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 7 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
The rich, nutty flavor of freshly grated Parmesan cheese pairs beautifully with cauliflower. Try the same recipe with broccoli, baby carrots and asparagus, too.
Ingredients
6 cup(s) cauliflower, florets, fresh (about 1 head), or frozen and thawed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano suggested
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, oil, salt and pepper; toss to combine. Transfer cauliflower to a large baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast until cauliflower is golden brown, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, place in serving bowl and sprinkle with cheese; toss to mix. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
Notes
When you want variety, use shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust Favorites
Course: desserts
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 65 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Our take on this Thanksgiving classic features a light graham cracker crust. The filling's custardy and rich, with just a hint of spice.
Details Read all reviews (7) Ingredients
3 oz reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 1/2 sheets
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large egg white(s)
1 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup(s) lite whipped topping
Instructions
Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place graham crackers and light brown sugar in a food processor; process into crumbs (or smash into crumbs in a sealed plastic food bag with a rolling pin). Spoon crumbs into a small bowl; add melted butter and combine with fingers into a coarse meal. Distribute crumbs evenly on bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until crust starts to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; fold in egg, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, canned pumpkin and evaporated milk. Beat pumpkin custard until smooth and pour into pie shell. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces, top each piece with 1/2 tablespoon of whipped topping and serve warm or at room temperature. Yields 1 slice per serving.
Course: desserts
POINTS® Value: 3
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 65 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Our take on this Thanksgiving classic features a light graham cracker crust. The filling's custardy and rich, with just a hint of spice.
Details Read all reviews (7) Ingredients
3 oz reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers, about 5 1/2 sheets
1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large egg white(s)
1 large egg(s)
1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or less to taste
1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup(s) lite whipped topping
Instructions
Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place graham crackers and light brown sugar in a food processor; process into crumbs (or smash into crumbs in a sealed plastic food bag with a rolling pin). Spoon crumbs into a small bowl; add melted butter and combine with fingers into a coarse meal. Distribute crumbs evenly on bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Chill for 30 minutes before baking. Bake until crust starts to turn golden, about 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until frothy; fold in egg, dark brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, canned pumpkin and evaporated milk. Beat pumpkin custard until smooth and pour into pie shell. Bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces, top each piece with 1/2 tablespoon of whipped topping and serve warm or at room temperature. Yields 1 slice per serving.
Baked Pumpkin Custards
Individual Baked Pumpkin Custards Favorites
Course: desserts
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Each one of these custards comes in its own ramekin for easy portion control. They're spicy and sweet, spread with a creamy yogurt topping.
Details Read all reviews (4) Ingredients
1 pound(s) canned pumpkin, solid, not puree
Custard Seasonings
4 large egg(s)
4 large egg white(s)
1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 tsp SPLENDA® SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon,
Topping
2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended
2 tsp SPLENDA® SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
To make custard, spoon pumpkin into a large bowl; whisk in custard seasonings.
Place eight 4-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet; fill each ramekin about 3/4 full with custard. Bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a knife in center of a custard — if it comes out clean, custards are finished. If not, bake for 5 minutes more and check for donesness again; repeat until cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well and set aside.
When custards are cool, top each with about 1/4 cup of yogurt mixture; serve. Yields 1 custard per serving.
Notes
You can make the custards one day in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Top with yogurt mixture just before serving.
Course: desserts
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Each one of these custards comes in its own ramekin for easy portion control. They're spicy and sweet, spread with a creamy yogurt topping.
Details Read all reviews (4) Ingredients
1 pound(s) canned pumpkin, solid, not puree
Custard Seasonings
4 large egg(s)
4 large egg white(s)
1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
2 tsp SPLENDA® SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon,
Topping
2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, Greek-variety recommended
2 tsp SPLENDA® SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
To make custard, spoon pumpkin into a large bowl; whisk in custard seasonings.
Place eight 4-ounce ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet; fill each ramekin about 3/4 full with custard. Bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a knife in center of a custard — if it comes out clean, custards are finished. If not, bake for 5 minutes more and check for donesness again; repeat until cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients in a medium bowl; mix well and set aside.
When custards are cool, top each with about 1/4 cup of yogurt mixture; serve. Yields 1 custard per serving.
Notes
You can make the custards one day in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Top with yogurt mixture just before serving.
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges Favorites
Course: side dishes
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Both salty and sweet, crisp on the outside with an underlying hint of rosemary. Great with regular potatoes, too.
Details Read all reviews (31) Ingredients
2 large sweet potato(es), washed and patted dry
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 item(s) rosemary sprig, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Cut each potato into 8 lengthwise wedges and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Roast for 15 minutes; toss and roast until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more.
Spoon potato wedges onto a serving plate and garnish with fresh rosemary. Yields 4 wedges per serving.
Notes
Use sea salt or Kosher salt instead of regular table salt if you prefer.
If you like your potatoes well-done, place them under the broiler for a minute of two.
Course: side dishes
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Both salty and sweet, crisp on the outside with an underlying hint of rosemary. Great with regular potatoes, too.
Details Read all reviews (31) Ingredients
2 large sweet potato(es), washed and patted dry
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 item(s) rosemary sprig, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Cut each potato into 8 lengthwise wedges and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary. Roast for 15 minutes; toss and roast until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes more.
Spoon potato wedges onto a serving plate and garnish with fresh rosemary. Yields 4 wedges per serving.
Notes
Use sea salt or Kosher salt instead of regular table salt if you prefer.
If you like your potatoes well-done, place them under the broiler for a minute of two.
Skinny Sloppy Joes
Skinny Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachel Ray
Servings: 7 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup or 1/4 lb • Points: 2 pts
Calories: 121.8 • Fat: 3.7 g • Protein: 13.7 g • Carb: 9.9 g • Fiber: 2.1 g
1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
1 carrot, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
4 oz mushrooms, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns.
Adapted from Rachel Ray
Servings: 7 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup or 1/4 lb • Points: 2 pts
Calories: 121.8 • Fat: 3.7 g • Protein: 13.7 g • Carb: 9.9 g • Fiber: 2.1 g
1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
1 carrot, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
4 oz mushrooms, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Using a measuring cup, pile 1/2 cup of sloppy meat onto toasted buns.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Allow for Indulgence
Allow for Indulgence
Article By: Michelle Olson www.weightwatchers.com
A life without treats is a dull one indeed. Learn how to fit them in — and enjoy!
Did you hear that chocolate is good for you? According to recent studies, dark chocolate contains antioxidants that can protect against heart attacks, stroke and high blood pressure. Great news! But how will you use that information?
Make room for indulgence
The occasional indulgence is a necessary part of any weight-loss plan. Savoring a favorite food or snack can certainly add enjoyment and provide satisfaction. But the concept of "good for you" is tricky. Sure, a small quantity of dark chocolate contains fiber, minerals and heart-healthy antioxidants. But using that knowledge as an excuse to eat chocolate with abandon is not a responsible way to approach weight loss.
The good news is that both Weight Watchers allows for any type of indulgence that you wish, chocolate included. But keep in mind that 1 tablespoon of chocolate contains about 2 POINTS® values. So savor a serving size of good quality chocolate and relish the fact that you did something healthy for your heart. Here are a few more tactics for enjoying sweets on plan:
Make room in your weekly POINTS Allowance for a small indulgence like chocolate.
Order a dessert to split.
Substitute lower POINTS value alternatives like fat-free, sugar-free pudding; sugar-free hot cocoa; or hard chocolate candies.
Browse the Find & Explore feature of Plan Manager to find delicious dessert recipes.
Move more to earn activity POINTS values.
Article By: Michelle Olson www.weightwatchers.com
A life without treats is a dull one indeed. Learn how to fit them in — and enjoy!
Did you hear that chocolate is good for you? According to recent studies, dark chocolate contains antioxidants that can protect against heart attacks, stroke and high blood pressure. Great news! But how will you use that information?
Make room for indulgence
The occasional indulgence is a necessary part of any weight-loss plan. Savoring a favorite food or snack can certainly add enjoyment and provide satisfaction. But the concept of "good for you" is tricky. Sure, a small quantity of dark chocolate contains fiber, minerals and heart-healthy antioxidants. But using that knowledge as an excuse to eat chocolate with abandon is not a responsible way to approach weight loss.
The good news is that both Weight Watchers allows for any type of indulgence that you wish, chocolate included. But keep in mind that 1 tablespoon of chocolate contains about 2 POINTS® values. So savor a serving size of good quality chocolate and relish the fact that you did something healthy for your heart. Here are a few more tactics for enjoying sweets on plan:
Make room in your weekly POINTS Allowance for a small indulgence like chocolate.
Order a dessert to split.
Substitute lower POINTS value alternatives like fat-free, sugar-free pudding; sugar-free hot cocoa; or hard chocolate candies.
Browse the Find & Explore feature of Plan Manager to find delicious dessert recipes.
Move more to earn activity POINTS values.
Halloween Poem
What scares me most at Halloween
Are my trick-or-treat supplies
These sweet treats can play tricks
Changing truth to tempting lies……
CORN candy is a veggie
Nestles CRUNCH an exercise
Almond JOY a blissful blessing
Three MUSKETEERS my kind’a guys!
Eat a Tootsie ROLL for breakfast
Pick Jujy FRUITS right off the tree
Hershey KISSES give lots of lovin’
LIFE SAVERS will rescue me
The truth is treats are triggers
They fail to satisfy
Nutritious snacks don’t play tricks
A better choice, no lie!
Are my trick-or-treat supplies
These sweet treats can play tricks
Changing truth to tempting lies……
CORN candy is a veggie
Nestles CRUNCH an exercise
Almond JOY a blissful blessing
Three MUSKETEERS my kind’a guys!
Eat a Tootsie ROLL for breakfast
Pick Jujy FRUITS right off the tree
Hershey KISSES give lots of lovin’
LIFE SAVERS will rescue me
The truth is treats are triggers
They fail to satisfy
Nutritious snacks don’t play tricks
A better choice, no lie!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew
Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew Favorites
Course: main meals
POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 425 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This stew's both a little spicy and a little sweet. Serve with a salad of black beans, orange and red onion tossed with low-fat vinaigrette.
Details Read all reviews (9) Ingredients
1 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound(s) lean pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green chiles
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 cup(s) orange juice
2 medium scallion(s), chopped (green parts only)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
Instructions
Place potatoes, pork, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin and pepper in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 7 hours.
Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving (including some cooking liquid).
Course: main meals
POINTS® Value: 6
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 425 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This stew's both a little spicy and a little sweet. Serve with a salad of black beans, orange and red onion tossed with low-fat vinaigrette.
Details Read all reviews (9) Ingredients
1 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound(s) lean pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces
14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with green chiles
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 cup(s) orange juice
2 medium scallion(s), chopped (green parts only)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
Instructions
Place potatoes, pork, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice, scallions, salt, cumin and pepper in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 7 hours.
