Sweet Potatoes – A Year-Round Super Food!

We all know how important it is to get our fruits and veggies (especially fresh ones), but how many of us really do on a daily basis? It is much easier to grab processed, pre-packaged foods than it is to peel an orange or steam fresh broccoli. Even if it takes a little extra effort, it is worth the time it takes to eat fruits and veggies because they are loaded with the nutrients our bodies crave. Plus, you really get your bang for your buck with both because you can actually eat a good size serving of either for under 100 calories!

One of my new, favorite veggies to make is sweet potatoes. I grab a bag of pre-cut and pre-washed spears or cubes, which you can find in the produce section of any supermarket. Sweet potatoes are a great compliment to any meal, and are so sweet (as the name implies) and delicious. Here’s my recipe for making delicious sweet potatoes:

Ingredients:
1 bag of pre-cut and pre-washed sweet potato spears or cubes
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (more or less as desired)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy! It’s really that easy!

Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. And, the best part of all is that sweet potatoes satisfy my craving for something sweet! To learn more about the benefits of eating sweet potatoes, click here: http://www.realage.com/tips/count-on-carotenoids  

What’s on My Menu for Today?

Now that I’ve given you some advice on how to get healthy, you’re probably wondering what I eat in a typical day. Lucky for you, I write it down (I’ll be blogging about why you should write down what you eat in the near future). Along with what I eat in a typical day, I also drink 10-12 glasses of water every single day. So, here is what’s on my plate for today:

Breakfast – 7:15 a.m.
Quaker Oats High Fiber Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal with ½ cup of Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk
Two cooked egg whites
Coffee with four tablespoons of Coffee-Mate Fat-Free Vanilla Creamer

Calories: 350
Fiber: 10 grams
Protein: 14 grams

Mid-Morning Snack – 9:30 a.m.
½ cup of 1% cottage cheese and pineapple chunks

Calories: 150
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 14 grams

Lunch – 12 p.m.
Chicken breast pita sandwich with hummus, lettuce, and tomato

Calories: 310
Fiber: 4 grams
Protein: 30 grams

Mid-Afternoon Snack – 3 p.m.
Medium banana
100-calorie pack of almonds

Calories: 200
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 5 grams

Dinner – 6:30 p.m.
Taco Salad: 4 ounces seasoned extra lean, ground turkey with lettuce, tomato, 2 ounces of avocado, ½ cup black beans, and 2 tablespoons of light ranch dressing

Calories: 400
Fiber: 12 grams
Protein: 42 grams

Today’s Grand Total
Calories: 1410
Fiber: 32 grams
Protein: 105 grams

I hope by seeing what I eat you understand that, 1. You can actually eat a good amount during the day and still be healthy and lose weight, if that is your goal (this one's especially important for the ladies to understand since so many of you think you should consume less than 1,200 calories a day, you know who you are), 2. You should eat frequently throughout the day (no skipping meals) and spread your calories out fairly evenly among your meals, and 3. There are actually a variety of yummy foods you can eat when you're trying to be more health conscious. My menu for today is just one example of foods I eat during the week, but I have plenty of other meal and snack options too. I make sure I have a lot of variety in my diet because that's what keeps me happy and satisfied!

Oh So Easy, Oh So Good!

This might just be my new, favorite supermarket find: Foster Farms All Natural Zesty Lemon Herb Breast Fillets (for detailed product information, click here: http://www.fosterfarms.com/products/product.asp?productcode=6319). I threw these fillets in the oven Tuesday night for 25 minutes and out came delicious, juicy, already marinated and seasoned chicken! Talk about easy! Each package, which runs about $8-9 dollars, has approximately six servings in it. So far this week, I’ve eaten the chicken for dinner with butternut squash and broccoli and had it for lunch in a pita with hummus, lettuce, tomato, and Swiss cheese. I think tomorrow night, my leftover chicken will make for a great salad!

Because chicken is already so versatile and easy to make, it’s a great way to not only stretch your dollar, but eat a variety of healthy meals throughout the week with little to no effort. Throw the chicken in a salad, wrap, or taco, or eat it with veggies, brown rice, or pasta. For only 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 23 grams of protein in a serving (half of a fillet) you can eat healthy, fill-up on lean protein, and never be bored with all the different ways you can incorporate it into meals. The best part is that there are three other marinades to choose from: garlic and herb, teriyaki, and fire roasted chipotle. Enjoy!

A Lazy Girl's Take on Dinner

Ok, I fully admit that when it comes to making dinner I am the laziest person out there. By the time I get off of work and finish working out all I want to do is make the fastest, easiest thing I can for dinner. My typical dinners include cereal, a veggie burger that I can heat in the microwave in less than two minutes, scrambled eggs with toast or in a wrap or a sandwich, or once in a while I’ll heat up some microwavable brown rice and frozen veggies. Are you getting the picture? Anything I make for dinner usually takes less than 10 minutes to make. Yes, I am THAT impatient and THAT lazy!

