You are here: Home / Archives for Food

Healthy Ways to Indulge a Chocolate Craving

January 21, 2016 by

Many people have a sweet tooth that creates a craving for chocolate, but while the occasional indulgence is okay, eating too much chocolate could be the end to your healthy diet. Here are a few healthy ways to eat chocolate that will keep you right on track when a craving strikes.

Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Shortbread Crust [Eating Well]
Make this seemingly decadent dessert the next time you have friends over for dinner, and no one will even know that it’s actually healthy. With just over 250 calories per serving and six grams of protein, you’ll get the taste of chocolate without feeling weighed down.

Black Bean Brownies [Chocolate Covered Katie]
While the addition of black beans to brownies may seem strange at first, you won’t even be able to taste the protein-packed beans when they’re masked by the rich, dense chocolate flavor. These brownies are also flourless, which is great for low-carb diets.

Healthy Homemade Chocolate [Wellness Mama]
Instead of grabbing a fat- and sugar-packed candy bar from the checkout counter at the grocery store, make your own healthier version at home. This recipe includes only four ingredients, and because they’re all natural, you won’t have to worry about ingesting any chemicals and unnatural ingredients.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

4 Foods to Avoid Before Bedtime

January 7, 2016 by

If you’re the type of person who loves a good midnight snack, you may be wreaking havoc on your quality of sleep without even realizing it. While some foods are okay to eat right before bed, others will make it much more difficult to drift off into a dream state. Here are a few foods to avoid before hitting the hay!

  1. Potato chips. Foods that are filled with grease and fat, such as potato chips or French fries, take quite a bit more effort to digest. With your stomach working overtime, it is much more difficult to fall asleep.
  2. Ice cream. Think twice before having that bowl of ice cream while watching late night TV. Fatty foods like this are also more difficult to digest, which could lead to you lying awake with cramps and discomfort.
  3. Candy. Sugar-packed candies will cause your blood sugar levels to spike, leaving you feeling too restless for rest.
  4. Red meat. If you grab a fast food burger on your drive home after a late night, you may not be able to fall asleep once you actually crawl into bed. Red meats like this sit in your stomach much longer than other types of foods, and your body uses a lot more effort to digest them.

9 Things Your Should Never Eat or Drink After 9PM [Bodybuilding.com]
The 5 Worst Types of Foods to Eat Late at Night [Prevention]
The 10 Best and Worst Foods to Eat for Sleep [Fitness]
10 Foods to Avoid Before Bed [Fox News Health]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

Fast and Easy Grilled Dessert Recipes

June 18, 2015 by

Whether it’s the dog days of summer or the crisp chill of fall is already in the air, preparing dinner on the barbecue grill is always enjoyable. While burgers and kabobs are usually on your arsenal of grillable foods, you may have overlooked the number of desserts that can also be prepared on the grill! Here are a few of our favorite grilled dessert recipes:

Honey-Rum Grilled Bananas [tasteofhome.com]
The sweetness of the bananas and the flavor of the rum are perfectly accented by the smoky flavor from the grill in this recipe, creating a taste that will make you feel like you’ve traveled to a tropical paradise.

Banana Nutella S’mores [foodandwine.com]
Everyone loves making s’mores, but if your taste buds have grown up a bit, you may want to incorporate a more complex flavor into the campsite favorite. This recipe uses a hazelnut spread instead of the usual milk chocolate, which tastes even better when cooked over an open fire.

Grilled Peach Melba [marthastewart.com]
This Southern dessert is positively meant for the grill. Top your warm peaches with vanilla ice cream and watch as it melts over the sweet, blackened fruit.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

How Much Oil Should You Consume?

March 19, 2015 by

Oil has a reputation for being bad for the waistline, but select oils are very beneficial when consumed in moderation. This helpful guide from the USDA provides simple, accessible descriptions of the main types of oils, then helps you to make informed decisions about which to use. Here are the highlights:

What are oils?
Oils are fats that become liquid at room temperature. Things like canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil are common, as well as the oils found in foods like nuts, olives, avocados, and some fish.

