How To Keep Your Good Intentions This Christmas Season

Christmas is often the holiday when we say we're going to focus on family, but our intentions keep getting lost. It's busy. It's hectic. There's not enough time to get it all done. Etc. Etc. Etc.

If this sounds like your family, it's time to take back the season and stick to your good intentions. It's not impossible. It's not even that hard. Let's take a look at several issues we struggle with during Christmas and see if there might be a solution or two.

Expense

This issue makes the top of the list because it often colors the rest of the celebration before we can even get our plans underway. Everything seems alright until the money starts to disappear. All our good intentions to stay focused on family and fun start to fade away when money gets tight.

There is only one solution - budget. Perhaps a budget seems like too much work, but it's the only way to keep the focus where it belongs. You will have to spend some time with paper, pencil, and some hard choices, but it will be worth it, trust me.

Create a budget that won't just postpone the pain. This means put a limit on ALL spending, including the credit cards. To avoid the January surprises, you may even want to pull together some envelopes with spending cash designated for gifts, food, drinks, decorations, donations, and whatever you need for your
Christmas celebration.

A budget specifically set for each individual item not only helps reign in spending, but it also helps eliminate that last minute spending spree because you forgot if you took care of X, Y, or Z.  Plan your budget like you plan your Christmas dinner menu. Be precise in your budgeting and you will find it relieves a lot of stress, giving you time and energy to focus on what you wanted to - family and fun, remember?

Exercise

No, you are not going to focus on losing weight during Christmas. Instead, you want to think about staying active every day and enjoying some play time with your family and friends.

Some of the stress you feel during the holidays is due to the fact that you are putting your health on a back-burner. You may be eating too much of the wrong foods and skipping exercise because you're too busy. Whatever the reason, you should never omit exercise from your daily routine, especially during the holidays!

Even if you can't make it to the gym or spend an hour on the treadmill, you can stay active. Several short walks a day will help clear the mind and get the blood pumping. You will burn a few calories, but most importantly you will lift your spirits. It's amazing what a little boost in those endorphins, the feel good hormones, will do for a person. 

And, don't forget the family! If spending more time with your family is part of what Christmas is all about, then a little play goes a long way toward that goal, too. Exercise to feel good, but make exercise fun to include your kids. Before the day gets too busy, get outside and have a game of tag. Shoot some buckets. Get a game of field hockey going. Do somersaults. Rollerblade. Ride your bike. Snowshoe. Build a snowman. Whatever you can do to be active and have some laughs will get you well on the way to your goal of spending time enjoying your family this Christmas.

Entertainment

You've got your budget set and you have lots of ideas to stay active and healthy. But, there are going to be times spent inside, too. Of course, you'll be gathered around the table during some of the Christmas season enjoying delicious meals and sharing stories. This is all wonderful because your goal is to connect with your family, but how you spend your time is important.

One great way to make your moments together count even more is to plan activities that involve the whole family working together on projects. These can be simple crafts like creating handmade gifts or decorations to share, to larger scale projects like cooking and serving dinner at a community shelter or church.

If your family is musically inclined, you may want to join a caroling group, church choir, or band. Maybe you would like to help decorate the church. Your town may have a youth group that pitches in and decorates the store windows or city hall.

Give some thought to what you, your family, and your community needs and figure out a way to help get those needs met. Gift trees are popular to help get gifts for families who can't afford to buy gifts. Food drives are another easy to organize an event that your family could do. Plan a movie night at your local theater and ask attendees to bring a new toy to give to kids spending Christmas in a hospital or away from home. There are lots of ways you can do good deeds and find lots of entertainment for your family at the same time.

Having a happy holiday often means finding a balance between a busy schedule, tight budget, and family fun. You can do it all, but it takes planning, a few strategies, and lots of love. Merry Christmas!

Use These Tips For A Healthy Christmas Party

Get On Board With A Healthy Christmas Work Party

The annual Christmas Party notice is posted on the bulletin board. Your reaction is to cringe. Healthy eating was finally a habit! Your kitchen is stocked with all the foods your diet requires, and now THIS.

Take heart! There are ways you can enjoy a Christmas party and stay on track with your diet. Whether you are on a weight loss program, a heart health program, a diabetes program, or any other nutrition program, there are ways you can enjoy the party. Here are a few ideas to bring that holiday spirit back while staying on track with your diet.

