Getting Your Ice Cream Fix

It’s summer and it’s hot. (At least here…I live in the South). You want ice cream, but you don’t want to waste a whole day of calories on it!

Try the Dove Minis because you can’t beat 70 calories. Yes, they are tiny but if you show some restraint this won’t screw up your diet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or you could try Nestle Lil Drums (A smaller version of the drumsticks we know and love).  There are a variety but on average about 130 calories each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there’s always frozen yogurt and sherbet. Just on any of these items, besides the calories you should look at sugar, carb, and fat content as well. They can also sneak some artificial sweeteners into the ingredient list on you so watch out for that.

**Also if you are out and about and feel you must get something, go for a Wendy’s small frosty- 320 calories, BUT as a comparison some other places have ice cream shakes and desserts that will cost you the whole day’s calories.

Stir-Fry Veggie Burritos

This is basically something I just whipped up. I had all these veggies laying around…You can use what you have or you can just plain buy a frozen stir fry mix! But here’s what I did…

 

2 cups sliced baby carrots

2 slices of vidalia onion (diced)

2 stalks celery (chopped)

2 cups frozen broccoli cuts

1/2 bunch of asparagus (chopped)

2 roma tomatoes (diced)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

Tortillas (I use the low-carb, high fiber)

1 can enchilada sauce (homemade will also work)

1 can fat free re-fried beans

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Various seasonings

 

I put the olive oil in a large skillet and poured the carrots in, starting them on medium heat. I then chopped the hard ends off the asparagus and chopped them into about 1 inch pieces. I threw all the other veggies in and covered it to get them done faster. Don’t leave them covered too long because it will make them soggy! Then I added the soy sauce and dashed some pepper, sea salt, and garlic salt into the mix.

While that was cooking, I put the re-fried beans into a bowl and sprinkled some shredded cheese on top.  I tossed that into the microwave and opened the can of enchilada sauce. When I am sure that the veggies are cooked through, I roll them up into the tortilla, throw some beans on the side, and top both with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. (don’t go overboard with the cheese though!) Toss the plate in the microwave just long enough to melt the cheese ( a few seconds!)

The stir fry veggies are good by themselves too.  An easy, yummy dish that you don’t have to feel guilty about!

***Makes about 4-6 large burritos!

yum

 

Roasted Asparagus- Easy Beginner’s Recipe

I had only eaten asparagus a few times in my life, but had NEVER attempted to cook it. That changed tonight and it was DELICIOUS. This is a super-simple recipe that anyone can do.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of fresh asparagus

Olive Oil

Sea Salt (or any salt, really)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Chop off the hard stalk ends of the asparagus (I chopped about an inch off.) Then wash and dry them.

Lay them out on a cookie sheet or roasting pan  in a single layer. (I covered my cookie sheet in aluminum foil to save cleanup time!) Either drizzle or coat the asparagus in olive oil.  Don’t overdo it! Then sprinkle sea salt on them and pop them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Guilt-Free Sweet Snack

  Let me guess…you are looking at this picture and going “That can NOT be diet food.” But I’m telling you that it is! At 100 calories each, these little babies from Vitalicious are heavenly. There are many flavors to choose from including the Deep Chocolate (pictured) and the Banana Nut Muffin which I have tried. Both are delicious, but the chocolate wins because…well, I’m a woman! The Banana Nut Muffin only has 7 grams of sugar and the Deep Chocolate only has 11. They are also loaded with vitamins and minerals. These are the size of a large cookie so they are quite satisfying. Downside: You have to keep them in the freezer, but they thaw in minutes or are even better if you nuke them in the microwave for just 10-15 seconds. Then they are gooey and warm like a fresh baked good! They are also individually packaged and are a great snack for throwing in your purse or pocket for work.

The same company also has muffins, brownies, cakes, and mixes. Check out their site above. I found this product at my local Kroger in the natural foods section (in the freezer), but if you can’t find it there the website has a store locator.

Enjoy and YOU’RE WELCOME!

