Healthful Bites

    18 Nov 2011

    Trim Your Table: Thanksgiving Sides Mega Recipe Round-Up

    Let the countdown begin: Thanksgiving is less than one week away! While it seems like most people have their protein of choice set (be it turkey, a vegetarian option or even a turducken!), sides are generally more flexible territory. Thanksgiving is a special day and it’s more than OK to indulge on occasion, but you can also still make some nutritious choices with all of the same flavors if you and your guests prefer!

    I scoured some of my favorite recipe sites to bring you a wealth of options for healthy spins on traditional side dishes and desserts. Here are 10 stand-outs, some of which may land on my table this year! Think of this as a compilation of my “Pinned” recipes for future holiday meals. (By the way, are you on Pinterest? If so, you can find me here!)

    Bread Items

    • Maple Cornmeal Biscuits: Your guests will never guess that these simple whole-wheat bites from Happy Herbivore get their moisture from a banana. I love the idea of using just a touch of maple syrup for sweetness! (106 calories, 1 g fat)
    • Save the Day Stuffing: This veggie-packed swap is not for sausage-filled stuffing purists, but Hungry Girl’s recipe is a simple way to cut major calories from your plate. (89 calories, 1.5 g fat)
    • Quinoa Cornbread: Whole Foods sneaks extra protein into this sweet side. I can’t wait to try this as an accompaniment to some veggie chili too! (120 calories, 2 g fat)

    Veggies and Potatoes

    • Heart-Healthy Cheesy Potatoes: Heart-Healthy Living offers a cornflake-topped hashbrown casserole that’s very similar to one my mom whips up for many holiday meals! If you are interested in trying a version closer to hers, try fat-free plain yogurt in lieu of the sour cream. (129 calories, 3 g fat)
    • Vegan Green Bean Casserole: Don’t worry green bean casserole purists! Fat-Free Vegan cuts back on, but doesn’t eliminate, those French fried onions. In fact, she pairs them up with whole-wheat breadcrumbs for added crunch. (102 calories, 4 g fat)
    • Creamy Mashed Potatoes: Who would ever think of adding cream cheese to potatoes for a smooth, rich texture? The genius Roni over at Green Lite Bites, that’s who! (190 calories, 0 g fat)

    Desserts

    • Triple-Berry Granola Crisp: Quicker than a pie, but just as fruity and tasty, this crisp by eatbetteramerica is more assembly than baking. Perfect if you’re more of a cook than a pastry chef, and ideal if you’re short on time too! (130 calories, 2 g fat)
    • Mini Apple Tarts: SparkPeople shares another fuss-free option that with all the flavors of a slice of apple pie that would be a perfect two-bite end to a big meal. Everyone has room for dessert, right? (124 calories, 4 g fat)
    • Skinny Pumpkin Pie: I’ve had an aversion to pumpkin for as long as I remember, but Skinny Taste’s slices are so pleasing to the eye, they might actually tempt me into trying a bite. Click on over to check out her simple slimmer pie crust trick. (172 calories, 6 g fat)
    • The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie: Chocolate-Covered Katie has an awesome option for those of us who aren’t huge fans of pumpkin or pecan—and I’ve been meaning to find a dessert to sneak tofu into. I’d wager that you can’t even tell it’s included! (143 calories, 6 g fat)

    Photo courtesy of Flickr user knm3290

    To learn more about two Thanksgiving superfoods, click here!

    What dish are you most looking forward to on your Thanksgiving table?

    16 Nov 2010

    Your Healthful Hints (November 16)

    I know time’s at a premium for you too these days with the holidays (amazingly!) right around the corner, so let’s get right to it. Here are your three quick tips for a healthy week!

    1. Drink a glass of H2O. Whether you’re looking to avoid a parched mouth or want to simply stay hydrated from the inside out, sipping on plenty of water is a great idea. And new research reported in The New York Times says that the old advice is true: Dieters lose more weight when they drink a glass of water before a meal.

    2. Take a look at some meat?! If you’re feeling anxious or nervous, you may be wise to get yourself near some meat. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal found that simply the sight of a carnivorous dish is calming. Apparently, meat meals remind us of happy family meals and gatherings in the past. I wonder if the same holds true for vegetarians and vegans?

     (Image from Esquire)

    Tastes like family!


    3. Recover actively. After an endurance event or super-challenging workout, most athletes give themselves free reign to lounge around for a few days to rest and recover. It’s crucial not to pile on a hardcore workout right away, but the lactate (a chemical released during strenuous exercise that makes you “feel the burn”) will be released from your muscles more efficiently if you cool down with a walk and stretch a few hours later.


    What does your post-workout routine entail?

    24 Nov 2009

    Happy, Merry, Joyous Tweetsgiving!

    What is Tweetsgiving, you ask? It’s a web-based celebration around Thanksgiving that encourages bloggers, Twitter posters and other Internet users to share what they are thankful for. Showing gratitude is something that I treasure, yet never really get around to doing often enough (similar to down time for some, exercise for others…), so there is no better time than now. Thanks for the kick in the right direction Epic Change!

    Epic Change is a non-profit dedicated to sharing stories of changemakers, increasing their visibility and raising funds to cover their hope-building and micro-finance projects.

    Another brilliant aspect of Tweetsgiving: Epic Change has asked that if readers, bloggers or tweeters have enough to share and feel so moved, they donate in honor of all of their blessings. The best part: all of the money raised will be used to build and improve schools in Africa. In fact, last year, the donations went to create a classroom in Arusha, Tanzania—a town that I was lucky enough to visit a couple of years ago when my sister was in the country doing medical volunteer work.