Sign Up

This is probably the single most important way to keep the Christmas party healthy and fun at the same time. Yes, it's extra work for you, but avoiding the problem is even harder work. If you leave the planning to others, you may not have a choice of healthy foods on the table. When you see that sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, put your name down as soon as possible. If you're early in the planning stages, you may be able to direct the menu.

Bar Time

You will typically find a bar set up for a Christmas party. There may be soft drinks, wine, beer, or liquor for mixed drinks. Perhaps there is a punch bowl. If you are part of the planning committee, be sure to insist on plenty of water, juice, club soda, and sparkling water. Offer to make the punch using fresh juice and sparkling soda or water and skip the alcohol. If you are not on the committee, you will want to prepare yourself. Overindulging at the bar is often caused by thirst, so eliminate the thirst by filling your tummy with good fresh  juice and water before and during the party. Alternate any sugary or alcohol drinks you have with large glasses of water.

Eat Ahead

Trying to stay on a diet is difficult enough, but if you're watching the clock tick at work, knowing that at a certain time there will be acres of food and drinks laid before you, it's even harder. That's why you want to plan to eat before you get to the party. Yes, it's fun to look forward to all that food, but your empty stomach will make decisions you won't find so fun in the long run. If your party starts after work, bring a good, big lunch with you that suits your dietary needs. If your party begins at mid-day, eat a hearty healthy breakfast and have a snack just before the party begins. You're not being a 'party pooper.' You're being smart.

Peruse Then Choose

When you walk into the party, stop and take a look around. Your senses may be overwhelmed at first, but if you slowly peruse the spread, you will begin to see what you need, and what you don't need. Walk along the tables, go up to the bar, and make a few mental notes. The trouble with an over-loaded plate usually occurs when you start at the beginning of the table and just start scooping up servings. If you don't know what's ahead, how can you choose what you want to eat? So, take a look around, then go back and selectively serve up a plate that suits you and your diet.

Divided Desserts

This is probably the easiest of all the strategies to stay on track with your diet. Most everyone at the party will get to the dessert table and let out a little sigh. They wish they could indulge, but can't. That's your cue to choose a 'dessert buddy' and divide one of those delicious treats between you. If you were vigilant with the other strategies, you have probably saved yourself some wiggle room for dessert. However, if sugar is forbidden, this table may be off limits. That takes us back to the first strategy - sign up. If you are part of the planning committee, make sure you propose an alternative for the usual sweet dessert.

The average Christmas party is full of dietary obstacles. Getting involved with the planning and taking a few steps to avoid the pitfalls will allow you to not only attend the party, but to enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

How To Choose A Healthier Holiday Season Banquet And Bar

During the last several months of the year, most of us have a reason or two to celebrate. The holidays can include religious observances, gift giving, programs, music, and perhaps dancing. But, at the center of these festivities usually lurks a table piled high with all sorts of indulgences - we're talking food and drink galore!

Yes, it's a party and you want to join in and enjoy everything. However, if you're like most people, you have limits. How can you have fun and stay on track with your healthy living? Let's take a look at a few ideas to keep you focused while partaking in the celebrations.

The Banquet

Don't let those delicious dishes hypnotize you. You're in charge here! You have your dietary limits clearly defined, so take a deep breath and ask yourself; "What food on this table really suits my healthy goals?"

Approach the holiday table slowly, with caution. Help yourself to small portions of those foods that are a part of your healthy diet. Enjoy. Give yourself time before choosing another morsel from another offering. Chew slowly and savor each tasty bite. Keep choosing foods that you know are nutritious.

After you've sampled the foods that are a healthy part of your diet, stop. Wait for these healthy foods to settle in and satisfy your appetite. If you're still hungry, go back for more foods that fit your diet. The idea is to fill your tummy with good, healthy foods before giving into temptation. If you have been practicing nutritious eating habits, you probably already have your body and digestive system trained to want good food. Giving your body the good food first may just satisfy your cravings.

But, we're only human. The delicious aromas of certain not-so-healthy foods may just keep calling your name. Even after you've eaten a fair share of healthy foods, you may succumb to those forbidden goodies. Go ahead and take one. Or, better yet, offer to cut one in half, or thirds, or quarters, and share with someone. Chances are pretty good that you'll find someone going through the same holiday dieting struggle. They will be happy to share.

