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Posts Tagged ‘how to eat healthy’
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December 17th, 2009
Wright from the Source: Fruits & Veggies /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
By Bob Wright, H3 Director of Education
If there is one thing we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Yet only 23% of us consume the recommended minimum of 5 servings a day.
According to a recent CDC report , fewer than 15% meet the target of getting a variety of different color fruits and vegetable. The evidence is over whelming, a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables lower the risk of virtually every chronic disease, including obesity.
If you are one of the few meeting the guideline congratulations, keep up the great work. If you are among the 85% that are not, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. Start today.
For great recipes, check out the member’s only section of our website.
For more information about the many benefits of fruits and vegetable and other tasty recipes go to www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov and www.aicr.org (American Institute for Cancer Reseach.)
/// 1 Comment ///
December 4th, 2009
Take the Breakfast Challenge /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Here at H3, we are making December the month for our very own ‘breakfast challenge’. As part of our employee wellness program, this month marks the first mission.
Why don’t you take the challenge with us? Try eating a healthy breakfast at least 5 times a week.
Here’s why…
Eating a balanced breakfast is important for your body in so many ways. Not only does it jumpstart your metabolism, but gives you a chance to start the day with a healthy and nutritious meal.
When you eat a healthy breakfast, you’re more likely to:
- Eat more vitamins and minerals
- Eat less fat and cholesterol
- Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
- Control your weight
- Have lower cholesterol, which reduces your risk of heart disease
Now that you know why you should eat a healthy breakfast, you may be wondering what counts as ‘healthy’.
A healthy, balanced breakfast consists of:
Whole grains. Examples include: oatmeal, whole-grain cereals (like Fiber One, Kashi Go Lean), whole-grain rolls, English muffins, and granola
Low-fat protein/dairy. Examples include: eggs, egg whites, soy milk, skim milk, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese
Fruits and Vegetables. These can be added to compliment the above, for example: fresh berries, bananas and apples in cereal or hot oatmeal and peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes in an omelet.
A combination of each will provide the right amount of complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat to keep you full and satisfied through the morning. Try to choose one or two options from each for a well balanced breakfast.
A Few Quick & Easy Options
- Cooked oatmeal with almonds or dried cranberries
- Cold cereal topped with blueberries or a banana
- Multi-grain pancakes with fruit and yogurt
- A whole-grain waffle with peanut butter and banana
- Egg white omelet with peppers and mushrooms
- Low-fat yogurt, granola and fruit
[Source: Mayo Clinic: Healthy Breakfast]
/// 1 Comment ///
December 1st, 2009
Let’s Get CEREAL about Our Breakfast Choice /// 4 Comments ///
By Cheney
By: Jeff, H3 Program Intern
Ladies and Gentleman, today it’s time to get cereal (a.k.a. serious) about our breakfast cereal choices. The fact of the matter is: who doesn’t enjoy a tasty bowl of cereal? For some of us (including myself), we would be perfectly and completely satisfied having a bowl for every meal. The good news for us is that several cereals are extremely tasty and truly can provide that whole-grain nutrition to start our days off on the right foot.
However, what’s ridiculous about cereal is that there are so many dang choices; how do we even begin to sort thru the flashy grocery store aisle? Cookie crisp, Kashi GoLean, Raisin Bran, Cheerios, where to begin?
First of all, let’s get acquainted with the Hilton Head Health criteria for selecting a nutritious breakfast bowl. Then I’ll follow up with five solid choices that are sure to not only be slam-packed with whole-grains, but trigger your taste buds.
H3 Breakfast Cereal Criteria:
1. First ingredient must be a whole-grain
2. Must have 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories
3. Calories from sugar have to be 25% or less (excluding dried fruit)
4. Total Fat must be 2 grams or less
5. Ought to be tasty: make it a cereal you’ll look forward to every morning!
Five Solid Choices
1. Fiber One – Honey Clusters:
With the first three ingredients being whole grain wheat, corn bran, and wheat bran, how can you lose? Crammed at full capacity with 13 grams of fiber amounting to 51% of your daily value leaves you stuffed for the entire morning. Only 6 grams of sugar this cereal is secretly sweet and scrumptious.
2. Kashi – Whole Wheat Biscuits
Fairly new to the Kashi family these biscuits are just tasty enough to amuse anyone. Super low in fat, sodium free, including a whole day’s worth of whole-grains. A nice complement to the GoLean Crunch comes in three different varieties: Autumn wheat, Harvest Cinnamon, and my person favorite Island Vanilla.
3. Post – Original Shredded Wheat
For you wheat lovers this is the cereal for you. Highly nutritious, less than a gram of fat and practically no sugar, this is one of the healthiest choices around. For a complete breakfast experience, try adding some fresh fruit and Truvia for the perfect sweetness.
4. General Mills – Total Raisin Bran
A better alternative to regular Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, first two ingredients include: whole-grain wheat and raisins. Higher in sugar, but still meets the criteria based off the dried fruit aspect. Less than a gram of fat per serving and very flavorsome, Total definitely becomes another solid choice for anyone’s morning meal.