Stir in lime juice and cilantro; cover slow cooker and cook for 5 minutes more. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving (including some cooking liquid).
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean Soup
Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean Soup Favorites
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 18 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This soup has a delicious and complex taste. It's the perfect thing to perk up sleepy winter taste buds!
Details Read all reviews (51) Ingredients
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat pot
1 medium onion(s), coarsely chopped
15 oz canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
15 1/2 oz canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium-low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Stir in pumpkin, broth, beans and oregano; simmer 8 minutes.
In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. (Note: Make sure not to overfill blender in order to avoid splattering.) Return soup to pot and reheat; season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 18 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This soup has a delicious and complex taste. It's the perfect thing to perk up sleepy winter taste buds!
Details Read all reviews (51) Ingredients
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat pot
1 medium onion(s), coarsely chopped
15 oz canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
15 1/2 oz canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium-low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Stir in pumpkin, broth, beans and oregano; simmer 8 minutes.
In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. (Note: Make sure not to overfill blender in order to avoid splattering.) Return soup to pot and reheat; season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 0 Points
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Favorites
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 0
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Nice and simple: a puree of squash and apples with just a hint of fall spice. Serve hot, chilled or at room temperature.
Details Read all reviews (119) Ingredients
4 cup(s) vegetable broth
12 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes*
1/2 large Vidalia onion(s), cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 small apple(s), peeled and cut into to 2-inch cubes
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste
Instructions
In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion and apple; cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover pot and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in a regular blender in batches, careful not to splatter hot liquid). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; serve. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
Notes
*You can purchase already peeled and cubed squash in the produce section of some supermarkets. You can also swap frozen, cubed squash for the fresh.
Garnish with chopped mint.
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 0
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Nice and simple: a puree of squash and apples with just a hint of fall spice. Serve hot, chilled or at room temperature.
Details Read all reviews (119) Ingredients
4 cup(s) vegetable broth
12 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes*
1/2 large Vidalia onion(s), cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 small apple(s), peeled and cut into to 2-inch cubes
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste
Instructions
In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion and apple; cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover pot and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in a regular blender in batches, careful not to splatter hot liquid). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; serve. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
Notes
*You can purchase already peeled and cubed squash in the produce section of some supermarkets. You can also swap frozen, cubed squash for the fresh.
Garnish with chopped mint.
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup Favorites
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Warm up with our hearty sweet potato soup as the temperature starts to drop. Toast the pecans to help maximize their flavor.
Details Read all reviews (16) Ingredients
2 large sweet potato(es)
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool, remove and discard skin; chop potatoes.
Combine sweet potatoes and 3/4 cup of broth in a blender or food processor; blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set potato mixture aside.
Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan; stir in flour and ginger, and then add milk. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook 1 minute more and then stir in sweet potato mixture and remaining 1 1/4 cups of broth. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Pour into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon of pecans. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Notes
For an extra flavor boost, consider adding a dash of curry powder with the flour and ginger.
Course: soups
POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Warm up with our hearty sweet potato soup as the temperature starts to drop. Toast the pecans to help maximize their flavor.
Details Read all reviews (16) Ingredients
2 large sweet potato(es)
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool. When cool, remove and discard skin; chop potatoes.
Combine sweet potatoes and 3/4 cup of broth in a blender or food processor; blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set potato mixture aside.
Melt margarine in a medium-size saucepan; stir in flour and ginger, and then add milk. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook 1 minute more and then stir in sweet potato mixture and remaining 1 1/4 cups of broth. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Pour into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon of pecans. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Notes
For an extra flavor boost, consider adding a dash of curry powder with the flour and ginger.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Cheese Vegetable Soup
CHEESY VEGETABLE SOUP
3 cans (14 oz) cans FF chicken broth
2 (1 lb. each) bags frozen California mixed vegetables
1 (10.5 oz) can tomatoes with green chilies
10 oz Velveeta Light, cubed
Mix all ingredients except cheese. Boil until veggies are tender.
Turn heat down to simmer. Use a stick blender to blend until desire texture is reached. This will make the soup creamier.
Add cheese and cook until cheese is melted.
3 Points 10 Servings (1 cup)
3 cans (14 oz) cans FF chicken broth
2 (1 lb. each) bags frozen California mixed vegetables
1 (10.5 oz) can tomatoes with green chilies
10 oz Velveeta Light, cubed
Mix all ingredients except cheese. Boil until veggies are tender.
Turn heat down to simmer. Use a stick blender to blend until desire texture is reached. This will make the soup creamier.
Add cheese and cook until cheese is melted.
3 Points 10 Servings (1 cup)
Halloween Skinny Points
Item Serving size POINTS value
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Twists 3 pieces 1
Charm’s Blow Pop 1 junior or regular pop 1
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Mint Patties 1 piece 1
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops 1 regular 1
WW by Whitman’s Peanut butter crunch 1 piece 1
Skittles Original Bite Size Candies (fun size) 1 bag 2
Candy corn 1 oz 2
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats 1 bar 2
Jolly Rancher Gummis 9 pieces 2
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans 35 pieces 3
Twizzler’s Cherry Bites 17 pieces 3
Junior Mints 16 3
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Rolls 12 small 3
WW by Whitman’s Caramel drops 7 pieces 3
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Twists 3 pieces 1
Charm’s Blow Pop 1 junior or regular pop 1
Weight Watchers by Whitman’s Mint Patties 1 piece 1
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops 1 regular 1
WW by Whitman’s Peanut butter crunch 1 piece 1
Skittles Original Bite Size Candies (fun size) 1 bag 2
Candy corn 1 oz 2
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats 1 bar 2
Jolly Rancher Gummis 9 pieces 2
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans 35 pieces 3
Twizzler’s Cherry Bites 17 pieces 3
Junior Mints 16 3
Tootsie Roll Tootsie Rolls 12 small 3
WW by Whitman’s Caramel drops 7 pieces 3
Halloween Candy Points
HALLOWEEN CANDY # OF ITEMS POINT VALUE
3 Musketeers, 2
fun size bars 3 1/2
1000 Grand, 2 mini bars 4 1/2
Abazaba, mini, Each 1
ABC Fruit Chomps, 7 pieces 3
ANDES Creme de Menth Thin Mint , 8 pieces 5 1/2
Animal Crackers, 11 crackers 3
Almond Joy, 2 snack size bars 4
America1s Original Bubble Gum, 4 pieces 1 1/2
Atomic Fireballs, Each 1
Baby Ruth, 2 fun size bars 4
Big Hunk, mini, Each 1
Bit-O-Honey, 6 pieces 4
Blow Pops, Each 1.5
Bubble Gum, super, 2 pieces 1
Butterfinger, 2 fun size bars 4
Butternut Mini Bar, .75 oz 2
Candy Corn, 22 pieces 3
Caramello, 2 snack size bars 4
Crispy Caramel Fudge Bar, snack size, Each bar 2
Caramel & Peanut Butter Crispy Bars, snack size, 2
Chocolate Toffee Crisp Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Double Bubble Gum, 2 pieces 1
Heath Bar, 5 snack size bars 6
Hershey's Bar (plain), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey's (almonds), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Kisses, 8 pieces 5
Hershey Kisses or Hugs, 3 pieces 2
Hershey Miniatures, 5 pieces 5
Hershey Tastations (any flavor), 3 pieces 1
Hershey Sweet Escapes 2
Hi C Juice Fillers, bag (5 candies) 2
Hot Tamales, Each snack box 1
Jolly Rancher, 3 pieces 1
Jolly Rancher Mini Stix, Each 1
Kit Kat, 3 (2 pc) snack bars 6
Kit Kat, Each mini 2
Lemonheads, Each box 2
Life Saver Five Flavor Candy, 4 1.5
Life Saver Gummi Savers, 2 rolls 2.5
Life Saver Pops, Each 1
M & M (plain), Each fun size pack 2
M & M (peanut), Each fun size pack 2
M & M Crispy, Each pkg 5
Mars, 2 fun size bars 4
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, 6 pieces 3.5
Maynards Wine Gums, 1 roll (44 g), 3
Mike & Ikes, Each snack pkg 1
Milk Duds, 4 fun size boxes 4
Milky Way, 2 fun size bars 4
Milky Way Lite, minis, 5 pieces 3
Milky Way Lite, regular bar 3.5
Mounds, 2 snack size bars 4
Necco Wafers, Each roll 1
Nerds, Each box 1
Nestles PB Mallow, Each 3.5
Nestles Baby Ruth, Each 4.5
Nestle Crunch Fun Size, 4 bars 5
Now & Later, 3 mini bars 3
O'Henry, 2 fun size bars 5
Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cups, 4 pieces 6
Pumpkin Pop, Each sucker 1
Raisinettes, 3 snack size boxes 4
Red Hots, Each box 2
Reese's Crunchy Cookie Cups, 2 snacks 4
Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, 5 pieces 5
Reeses Peanut Butter Bites, 3 pkgs 5.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, 2 snack size 4
Reesesticks, 2 snack size 4
Skittles, small pack 3 pkgs 4
Skittles (regular), 2 packs 3
Smarties, 3 rolls 1
Smuckers Fruit Fillers, Each bag (5 candies) 2
Snackwells Nut Clusters, Each piece 1
Snickers, 2 fun size bars 4
Snickers, minis (4 pieces) or 2 fun size bars 4
Spree Candies, 8 pieces 1
Spree Twist, 2 rolls 1.5
Starburst, 3 fun size pkgs 4
Starburst Fruit Chews, 8 chews 3.5
Sugar Babies, 2 snack size pouches 4.5
Sugar Daddy Pops, 3 3.5
Sweethearts (Necco), Each (1 1/8 oz box) 2.5
Sweet Tarts, 2 rolls 1
Tootsie Hot Chocolate Pops, Each 1.5
Three Muskateers, 2 fun size 4
Tootsie Roll, 2 snack bars 2
Tootsie Roll Midgees, 6 pieces 3.5
Tootsie Roll Midgees - small, 11 pieces 2
Tootsie Roll Pop, Each pop 1
Triple Chocolate Wafer Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Twix, (mini size) Each 1
Twix, Each snack size bar 2
Twix, Regular Size, Each (2) pack 7
Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Cherry Candy, 3 pieces 2.5
Twizzlers Strawbery Twists, 4 twists 2.5
Werther's Original, 3 pieces 1
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, 2 snack size pouches 5
Wonka Nerds Gumballs, Each 1
Wonka Shock Tarts Gumball, Each 1