When it comes time for dessert, there really isn't much you can do to escape the indulgence. You don't want to offend Grandma and not join in the praise when she serves up her family's secret recipe. But, you can limit yourself. Even Grandma understands the phrase; "I'll just have a sliver." You may end up having more than you wanted, but if you planned for this by watching what you ate during dinner, you should count this as a victory.

The Bar

As you're strolling past the buffet filled with all those delicious appetizers, picking just those morsels that fit your healthy eating habits, someone hands you a glass of wine or a cocktail. Maybe you take another pass at the buffet and suddenly your glass is empty. But, the host is Johnny-On-The-Spot and before you know it, you have another drink in your hand.

The holidays are a time of rejoicing. Food and drink are two ways we celebrate. However, most of us want to keep our caloric intake, sugar intake, and alcohol intake to a minimum, for many reasons.
Just like the banquet, the bar offers opportunities to enjoy, but also to stay on track with our healthy diet. There are several ways to keep from overindulging at the bar.

Mingling with a drink in your hand is fun, but it is also a way to lose track of how many glasses you have had filled. While you're nibbling on hors d'oeuvres, your host is anxious to keep your glass filled. You may not even be aware of how often your glass is 'topped off' before it's too late. Instead of wine or a cocktail, mingle with a glass of sparkling water or club soda. Your host will be happy to keep your glass filled and you will not go over your limit.

If you drink wine, save it for the dinner table. Most sit down dinners will have wine specifically chosen to complement the meal. If you have already had all the wine you should drink before dinner, you miss out on the fun during dinner - or you overindulge. Either way, it's not worth ruining your meal, and your health.

If after-dinner drinks are offered, weigh the pros and cons. If you're having dessert, too, you may want to opt out and have plain coffee or tea. Remember; this is a balancing act. You know you will need to make choices before, during, and after dinner, so choose wisely.

At the end of the day, you can be happy if you tried to satisfy your appetite with healthy choices, and only gave in to a few delicious treats. After all, the holidays only come around once a year, leaving us plenty of time to get back on track. Enjoy a Happy Healthy Holiday Season!

Tips For Honoring Hanukkah With Food Traditions

If you are unfamiliar with the food traditions of Hanukkah, you might be interested to know that the typical menu for this celebration isn't really all about keeping kids happy. Of course, it's true that stacks of crispy deep-fried potato latkes, sweet cream cheese rugelach, jam filled donuts, and cheese blintzes will tend to keep kids gathered around the menorah, but there is still more to the story.

There are reasons why certain dishes are on the table during Hanukkah. Foods served during this celebration are meant to remind us of the miracles of Hanukkah. Let's take a look at some simple explanations of the source of the traditions and a few ways meals were created to use these foods.

Olive Oil

The miracle of the oil and the menorah are familiar to many of us. Hanukkah celebrates Jewish freedom over religious persecution. The eight days of celebration and the menorah honor the miracle of the olive oil. Upon returning to the temple after victory over Greek oppression, there was found only one small flask of olive oil to burn, which should have lasted one day. However, the oil lasted eight days, giving us the miracle of the menorah. This is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and why olive oil is used at great liberty in foods during this holiday.

Cheese

We also honor the memory of a young woman by the name of Yehudis, who devised a plan to kill a Greek general during the war. The story tells us she fed the general a great deal of  cheese, followed by enough wine to make him fall into a deep sleep, at which time she bravely killed him. When word of his death reached the general's army, they fled. We remember this woman's bravery and celebrate the freedom gained by her act by serving many delicious cheese filled treats.

From Olive Oil and Cheese To Food Traditions

From these two basic foods used during the Hanukkah celebration come specific dishes that are staples within many Jewish communities. The traditional foods may vary slightly, but finding ways to incorporate olive oil and dairy products connects Jewish people around the world.

Pastries known as sufganiyot are very well known. They are quite absorbent, soaking in lots of the olive oil they are cooked in. They may be sweetened and filled with fruit jellies or honey, making them quite popular and a staple in many Jewish homes today.

Adding cheese to these pastries was a natural choice, celebrating two traditions at once. Cheese filled pastries were a standard Hanukkah treat throughout central Europe, while in Germany the pastries were more often filled with jellies and jams. The Indian version of this pastry combined sugar, honey, milk, and butter with the yeast and flour to create another nod to dairy.

