Banana "Ice Cream"

The kiddos love Banana "Ice Cream"...they don't know that it's not ACTUALLY Ice Cream...so it's a win-win....they get to have a special "treat" and I'm feeding them fruit!


-Peel & Chop a banana
-Place banana pieces in a baggie and place in freezer
-Throw in a food processor and blend until smooth
-Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Italian Chicken & Steamed Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Zesty Italian Grilled Chicken Over Steamed Zucchini "Spaghetti" Topped with Fresh Tomato & Basil Marinara  

Chicken:
Favorite Italian Dressing
Chicken Breast (tenderized and cut into about 3 inch hunks)
***Marinate Chicken a few hours and grill

Marinara:
Roma Tomatoes (diced)
Fresh Basil (chopped)
Garlic (minced)
White onion (diced)
Salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano
Olive oil
***Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on medium low about 20 min.

Zucchini "Spaghetti"
***Slice fresh zucchini into straws and steam in steamer until soft.

***Place zucchini on plate, add chicken to the zucchini and top chicken with marinara.

Think Before You Eat: Childhood Favorite...tweaked:Cinnamon Toast

a little smarter...
Cinnamon Toast

Certain foods from my childhood, I just crave! There are times I wake up and I want that food that brings me back to my childhood. PROBLEM: a lot (well let's be honest) MOST of those foods are not the best decision if you are looking at maintaining or losing weight. Look at how you feed your kids, and the foods they enjoy sometimes....would you be able to eat those meals without your tummy expanding? No!

Today, I was craving a warm cup of coffee and cinnamon toast! I decided to change it up. Crazy right? I mean how much can I benefit from changing a silly little cinnamon toast recipe?

Here's how is adds up in one serving:
Classic cinnamon toast. White bread, butter, sugar and cinnamon.
White Bread (2 slices) 133 calories 
1/2 Tbsp. Butter          81  calories
1/3 Tbsp. Sugar          16  calories 
1/3 Tbsp. Cinnamon      6   calories 
Total: 236 calories 

My Cinnamon Toast: Whole Grain Toast,Smart Balance Omega Plus™ Buttery Spread, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Whole Grain Bread       70 calories 
1/2 Tbsp. Butter Spread 25 calories 
1 tsps. vanilla extract      12 calories 
1/3 Tbsp. Cinnamon       6 calories 
Total: 113 calories 

It makes quite a bit of difference! My breakfast was super satisfying and even more so now that I don't feel guilty about what I ate! ---Hope this little recipe will help you out if you like cinnamon toast....and help you think outside of the box and start making little changes to your recipes to help you enjoy them guilt-free :)

Recipe: 
-Preheat oven to 350*
-In a small bowl, mix butter spread, vanilla extract and cinnamon until smooth.
-Spread mixture over whole grain bread.
-Bake about 8-10 min.

Enjoy! 
***Tip: Smart Balance Omega Plus™ Buttery Spread contains healthy oils, no trans fats, plus the added benefit of natural plant sterols which help support healthy cholesterol levels. But,it does contain a few preservatives and artificial flavors...

 INGREDIENTS: Natural Oil Blend (Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Olive Oil), Water, plant sterols, contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Whey, Soybean Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid (To Protect Freshness), Natural & Artificial Flavor, Vitamin 3, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Vitamin A Palmitate & Beta-Carotene Color.

Think Before You Eat: Mini Stuffed Peppers---Egg White Breakfast Bites

What You Need: 
6 slices of bacon (of choice) cooked and broken into bits
3 egg whites
3 sliced of whole grain bread (cut into cubes)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2  onion (chopped)
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers
1/2 cup low-fat feta cheese
salt, pepper & garlic to taste
6-10 mini bell peppers

Preparation: 
-Slice, rinse and remove seeds from peppers and sit off to the side.
-Beat egg whites with a wire wisk and add milk, garlic, sat & pepper and bread cubes. Set off to the side.
-Preheat oven at 350*
-Saute chopped onion, spinach & peppers in skillet on medium heat in 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
-Add veggies to mixture along with 3.4 the bacon bits and add feta cheese. Mix.
-Spoon mixture into each pepper half.
-Bake at 350* for 30min. or so (until eggs are cooked, cheese is melted and peppers are soft)

ENJOY! 