How are oils different from solid fats?
Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats, while oils contain more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats raise the “bad” cholesterol in your body, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Why are oils important?
It is important to consume oils because they provide essential nutrients. Oils are the major source of essential fatty acids, which are necessary for your health, and they are also provide the majority of your body’s Vitamin E.

How much oil should I consume?
The average American adult needs anywhere from five to seven teaspoons of oil per day, depending on factors like your gender, age, and level of physical activity.

What Are “Oils”? [USDA]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

These Tips Can Help You Enjoy Fruits and Veggies on a Budget

March 5, 2015 by

If you think that you have to increase your grocery budget in order to begin a healthier diet plan, think again. There’s no reason why a meal plan filled with fresh fruits and veggies should cost more than one filled with snacks and sweets, and these helpful tips will show you how to do it — even on a tight budget.

  1. Buy in-season produce. You’ll often find better deals on fresh produce when it’s in season, so consider stocking up on large quantities of, say, apples in the fall or berries in the summertime. If you buy more than you can consume, freeze the fruit for future use.
  2. Plan meals in advance. One of the best ways to make the most of what’s in season (and avoid throwing away produce that has gone bad) is by planning a week’s worth of meals in advance. You can even make a few meals over the weekend and freeze them to eat on busy weekdays.
  3. Use sales to get adventurous. If you purchase only fruits and veggies that are on sale at the grocery store, it won’t just save you money, it will also give you an excuse to experiment with new foods that you wouldn’t normally try. Rhubarb, anyone?
  4. Store produce properly. If you get frustrated about how quickly your fresh produce goes bad, create a more organized storage system to maximize its lifespan. Keep vegetables separate from fruits, as many fruits emit a gas that causes veggies to spoil more quickly.

Fruits and Vegetables on a Budget [Fruits and Vegetables More Matters]
10 Smart Tips for Eating Healthy on a Super Tight Budget [The Kitchn]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

How to Steer Clear of Saturated Fat in Your Diet

February 19, 2015 by

Saturated fats are some of the main things that you should watch out for when you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health, but unfortunately they’re very common in many of the foods on the market today. If you want to cut saturated fats from your diet, these three foods are some of the main ones to avoid.

  1. Butters and margarines. This is a tricky subject, because butter and margarine have both positive and negative qualities. When choosing a spread, first compare both the trans fats and the saturated fat contents of each product. Whichever one has the lowest number of trans and saturated fats is the healthier option.
  2. High-fat meats. Meats like steak, ground beef, pork, and sausage with visible, marbled fats are always very high in saturated fats. Dark meat poultry and poultry with skin on it also contains much more saturated fats than other types. Choose leaner cuts of meat, chicken, or fish instead, or you can substitute ground beef or sausage with ground turkey.
  3. Dried coconut. While coconut is a common topping on many cakes, cookies, and candy bars, it contains about 57 grams of potentially harmful saturated fats per serving. This is an alarming 286% of your recommended daily intake, so be sure to limit the amount of dried coconut that you consume.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Saturated Fat [Healthaliciousness]
Saturated Fats Are Primarily Found in What Groups? [SF Gate]
Saturated Fat [CDC]
Fat and Oils [Better Health Channel]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

Nutrition Tips for Vegetarians

November 20, 2014 by

Whether you want to show support for animals or simply choose to avoid meat products, becoming a vegetarian can be a very healthy lifestyle choice. Though it decreases your risk for many long-term diseases, a vegetarian diet can make it difficult to get the protein and other nutrients a person needs to stay healthy and energized.

These vegetarian eating tips can help you create a balanced, meat-free diet:

  • Make sure that you get enough protein by incorporating nuts, beans, peas and soy products into meals and snacks.
  • Keep up with your necessary iron intake to create healthy oxygen absorption in the blood by eating a lot of spinach, kidney beans, lentils, black-eyed peas and iron-fortified cereals.
  • Choose calcium-fortified soy milk to replace the calcium normally found in regular cow’s milk.
  • Consider vegetarian alternatives to traditionally meat-based foods to keep your diet exciting (for example, bean burritos, veggie lo mein, or vegetarian lasagna).

