January Newsletter January 20, 2009

January 2009:  Starting the new year off right!

 

 Welcome to 2009!  I am finally starting to write the right year on my checks and getting back into a regular schedule after the fun of the holiday celebrations.  Like many others, I am trying to make changes for the better with this new start.  According to the TV and radio advertisements the two major self-improvement themes right now seem to be getting healthier even as we age and managing money more wisely in light of the current economic situation.  What changes are you making this year?  Whether you made resolutions to be healthy or are just looking for a couple ideas for dinner, these ideas and recipes are here to help you get healthy without breaking the bank at the grocery store.  Enjoy!

 

Healthy habit for the month:  Add some zing to your water with a slice of fresh lemon!  Dehydration can make you feel tired and hungry, but sometimes plain water just isn’t appealing.  Slice up a lemon and store the slices in the fridge.  When you are feeling that afternoon slump treat yourself to a glass of fresh, cold water with a twist of citrus. 

 

Recommended website: http://www.startmakingchoices.com/index.jsp

Short on cash, but want great flavor and good nutrition?  Check out this website for some fun ideas and recipes!

 

 

One-week meal plan:

Lemon-olive chicken with brown rice and Normandy vegetable mix

Spicy chickpea pasta with steamed carrots                           

Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread and green beans

Tuscan bean soup and whole wheat bread

Hearty veggie pizza

 

Grocery list:

3 cloves garlic (or 2 Tbsps of minced garlic)

Chicken base or bouillon

Crushed red pepper

Thin spaghetti, either 100% whole wheat or Barilla PLUS

Spaghetti, 100% whole wheat or Barilla PLUS

Spaghetti sauce in a jar (generic brands are OK)

1 can pizza sauce

¼ cup roasted chopped almonds

1 bag dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans

1 bag dry cannellini or navy beans

1 lemon

Red onion

Frozen chicken breasts

½ pound ground sirloin or turkey

1 cup green olives, sliced

Frozen Normandy (California) mixed vegetables

frozen veggies for pizza – your choice

Frozen green beans

Baby carrots

Whole-grain white wheat bread or rolls (or ingredients for homemade)

2 leeks

shredded part-skim mozzarella

parmesan cheese (optional for pizza)

 

Pantry staples:

Olive oil

Flour, whole-grain white wheat

cumin

yeast

salt

 

 

 

 

Recipes

 

 

Lemon Chicken with Olives*

Adapted from

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1699462

*thaw chicken breasts the evening before by placing them in a container of water in the fridge.  They can be in or out of the package.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ red onion, diced
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)

2 cups fresh baby spinach

 

Mix the flour, cumin, zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a flat plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and dredge in the flour mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Heat the remaining oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the olives, parsley, lemon juice, and wine and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in the olives and onion. Add spinach.  Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Divide among individual plates, spooning the olives, onions, and any sauce over the top.

~if you have leftover chicken, save a couple pieces for the Tuscan Bean Soup to add extra protein~

Yield: Makes 4 servings NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 425(30% from fat); FAT 17g (sat 1g); CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8g; SODIUM 673mg; PROTEIN 51g; FIBER 2g; SUGAR 3g

 

 

 

Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesan*

Adapted from

http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1695396

*start soaking chickpeas the night before; then cook in a crockpot according to directions on bag.  Freeze or refrigerate leftovers to make another recipe such as hummus or minestrone.

**Reserve up to 1/4 of spaghetti and refrigerate in a Ziploc bag for Spaghetti night if desired.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp chicken base or 2 bouillon cubes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 pound whole-wheat or Barilla PLUS thin spaghetti
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped

 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the base or bouillon, ½ cup water, red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.

Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds.  Serve with steamed carrots or fresh baby carrots.

Yield: Makes 8 servings NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 652(22% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 1g); CHOLESTEROL 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55g; SODIUM 350mg; PROTEIN 17g; FIBER 7g; SUGAR 3g

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

 

1 jar pasta sauce, any brand

½ pound ground sirloin or turkey

 

Brown the meat in a skillet.  Add sauce.  Serve over thin spaghetti from day 2 or boil ½ pound regular spaghetti according to package directions.  Serve with steamed green beans and garlic bread.

