Saturday, July 31, 2010

Healthy Bread (pizza) in Five Minutes A Day!

Many of you have heard me ramble on and on about my homemade pizza. I use the master recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking  It's on my blog here, just search in the search bar, for the master recipe. I change up my flour to use a higher gluten flour, all info is on my blog.

In any case, I purchased this book, Jeff and Zoë's second book, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients.  I bought it when it first came out and to be honest, I read it and never made a thing from it...I love the first book so much, I thought why change anything?  I went as far as buying the wheat gluten that the recipe needed and stopped there.
Finally, yesterday, I decided I was going to try it.  We love pizza and make it often from their first book, and even made the cinnamon raisin bread a few times, wow, yum.
I mixed it up as the recipe below states...and let it set.  (who could ask for an easier dough, I don't have time or energy to knead my dough)

It was very good!  My FIL got us a whole wheat pizza once, from a pizzeria, he raved about it...we hated it, the kids took two bites and didn't finish it, the pizza went to the trash, it was awful!  This was 1000 times better, and my kids finished the whole pizza and loved it.
So if you are looking to add a bit of whole wheat to your diet, try this pizza!
Jeff and Zoë's site lists the recipe so I assume they won't mind if I post here here and link you to them.
Trust me, you want the book, they have 100s more recipes for whole grain stuff and teach you the hows and why's of wheat gluten etc.  Good reading if you are a foodie or wanna be foodie like me.

Just mix this all in a container like this.
(i know, its plastic, but sometimes you have to pick your poison, I have yet to find a nice large glass one this size and shape, after all, this thing is in my frige 24-7 because I make a new batch everytime we use the last of it) 
Rubbermaid® 6306 Space Saving Clear Polycarbonate Square Storage Containers. Stackable, break-resistant, NSF in complying with HACCP guidelines. 6 quart size, sold in case size 12.
We are going to publish the basic whole grain recipe here on our website.  Many, many more details are in the book, and we won’t be able to provide all that here on the web.  The book also has plenty of recipes that are 100% whole grain; today’s recipe is about 73% whole grain:

Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used bread flour)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (can adjust to taste or health concerns)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) vital wheat gluten 
4 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F)


Note: I add sugar, he has recipes where they add honey etc, but I like sugar in my dough, just a few T and sugar feeds yeast. Also, I used bread flour in place of the all purpose.

I toss it all in, mix it with a spoon until all dry ingredients are wet and put the lid on, let it set for 2 hours and put in my frige.  Some of their doughs last two weeks in there, but mine never make it that long!  I grab a hunk and make my pizza, and this recipe will make about four pizzas. 
Read the book, you learn about cloaking the dough, the hows and whys of yeast, wheat glutens, flour glutens etc..I learned so much from their books!  This recipe will get you started and if you don't like wheat anything, then make the basic master recipe. 



They are in the works of a third book, Flatbreads and Pizza in Five Minutes a Day.  Can't wait for the new one to come out. I am a huge fan of Jeff and Zoë's books!









Amendum:  Here is a loaf of bread I made today using the same recipe, brushed with water and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Cool Printable Canning Labels

I use canning jars for everything!  I store dry stuff, leftovers, freezer stuff in them...they are my only storage containers because if I lose a lid, I get more lids, if I need more jars, they are cheap, I just buy a case.  They are inexpensive enough to hand out "doggie jars" to friends with food for them to take home.  I buy the wide mouths and I love them.  




************************************************


*************************************************


***********************************************


*************************************************




I found these great labels on

 This is a great canning book I have, sooo many awesome recipes in it...jellies of all types, condiments etc.





Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Golumpki Soup & Stuffed Pepper Soup > No Effort, Tons of Flavor!



Some days I am just so lazy.  I want good food, fast, and don't want a big mess or do to alot of work to get it.

There was some talk on facebook today and someone mentioned Golumpkis and boy, did that make me want some.  I just so happen to have a huge cabbage head in my frige...so away I went.
Here's what I do...no need to be precise!

In the pressure cooker...
About three cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce.
3 cups water
1 can tomatoes
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped onion
spices, what'd ya like? garlic, oregano, cinnamon? 
2 lbs meat (ground whatever..I like ground sirloin, ground turkey, lamb, or pork or a mixture of them)
Meat setting 20 minutes.
Open and add
3 cups rice
as much cut up cabbage as your pressure cooker can hold.
fill to the fill line with more water if you can fit any...the rice will soak up some water, so you want more.
Cook on rice setting 6 mins.

