Tasty Turkey Meatloaf June 30, 2009

I really love meatloaf. It’s great for dinner, but I especially like it as a leftover the next day in a sandwich. I actually like turkey meatloaf more than the usual kind, but I went further in this recipe and made it very low in fat and carbohydrates. The oat bran substitutes the bread that’s often added to meatloaf to make the texture lighter. Also, it adds some healthy fiber. Feel free to add the spices that you like best and to replace the parsley with another herb that you enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 onion, large (grated or pureed in a food processor)
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
90g egg whites
20oz 99% lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup reduced sugar Heinz ketchup
80g oat bran
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the ingredients except the ground turkey together until it’s all once consistency. The add the ground turkey. At first the mixture will seem very watery but once you mix it with your hands for a few minutes it will thicken. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and place the turkey mixture into the pan. Bake in the oven for forty minutes. For the first twenty minutes, cover the pan with a foil so that the top of the meatloaf doesn’t burn.

Mojito Salad June 29, 2009

Here’s a quick, refreshing salad perfect for the hot summer months. It’s packed with antioxidants and doesn’t have a drop of fat. Best of all, the ingredients are available year-round, so you can savor the flavors of summer whenever you want.

Ingredients:

1 raw carrot, peeled and grated

2 raw beets, peeled and grated

juice of half a lime

Mint chiffonade from two sprigs

Just stack the mint leaves on top of one another, roll them up, and chop them up into thin ribbons. Add them to the lime juice, mix, and pour the dressing over the grated carrot and beets. Toss everything together so that all the components are evenly distrubuted and serve.

Cold Brewed Green Tea June 18, 2009

I’ve been thinking of buying a Toddy Cold Brew Coffee system for awhile now, so I finally ordered it last week. I got it for 34.95 on Amazon. I was really exited when I got the package today and wanted to get straight to brewing but immediately realized that I was out of coffee. It’s been raining all day for most of the afternoon, so I didn’t feel like going outside to buy some more. Instead, I decided to make some cold brewed green tea. I actually had 8oz of my favorite flavored green tea: Ito En’s Ama-no-gawa, which is scented with lilac, violet, and blood orange. I usually dislike scented or flavored green tea, except for genmaicha, but I just love the aroma of Amo-no-gawa. Anyway, I’m cold brewing it as I type. It takes twelve hours, so by tomorrow night, I should have some heavily concentrated tea. I’ll updoate later to describe how it comes out.

Keep It Simple January 4, 2009

When people think about losing weight, they often fear that it will take too much. They put off dieting because they think they don’t have time to cook elaborate healthy emails or plan what they’re going to eat everyday.

The truth is, however, that losing weight doesn’t have to take up time from your busy schedule. In fact, healthy meals are usually quite simple to prepare because they use easy recipes with just a few ingredients.

For breakfast, for example, you can just one-serving of fat-free, unsweetened yogurt, add a handful or two of blueberries, and you’ve got yourself a healthy meal.

Protein-Packed Pumpking Pie Pudding August 16, 2008

I love pumpkin pie, but it’s full of fat and sugar, so I only have it on Thanksgiving. I was inspired by a post on the Times health blog to come up with a good-tasting but healthy substitue to enjoy the rest of the year. The Times post points out that canned pumpkin is low in calories and has lots of fiber and vitamin-A, but it recommends eating the pumpkin with butter, cinammon, and nutmeg. Without sweetener, canned pumpkin doesn’t taste good, and if you don’t mix the pumpkin with something else, it tastes like squash that’s been steamed for way too long. Trust me, that’s not something you want to try.

I’ve created my own recipe that’s much tastier and is better for you as well. Just blend together one 15-oz can of pumpkin, one 16-oz tub of fat-free cottage cheese, half a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, and one cup of Splenda. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in your cupboard, just replace it with half a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, and half a teaspoon of ginger. The cottage cheese adds a lot of healthy dairy protein and makes this dish a very healthy dessert. To add some cruch and extra fiber, serve with some Fiber One cereal sprinkled on top. This recipe makes six hearty servings. It’s best eaten cold.

Guilt-free Noodles That Are Healthy To Boot! February 18, 2008

I’m not a fan of exclamation points, but the subject line of this post demanded one. Yes, there are completely guilt-free noodles out there. They have absolutely no calories in them, and all they consist of is soluble fiber, which has been shown to reduce total cholesterol, especially LDL (the bad kind), and regulate blood sugar levels.

So what are they and how do you get them? They’re called shirataki noodles, and they’re made from the konjac plant. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konjac) All the noodles consist of is glucomannan, a kind of dietary fiber. You can find these noodles in a variety of sizes at an Asian grocery store and on the web. Just type “shirataki” into any search engine, and several online sellers will come up. I ordered mine from miraclenoodle.com. They’re packaged in plastic bags with water, so you need to drain and rinse them before using. When you first take them out of the bag, the noodles have a slight fetid, swampy smell that some websites describe as “fishy,” but it goes away after you rinse them. The noodles don’t have any flavor of their own, so you just need to add some spices or sauce.