    While in Tanzania, my Mom, sister, uncle and I were able to spend some time at an orphanage which was also where the child residents were educated. Their classroom was basically a small stone room filled with wooden chairs and desks connected to the open space for a play area (this was not the classroom involved in the Epic Change project, just a classroom we visited). No books, no pencils, no chalkboard and dirt floors. The comparison between even the most disadvantaged American schools and that particular African school was astounding. I know that some schools in Tanzania are probably fantastic, but trying to educate even just a few students in an area like that would be nearly impossible. And education is crucial to the well-being, prosperity and health of pretty much everyone.

    It’s almost overwhelming to consider the impact one person can have in a situation such as this, but when several (or several thousands of) people get together, like with Epic Change, the impact can be, well, epic!

    The children were so bright, friendly and fun. It was one of the trip highlights for me to share some Hershey’s kisses and play time with them. Even though we had quite a language barrier, we were able to connect, share some laughs and I was able to build great memories. Playing with the kids made me regret the worries in my life, because my problems seemed so inconsequential compared to the difficulties that they are up against.

    (Image from To the Wire)

    Finally getting to the point here :) This year has brought so much to be thankful for.

    I am so blessed…

    • To have my good health and a body that accomplishes so many amazing things
    • To share my life with a supportive, kind, generous family
    • To never have to worry about where my next meal will come from, or where I will sleep the next night
    • To be building new friendships and support systems (including with many of you!)
    • To have so many “small things” that add up to big joy: a warm shower after a good workout, a cozy bed on a rainy night, etc.
    • To be able to find work and be able to work at some amazing places. Dreams do come true!
    • To receive an education and be able to learn new things every day

    I’m making a small, college kid-sized donation to the Tweetsgiving fund. Will you join me and share what you are thankful for in the comments?

    Have a happy, healthy and grateful thanksgiving all!

    __________________________________________________________________________

    “This post was created as part of a global groundswell of gratitude called TweetsGiving. The celebration, created by US nonprofit Epic Change, is an experiment in social innovation that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude. I hope you’ll visit the TweetsGiving site to learn more, and to bring your grateful heart to the party by sharing your gratitude, and giving in honor of that for which you’re most thankful.”

    22 Nov 2009

    Thankful for Good Nutrition!

    Listen to many health reports about Thanksgiving and you’ll be pushing away from the table feeling like a certain farm animal, whether it’s a stuffed turkey, a slothful pig or a chewing cow. Well, I think it’s time that Thanksgiving, and everyone partaking in it, got a little break! While tables packed full of bountiful, gorgeous goodies can help you rack up calorie and fat counts quickly, this day does only come around once each year. Even if one consumes the astounding amount that some claim is in an average turkey day feast (3,000 calories, 229 fat grams), that would lead to about one pound of weight gain—all other things equal.

    (Image from the Utz)

    So the big Thanksgiving meal can have an impact on your weight, but it’s relatively small. If you go back to eating a sensible, balanced diet the day after and sneak in some extra activity (Turkey Trot anyone? Or how about a family Wii Fit tournament?), you’ll be well on your way to balancing out your indulgence on the big day.

    I’m not advocating packing your plate full of four scoops of butter and brown sugar-laced sweet potatoes, two cups full of stuffing, three pounds of turkey and half of a pecan pie. But treating yourself to small servings of the “guilt-inducing” dishes you love every so often, or each Thanksgiving, will probably not have too large of an effect on your overall health. Or perhaps you could pick one or two of the dishes that are your favorites, and indulge in those alongside some lean turkey, a (less creamy) veggie-filled salad and fruity dessert.


    Even though many T-day dishes are slathered in gravy, coated in sugar or topped with crispy fried onions, there’s also some great nutrition under there! I’ve talked about a couple great fall finds: the sweet potato and pumpkin, so today I’ll highlight two other different nutritional powerhouses that will likely turn up on your table.


    Cranberries

    Chock-full of antioxidants and fiber, these tart cousins of the blueberry may even help keep certain bacterias (such as E.coli) from sticking around inside of you for too long. Research has found that cranberries may be helpful all around the body: the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and urinary tract, as well as possibly preventing cancers, helping stroke victims recover and managing cholesterol levels.

    1/2 cup of cranberries provides about 10 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C and has about 25 calories, nearly 0 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber.

    • Skip the molded cranberry sauce in a can and try this Citrus Cranberry Relish. Or you can try the simple method my family uses: toss one peeled orange and one cored apple in a blender and mix. Pour in a bag of cranberries rinsed in warm water and mix again. Top it off with 1 1/2 cups sugar (or Splenda, Stevia, etc. if you prefer) and blend until it the cranberry sauce reaches an even consistency. Enjoy!

    (Photo courtesy of Pacific Health)


    Cinnamon

    You may warm up the taste in your pie, fruit dish or beverage with a sprinkle of cinnamon, but did you know that the sweet spice may help manage blood insulin and healthy cholesterol levels? Most of these health qualities come from the essential oils in the cinnamon stick bark.

    If your family is like mine (competitive), and likes to partake in some friendly (maybe) rounds of Trivial Pursuit, then be sure to whiff some cinnamon first. Smelling the spice may actually improve brain function, particularly related to memory and attention. Toss 1/2 a teaspoon or so in your Thanksgiving morning oatmeal for a brain power punch!

    A couple spicy fun facts: when cinnamon dries, it rolls up into the familiar double-tubed shape, which is known as a quill. In ancient Egypt, cinnamon was prized more than gold.

    2 teaspoons of cinnamon pack 38 percent of your daily recommended value of manganese, nearly 2 1/2 grams fiber and about 10 calories.

    (Photo from Immortal Humans)

    And if you’re not a vegetarian, don’t forget about the protein powerhouse: turkey!

    Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday. Know that I’m thankful for each and every one of you readers! Don’t you worry though, I’ll be back before the big day with a special post this Tuesday. Stay tuned :)