Wrigleys Chewing Gum, 5 pieces 1
York Peppermint Patties, 3 patties 3
3 Musketeers, 2
fun size bars 3 1/2
1000 Grand, 2 mini bars 4 1/2
Abazaba, mini, Each 1
ABC Fruit Chomps, 7 pieces 3
ANDES Creme de Menth Thin Mint , 8 pieces 5 1/2
Animal Crackers, 11 crackers 3
Almond Joy, 2 snack size bars 4
America1s Original Bubble Gum, 4 pieces 1 1/2
Atomic Fireballs, Each 1
Baby Ruth, 2 fun size bars 4
Big Hunk, mini, Each 1
Bit-O-Honey, 6 pieces 4
Blow Pops, Each 1.5
Bubble Gum, super, 2 pieces 1
Butterfinger, 2 fun size bars 4
Butternut Mini Bar, .75 oz 2
Candy Corn, 22 pieces 3
Caramello, 2 snack size bars 4
Crispy Caramel Fudge Bar, snack size, Each bar 2
Caramel & Peanut Butter Crispy Bars, snack size, 2
Chocolate Toffee Crisp Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Double Bubble Gum, 2 pieces 1
Heath Bar, 5 snack size bars 6
Hershey's Bar (plain), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey's (almonds), 2 snack size bars 5
Hershey Kisses, 8 pieces 5
Hershey Kisses or Hugs, 3 pieces 2
Hershey Miniatures, 5 pieces 5
Hershey Tastations (any flavor), 3 pieces 1
Hershey Sweet Escapes 2
Hi C Juice Fillers, bag (5 candies) 2
Hot Tamales, Each snack box 1
Jolly Rancher, 3 pieces 1
Jolly Rancher Mini Stix, Each 1
Kit Kat, 3 (2 pc) snack bars 6
Kit Kat, Each mini 2
Lemonheads, Each box 2
Life Saver Five Flavor Candy, 4 1.5
Life Saver Gummi Savers, 2 rolls 2.5
Life Saver Pops, Each 1
M & M (plain), Each fun size pack 2
M & M (peanut), Each fun size pack 2
M & M Crispy, Each pkg 5
Mars, 2 fun size bars 4
Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, 6 pieces 3.5
Maynards Wine Gums, 1 roll (44 g), 3
Mike & Ikes, Each snack pkg 1
Milk Duds, 4 fun size boxes 4
Milky Way, 2 fun size bars 4
Milky Way Lite, minis, 5 pieces 3
Milky Way Lite, regular bar 3.5
Mounds, 2 snack size bars 4
Necco Wafers, Each roll 1
Nerds, Each box 1
Nestles PB Mallow, Each 3.5
Nestles Baby Ruth, Each 4.5
Nestle Crunch Fun Size, 4 bars 5
Now & Later, 3 mini bars 3
O'Henry, 2 fun size bars 5
Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cups, 4 pieces 6
Pumpkin Pop, Each sucker 1
Raisinettes, 3 snack size boxes 4
Red Hots, Each box 2
Reese's Crunchy Cookie Cups, 2 snacks 4
Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, 5 pieces 5
Reeses Peanut Butter Bites, 3 pkgs 5.5
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, 2 snack size 4
Reesesticks, 2 snack size 4
Skittles, small pack 3 pkgs 4
Skittles (regular), 2 packs 3
Smarties, 3 rolls 1
Smuckers Fruit Fillers, Each bag (5 candies) 2
Snackwells Nut Clusters, Each piece 1
Snickers, 2 fun size bars 4
Snickers, minis (4 pieces) or 2 fun size bars 4
Spree Candies, 8 pieces 1
Spree Twist, 2 rolls 1.5
Starburst, 3 fun size pkgs 4
Starburst Fruit Chews, 8 chews 3.5
Sugar Babies, 2 snack size pouches 4.5
Sugar Daddy Pops, 3 3.5
Sweethearts (Necco), Each (1 1/8 oz box) 2.5
Sweet Tarts, 2 rolls 1
Tootsie Hot Chocolate Pops, Each 1.5
Three Muskateers, 2 fun size 4
Tootsie Roll, 2 snack bars 2
Tootsie Roll Midgees, 6 pieces 3.5
Tootsie Roll Midgees - small, 11 pieces 2
Tootsie Roll Pop, Each pop 1
Triple Chocolate Wafer Bar, snack size, Each bar, 2
Twix, (mini size) Each 1
Twix, Each snack size bar 2
Twix, Regular Size, Each (2) pack 7
Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Cherry Candy, 3 pieces 2.5
Twizzlers Strawbery Twists, 4 twists 2.5
Werther's Original, 3 pieces 1
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, 2 snack size pouches 5
Wonka Nerds Gumballs, Each 1
Wonka Shock Tarts Gumball, Each 1
Wrigleys Chewing Gum, 5 pieces 1
York Peppermint Patties, 3 patties 3
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Obesity in America
I found this article and I want to share it with you all. When you read it, don't you feel it is about time to change for a healthy new you?????????
I list the link to the whole story at the bottom of it.
"America is home to the most obese people in the world. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), obesity in adults has increased by 60% within the past twenty years and obesity in children has tripled in the past thirty years. A staggering 33% of American adults are obese and obesity-related deaths have climbed to more than 300,000 a year, second only to tobacco-related deaths.
So the question is, why the American people? What do we do that is so different than the rest of the world? There is no mystery behind this epidemic- we simply need to examine the American diet and lifestyle. Living a life on the go, eating fast-food and microwave dinners, the health of the American people has been sacrificed. Instead of eating a diet of pure, wholesome foods coming directly from the land, Americans eat a diet of packaged, processed, and refined foods.
The average child sees more than 10,000 food ads on TV each year, most for high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals. Not only does the fast food industry spend billions per year on marketing, but they have also infiltrated our schools, signing contracts with them. Our children are bombarded from every angle with these toxic foods making it virtually impossible for them to eat anything else. It is no wonder that we have an increasingly obese population of children (who in time will become an obese population of adults).
Americans have re-defined the word "food." In the Webster's dictionary food is any nourishing substance eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. In American society food is that which is fatty, tasty, processed, refined and contains no nutrients; a substance detrimental to the body's functions, creating disease, and resulting in death. At no time in history have humans eaten such refined, processed and fatty food and at no time in history have humans had such an obesity epidemic."
To read the entire article, go to http://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/obesity-america.
I list the link to the whole story at the bottom of it.
"America is home to the most obese people in the world. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), obesity in adults has increased by 60% within the past twenty years and obesity in children has tripled in the past thirty years. A staggering 33% of American adults are obese and obesity-related deaths have climbed to more than 300,000 a year, second only to tobacco-related deaths.
So the question is, why the American people? What do we do that is so different than the rest of the world? There is no mystery behind this epidemic- we simply need to examine the American diet and lifestyle. Living a life on the go, eating fast-food and microwave dinners, the health of the American people has been sacrificed. Instead of eating a diet of pure, wholesome foods coming directly from the land, Americans eat a diet of packaged, processed, and refined foods.
The average child sees more than 10,000 food ads on TV each year, most for high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals. Not only does the fast food industry spend billions per year on marketing, but they have also infiltrated our schools, signing contracts with them. Our children are bombarded from every angle with these toxic foods making it virtually impossible for them to eat anything else. It is no wonder that we have an increasingly obese population of children (who in time will become an obese population of adults).
Americans have re-defined the word "food." In the Webster's dictionary food is any nourishing substance eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. In American society food is that which is fatty, tasty, processed, refined and contains no nutrients; a substance detrimental to the body's functions, creating disease, and resulting in death. At no time in history have humans eaten such refined, processed and fatty food and at no time in history have humans had such an obesity epidemic."
To read the entire article, go to http://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/obesity-america.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Lentil Chili
LENTIL CHILI (Thank you Anita B. from Eldersburg)
6 servings - points 4 each
2 Quarts of water (no stock)
1/2 lb dark lentils ( not the red ones, they turn mushy)
½ onion chopped into ½ inch pieces
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I add 5-6 chopped oil pack sun-dried tomatoes)
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano( or 1 tbls dried)
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
3-4 chopped fresh jalapenos ( 3 is really spicy)
Sort & wash lentils
Pour lentils, onion and garlic into water in a medium soup pot. Add jalapenos.
Simmer 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching
Add tomatoes, olive oil and salt
Simmer 1 ½ hours
Add vinegar, oregano and cumin
Simmer 1 hour
Add more salt, vinegar or seasonings to adjust
Better after it sits
6 servings - points 4 each
2 Quarts of water (no stock)
1/2 lb dark lentils ( not the red ones, they turn mushy)
½ onion chopped into ½ inch pieces
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I add 5-6 chopped oil pack sun-dried tomatoes)
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoons of fresh chopped oregano( or 1 tbls dried)
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
3-4 chopped fresh jalapenos ( 3 is really spicy)
Sort & wash lentils
Pour lentils, onion and garlic into water in a medium soup pot. Add jalapenos.
Simmer 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching
Add tomatoes, olive oil and salt
Simmer 1 ½ hours
Add vinegar, oregano and cumin
Simmer 1 hour
Add more salt, vinegar or seasonings to adjust
Better after it sits
Monday, October 18, 2010
LOSE FOR GOOD PICTURES OCTOBER 18 2010
Thank you Esther for this pictures. More are coming when Bob puts ours in the computer, keep your hopes up, hw said he will do it this week. Diana
Taco Salad
Taco Salad: serves 8 ( 4 points)
1 lb. extra lean ground beef ( 95% lean)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can Bush's mild chili beans
1 can Bush's hot chili beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 c. Romaine lettuce, chopped
10 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. Marzetti Light Honey French dressing
Tortilla chips ( optional- 4 chips per serving will add 1 point)
salsa ( optional... this salad is plenty juicy, so you really do not need it)
Brown ground beef with onion; drain. Return to pan and add taco seasoning, mild beans and hot beans. Stir and heat through.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Top each serving with 4 crushed chips if desired.
1 lb. extra lean ground beef ( 95% lean)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can Bush's mild chili beans
1 can Bush's hot chili beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 c. Romaine lettuce, chopped
10 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. Marzetti Light Honey French dressing
Tortilla chips ( optional- 4 chips per serving will add 1 point)
salsa ( optional... this salad is plenty juicy, so you really do not need it)
Brown ground beef with onion; drain. Return to pan and add taco seasoning, mild beans and hot beans. Stir and heat through.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Top each serving with 4 crushed chips if desired.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Pumpkin Bread
You go out for dinner and order spaghetti with marinara sauce and a side of grilled veggies. The pasta is so plentiful that it's falling off the plate. Yes, your meal is nutritious. But can too much of a good thing be not so good? Absolutely.
How super is supersize?
In the era of the supersized meal it's often hard to recognize normal portion sizes. Giant bottles of soda, extra-large bags of chips and king-size candy bars are part of our everyday eating landscape. But unfortuantely, as our portion sizes get larger, so do our waistlines. And bigger packages can also sabotage portion control.
Research from the University of Illinois shows that people may tend to eat more food when it's served in larger containers. When movie-goers were given the same amount of popcorn in containers of two different sizes, the people given the larger tubs ate 44 percent more. (The lesson here is to use a smaller plate at dinner!)
