Healthful Bites

    27 Jan 2012

    Perfect Popcorn for Awards and Super Bowl Season

    Some may consider prime popcorn season to be summer—what with the vendors at fairs, baseball games and the tall, green stalks of corn popping up in the fields. But I think that now is primetime for the tasty whole-grain treat, since the Superbowl is just days away (although I’d rather just skim over this topic after the tragic end to the Packers season). Plus, movie and awards show season is in full swing, and popcorn is the quintessential screening snack.

    National Popcorn day was just January 19. I’m planning to throw a belated celebration by trying out some of these delicious jazzed-up options:

    Want to wow your pals with your popcorn IQ? Slip in one of these fun facts when you’re making small talk around the snack bowl:

    • The average American eats 52 quarts of popcorn every year!
    • Spend smart by making your own: Movie tubs are marked up about 900 percent (and most likely contain much more oil/butter than you’d add at home).
    • One cup of air-popped corn has 31 calories.
    • There are five different American cities that claim they are the “Popcorn Capital of the World.” (Marion, Ohio; North Loup, Nebraska; Ridgway, Illinois; Schaller, Iowa and Van Buren, Indiana.)
    • Corn can pop as high as three feet in the air. Kernels have way better ups than I do!

    What is your favorite way to enjoy popcorn?

    24 Jan 2012

    Plotting Out My Half-Marathon Training Plan

    YogaAs I mentioned last week, my half-marathon training starts soon! I’ve consulted several seasoned racers and training programs, and believe I’ve found a schedule that will work well and will have me feeling fairly prepared by race day. (At least as much as possible as someone can be who has never run more than 10 miles in one session before!)

    Right now, here’s the general game plan:

    • Walk/run or run (including one long run): 3 days
    • Low-impact cross training: 1-2 days
    • Rest or yoga/stretching session: 2-3 days

    That may look like a lot of rest for some folks. Why is this so important to include in a workout agenda? To restore your mental and physical energy, to sidestep overuse injuries and to let your muscles heal from any breakdown (you’re doing just that during intense activity—with proper rest the muscles come back stronger). Hal Higdon, racing pro and co-founder of the Road Runners Club of America, thinks rest days are crucial too.

    Training officially kicks off for me next week, so I’ll share more specifics and reflections as I move forward!

    Leading up to the race, I thought it might be fun to sprinkle in motivational quotes, messages and links along the way! Here’s one to get us started:

    “Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” — William Faulkner

    How often do you take rest days?

    20 Jan 2012

    Crockpot Salsa Chicken: The Perfect Weeknight Dinner

    In an effort to be more domestic for 2012, I added a mini-crockpot to my Amazon wishlist for Christmas. Since I left my parent’s home, I realized hadn’t used a slow cooker and that needed to change! What’s not to love about something that will prepare your dinner for you while you’re running errands, in class or at work? Plus your kitchen is filled with fantastic aromas all day.

    Mom and Dad were kind enough to oblige, and ordered me this cute and affordable orange number. To break it in, I whipped out The SparkPeople Cookbook to try a recipe that I’d been saving until I had all of the necessary equipment. It’s actually the most popular dish on their whole SparkRecipes site: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken.

    I organized my mise en place (thanks, Top Chef!), or ingredients and tools needed to complete the dish (see above left) and got to work on this very simple recipe.

    Begin by topping the chicken with taco seasoning.

    Add your veggies. I also finally got real cutting boards! Is it weird that I was just using plates before? Probably not the best for my knives, but it got the job done. :)

    Invite the tomatoes to the party, crank up the heat and go about your day! Fun fact: Peeking under the crockpot topper releases so much heat that you’ll add about 15 to 20 minutes to your cooking time. Flip the meat halfway through if you’re nearby, but otherwise keep a lid on it!

    Come dinnertime, the chicken will be tender, moist and flavorful.

    South-of-the-Border Crockpot Chicken (adapted from The SparkPeople Cookbook)

    Serves 4, about one cup each

    • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
    • 1/2 cup salsa
    • 1/2 cup petite diced fire-roasted tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
    • 1/2 cup diced onion
    • 1/4 cup shredded or diced carrots
    1. Place chicken in your crockpot dish and top with taco seasoning.
    2. Pour on onion, carrots, salsa and tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup water.
    3. Turn crockpot on low and cook for about six hours, or crank it up to high for about four hours. (Until chicken is cooked through and 165 degrees.)
    4. Use two forks to “shred” the chicken. Stir to cover chicken with sauce mixture.