And there you have it!

Do the same but swap out the cabbage for more green pepper for stuffed pepper soup.  Any pepper type ya like or have on hand.
I love my Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker.  I have two of them, for maybe four years now?  Never put them away, use them at least once a week. 


You can't beat the flavor of that electric pressure cooker!   If you don't have one, get one!  It's saved so much take out money for us, when I come home too tired to cook, but the family is starving.  Eveything you cook in it is good!  Corned Beef and Cabbage, Pasta meals, beans, rice and bean, jambalaya, seafood, veggies, corn on the cob, sausage stews, chicken pot pie (yes its in a pot, its not a pie, the pie is chicken pie)  I could go on and on all day with food ideas for the pressure cooker.

I even make flan and cheesecake in mine...no oven to turn on.
I use this in it.....






Debra Murray has two amazing pressure cooker books on HSN but they are sold out until around August.  They are my go to books. I cooked many of her meals and love them, and also used them as a skeleton for creating my own meals in them.  I love her Buffalo Mac and Cheese, and so do the teenagers!
Watch for it and when it becomes available, buy it asap, it will sell out again!  It's in high demand!  There are two.  Both great books! Both have different things in them I wouldn't want to do without either of them.  Wolfgang's pressure cooker comes with a manual and has recipes included also, some of them are hers.
Hereare a few other books  I have for pressure cooking in the mean time.
   




Here is another book,

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Porch/Garden Shed organizer

Martha has this on her site today, and its cute for a garden shed, but I would love it for my porch cubby.  I have a wrap around porch with a cubby by my kitchen door that is closed off on three sides.  Right now, it stores, our recycle bin, brooms, pet food, etc....JUNK....I would love to do this with that corner of the porch. 
Peg rails are hung up to hang the stuff on!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Guest of Honor Photo Centerpiece

I saw this cute project for displaying pics at a party and wanted to share.  Thanks Martha!   This is definitely doable if you have a good printer or access to one that prints black and white (with no distorted lines) and some velum paper.

Link to Martha's posting of this...
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/photo-centerpiece?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/vacation-crafts#slide_26

If you're throwing a party for someone's anniversary or birthday, the guest of honor will shine with a set of photo frame lanterns. They consist of three hinged photo frames set around votive candles. The black-and-white photos are printed onto ecru-colored vellum paper, which is translucent enough for the images to be visible by candlelight.
Photo Centerpiece How-To
Disassemble three like-sized frames, setting aside their fronts and discarding their backings. Paint or stain wooden frames desired color; let dry. Upload or scan photographs into a computer. With editing software, make the images black and white, and resize them to fit your frames. Print them onto vellum paper with an ink-jet printer. Slip the images into the frames. Using cloth tape, hinge frames together to form a triangle. Stand frames around a candle in a protective glass holder.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Photo Centerpiece and more creative crafts projects, templates, tips, clip-art, patterns, and ideas on marthastewart.com

 

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Comfort Foods For Those Watching Their Calories!

One word of advice if you are trying to lose weight.  Make your own meals.  The one morning show did a study on the diet microwave meals (lean cuisine etc) and found some to be as much as 400 times higher in calories and fat than the label states!  Restaurants nutritional info is grossly under-exaggerated also. 

You can make your own meals at home, and they will not only taste great, but be super healthy.

Rocco Dispirito, Celebrity TV Chef, is the author of a great cookbook for those watching their calories but don't want to skimp on flavor and comfort foods.  It's called Now Eat This.

 One of his recipes from the book is featured in Runners World this month.  It looks amazing! 

Grilled Turkey Salisbury Steaks

1¼ pounds ground turkey breast   
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
salt and ground black  pepper to taste
*olive oil cooking spray
2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into ½-inch slices
1 medium red onion, cut into ½-inch slices
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ cup shredded sharp provolone cheese

* Note:  I do not use sprays unless they are pump sprayers that I fill myself. I do not know what is in those commercial ones.  I just brush oil on it instead of using the spra...as Susan Powter used to say, what the hell is propellant and why would I want it in  my food? lol

Preheat the grill on high.  In a bowl, mix turkey and rosemary.  Divide into four portions and form into one-inch-thick oval patties.  Season patties with salt and pepper;spray wtih olive oil.  Place on grill.

