Healthful Bites

    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!

    2 Sep 2011

    It’s a little hard to choose, but I believe that the most important meal of the day is also the cuisine that I love the most! As chronicled on Healthful Bites many times before (see the above pictures from previous posts), I enjoy breakfast food at any time of the day. With kids needing fuel before heading back to school and another crazy holiday—September is “Better Breakfast Month“—I figured now would be the perfect time to highlight a different recipe for each day of the week from around the web that I can’t wait to try.

    Grab-and-Go

    • Cinnamon Bun Smoothie: Five basic ingredients + a blender is all you need for a low-calorie Cinnabon in a glass from Happy Herbivore. Stash bananas in the freezer to be ready to whip this up anytime. (161 calories, 0 g fat)
    • Chocolate Cherry Snack Bars: These Eating Well cereal bars take a fair amount of time to make, but will be well worth it when you have a wholesome homemade granola bar at the ready before a busy day! I’m thinking these would taste amazing crumbled on top of some Greek yogurt. (93 calories, 2 g fat)

    Baked Beauties

    • Stuffed French Toast Cups: You can still enjoy the sweet, doughy taste on a weekday if you make these cute Cook Yourself Thin muffins ahead of time. I bet they’re so flavorful that you can skip the syrup if you like! (353 calories, 10 g fat)
    • Pump It Up Muffins: Full of fiber and cuter than words can describe, Eating Bender’s oat and chocolate muffins will help kids of all ages start their days off with a smile. (180 calories, 1 g fat)
    • Low-Fat Banana Nut Bread: Have a bunch of browning bananas lying around? This loaf from Skinny Taste will give them a good home. Swap in whole-wheat flour for extra fiber! (130 calories, 4 g fat)

    Protein-Packed

    • Black Bean Breakfast Burrito: Often find yourself starving by mid-morning? This Mexican meal from FITNESS will solve that issue with a one-two punch of protein and fiber. (288 calories, 7 g fat, 25 g protein)
    • Veggie Eggs-plosion Mug: Who knew you don’t need a skillet and a stove to cook eggs? Hungry Girl has a recipe that can be made entirely in the microwave in less than five minutes. (130 calories, 2 g fat, 17 g protein)

    Dining at home is one thing—brunching on the town is another concept entirely! Here are my tips to enjoy without overdoing it.

    What is your go-to breakfast?

    12 Aug 2011

    Just Peachy! Recipes To Try For National Peach Month

    Whether it’s fuzzy or skinless, dripping with juices or still slightly crisp, there’s a peach out there for any palate—especially with the plentiful crop available during August, National Peach Month! I recently stocked up during a sale at Whole Foods, and headed to my computer as soon as I got home to research fun recipes…after slicing one up A.S.A.P. and eating it unadorned!

    While I haven’t been able to whip any of these up yet, they’re certainly on my to-make list and wanted to share these finds with you while the time is ripe! (Hehe, I love my puns. :) )

    • Peach Ricotta Pancakes: A carb-filled breakfast may leave you hungry a bit before lunch, but the low-fat ricotta and milk in these Best Health pancakes gives them a filling protein punch! I’d swap in whole-wheat flour for even more protein and complex carbs. (350 calories, 11 g fat)
    • Spicy Chicken Breasts with Fruit: Ideal for lunch or dinner, the sweet peaches Better Homes & Gardens uses in the relish seem like a great complement to Jamaican jerk-spiced chicken. (233 calories, 2 g fat)
    • Raspberry Stuffed Peaches: So simple and so perfect for a snack! Roni from Green Lite Bites uses a peach as an edible bowl in this baked treat. It’s just screaming for a scoop of light ice cream or frozen yogurt. (65 calories, 0 g fat)
    • Best of Summer Fruit Salad: Take advantage of all of nature’s best in this colorful side from Vegetarian Times. Citrus juice keeps the fruit from browning—making it even an option for warm weather picnics! (91 calories, 0 g fat)
    • Blueberry Peach Crisp: Berries are also in season and tasty right now! This dessert from Skinny Taste highlights both of these summer fruits favorites, accented by a brown sugar-sweetened oat topping. (211 calories, 7 g fat)

    I’m sure that nectarines, the peach’s non-fuzzy and slightly more red cousins, could stand in wonderfully for peaches in these recipes, although we did miss their month by a couple of weeks! 

    Here’s wishing you all “Millions of Peaches” (how great was that song?) throughout August and beyond. ;)

    What produce item are you enjoying now and how do you serve it?