Think Before You Eat: Banana-Walnut Pancakes

What You Need:
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-1 large banana, very ripe, mashed
-1 cup 1% milk
-3 large egg whites
-2 tsp oil 1 tsp vanilla
-2 tbsp chopped walnuts
-1 tbsp ground flaxseed
-olive oil or butter flavor cooking spray

Prep:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, egg white, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix until smooth. Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don't over-mix.

 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray cooking spray to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Think Before You eat: Baked Grapefruit

Ever had a baked grapefruit???!!! I recommend! It was a yummy addition to my breakfast this morning!

How to:
-Preheat the oven to 350°
-Line a metal baking pan with aluminum foil
-Cut a grapefruit in half crosswise and trim the bottoms to make sure they sit flat and level in the pan.
-Top each grapefruit half with 1/2 Tbs of brown sugar
-Drizzle about 1/2 tsp. of water (just enough to coat the top) over the grapefruit half.
-Bake for 15min

***I enjoyed mine alongside an english muffin with peanut butter this a.m :)

ENJOY!

Think Before You Eat: Spinach & Turkey Meatballs

What you Need: 

-1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or about 2 cups of fresh spinach chopped and steamed)
-2 egg whites
-1 cup whole grain bread crumbs
-1/2 onion
-finely chopped fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, seasoned salt, salt & pepper
-1 lb. ground turkey

Prep: 

-In a bowl, combine spinach, egg whites, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings. 

-Add turkey and mix well.  Shape into 2-in. balls.
-Bake uncovered at 375* for 20 min or so.

*** I served mine on a bed of steamed zucchini "noodles" and garnished with diced tomatoes and fresh basil.

 ENJOY!

Think Before You Eat: Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

What You Need:
1 Garlic Clove
Carrot
Celery
Zucchini
Onion
White Beans
Diced Tomatoes
2 cups Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
Dash Olive Oil

Preparation:
Saute Garlic, Carrot, Celery, Zucchini and Onion in a little bit of Olive Oil on medium heat until Tender. Add Beans, Tomatoes and Broth. Turn down to low-heat. Let simmer about 45min.

Think Before You Eat: A Healthier Fideo

I felt a bit under the weather today and really wanted some fideo. I want to be sure that I am being "good" (ESPECIALLY since I weigh-in tonight!) So I made myself and the kiddos some soup...but I did a few minor changes that hopefully increased the nutritional value, reduced the calories and it still tastes yummy! 

I browned the noodles in a bit of olive oil (rather than vegetable oil or butter and used it sparingly). I used whole grain angel hair pasta (rather than the regular fideo noodles) I was sure to use "reduced sodium" chicken bullion cubes and went easy on the garlic salt.  I didn't add cheese to the top of it and didn't even enjoy a tortilla on the side! I have to say, I think I did pretty good! (and  it NEEDS to be noted that the kids loved it and couldn't taste the difference!

Think Before You Eat: Hummus Snack Bowls

What you need: 

-Hummus
-Chip Bowls (I used the Trader Joes Soy & Flaxseed chips)
-Roasted Red Peppers
-Feta Cheese

Prep: 
Just spoon Hummus into chip and top with Red Peppers &
Sprinkle with low-fat Feta Cheese :)
ENJOY! 

Homemade Hummus 

What you need:

-1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled

-1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

-1 tablespoon tahini

-1/2 teaspoon salt

Prep:
With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment; process until finely minced. Scrape down the sides of the workbowl and add chickpeas, lemon juice, oil, tahini and salt. Process until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, 1 to 2 minutes.

Think Before You Eat: Turkey, Cheese & Asparagus Role-Ups

Think Before You Eat: Poached Egg (bread-less) Sandwich

Breakfast is served:

Poached Egg (bread-less) Sandwich 

Think Before You Eat: 3 Bean Chili

Yummy Chili for dinner on this chilly day :)

 What You Need:
1/2 cup diced green and white onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can of each bean: (you can use any beans you want. Today I used pinto, dark and light red kidney, but you can use whatever you want!)
1 tbsp ('ish) of chili powder, garlic powder and salt (you can add cumin to taste as well)
1 cup water

How to Cook:
Simmer all ingredients together in a pot on stove top (covered) about an hour on medium/medium low heat.