Sizing things up
To keep portions in perspective, you need a tool to help you navigate through bulked-up portions. Visualizing recommended serving sizes by relating them to common household objects is an easy and useful technique. By comparing food portions to things you already recognize, you should be able to eyeball a food item and guesstimate how large it is. Long gone are the days of carrying around a food scale. It's wise to weigh things occasionally to get an accurate idea of how big portions should be, but relating those measurements to common objects and teaching yourself to recognize them will be a great step toward achieving your weight-loss goals.
For example:
Your fist is about the same size as one cup of fruit or pasta
Your thumb (tip to base) is the size of one ounce of meat or cheese
Your palm (minus fingers) equals three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
Your cupped hand equals one to two ounces of nuts or pretzels
Putting it into action
Once you have serving sizes committed to memory, you'll be ready to fit them into your eating plan.
Limit servings of high-fat foods such as fatty meats and fried foods
Buy single-servings of some foods, such as 1-ounce bags of chips or 1/2-cup servings of ice cream
Remember that servings of most vegetables are extremely low in fat and calories. Bell peppers and button mushrooms just might become your new best buddies!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OVER TWO MILLION POUNDS LOST SO FAR!!!
Consider celebrating your weight loss this week—and the weight you
hope to lose next week (pay it forward!)—by contributing the
equivalent in food donations to the Lose For Good® campaign.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portion Sizes at Home
Article By: Liz Josefsberg
The best place to learn correct portion sizes is at home.
And the more familiar you are with adequate portion sizes there, the easier it is to estimate portion sizes when you're eating out.
Here's how to set up your home environment:
Keep measuring tools handy. Set up your cooking/eating area so that measuring tools are easily available and in plain sight. Place measuring cups in the silverware drawer as a reminder to check portions now and then!
Measure liquid and solids differently. There are different measuring systems for liquids and solids (i.e. for solids, 16 ounces equals one pound, and with liquids eight fluid ounces equals one fluid cup). The best tool for solid measure is a food scale or baking/dry measuring cups. For liquid measure, a clear glass or plastic measuring cup with cup- and fluid ounce-markings on the side gives additional room at the top so liquids won't spill over.
Measure accurately. Whether you're using a tablespoon or cup, it should be leveled off. And the best measuring spoons and cups are ones that can be squared off for easy leveling.
Note the actual size of your dinnerware and cups. Figure out what correct servings (for example, a three-ounce piece of chicken next to a one-cup serving of spinach) look like on your plates. Tip: If you have a smaller plate such as a salad or dessert plate, using it instead of a larger dinner plate might make you feel as if you're having more food.
Store foods in individual serving sizes. After you buy bulk-size packages of food, portion out correct serving sizes. For example, if you purchase an extra large bag of pretzels, use plastic baggies to portion it into single servings. The same goes for large packages of poultry and meat – divide it into single servings right away for easy cooking or freezing.
Check the actual serving size. When eating packaged foods or drinks, be aware that a package or bottle probably contains more than one serving, perhaps more than two. When cooking from recipes, be mindful of serving sizes and how many servings a recipe actually makes.
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NEXT WEEK'S TOPIC
STALLED? Get NEW Motivation!
Come and talk about
ways to making living
on the plan easier!
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Overcoming Exercise Obstacles
Article By: Dana Robinson
For the many sufferers of joint or back pain, the prospect of an exercise routine can be daunting. But, done right, and with a gentle approach, there’s an activity for everyone.
We all know that exercise is a crucial part of maintaining good overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even recommends getting about 30 minutes of exercise each day — as does Weight Watchers in its Healthy Guidelines.
We also all know that if you’re not used to exercising, getting into the habit can be hard. But millions of Americans have extra hurdles beyond motivation: It’s hard to work out for any length of time if you suffer from back pain, joint pain, or other physical conditions that can knock exercise clear off the priority list.
More Exercise Ideas
As well as the standby low-impact favorite, swimming, many Weight Watchers Community users with flexibility and mobility issues recommend chair dancing. With classes, DVDs, and a big following, it bills itself as a seated exercise program that improves muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. It’s fun, too!
Many also take water aerobics classes. Hard as it may be to believe, it is entirely possible to break into a sweat in the water — it’s not just visibly discernible.
For a low-impact stretching workout that’s good for beginners or anyone wanting to expand their body’s full range of motion, try our 25-minute joint-friendly workout.
Indeed, for many people with a new pain, or a new diagnosis, it can be tempting to be cautious and reduce the amount of activity. Yet, in most cases, exercise is still an option, and in some, it can also actually be beneficial, provided it’s approached the right way. So, whether you’re suffering from joint pain and arthritis, back pain, or you’re carrying extra weight, we’ve outlined some gentle ways to lower yourself into an activity program. It goes without saying, of course, that you should always consult with your physician before starting, or making changes to, an activity program.
Joint pain
The human body is composed of hundreds of joints, without which we couldn’t walk, turn our heads, or hail a taxi. However, we tend not to notice the impact these precious body parts have on our everyday lives until they begin to hurt. “Joint pain can be caused by injuries, overuse syndromes, imbalanced muscle tension, trauma, or other conditions like arthritis,” says Andrea Metcalf, an expert trainer whose specialties include fitness for older people. “And when someone has joint pain, their exercise goals may suffer.”
Those with arthritic joints may find their condition especially painful. “Arthritis is a progressive disease of the joints in which smooth cartilage that covers the ends of the bones gradually wears away,” says Dr. Calin S. Moucha, associate chief of joint replacement surgery in the department of orthopedics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. The condition is caused by a number of factors, including genetics and lifestyle; and osteoarthritis, the most common type, leads to stiff, swollen, painful joints.
Exercise options
Cycling and swimming are two great options. These activities are particularly beneficial to those who suffer from joint pain because they preserve joint motion and muscle tone, says Moucha. Swimming also harbors a specific advantage over dry-land activities: no obvious signs of sweating! “I hate to sweat,” says Susan Anderson, a WeightWatchers.com Community user, who swims about three times a week in spite of an arthritic knee. “[Swimming] is the one exercise that I love to do.”
Excess weight
Carrying a significant amount of excess weight can make exercising truly challenging, which is a hard truth for those starting a weight-loss plan. “The additional size of limbs and torso can dramatically influence one’s ability to move the related joints through a normal range of motion,” says physical therapist Tom Purvis. “Furthermore, the additional body weight makes all activities ‘weight lifting,’ and fatigue ensues more quickly.” In addition to affecting the joints’ range of motion, extra weight can negatively alter the alignment of the joints. Physical activity, if not approached correctly, can then exacerbate the condition.
Exercise options
Pool exercises, walking, and Pilates are great ideas. “These three, based on the individual’s needs, can provide effective results without putting unnecessary stress on the body,” says Los Angeles-based Pilates instructor Gia Marakas. Pool exercises and walking are gentle on the joints, while Pilates, which can be performed exclusively on a mat, helps build strength and muscle elasticity. As it focuses on building the core muscles and using them to assist with other types of motion in the body, the overall effects, once a Pilates exerciser has been practicing for a while, can help reduce stress on individual body parts.
Purvis maintains that a person carrying a significant amount of extra weight can take advantage of any number of physical activities, so long as the action is controlled (slow and steady to avoid injury) and performed with appropriate progression (no need to take on too much activity all at once). “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it,” says Purvis.
Back pain
It comes in many forms (lower, middle, or upper back pain) and has many potential causes (stress, heavy lifting, bending the wrong way in yoga class, etc.). “Most people at some point in their lives have back pain,” says exercise physiologist William Sukala. “Most of it being self-resolving with rest and removal of the offending cause for a few days.” Back pain conditions range from acute to chronic and vary in intensity from a mild annoyance to a can’t-stand-up-or-bend-down situation.
Exercise options
Since there are so many varieties and causes of back pain it’s essential to check with your doctor before engaging in any type of exercise, lest you make a bad situation worse. A good rule of thumb however: if it hurts, don’t do it. “The acute vs. chronic question is going to make a difference as to which exercises can be performed and which should be avoided,” adds Sukala. “If it’s something more severe, the person needs to be seen in consult and have further work-up for treatment options.”
About the writer
Dana Robinson is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.
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Member Recipes
Chicken Tacos
This is the easiest chicken taco recipe. It is my son, Nick's, favorite dinner. I throw the chicken in the crockpot frozen and cook on low for 6 hours -7 hours.
Makes 16-20 tacos ( 1 taco with 2 oz. meat, lettuce and tomatoes = 3 points)
40 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 c. salsa
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortilla shells
Place chicken with taco seasoning and salsa in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 or more hours until easily shreddable. Shred 30 minutes before serving. This will help absorb some of the juice. Serve using a slotted spoon.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add points for any additional toppings such as cheese or sour cream.
Veggie Pot Pie w/Jack-O-Lantern Crust
Serves 8; Points: 3
2 (17-oz.) cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried celery flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 ready-made refrigerated pie crust
In bowl, mix all but crust. Spoon vegetable mixture into greased 10-in. round baking dish.
For jack-o-lantern "face," in the pie crust dough, cut out 3 triangles - 2 for eyes and 1 for nose. Cut out mouth. Place crust over vegetables. (You may discard cuttings or bake on a separate sheet.)
Bake at 375ºF. about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and crust is browned. Serve warm.
HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
1 small onion
1 cup reduced fat Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 32oz package of southern-style hash browns, thawed
16 oz container fat-free sour cream
1 10oz can of reduced fat Cream of Mushroom soup
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients and place in baking
dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serving size: 1 cup = 3 POINTS
Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
With these "fake" cheesy potatoes you can cheat without cheating.
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz sour cream, light
1 tbsp black pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 packages cauliflower, frozen
Boil the cauliflower until tender but not mushy. Drain.
Add sour cream, half the cheese , cream of chicken and pepper.
Mix ingredients well but without mashing the cauliflower. You want some chunks.
Spray a casserole dish and pour mixture in.
Pour remaining cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and broil for an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
PUMPKIN BREAD
1 cup applesauce
2 cups pumpkin (1 large can)
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/4 cup water
3 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Mix applesauce, pumpkin, sugar and eggs. Add the rest of the ingredients. Spray
cooking spray in the bottom of three 8" loaf pans. Divide dough between pans. Bake
at 350 for 1 hour or until done.
This recipe makes three small loaves, 36 servings total. 2 POINTS per serving.
How super is supersize?
In the era of the supersized meal it's often hard to recognize normal portion sizes. Giant bottles of soda, extra-large bags of chips and king-size candy bars are part of our everyday eating landscape. But unfortuantely, as our portion sizes get larger, so do our waistlines. And bigger packages can also sabotage portion control.
Research from the University of Illinois shows that people may tend to eat more food when it's served in larger containers. When movie-goers were given the same amount of popcorn in containers of two different sizes, the people given the larger tubs ate 44 percent more. (The lesson here is to use a smaller plate at dinner!)
