Healthful Bites

1 Aug 2010

Nutritious Small Town Eats

During my quick trip home to Iowa this week, I set out for one dinner at a local haunt to show that you can dine in a place that’s not Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, etc. and still get a healthful meal. It’s not quite as easy, as health food restaurants aren’t in every neighborhood, as they may be in larger cities. But you can find places with nutritious offerings alongside all of the buffets, hearty diners and fried food establishments!

In my 18+ years living in the Quad City area , I had surprisingly never eaten at Arthur’s Garden Deli before yesterday. Arthur’s has five locations in Illinois: Rock Island (about 15 minutes from my house), Galena, Dixon, Rock Falls and Sterling. The deli is a sandwich shop—obviously—that also serves salads (pasta, vegetable and fruit), soups, potatoes, chips, miscellaneous desserts and frozen yogurt. You can easily order a waist-widening dish such as a pastrami, mayo and swiss sub, a “Lots of Cheese” buttered potato or peanut butter cup cheesecake. But you can also make wise choices if you study the menu a bit!

My order? A small fruit cup (strawberries, red grapes, watermelon: thumbs up! canned pineapple: thumbs down!) and a gardenburger on a whole wheat bun. All of the fruit besides the pineapple was fresh and sweet. The bun was nicely soft and I loved the seeds on top. Interestingly, the burger had a bit of rice mixed in. Have you ever had a veggie burger with rice involved? Anyway, it had a nice, hearty flavor. I only wished that I knew it came with melted cheese on top! I prefer my sandwiches without cheese, so that required a little fork lifting :)

To finish off on a sweet note, I returned to the counter to order a medium no sugar added raspberry frozen yogurt! Arthur’s offers candy and fruit toppings for yogurt, as well as shakes and cones, to go along with their traditional cups of the cool treats.

The perfect way to end my meal, plus only 10 calories per ounce. Cool! (Literally… Groan.) ;)

Arthur’s has a pretty nice hometown vibe and is a welcome addition to the area’s restaurant scene. What is your favorite dining establishment in your hometown?

16 May 2010

Top Five Tips to Build a Better Brunch

While brunch seems to be a phenomenon mainly enjoyed in larger cities, the concept is quite popular across the country. No longer relegated to just Mother’s Day and Easter, brunch out on the town is a fun way to celebrate days that you don’t have to work or go to school. Eat a meal at a restaurant in the mid-morning or early afternoon? Don’t mind if I do!

But just because this meal has a name that combines two other meals doesn’t mean that you need to consume multiple meal’s worth of calories :)

Yesterday, I had a lovely treat by joining my great friend Jenn for brunch at Tempo Cafe. I dined on the scrumptious Morning Glory (“a trio of fresh strawberries, bananas and blueberries combined with your choice of either pancakes, French toast or waffle”) with buckwheat pancakes.

SO good! This dish brings me to tip number one: if you top your sweet items, such as crepes, pancakes, French toast, waffles, etc., with fresh fruit, you won’t even miss syrup (thus saving hundreds of calories). Did you know that just 1/4 cup of maple syrup has 210 calories and 48 grams of sugar? Pour at your own risk ;) Many restaurants offer sugar free syrup varieties that have a fraction of the calories if you don’t mind artificial sweeteners.

Tip number two: when ordering anything you think may come with butter on top (toast, pancakes, a bagel), ask for it on the side. Normally, the chef smothers on copious amounts of butter that you wouldn’t normally eat. Ordering it on the side allows you to use a small amount if you like— or none at all, which you can’t do if your dish already has a scoop of butter on it!

(Image from Baking Bites)

Tip number three: if you wake up more than a couple hours before your brunch is planned, eat a little something. You don’t need to starve until your “meal” and it’s wise not to. By biting a bit before the brunch, you’ll stoke your metabolism after sleeping (and fasting) all night as well as ease your hunger so you won’t tear up the entire brunch buffet or menu. A fruit cup, 1/2 an english muffin with a small smear of peanut butter or a hard boiled egg may do the trick. This tip is especially important if you plan to hit a brunch buffet (although the a la carte menu is generally a simpler way to end up with a reasonably-sized brunch). Watch those portion sizes!

Tip number four: watch your glasses! It’s way too easy to overdose on calories and alcohol if you partake in bottomless Bloody Marys or mimosas. Feel free to treat yourself to one, but try to switch to water after that if you can. You’ll thank me the next day! Plus, is it just me or is it much more satisfying to eat calories and nutrients rather than drink them?

