Monthly Archives: September 2011

The 100 Calorie Challenge

30 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in 100-calorie snacks

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A registered dietitian at a local hospital lifestyle center was quoted in the newspaper recently referring to the 100-calorie snacks made popular by Nabisco and Frito Lay saying, “You’re not getting much quality food, and it’s not really filling.  It’s Dieting 101 for lazy people.”

As offensive as this sounds to those of us who welcomed these small portions of chocolate or salt to get that little taste we crave so much, the message nutritionist are trying to send is that there are more healthier options.   This is when an age-old dilemma of what is more important nutrition or calorie count comes into question.  And the answer is finding the happy median where both work together.

The older a baby boomer gets, the harder it is to lose weight.  According to the Mayo Clinic web site, “Muscle mass gradually diminishes with age, and fat accounts for a greater percentage of your weight.”  Most sedentary women baby boomers, over 51 should be eating 1600 calories a day.  But if you are trying to lose weight, as I am, 1200 calories a day is the recommended count.  Choosing between a healthy snack and a 100 calorie snack that lacks nutritional value makes sense.  Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement a weight loss plan.  The one redeeming value of the 100-calorie snacks is according to a registered nutritionist at another local hospital is that it holds us down to a certain amount.

And therein lies the real dilemma, how badly do we want to take care of ourselves?  Do we have it in us to make the lifestyle changes we need to make to live another twenty years healthy and strong?  Do we have it in ourselves the courage to look up healthy snack options from cookbooks, the Internet, and local nutrition specialists and then follow through by choosing 100 calories of fruit/ vegetables/ whole grains, nuts and seeds instead of a tiny bag of cookies, crackers, or air?  Because that’s what it is folks and when we accept that, we are ready to make the switch.

Here are some examples the Mayo Clinic gives for 100 calorie snacks:

  •  1 cup sliced bananas and fresh raspberries
  • 2 cups of carrots
  • 3 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn
  • 5 melba toast crackers, rye or pumpernickel
  • 2 tablespoons of peanuts
  • 2 domino-sized slices of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese
  • 1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup

 I think I’m ready to make the switch, are you?

Great Recipes Online

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in healthy website links

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Today I thought I would give you a few links to some websites that I enjoy using to stay healthy and strong.  I signed up to receive emails from these websites by going to the websites.  This way I can click on the email, file it in a folder if I don’t have the time or look at it immediately.  They are listed in no particular order.

The Better Homes and Garden website is a good source from a variety of perspectives.  Recipes are good, advice good, and graphics good.  Signing up was a pill, but once I got it all straight I look forward to getting the emails.  For example I found a slide show on “How to Save Money on Healthy Groceries.”  The best news: I was already doing all but two of the tips.  I figured out what I was spending and compare prices.  I keep recipes of my favorite meals in a notebook, recipe files, and marked in my favorite cookbooks.  I plan ahead by making a menu for the week, check what foods I have in my pantry and make a list of what I need at the farmers market, grocery store and in bulk at a big box store.  I clip coupons (or I should say my husband does), I try to buy foods in season, I don’t shop hungry, and I buy generic when possible.  Unfortunately, I rarely cook ahead and freeze to use later.  Instead I sometimes make enough for four and freeze half for later and I don’t make my own healthy snacks….not when 90 and 100 calorie snacks are practically falling off the shelves begging to be bought.

Another magazine that has an online version is Cooking Light.  I usually go to the Healthy Living section and when I find a recipe I like I save it to MyRecipes, a very handy helpful tool from the Cooking Light website.  I check my favorite recipes at least once a month when I’m making my weekly menus and seem to always pick at least one recipe that I’ve used in the past. Sometimes I watch the video that accompanies a recipe to pick up tips on making it as I always seem to learn something new when I take the time do to this.  Signing up for MyRecipes was an additional sign-up process from signing up to the Cooking Light newsletter.  Today on the Cooking Light Newsletter I found a link to the best vegetarian meals at restaurants.  I’m not a vegetarian, but I do not have to have meat to survive and when eating out, most often the lowest caloric items on the menu are those without meat.  One of the winners is Subway’s Veggie Delight coming in at 230 calories for the 6 inch on whole wheat bread and without cheese.  I order it with their sweet onion sauce instead of low-fat mayo.

I mentioned in an earlier blog the Holly Clegg series of Trim & Terrific Cookbooks.  If you haven’t had a chance to go to her website at:  www.hollyclegg.com, do so and sign up for her newsletter.  It too is free and you will be glad you did.  The most recent one made me want to put on my favorite LSU t-shirt and start cooking as it was filled with the perfect food to eat while watching your favorite team on TV.  (Both Holly and I being from Baton Rouge, wearing purple and gold makes sense.) Or you might check out Holly’s blog at: www.thehealthycookingblog.com . 

Finally I want to share with you a TV show that airs locally here in N. GA on Dish Channel 266.  It is called Tasty Traditions and is stars Kim Correll.  I interviewed Kim for an article in the upcoming October/November Catoosa Life Magazine and found her to be an amazing woman.  On her television show which is filmed in her own kitchen at home, she demonstrates foods that are handed down from family and friends.  In addition she touches on handmade items, hostess gifts, and foods that remind us of times gone by.  Eating healthy does not mean one has to stay away from the foods you grew up with and shared around the table with your parents, grandparents and own families before they all disappeared.  If you check out the Tasty Traditions Facebook page you can keep up with what’s cooking in her kitchen.  And if you don’t have Dish TV, watch her on www.catt.com, a web TV with links to her shows and more recipes including heart healthy recipes.

It’s a new month, a new school year, a new day to begin thinking about your health.  I hope you take the time to check out the websites and enjoy some good old fashion heart healthy recipes including some fun football foods……and Geaux Tigers!