They noodles’ only drawback is that they have a somewhat rubbery texture to them, so when you chew them, they’re a bit springy. There are two kinds of shirataki noodles on the market: the regular, calorie-free kind, and tofu shirataki noodles that have 40 calories in a bag, which makes one very large serving, or two small ones. The tofu shirataki noodles are easier to find than the regular ones because they’re sold at large chain stores like Wholefoods. The tofu shirataki noodles are supposed to have a less rubbery texture than the regular ones, but I’ve tried both, and I didn’t find this to be the case. The tofu shirataki noodles were just as springy to the bite. To be honest, the noodles’ texture doesn’t bother me at all. Real pasta is supposed to be cooked al dente, which means it must be firm to the bite, so it too should have some texture to it. I just think of shirataki noodles as being al dente in their own way.

These noodles are very convenient. You don’t need to cook them. You can put them in the microwave to warm them, but I find that rinsing them under hot water is enough. You can add any spices or sauces that you like, but make sure that you don’t add anything with too many calories to them if you’re looking to lose weight. I like them with a bit of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and Chinese black bean sauce (available in the ethnic foods section of any supermarket) or with some tomato paste, Italian herbs, and some onion and garlic powder. Sometimes I add some fat-free grated mozzarella to the latter recipe if I’m looking for some protein in my meal. Shirataki noodles make for a very quick meal without any time spent cooking, and they’re very versatile. They’re perfect both for people on low-carb diets and those just seeking to reduce their caloric intake.

I recommend you order some regular shirataki noodles from one of the many websites that sell them and give them a try.

Heard of Whole Grains? Try Whole Fruits and Vegetables. October 7, 2007

You’ve probably heard a lot about the health benefit of eating whole grains instead of refined ones. Whole grains retain the fiber-rich bran and nutrient-packed endosperm of the grain, making them both more filling and healthy. What you probably haven’t heard is that eating fruits and vegetables whole, rather than peeling them, is also good for you.

A lot of people like to peel their apples, but the apple skin is actually rich with pectin, an insoluble fiber which helps reduce LDL, or bad, cholesterol. So when you eat an apple, don’t remove the skin.

A nice way to enjoy apples is to grate them with some carrots. Try grating two medium-sized carrots with one Granny Smith apple. The tart flavor of the green apples really brings out the sweetness in the carrots. You’ll be surprised how well these two go together. This little salad is a really nice way to end a meal because it cleanses your palate. If you want to add even more color, replace one carrot with a medium-sized grated raw beet, well scrubbed beforehand. The pigment that gives beets their beautiful red and purple color is called betacyanin and it has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Also, beets are rich in B-vitamin folate.

Potato skin, like apple skin, is rich in fiber. Before cooking a potato, just scrub it instead of peeling it. To enjoy the real flavor of a whole potato, try making your own Maryland-style oven fries. To make your fries crispy, you’ll need to use at least one baking sheet per two medium-sized potatoes. I prefer using a good baking potato with a nice brown skin, like the Russett Burbank potato. Scrub your potatoes and cut them into thin wedges. (They need to be thing so that the insides cook through but the outside doesn’t burn. You should get about 12 to 15 wedges per potato. Slice the potatoes into three long slices. Then slice those into four or five wedges.) Toss the potatoes wedges in a large bowl with a bit of olive oil (one tablespoon per two potatoes) and Old Bay seasoning (two teaspoons per two potatoes). Spread the potatoes wedges in an even layer on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with Pam or any cooking spray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees fahrenheit until golden brown. You should flip the potato wedges with a spatula twice while their cooking, or about every ten to twelve minutes. Enjoy!

Sweet, Protein-Packed Desserts October 4, 2007

Desserts are usually loaded with sugar and starches, so they’re high in carbohydrates, but they don’t have to be that way. With the wide variety of zero-calorie sweeteners out there and a little imagination, you can concoct a dessert that satisfies your sweet tooth and fits into your diet.

Here’s an easy way to simulate cheesecake: mix some fat-free ricotta or cottage cheese with a no-calorie sweetener and some vanilla extract, and voilà, you’ve got a high protein, low carb, fat-free cheesecake that you don’t even have to heat. It doesn’t quite look like a slice of cake because it’s in a bowl, but it’s all about flavor, not appearance. This makes for a great breakfast or after-workout protein snack.

You can substitute or add any other flavoring you enjoy, like cinammon. If you want something chocolatey, just add some unsweetened cocoa, which is very low in calories. Also, cocoa and cinammon are loaded with antioxidants, and this way, you get those health benefits without the empty calories and fat in most desserts. Also, try adding some sliced bananas, berries, or any other fruit you like to your dairy dessert to add flavor and fiber.

Some people don’t like the flavor of artificial sweeteners, but I urge to try them all out. I happen to like Splenda, but others prefer Equal or Sweet’N Low. If you’d rather use a natural sweetener, try Stevia powder or Erythritol, both of which are natural, zero-calorie sweeteners you can easily find in a health or natural foods store.

