A Dietitian's View

Comfort Food: Macaroni and Cheese

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:14:46 -0800

12 oz uncooked pasta
2 cups fat free milk
¼ cup all purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp onion powder
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste

Healthy Eating Starts Early

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:08:48 -0800

Kids learn mostly by example. They model their own behavior after their parents and their older siblings. If your kids have bad eating habits, ask yourself how that happened in the first place. If you eat a poor diet yourself, neglect your health and physical fitness or smoke and drink in front of them, you shouldn’t be surprised if your children go down the same road. So, be a good role model and set the stage for healthy eating at home and when you eat out as a family. Let your actions speak louder than your words.

Lentil Artichoke Stew

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:42:53 -0800

This aromatic, fiber-packed, and tasty Middle Eastern dish is great served alone or over brown rice or pasta. Using fire-roasted tomatoes is not necessary, but gives the stew a delicious smoky flavor.

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup dry (uncooked) red lentils (3 cups cooked)

1 bay leaf

2 cups water

juice of 1 lemon

2 24-ounce cans chopped tomatoes (preferably fire roasted), undrained, or 6 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup tomato juice

1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (1 9-ounce frozen package or 1 15-ounce can)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Tips to keep your blood sugar regulated all day

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:32:04 -0800

If you are someone you know struggle with diabetes, listed below are general guidelines that can help keep your blood sugar levels stable and under control.

* Avoid concentrated sweets — Soft drinks, punch, lemonade, candy, cookies, cakes, pies, syrup, honey, jelly, sweet rolls and table sugar are all forms of refined carbohydrates. Be aware of alternative names for sugar such as corn syrup, honey, raw sugar, molasses, maple syrup,

Rice: It's What's for Dinner

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:39:12 -0800

Serving rice for dinner is a smart and easy way to put a budget-friendly meal on the table in minutes.

Rice makes perfect sense for money-minded consumers. Rice grown in the United States averages 10 cents per serving, making it an economical dish that can be used to stretch meat and vegetables. Eighty percent of the rice consumed by Americans is grown in the United States.

Quick, Nutritious Breakfast Ideas

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:55:04 -0800

* Cheese slices on toast
* Iron-fortified cereal with milk and banana slices
* Whole-wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter and wrapped around a banana

Kids Eating More Vegetables

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:27:52 -0800

Pleading, bribing, cajoling -- all of these methods have been attempted by parents trying to get their kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.

But one tactic -- putting more on their plate -- might not always work. A new study published recently online in the journal Obesity found that doubling portions of vegetables and fruit resulted in more fruit being eaten, but not more vegetables.

In Season: Pears

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:18:00 -0800

FALL PEAR TIPS

• A melon baller (or small measuring spoon) works great to scoop out the stem and blossom end of a pear before peeling it. If you're cutting the pear in half, the baller is again useful to scoop out the core.

• Pears develop a smoky, complex flavor when grilled. Place pears (halved and cored) over a medium-hot fire for about four minutes or until lightly charred. Just be sure the pears are slightly underripe.
Serve with grilled chicken or pork.

Quick Fitness Tip

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:48:13 -0800

Keep a set of dumbbells by your bed. Do a few reps as soon as you wake up and again before you go to sleep. Or keep a set at your desk and do a few reps between phone calls. It all adds up. Strength training is important as we age because it helps us to combat the body's natural loss of muscle tissue.

Weight Maintenance

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:25:23 -0800

Losing weight is one thing. Keeping it off is another issue. Too many dieters end up back where they started: regaining the weight they worked so hard to shed.

So what are the savvy secrets for staying slim? Turns out it has more to do with what’s on your mind before you think about what’s on your plate.

Tropical green smoothie

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:20:52 -0800

Prep: 10 minutes Makes: 2 servings

This recipe is adapted from one featured on allrecipes.com. The vanilla yogurt provides a hint of sweetness that helps balance the spinach. If your child likes the tang of plain yogurt, use that instead. The nutrient-rich drink contains about 180 calories per serving.

1 cup green grapes

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 container (6 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 frozen banana, sliced into chunks

½ cup pineapple chunks

Place all ingredients in blender; process until smooth.

NFL PLAY 60

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:46:47 -0800

It's the first week of the football season and a great time to reinforce keeping our kids active! With fall right around the corner, make sure your kids stay active inside or out. NFL PLAY 60 is a national youth health and fitness campaign focused on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Go to NFLrush.com for more details.

Mindful Eating Tips

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:53:09 -0800

* Eat enough but not more - Learn how much food I need to eat in order to be satiated or satisfied, but not so much as to be full. Be aware of what being full feels like and do not eat beyond that point.

* Love my food - Look at it, smell it, savor it. Enjoy every moment of eating it and take my time.

Special Shoes That Shape? Really?

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:08:52 -0800

The thick shoes come with a big promise: to chisel the butt and legs.

Instead of following latest fads, Dr. R. Amadeus Mason advises finding comfortable shoes, regardless of brand.
In a growing trend, "toning shoes" are being sold with claims that wearers can tighten and shape their lower-body muscles just by walking in the shoes. And ads have suggested that they make the gym obsolete.

But these oddly shaped shoes have their share of medical skeptics who say there have not been legitimate, independent studies proving the benefits of these types of shoes over traditional pairs.

September is National Fruit and Vegetable Month

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:55:30 -0800

September is National Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Month. CDC offers 30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Fruit and Vegetable Budget to help you stay healthy!

There are many ways to benefit from eating fruits and vegetables without breaking your budget. Eating fruits and vegetables are part of a healthful diet that includes whole grains, lean meats and beans, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.