    Nutrition information per serving: About 150 calories, 3 g fat and more than 20 g protein (To put this into context, adult women need about 46 grams and adult men require about 56 grams per day, according to WebMD.)

    I think I’ll be using my crockpot a lot more and experimenting with more of these tasty recipes I’ve recently pinned!

    What is your must-have piece of kitchen equipment or what tool is on your wishlist?

    17 Jan 2012

    My Latest Fitness Experiment: Running a Half-Marathon!

    My apologies for the longer than planned blogging hiatus. Time ran away with me! But I’m back and here to tell you that something else is running: Me. Eek! As of last Monday, I am signed up to participate in the MORE/FITNESS Half-Marathon on April 15. 

    Since retiring my high school cross country spikes, I’ve been a very inconsistent runner. I discovered that I preferred to do almost any other form of exercise more, so that’s exactly what I did (cycling, DVDs, yoga, interval training classes, you name it). But I decided that it’s time to try to dip my toe back into the running world and give myself a new challenge. I have a sister and many co-workers who have successfully completed halfs, and with their encouragement and support, I thought it might be fun to give it a shot myself now!

    I am going to listen to my body, however, as I’m currently in decent cardiovascular shape but not feeling at my strongest. So if things aren’t going well, I’m going to be honest with myself (and you!) and will plan to try a half again at another time.

    My training officially begins early February, so in the next few weeks I’ll plan to share more about my race history and training plans. I’m thinking that my “Good for you moves” posts, for at least the next few months, will focus on my training, recovery and reflections on the process. I also hope to pass along the most helpful half-marathon resources and tips I stumble upon along the way. Sound OK? Anyone want to join me? :)

    20 Dec 2011

    Healthful Bites Top 11 Workout Songs of 2011

    The holidays are upon us and another year is drawing to a close. It’s a time for celebration and reflection! I sifted through the tunes on my iPod and several “best of” lists to compile my 11 favorite workout songs from 2011. Included are some awesome options for your warm-up, cardio and cooldown—all full of motivating beats and lyrics (“This time I’ve got nothing to waste/ Let’s go a little harder/ I’m on fire” — Breathe Carolina in “Blackout”.)

    Click on each song to download individually, or download, “like” or share the whole 40-minute playlist here on iTunes!

    Click here and here for a couple more Healthful Bites playlists from 2011.

    What was your top song of the past year?

    Photo courtesy of Flickr user ming1967

    I’ll be taking some time off for the holidays, so I will see you back here in 2012. Happy Holidays!

    16 Dec 2011

    Three Two-Ingredient “Recipes” for One Busy Season!

    With shopping, baking, parties and more, it’s easy to just grab one of those all-too-convenient cookies tempting us all at every turn. But if you have an arsenal of simple, satisfying and nutritious options at-the-ready, it will be much easier to make smart choices and save the baked goods for treats!

    Here are three options that are as easy as A, B…well, that’s it! Two ingredients, less than one minute to prepare—zero reason not to try them. :)

    1. Santa Berries: Seriously, how cute are these?! Berries and cream are a classic combo, but this twist I stumbled upon on Pinterest takes it to a whole different, festive level. Cut off the leaf-end to make a base, then slice off the top 1/4 to serve as the hat. Make a “face” out of whipped cream, or in this case, I tried nonfat Greek yogurt with a bit of stevia for a bit of protein. Add two mini chocolate chips for eyes, add the hat and a final dot of whipped cream or yogurt. Alternatively, just slice off the leaves and top the whole strawberry with cream/yogurt to make a Santa hat. Serve this at your next get-together as a healthful dessert option that kids will love.

    Cheesy Salsa2. Cheesy Salsa Dip: This awesome swap for those who love chili con queso comes from Roni over at Green Lite Bites. The day after I spotted this genius idea on her site, I had to give it a try myself! Simply microwave a wedge of Laughing Cow light cheese for about 30 seconds, mix with 1/4 cup salsa and enjoy with your dipper of choice. Sliced veggies (carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli) or chips (pita, tortilla) all would work well. I’d love to hear what you come up with to scoop up this yummy (and crowd-pleasing) snack! Next time I whip this up, I’m going to make it a meal: 2 whole-wheat tortillas + cheesy salsa dip + 1 grilled chicken breast, diced + grilled peppers and onions = guilt-free quesadilla time!


