Heart Healthy and Delicious Dipping

Here's an easy, inexpensive dip to help you enjoy the big game this weekend!

Just a few Simple and healthy ingredients:

1 can (15 ounce) dark red beans ( Rinse well )
1 can (15 ounce) black beans ( Rinse well )
1 can (11 ounce) corn ( rinse the corn too )
2 cups salsa ( We like Picante Medium - or try your favorite store brand )
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper

Combine beans, corn, peppers, and salsa in a big bowl.

Mix and enjoy!

Grab a bag of baked or low-salt tortilla chips and enjoy with this heart healthy dip!

Read on for more ways to enjoy eating healthy!

And enjoy the Big Game!

Great Game time snacks

Try these healthy quesadillas while you enjoy the big game or anytime!

Here's all you need:
8 ounces cream cheese, fat-free
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 whole grain tortillas
1 cups chopped sweet red pepper
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese ( Try sharp Cheddar! )
2 cup fresh spinach leaves

So easy to make:

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and garlic powder.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each tortilla.

Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons bell pepper and 2 tablespoons cheese on one half of each tortilla.

Add a small bunch of spinach

Fold tortillas in half.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Put 2 folded tortillas in skillet and heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Remove quesadillas from skillet, place on platter and cover with foil to keep warm while cooking the remainder.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Serve warm.

Enjoy these delicious quesadillas with your friends and family! A great snack while you enjoy the game or your favorite indoor fun! Keep eating healthy and stay warm this winter!

Warm Black Beans on a Cold Winter's Night!

These cold winter nights are the perfect time to enjoy cooking anything to warm up our chilly bodies! Enjoy the time indoors whipping up something good to eat - and good for you! Healthy eating costs less and tastes better! Try this easy beans and sweet potatoes recipe for a nutritious addition to your next meal.

Easy to make - this healthy side offers almost one third of your daily requirement of fiber and Vitamin C and a full day's supply of Vitamin A!

Here's all you'll need:

2 or 3 sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons extra virgin Olive oil
1 small chopped onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 16 ounce cans black beans ( rinsed well and drained )
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Easy to make:

Rinse and scrub the sweet potaotes.

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4 or 1/2 inch cubes. ( Or 1/4 inch slices )

Peel and chop the onion.

Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the onion, garlic powder, and sweet potatoes.

Cook for 6 minutes on medium heat.

Add vinegar and water. Cook on low-medium heat until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the black beans and oregano. Cook until the beans are heated through.

Enjoy this tasty and nutritious dish with your next meal. It's sure to warm you up on cold Winter's night! Make a double batch and store the leftovers in the freezer for later! Stay warm and keep eating healthy!

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Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

Packing a healthy school lunch can be a fun and money-saving family activity. Involving kids in the decision process helps them learn to make healthy eating choices and also feel more enthusiastic about their lunch options. Children are more likely to eat meals they help prepare. Since weekday mornings can be a crazy time crunch, pack lunches the night before. Have your child choose a few healthy items, such as pretzel sticks, popcorn, snap peas, fresh strawberries or pudding.

Parents and caregivers play a key role in helping children learn the fundamentals of healthy living—eating well and staying active—whatever pressures they face outside home.

Child nutrition specialist Dr. Daniel Raiten at the National Institute of Health says that one of the most important strategies for parents to help kids stay healthy is to foster good eating habits at home. Raiten talks often to kids in schools and finds that few understand what a healthy “diet” means.

“Most think that diet is a verb— what you do to lose weight,” Raiten says. “I tell them that diet is the mix of foods that gets into their body, and healthy nutrition is the end result of eating good food in a healthy diet.”

Try to help children see healthful eating as a natural and fun part of every day. “My own kids help me cook,” Raiten adds, “and we sit down and eat our meals together every night.”

Another way to encourage healthy eating is to sample a variety of fruits and vegetables from the grocery store or local farmers market. Chances are that even “expensive” produce is still cheaper than most processed foods on supermarket and convenience store shelves.

Teach your kids how to be smart shoppers. Enlist them as food detectives at the grocery store. Set some standards for healthy foods and show them how to read Nutrition Facts labels, which list the nutrition content of pre-packaged foods. Then let them choose a few items that make the grade. Make eating healthy a family affair!

