Snack Smart: Egg-cellent protein

Remember those commercials -- The incredible edible egg? This food is often slammed for cholesterol, but it has good fats as well as a complete protein with a full compliment of amino acids.

I am not advocating swallowing a half dozen raw eggs or anything, but a couple, hard boiled or scrambled, makes for an excellent small meal. Or add lots of spinach or fresh veggies to make an omelette. Be sure to skip the greasy butter.

Whenever possible, try to use organic or farm fresh eggs. From chickens not fed antibiotics or steroids. Here's what I collected from my gorgeous gals this morning. Perfect dinner for me and my two kids. And easy enough that even I can't screw up the cooking :)

Snack Smart: Healthy chicken nuggets and fries

My kids eat utter crap. It's totally my fault. Well I'm trying to fix that. Their fave food is Dino nuggets and fries. They tend to turn their nose up at anything else. So here was my attempt from this weekend.

The chicken isn't dried or blackened, so you can tell my husband cooked it :)

Of course me kids wouldn't eat it... At first. I told them daddy made healthy chicken nuggets and fries. The nuggets were naked and the fries were squished. Behold, 10 minutes later the plates were empty.

Have figured out any healthy ways to remake the classics or your faves?

Snack Smart: The Road Trip

Ah, the dreaded road trip. The bane of any dieter's existence. The cure? Plan ahead!!

If you know you are going to be driving for umpteen hours, bring your own snacks. Don't rely on gas station stops. You will end up getting the Twix or something equally not good for your. Pack your own dehydrated fruit. Or nuts. Pre-portion them out like I showed in Portion Control Made Easy. That way you are not eating the whole bag of trail mix. (Has more calories than you might think. Good for you though)

Plan ahead what you are going to eat if you stop at fast food along the way. Or use a smart phone app that tracks calories. That way you can make a good informed choice if you have to eat at those golden arches.

Snack Smart: Add Some Caliente

A little heat can go a long way. It also serves as stopper from eating to much. This week I made Huancaina sauce (Peruvian cheese sauce) for a class presentation. It has a lot of cheese, but it also has aji amarillo, yellow chile paste. It really keeps you from using way to much, but it's so flavorful. Traditionally it's served on potatoes, but you can use it as a dip for veggies too.

I don't use a recipe per se, its largely to taste. But this is how I made it

Mix together equal parts cream cheese, cottage cheese, and queso fresco.
Add evaportated milk to make the mixture sauce like.
Add seasoning: Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste.
Add the aji amarillo paste a spoonful at a time until you reach your desired spiciness.

Blend together until a thick and creamy. If it's too thick, add more milk. Too liquidy, add more cream cheese.
Tada! So easy, even I can do it.

Bien Proveche

Snack Smart: Dried Fruit

Need a yummy low cal snack on the go?
Try dried fruit. Its portable and much easier to stuff in a purse or backpack than squishing and bruising that real banana or apple.

A word to the wise though, watch the label.  A lot of dehydrated fruits are candied. All that sugar adds up to big calories that you don't need. The fruit is sweet enough on its own. Bananas and apricots are notorious for this.  Look at the ingredient list, if they add sugar, pass it by.

My favorite is the Kirkland brand freeze dried fruit. Just apples in a bag. 35 calories. The perfect snack in between class.  Great for lunchboxes for the kiddos too.

Snack Smart: Chips and salsa alternative

Ok, hear me out. I was skeptical too. But it's actually good.

Salsa is pretty good for you. It's the tortilla chips that'll get ya every time. So try enjoying your snacky salsa with a different kind of crunch. Try celery or my personal favorite, baby carrots. Yummy and low calorie. Satisfy your craving without blowing your budget. Plus the 'caliente' in the salsa can help heat up your metabolism.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Snack Smart: Foods that keep you slim - from Melanie Douglass

Today I am up to my ears in homework. So I am going to let someone else do the heavy lifting. This is a great article/video from Studio 5's Fitness Correspondent, Melanie Douglass.

http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=56&sid=21275419

Check it out!

Snack Smart: Salads are not always low calorie

Are you trying to lose weight? So you automatically pick the salad off the menu? Sadly, salad does not always equal low calorie or healthy.

Most commercial salads have cheese, croutons, some have breaded chicken or bacon, maybe guacamole. None of these things are bad per se. But they certainly hike up the calorie count. The worst offender is the dressing! You can easily use 300+ calories just on 2 tablespoons of dressing. Ugh that's a bag of M&Ms.

So make your own fresh and yummy salad. Here's mine: fresh diced tomatoes, cucumber slices, fresh lettuce. Tossed with balsamic vinegar straight from the cooking bottle. Not the vinaigrette dressing. Yum and under 150 calories.

Snack Smart: Sugar Free and cranky

It's been 24 hours since I've had any contact with the love of my life... Sugar.

And I am not a happy camper. I'm grumpy and every brown thing I see reminds me of chocolate goodness. So what's the reason for my self imposed hell?