Spray tomato and onion with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.   Place on grill.  Grill meat and onion for four minutes per side, and tomato for two minutes per side. 

In a bowl, whisk evaporated milk with cornstarch.  Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about one minute.  Whisk cheese into sauce until melted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pile tomato and onions on patties.  Spoon cheese sauce on top. 
Serves four. 

Calories per serving:  290
Carbs: 15 G
Protein: 42 G
Fat: 6 G










Now Eat This
150 of America’s Favorite Comfort Foods,
All Under 350 Calories
Ballantine Books
On-Sale: March 2, 2010
RECIPE LIST

Appetizers
  • Gooey Jalapeño Poppers
  • Hot Artichoke Parmigiano Dip
  • Cheddar Cheese Fondue with Apples and Radishes
  • Broccoli Falafel Salad with Yogurt Tahini Dressing
  • Faux- Fried Onion Rings with Smoky Mayonnaise
  • Stuffed Mushrooms with Crabmeat
  • Spicy Fried Calamari with Lemon
  • Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Dressing
  • Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Puree
  • Oysters Rockefeller
  • Tuna Tartare with Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms
  • Salmon and Un-Fried Green Pepper
  • Croquettes
  • Pigs in a Blanket
  • Buffalo and Blue Chicken Tenders
  • Chicken and Red Pepper Quesadillas
  • Loaded Nachos with Turkey, Black Beans, and Salsa
  • Beef “Carpaccio” with Celery and Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Crispy Mozzarella Sticks Fra Diavolo
  • Sweet Onion and Leek Quiche
  • Pepper and Basil Frittata
  • No-Yolk Deviled Eggs
Soups
  • French Onion Soup
  • New England Clam Chowder
  • Lobster Bisque
  • Corn Chowder
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Tortilla Soup with Avocado and Cilantro
  • Cheddar Cheese and “Potato” Soup
  • Broccoli and Cheese Soup
  • “Cream” of Mushroom Soup
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
Salads
  • Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Crushed Walnuts
  • Wedge of Lettuce with Bacon and Blue Cheese
  • Mixed Green Salad with Fennel- Tarragon Dressing
  • Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
  • Cobb Salad
  • Chinese Chicken Salad
  • Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Lemony Shrimp Salad
  • Niçoise Salad
  • Skinny Chef’s Salad
Sandwiches and Pizza
  • Charred Beef Burgers with Baba Ghanoush
  • Over the Top Grilled Cheese
  • Tuna Burgers with Basil and Pepperoncini Mayonnaise
  • Shrimp Po’ Boys with Spicy Mayo
  • Tuna Melt
  • Smoked Turkey Reuben
  • Philly Cheesesteak
  • Sloppy Joe
  • BLT
  • Deep-Dish Pizza
  • Individual Extra-Crispy Thin-Crust Pizza
Fish and Shellfish
  • Salmon with Mustard Crust and Sautéed Spinach
  • Red Snapper Française with Butter and Lemon Sauce
  • Fillet of Sole Meunière
  • Seared Tuna with Green Beans, Lemon, and Wasabi
  • Grilled Tuna with Seaweed Salad
  • Bouillabaisse
  • Jambalaya
  • Bacon- Wrapped Shrimp and Grits
  • Shrimp Pad Thai
  • Shrimp and Chorizo Paella
  • Shrimp Scampi with Broccoli
  • Jumbo Un-Fried Shrimp
  • Shrimp and Asparagus Stir- Fry
Chicken and Turkey
  • Chicken Cordon Bleu
  • Chicken and Dumplings
  • Chicken Alfredo
  • Grilled Chicken with Warm Mango Salsa
  • Chicken and Mushroom “Risotto”
  • Flash-Fried Finger- Lickin’ Chicken
  • Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
  • Chicken Piccata
  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Cauliflower and Asparagus
  • (Almost) General Tso’s Chicken