(Image from Drink Inventor)

And finally, tip number five: when opting for eggs, egg whites have lower calories than whole eggs (although the yolk does have good qualities too, so weigh your options). I like to order veggie-packed omelets or scrambles with either egg substitute or egg whites. Some restaurants will even cook these dishes in PAM/cooking spray rather than tablespoons of oil—you just have to ask!

…Which is basically the main lesson today: don’t be afraid to ask for your restaurant dishes to be made the way you want them to be made. The worst that can happen is the server will say no! At most restaurants, the servers and chefs want you, the customer to be happy.

So there you have it! My top five Healthful Bites brunch tips. Now it’s your turn: what are your orders, tips and tricks to dine out well at brunch?

2 May 2010
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Who Are You Calling Cheater?

I don’t know what your feelings are on fruit juices, but I personally, would prefer to get my produce from food if possible. But the antioxidant load and novelty of pomegranate juice has always intrigued me. So when Ryan from POM Wonderful contacted me about sampling the juice after I met one of his co-workers at FitBloggin’, I knew it was time to give it a shot!

After taking a straight swig of the juice, I knew it would be best to use it as a mixer with another drink or as part of a recipe. POM juice doesn’t taste bad on its own at all; it’s just a bit overpowering for me. Sometime soon, I’m going to mix a bit of POM juice with some flavored seltzer for a summery low-calorie spritzer!

Earlier this weekend, however, I stumbled upon a delicious-sounding, pomegranate juice-including recipe in a cookbook I received at FitBloggin’ from a blogger over at Diets in Review. Destiny? Perhaps!

I think this recipe is called “Cheater’s Gelato” because it’s so simple to make. You won’t feel cheated when eating this—the serving size is double that of a traditional ice cream serving!

Cheater’s Gelato (Adapted from The 1,500-Calorie-a-Day Cookbook)

2 1/2 cups frozen strawberries, unsweetened
1/2 cup frozen cut peaches
3/8 cup POM Wonderful juice
2 Tbsp. Splenda or Stevia
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a blender, stopping the blade and stirring when necessary to push the frozen pieces toward the blending end. Add 1/4 cup of water while mixing if you prefer a more liquified product (or icy after freezing).

Place leftovers in the freezer for later if there are any!

This recipe makes 2 one-cup servings that contain 150 calories and less than one gram of fat. Plus, the fruits pack in a huge amount vitamin C which is great for tissue growth and repair! Perfect for a spring or summer post-workout treat.

Do you have a favorite nutritious warm weather treat?

4 Apr 2010

Pack it Up

My sisters and I all had our contributions for our Easter dinner this year…making my Mom very excited that all she had to prepare was dessert! For my two dishes, I went with a fresh and colorful theme. Very spring-like!

The new experiment I tried out came courtesy of the new “Hungry Girl 1-2-3: The Easiest, Most Delicious and Guilt Free Recipes on the Planet” cookbook.

What makes this book slightly different than HG’s (AKA Lisa Lillien) previous two cookbooks, among other things, is its inclusion of more recipes made with whole, natural foods. One immediately caught my eye: The Rat(atouille) Pack!

You’ll have to grab a copy of the book to get the complete recipe, but I’ll give you a sneak peek of my stab at the foil packed fun.

First, we (well, my Mom helped with the prep work too, besides the pie) chopped the vegetables and herbs into chunks and dumped them into a large bowl.

Next, add a couple tomato-based items and seasonings to spice things up a bit!

Mix ingredients well so that all of the vegetables are coated in tomato mixture. Pull out a large piece of foil and dumb the veggie mixture right in the middle.

Wrap the contents burrito-style so that the juices and steam will be held inside while cooking.

Pop the packet on a baking sheet (just in case the foil package isn’t foolproof) and bake for about 30 minutes in the oven. Open up for a savory and extremely tasty vegetable dish. The packets really hold in the flavor!

My other contribution cam from the produce section as well—a springy fruit salad. Yum!

I packed my plate with good portions of both, as well as a bit of ciabatta, and enjoyed a fiber-filled, wholesome meal. In the future, I’d like to try adding beans (such as chickpeas or black beans) or lean meat (such as grilled chicken or turkey) to the ratatouille for a protein punch!

When you have a dinner party or family holiday meal, do you have a go-to dish? If so, what is it?