    Cinnamon Apple3. Cinnamon Apples: I admit, this can’t even qualify as a recipe. But if you ever struggle with finding motivation to eat another serving of produce, this trick might help. Core and thinly slice your favorite variety of apple (Granny Smith for me, please!) and sprinkle on a dash of cinnamon. The spice not only adds awesome flavor to the juicy apples, but it also packs a fiber punch. Feeling like a dessert? Warm a whole, cored apple topped with cinnamon in the  microwave or oven until tender. Top with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt or ice cream. Mmm!

    —

    In other news, the winner of the Nasoya giveaway is Audrey, who shared: 

    “My most recent one is probably veggie burgers that turned into mashed potatoes. I still can’t figure out what went wrong…”

    Congrats, Audrey! Please email me at karlaswalsh@gmail.com with your mailing address and your prize will be on the way very soon. Wishing you all much kitchen success in the future!

    —

    What are your top picks for quick snacks?

    13 Dec 2011

    On the hunt for some holiday gift ideas for fit (or soon-to-be fit) pals or wish list ideas for yourself? Here are five of my favorite tools to help anyone squeeze in a fantastic workout away from the gym. And for those of your playing along at home, these come in handy during my workout videos too!

    • No one likes a sore back or bum during core exercises or slippery feet during yoga, so a mat is a must. I need any help I can get to find my inner “zen” so that’s why I picked this Japanese-inspired option! ($21.98, gaiam.com)
    • Add these to your weight workouts (think: holding it around dumbbell handles and looping it around your front foot in a static lunge) or use them solo for a unique resistance option. Perfect for at home or one the road! Buy an extra and just keep it in your suitcase. ($1.89-$6.03, amazon.com)
    • Sure, you can swap in rags on hard floors or paper plates on carpet, but these make fun gliding workouts a breeze! Make like Apolo Ohno and do some speed skating. ($29.99, valslide.com)
    • Weighted gloves are the perfect fix for a too-large interval between sets of dumbbells, and they add an awesome challenge to a kickboxing routine. ($19.99, shop.cathe.com)

    For more of my favorite gear picks of 2011, click here and here.

    What are you asking Santa for this year?

    Don’t forget you have until Thursday at noon ET to enter to win a Nasoya product of your choice! What are you waiting for?! :)

    9 Dec 2011

    Giving Tofu a Try (Plus a Giveaway!)

    Confession: Until the very recent past, I had never cooked with tofu. I had prepared dishes with soy products of other forms—from soy crumbles in taco salads to turning soy beans into milk during an astronaut cuisine class in college (that’s a tale for another time!). But I had left the tofu prep to the restaurant pros until the kind folks at Nasoya approached me with an opportunity to try a few of their products. I took that message as the universe telling me that it was time!

    Having seen scrambled tofu on the menu at a few of my favorite brunch restaurants and curious to taste it, I decided that this would be dish number one. I did a few Google searches for a basic idea how to start and hit the kitchen on Sunday morning! Thanks to Gena at Choosing Raw, I knew to prepare on Saturday—stacking my tofu between two plates and weighing the top one down with a few water bottles to squeeze out the excess liquid. But I didn’t prepare quite so well in other ways…my refrigerator was nearly empty so I had to improvise in terms of my mix-ins.

    Little did I know that plain tofu is really a blank slate. Unlike beef, chicken or turkey, tofu really doesn’t taste like anything if you just cook it without significant spices or other ingredients. So when I tried just crumbling up the tofu in a pan with some random spices, the results were less than stellar. I could see the potential, but wished I had some bell peppers, onions, garlic and more to add to the party!

    In the future, I think I’ll stick with some tested and proven recipes like these:

    • This Tofu Scramble posted on SparkPeople is spiced up bell peppers, onion, garlic and curry powder.
    • Post Punk Kitchen adds cumin, thyme, tumeric and nutritional yeast.
    • And Eating Bird Food combines these two ideas for a sure-to-be flavor-packed mixture.

    And will also possibly try these other uses for tofu…

    Now time for your holiday hook-up! You can have your own kitchen adventure courtesy of Nasoya, as they passed along an extra coupon for a free product! Not a tofu fan? They also offer hummus, noodles and wonton wraps (I hope to try these as ravioli skins soon). Leave a comment below by next Thursday, December 15 at noon EST telling me about your biggest kitchen fail—who am I kidding, this is to make me feel better :) —and you’ll be entered to win a coupon for a free item by Nasoya. You can also enter by tweeting me @karla522. Good luck, everyone!