  • Chicken Cacciatore
  • Real Chicken Marsala
  • Grilled Chicken Parmigiano
  • Roasted Chicken Burritos with Corn and Black Beans
  • Super- Light Mexican Chili con Carne with beans
  • Cheesy Turkey Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa and Cilantro
  • Grilled Turkey Kebabs à la King
  • Turkey Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
  • Turkey Bolognese with Noodles
  • Grilled Turkey Salisbury Steaks with Tomatoes and Provolone Sauce
Beef and Pork
  • Pepper Steak
  • Hungarian Beef Goulash
  • Beef Stir- Fry with Broccoli and Cauliflower
  • Indian Beef Curry
  • Beef “Stew- Fry” with Shiitake Mushrooms and Bok Choy
  • Filet Mignon Béarnaise with Roasted Cauliflower
  • Steak Fajitas with Avocado and Salsa
  • Steak au Poivre
  • Beef Wellington
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Shepherd’s Pie with Beef
  • Chicken- Fried Steak with Sausage Gravy
  • Meatloaf with Portobello Mushrooms
  • Pork and Snap Pea Stir- Fry with Orange- Peanut Sauce
  • Barbecue Ribs
  • Smothered Pork Chops with Apples and Cheddar Cheese
Pasta and More
  • Eggplant “Manicotti”
  • Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Sweet Potato Gnocchi
  • Zucchini and Eggplant Vegetable Lasagna
  • Individual Lasagnas
  • Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
  • Macaroni and Cheese with a Crusty Crunch
  • No Cream-No Cry Penne alla Vodka
  • Mama- Approved Spaghetti and Meatballs
  • Spaghetti Carbonara
  • Shrimp and Sesame Soba Noodles with Scallions
Sides
  • Creamed Spinach
  • Down Home Baked Beans
  • Gooey Garlic Cheese Bread
  • Red Apple Coleslaw
  • Simple Macaroni Salad
  • German Sweet Potato Salad
  • Better Than Mashed “Potatoes”
  • Sweet Potato Puree
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Loaded Baked Potato Skins
Sauces
  • Rocco’s Magnificent Mayonnaise
  • 3- Grams-of-Fat Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Not Your Mama’s Ranch Dressing
  • “Russian Island” Dressing
  • Not So Basic Vinaigrette
  • Creamy Basil Pesto
  • Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low- Fat Marinara Sauce
  • Meat Sauce
  • Creamy Parmigiano-Reggiano Sauce
  • Pour-It-On Barbecue Sauce
  • Rockin’ Asian Stir- Fry Sauce
  • Sweet and Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce
  • Basic Gravy
  • Onion- Garlic Puree
  • Hollandaise Sauce
  • Au Poivre Sauce
  • Tartar Sauce
  • Cocktail Sauce
Desserts
  • Strawberry Graham Cracker Tarts
  • Real Chocolate Mousse
  • Classic Tiramisù
  • Apple Pie
  • Crème Brûlée
  • Peach and Blueberry Cobbler with Ginger and Cinnamon
  • Rice Pudding
  • Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Brownies
  • Berry Yummy Frozen Yogurt Pops
  • Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
  • Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt
 Some of my favorite recipes come from The Cooking Light cookbooks. Of course, not everyone needs a cookbook to cook healthy.  Baked fish or chicken with spices and roasted veggies is a very healthy choice and don't forget to watch your portion sizes!  That seems to be the main problem most people struggle with.  A great book I once read is called the Martini Diet.  You can eat it, if it fits in a traditional martini glass.  I am  not talking about a giant glass. They hold 3 ozs. I tell my friends all of the time, reading about health, nutrition and fitness tends to keep me on track to staying thin.  It motivates me.  Books, magazines, tv shows etc.  Anything about diet and fitness intrigues me.