5. Kashi – Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oats
As you can tell I’m a big fan of Kashi, so many varieties all with their nutritional strengths. These Honey Toasted Oats are a crunchy step up from the everyday original cheerios. First three ingredients include whole oat flour, oat bran and evaporated cane juice along with 4 grams of fiber per 100 calories.
So there are just a few solid choices, but there’s many more along the aisle. As one last recommendation, try to steer clear of the lucky charms and cocoa puffs your cereal heavyweights are out there! Now just add some skim milk and you’ll final get CEREAL about your breakfast choice.
If you’re interested in a few more healthy options check out this article written by WebMD reference: Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/choosing-healthy-breakfast-cereal
/// 4 Comments ///
October 22nd, 2009
Warm up with H3’s Lowcountry Chili /// No Comments ///
By Cheney
Celebrate National Chili Month and warm up this fall with a hearty bowl of H3 Lowcountry Chili!
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups bulgar cracked wheat
- 1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained
- 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced, no salt added undrained tomatoes
- 1 can (12 1/2 oz.) vegetable broth or stock
- 2 pieces canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, minced
- 2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded, reduced – fat
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat oil in saucepot. Add diced onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, chili powder, dried oregano, unsweetened cocoa, ground cumin, and garlic. Stir and saute 5 to 10 minutes. Add water and bulgur cracked wheat, kidney beans, black beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Spoon half of bean mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining bean mixture. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve with baked pita chips or one 6″ corn tortilla (60 calories, 0 g fat).
Number of Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 1/2 Cups
Calories: 214
Fat Grams: 3.3 g
Don’t forget to visit the Members Only section on www.hhhealth.com for more YUMMY recipes!
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/// No Comments ///
September 8th, 2009
10 Simple Ways to Control Your Portions (and waistline…) /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Last week, I challenged you to join the Small Plate Movement – to decrease your portions and learn to enjoy smaller meals (while still feeling satisfied!)
Here are 10 other ways to control your portions…
- Oldies but Goodies. Instead of putting your leftovers into one large container – break them up into individual meals. This way you are reaching for one meal, not the entire serving.
- Start with a Salad. Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a good way to keep from overeating. By including lots of fiber-full veggies, it will help curb your appetite.
- Single serve your Trigger Foods. Buy snack foods in single serving sizes or separate into smaller individual baggies. It may be more difficult to stop eating [insert favorite snack food here] straight from the bag, but you are less likely to eat 5 zipper bags full.
- Eat Mini Meals. You can make sure your blood sugar stays stable and keep your stomach from rumbling by eating small healthful meals throughout the day. Here at H3, we encourage 100 calorie ‘Metabo Meals’ of fresh fruits and veggies in between meals.
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Keep pots and dishes away from the table during meals, where it’s easy to go for seconds. You may rethink your 2nd helping on the way from the table to the counter.
- Meat on the Side, Please. Treat meat entrees as a side dish rather than the main part of your meal. Load up on veggies and healthy grains as the bulk of your meal and you’ll feel full sooner. Your plate should be 2/3 veggies and 1/3 lean protein.
- Double Up. Eat 1/2 of a meal at lunch – and then save the rest for dinner. Or have a grilled chicken breast and veggies for lunch, and turn the left over into a chicken salad for dinner.
- You look 12 (and under). When eating out — order a kid portion. Not only do you save money, but you are also saving calories!
- Serving Smarts. Learn how to ‘eyeball’ the standard portion sizes and make sure to stick to them when dining out or eating at home. For example: 3 oz. of meat is the size of a deck of cards.
- Live a little. Don’t forbid yourself of certain foods – this will only lead you to feel deprived – which will most likely lead to bingeing. Treat yourself once in a while to avoid this cycle!
/// 1 Comment ///
August 27th, 2009
TAV: Portabello Mushroom Pizza with Balsamic Pesto Sauce /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Make every night a PIZZA night with our delicious Portabella Mushroom Pizza. Covered in a mixture of cheeses and fresh veggies—this pizza is sure to satisfy your pizza cravings without all of the fat and calories!
Not only are they yummy – but offer many health benefits!
Portabello Mushroom Pizza
Ingredients
- 8 Portabello Mushroom Caps
- 8 Tbsp. Balsamic Pesto (see below)
- 1 Cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- 1/2 Cup Provolone Cheese, grated
- 1 Cup Canned Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
- 8 Black Olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 tsp. Fresh oregano, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 8 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush underside of cleaned mushroom cap with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Place pesto brushed caps on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Mix mozzarella, provolone, oregano and tomoatoes together. Remove mushrooms from the oven and fill each cap with a portion of the cheese mixture. Top each with 1 Tbsp. of parmesan. Return to hot oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese has browned. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano if desired.