28 Mar 2010
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Taking a Bite out of Baltimore

As everyone reading knows by now, I spent last weekend in Baltimore livin’ it up at Fitbloggin. The seminars at the conference were helpful, the food was tasty and the company was fantastic! Here’s a brief overview of some of the bites I took and great people I met while soaking up the sun in Maryland…

When I hopped on my plane from Chicago, I saw someone sitting right in front of me with a notebook with “Fitbloggin” written across the top of the page. What a coincidence! I introduced myself to Mary (right, from A Merry Life) and we made our way to the beautiful Marriott together after arriving in Baltimore. We ran into several other perky and fantastic bloggers in the lobby including Jen (left, from Prior Fat Girl) Dr. Mo from Foot Dr 69 and Gracie from Girl Meets Health. All amazing ladies and chatting with them was a great way to kick off the weekend!

After meeting even more blog idols, my roommate Danielle from Danielle Abroad and one of her fun friends found this gem in Baltimore’s Little Italy:

How cute is Cafe Gia? We were drawn in by the adorable decorations and stuck around once we saw that it was chosen as “Baltimore’s Best Italian Restaurant” of 2009 in City Paper.

Opting for something new (can you believe I’ve never had this before?), I ordered gnocchi with marinara. The pasta-like potato bites were tender and delicious. Comfort food at its best! Another plus: the reasonable portion size of gnocchi was perfect and the carbohydrates were served with plenty of extra lycopene-packed sauce—just how I like my pasta!

In between the seminars at Fitbloggin (for more recaps about the conference click here!) I enjoyed lunch with the fabulous Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point and Operation Beautiful, among other great newfound blog friends. My meal included roasted vegetables, a grilled vegetable sandwich on focaccia and a cup of wild mushroom soup. It was all delicious, but the soup tasted extra good since the hotel conference rooms were quite chilly! I had some wonderful fresh fruit for dessert as well.

After all of the blog talk, networking and a super busy week prior to my trip, I was ready for a quiet stroll along the waterfront that evening. I set out to clear my mind (which exercise/movement almost always does) and find a bite to eat.

We had a cocktail party at the end of the conference, so I had some snacks there and throughout the afternoon…so when I stumbled upon Mr. Yogato, I knew that was the perfect place to top off my tasty day!

I was not disappointed. The atmosphere was SO fun (Connect Four during or after dining?) and the toppings were colorful, appetizing and yummy! I opted for a medium blackberry yogurt with kiwi and blueberries. The best part? I joined in on one of their “Rules of Yogato” and received a 10 percent discount for answering a trivia question correctly. Too bad I couldn’t do the physical challenge which would have racked up 50 percent off! You know I tried and tried—no shame folks—but I must just need to practice standing on the tippy toes of one foot with my eyes closed just a bit longer to have it mastered. Next time Yogato physical challenge, I will have you beat ;)

Beautiful view at dusk along the waterfront!

The next morning Danielle (right) and I woke up bright and early to attend a yoga session led by Diets in Review’s Heather. I later sweated to a 10 Minute Solution half-hour class and got ready to head back to the Midwest.

It was lovely to meet so many kindred spirits and since returning, it has been fascinating to check out all of their blogs! I hope that we can all meet in person again very soon.

Thank you to Roni, Fitbloggin mastermind, and Diets in Review for generously holding the contest that won me a ticket to the conference! Good news everyone: Roni just announced on Twitter that Fitbloggin ‘11 is a go! Will you be attending?

11 Feb 2010

Thumbs Up: Coupons, Thumbs Down: Commercials

Blame It On the A-a-a-ads

OK, let’s get the bad news out of the way first…commercials can increase obesity rates in youth. Interestingly, the total amount of TV children watched had little effect. But the more advertising the small fries see during that TV time, the more likely they are to be overweight, UCLA researchers found.

Children generally squirm and wiggle around while watching the tube, so they can rack up a bit of physical activity while viewing, the researchers noted. Also, kids who watch sports may be inspired to try them out themselves. A moderate amount of regular programming gets the green light from these scientists, while the commercials take the blame for the commonly discussed TV/weight gain link.

Foods high in sugar and fast foods account for nearly three in every four food ads during children’s programming, another study found. That’s what the UCLA researchers think is the issue, especially since youngsters see about 30 hours of food-focused ads each year.

Time for a TiVo to skip through the commercials? Or perhaps a distraction: my commercial/TV workout!