Where olive oil was scarce, in the northern climates, goose or chicken fat was used for frying. Also in these colder climates, potatoes and apples were abundant, making potato latkes and apple fritters a staple during Hanukkah. Along with potatoes and apples, dairy products were plentiful in these colder regions. Out of these foods grew the tradition of serving sour cream and applesauce over the potato latkes. Jewish families would use what was available to best honor the teachings and the stories of the battle for religious freedom.

Deep fried latkes are served in practically every Jewish home during Hanukkah. Whether as a main dish or as crispy little appetizers, they are definitely a favorite dish for many. The tradition of serving latkes is based on the assumption they are fried in olive oil, symbolizing  the miracle of the oil in the Temple.

Of course, olive oil, cheese, and any dairy product can be served in ways that are healthier. You don't need to drop potatoes into a vat of olive oil to honor the miracle. You can, instead, dress a fresh salad with pure pressed extra virgin olive oil. Perhaps, you can replace the  sugary cream cheese filled pastries with a mixture of cream cheese with fresh fruit and serve as a spread. You can even still enjoy your pastries, just pan fry them quickly to limit the amount of olive oil they absorb.

Fill your Hanukkah buffet with all the traditional foods your family loves, but remember; the food is about honoring the memories and the miracles. A little bit of pure olive oil and fresh cheese is a lovely way to remember. Happy Hanukkah!

Healthy Hannukkah Celebration With Olive Oil

Celebrate The Hanukkah Miracle And Good Health With Olive Oil

During Hanukkah we remember the miracle of the menorah, when one small flask of olive oil burned for eight days. One way we honor and celebrate this miracle is to use olive oil in many of the dishes we prepare.
Now we find out that olive oil is not only a delicious way to celebrate with food, but it's one of the healthiest oils we can use. Let's take a look at this special oil to learn more.

What is Olive Oil

Simply stated, olive oil is derived from olives. It can be consumed without any processing at all; just pressed from the olive. If you took a handful of olives and squeezed them, you would get olive oil. No other vegetable oil can claim that distinction. In its most natural form, olive oil is resplendent in flavor and nutrition.

Of course, refining the process has created many other varieties of olive oil. We have listed some general categories of olive oil, but each category will also contain other variations. Here are the basics you would find in a grocery store:

Extra Virgin - This oil is from the first pressing of the olives and is not processed or refined, and is probably unfiltered. You will notice a very 'olive' taste and a rich color.

Virgin - This olive oil would be from the second pressing and is most likely filtered, and may be somewhat processed.

Pure - You will find this oil to have less flavor and will be lighter in color since it has been through more filtering and refining. If you don't want an olive taste to your olive oil, this is probably what you would want to use.

Extra Light - This category encompasses a great deal of processing, refining, and blending. You will find most olive oil with this label to be a mix of highly processed olive oil and a vegetable oil. Some people like this variety for cooking.

Now that you know the varieties of olive oil, let's take a look at some of the health benefits. This may give you even more reason to celebrate Hanukkah with lots of olive oil.

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

All olive oil contains those desirable mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and are rich in antioxidants. However, if you want the greatest boost of antioxidants, choose extra virgin olive oil. This is the oil that is from the first pressing of the olives so it is loaded with the most concentrated amounts of phyto-nutrients, which are known for having anti-inflammatory properties.

Olive oil has been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) while raising HDL cholesterol (the good stuff). This benefit helps protect against heart disease by regulating cholesterol levels. In addition, further studies show the mono-unsaturated fatty acid of olive oil also helps lower blood pressure. Extra virgin olive oil provides high concentrations of vitamin E and beta-carotene, keeping the circulatory system healthy and pumping strong.

Although studies regarding the role of olive oil in reducing cancer are inconclusive, there are interesting data. Research has shown some effects of reducing risks in the development of cancers of the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and breasts when subjects use olive oil routinely in their diet. These regular olive oil eaters are compared to non-olive oil eaters and people who more often consume saturated fat and butter. There could be other risk factors involved so the results of the studies are still mixed, although promising.

Other benefits associated with consuming olive oil include naturally healing stomach ulcers, gastritis, and other digestive tract disorders. Still more studies are starting to uncover a possible connection between olive oil consumption and improved blood calcium levels. This could point to the eventual link between overall bone health and olive oil consumption.