Make Eating Healthy a Habit!

Healthy eating habits offer life-long benefits. It's never too late to start eating more healthy foods. Try these tips to help you and your family enjoy the many benefits of eating healthy.

* Always drink a glass of water before a meal.
* Share a dessert, or choose fruit instead.
* Serve food portions no larger than your fist.
* Use smaller plates.
* Avoid eating late at night.
* Skip the buffet.
* Grill, steam, or bake instead of frying.
* Share an entree with a family member or friend.
* Always eat before grocery shopping.
* Choose a checkout line without a candy display.
* Make a grocery list before you shop and try to stick to it!
* Serve water or low-fat milk at meals instead of soda or sugary drinks.
* Flavor foods with herbs, spices, and low-fat seasonings.
* Keep a regular eating schedule. Eat together as a family most days of the week.
* Eat before you get too hungry.
* Ensure your family eats breakfast everyday.
* Stop eating when you are full.
* Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables for snacks.
* Provide sliced apples or bananas for your family to top their favorite cereal.
* Serve several whole grain foods daily.
* If entrees are large, choose an appetizer or side dish.
* Ask for salad dressing "on the side."
* Don't serve seconds.
* Try a green salad instead of fries.
* Eat sweet foods in small amounts. Don't keep sweet foods at home so they're not as readily available.
* Cut back on added fats or oils in cooking or spreads.
* Cut high-calorie foods like cheese and chocolate into small pieces and only eat a few pieces. Share among family members for a small treat.
* Use fat-free or low-fat sour cream, mayo, sauces, dressings and condiments.
* Replace sugar-sweetened drinks in your home with water; add a twist of lemon or lime.
* Every time you eat a meal, sit down and chew slowly. Remind everyone to enjoy every bite.
* Pay attention to flavors and textures when you eat.
* Try serving a new fruit or vegetable (ever had jicama, fava beans, plantain, bok choy, star fruit, or papaya?).
* Instead of eating out, bring a healthy, low-calorie lunch to work and pack a healthy "brown bag" for your children.
* Ask your sweetie to bring you fruit or flowers instead of chocolate.

Eating healthy will help you feel better and look better. If you want to lose some weight this year, the quickest way to lose weight is with healthy eating and plenty of exercise.

Warm your tummy with this Heart Healthy side

Winter is the perfect time of year to enjoy warm and healthy foods! You can eat healthy without breaking your bank! Enjoy a variety of vegetables and fruits this winter and enjoy the many benefits of healthy eating!

Get about a third of your daily protein and fiber needs with this heart-healthy side of black beans! Try it with some wild or brown rice!

Here is all you'll need:

2 cans (15 ounce) black beans
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano

Lets get Cooking:

Carefully drain the juice from one can of black beans. Pour the drained black beans into a bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the beans until they are no longer whole. Set the mashed beans aside.

Chop the onion in to small ( 1/2-inch or smaller ) pieces.
Set it aside.

Peel the garlic cloves and mince them finely.
Set the garlic aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.

Add the onions and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds more.

Stir in the mashed black beans and the second can of black beans, including the juice.

When the beans begin to boil, reduce the heat to low, stir in the salt and oregano and simmer for about 10 minutes, uncovered.

Eating healthy is so easy on your pocketbook and good for you! You don't have to be a gourmet chef to enjoy great tasting meals. Get out some of your favorite gourmet cookware and start saving your money enjoying the many benefits of preparing healthy foods at home!

Eating Healthy for less

Eating healthy foods doesn't have to cost a small fortune. Enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. You'll save money and eat better!

Try these tasty New potatoes with taco seasoning - they're sure to warm your tummy without taking a big bite out of your budget!

Here's all you need:

8 medium red new potatoes
6 Tablespoons olive-oil
1 package taco seasoning
5 Tablespoons corn meal

Let's get ready to Cook:

Wash and scrub potatoes well. Cut the potatoes into small pieces. ( 1/2 inch pieces

Place potatoes in large mixing bowl, toss with the olive oil until potatoes are well coated.

Sprinkle the seasonings and corn meal over potatoes, toss again until coated.

Arrange the potatoes on a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 400 for approximately 30 minutes until potatoes are golden brown.

Happy New Year! Keep eating healthy foods!