Think Before You Eat: "Roasted Red Pepper & Kale Egg white Omelette"

This is my most favorite (vegetarian/reduced fat) morning Omelette :) 

Organic Patty Melts

For dinner last night we had organic patty melt sandwiches on whole grain toast:

I got some mini organic beef patties and cooked them on our Cuisinart Griddler.  I sauteed onions and mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil, added some "All American Sandwich Spread", honey mustard, ketchup, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cheese and topped it with a piece of whole grain toast (I used an upside down glass to cut it into a circle before I toasted it). Sauteed some green beans in olive oil with garlic and baked some sweet potato fries....was super yummy!!!  

Think Before You Eat- Green Grapes

I did so well today. Met my sister-in-law, mom and my niece and nephew at Chuck E Cheeses so the kiddos could play for lunch. I had a yummy salad with low-fat ranch from the salad bar and a few bites of the kiddos pizza.  I brought my dinner and snacks to work tonight and stuck to the food I packed.  I snacked all day (healthy snacks---proteins, grains, fruits and veggies) and did really well. Then on the drive home, I wanted to stop so badly for junk. I didn't care what. grabbed change out of my center consul and started thinking of what I wanted to eat. I quickly realized that I didn't "want" to eat. I actually felt hungry. I did want to satisfy the hunger, but didn't want to hate myself later for it.

I got home, washed my face, put on my jammies and made myself a bowl of green grapes.

They filled my tummy up and I felt better immediately; my hunger was satisfied and I felt good because I knew I wasn't gonna hate myself for stuffing junk down my throat at ten o'clock at night. I'm actually proud of myself. It's small, but it's a step forward!---yay for another healthy day.

I'm glad I stopped to think before I ate :)

Think Before You Eat---Organic Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

A new favorite recipe for me. It is so yummy. It was my lunch today...and will be for the next few days I bet! haha

Organic Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp. olive oil 

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

2 cans organic fire roasted tomatoes, undrained 

1 can reduced sodium vegetable broth 

2 tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves 

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 

1/2 cup skim milk

What to do: 

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil 

2. Stir in tomatoes, broth, 1tbsp. basil and pepper flakes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15min. Remove from heat; pour mixture into large bowl, cool. 

3. In blender, place half of mixture. Cover, blend until pureed. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining mixture. Heat over medium heat until hot again. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and remaining basil.

Think Before You Eat

I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I stop, take my time and think about things. I think about how my actions will affect others around me.  I think before I speak (for the most part).  Think before making decisions ALL the time; putting clothes on the kiddos, think about matching bottoms to tops, what the weathers like, if they need sweaters, hats, sunblock ect.  Stop and think about what route to take when driving, which will be the most time/gas efficient route and so on and so forth....but when it comes to what I put into my body, I am careless.

I can run around making important decisions all day, and then swing by my fridge and grab a soda, handful of chips from my pantry and eat a bowl of sugary cereal...JUST BECAUSE and not even break stride....I will take me sweet time and carefully plan my children's meals.  Today Andrew had a heart-shaped omelette, strawberries yogurt and juice....there are plenty of mornings that I grab a coffee in the morning and am surprised when I'm starving come lunch time and I eat like a 300lb. line backer and don't stop!

I'm starting this new segment on the blog called "Think Before You Eat". I am learning that it just doesn't come naturally to me to make good choices when it comes to my food choices and I really have to think about it. It's just not a habit of me. I am pretty important to my husband, my kiddos, my family and to my friends. I need to start being important to me. Making myself a priority and "thinking before eating"!

I need to make my food matter. everything I put in my body needs to have a purpose from this point on...not just to satisfy some craving, or hunger, or emotional void, or whatever lame excuse I may have. I know for some, it's much easier to make the right decisions when it comes to food, for those of you like me, we have got to slow down and make our food count! It's not about being "skinny"...it's about feeding ourselves the way we deserve to be fed! The way we would feed our kids! I would never give my kids junk all day and not pay attention to what they were eating, but I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have gone all day without essential nutrients!  

Today I had a delicious meal and everything on my plate (and yes I used my kiddos plates....don't judge me!) has a purpose!

Cottage Cheese : provides several essential nutrients like Protein, Healthy Fatty Acids, Calcium & Phosphorus.
Fruits and Veggies: Grapes & Carrots provide vitamins and nutrients and are good for your bodies overall health
My Yummy Cheesy Penne Pasta- It was a delicious warm serving that helped with my cheese and carb craving, but was a good sized portion. Paired with the other items on my plate, my tummy was full and I didn't eat a HUGE serving of pasta, omitting my other important foods.