Sizing things up
To keep portions in perspective, you need a tool to help you navigate through bulked-up portions. Visualizing recommended serving sizes by relating them to common household objects is an easy and useful technique. By comparing food portions to things you already recognize, you should be able to eyeball a food item and guesstimate how large it is. Long gone are the days of carrying around a food scale. It's wise to weigh things occasionally to get an accurate idea of how big portions should be, but relating those measurements to common objects and teaching yourself to recognize them will be a great step toward achieving your weight-loss goals.
For example:
Your fist is about the same size as one cup of fruit or pasta
Your thumb (tip to base) is the size of one ounce of meat or cheese
Your palm (minus fingers) equals three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
Your cupped hand equals one to two ounces of nuts or pretzels
Putting it into action
Once you have serving sizes committed to memory, you'll be ready to fit them into your eating plan.
Limit servings of high-fat foods such as fatty meats and fried foods
Buy single-servings of some foods, such as 1-ounce bags of chips or 1/2-cup servings of ice cream
Remember that servings of most vegetables are extremely low in fat and calories. Bell peppers and button mushrooms just might become your new best buddies!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OVER TWO MILLION POUNDS LOST SO FAR!!!
Consider celebrating your weight loss this week—and the weight you
hope to lose next week (pay it forward!)—by contributing the
equivalent in food donations to the Lose For Good® campaign.
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Portion Sizes at Home
Article By: Liz Josefsberg
The best place to learn correct portion sizes is at home.
And the more familiar you are with adequate portion sizes there, the easier it is to estimate portion sizes when you're eating out.
Here's how to set up your home environment:
Keep measuring tools handy. Set up your cooking/eating area so that measuring tools are easily available and in plain sight. Place measuring cups in the silverware drawer as a reminder to check portions now and then!
Measure liquid and solids differently. There are different measuring systems for liquids and solids (i.e. for solids, 16 ounces equals one pound, and with liquids eight fluid ounces equals one fluid cup). The best tool for solid measure is a food scale or baking/dry measuring cups. For liquid measure, a clear glass or plastic measuring cup with cup- and fluid ounce-markings on the side gives additional room at the top so liquids won't spill over.
Measure accurately. Whether you're using a tablespoon or cup, it should be leveled off. And the best measuring spoons and cups are ones that can be squared off for easy leveling.
Note the actual size of your dinnerware and cups. Figure out what correct servings (for example, a three-ounce piece of chicken next to a one-cup serving of spinach) look like on your plates. Tip: If you have a smaller plate such as a salad or dessert plate, using it instead of a larger dinner plate might make you feel as if you're having more food.
Store foods in individual serving sizes. After you buy bulk-size packages of food, portion out correct serving sizes. For example, if you purchase an extra large bag of pretzels, use plastic baggies to portion it into single servings. The same goes for large packages of poultry and meat – divide it into single servings right away for easy cooking or freezing.
Check the actual serving size. When eating packaged foods or drinks, be aware that a package or bottle probably contains more than one serving, perhaps more than two. When cooking from recipes, be mindful of serving sizes and how many servings a recipe actually makes.
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Overcoming Exercise Obstacles
Article By: Dana Robinson
For the many sufferers of joint or back pain, the prospect of an exercise routine can be daunting. But, done right, and with a gentle approach, there’s an activity for everyone.
We all know that exercise is a crucial part of maintaining good overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even recommends getting about 30 minutes of exercise each day — as does Weight Watchers in its Healthy Guidelines.
We also all know that if you’re not used to exercising, getting into the habit can be hard. But millions of Americans have extra hurdles beyond motivation: It’s hard to work out for any length of time if you suffer from back pain, joint pain, or other physical conditions that can knock exercise clear off the priority list.
More Exercise Ideas
As well as the standby low-impact favorite, swimming, many Weight Watchers Community users with flexibility and mobility issues recommend chair dancing. With classes, DVDs, and a big following, it bills itself as a seated exercise program that improves muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. It’s fun, too!
Many also take water aerobics classes. Hard as it may be to believe, it is entirely possible to break into a sweat in the water — it’s not just visibly discernible.
For a low-impact stretching workout that’s good for beginners or anyone wanting to expand their body’s full range of motion, try our 25-minute joint-friendly workout.
Indeed, for many people with a new pain, or a new diagnosis, it can be tempting to be cautious and reduce the amount of activity. Yet, in most cases, exercise is still an option, and in some, it can also actually be beneficial, provided it’s approached the right way. So, whether you’re suffering from joint pain and arthritis, back pain, or you’re carrying extra weight, we’ve outlined some gentle ways to lower yourself into an activity program. It goes without saying, of course, that you should always consult with your physician before starting, or making changes to, an activity program.
Joint pain
The human body is composed of hundreds of joints, without which we couldn’t walk, turn our heads, or hail a taxi. However, we tend not to notice the impact these precious body parts have on our everyday lives until they begin to hurt. “Joint pain can be caused by injuries, overuse syndromes, imbalanced muscle tension, trauma, or other conditions like arthritis,” says Andrea Metcalf, an expert trainer whose specialties include fitness for older people. “And when someone has joint pain, their exercise goals may suffer.”
Those with arthritic joints may find their condition especially painful. “Arthritis is a progressive disease of the joints in which smooth cartilage that covers the ends of the bones gradually wears away,” says Dr. Calin S. Moucha, associate chief of joint replacement surgery in the department of orthopedics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. The condition is caused by a number of factors, including genetics and lifestyle; and osteoarthritis, the most common type, leads to stiff, swollen, painful joints.
Exercise options
Cycling and swimming are two great options. These activities are particularly beneficial to those who suffer from joint pain because they preserve joint motion and muscle tone, says Moucha. Swimming also harbors a specific advantage over dry-land activities: no obvious signs of sweating! “I hate to sweat,” says Susan Anderson, a WeightWatchers.com Community user, who swims about three times a week in spite of an arthritic knee. “[Swimming] is the one exercise that I love to do.”
Excess weight
Carrying a significant amount of excess weight can make exercising truly challenging, which is a hard truth for those starting a weight-loss plan. “The additional size of limbs and torso can dramatically influence one’s ability to move the related joints through a normal range of motion,” says physical therapist Tom Purvis. “Furthermore, the additional body weight makes all activities ‘weight lifting,’ and fatigue ensues more quickly.” In addition to affecting the joints’ range of motion, extra weight can negatively alter the alignment of the joints. Physical activity, if not approached correctly, can then exacerbate the condition.
Exercise options
Pool exercises, walking, and Pilates are great ideas. “These three, based on the individual’s needs, can provide effective results without putting unnecessary stress on the body,” says Los Angeles-based Pilates instructor Gia Marakas. Pool exercises and walking are gentle on the joints, while Pilates, which can be performed exclusively on a mat, helps build strength and muscle elasticity. As it focuses on building the core muscles and using them to assist with other types of motion in the body, the overall effects, once a Pilates exerciser has been practicing for a while, can help reduce stress on individual body parts.
Purvis maintains that a person carrying a significant amount of extra weight can take advantage of any number of physical activities, so long as the action is controlled (slow and steady to avoid injury) and performed with appropriate progression (no need to take on too much activity all at once). “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it,” says Purvis.
Back pain
It comes in many forms (lower, middle, or upper back pain) and has many potential causes (stress, heavy lifting, bending the wrong way in yoga class, etc.). “Most people at some point in their lives have back pain,” says exercise physiologist William Sukala. “Most of it being self-resolving with rest and removal of the offending cause for a few days.” Back pain conditions range from acute to chronic and vary in intensity from a mild annoyance to a can’t-stand-up-or-bend-down situation.
Exercise options
Since there are so many varieties and causes of back pain it’s essential to check with your doctor before engaging in any type of exercise, lest you make a bad situation worse. A good rule of thumb however: if it hurts, don’t do it. “The acute vs. chronic question is going to make a difference as to which exercises can be performed and which should be avoided,” adds Sukala. “If it’s something more severe, the person needs to be seen in consult and have further work-up for treatment options.”
About the writer
Dana Robinson is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.
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Member Recipes
Chicken Tacos
This is the easiest chicken taco recipe. It is my son, Nick's, favorite dinner. I throw the chicken in the crockpot frozen and cook on low for 6 hours -7 hours.
Makes 16-20 tacos ( 1 taco with 2 oz. meat, lettuce and tomatoes = 3 points)
40 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 c. salsa
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortilla shells
Place chicken with taco seasoning and salsa in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 or more hours until easily shreddable. Shred 30 minutes before serving. This will help absorb some of the juice. Serve using a slotted spoon.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add points for any additional toppings such as cheese or sour cream.
Veggie Pot Pie w/Jack-O-Lantern Crust
Serves 8; Points: 3
2 (17-oz.) cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried celery flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 ready-made refrigerated pie crust
In bowl, mix all but crust. Spoon vegetable mixture into greased 10-in. round baking dish.
For jack-o-lantern "face," in the pie crust dough, cut out 3 triangles - 2 for eyes and 1 for nose. Cut out mouth. Place crust over vegetables. (You may discard cuttings or bake on a separate sheet.)
Bake at 375ºF. about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and crust is browned. Serve warm.
HASHBROWN CASSEROLE
1 small onion
1 cup reduced fat Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 32oz package of southern-style hash browns, thawed
16 oz container fat-free sour cream
1 10oz can of reduced fat Cream of Mushroom soup
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients and place in baking
dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serving size: 1 cup = 3 POINTS
Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
With these "fake" cheesy potatoes you can cheat without cheating.
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz sour cream, light
1 tbsp black pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 packages cauliflower, frozen
Boil the cauliflower until tender but not mushy. Drain.
Add sour cream, half the cheese , cream of chicken and pepper.
Mix ingredients well but without mashing the cauliflower. You want some chunks.
Spray a casserole dish and pour mixture in.
Pour remaining cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and broil for an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
PUMPKIN BREAD
1 cup applesauce
2 cups pumpkin (1 large can)
3 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/4 cup water
3 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each: nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Mix applesauce, pumpkin, sugar and eggs. Add the rest of the ingredients. Spray
cooking spray in the bottom of three 8" loaf pans. Divide dough between pans. Bake
at 350 for 1 hour or until done.
This recipe makes three small loaves, 36 servings total. 2 POINTS per serving.
Diabetes 2 Free webinars
Hi gang,
If you or anybody close to you has Diabetes 2 I am passing this link so that they can attend to this free webinars:
http://fit4d.com/d2webinars
If you or anybody close to you has Diabetes 2 I am passing this link so that they can attend to this free webinars:
http://fit4d.com/d2webinars
Control the Chaos
Closets overflowing? Kitchen cabinets bursting? Getting a handle on clutter is the key to living better — and losing more.
Article from WW.com by Peter Walsh
The connection between clutter and weight didn’t occur to me overnight. About five years ago I became the organizational expert on TLC’s Clean Sweep. The premise was simple: We had two days to help a family dig out from under their overwhelming clutter. As I helped families begin to organize their homes, I discovered an unexpected side effect. The link that I had long suspected but only dimly glimpsed became obvious through their experiences.
