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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Healthy Habits over the Holidays!

Christmas is less than a week away. 2009 will be here before we know it.

This year will all too soon be just a series of memories etched in our brains. What a wonderful time to reflect on the lessons we've learned over the past twelve months. Today is the the perfect day to start - or continue - developing healthy habits. Eating healthy and exercise will benefit you for many years to come.

Make today your best day ever - get a little exercise. Or a lot! Try to eat a variety of veggies and fruits today! Pass on the Fat food. Make today healthy choices day! Winter is a perfect time to enjoy a healthy variety of steamed vegetables. Toss some fruit into your morning bowl of hot oatmeal!

For some of us, winter just wouldn't be the same without warm soups and stews. Add some healthy superfoods to your next soup or stew. Be sure to toss some fresh or frozen veggies in too! With vegetables, you and your family are getting delicious food and, nutritionally, you are getting many of the nutrients needed for good health vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Try an easy turkey stew or some warm and delicious chili!

Try berries, half a grapefruit, or dried apricots for dessert or snack. Add kidney beans or black-eyed peas to your next soup, stew, or salad. Toss some baby spinach, fresh broccoli, shredded carrots and cucumber together for a quick and easy salad.

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 cranberries. Toss some into your next salad!

Healthy eating helps you stay slim through these winter months!

Holiday Treats

How about some easy and nutritious Chocolate Mousse for your next Holiday gathering? You'll need to make it a couple hours before your guests arrive.

Here's all you'll need:

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 1/4 cup cold soy milk
1 package (10.5 ounce) silken tofu

How to make this tasty treat:

1. Blend the chocolate pudding mix and the soy milk on medium speed for about 15 seconds until the mixture is very smooth.

2. Add the silken tofu and blend again. Scrape the the sides to be sure it’s all mixed in. Blend and scrape until well mixed and very smooth.

3. Pour mixture into 4 small serving dishes.

4. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Who says eating healthy has to be boring? Enjoy your Holiday gatherings with lots of good healthy treats! And keep making healthy eating choices!

Merry Christmas!

Eating More Healthy Fiber

Here's an easy way to get almost 1/3 of your daily fiber in one easy and tasty salad:

What you'll need:

4 cups fresh spinach
4 cups Romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped green pepper (or use red, yellow, or orange)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup sliced yellow squash
2 cups sliced cucumber
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup sliced zucchini

Simply wash and chop. Then combine all the ingredients in a big salad bowl and serve with your favorite low-cal, low-fat dressing!

Read on for more about healthy fiber.

Halloween Healthy Eating Treats!

These last few days before Halloween are filled with excitement and opportunities for lots of good fun. We enjoy our after Supper walk even more this time of year! Breathing in the cool, crisp Autumn air. The colorful displays of Halloween decorations adorning our streets is a welcome sight. Ghosts and goblins hanging from trees. Pumpkins and mums grace countless front porches. Front yards turned into make-shift graveyards.

Autumn colors are in full swing across many parts of North America this week. Rich shades of crimson and burnt oranges, Fading greens turning into bright yellows. Trees ablaze with reds of every shade.

Later this week school hallways, shopping malls and streets will be brimming with excited trick-or-treaters. All wearing this year’s spooky costumes! They'll be carrying those colorful plastic jack-o-lanterns to hold all their treats. School teachers and legions of volunteers are busy preparing for Halloween parties!

Haunted Houses, Spooky Mansions, Corn mazes and Pumpkin patches offer Autumn fun for kids of all ages! Fall is such a fun-filled and beautiful time of year.

Autumn is the perfect season to savor the fruits of another plentiful harvest. Healthy eating is fun and easy during this wonderful time of the year. Apples of every variety fill store shelves. Squash, Peppers, tomatoes, and fresh vegetables galore. Pumpkins are very inexpensive this month and quite nutritious too. Try some roasted pumpkin seeds after you carve up that Jack-o-Lantern! Or, try this easy pumpkin bread!

So enjoy this special time of year eating healthy foods! Try your hand at an easy and tasty chili. Or how about a delicious pumpkin recipe? Whatever your favorite Halloween tradition, here's hoping you and your family will have a safe, healthy, and Happy Halloween!

Eating Healthy Fats

A little fat goes a long way! All sources of fat contain 9 calories per gram, making fat the most concentrated source of calories. By comparison, carbohydrates and protein have only 4 calories per gram.

Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, and carotenoids. Both animal- and plant-derived food products contain fat, and when eaten in moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health.

As a food ingredient, fat provides taste, consistency, and stability and helps you feel full. In addition, parents should be aware that fats are an especially important source of calories and nutrients for infants and toddlers (up to 2 years of age), who have the highest energy needs per unit of body weight of any age group.

While unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated and trans fats are not. Saturated fat and trans fat raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Dietary cholesterol also raises LDL cholesterol and may contribute to heart disease even without raising LDL. Therefore, it is a good idea to opt for foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.

The good news is - You can still enjoy a healthy diet without all those harmful fats!

Foods rich in omega-3 fats include salmon, sardines, tuna and other cold water fish. Avoid farm raised fish - they are usually exposed to too many chemicals. Walnuts and flaxseeds also have omega 3 fats. Some nutrition experts suggest that Walnuts are good for the brain! Soybeans and winter squash are also good for you.

And, of course - Extra Virgin Olive Oil is simply the best oil to cook with! Avoid peanut, and vegetable oils.

The quickest way to lose weight is so easy. Combine the habit of eating healthy foods with plenty of exercise. Start getting in shape fast and watch your health improve!

Teaching our children healthy eating habits

Here's a fun and easy to make veggies and dip treat. Try this as an after school snack project or a healthy treat anytime.

2 carrots, peeled
3 cups broccoli florets
4 cherry tomatoes
3 Tbsp parsley leaves

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1. To prepare dipping sauce, combine yogurt, sour cream, honey, and mustard in a small bowl.

2. Hold carrots against cutting board and trim off ends. Cut each carrot in half, crosswise, then lengthwise to make four pieces. Arrange each plate by putting two carrot pieces side-by-side in the center. Arrange broccoli around the carrots forming
a cluster. Arrange the tomatoes at the top of the plate.

3. Spoon dip around the base of carrots and sprinkle with parsley.

Let the kids design their own plates and shapes. Help them learn that eating veggies is fun. Healthy eating is fun at any age! Teaching our children at any early age that eating healthy foods is fun and good for you!

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!

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!

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.

Healthy Eating

With so many healthy choices this time of year, eating healthy is easy! Enjoy these warmer months with a healthy variety of tasty foods! Here are some suggestions to help you eat healthier:

* Make half your grains whole. Substitute whole-grain products for refined products, such as whole-wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice. Remember, don't add, substitute.
* Buy fresh vegetables in season; they're likely to be cheaper and be at their peak flavor. Select vegetables with more potassium often, such as sweet potatoes, white beans, tomato products, beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, winter squash, spinach, lentils, kidney beans, and split peas. Buy precut veggies (or precut them yourself) so they're always available in the refrigerator (e.g., baby carrots).
* Keep plenty of fresh fruit around. Keep a bowl of washed, whole fruit in the kitchen, ready to eat. Buy fresh fruit in season. Dried fruit is a good alternative for out-of-season or hard to find fruit.
* Don't forget about calcium. Include low-fat or fat-free milk as a beverage at meals. If you drink cappuccinos or lattes, ask for them with fat-free (skim) milk. Substitute low-fat or fat free yogurt for cream and sour cream in soups and sauces.
* Go lean on protein. Trim away all visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking. Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying. Drain off any fat that appears during cooking. Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Prepare dried beans and peas without added fats.
* Choose wisely - food and drinks that are low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Keep eating healthy and you're on your way to a much healthier lifestyle!

Start 2008 off right - or at least better than I did!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

What is it about this time of year that causes us to think about setting goals? The newness of each New Year ( does that sound right? ) can give us a renewed sense of hope to set and achieve our goals. The most widely sought after goal I've been reading about seems to be the almost universal desire to lose weight.

Last night as I sat there watching the game in my easy chair and devouring various sugary snacks I thought of the simple rules for losing weight. We all know the rules. Losing weight is not rocket science. Eating healthy is not all that hard. A few simple changes to our diet can yield visible results in our quest to eat healthy , exercise, build muscle, and lose weight fast.

So watch Natalie - the nutrition expert as she shares some easy ways to reduce calories and prepare much healthier meals. Then get some of your best stainless steel cookware out and cook up a nutritious meal for you and your loved ones!