As of Monday my husband and I decided to be sugar free. He's diabetic and not doing so hot in the blood sugar levels. He decided to go on a strict diet to get it under control. So to be a good wifey I thought I would offer to join him in his saccharin exile. Stupid me.

I'm hoping this is just a phase. That after a few days I'll have more energy, and fewer headaches.

So I am asking you the reader, what are your sugar free snack smart tips? Will I survive?

Snack Smart: Just a taste

How many times have I been looking forward all day to the brownie that I've budgeted for. Five seconds later, its over. The brownie is gone, and I want it back.  Temptation is to grab another brownie, but I'm better than that. Most of the time. :)  This is what I've started to do instead.

I break my treat into four pieces to enjoy throughout the day. Think about it. When you inhale a treat, your tastebuds are really just tasting that first bite. So why not have that first bite... all day. Stick to that one brownie or cookie, but make it last for a while. You trick your tastebuds into thinking you've had more than you've actually had.

Extra tip for you mommies. Make sure you do not leave your partially eaten treat out for small children to find. They seem to think its fair game.

Portion Control Made Easy

Once again, it is time for me to stand up and own my problems.  I have an issue with portion control. A portion to me is whatever the heck is on my plate. I still have it drilled into me from when I was a kid and my mom would say, "Eat it all, there are starving kids in China." Even if I'm not really hungry, I will keep picking at what's left on the plate.

My solution? Only put on the plate what I can eat. At home, I'll premake meals in individual portion sizes in disposable tupperwares. That way I can just grab one, reheat it, then eat the whole thing. And then I know I didn't eat too much.  If I'm eating out, I'll get a to go box at the same time my food comes. Then I look at the plate and figure out what my portion should truly be. Then dump the rest in the doggy bag. Voila, I can now eat everything on my plate.

What about treats? Because no matter what diet you are on, everyone needs treats. Whenever I open a box or bag of cookies, I will go through and separate them into individual ziploc baggies with two cookies each. That usually equals 150 calories. Perfect for what I have allocated in my budget for treats that day. So now when I want something, I just grab a baggie and I don't have to worry about my will power and looking down and finding half the box of vanilla wafers gone.

Give premeasuring a try. It's alittle time consuming and OCD but well worth the effort.

Snack Smart: Fattening vegetables

I have a friend, who will remain nameless, that loves to snack on baby carrots. I swear, her skin could turn orange. And not just from fake bake tanning. Anyway, she is not losing any weight and couldn't figure out why. After spending one weekend over at her place, I knew why.

She's attempting to have about 50% of her daily food as vegetables. A great goal. One problem, she soaks them in butter, cheese, and ranch dressing. Sadly, you do have to keep track of the crap you put on veggies to make them taste good. You think Oh, it's just a little bit of dipping sauce, it can't be too bad. I measured out her ranch dressing she used on those baby carrots. She added 250 calories to her low cal snack. No wonder she wasn't losing.

If you gotta have that dipping sauce, make sure you go low fat and use sparingly.

And for the record, apples are a great healthy snack. Apples with a tub of caramel dip... not so much.

Potpourri: Muffin FAIL

I was running out the door one morning and starving. I didn't have time for my cottage cheese, and I was out of yogurt. So I thought I would just grab one of my husbands muffins from Costco. Couldn't be too bad right? I mean it's a muffin for heaven's sake. I figured 400 calories tops.  When I checked later that day to add to my calorie total I was floored. 695!!!!

So not fair that it take 5 minutes to consume and 70 minutes to run off.

Snack Smart: Late night snacking

Late night snacking has recently become the bane of my existence. After the kiddos go to bed, I'll usually catch an 8 oclock zumba or yoga class. Then I'll come home and lock myself away in my writer's cave with a few cans of Diet Coke and a bowl full of cereal.

I know, not the smartest behavior on the planet. And I totally know better. Right now I can get away with it because I am running 40 + miles a week. But in less than a month, my training will be over, and I will need to batten down the hatches.

Why am I eating? Because I've gone and revved my metabolism by taking a late class. True, but also just because I like to have something to pop in my mouth while I'm writing.  A very bad habit I need to break. Or at least substitute for grapes or berries.

Food is fuel. Do I need fuel right before I go to bed? No, probably not. So why am I filling up my tummy, go so it can sit and turn to fat while I attempt to sleep. Or have weird food dreams. (Who here hasn't had the late night cold pizza dream)

So my new goal is to stop. If I workout late, I will have a glass of chocolate milk or protein shake when I get home, then nothing. After 7, no solid food shall pass these lips.

I'll post an update next week and let you know how my resolve is going. Let the fridge raids cease!

Snack Smart: Breakfast

I am not a morning person. Truth be told, I rarely have enough time to do more than run a comb through my hair and brush my teeth.

In the old days I would grab a bite to eat on the way to wherever I was headed. As you might expect, this included donuts, cinnamon rolls, and whatever came in the bag from the drive thru.