    10 Jun 2011

    Sweetener Shakedown (Plus Snickerdoodle Pancakes!)

    The weather this week has been just right to swing by a cafe for an iced tea or iced coffee—or so the long lines streaming out onto the sidewalk tell me! I’m not a coffee drinker myself (and yes, I hear that I’m crazy often) but know that when you’re given your choice of powders to sweeten your drink, there are more than a few options.

    So here are some fast facts about the usual suspects you may encounter beyond the typical cane sugar.

    • Sugar in the Raw: Made from turbinado sugar grown in the tropics (about 20 calories per packet)
    • Splenda: A mixture of maltodextrin and dextrose, which are corn derivatives that help the product sprinkle like sugar, along with sucralose (about 3 calories per packet)
    • Equal: Aspartame, dextrose and maltodextrin (about 4 calories per packet)
    • NuStevia: Stevia extract, a compound derived from the stevia plant, and maltodextrin (about 2 calories per packet)
    • Sweet ‘N Low: Saccharin, blended with cream of tartar and dextrose (about 4 calories per packet)

    For context, if you compared equal amounts of each, saccharin and aspartame are 200 times sweeter than sugar, stevia is 300 times sweeter and sucralose is 600 times sweeter than cane sugar. Those facts, and the ability to sprinkle/pour the powders, explain the other ingredients besides the sweeteners themselves.

    Many of the sugar substitutes list zero calories on the nutrition panel, which the F.D.A. allows products with fewer than five calories to do since this value is basically inconsequential. It certainly is if you just use one packet, but I wanted to include the calorie estimations in case you add several to your beverage or bake with one of these sweeteners (warning: some sugar substitutes work better in baked goods than others).

    So many options, right? The choice of sweetener is a personal one, so now that you have a quick primer on what’s included in each, it’s up to you!

    The folks at NuNaturals hooked me up with a few of their latest stevia sweetener products, so I decided to take them for a spin with a recipe by the fabulous Chocolate Covered Katie. I have yet to discover my creative cooking gene. But that doesn’t mean I never fire up the stove…I just often rely on other people’s yummy recipes! And my oh my, Katie has some that look amazing. The first I took a stab at? Chocolate Covered Katie’s Snickerdoodle Pancakes. Pancakes that are flavored like cinnamon cookies? Yes, please.

    A few notes based on the way I made the recipe my own:

    • I opted for whole-wheat pastry flour in place of spelt flour
    • For the non-dairy milk, I chose for Unsweetened Plain Almond Breeze (I bet the vanilla version would be delicious as well!)
    • To sweeten the batter, I included packets of NuNaturals stevia sweetened the batter, although it could have used just a touch more

    Nutrition Info (without toppings): approximately 250 calories, 2 g. fat

    My food photography is nowhere near as mouthwatering as Katie’s, but the product still turned out plenty tasty. The stevia powder worked really well here as the sweetener—and tasted great—and I plan to try another batch using the liquid extract to compare the results. What a fun kitchen science experiment!

    Do you develop your own recipes in the kitchen or mainly follow foolproof recipes from others?

    19 Sep 2010

    Three Reasons (Plus One Recipe) to Try Apples

    Fall is rapidly approaching, and that means a new set of seasonal produce will soon be hitting stores and farmers’ market stands! One of my fall faves? Apples. So here are three reasons why you should include an apple a day (or a few times a week) to your diet.

    1. It’s National Apple Month! There’s no better way to celebrate the more than 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide than by noshing on one. Check out the astonishing facts about these different “breeds” here. And take your “pick” (haha!) at an orchard near you.

    2. The health benefits of apples are amazing. No wonder it’s said that they keep the doctor away! Research has proven that apples encourage heart health, cancer prevention and may ease certain breathing difficulties. Plus the fiber in this fruit increases feelings of fullness. One study found that participants who ate an apple 15 minutes before lunch ate about 190 fewer calories at that lunch, compared to when they ate applesauce, sipped on apple juice or consumed nothing before dining (and that’s taking into account the calories from the apple itself). Fascinating!

    3. These crisp fruits are perfect in numerous meals, snacks—have you tried apple smiles?—and desserts! Which leads me nicely into the recipe: my Flatout PB2+A Wrap. The players…

    You can use your favorite nut butter, sliced whole apples of any variety and your choice whole wheat wrap for this recipe—this is just what I have on hand and enjoy!

    If you’re using PB2 (which I first introduced in this post from last November) add water to reconstitute. Then spread evenly on your wrap.