I was inundated with real examples of the impact that clutter has on all areas of one’s life — especially weight.
They’re not very different — clutter and fat. I see it. I want it. I’ll have it. In our society, consumption is king.
We spend too much, we buy too much, and we eat too much. In the same way we surround ourselves with so much clutter, we overwhelm our bodies with caloric clutter. Almost all of us are carrying extra pounds that we just can’t seem to shake.
The stuff in our homes becomes too much to deal with, but we keep shopping. Similarly, the increasing weight of our bodies becomes more than we are able to handle, but we keep indulging.
So how do you stop the cycle? You need to recognize that your choices have consequences. Every time you pull out your credit card to buy another pair of shoes, you’re making a choice to add to your clutter. Every time you take a bite, you are choosing to bring that piece of food into your body and adding to your weight problem.
Keep this in mind: Every roll of fat on your body came from something you chose to put into your mouth. And every pound that slips away is the result of a decision you made. Before you take control, you need to understand emotional clutter and physical clutter (see the Decode Your Clutter box below). Most people have at least some of both, and it’s no easy task to get a handle on either. We have broken the task into two phases to show how to clear that clutter from your life. It sounds easy, but it takes forethought and commitment. Here’s how to get started:
Phase 1: Declutter your mind
If you acknowledge your emotional clutter (the unhealthy habits that lead you to overeat) and find ways to deal with it, the weight will fall away. But as soon as you let your emotions — be they depression, anger, or joy — make your eating decisions for you, the weight will creep on. Do some personal spring cleaning to break the habits that steer you in the wrong direction. Use this checklist to get started. Post it on your fridge or carry a copy in your purse.
1. Do a reality check: The fat didn’t appear overnight and won’t disappear overnight.
2. Imagine the life and body you want and hold that idea in your mind; refer to that mental image when you’re swayed by unhealthy foods.
3. Organize where, how, and what you eat—it’s the first step toward achieving your ideal body. Take time to plan out your meals.
4. Determine what your goal is for your body (to fit into your favorite pair of jeans or to be able to run a mile, for example). If a food doesn’t help in your efforts toward achieving that goal, don’t eat it.
5. Live in the present, not the past or the future. If you’re eating for emotional reasons, home in on why. Anger? Despair? Fear?
6. Make mindful eating a way of life. If you don’t, the fat will creep back on. Celebrate every meal; it will remind you of the great things a meal provides, beyond food.
Phase 2: Declutter your kitchen
An organized kitchen leads to less eating out, which in turn means better nutrition, less money spent on food, and more family together time. But a clutter-free kitchen goes far beyond cleaning cabinets. It has to do with how you shop and the decisions you make. Like the boxes of stuff filling your basement, clutter foods waste space. Take care that you’re not falling into these traps when stocking your kitchen:
The identity crisis trap
These are foods that you keep with the hope that you’ll magically turn into a person you’re not. You’ve got tins of cocoa powder, bags of semisweet chocolate chips, and bottles of vanilla extract in your pantry, but you never bake. Or a cupboard full of gourmet spices despite the fact that you’re a frozen-food junkie. I’m all for experimentation, but if you’re never going to canoe down the Rio Grande, there’s no point in storing that boat in your garage.
The hostess trap
You read somewhere that every good hostess has a few key items on hand for spontaneous entertaining. So you went out and bought a jar of olives, several boxes of crackers, and various other obscure pantry items. It felt good to know that if you ran into someone on the street, you could say, “Come on in for a glass of wine.” You were so organized and ready! Well, that was four years ago — and those party snacks are cluttering your cupboards.
The secret stash trap
Do you eat healthy meals but keep junk food in your pantry? “I don’t eat the potato chips — I just like knowing they’re there,” you might say. You rationalize that it makes you feel good to know that the pantry is stocked — on the off-chance that you will suffer a major craving and need a salty snack. But those chips are deceiving you. They’re there to be eaten. And they’ll call your name next time you’re disorganized and in search of an easy fix. Now there’s plenty of room to fill those cupboards with healthy staples. You’ll see — organization is the key to weight-loss success!
Article from WW.com by Peter Walsh
The connection between clutter and weight didn’t occur to me overnight. About five years ago I became the organizational expert on TLC’s Clean Sweep. The premise was simple: We had two days to help a family dig out from under their overwhelming clutter. As I helped families begin to organize their homes, I discovered an unexpected side effect. The link that I had long suspected but only dimly glimpsed became obvious through their experiences.
I was inundated with real examples of the impact that clutter has on all areas of one’s life — especially weight.
They’re not very different — clutter and fat. I see it. I want it. I’ll have it. In our society, consumption is king.
We spend too much, we buy too much, and we eat too much. In the same way we surround ourselves with so much clutter, we overwhelm our bodies with caloric clutter. Almost all of us are carrying extra pounds that we just can’t seem to shake.
The stuff in our homes becomes too much to deal with, but we keep shopping. Similarly, the increasing weight of our bodies becomes more than we are able to handle, but we keep indulging.
So how do you stop the cycle? You need to recognize that your choices have consequences. Every time you pull out your credit card to buy another pair of shoes, you’re making a choice to add to your clutter. Every time you take a bite, you are choosing to bring that piece of food into your body and adding to your weight problem.
Keep this in mind: Every roll of fat on your body came from something you chose to put into your mouth. And every pound that slips away is the result of a decision you made. Before you take control, you need to understand emotional clutter and physical clutter (see the Decode Your Clutter box below). Most people have at least some of both, and it’s no easy task to get a handle on either. We have broken the task into two phases to show how to clear that clutter from your life. It sounds easy, but it takes forethought and commitment. Here’s how to get started:
Phase 1: Declutter your mind
If you acknowledge your emotional clutter (the unhealthy habits that lead you to overeat) and find ways to deal with it, the weight will fall away. But as soon as you let your emotions — be they depression, anger, or joy — make your eating decisions for you, the weight will creep on. Do some personal spring cleaning to break the habits that steer you in the wrong direction. Use this checklist to get started. Post it on your fridge or carry a copy in your purse.
1. Do a reality check: The fat didn’t appear overnight and won’t disappear overnight.
2. Imagine the life and body you want and hold that idea in your mind; refer to that mental image when you’re swayed by unhealthy foods.
3. Organize where, how, and what you eat—it’s the first step toward achieving your ideal body. Take time to plan out your meals.
4. Determine what your goal is for your body (to fit into your favorite pair of jeans or to be able to run a mile, for example). If a food doesn’t help in your efforts toward achieving that goal, don’t eat it.
5. Live in the present, not the past or the future. If you’re eating for emotional reasons, home in on why. Anger? Despair? Fear?
6. Make mindful eating a way of life. If you don’t, the fat will creep back on. Celebrate every meal; it will remind you of the great things a meal provides, beyond food.
Phase 2: Declutter your kitchen
An organized kitchen leads to less eating out, which in turn means better nutrition, less money spent on food, and more family together time. But a clutter-free kitchen goes far beyond cleaning cabinets. It has to do with how you shop and the decisions you make. Like the boxes of stuff filling your basement, clutter foods waste space. Take care that you’re not falling into these traps when stocking your kitchen:
The identity crisis trap
These are foods that you keep with the hope that you’ll magically turn into a person you’re not. You’ve got tins of cocoa powder, bags of semisweet chocolate chips, and bottles of vanilla extract in your pantry, but you never bake. Or a cupboard full of gourmet spices despite the fact that you’re a frozen-food junkie. I’m all for experimentation, but if you’re never going to canoe down the Rio Grande, there’s no point in storing that boat in your garage.
The hostess trap
You read somewhere that every good hostess has a few key items on hand for spontaneous entertaining. So you went out and bought a jar of olives, several boxes of crackers, and various other obscure pantry items. It felt good to know that if you ran into someone on the street, you could say, “Come on in for a glass of wine.” You were so organized and ready! Well, that was four years ago — and those party snacks are cluttering your cupboards.
The secret stash trap
Do you eat healthy meals but keep junk food in your pantry? “I don’t eat the potato chips — I just like knowing they’re there,” you might say. You rationalize that it makes you feel good to know that the pantry is stocked — on the off-chance that you will suffer a major craving and need a salty snack. But those chips are deceiving you. They’re there to be eaten. And they’ll call your name next time you’re disorganized and in search of an easy fix. Now there’s plenty of room to fill those cupboards with healthy staples. You’ll see — organization is the key to weight-loss success!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Diabetes: What is it?
Diabetes: What is it?
Article By: Joan Raymond; Reviewed by: Jessica Smerling, RD
What can you do to reduce your risk of diabetes? For starters, a little weight loss goes a long way.
JANUARY, 2008—Although there's still a lot we don't know about diabetes, one thing we do know is how closely the condition is tied to the obesity epidemic. The incidence of type 2 diabetes has doubled in the last 30 years among middle-age Americans.
Twenty-one million people now live with type 2 diabetes, and an estimated 41 million are considered to have prediabetes (elevated blood-sugar levels could develop into full-blown type 2 diabetes).
"Despite the sobering stats, this disease isn't an inevitability," says Martin Abrahamson, MD, senior vice president and clinic medical director at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
Whereas not everyone will be able to reduce to zero their risk of developing type 2 diabetes (a genetic predisposition to the disease, for example, ups your odds), the National Institutes of Health declares that "diabetes prevention is proven, possible and powerful."
If you have prediabetes — your blood-sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than those of a person with diabetes — your risk of getting the full-blown disease is especially high, says Gregg Faiman, MD, an endocrinologist at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Still, don't assume that you're out of the danger zone if you don’t have prediabetes: If you are overweight or have other risk factors, you should take immediate steps to decrease your risk.
Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes, coupled in some cases with medication, can help keep the disease at bay.
Lose weight, lower your risk
If you're trying to lose weight, you're already on the right path to diabetes prevention. Although experts once thought that consuming a lot of sugar led to diabetes, we now know that diabetes isn't caused by a specific food or ingredient. Taking in too many calories, however, leads to obesity, which is a major risk factor for the disease.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from producing enough insulin or using insulin correctly. Because insulin’s job is to help regulate glucose (sugar) levels, either of these problems may result in dangerous fluctuations in blood-sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes:
Is a condition in which cells do not use insulin properly, sometimes causing the pancreas to lose the ability to secrete a sufficient amount of insulin
Formerly called adult-onset diabetes, can develop at any time
Accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes
Can help to be prevented with healthful eating, regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes daily), and weight loss
Risk factors: family history, obesity, high blood pressure, a history of gestational diabetes, and a diagnosis of prediabetes
May be treated with oral medication
Fortunately, dramatic weight loss isn't always essential: Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by as much as 58 percent, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a major study that has tracked more than 3,200 diabetes-prone individuals for three years. In fact, the DPP found that losing weight through "intensive-lifestyle counseling" was more effective in preventing diabetes than was taking metformin, a drug that regulates glucose levels.