 

There are dozens of books by Cooking Light and the recipes are very flavorful. 









 

Monday, July 12, 2010

Feeding The Breakfast Club

 As a teenager of the 80's, this is still one movie I can watch a million times over!  This is a pretty good image of what type of kids are here for breakfast.   I feed "Jocks", teens with tattoos and piercings, Justin Beiber look a-likes, Slash look a-likes  etc. 

This blog post was featured on Kitchen Monki this past week!
http://www.kitchenmonki.com/blog/?p=638

I have a herd of teenagers at my house several times a week, now that summer is here, and often, during the winter months, they are here all weekend.  Some of them have told me that they only get a home cooked meal when they are at my house.   Whether that is true or not, it makes me feel good to feed them, and I also feel obligated to feed them...those teens really know how to manipulate me! 

I have anywhere from two extra teenagers spending the night, to, at one time, 25 (but that will NEVER happen again! lol).  Ya live and learn, but we do average about 4 extra at a time, and with my two and hubby, I cook for 8.

I have had to learn to be frugal where I can.  We have ducks and sometimes I use duck eggs, although I prefer chicken eggs.  I just got 12 chicks so in a few months they will be laying and we will not have to buy eggs anymore. And not only do they save us money, but they are so entertaining!

 Here are some of the duck eggs at our faucet "egg washing" station lol  Look at the tiny one! lol.

Martha Stewart said that back yard chickens have become the in thing, and I don't know why I waited so long to get some!


Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  I think the most inexpensive thing I have found to make so far, is the oven pancake.  And the kids LOVE it.  It looks like I took such an effort to make it, but really, it was just mix, pour and bake!  No slaving over the stove, flipping flap jacks for each individual person.


Here is the recipe and you can modify it to include almost anything you want.  You DO NOT need buttermilk, I have a substitution for buttermilk that only requires milk and vinegar.


Buttermilk Pancakes

2 C all-purpose flour
2-1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
2 T sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 C buttermilk * see substitution note
1/4 C vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
maple syrup, or whatever topping you like...

Note:
I add mashed bananas to the liquid and in the end, toss in some chocolate chips and walnuts.  Apples and cinnamon would be good, or how about bacon and maple syrup?  The sky is the limit!

* Buttermilk Substitution for each C of buttermilk called for in a recipe add 1 T white vinegar to measure cup and then fill with milk to 1 C line. This recipe called for two cups so I used two T and then filled to two cup line.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Combine first five ingredients;stir well. Combine eggs, buttermilk and oil in a bowl and add to flour mixture, stirring until just blended (this is where you would throw in blueberries, choc chips, apples, nuts, banana slices, whatever you want)





Pour batter into Pampered Chef Bar Pan baking stone. Bake at 350° for 15-20 mins or until done. Cut into squares and top with your favorite topping.
  I have a friend who does not have a bar stone, so she uses a normal jelly roll pan and greases it first.


Then cut into squares with a pizza cutter.  Some of the kids will get up early and eat it while its hot, some will nuke theirs in the microwave to heat it and some love it at room temperature. Eat it as is, or top with a favorite syrup...strawberry is good on the banana one.  Apple goes well with a caramel sauce or even basic maple.

I have many other great recipes I will be posting on my blog and also on Kitchen Monki.   If you haven't signed up to play with all of the recipes on Kitchen Monki, you don't know what you are missing!
www.kitchenmonki.com

I have some other great breakfast recipes and I think I may run this topic again and again with new recipes I have come up with, along with some old favorites we make.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Portion Control,..Don't Lie To Yourself!



 Most people are in denial of how much they eat.  I know this because I am told I eat like a bird, by people who eat four servings at a meal.   It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that all it takes to maintain a healthy weight is portion control and exercise.  If you don't keep a food diary, I recommend you do, but only if you aren't going to cheat and lie to yourself...by omitting how much you really eat.  At the bottom of this post is a listing of portion sizes....be honest!


How much pasta do you eat in one sitting?  ½ cup is a serving..get out a measuring cup and measure it.  Is that how much you are eating when you eat pasta?  3  ounces of meat is a serving.  That means a 12 oz steak is 4 servings!  Now tell me, when you go out to eat, do you only eat ¼ of that steak?  This is what I mean about being honest with yourself.   Put in your food diary that you ate the whole steak if you ate it all and then tally those calories by 4!  If you don't see it on paper, you will stay in denial and continue on a path to obesity! Some of you may already be there. Being a size one may not be what your body type is...but being more than 10-20 pounds overweight for your height isn't either.



Height
Obesity Point
Ft/inchesMeters
Pounds
Kilos
4.10
4.11
5.0
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
5.11
6.0
1.47m
1.50m
1.52m
1.55m
1.57m
1.60m
1.63m
1.65m
1.68m
1.70m
1.73m
1.75m
1.78m
1.80m
1.83m
143 pounds
148 pounds
153 pounds
159 pounds
164 pounds
169 pounds
175 pounds
180 pounds
186 pounds
191 pounds
197 pounds
203 pounds
209 pounds
215 pounds
221 pounds
65.0kg
67.3kg
69.5kg
72.3kg
74.5kg
76.8kg
79.5kg
81.8kg
84.5kg
86.8kg
89.5kg
92.3kg
95.0kg
97.7kg
100.4kg


Health Risks of Obesity
Once you suffer from obesity you run an increased risk of developing a number of conditions. Here are some examples: 
  • High blood pressure and stoke are twice as common in obese people.
  • Evidence is strong that obesity increases the risk of breast cancer (after menopause), womb cancer and kidney cancer.
  • Obesity may also increase the risk of colon cancer.
  • Gall bladder disease is three times as likely to occur in middle-aged obese women.
  • Diabetes is four times more common in middle-aged obese people than in middle-aged people of normal weight.
  • Coronary heart disease is twice as common in obese men under 45.