(Image from Kiwi Mag Online)

Discount in Aisle One

Now for the good news: when shoppers can get a deal on fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, they buy more than one pound more of produce per week! Research in the past has shown that lowering the price of more nutritious foods persuades eaters to bypass the less healthy options, but this study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds another interesting component. The rise in produce purchases may actually stay in place even after the prices return to their previous (higher) levels. Shoppers created new, positive habits or found new favorites!

In this New Zealand-based study, shoppers either received discounts on healthful foods, nutrition education, a combination of discounts with education or no treatment (control). Those saving cash received markdowns of 12.5 percent. The discount group bought almost two pounds more healthy food than their educated and control group peers and continued to do so even six months after the study ended. In this experiment, nutrition education did little to improve shopper’s eating habits.

Perhaps, eventually, instead of subsidizing in the current method, the government, farmers and dietitians/physicians can team up to create a new plan to subsidize more nutritious fruits and vegetables? These results seem to show that people shop more with their wallets in mind than their stomachs or brains.

With the current economy, do you think the results of this study may be different today than, say, ten years ago? Do you have any creative ideas for pushing shoppers towards smarter purchases (and steer clear of the Big Gulp and Family Size bag of pork rinds?)

(Image from EL Civics)

And just a friendly reminder to all of you who got walloped with a massive snow storm this past week (or past two or three weeks…), be careful and safe out there when shoveling! If you use proper form, are in decent condition and take fairly frequent breaks, shoveling can be an excellent workout, however.

Water cooler conversation starter: In what could be one of the most disturbing TV show concepts ever, BBC is launching a series called “I’m Hotter Than My Daughter.” Women that are nearly Grandmas brag about their attractiveness and desirability—which they claim is much more apparent in themselves than their offspring. If that doesn’t spark insecurity in the daughters I don’t know what will! But that’s only my opinion.

Would you watch this show? Is it harmless fun or a sign that society is headed down the drain?

3 Jan 2010

Prep in a Flash, Save Some Cash! (Part 2)

Pineapple, the golden, odd-shaped, almost ornamental fruit is another produce item that can baffle consumers. That must be why there are products out there that promise easier pineapple dissection (at upwards of 20 or even 40 dollars!) like this and this.

But there’s no need to be intimidated by this tropical delight. After you get the hang of taking the peel off and chunking the fruit, the process will be speedy and save you some money by bypassing the pre-cut fruit selection at the grocery store!

My best Mom-learned tips and tricks to disassemble a pineapple in no time flat are offered here, all for the low, low price of three easy payments of zero dollars!

Besides being juicy and naturally sweet, pineapples provide a large amount of vitamin C (123 percent of your daily recommended intake in one cup!), a decent amount of fiber for only 78 calories per cup. Although pineapple is primarily in season in the spring—so it will taste best more consistently then, be more available and more affordable—it’s generally in supermarkets year-round. (Some may critique me for not eating locally-grown, seasonal produce, but when is pineapple in season in the Midwest? I don’t want to be pineapple-less forever ;) )

Here’s your step-by-step guide to get snack or fruit salad-ready pineapple pieces:

Step 1: Grab your rinsed pineapple, a cutting board and a medium-sized serrated knife. It may be helpful to place a dish towel under the cutting board to catch drips and keep the board stable. Slice off the leafy top of the fruit.

Step 2: Discard the top and quarter the edible portion. Then slice off a pyramid-shaped piece off the top of each quarter—this is the tough core. You should be able to feel and see the difference between the juicy flesh and the whiter, stiffer core.

Step 3: Take each quarter and individually slice the peel away from the fruit. These will basically look like fruit “boats,” with each quarter holding a large piece of pineapple. Next, chop the fruit that’s now separated into thirds.

Step 4: Slice the pineapple in the opposite direction to get fairly even-sized pieces and pour into a bowl for refrigerator storage. (You can store the pineapple on your counter for a day or two before cutting, but I find it tastier to let it chill a bit before eating and it should be stored in the fridge after it’s peeled).

Step 5: To be frugal and/or if you like pineapple juice, take a spoon and scrape off some edible portions left on the “boat.” Repeat the process for each quarter and you’re set!

So that concludes the “Prep in a Flash” series for now. Are there any other items you’d like to see me take on?