Move it, lose it
Exercise makes a difference, too — and you don't have to run a marathon. In addition to cutting calories and fat, people in the DPP's intensive-lifestyle group exercised an average of 150 minutes per week (mostly walking). Need more proof that moderate exercise makes a difference? There's plenty: A study at the University of Pittsburgh on Pima Indians, a group prone to type 2 diabetes, found that those who engaged in moderate regular physical activity (walking for 30 minutes a day, for example) were less likely to develop diabetes over a six-year period.
A new Finnish study, published in the journal Diabetes Medicine, found that people with a large midsection (a risk factor) were 4.2 times less likely to be diabetic if they exercised for 30 minutes five times a week.
Bottom line: You have the power to stay healthy
What you weigh, what you eat and how active you are may mean the difference between struggling with type 2 diabetes (and related complications) and never having to.
Article By: Joan Raymond; Reviewed by: Jessica Smerling, RD
What can you do to reduce your risk of diabetes? For starters, a little weight loss goes a long way.
JANUARY, 2008—Although there's still a lot we don't know about diabetes, one thing we do know is how closely the condition is tied to the obesity epidemic. The incidence of type 2 diabetes has doubled in the last 30 years among middle-age Americans.
Twenty-one million people now live with type 2 diabetes, and an estimated 41 million are considered to have prediabetes (elevated blood-sugar levels could develop into full-blown type 2 diabetes).
"Despite the sobering stats, this disease isn't an inevitability," says Martin Abrahamson, MD, senior vice president and clinic medical director at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
Whereas not everyone will be able to reduce to zero their risk of developing type 2 diabetes (a genetic predisposition to the disease, for example, ups your odds), the National Institutes of Health declares that "diabetes prevention is proven, possible and powerful."
If you have prediabetes — your blood-sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than those of a person with diabetes — your risk of getting the full-blown disease is especially high, says Gregg Faiman, MD, an endocrinologist at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Still, don't assume that you're out of the danger zone if you don’t have prediabetes: If you are overweight or have other risk factors, you should take immediate steps to decrease your risk.
Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes, coupled in some cases with medication, can help keep the disease at bay.
Lose weight, lower your risk
If you're trying to lose weight, you're already on the right path to diabetes prevention. Although experts once thought that consuming a lot of sugar led to diabetes, we now know that diabetes isn't caused by a specific food or ingredient. Taking in too many calories, however, leads to obesity, which is a major risk factor for the disease.
Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from producing enough insulin or using insulin correctly. Because insulin’s job is to help regulate glucose (sugar) levels, either of these problems may result in dangerous fluctuations in blood-sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes:
Is a condition in which cells do not use insulin properly, sometimes causing the pancreas to lose the ability to secrete a sufficient amount of insulin
Formerly called adult-onset diabetes, can develop at any time
Accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes
Can help to be prevented with healthful eating, regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes daily), and weight loss
Risk factors: family history, obesity, high blood pressure, a history of gestational diabetes, and a diagnosis of prediabetes
May be treated with oral medication
Fortunately, dramatic weight loss isn't always essential: Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by as much as 58 percent, according to the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a major study that has tracked more than 3,200 diabetes-prone individuals for three years. In fact, the DPP found that losing weight through "intensive-lifestyle counseling" was more effective in preventing diabetes than was taking metformin, a drug that regulates glucose levels.
Move it, lose it
Exercise makes a difference, too — and you don't have to run a marathon. In addition to cutting calories and fat, people in the DPP's intensive-lifestyle group exercised an average of 150 minutes per week (mostly walking). Need more proof that moderate exercise makes a difference? There's plenty: A study at the University of Pittsburgh on Pima Indians, a group prone to type 2 diabetes, found that those who engaged in moderate regular physical activity (walking for 30 minutes a day, for example) were less likely to develop diabetes over a six-year period.
A new Finnish study, published in the journal Diabetes Medicine, found that people with a large midsection (a risk factor) were 4.2 times less likely to be diabetic if they exercised for 30 minutes five times a week.
Bottom line: You have the power to stay healthy
What you weigh, what you eat and how active you are may mean the difference between struggling with type 2 diabetes (and related complications) and never having to.
Chicken Tacos-Crock Pot
Chicken Tacos
This is the easiest chicken taco recipe. Throw the chicken in the crockpot frozen and cook on low for 6 hours -7 hours.
Makes 16-20 tacos ( 1 taco with 2 oz. meat, lettuce and tomatoes = 3 points)
40 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 c. salsa
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortilla shells
Place chicken with taco seasoning and salsa in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 or more hours until easily shreddable. Shred 30 minutes before serving. This will help absorb some of the juice. Serve using a slotted spoon.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add points for any additional toppings such as cheese or sour cream.
This is the easiest chicken taco recipe. Throw the chicken in the crockpot frozen and cook on low for 6 hours -7 hours.
Makes 16-20 tacos ( 1 taco with 2 oz. meat, lettuce and tomatoes = 3 points)
40 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 c. salsa
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortilla shells
Place chicken with taco seasoning and salsa in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6 or more hours until easily shreddable. Shred 30 minutes before serving. This will help absorb some of the juice. Serve using a slotted spoon.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
Top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add points for any additional toppings such as cheese or sour cream.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
5K Lose For Good October 17
Hi gang,
Here is the 5K walk of Sunday, October 17. We will start walking at 11 AM and here is the route in detail. I am looking forward to see you all there.
Frederick Weight Watcher’s 5k
• Start at old Armory on corner of W 2nd St and Bentz St
• Turn left at Carroll Pkwy
• Turn right at College Ave
• Turn left at Fleming Ave
• Turn right at W College Ter
• Turn left at W 2nd St
• Turn left at Fairview Ave
• Turn left at Kline Blvd
• Turn right at Carroll Pkwy
• Turn left to stay on Carroll Pkwy
• Turn left at College Ave
• Turn right at W 2nd St
• Stop at old Armory on corner of W 2nd St and Bentz St
Here is the 5K walk of Sunday, October 17. We will start walking at 11 AM and here is the route in detail. I am looking forward to see you all there.
Frederick Weight Watcher’s 5k
• Start at old Armory on corner of W 2nd St and Bentz St
• Turn left at Carroll Pkwy
• Turn right at College Ave
• Turn left at Fleming Ave
• Turn right at W College Ter
• Turn left at W 2nd St
• Turn left at Fairview Ave
• Turn left at Kline Blvd
• Turn right at Carroll Pkwy
• Turn left to stay on Carroll Pkwy
• Turn left at College Ave
• Turn right at W 2nd St
• Stop at old Armory on corner of W 2nd St and Bentz St
Friday, October 8, 2010
Apple Streusel
Apple Streusel Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 medium apples
- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
- 3 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together apples, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice; pour into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
Cut flour, oatmeal, remaining brown sugar and margarine together with a pastry blender or fork in a medium bowl; sprinkle over apple mixture.
Bake until apples are tender and top is browned, about 45 minutes.
Serving size = 1/2 cup
Each serving = 3 Weight Watchers Points
Ingredients:
- 4 medium apples
- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
- 3 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together apples, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice; pour into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
Cut flour, oatmeal, remaining brown sugar and margarine together with a pastry blender or fork in a medium bowl; sprinkle over apple mixture.
Bake until apples are tender and top is browned, about 45 minutes.
Serving size = 1/2 cup
Each serving = 3 Weight Watchers Points
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cream of Broccoli Soup
2 14.5-ounce canned low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups broccoli florets
5 large shallots (6 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup low-fat milk (not skim)
In a large pot, combine the first six ingredients (not the milk). Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove broccoli and place on clean chopping board. Puree remaining soup in blender or food processor, in small batches, until smooth. Pour soup in large pot. Set aside. Dice broccoli and return to pot. Add milk and heat gently until thoroughly hot.
Makes sixteen half-cup servings. (1 POINT)
2 14.5-ounce canned low-sodium chicken broth
5 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups broccoli florets
5 large shallots (6 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup low-fat milk (not skim)
In a large pot, combine the first six ingredients (not the milk). Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove broccoli and place on clean chopping board. Puree remaining soup in blender or food processor, in small batches, until smooth. Pour soup in large pot. Set aside. Dice broccoli and return to pot. Add milk and heat gently until thoroughly hot.
Makes sixteen half-cup servings. (1 POINT)
Practicing Portion Control
Article By: Leslie Fink, M.S., R.D.
You go out for dinner and order spaghetti with marinara sauce and a side of grilled veggies. The pasta is so plentiful that it's falling off the plate. Yes, your meal is nutritious. But can too much of a good thing be not so good? Absolutely.
How super is supersize?
In the era of the supersized meal it's often hard to recognize normal portion sizes. Giant bottles of soda, extra-large bags of chips and king-size candy bars are part of our everyday eating landscape. But unfortuantely, as our portion sizes get larger, so do our waistlines. And bigger packages can also sabotage portion control.
Research from the University of Illinois shows that people may tend to eat more food when it's served in larger containers. When movie-goers were given the same amount of popcorn in containers of two different sizes, the people given the larger tubs ate 44 percent more. (The lesson here is to use a smaller plate at dinner!)
Sizing things up
To keep portions in perspective, you need a tool to help you navigate through bulked-up portions. Visualizing recommended serving sizes by relating them to common household objects is an easy and useful technique. By comparing food portions to things you already recognize, you should be able to eyeball a food item and guesstimate how large it is. Long gone are the days of carrying around a food scale. It's wise to weigh things occasionally to get an accurate idea of how big portions should be, but relating those measurements to common objects and teaching yourself to recognize them will be a great step toward achieving your weight-loss goals.
For example:
•Your fist is about the same size as one cup of fruit or pasta
•Your thumb (tip to base) is the size of one ounce of meat or cheese
•Your palm (minus fingers) equals three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
•Your cupped hand equals one to two ounces of nuts or pretzels
Putting it into action
Once you have serving sizes committed to memory, you'll be ready to fit them into your eating plan.
•Limit servings of high-fat foods such as fatty meats and fried foods
•Buy single-servings of some foods, such as 1-ounce bags of chips or 1/2-cup servings of ice cream
•Remember that servings of most vegetables are extremely low in fat and calories. Bell peppers and button mushrooms just might become your new best buddies!
You go out for dinner and order spaghetti with marinara sauce and a side of grilled veggies. The pasta is so plentiful that it's falling off the plate. Yes, your meal is nutritious. But can too much of a good thing be not so good? Absolutely.
How super is supersize?
In the era of the supersized meal it's often hard to recognize normal portion sizes. Giant bottles of soda, extra-large bags of chips and king-size candy bars are part of our everyday eating landscape. But unfortuantely, as our portion sizes get larger, so do our waistlines. And bigger packages can also sabotage portion control.
Research from the University of Illinois shows that people may tend to eat more food when it's served in larger containers. When movie-goers were given the same amount of popcorn in containers of two different sizes, the people given the larger tubs ate 44 percent more. (The lesson here is to use a smaller plate at dinner!)