But, even I must admit, my own blog is inspiring me to branch out a little more. When I went to the grocery store after work today, I made a conscious effort to think up yummy, easy, and fresh dinner ideas to break up the monotony of my usual routine. Do you ever notice that everything processed in a grocery store is located in the interior aisles and everything fresh and whole is located, for the most part, around the perimeter of the store? Tonight, I mainly shopped the perimeter and only hit up the interior aisles for a few things. So, what made my list tonight?

Interior Aisles
One organic lowfat frozen bean burrito
One can of reduced sodium black beans
Kashi GoLean cereal
Emerald 100-calorie packs of almonds
Pineapple chunks in individual cups

Perimeter
Fruit: Strawberries, Bananas, Grapes, Apples, Tomatoes, and Avocado
Vegetables: Potatoes, Butternut squash, Chives, Onions, Green peppers, and Lettuce
Lean Meat: Chicken fillets marinated in lemon pepper seasoning and Extra lean ground turkey breast
Whole Grains: Wheat bread, English muffins, and pita pockets

With everything I bought, coupled with some other stuff I have at home, I have so many meal ideas. Tonight, I am going to cook the extra lean ground turkey with Lawry’s taco seasoning. With this alone, I can make three different and yummy meals – first up, a fajita with ground turkey, onions, green peppers, black beans, a little bit of cheese, salsa, avocado, and light sour cream. Tomorrow night, I can use the ground turkey for a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, onion, green peppers, and a little bit of cheese. On Saturday night, I am going to bake a potato and load it with the lean ground turkey, a little bit of cheese, chives, and some light sour cream. I can make three fairly easy, yummy, and HEALTHY dinners out of one package of extra lean ground turkey.

I’ve learned that if you shop purposefully you can get a lot more out of your meals. Too often, I think about what’s easy and quick and this can really be short-sighted. Now, I have three delicious dinners to look forward to just by thinking ahead and buying ingredients that can serve a lot of purposes. So next time you go to the grocery store, I challenge you to fight your urge to load up on items and in the interior aisles. Focus your attention on the perimeter and I guarantee your meals will taste better and be better for you. It's worth the extra effort, even for a lazy girl like me!

Start Your Day with a POWER Breakfast!

Ok, everyone should know by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, why is this? Well, for one reason, people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day, they also stay fuller longer, and finally, the calories you eat at breakfast will be expended all day long by your daily activities. These are great reasons to load up on a great, healthy breakfast. So, now you ask, what are the elements of a great, healthy breakfast? Fiber-rich carbohydrates and lowfat protein. A meal high in fiber and protein is going to keep you both full and energized in the morning. For a balanced breakfast, aim for 300-400 calories, 15-25 grams of protein, and 8-15 grams of fiber. Also, make sure to add a serving of fruit to any breakfast for added nutrients! Here are my top three breakfast picks:


Breakfast Option 1:
1 cup Kashi GoLean Cereal
1/2 cup of fat free milk (or lowfat vanilla soy milk, if you like your cereal a little sweet)
Top cereal with a medium-size banana
(calories: 300, protein: 18 grams, fiber: 13 grams)

*Banana Benefits – rich in vitamin B6, folate, and potassium. Read more on the many benefits of bananas:
http://www.realage.com/tips/peel-this-tropical-treat-for-blood-pressure
http://www.realage.com/tips/do-bananas-do-a-brain-good


Breakfast Option 2:
2 eggs scrambled
1 slice of Milton's wheat bread toasted with a tablespoon of peanut butter
1 cup of strawberries
(calories: 360, protein: 20 grams, fiber: 8 grams)

*Strawberry benefits - rich in vitamin C and flavanoids. Read more on the many benefits of strawberries:
http://www.realage.com/tips/a-berry-good-thing
http://www.realage.com/tips/a-good-reason-to-add-berries-to-your-oatmeal


Breakfast Option 3:
Quaker Oats High Fiber Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal with 1/2 cup of fat free milk
Trader Joes Greek Style Nonfat Honey Yogurt
Medium orange
(calories: 385, protein: 21 grams, fiber: 13 grams)

*Orange Benefits – rich in vitamin C. Read more on the many benefits of oranges:
http://www.realage.com/tips/orange-you-glad
http://www.realage.com/tips/the-fruit-your-skin-craves

Start your day off right with any of these breakfast options. I promise that the combination of fiber and protein will keep you feeling satisfied longer than a breakfast lacking one of these. These are the types of breakfast options that will keep you energized, satisfied, and provide a lot of great health benefits on top of it. Feel free to mix any of these ideas up too. The key is to get both a solid amount of protein and fiber in the morning. Strawberries, bananas, and almonds are all great oatmeal toppers and bananas and peanut butter make wheat toast delicious!