 

Garlic Bread

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Whole wheat white bread, homemade or store-bought

 

 

Brush or spray olive oil on bread.  Sprinkle garlic powder lightly.  Place in toaster oven and toast to desired brownness right before serving

 

 

NUTRITION PER SERVING   (Nutrition depends greatly on what type of meat, bread, and how much oil is used.  Please look up your particular ground turkey or beef on www.nutritiondata.com)

 

Tuscan Bean Soup*

*start soaking the beans the night before!

 

2 tsps evoo (extra-virgin olive oil)

2 leeks, white and light green parts cut into 1/4 inch rounds and rinsed well

1 Tsp dried thyme

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth (I use the Costco chicken bouillon and add water)

2 cups cannellini beans, cooked

2 cups water

1) Heat oil in a dutch oven or soup pot.  Add leeks and cook until soft, stirring frequently.  Add thyme and stir for 30 seconds, then add remaining ingredients.  Heat thoroughly and serve with honey wheat bread

 

~if you have leftover chicken, cut it into small pieces and add it to this soup for extra protein~

 

Yield:  6 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING  208 calories, 6g fat, 15g carb, 22g protein, 3g fiber (with 12oz leftover chicken)

 

 

Pizza

(the recipe for this crust is adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook, 10^th edition)

 

1 pkg (2 ¼ tsps)  yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups whole-grain white wheat flour
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt

Mix together, let rest 20 mins. Then roll out onto a greased stone or cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Add pizza sauce, veggies (I love adding fresh or frozen spinach) then mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Makes 2 – 11″ thin pizzas crusts.  You can freeze the dough in a ziploc bag, or bake both crusts and then freeze the crust for another time.

 

Makes 4 servings.

 

NUTRITION PER SERVING  257 calories, 9g fat, 33g carbohydrate, 14g protein, 6g fiber, 556mg sodium

 

Honey whole wheat bread January 20, 2009

Honey-Whole Wheat Bread
adapted from Betty Crocker, 10th edition
makes 2 loaves with 16 servings each.  100 calories per serving.
 
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups King Arthur whole-grain white wheat flour
1-2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil, plus extra for greasing bowls and bread pans
3 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsps bread machine yeast (quick active dry yeast)
 
1)  In a large bowl, beat whole wheat flour, honey, oil, salt and yeast until well mixed.  Add warm water.  Beat with electric mixer on low 1 minute, scraping bowl freuqently.  Beat on medium 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Slowly add all-purpose flour until dough is soft, but not too sticky to handle.  Let rest for 10 minutes.
2)  Place on a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes until dough is soft and springy.  Coat large bowl with oil, then roll the dough ball in it to coat with oil.  Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 40-60 minutes or until doubled in size (I put mine outside since it was 87 degrees out, but I’ve also bowled water in the microwave, put the dough in the microwave alongside the water to rise).  Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched. 
 
1-2 can also be done by placing all ingredients, in that order in a bread machine and putting it on the “dough” cycle
 
3)  Grease bottoms and sides of two large bread pans with oil and flour (or canola cooking spray when soy is OK).  Gently push down dough to deflate, divide into two parts, then flatten each half into a 18 x 9 rectangle.  Roll it into a 9″ cylinder, fold ends under, and place in pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30-50 minutes or until doubled in size. 
 
3)  I did this recipe as 5 small loaves on a cookie sheet and used the rolls as bread bowls for soup or cut into baby slices to serve with salad.  That did not require a second rising time, and only took 30 min to bake.  I have also made 8 small loaves of raisin bread by adding a thin layer of sugar, cinnamon, and raisins to the dough before rolling it into a cylinder.
 
4) Move oven rack to low so tops of pans will be in center of oven.  Preheat to 375 degrees.  Bake 40-45 minutes (less if doing rolls or small loaves) or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.  Remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool.