Tips for Vegetarians [USDA]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

These Halloween Dessert Recipes Are All Treats, No Tricks

October 16, 2014 by

Everyone knows that candy is the best part about Halloween, but there's still something to be said about seasonal sweets that don't require a wrapper. If you're hosting a Halloween party this year, these Halloween recipes are all treats and no tricks!

Marshmallow Witches [myfabulousrecipesbackup.blogspot.com]
The kids will love to help make these not-so-wicked witch treats! Large marshmallows are decorated with chocolate chips, candy pieces, and cookies to create a coven of seriously sweet witches. These treats don't requiring any prepping or cooking, which leaves more time for the fun part: the decorating!

Pumpkin Cookies [Food and Wine]
Catering to more refined palates, these pumpkin cookies boast a cake-like texture that's complemented by tiny pieces of candied ginger. Pumpkin spice imparts an autumn flavor, while a sugary glaze tantalizes the taste buds.

Spider Cookies [Delish]
A spider shaped cookie cutter transforms basic sugar cookie dough into a tempting dessert that might just make your skin crawl. Each arachnid is dipped into black sanding sugar for a sparkly-sweet finish, then arranged on cookie cooling rack that resembles a web.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

How to Prepare a Perfect Plate of Pasta

September 18, 2014 by

If you’ve ever overcooked or undercooked pasta and suffered the consequences throughout your entire meal, you know how touchy this seemingly simple dish can be. Luckily, these simple steps will show you how to prepare the perfect plate of pasta.

  1. Use a large enough pot. One of the most common mistakes when cooking pasta is using a pot that isn’t large enough to accommodate your noodles and water. As a general rule, one pound of pasta should be cooked in about 5 to 6 quarts of water or more.
  2. Start with cold water. To avoid tainting your pasta’s taste with the metallic taste of your sink’s pipes, fill the pot with cold water to start. Hot water dissolves contaminants like lead much more easily, which could affect the taste of your pasta.
  3. Boil thoroughly. Cover your pot with a glass lid and bring the water to a quick boil. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the natural flavors.
  4. Cook pasta. Most pastas cook for 18 to 20 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Be sure to remove a noodle or two and taste them throughout the cooking process.
  5. Drain and serve. Drain your noodles over a large colander, but be sure not to over-drain them, as this could cause them to dry out and stick together. Pour warm sauce over all of the noodles, and then serve.

The Most Common Cooking Mistakes [Cooking Light]
How To Cook Perfect Pasta [What’s Cooking America]
10 Secrets to Perfect Pasta [Good Housekeeping]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , , ,

Food Canning 101: 5 Basics You Need to Know

September 4, 2014 by

Your grandmother may have been on to something with all of those canned fruits and vegetables. Canning is a great way to preserve the lifespan of fresh produce, and it creates a number of unique new ways to eat your favorite veggies. If you want to start canning in your own home, here are 5 things that you need to know.

  1. Do not use overripe produce. Although canning helps you to extend the lifespan of produce, it won’t reverse the ripening process if it has already happened. Be sure to use only crisp, fresh fruits and vegetables.
  2. Sterilize cans before starting. Because your produce will be sealed tightly inside of the glass jars, you want to make sure that there is no bacteria inside of there as well. Wash each jar with hot, soapy water and soak them in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes before you begin.
  3. Research acid additions. Many types of fruits and vegetables require ascorbic acid or citric acid to prevent browning or maintain pH levels, so do your research before canning.
  4. Do not fill the jars completely. Your produce will expand during the boiling process, so be sure leave an inch or so of space at the top of each jar.

More Canning Tips and Do's/Don'ts [Pick Your Own]
Canning 101: The Basics [Simple Bites]
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision [NCHFP]

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: , ,
Next Page »

Pin It on Pinterest