Still more research has provoked interest in the link between cognitive health and the use of olive oil. In older adults, both visual and verbal responses improved after the subjects increased their olive oil intake aggressively throughout the day. Laboratory research is also being done which is showing increased cognitive activity when animals are fed olive oil. The ability to protect the brain during times of stress may be one of the most amazing benefits this delicious oil has to offer.

Which brings us back to Hanukkah and the tradition of olive oil. The health benefits of olive oil are so expansive, it's hard to believe that the use of olive oil during Hanukkah ever strayed so far from what most of us would consider healthy foods.

Now we have the wisdom to know better! We don't have to indulge in fat soaked donuts and latkes to celebrate the miracle of the oil. Instead, pay homage to the true miracle - the olive oil we revered through the ages is the same olive oil we know as one of the healthiest foods we can eat today. That gives us even more reason to celebrate. Happy Hanukkah!

How To Have A Happy And Healthy Hanukkah

Deep fried latkes and donuts have taken center stage in many Hanukkah celebrations. But, should they? Today, many people like to give at least a nod to healthier eating, even during the holidays.

And, strictly speaking, eating foods saturated in fat, even olive oil, is not paying close attention to the Torah. Remembering the miracle of the Menorah by using olive oil in our food is an important part of Hanukkah.
However, understanding the significance of the olive oil is crucial to preserving the true tradition of the miracle.

Pure Pressed Olive Oil

The flames of the Menorah, which God allowed to burn for eight days on one flask of oil, were fueled by pure pressed olive oil. The Torah tells us that the olives were pressed to release only the first, the purest drops of oil to be used in the Menorah. The remainder of the olives were crushed in the usual manner to produce large quantities of olive oil for cooking.

Harmful Behaviors

The Torah teaches us that we should avoid harmful behaviors, such as eating unhealthy foods. That's why it's a bit difficult to understand how eating piles of deep fried foods can possibly pay tribute to the miracle of the Menorah or faithfully celebrate Hanukkah. We know that olive oil is a healthy type of oil. But using large quantities of any oil, even olive oil, negates the health benefits.

Healthier Traditions

It makes sense to honor the miracle of the Menorah by abstaining from unhealthy foods loaded with oil. Instead, use small amounts of pure-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil to make  healthier dishes. For instance, create a beautiful salad with fresh greens, goat cheese, and a homemade salad dressing using extra-virgin olive oil. Or drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced garden tomatoes, and fresh basil for a caprese salad that is delicious and healthy.

Even latkes can be made healthier. Honor the traditions of Hanukkah while enjoying a crispy potato latke by baking them instead of deep frying. A little bit of olive oil can go a long way in this type of healthy recipe. Even those filled donuts we love can be made over to more closely honor the true tradition of Hanukkah. You can tweak many of your old recipes to make the donuts smaller, oven bake them, and fill them with smashed fresh fruit and cream cheese instead of sugary jarred jelly.

Celebrating the miracle of the Menorah while avoiding excessive indulgence in oil-drenched food seems to make sense after all. The purest of all olive oil should be enjoyed and held in reverence during Hanukkah. Not only is tradition respected, but the true teachings and meanings of Hanukkah are upheld when we treat our body to a healthier celebration.

Keeping Your Kids Happy And Healthy This Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, many of us think about our own need to stay healthy and active. We picture the parties, the cookies, the egg nog... and we give out a short sigh. There goes the diet.

But, we aren't the only ones with sweet treats piled high before us, tempting us to dig in and enjoy. Our kids are bombarded with goodies all season. Throughout Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, the volume of food we place on our tables is astounding.

We are celebrating, and food is certainly a big part of the festivities. While we adults can make some rational choices about our dietary intake, our kids don't have quite the same resolve. It's up to us to make healthy choices easier for them. Let's take a look at a few ideas for holiday fun without all the sweet temptations.

Play Outside

A kid playing hard has little time to think about anything else. If you get your kids away from the table, away from the kitchen, and away from the house, they will do what kids do - forget and focus on the here and now.

No matter where you live and what the climate is like, there are things to do outside during these holidays. Depending on the age of your kids, you may have to do some if not all of the work preparing, but it will be well worth it.