Now, even in a hurry I have time for a quick, much healthier bite. My favorites to rotate are greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. Or a cup of cottage cheese with berries on top.  Either one is packed with protein, so I am left feeling full all morning.

If you are not a dairy person, still try to find something with protein. Kashi Go Lean is good. Or an egg.

Snack Smart: Kale Chips

Ok, so I am attempting to live a greener life. Aside from a salad, I had no clue how to do this.

My friend, Tres Hatch helped me discover Kale chips.  Hers were much better than mine, but I'm working on it.

First, buy a bunch of kale at the grocery store. They are the leafy things hotels stick on everything to make it look pretty. And yes it's edible. Tip* shake out the water before you buy it. Weighs less, costs less.

Next go home and preheat the over to 350.

Now wash, and strip all the leaves off the stem. The stem is bitter and nasty.

Throw in a bowl with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and kosher salt. I way over salted mine. More than a pinch,. less than a handful.

Toss and then lay out on a cookie sheet.


Throw them in the the preheated oven for around 30 minutes.



Voila. Tasty Potato chip substitute.

Snack Smart: Whole wheat pitas and Smoky Hummus

Here's another yummy recipe. I had it on my other blog, but thought I would share it here as well. Plus a new Smoky Hummus. Both are the brain child of my husband. I take no credit other than the fact that they're yummy

Recipe for: Whole Wheat Pita Bread

To prepare: Bake in oven on pizza stone at 450° F.

Ingredients

Directions

3 cups whole wheat flour 1½ Tbs sugar 1½ tsp salt 2 pkg (1½ Tbs) active dry yeast 2 Tbs olive oil 1¼ cups warm water

Mix all ingredients and knead for about 10 min. Let dough raise in an oiled bowl until doubled, 1-1½ hours. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450° F. Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces (divide again into 4 for mini-pitas) and roll into balls. Roll out balls on lightly floured surface into thin, 8” rounds (2” for mini-pitas). Place rounds on pizza stone and bake until they puff up, then about 30 seconds more (about 3½ minutes total). Note: instead of a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet. Just make sure to preheat it in the oven.

Recipe for: Smoky Hummus

Ingredients	Directions
1 can (16 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) ¼ cup lemon juice 3 Tbs tahini (sesame paste) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp salt	Drain and rinse chickpeas. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a small amount of water to thin if necessary. Garnish with olive oil.

No picture for the hummus. I ate it too fast :)

Snack Smart: Arctic Zero Ice Cream

Sometimes life demands ice cream. There is just no way around it. If you're anything like me, sometimes life demands the entire pint. Ben and Jerrys used to be my choice for death by calories. Now, I find it difficult to justify at least 1000 calories, no matter how great pumpkin cheesecake tastes.

This is a solution that works for me when my day has sucked bad enough that they only remedy is a spoon and a pint. It's called Arctic Zone ice cream. I had the Mint Chocolate Chip. I warn you, it's spendy around 4 bucks a pint. And it's no Ben and Jerrys. But it is 150 calories. For the whole pint.

It's gluten free, lactose free, organic and natural, and low sugar. So it probably tastes like crap right? It's actually not bad. Don't expect it to be creamy fattening ice cream, because you will be disappointed. But if you need the cold, frozen, dig your spoon into something, fix- then give it a try. Think of it more like a minty chocalatey slushy.

Snack Smart: Hummus Recipe

I don't cook. That's why my house is still standing. But my husband does like to experiment in the kitchen. This is his recipe for hummus that got me through the potato chip withdrawals. I'm sure he swiped it off Allrecipes.com


Part 1
2 cups canned garbanzo beans
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil

Part 2
1 dash of paprika to taste
1 teaspoon fresh minced parsley

Put everything from part 1in a ninja, magic bullet or food processor. Push the button until it smooths out. Then put it in a bowl, preferably one of those ziplocy containers, cuz you are not gonna want to eat all this at once. Portion control.  Then sprinkle on  part 2. You can add a teensy tiny bit of Olive oil if you like. 

 Voila, yummy hummus. Eat a small portion with a few baked pita chips or 1 pita. If you are using as a meal substitution, then go for broke with 2 pitas.

There is some good fats involved as well as some fiber. I think 1/8 a cup is 77 calories. Not including the pita. Make the flavors good and strong so you only need a little.

 

Snack Smart: My calorie budget

Several people have emailed me about my calorie budget, so here you go. Keep in mind, I am in a maintenance phase. I am not trying to lose any more weight, just stay balanced.

On a rest day where I have no exercise, I aim for 1750 calories. This is what I have found works the best for my body. You might need more, or less. Once you get to a healthy weight, you can tweak it and see. Here's my usual breakdown.

Breakfast- 250 calories
Morning Snack- 200 calories
Lunch - 550 calories
Afternoon Snack- 100 calories
Dinner - 650 calories

If you guys are interested, I can post a few sample meals and snacks.  On days where I run high miles I obviously need to eat a an extra 500 -700 calories depending on the exercise.  But this is my typical day if I am just doing light cleaning at home and do nothing else physically.