26 Dec 2009

Prep in a Flash, Save Some Cash! (Part 1)

One thing that calls my name nearly every time I step in the grocery store? Pre-cut produce. It’s so much simpler to grab a tub full of peeled, sliced kiwi; washed, de-stemmed berries; or sliced watermelon than to cut these items myself. However, I am my frugal mother’s daughter and can’t let myself take the easy route out if I can save a few pennies (or dollars at times!)

Following that concept, I decided to dedicate my next two “Good for you Eats” posts to preparing often difficult to handle fruits. First up: the pomegranate!

One-half cup of pomegranate seeds provides 3 grams of fiber, about 15% of daily recommended vitamin C plus a good amount potassium and several potent antioxidants for only 72 calories.

I must admit that before this little experiment, I have never actually tried pomegranate seeds (gasp)! Many healthy living bloggers out there may be appalled—but since I’ve never tried pomegranate before, perhaps others in the Healthful Bites community haven’t either.

Anyways, these ruby-colored, round fruits can generally be found from September through January. That means if you round up a cart or basket and hit the aisles, you should be able to come across these right now!

Pomegranates have intimidated me in the past because of their unfamiliar shape, preparation, etc. But after hearing Lee (“Fat Guy” from Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy) explain how to properly remove the seeds, I decided to take a stab at it myself! Incidentally, this is also the same method that the Pomegranate Council recommends. This must be the way to do it ;) (Although in my opinion, any way that gets the job done is OK with me!) Just be careful while working with the pomegranate: the juice can splatter and does stain easily.

Step 1: Score the outside of the pomegranate at the pointy parts—you will see a slightly rounded pentagon-shaped fruit when selecting one at the store. This is caused by the shape the insides take. By slicing at the points furthest from the center, you will likely be hitting the non-edible parts.

Step 2: Slice a round piece off of the top and bottom to release the scored sections.

Step 3: Grab a bowl of water and one section of the fruit. Rub fingers over the inside of the pomegranate to release the seeds (the edible parts). It’s also helpful at times to peel off the bigger pieces of white lining off to free up the seeds to drop into the water. Repeat with other segments.

Step 4: Skim the white pieces off the top of the water—these should float—and drain the seedy water through a strainer. (Displaying on an old school Christmas placemat is optional :) )

Voila! Now you have a bowl full of juicy fruit pieces to snack on straight, toss in yogurt or cereal or even as part of a more savory dish.

So the verdict? A bit sweet, a bit tart and all-around quite tasty! Plus, this process took about ten minutes. Totally worth it to reap so many seeds from just one fruit!

Stay tuned for next week for another edition of Prep in a Flash, Save Some Cash…

Do you have any items you’d be willing to splurge for at the grocery store in the name of convenience?

10 Oct 2009

Mmmacaroni

Who hasn’t eaten pasta from a blue box or a bowl of my childhood favorite, Velveeta Shells and Cheese? Well, my tastes have changed in the past ten years or so, and I can’t even remember the last time I ate Macaroni and Cheese. More than the flavor, I’m turned off by the usually heavy cream-filled sauce that is a saturated fat mine.

When I saw Fiber Gourmet reviewed online, I kept an eye out at the grocery store (it has some grocery store distribution, but you can always find their products online). I stumbled upon a box some time ago and forgot about it for a bit—that is, until last night! I whipped out the box (which is also blue) and stirred up a healthier twist on the kid’s menu favorite.

Mac & cheese picture

(Image from http://www.fibergourmet.com/Mac.aspx)

Fiber Gourmet’s macaroni boasts no artificial colors or flavors and they manage to pack 18 grams of fiber in each serving (three servings per box)!

The instructions are simple: boil water, add fiber-packed pasta, strain and mix in cheese mixture and 1/4 cup milk. I’m not a huge plain milk fan, so I didn’t have any around. Instead, I reserved 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water to be my liquid.

Next I heated up some frozen vegetables to for variety and extra nutrition and tossed these on top. Bon appetit!

IMG_1344 by you.

The pasta was remarkably similar in texture to traditional pasta and the sauce, while a bit runny (could have been my water use), tasted of tangy cheddar cheese.

Here’s another great tip that this photo displays: if you want to feel as if you’re not eating a tiny amount, use a smaller bowl! Think about pouring your morning cereal into a mug compared to a bowl the size of a basketball. Which would you fill with more food?

Yummy! Looks delicious, right? Serve with a side of fresh fruit and you have a delicious, well-balanced meal!

IMG_1341 by you.