Serving Size: 1 mushroom
Number of Servings: 8
Calories: 160
Fat: 9.75 grams
Balsamic Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh basil leaves (lemon basil is delicious if you can find it)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Dark Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Vegetable Stock
- Pinch Salt and Black Pepper
Preparation
- Place basil, garlic and pine nuts in a small food processor and chop until very fine. While processor is running, slowly pour olive oil, vinegar, and stock through the opening and continue blending for 1 minute. Pesto will be soupy, not thick like the traditional style. Remove to a plastic or glass container and add salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.
Serving Size: 1 Tbsp.
Number of Servings: 16
Calories: 30
Fat: 2.75 grams
/// 1 Comment ///
August 26th, 2009
TAV: Mushrooms /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Mushrooms have always been a funny food to me. They grow in the yard, the Smurfs live in them, and certain types can kill you (unless your name is Mario or Luigi)!
I know – I know – mushrooms are not really considered a veggie. But even though they truly belong in the ‘edible fungi’ category – I am still going to highlight them during a Try-A-Veggie post.
However, these little fun-guys (hehe), offer many of the same health benefits as vegetables do.
Composed mainly of water, they are low in calories and sodium, are fat-free and one Portabella mushroom contains more potassium than a banana does! They also have no cholesterol and contain anti-oxidants to support a strong immune system.
Mushrooms are available year-round and there are over 38,000 varieties! Some of the most common types (and the ones that won’t leave you ill) include the button, crimini, shiitake and portabello.
Check back tomorrow for one of our most popular recipes, Portabello Mushroom Pizza with Balsamic Pesto Sauce.
Joke – of – the – Day (Because I couldn’t leave a mushroom post without one!)
Q: Why did the mushroom go to the party?
A: Because he was a fungi.
Q: Why did he leave?
A: Because there wasn’t mushroom.
/// 1 Comment ///
August 24th, 2009
What’s for Brinner? /// 3 Comments ///
By Cheney
Do you ever eat breakfast for dinner?
If not, here is a recipe so yummy you won’t want to wait until tomorrow morning to try it!
H3 Banana Oatmeal Hotcakes
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
1/4 Cup Non-fat Yogurt
1 Mashed Banana
1 Egg
Preparation
In a large, microwave safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Microwave on high until the oats are creamy and tender; about three minutes. Stir in brown sugar and canola oil; set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon; whisk to blend. Add the milk, yogurt and mashed banana to the oats and stir until well blended; beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and stir until just moistened. Place a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium once hot, spoon ¼ cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until the top surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles and the edges are lightly browned; about two minutes. Flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat with remaining pancake batter.
Servings: 10
Serving Size: 1 hotcake
Calories: 90
Fat Grams: 3
/// 3 Comments ///
August 20th, 2009
Dining Out Guide: Asian Cuisine /// 2 Comments ///
By Cheney
It’s getting closer to the weekend…and for me that usually means dining out.
This weekend, I am planning to visit one of my favorite restaurants Hinoki — I never pass up a night of fresh sushi!
So for one of America’s most popular take-out options – look below for the ‘Unwise, Better, Best’ options.
As always, PORTION CONTROL is key. Generally, while dining out you will receive a larger portion than normal. Try asking for half of your meal boxed ‘to go’ before they serve it to you. Or split the entree with a friend.
UNWISE
- Fried Rice
- Egg Rolls – can have up to 200 calories per roll!
- General Tso’s Chicken (a sweet and spicy deep-FRIED chicken dish)
- Sweet and Sour Pork — generally anything labeled ‘Sweet and Sour’ will contain lots of sugar and calories!
- Pot Stickers (Deep Fried Veggie Dumplings)
- Tempura — don’t let the name throw you off, tempura means ‘fried’ so even if it is Tempura Veggies – BEWARE!
- Soy Sauce — watch portions, contains LOTS of sodium!
- Lo Mein noodles — be wary of HUGE portion sizes.
- Sushi choices that are tempura based with extras like cream cheese or mayonnaise dressings, like the Philly Roll.
BETTER/BEST
- Egg Drop or Wonton Soup
- Shrimp Chow Mein
- Moo Goo Gai Pan (Sliced chicken breast and stir fry veggies, usually in a light sauce)
- Chop Suey (One of the few dishes often prepared without meat – VEGGIE OVERLOAD!)
- Hot Mustard Sauce
- Miso Soup
- Stir Fry Veggies
- Edamame (Soy beans)
- Cucumber Salad
- Sushi — choose Maki Sushi, Salmon and Tuna Sashimi
- Ponzu and Ginger Sauces/Dressings (ask for all dressings and sauces on the side!)
My mindful eating challenge: Try using chopsticks! Not only will it help create the ultimate Asian experience, but will slow down your eating.
Have you ever tried eating rice with chopsticks? It’s like dancing with two left feet!
One last thing, don’t forget your fortune cookie! A low-calorie, low-fat dessert (only 30 cals per cookie) — with a surprise inside.
Today’s fortune: 
/// 2 Comments ///
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