Black Bean Quinoa – My Way

Modified from this recipe, I made my own version and it was so good I had to talk myself out of eating another bowl of it!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup quinoa

2-3 medium ripe tomatoes (blanched or peeled), diced

1/2 medium onion, chopped finely

2 jalapenos,  chopped finely

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped baby spinach (optional)

Rinse the quinoa with cold water and put it in 1 1/4 cup of boiling water.  Simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes.  While that is simmering, throw the rest of the ingredients into the skillet together and sautee…make sure you put in all the juices from the tomatoes because they make an excellent sauce. Once the quinoa is done, add that into the mix and stir…I then added in a dash or two of sea salt & garlic salt. Those are optional though. Also, this is only a mildy spicy, but if you don’t like spicy you can replace the jalapenos with bell pepper! You can also optionally trade out the onion for green onion…I just went with what I had lying around the house!

A skillet-full simmering (I double the recipe because it's become so popular!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since so many of the ingredients were in my infamous homemade salsa recipe, I whipped some of that up too and served salsa and tortilla chips on the side.

Jazzed-Up Vegetarian Baked Beans

I always loved baked beans at family gatherings, but I’ve only ever experienced them as a side dish. Here’s my altered recipe to try and make them the main course. (My old recipe was VERY MEATY.)

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans

(Actually many baked beans are veg if you just check the ingredients!)

1 medium celery stalk, chopped finely

2 slices of onion, chopped finely

1/2 medium bell pepper (any color- get creative!), chopped finely

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp worchestershire sauce (or substitute soy sauce for vegans)

2 tbsp minced or chopped garlic

1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

1/2 tsp mustard

1 or dashes of salt and other favorite seasonings.

Sautee the garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper in the olive oil…using a large saucepan or skillet. Once the onion is translucent, drain the can of beans to get the excess juices out and add them in. Then as you stir, add in all the other ingredients. Get it to boiling and then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.  EAT UP!

This can make 4 smaller servings, but I divided them into two medium bowls and had one for dinner last night and saved the other one for another meal! It’s very hearty and filling…love how the veggies add a good crunch to the beans!

***alternately you can replace bell peppers with jalapeno and add cayenne pepper and/or cajun seasonings to spice it up a bit!

Getting Your Protein

The number one question about the self-inflicted diet I’m on is: ” How are you getting enough protein?” And I know (especially from Brandy’s anger when this question is brought up) that it is a question posed MANY times  to people on a vegetarian or vegan diet.  I am only doing without meat TEMPORARILY as a way to loosen my dependency on it (and also restricting other troublesome things in my diet) But for those of you who want to lessen the meat in your life like me or you are going to restrict your diet permanently, I decided to make a post to help you out.

First off, if you are eating the daily recommended amount of vegetables, chances are; you are getting plenty of protein. However, there are some folks that jump into the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle that still eat garbage and remain unhealthy.  They are in the minority though. Protein is the least of your worries with that lifestyle…more likely that you’d have to watch out for low iron, calcium, vitamin D,  or B12. But even those can be helped with the right diet and/or supplements.

Here’s a helpful list of where to get your protein.

1. Legumes: Beans, Peas, and Lentils. Legumes are the highest in protein…and they are loaded with fiber too.

2. Nuts & Seeds: Hemp seed, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax seeds, Peanuts, and Almonds being the highest in protein of this category…But Walnuts are also a good choice because they are high in Omega-3! Pretty much any nut or edible seed has protein. (Also nut butters, obviously) They are high in fat though, so limit yourself if you’re on a diet!

3. Grains:  Amaranth & Quinoa are the highest in protein, but Quinoa being a favorite because it’s considered a COMPLETE protein and closely resembles what you would get from an animal product.  Also on the list: Whole Wheat Pasta, Brown Rice, Barley, Oats, and whole wheat bread.

4.  Dairy & Eggs: Duh.  You can skip this step if you are vegan.  Cottage cheese tops the list…followed by yogurt, milk, and cheese…then eggs bottom out the list.

5.  Soy: (Not my favorite, because I think we get too much these days, but in moderation it is okay.) Soybeans, Tempeh, and Edamame top out the list and soynuts, tofu, and soymilk bottom out the list.

