Monday Funday - healthy BBQ options

Like any BBQ, there are both healthy and unhealthy options. It's up to you to navigate (or even bring a healthy option).

Here are some great ideas:

• Sam's Club "Member's Mark" Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato, and Provolone Cheese Sausages (per link: 120 calories, 7g fat (3g sat fat) 0 trans fat, 1g carbs, 490 mg sodium). These are absolutely delicious!!
  
• Instead of making a pesto pasta salad with regular pasta, use some whole wheat pasta. If you over cook the pasta a little, it has less of a grainy texture
• Chicken and Zucchini Pesto Shish (Slice the zucchini, and put it into a storage bag with pesto sauce for about two hours. Put the chicken and zucchini on skewers. If you use wooden skewers soak them for about 30 minutes to prevent splintering and burning on the grill. Turn the bag that you marinaded the zucchini in, and rub each chicken skewer with the left over pesto before placing it on the grill. BBQ for about 10-15 minutes, turning it over halfway)
• Make a fiery marinade. Mix spoonfuls of garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground red pepper, and Worcestershire sauce in a zipper-lock bag until it forms a paste. Toss in the meat and shake until it's well coated (from Men's Health)
• Change up your shish by adding seafood with fruit (they both cook quicker, so it's better to put hearty meats like steak and chicken with more dense veggies like cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms. Whereas, tuna steak, salmon, or shrimp cook better along side pineapples and peaches)
• Grill up a portabella mushroom, instead of a burger. I use the whole wheat thin buns instead of white buns to vamp up the health factors for burgers. Turkey burgers are another good option.
  
• Fruit salads are always a party favorite, and for a little spunk, soak the fruit in flavored vodka (like Light Cruzan Pineapple Rum). Then, freeze for a couple of hours before the party. These fruits also make great "ice cubes" in a punch
• Nutty Apple Salad: combine mixed greens, cashews, sliced green apples, and apple cider vinegar to taste (as dressing) - Serving Size is 2 cups (courtsey of Fitness Magazine). This is a great way to add a summer flare to an everyday salad. 118 calories, 4 g fat (1g saturated fat), 19 g carbs, 31 mg sodium

Though the cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato salads, cookies, and many other options may seem to call your name, remember that these options taste just as good (some better) and your body will feel much better for hours and years to come. On the other hand, if you find yourself eating strictly then maybe today is the day to live a little. It's up to you!

Happy Memorial Day!!

Sodium, and Fat, and Calories..Oh My!! Some fun Chinese food facts

This salad dressing is great and it's not bad!

Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 clove chopped garlic

Blend together (makes 4 servings)
Nutritional Facts per serving
155.5 calories
13 g fat
7.25 carbs

If you're ever wondering what you're eating this is a cool website .

I topped the salad with romaine lettuce, ground turkey meat, and sauteed zucchini.

Before dinner since we're eating Chinese, I spent some time surfing the internet. I usually order shrimp lo mein , but I kind of want to throw up after I read the nutritional facts. Now, I understand that this isn't exact, but it's a ball park. I also found this great article on sodium .

Here is what I found about

Healthy Asian food

Asian cultures tend to eat very healthfully, with an emphasis on veggies, and with meat used as a “condiment” rather than being the focus of the meal. Unfortunately, Americanized versions of these ethnic foods tend to be much higher in fat and calories – so caution is needed. But here’s a great tip for all Asian restaurants – use the chopsticks! You’ll eat more slowly, since you can’t grasp as much food with them at one time as you can with your normal fork and knife.

Asian Food Choices(the bolded purple ones are what I'm having for dinner)

Less healthy choices Fried egg rolls, spare ribs, tempura Battered or deep-fried dishes (sweet and sour pork, General Tso’s chicken) Deep-fried tofu Coconut milk, sweet and sour sauce, regular soy sauce Fried rice Salads with fried or crispy noodles

Healthy Choices

1. Egg drop, miso, wonton, or hot & sour soup
2. Stir-fried, steam roasted or broiled entrees (shrimp chow mein, chop suey)
3. Steamed or baked tofu
4. Sauces such as ponzu, rice-wine vinegar,wasabi, ginger, and low sodium soy sauce
5. Steamed brown rice
6. Edamame, cucumber salad, stir-fried veggies
   

Another quick tip for when you're hungry, have a cup of hot tea. If I have a snack craving at night, I have a cup of decaf hot tea. It does the trick! Try it out!

Let the games begin

Today I have dedicated myself to a new project. As an American, I am bombarded with tons of fitness news in television, magazines, newspaper, and anywhere else I turn. How do we know what is good and what really stinks? For this project, I have decided to commit myself to 365 days of healthy eating and exercise utilizing popular culture artifacts such as magazine articles, television shows, popular cook books - anything of the sort, to answer this question.

The good thing about this blog, is that unlike other items in "the media," I am not owned by anyone; therefore, I will give an honest opinion of everything I try.

And so it goes:

Today I started my day with a Whole-Grain Banana Muffin (courtesy of Fitness Magazine)
This muffin was very delicious!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together:
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1.5 mashed bananas (should equal about 3/4 cup)

Mix together:
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Add the two mixtures together and stir until everything is combined. Place in 6 greased muffin tins and bake about 12 minutes. Serve with a glass of Skim Milk.



For Lunch, which was not so delicious, I had Roast Beef Roll-Ups with Cauliflower Soup. Infact, thinking about it is making me a little queasy. I cannot pin point exactly what I didn't like, which is unfortunate. Either way, I wouldn't recommend making this, but if you're adventurous why not? This is also from Fitness Magazine.

Saute 1/2 sliced onion and 1/2 sliced bell pepper in 1/2 tsp olive oil.
Divide among 2 slices of roast beef spread with spicy mustard to taste. Serve with 4 whole-wheat crackers

Cauliflower soup:
saute 1 chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 tsp canola oil
Add 3 cups chicken stock - bring to a boil
add 2 cups cauliflower florets. - cook for five minutes
Season with s & p, and 2 tbsp of Parmesan
Puree


For dinner I made Cheesy Turkey Meatballs (Scroll down a bit and the recipe is on that page).
I have made this before, it's very delicious. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures, but I will post them tomorrow!

Day One - 364 to go :)