If you have leaves, rake them up and give the kids free reign to jump and play and scatter the leaves. Get out the sidewalk chalk and decorate for the season. If you have snow, build a fort or a snowman, or have a snowball fight. Your kids will forget that plate of cookies if they get to pelt Pop square on the back with a snowball, I guarantee it.

Take a walk through the neighborhood to see the decorations. Sing songs. Window shop. Sit on a park bench and watch the people. Take turns making up stories about who they are and where they're going. Feed the ducks. Take those little feet away from the sweets at home.

Play Inside

It can be difficult to keep your little ones' attention away from sweets when you're inside. The trick is to plan games that require some thought and even some action. The game Twister comes to mind for indoor action, but there are many games for all ages that are great for keeping kids busy.

Choose thoughtful games such as charades, drawing games, or word games. Games that make your kids think and give them some good belly-laughs are perfect for keeping their minds off the sweets. Treasure hunts are especially engaging and can be played by all ages, with a little help. Be sure to have the treasure a non-food related treat and something everyone will enjoy.

You can easily play I Spy games indoors, or hide-and-seek, or other easy games with a variety of ages. Card games are versatile, too. There are so many options, it's hard to choose sometimes. You could also ask your kids to create their own game.

Don't forget crafts. Get out the bin of odds and ends and let their imagination run wild. Or plan a specific craft to make a product to give as a gift to a relative or friend of the family. Of course, video games are fun and certainly an option for some families. But, remember, they must be engaging for the whole family and keep little fingers and minds busy.

Now, after a day of fun activities both outdoors and indoors, when it comes time to enjoy a sweet treat, your kids will enjoy it even more. Happy Holidays!

How To Stay Focused And Have A Healthy Happy Thanksgiving

Compared to other holidays in America, it seems that our Thanksgiving has taken on a tradition of over-indulgence. The table is filled from sunup to sundown with food. Lots of food. And eating plates piled high with all sorts of goodies is not only not discouraged, it's encouraged!

This is a celebration of abundance! We are supposed to remember the First Thanksgiving, when the settlers and native tribes joined together to partake in the great gifts the autumn harvest had to offer. A joyous time with plenty to eat was something to celebrate, indeed.

Today, even when we have enough to eat every day, we still take this holiday to dig in and wallow in the abundance set in front of us on the Thanksgiving table. This can, and does, cause some dietary distress and overall health problems for many of us.

Therefore, this Thanksgiving, let's enjoy the feast without sacrificing our health. Here are few things we can do to stay focused while celebrating this holiday.

Focus on People

This is a good holiday to reconnect with family and friends. Talk to the people in your life and find out what they think about, how they feel, and what they've been doing. We all get so busy, it's these times when we get to slow down and take a friend or family member's hand and tell them we want to be a part of their life. And, maybe it's the time Aunt Gertrude finally shares her secret recipe with you for the perfect pumpkin pie!

Focus on Fun

What better way to reconnect with family and friends than by playing games? Whether it's a board game, card game, video game, or some kind of sports, the focus is on the fun. This makes it easy to talk, laugh, and share something about yourself. You can even use dinner time games as a way to have fun. Fill little cups with mints and ask each guest to share something they're thankful for for each mint in their cup. Little moments form memories, and these moments come naturally when gathered together just to have fun.

Focus on Food

Yes, of course we still want to enjoy the feast. But instead of building a mountain of food on your plate, take small portions and focus on each dish. Pay homage to every morsel the cooks have put together to please their guests. Your hosts will be tickled to see you slowly nibbling on small portions of all the delicious dishes presented, and your diet will remain on track when you keep your portions under control.

Focus on Fitness

The party is over. Tummies are full. It's time to get up and move. I know the desire to lay down and sleep is sometimes overwhelming, but the indigestion and regrets are not worth giving into the temptation. After dinner, gather up your group and take a walk around the block. Your full belly may not allow for a rousing game of volleyball, but certainly it will appreciate a good stretch of the legs. This post-dinner walk is not only good for the digestion, it lifts spirits and brings smiles to tired faces. And you don't feel like you sacrificed all your good exercising history with one big meal.

Just because a holiday is about abundance, doesn't mean we have to give in to over-indulging. Let's be thankful for the good things we have in our life and on our table, and celebrate by staying focused on those special things. Happy Thanksgiving!