pregnancy cravings January 7, 2009

Pickles and ice cream?  Peanut butter or oranges?  The food women crave during pregnancy can make for funny stories or frustrated husbands.   Today I was craving oreos.  At 17 weeks I’m past my super-nauseaus stage and am ready to eat almost anything, but oreos have been stuck on my mind for 4 days now.  The problem is that oreos contain hydrogenated oils, otherwise known as trans fat, which no person, especially children and pregnant women, should include in their diet.  The package says 0g trans fat, but that just means that there is less than 0.5g per serving – many process foods including peanut butter and hot chocolate mixes pull this trick.  Knowing my pregnant self I would eat more than one serving anyway, and that rules out buying oreos for me.  What to do with pregnancy cravings?  Here’s some tips that have helped me, and hopefully they will be useful to you as well.  But first, why do we have such strong cravings?  Science has yet to definitively answer this one, but most believe that it has a lot to do with the hormonal changes (go figure).  However, cravings can also be caused by nutrient deficiencies, especially with iron.  Cravings can also come from low blood sugar, especially if you are “crashing” after having a high-sugar snack or meal.  Lastly, cravings can also be emotional…always do a heart check to make sure you are eating for your stomach and not for boredom, sadness, or stress.

1)  Is it a nutrient-dense food?  Then just give in!  If you are craving milk or fruit, go ahead and have a serving, then wait an hour and if you crave more enjoy another serving. 

2)  Is it a “treat” food like cookies or ice cream?  Check the label to make sure there’s no preservatives or other ingredients to be avoided and then enjoy a small serving…you can always have a another serving tomorrow if you are still craving it then.   I’m a chocoholic when not pregnant, and have been thoroughly enjoying my milk chocolate and chocolate milk on a regular basis.  Just make sure to sit down and focus on enjoying your treat – if you gulp it down while running errands or chasing a toddler you’ll just get stuck with the calories, and miss out on the pleasure.

3)  Is it something on the “do not eat list?”  Then it’s time to substitute or wait it out.  I chose to make chocolate oatmeal cookies…one of my personal faves.  It didn’t totally cure the craving, but I’ll just stay out of the grocery store for a few more days and I’m sure it will pass.

4)  Control those cravings by making sure you are eating small, frequent meals and snacks that have protein and fiber.  The better your diet, the less likely you’ll have deficiency-induced cravings and the more likely you’ll have a healthy pregnancy. 

5)  Sip on water with a slice of lemon or lime.  Dehydration can also make you crave food for some unknown reason, and it can be tough to meet your expanding fluid needs as your baby and belly grow.

Eat to Exercise January 6, 2009

This morning my gym was packed out with newcomers, and I actually enjoyed seeing the January rush!  Usually I try to workout outside to avoid the crowds for the first 3 weeks of the year, but as I did my mini-cardio routine to keep my heart in shape this pregnancy I couldn’t help but do a little people-watching.  It was pretty obvious who was a regular and who was trying to figure out gym protocol and a good fitness program.  For those starting out on a new fitness program, it is crucial to fuel your body for exercise, regardless of whether you are trying to gain muscle or lose weight.  Here’s a few tips to get the most out of your workout.

1)  Get hydrated beforehand by sipping on water throughout the day, and if you will be exercising for more than 30 minutes bring a water bottle with you.   If you are working out more than an hour a sports drink is helpful; if you are working out at a high intensity for more than 2 hours try a sports drink with added amino acids (cytomax is a popular brand among athletes.)

2)  Get fed.  Never do strength-building on an empty stomach in the morning.  Eat at least 2 hours before a workout, but nothing heavy within 30 minutes if you are going to be doing high-intensity exercise.  Good pre-workout snacks include peanut butter sandwiches, banana and yogurt, cereal and milk, or a granola bar. 

3) Re-fuel after the workout – if you have been exercising hard for more than 45 minutes.   Eat a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein within the “hour of power,” or the first hour post-workout.  At least 7, but no more than 20 grams of protein is ideal for resynethesizing muscle fibers.  More than 20 grams of protein and you are just gulping excess calories that could turn to fat and making your stomach work harder than it should.  Chocolate milk has been shown to be better than many protein drinks at rehydrating and replenishing muscle stores, but a sandwich with 2 slices of bread with a couple slices of meat, 2-3 oz of tuna, or some low-fat cheese  is a great post-workout snack as well.   Steer clear of high-fat foods like nachos or anything fried – fat slows down the absorption of the nutrients your body needs.

4)  Eat your fruits and veggies throughout the day.  Exercise is a great stressbuster, but it also creates stress as your body recovers from each workout.  Give your muscles a recovery boost with the antioxidants and phytochemicals it needs for quick recovery by eating 5-7 cups of fresh or frozen fruits and veggies each day.