    Thinly slice the apples and arrange on the bottom one-third of the wrap, a tip I learned from my pal and Flatout pro Jenn!

    Simply tuck, roll and slice! This makes for an ideal snack or light breakfast—supplying about 175 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber (when using the ingredients in amounts that I used). Fall perfection!

    What is your favorite variety of apple and why? It seems that everyone I speak with about this has a very definitive answer…and I’d love to hear yours!

    14 Mar 2010

    Doctor-Approved Way to Start the Day

    I do like green eggs and ham! And I believe Dr. Suess would also approve this new Karla kitchen creation. (My sister, an emergency room resident, gives it the thumbs up too!) 

    This simple, quick breakfast wrap is perfect for those who prefer a savory and salty breakfast to the several sweeter options presented before on Healthful Bites. I developed this recipe to celebrate the upcoming Irish event: St. Patrick’s Day! So I name this one “Semi-Green Eggs and Ham”—just right for a semi-Irish girl like me :) 

    Here are the only ingredients you’ll need:

    • 1 whole wheat, high fiber tortilla (I like La Tortilla Factory brand, but pick your favorite)
    • 1 oz. deli ham
    • 1/2 cup egg substitute
    • 1 Tbsp. tomatillo salsa

    1. Grab a non-stick pan (or spray a regular pan with non-stick spray). Turn the burner on medium high and pour in the egg substitute, stirring occasionally as the mixture solidifies.

    2. As the egg substitute cooks, arrange the ham on the tortilla. If you prefer, you can also cube the ham and sprinkle into the cooking eggs. Warm the tortilla and ham in the microwave for 30 seconds.

    3. Top the ham tortilla with the cooked eggs once they are no longer runny and cooked to your desired level. Then add the Irish touch (I guess more Mexican, but it’s green!) with a drizzle of tomatillo salsa. Tuck the bottom in, then fold each of the sides toward the middle to create your breakfast burrito.

    4. Grab and consume! If you’re on the go, top with foil to catch drippings—the egg substitute may drip a bit (my Mom’s only complaint). Don’t let this scare you though! The protein, fiber and tastiness make up for this ;)

    Nutrition Information: 170 calories, ~4 grams of fat, 12 grams of fiber, 25 grams of protein.

    This entire process only takes about 10 minutes! Try it out if you hope to kick off your St. Patrick’s Day in a little more nutritious way than Corned Beef Hash.

    Do you prefer sweet or savory breakfasts?

    21 Feb 2010

    Holey Rollers

    The folks at Holey Donuts were kind enough to include me in their latest blogger contest and I could not be more ecstatic! I first heard about these low fat, handmade donuts from Hungry Girl, and later heard the founder interviewed on Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy.

    Since first hearing about these pastries, I have wanted to try them, but had never gotten around to ordering them. Sadly, right now, Holey Donuts are only available via mail order, making it a bit more inconvenient than just picking them up at the corner grocery store (though this does allow excellent quality control).

    When comparing the nutrition facts of these products with their traditional, mass produced counterparts, you will be pleasantly surprised! With about half the calories and a fraction of the fat of say, Krispy Kremes or Cinnabon, a Holey Donut is a fairly guilt-free treat.

    Roll out!

    After opening a generous (and full disclosure FTC-style: free) package of donuts, I found three smaller boxes of donuts and cinnamon rolls (Get it? Holey Rollers?). The company also sells donut holes and mini-cinnamon rolls that they call “Cinnamon Bun Middles.” They were kept fresh through dry ice. To thaw, the company recommends leaving them on the counter with the box closed or tossing in the microwave for 10 seconds or so. To store, keep the items in the boxes or baggies in the freezer.

    My Mom couldn’t wait to try one, considering cinnamon rolls are among her favorite foods. I warmed a roll for her and she said, “These are scrumptious! Are you sure this isn’t like the Seinfeld episode where the nonfat yogurt really isn’t nonfat and they all pack on pounds?”

    Despite the very decadent taste, you can tell these doughy treats are one-of-a-kind because of their completely grease-free taste and texture.

    My Dad tried a roll as well—I thought he would be a good judge to include since he is not a health food fan. My Mom and I have tried to fool him with a (turkey) bacon BLT sandwich to no avail. He often teases me for my “low fat crap.” So did these donuts pass the Dad test? He was impressed by their large size, similar to a compact disc in diameter, and the taste was spot-on. The texture, however, was a bit too chewy for his liking.