6.  Other Veggies!:  Spinach, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, Okra, Corn, Tomatoes,and Potatoes all have a moderate amount of protein in them. Many more have a smaller amount in them. (And some fruits have a low level of protein as well, particularly bananas.)  So now you see what I’m saying…if you’re eating your PROPER daily amount of veggies, you are getting enough protein.

These were taken from several sources including this site and this site.

Helpful Sites

I do a lot of site-surfing for nutrional advice, recipes, etc.

Here are a few that I have enjoyed lately:

Myfitnesspal – I’ve been using the site through the app on my iphone to count calories and I have lost 7 lbs since I started using it over the past  month. I don’t attribute this completely to them, but it has been a big help as it’s just so darn easy to use.

Couch to 5k – a gradual program to get you off the couch and up and running in 9 weeks. I’m on week one and it is hard, but I think the benefits will outweigh the pain eventually!

40 Snacks Under 200 calories– Do yourself a favor and stick it out for the whole list. Some of these ideas were VERY mouth-watering. And while you are there at the Shape Magazine site, they have several other similar lists that you might want to check out. I surfed around there for a good hour or more last night!

Epicurious– great recipe site where you can search by main ingredient or by many categories. The advanced search will let you search by dietary restrictions (gluten-free, low sodium, etc.) which is great since I have quite a few. Also they have a great iphone app, which I surf through a bit and it has the great shopping list option. This is also where I found the great Black-Bean and Tomato Quinoa Recipe that I’ll be trying later this week!

Food Network– They have lots of great recipes and instructional videos to go with them. Their HEALTHY & FAST recipe section is helpful for those of us who don’t have the time or energy for whipping up gourmet meals.

Active.com – Lots of great articles on fitness & nutrition, along with fitness calculators and other neat little tools.

Restaurant Recipes – Where I found the Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipe…also searched and found the recipe for Chili’s Southwestern Eggrolls, which I would probably make if there weren’t too high in calorie for me. But who knows, maybe I could whip up a lower-calorie version! Perhaps baking instead of deep-frying? Using less chicken or cheese? Will experiment some time and let you know how that goes.

Feel free to post your own faves! I will check them out!

Bean Spaghetti (Craig’s Recipe)

Ingredients:

12 oz pasta

1 can kidney beans (drained)

1 crushed clove garlic (I would probably just subsitute a few tsp of minced garlic)

1 onion (finely chopped)

2 tbsp. parsley

1 tsp. cayenne

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 can diced)

1 tbsp olive oil

Dash of salt & pepper

Parmesan or feta cheese (optional)

Heat oil and fry garlic and onion for 2 minutes or so. Add tomatoes, parsley, cayenne, and pepper. Simmer until thick. Add beans and salt and cook 15 minutes more. Pour over cooked pasta. Douse with Parmesan or Feta cheese.

***I haven’t ever cooked this, but my friend Craig made it for me and it’s EXCELLENT. Also I’d probably use whole grain pasta!

Minestrone Soup Like Olive Garden?

I found several recipes similar to Olive Garden’s Minestrone soup and tried my hand at making it by altering a recipe from a website I saw.

Here’s mine.

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 stalk celery (diced)

1 small zucchini (chopped into small chunks)

2 slices white onion chopped

1/2 cup carrots finely chopped or shredded

1 medium tomato – peeled  & diced (with green & white bits removed)

2 tbsp minced garlic (fresh or from a jar- your choice)

32 oz unsalted vegetable stock

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz standard size)

1 can white beans (I used great northern)

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can italian cut green beans

1 cup finely chopped baby spinach

1 cup cooked pasta- small shells work best (1/2 cup uncooked)

In a large skillet or pot, sautee the celery, zucchini, onion, tomato, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil. Just a few minutes while stirring…long enough for the onion to turn translucent.

Then either transplant this into a slow cooker or if the pot you started with is going to be the soup pot, then just add in the other ingredients (draining most of the juice from the bean cans.) Put in the spinach last.  Boil for a few minutes and then turn down on low to simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Sprinkle some sea salt, italian seasonings, and garlic salt as you stir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an easy and GOOD vegan recipe.  About 100 calories per serving…I had a bowl with the previous recipe (Tuna Caper Salad) for around 300-350 calorie dinner…it’s quite filling for so few calories and makes about 8 servings so I have a few more meals out of it!