I am full after my one serving meal, that I don't even have room for dessert.  My body was trained to be this way.  All of my life, I have been active and kept myself at a healthy weight so it comes natural to me....being skinny doesn't come natural, but eating right does.  Sure I eat junk food.  But I spread it out over the day and stay within my calorie limits.


When you stop off at Mc Donald's.....get a kids meal!  Its a serving!  Or if you must get a Big Mac (and I say this, because sometimes I must), eat half....OMG! Waste food?  Its better to throw it away than put all of that extra food into your body.  Who  are you kidding when you devour that extra food so it doesn't "go to waste".  Better in the trash than on your ass (or stomach in men)!

Give yourself some love, some tough love!  9 out of 10 people WILL discriminate against you because of your size.  The world isn't going to change.  If you are happy with your quality of life, than so be it.  But if you are constantly reminded of your size, hate looking in the mirror at yourself naked, or can't walk a mile without huffing and puffing, then do something about it!  

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie..as Jillian Micheals says. A pound weighs 3500 calories.  If you eat more than 3500 calories over your recommended daily intake, over the course of a week even, you gain a pound.   I don't' care if you eat 3500 calories worth of oreos or 3500 calories worth of  vegetables...if you eat 3500 calories over your allotted calorie limit, even over the course of a week, you gain a pound. If you need to lose, you must create a 3500 calorie deficit. Whether you break that over a few days or a week.  Work out and burn off some of it. You have to move.  Walking at a slow, drag your self along pace, is not considered exercise.  I am a firm believer that you can eat whatever you want, as long as its a portion and within your calories limits for the day.  Have that cookie, but don't forget you had it, and you may need to make up for it later, either with limiting your eating later on, or exercising extra hard to work it off.

Find a workout buddy...someone who will push you.  Start out power walking.  Don't make excuses for yourself.  Get your eating under control and get your body moving!

Here  is a portion manual from The Florida Interagency Food and Nutrition Committee that I found online.  It's a pdf document  It has info for all ages, page 50 starts the adults info.  Read it! and page 60 has pics of what a portion of each food group should be, page 62 its in black and white if you want to print just that in black and white and hang it on the frige at home.  Page 72 has calorie allowances.  If you are not exercising, and walking around doing your normal day to day routines, is not exercise, you are considered sedentary.  Page 73 is suggested amounts of food to consume from each of the food groups and oils to meet recommended nutrient intakes for each calorie level.  This is a great resource.  And as I have said before, reading about health and nutrition can help keep you on track.  Read about it often. There are worksheets on page 74 for keeping track.  Just do it!

Teaching children early on is also very important!  If they are taught as children how to eat healthy, it will come naturally to them as an adult.

http://www.wellnessproposals.com/nutrition/nutrition-programs/be-wise-portion-size-program-manual.zip



Food 1 Serving Equals...
Breads, pasta, cereal, cooked grain, etc.
  • 1 slice of bread (looks like a CD case)
  • 1/2 a bagel (the size of a hockey puck)
  • 1 cup cereal (looks like two hands cupped together)
  • 1/2 cup cooked grain or pasta (one cupped palm)
Fruits
  • 1 piece of fruit (the size of a tennis ball)
  • 1/2 cup cut up fruit, raw, cooked, frozen, or canned (looks like 7 cotton balls)
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit
  • 3/4 cup 100% fruit juice
Veggies
  • 1/2 cup cut up veggie, raw, cooked, frozen, or canned (looks like the bulb part of a light bulb)
  • 1/2 cup cooked, canned or frozen legumes
  • 1 cup leafy greens
  • 3/4 cup 100% vegetable juice
Meat, chicken, or fish
  • 3 ounces (looks like a deck of cards or a checkbook)
  • 1 egg
Dairy
  • 1oz. of cheese (1 oz. looks like 2, 9-volt batteries)
  • 1/2 cup ice cream, cottage cheese or pudding
  • 1 cup milk or yogurt
Nuts
  • 1/3 cup (a small handful)
  • 1 tbsp nut butter (size of both your thumbs)

Does this image look familiar?  Do you run and play with your kids like this?  You should!  It will keep you young!