Tag

diet

Preparing For For My First 5K And A Healthy Snack

homemadegranola.jpgHere is a funny tidbit of information about me. I worked as a regional manager for a chain of health clubs for about 10 years, I married a marathon runner and I absolutely hate exercise. Everyone always assumed that I was a health nut. Nope! While my husband is running marathons, I am trying to find my way to the finish line with a forty ounce of beer. I don’t workout & I definitely do not run. For years my husband has been trying to convince me to run a race with him, but I just would not budge. I just could not understand why he and so many others loved this. Running hurts my knees and my shins. I am a big baby. I just was not interested in putting my body through this torture for no reason. Lately, I have begun to find myself more and more curious as to why so many loved to run. I know that obviously it is great for weight loss, but there are other ways to do it, so what is the draw. I have been gaining motivation through watching my husband, friends and even some of my fellow bloggers, Runsaltrun .

Soooooo, I, Kim the anti-runner have agreed to do my first 5K. I am a registered participant for one at the end of next month.  This week, I began my training. What I have discovered is that I am grossly out of shape, but I am working on it.

When ever I start a exercise routine, I know that I am going to need some extra fuel to keep my body going. One of my favorite energy foods is granola. It is healthy, delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups of quick oats

1/4 cup organic honey

1/4 cup organic peanut butter – Make sure to stir the peanut butter well before measuring out as organic peanut butter can have an inconsistent texture if not stirred well.

1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/4 unshelled sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dark chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp of sea salt

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix oats, honey and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, breaking up any chunks of peanut butter and evenly distributing honey and peanut butter through the oats. Mix in the almonds, sunflower seeds and chocolate. Add the vanilla and sprinkle in the sea salt. Stir well. Spoon on your mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Spread out the mixture compactly to form larger granola chunks or scatter for smaller bites. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully not to burn. Remove from the oven & let cool. Toss in the cranberries and crumble granola in to chunks.

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I bagged up snack sized portions in snack baggies to take to work.

The great thing about granola is their are so many possibilities and different fruit and nut combinations. Granola is great alone or sprinkle over yogurt or even ice cream.

Stay tuned for more on my 5K training saga…

Crunchy Soy Sauce and Ginger Chickpeas

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One of my biggest diet issues has always been that I am a huge snacker. My husband is a snacker, our 2 year old little girl is a snacker. It makes it very difficult to stay on track when bags of Doritos and Skittles are being passed around.

Roasted chickpeas are a healthy crunchy alternative to greasy chips. They are also a simple treat to make. So, if you are looking for a low fat, healthy & yummy option to your late night cravings, try these.

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas

1 tsp of soy sauce -Use the good stuff. Green Mountain or Maggi is my favorite. (Kikkoman & La Choy just don’t taste the same)

1/4 tsp of ground ginger

1/4 tsp of garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Empty out the can of chickpeas and blot off the excess liquid.

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In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix until evenly coated. Roast at 450 for about 40-45 minutes or until crunchy. Remove from the oven & let cool.

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Serve and enjoy your yummy & healthy snack

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Related Topics:

http://alearningwife.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/the-homemade-hummus-adventure/

http://thevegaquariantimes.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/super-fast-and-healthy-curry-kale-chickpeabowl/

If You Give Your Toddler A Cookie…

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If you give your toddler a cookie…they will probably want another cookie. Just like in the popular children’s book, there are consequences when you give your child a cookie.

I hate to sound like a broken record but my daughter really is a horrible eater. It is very difficult making meals that she will actually eat more than two bites of. Of course one thing that she will never turn down is dessert. Not that I blame her. Who doesn’t love sweets?

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I don’t want to be one of those mothers that deprive their children from cookies & cake. I think long term it is better to let them have a little bit of sweets every once in a while, so that they don’t overdose on it when they get older because it was forbidden. It still does not mean I want her eating them every day.

This is a hot debate topic in our house. My husband likes to indulge our daughter’s sweet tooth way more than I would like & I have to admit I did as well over the holidays. There are many reasons I try not to make sugary treats a regular thing in our home.