Tangy Bean Sprouts September 24, 2007

I usually start my meals off with a salad. These fill you up a bit so that you don’t eat too much of whatever else you’re having for lunch or dinner. Salad greens and fresh vegetables are very low in calories, and they’re full of antioxidants. Also, green, leafy vegetables are a great source of calcium, especially for those who avoid dairy products.

To stick with a healthy lifestyle and avoid calorie-rich, fatty foods, variety is crucial. If for lunch I had spinach, I’ll have field greens with dinner. Alternatively, I’ll just have some diced tomatoes and cucumbers. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with not finishing your meal and leaving some food on your plate, and given a choice, it’s much better to leave some of your starchy side dish or steak on your plate than not finish your greens. It’s best, therefore, to eat them first. Healthy meals don’t have to be a multi-course production. Even if you’re having everything on one place, just eat the vegetables and salad greens first.

To keep things interesting, I’m always on the look out for another light salad to start off my meals. In the past, I haven’t enjoyed bean sprouts, but a few weeks ago, I had dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant where they were served with my soup. Their crunchy texture went well with the broth. The next time I went food shopping, I bought some bean sprouts. I tried eating them with just some soy sauce, but that didn’t do it for me. After a little experimenting, I found the perfect match: Ponzu sauce, a Japanese condiment with a tart tangy flavor that really brings those dull bean sprouts to life. You’ll find it in the World foods sections of any large supermarket, and certainly in a natural foods or Asian grocery shop. Ponzu sauce has the color and consistency of soy sauce, but it’s made with citrus juice, so it has a fresh, pronounced flavor and it’s not as salty. Also, like soy sauce, it’s pretty low in calories. I’ve found that one or two teaspoons is just right for a bowl of bean sprouts. This is a very simple starter to a meal, and it will fill you up a bit and prevent you from overeating. I’ve even started eating bean sprouts with Ponzu sauce late at night to satisfy my late-night food cravings. Just make sure that the bean sprouts you purchase are fresh and crunchy and don’t look soggy, and you’re set. Try this salad out; it’s really good.

Forgiving Muffins and Guilt-free Brownies. September 24, 2007

Today is a good day. I spotted Vitalicious Muffins in the freezer section at my local supermarket. Until recently, you could only purchase them online through www.vitalicious.com . Vitalicious produces muffns, brownies, and Seinfeld-esque muffins tops.  The muffins come in two sizes: 4 oz and 2 oz, and the muffins tops and brownies both come in 2 oz servings. Personally, I like the smaller muffins more. Eating two of them looks like more than eating one of the 4 oz kind, and I’d rather eat one small muffin than half a larger one. It’s just more satisfying.

All Vitalicious products are made without preservatives, and you have to keep them in the freezer. To eat them, you can either leave them out on your counter for a few hours or just pop them into the microwave. For people watching their waistlines, this is a good thing. It makes binge-eating more difficult because you can’t just eat the muffins out of the box. (Well, actually, you can. Or at least you can eat the brownies frozen because I did. After I tried microwaved one, I liked it and wanted another one, but I felt especially impatient, so I just but into a frozen one. It was way better than it sounds. A bit like cookie dough with air holes. That said, stick to the instructions and make the muffins and brownies in the microwave, if only to enjoy the tantalizing smell.) The muffins come in a variety of flavors, but I like the Deep Chocolate variety the most. When you take one fresh out of the microwave, the chocolate chips are slightly melted and your whole kitchen will smell like cocoa. Also, the chocolate-flavored muffins have 6 grams of fiber per 2 oz serving, which is a bit more than the other kinds have.

Vitalicious goods are hard to criticize. For one thing, they’re enriched, so each 2-oz serving has 50% of your Recommended Daily Values of many essential vitamins and minerals. Also, for 100 calories, they taste great (certainly a lot better than the chewable Flintstones vitamins I got as a kid). Finally, they’re full of fiber. An adult should eat about 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, and unless you’re eating a fiber-enriched breakfast cereal, you’re probably not even close to tht amount. Fiber keeps you you regular and feeling good. Just try to drink a glass of water with each Vitalicious muffin or brownie because fiber absorbs a lot of water, and if you have a lot of fiber with out enough water, you might cramp up a bit.

To be honest, I love the Vitalicious brownies. They’re amazing. I was never a big fan of muffins, even the regular, calorie-rich kind, but I’m something of a brownie coneisseur. Brownies can be divided into two groups: the fudgey kind, and the cakey kind. Like most reduced-calorie brownies, the Vitalicious brownies are they cakey kind. I like to have them as a snack with a cup of coffee and a glass of water.

The one thing I’ll warn you about is that it’s hard to stop eating Vitalicious products, especially the ones that appeal to you most. The first time I ordered the Vitalicious brownies, I ate twelve in one day. They really are a great diet food, but that was still 1,200 calories. That’s a long time on the treadmill. So, like everything else, eat these in moderation.