    6 Dec 2011

    The Home Workout That Improves Your ABCs

    On a frigid day, it’s not very pleasant to head outside for a walk or jog or even scamper to and from the car on the way to the gym! That’s why this home workout is awesome—you can stay warm and since it’s so compact, you can also fit it in nearly any time. And since the holiday season is so busy, it’s a good time to go back to basics—like with your ABCs! I call this my “ABC Workout” because the circuit targets your arms, butt and core.

    Grab a mat and a pair of medium-weight dumbbells, then begin with a brief cardio warm-up (you can jump in imaginary rope if you prefer). After that, hop right into the total body routine:

    • Tricep dips: Sitting on a chair, stair or bench, scoot forward so back is in front of the surface and lower body by bending elbows to nearly 90 degrees. Use arms to lift body back to the raised position and repeat.
    • Side-to-side squats: Squat down and propelling off both feet, jump to the left over an imaginary line, landing lightly without jarring knees and lowering into a squat again. Jump back over the imaginary line to return to start and continue jumping to the left and right.
    • Plank: Hold body at the top of a push-up position on hands and toes with shoulders over wrists. If it’s too difficult, lower to knees.
    • Two-count push-ups: From the plank position on either knees on toes, lower chest nearly to floor, bending elbows slowly while counting to two. Straighten arms to lift back up while counting to two; repeat.
    • Four corners lunges: With weight on left leg, lunge forward on right, then lunge to the right, to the back and lastly diagonally behind the left foot to a curtsy lunge. Continue for 30 seconds, switch legs and repeat.
    • Reverse crunches: Lie on back with hands behind head and with feet raised and knees bent and raised at 90 degrees. Lift hips up so glutes leave the floor. Lower and repeat.
    • Curl and press: Hold a pair of dumbbells at sides with palms forward (water bottles or cans can sub here!) and curl weights up nearly to shoulders. While lifting weights overhead into a shoulder press, rotate wrists so palms again face forward. Reverse the motion and repeat.
    • Bridges: Lie on back with hands resting at sides. Lift hips up toward ceiling, lower back to floor and repeat.
    • Bicycle crunches: Continue on floor and place hands behind head, elbows pointed to opposite walls. Alternate bringing left elbow and right knee to nearly meet above your stomach, then right elbow and left knee.
    • Uppercut punches: While holding a semi-squat, alternate punching in a “U” shape with your right fist toward your left shoulder; then with the left fist toward right shoulder. Turn and drive through your hips to power the punch.
    • All-angles kicks: With weight on left leg, kick forward with right, then kick to the back, then to the right side. Continue front, back and side kicks for 30 seconds; switch legs and repeat.
    • Knee to elbow plank: Holding plank and keeping body still from hips and above, alternate bringing right knee out toward right elbow, then left knee out toward left elbow.

    Where is your favorite workout locale?

    2 Dec 2011

    Lighter Holiday Side: (Almost) Couldn’t Be Easier Green Bean Recipe

    Around the holidays, traditional green bean casserole is the norm—cream of mushroom soup, fried onions, butter, you name it. But my Mom and I were discussing possible ways to (slightly) lighten up our Thanksgiving table and make another nutritious options available, and we decided to make over the green beans! These veggies are high in antioxidants and vitamins (C, K and A) and low in calories. It was a natural choice then for a slimmed-down dish!

    As luck would have it, I stumbled upon an easy recipe in Hy-Vee’s Seasons magazine a day later, and tweaked it just a bit for our holiday table.

    This is also a perfect option for those big meals where the oven is already packed since you can stew the beans on the counter in a slow cooker. The result is really tasty too! It came out a touch salty for us with regular stock, so that’s why I recommend low-sodium (not to mention it’s just a good choice in general since many soup distributors put in way more salt than is necessary for a tasty product).

    Less than five ingredients and about five minutes of prep time? Don’t mind if I do!

    So Simple Garlicky Green Beans

    Adapted from Seasons magazine

    • 2 pounds fresh green beans, with ends trimmed
    • 1/4 cup chicken stock, low-sodium if possible
    • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half or quarters
    • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    1. Toss beans and garlic in a slow cooker and top with red pepper flakes, then stock.
    2. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or until beans are to your desired tenderness.

    Does your family enjoy similar recipes on Thanksgiving and on Christmas or your winter holiday of choice? If so, this might be a fun option to try in a few weeks!