1. Nutrition. While she is filling up on yummy sugar filled snacks, she is not leaving room for nutritious meals. Not only is she not leaving room for those meals, she is developing a preference for sweets over substance.

2. Tooth Decay. I don’t know about your toddler but my daughter doesn’t have the best relationship with her toothbrush. I brush her teeth every day, but it is a battle. She will brush her own, but she only really chews on it. I have heard horror stories of children developing tooth decay & that is not anything I want my daughter to go through.

3. Hyperactivity. Mai is hyper enough on her own, she does not need the sugar assist.

4. Belly Aches. Have you ever overindulged on chocolate or ice cream? I have. It is not a good feeling. It is not fun having a sick toddler, especially when you could have prevented it.

5. Obesity. Just like us, if your child digests too much junk food, they will gain weight. Childhood obesity is on the rise & that is greatly in part of poor diet and more sedentary life styles.

Things we as parents can do:

1. Introduce a wide variety of foods to your child. Use whole grains instead of enriched whenever possible. Serve fruits and vegetables daily. Get creative. I often sneak vegetables into everyday meals by grinding them up in meat or adding veggies to our morning omelets. My daughter also loves veggie burger.

2. Moderate portions. If you are enjoying the occasional slice of birthday cake or an ice cream cone, remember the size of your little one’s bellies. They need far less to be satisfied than we do. Sugary beverages count as well. Even juice has a lot of sugar. My daughter loves juice. We only pick 100% fruit juice & vegetable blends & cut it with water.

3. Give them healthy, natural sweets. Fruits are a great alternative to a cookie or a piece of cake. When baking, substitute honey or apple sauce instead of sugar to your recipes.

4. Assist with the tooth brushing. They may hold the brush & put it in their mouth but most toddlers are not really brushing well enough on their own to remove food debris from their teeth.

5. Do not use sweets to reward bad behavior. It is easy when your child is having a meltdown to throw a piece of candy at them. Not only is this bad for all of the above reasons, it also teaches your toddler that bad behavior results in receiving junk food.

The greatest thing we can do for our children is to lead by example. We could all learn to eat a bit better ourselves.

Related Topics:

http://yoursingoodhealth.me/

http://goiambeautiful.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/what-sugar-actually-does-to-your-brain-and-body/

http://yoetsateproductions.com/2013/12/28/food-savory-sweet-and-safe/

 

Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Pops

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Now that the holidays are over, it is time to get back on the low fat horse. It was a difficult few weeks for me sticking to my restrictions. I admit, I cheated far more than I should have & I paid for it. I have felt horrible from all of the junk food & I am ready to get back to my old healthy life style. The problem is I have an enormous love for sweets.
My one indulgence since the doctor put me on my special diet has been non fat frozen yogurt. It is my favorite evening treat. I like to jazz up my fro-yo from time to time to keep it fun. This recipe is two of my favorite things, quick & easy. They are also delicious & did I mention low fat.

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Ingredients:

Fat free or low fat frozen yogurt (vanilla,chocolate or strawberry will do)

1 cup of fat free Cool Whip

1 Tbsp of fat free chocolate pudding

1 Sleeve of graham crackers (crushed)

Cake pop sticks

Directions:

Crush graham crackers using a potato masher.

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Mix Cool Whip & pudding until well blended.

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Scoop the a ball of frozen yogurt using a scooper. Roll between palms if needed to create a ball.

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Originally, I inserted the cake pop stick into the ball & then rolled it into the pudding/cream mixture but then found it difficult to roll into the crumbs without falling out after. So I used my hands to dip for the rest & then inserted the pop sticks.

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Roll the coated yogurt ball into the cracker crumbs until well covered.

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Insert the stick & repeat. Place pops on a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap & freeze.

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Serve and enjoy.

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Related Topics:

http://strawberrypepper.com/2013/12/25/big-apple-sensation-cake/

http://healyourselfwithfood.wordpress.com/2013/12/24/gluten-free-apple-tart/

http://balancedbaby.me/2013/12/24/bonbon-balls-brownies/