Sizing things up
To keep portions in perspective, you need a tool to help you navigate through bulked-up portions. Visualizing recommended serving sizes by relating them to common household objects is an easy and useful technique. By comparing food portions to things you already recognize, you should be able to eyeball a food item and guesstimate how large it is. Long gone are the days of carrying around a food scale. It's wise to weigh things occasionally to get an accurate idea of how big portions should be, but relating those measurements to common objects and teaching yourself to recognize them will be a great step toward achieving your weight-loss goals.
For example:
•Your fist is about the same size as one cup of fruit or pasta
•Your thumb (tip to base) is the size of one ounce of meat or cheese
•Your palm (minus fingers) equals three ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
•Your cupped hand equals one to two ounces of nuts or pretzels
Putting it into action
Once you have serving sizes committed to memory, you'll be ready to fit them into your eating plan.
•Limit servings of high-fat foods such as fatty meats and fried foods
•Buy single-servings of some foods, such as 1-ounce bags of chips or 1/2-cup servings of ice cream
•Remember that servings of most vegetables are extremely low in fat and calories. Bell peppers and button mushrooms just might become your new best buddies!
Portion Distortion
Did you know???????
As portion sizes grow, so do our waistlines. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 44 million Americans are considered obese by body mass index (or have a BMI score of 30 or greater), reflecting an increase of 74 percent since 1991.
Bigger and Better?
While the explanations for this growth "spurt" are several, expanding portion sizes seem to be at the crux of the matter. According to Lisa Young, PhD, RD, adjunct assistant professor at New York University, portion sizes have never been bigger. Young's research reveals that fast food, restaurant and prepared food portion sizes are 2 to 5 times as large today as they were in the 1970s.
As portion sizes grow, so do our waistlines. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 44 million Americans are considered obese by body mass index (or have a BMI score of 30 or greater), reflecting an increase of 74 percent since 1991.
Bigger and Better?
While the explanations for this growth "spurt" are several, expanding portion sizes seem to be at the crux of the matter. According to Lisa Young, PhD, RD, adjunct assistant professor at New York University, portion sizes have never been bigger. Young's research reveals that fast food, restaurant and prepared food portion sizes are 2 to 5 times as large today as they were in the 1970s.
Grocery List
Grocery List
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD
Q: I need help creating a healthy weekly shopping list so I can form a meal plan that'll help me to lose weight.
A: Having foods on hand that will help with weight loss is terrific only if you take the time to prep, cook and then eat them. Therefore, I encourage you to work out a basic meal plan and build your shopping list from there.
Meal Planning Basics
While it's lovely to never repeat meals all week long, it's more practical to think of how you can use a food for more than one meal to cut back on shopping, preparation and cooking times.
For instance, as long as you're cleaning and cubing chicken for a stir-fry, plan on making chicken burritos as well. While you're grating cheese for the burritos, shred extra cheese for bean nachos. And don't forget about produce: Use leftover shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes from the nachos for a salad topped with crumbled feta cheese later in the week.
Once you have your main meals planned, create a list of basic staples to stock up on for now and the future:
bread
tortillas
baked chips
cereal
salsa
peanut butter
jelly
mustards
light dressings, oil, vinegar and other condiments
cooking spray
eggs
egg substitute
cheese
yogurt
dry pasta, rice and other grains
canned beans
tofu
frozen stir-fry vegetable mixes
lean ground turkey breast
chicken breast
frozen shrimp
canned tuna
lean cuts of beef
You should also keep a list of perishable items that you'll need to replenish on a weekly basis: milk, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Next, take inventory of which food items you've got left toward the end of each meal plan cycle. Create some meals for the following week using those foods and then fill in the gaps with new recipes and food items. I find that most people tend to eat the same foods and meals over and over again. So once you've completed a week or two worth of meals, meal planning and grocery shopping should be a piece of cake.
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD
Q: I need help creating a healthy weekly shopping list so I can form a meal plan that'll help me to lose weight.
A: Having foods on hand that will help with weight loss is terrific only if you take the time to prep, cook and then eat them. Therefore, I encourage you to work out a basic meal plan and build your shopping list from there.
Meal Planning Basics
While it's lovely to never repeat meals all week long, it's more practical to think of how you can use a food for more than one meal to cut back on shopping, preparation and cooking times.
For instance, as long as you're cleaning and cubing chicken for a stir-fry, plan on making chicken burritos as well. While you're grating cheese for the burritos, shred extra cheese for bean nachos. And don't forget about produce: Use leftover shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes from the nachos for a salad topped with crumbled feta cheese later in the week.
Once you have your main meals planned, create a list of basic staples to stock up on for now and the future:
bread
tortillas
baked chips
cereal
salsa
peanut butter
jelly
mustards
light dressings, oil, vinegar and other condiments
cooking spray
eggs
egg substitute
cheese
yogurt
dry pasta, rice and other grains
canned beans
tofu
frozen stir-fry vegetable mixes
lean ground turkey breast
chicken breast
frozen shrimp
canned tuna
lean cuts of beef
You should also keep a list of perishable items that you'll need to replenish on a weekly basis: milk, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Next, take inventory of which food items you've got left toward the end of each meal plan cycle. Create some meals for the following week using those foods and then fill in the gaps with new recipes and food items. I find that most people tend to eat the same foods and meals over and over again. So once you've completed a week or two worth of meals, meal planning and grocery shopping should be a piece of cake.
Shop Smart
How to Shop Smart
Article By: Janis Jibrin, R.D.
You can make your time at the supermarket work for your weight-loss plan. Here's how.
You're driving home from work (or your workout), about to pass out from hunger, and you still have to make a stop at the supermarket. As you walk down the aisles, suddenly everything looks good, especially the worst stuff: the entire snack section, full-fat potato salad at the deli counter and the frozen lasagna.
How do you avoid these temptations?
All it takes is a few minutes of advanced planning. Here's how to get in and out of the supermarket faster and with the right stuff in your grocery bags:
Plan ahead
Take five minutes to plan menus for the upcoming week. Create seven lunch and dinner menus (less than that if you eat some meals out). Keep in mind the week's events: For instance, working late on Thursday? Make it a take-out night.
If the dishes you plan don't include vegetables, estimate how many salads or cooked vegetables you want to accompany the meals. Also, plan on a few snacks and get enough cereal or breakfast foods
Create a list
This isn't the list you hurriedly make as you rummage through your fridge and see that you need more milk or you're out of eggs. Nope, this fool-proof list comes right out of the seven-day menu plan strategy.
Make your list market-friendly
To make shopping easier and faster, organize your list according to the sections of the store. Shop at specialty markets? Then organize by market. Here are some basic categories:
Fruits and vegetables
Refrigerator cases (dairy, juice, eggs, etc.).
Meat, poultry and fish cases
Canned foods, condiments and oils
Grains and cereals
Breads
Frozen foods
Grab a snack beforehand
You've heard this a zillion times before, and it's still true: Shop hungry and you're more likely to succumb to high-calorie foods. If you don't have time for a whole meal, munch on a quick, healthy snack such as a handful of nuts or a small bag of baked chips before you grab your cart and go.
Hit the supermarket once a week
If possible, shop on the same day each week and spare yourself some aggravation by avoiding the busy times: weekday evenings or weekends (by Sunday, the produce is usually not so hot anyway). If you work during the day, go after 9 p.m.; if you have a more flexible schedule, go during the day.
Make a produce pit-stop
Shopping once a week may be too little for fresh produce, so dart into the market mid-week to replenish your supply of fruits and vegetables. In the summer months, save time by stopping off at a roadside stand.
Shop virtually
If you hate spending time in the grocery store, find one that will do it for you. You can shop on the Web, or by simply calling or faxing your order in to a local market; pick it up or have them deliver.
Burn down the aisles
You can be surrounded by food but still burn calories if you spend a little extra time at the supermarket. Here's how:
Park in the very farthest spot from the door and briskly walk to and from the car.
Before you pick up a cart, walk up every single aisle in the supermarket as quickly as possible. You may even spot some bargains.
Grab a cart and shop. Now you're moving more slowly, which means less calories burned per minute. So put some extra effort into reaching and stretching for goods on the shelves. And remember that every little bit of activity counts.
Article By: Janis Jibrin, R.D.
You can make your time at the supermarket work for your weight-loss plan. Here's how.
You're driving home from work (or your workout), about to pass out from hunger, and you still have to make a stop at the supermarket. As you walk down the aisles, suddenly everything looks good, especially the worst stuff: the entire snack section, full-fat potato salad at the deli counter and the frozen lasagna.
How do you avoid these temptations?
All it takes is a few minutes of advanced planning. Here's how to get in and out of the supermarket faster and with the right stuff in your grocery bags:
Plan ahead
Take five minutes to plan menus for the upcoming week. Create seven lunch and dinner menus (less than that if you eat some meals out). Keep in mind the week's events: For instance, working late on Thursday? Make it a take-out night.
If the dishes you plan don't include vegetables, estimate how many salads or cooked vegetables you want to accompany the meals. Also, plan on a few snacks and get enough cereal or breakfast foods
Create a list
This isn't the list you hurriedly make as you rummage through your fridge and see that you need more milk or you're out of eggs. Nope, this fool-proof list comes right out of the seven-day menu plan strategy.
Make your list market-friendly
To make shopping easier and faster, organize your list according to the sections of the store. Shop at specialty markets? Then organize by market. Here are some basic categories:
Fruits and vegetables
Refrigerator cases (dairy, juice, eggs, etc.).
Meat, poultry and fish cases
Canned foods, condiments and oils
Grains and cereals
Breads
Frozen foods
Grab a snack beforehand
You've heard this a zillion times before, and it's still true: Shop hungry and you're more likely to succumb to high-calorie foods. If you don't have time for a whole meal, munch on a quick, healthy snack such as a handful of nuts or a small bag of baked chips before you grab your cart and go.
Hit the supermarket once a week
If possible, shop on the same day each week and spare yourself some aggravation by avoiding the busy times: weekday evenings or weekends (by Sunday, the produce is usually not so hot anyway). If you work during the day, go after 9 p.m.; if you have a more flexible schedule, go during the day.
Make a produce pit-stop
Shopping once a week may be too little for fresh produce, so dart into the market mid-week to replenish your supply of fruits and vegetables. In the summer months, save time by stopping off at a roadside stand.
Shop virtually
If you hate spending time in the grocery store, find one that will do it for you. You can shop on the Web, or by simply calling or faxing your order in to a local market; pick it up or have them deliver.
Burn down the aisles
You can be surrounded by food but still burn calories if you spend a little extra time at the supermarket. Here's how:
Park in the very farthest spot from the door and briskly walk to and from the car.
Before you pick up a cart, walk up every single aisle in the supermarket as quickly as possible. You may even spot some bargains.
Grab a cart and shop. Now you're moving more slowly, which means less calories burned per minute. So put some extra effort into reaching and stretching for goods on the shelves. And remember that every little bit of activity counts.
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