    Next up, I tried a Vanilla Crumb donut as an afternoon snack at work. To tell you the truth, I haven’t had a donut in years and years, but I think I can fairly accurately remember what “normal donuts” taste like.

    Eating off of a paper towel=classy :)

    These donuts, which come in many different flavors, filled and un-filled, are about as wide as a baseball. They are light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of sweetness and topping. DEE-lish! My picture does not do these Vanilla Crumb cakes justice, as it was stored in a Ziploc and stuffed in my bag for the better part of the day and a train ride. For a better idea of what the donuts look like when they arrive at your door:

    (Photo from Holey Donuts)

    After all those drool-worthy details, here’s the scoop about how you can potentially try these donuts and win 250 dollars to buy additional tasty treats!

    There are other bloggers currently reviewing and participating in this contest, so this is basically a competition between my readers and my fellow blogger’s readers. Let’s show them who the “Holiest” fans are!

    If you mention my blog when subscribing to their newsletter, we both are entered to win. If my blog receives the most visitors to the Holey Donuts site signing up for the deal-packed emails, one of my readers who has subscribed will win 250 dollars in store credit as well as four six-pack boxes of delicious donuts! And I will win 500 dollars, which I promise to spend on ways to make my blog better and more exciting ;)

    So take a click over to the “Contact Us” page and enter your name and email with the subject “Reader Contest.” Then in the message box, simply copy and paste this message:

    “Please subscribe me to your newsletter. I heard about your products through Healthful Bites!”

    You can learn more about Holey Donuts, see videos about how they are made and earn extra contest entries by becoming their Facebook fan.

    This is a short contest, ending on February 28 (next Sunday), so please head over to the Holey Donuts site today to subscribe. We may both be winners like these champions! We may not get medals, but victory will sure taste sweet!

    18 Oct 2009

    Bypass the Donut Shop

    We’ve all had those mornings when nothing seems to go as planned. Your alarm fails to go off, you discover a stain on your outfit, or maybe you’re just moving in slow motion. So what do you do for breakfast? It’s best not to simply skip it. Your stomach will be growling long before lunch and you’ll also likely lack energy. Plus, countless studies have exhibited the importance of a good morning meal.

    Rather than making a pitstop at the drive thru on the way to work for a donut (this habit can wreak havoc on your wallet and your waistline), try my recipe for a sweet, delicious and nutritious baked good! This recipe makes a big batch, perfect for freezing and having go-to breakfasts for days.

    I’ve adapted this bran muffin recipe that was passed along to me from a family member’s friend—and now it’s your turn to give it a shot!

    Karla’s Best Bran Muffins

    Here’s the line-up:

    IMG_1780 by you.

    Mix together and set aside:

    • 1/2 box Bran Flakes cereal
    • 3 3/4 cup skim milk or water (I’ve not really noticed a difference; either works)
    • 1 cup brown sugar

    I know that 1 cup of sugar sounds like a lot, but this recipe makes about 30 muffins. Each muffin will have a little more than 1/2 Tbsp. of brown sugar.

    IMG_1782 by you.

    Mix together and set aside:

    • 3 cups whole wheat flour
    • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon (I like a lot! Tasty, plus it’s great for you.)
    • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
    • 4 1/2 tsp baking powder

    Add this dry mixture with the cereal mixture.

    IMG_1783 by you.

    Finally, mix in 8 oz. egg substitute (or 4 regular eggs) and 8 oz. unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce works great as an oil substitute for those who are watching their fat intake.

    Stir all ingredients together well. I’ve found that the muffins come out better if the batter is allowed to set up a bit in the refrigerator. Cover the bowl with foil and let is rest for a few hours in the fridge.

    When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400*.

    IMG_1788 by you.

    Give your favorite muffin pan a spritz of nonstick cooking spray and fill the cups.

    IMG_1789 by you.

    Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops of the muffins feel solid and begin to brown and crackle a bit. They’ll look like this when you pull them out:

    IMG_1792 by you.

    Yum! I loosen the muffins by circling a knife around the outer edge, then scoop them out gently with a large spoon. After cooling the bran muffins, I load up a large Ziploc bag for the freezer. I highly recommend freezing extras, as these spoil fairly quickly if left out. They taste great even after quite some time in the freezer!

    IMG_1795 by you.

    When morning rolls around, I can defrost a couple muffins, grab a piece of fruit, and hit the door. A perfect solution that I find to be a scrumptious, easy way to start the day!