Eating Healthy - enjoy a tasty Summer favorite!

Summer is my favorite time of year ( at least until Autumn gets here .... and then ). There is so much good, healthy, fresh food available. Stop by a local farmer's market and pick up some fresh produce this weekend! Enjoy some of this year's harvest with your family and friends.

Here is a tasty Summer favorite sure to please your pickiest eaters -

A Tasty Summer Treat



Ingredients:



2 pounds of new potatoes ( we like the smaller ones best )

2 ½ teaspoons of your favorite course grain mustard

1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice ( fresh squeezed if you have a lemon

Add a teaspoon or light sprinkle of lime juice if you have it

4 Tablespoons of extra virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill

Or 4 tablespoons of chopped dill pickles.

( substitute pickle relish if you like )



Prep:

Bring the potatoes to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.

Cut into bite size pieces.

Mix all the other ingredients in a big bowl and add the potatoes!

Stir until well mixed.

Cover and Put in the ice box for a couple hours.

Enjoy this delicious potato salad with your favorite grilled chicken or lean beef! Have fun this Summer with your favorite people and enjoy some of the many healthy eating options available!

A cool Summer treat!

Healthy eating just comes natural during the Summer. Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy easy to make refreshing treats. So enjoy something healthy and easy today.
If you're like me and want to lose a few pounds this Summer = There are so many natural and healthy ways to lose weight during these warm Summer months! Enjoy lighter fares and be sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your Summer menus. Keep a bowl of fruit around that everyone can enjoy. Mix up some berries and lowfat yogurt into a wonderful and refreshing shake!

Here's a quick and easy treat your whole family can enjoy!

What you'll need:

3 bananas
24 ounces yogurt, nonfat strawberry
10 ounces strawberries, frozen - thawed and undrained
8 ounces undrained, canned crushed pineapple

Lets mix it up -

1. Line 18 muffin-tin cups with paper baking cups.

2. Dice or mash bananas and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients.

4. Spoon into muffin-tin cups and freeze at least 3 hours or until firm. Remove frozen cups and store in a plastic bag in freezer.

5. Before serving, remove paper cups and let stand 10 minutes.

Healthy eating is fun and costs far less than eating out! Enjoy a quick and easy home-made treat with your family today!

Check those labels and keep eating healthy!

I'm a terrible shopper. If the boys want it I usually just toss it in the cart. We more often than not end up bring home one bag of healthy vegetables. Maybe another with some beans, and pasta. And a couple bags of snack foods that they choose. You - know, the tastes great stuff that offers few nutritional benefits!

We can all eat healthier if I would spend just a few extra minutes checking the labels for nutritional content.

Check servings and calories. Look at the serving size and how many servings the package contains. If you consume one serving, the label clearly outlines the nutrients you get. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the Percent Daily Value (% DV).

Make your calories count. Look at the calories on the label and note where the calories are coming from (fat, protein, or carbohydrate). Compare them with the other nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, to decide whether the food is worth eating.

Don't sugar-coat it. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.

Know your fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats ( hydrogenated), and cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of calories. Avoid those potentially dangerous trans fats if you can.

Reduce sodium (salt), increase potassium. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) per day might reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, not from the salt shaker. Also, look for foods high in potassium (tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, and orange juice) which counteracts some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.

Check those food labels and keep eating healthy! Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. Make it fun for you and the little ones and enjoy better health for years to come!

Eating Healthy and loving it!

Try a healthy Banana and Strawberry Yogurt Shake


Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup fat free milk
4 small bananas, peeled
1 cup strawberries
1 cup low fat plain yogurt
1 cup no-fat vanilla ice cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup crushed ice cubes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except ice in blender or food processor; process until thick and creamy. With motor running, add ice; process until smooth. Pour into tall glasses to serve.

Nutritious and good for you - this healthy shake will leave your taste buds smiling for hours! Eating Healthy doesn't have to be boring! Toss some of your favorite fruits in the blender and enjoy a tasty Summer treat!

Eating Healthy is easy in the Good Old Summer Time!

Families that have fruits and vegetables around eat more of them. So, keep fruits and vegetables visible. Put a bowl of fruit on the table and keep cut-up carrot and celery sticks in a clear container in the refrigerator. Why heat up the kitchen - and the house steaming veggies when there are so many fresh and easy to enjoy choices available this time of year?

Try a chef's salad for lunch, a fruit salad for dessert, or mixed greens along with your dinner. Many vegetables taste great in salads-try something different, like baby spinach, garbanzo beans, cauliflower, or red cabbage.

For a crunchy snack, try baby carrots or a crispy apple. For smooth and sweet, have a banana. Need a flavor jolt? Munch on dried apricots. Treat yourself to the luxury of fresh raspberries.

Many fruits and vegetables taste great with a dip or dressing. Try low-fat yogurt or pudding as a dip for fruits like melons. Try low-fat salad dressing with raw broccoli, red and green peppers, or cauliflower.

Or enjoy a fruit smoothie by blending low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit. Try strawberries, bananas, peaches, and other fruits. They taste great and they're good for you!

Start eating healthy and get plenty of exercise and you'll be on the road to one of many natural and healthy ways to lose weight fast.

The Joys of Summer

The Joys of Summer are almost endless. Lazy days soaking up sunshine by the pool or lake. Easy meals with lots of healthy fruits and vegetables. Back Yard barbecues and the opportunity to enjoy family and friends. Plenty of nutritious in-season vegetables from the local farmers market. Eating healthy is a breeze during the Summer.

Some foods are just plain better for you when you eat them fresh - or uncooked. Add a little broccoli and cauliflower to your next salad and enjoy the many healthy benefits of cruciferous vegetables. Some scientists are touting the cancer fighting benefits of broccoli and cauliflower when eaten uncooked. And everyone benefits from the fiber inherent in these wonderful additions to any salad.

For more fiber and some protein add some red beans to your favorite salad. Beans are good for you and a great addition to your daily diet!

Healthy eating is easy in the good old Summer time! Enjoy a tasty, healthy salad at your next barbecue!

Natural and Healthy Ways to Lose Weight Fast

Summer is salad time! Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits are readily available this time of year. Enjoy a healthy and nutritious salad as part of any meal. Keeping a variety of fresh fruit and veggies around make Summer eating both tasty and good for you!

Try adding some cooked beans to your salad for a tasty, nutrient rich way to spice up any salad. Cooked, dry beans and peas are good sources of dietary fiber and protein, and are low in fat and cholesterol-free. In addition, they provide magnesium, iron, zinc, and folate. Many of us just plain don't get enough of these important nutrients.

We hear a lot about "dietary fiber" these days-and for good reason. Research suggests that it is important for proper bowel function by keeping us "regular." But what exactly is dietary fiber? It is the part of plants that the human digestive tract cannot break down. As a result, dietary fiber keeps waste moving through our intestines.

Most of us don't eat enough dietary fiber, and health experts suggest we eat more. Dry beans and peas are excellent sources of fiber. Add some fresh spinach to your next salad for more beneficial vitamins and fiber!

There are so many natural and healthy ways to lose weight fast - and healthy eating is a critical piece of any weight loss goal.