Healthy Chinese Cuisine FOr Your Kids

Introduce Your Kids To Healthy Chinese Cuisine Right At Home

Forget that mushy carry-out stuff you've been getting. That is not the Chinese cuisine you or your kids want, or need. Chinese food is, or can be, healthy, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Yes, you can make it at home, simply, and your kids will love it and ask for more.

Let's take a look at a few ideas for cooking healthy delicious kid-friendly Chinese dishes right in your own kitchen, without a lot of fuss.

Apple Carrot Happy Soup

Your kids will be more than happy to eat a bowl of soup with apples in it. Use a vegetable stock or chicken stock, add slices of carrots and apples, some fresh green parsley, little strips of chicken, and top with bean sprouts or chopped chestnuts or other crunchy topping your kids will like. For extra nutrients, remember; don't peel the apples before you add them to the soup.

Rainbow Wrapper Bowls

Take spring roll wrappers and tuck individual pieces in the cups of a lightly oiled muffin tin. Bake them in a moderate oven for just a minute or two until the spring roll wrappers get lightly browned and crispy. Remove and let cool. Now you can fill the little 'bowls' with any mixture of ingredients you like.

 Chop some cucumber, red bell pepper, tomato, and onion very fine, throw in some edamame, then toss with a drizzle of sweet chili sauce and a little soy sauce, fill the bowls and enjoy. Or, you can put different ingredients out and have everyone make their own 'bowl' of goodness.

Wild Wontons

If your kids are fried food fans, go ahead and give them what they want, only healthier. Buy wonton wraps, then create a filling that focuses on nutrition. Finely chop lots of vegetables, any combination you like, including fresh herbs and greens like kale and spinach. You can add finely chopped nuts, too, along with cooked meat or tofu. Then add an egg to the mixture and stir until well blended.

Fill the wontons and wrap them up tightly, then quick fry them in a high heat oil in your wok, remove them to a cooling rack and serve. They are crispy and delicious, and your kids won't even know they're eating a healthier version of their carry-out favorite.

Piled High Stir Fry Noodles

This is another recipe that uses nutritious foods to counteract the frying process. First, you'll want to cook some good quality thin egg noodles according to the package directions, drain and set aside. Now, finely chop lots and lots of vegetables. In true Chinese cuisine style, cut a variety of vegetables into similar sized thin strips to create a harmonious appearance.

Heat a small amount of high-heat oil in your wok and quickly stir-fry the noodles, then remove and set aside. Add just a tiny bit more oil and add in the vegetables, stirring just until tender. Now add the noodles back in and stir everything together briefly, then serve. The quick frying means only a small amount of oil is used, or absorbed, and the vegetables maintain their nutrients, color, and texture. Kids get their noodles and you get the satisfaction knowing they get their veggies, too.

You don't have to serve your kids piles of salty, mushy carry-out goop trying to pass for Chinese food. Instead, create these simple dishes at home and your kids will dig right in without a moment's thought about missing the carry-out!

Creating Great Meals From Your Home Garden

Turn Your Garden Harvest Into A Meal In Minutes

Planting a vegetable garden is work – perhaps a lot of work. Depending on the scale of your operation, you have your hands full during the growing season. What with planning, tilling, planting, weeding, watering, and more weeding, and more watering, there doesn't seem to be much time left over to relax and enjoy the results.

After all that work, when it's time to harvest, you want to get to the eating part fast! Let's look at a few ideas for dishes you can quickly prepare from both your summer garden and your fall garden.

Summer Garden Soup

Don't wait for the fall harvest to create soups. The summer garden provides ample opportunity to serve up big pots of satisfying soups. Cold soups are a great time saver, and so delicious and refreshing after a day spent in the garden. Pick ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions and you have the basis for a cold soup such as gazpacho. Blended sweet pea soup is another favorite. Get out your blender, or invest in an immersion blender, and throw your summer vegetables in to make creamy cold soups that are filling and ready in minutes.

Summer Garden Salad

Of course, salad ingredients are there for the picking right under your nose. But, don't forget some of the less obvious choices in your garden. Pea vines are becoming very popular in salads. They have a very delicate flavor and are so economical, and prolific! Also, those zucchini don't have to get gigantic before you can eat them. Pick tiny zucchini, and the blossoms, too, and use them in salads for a delicious and pretty addition to your meals.

Walk around your summer garden and you'll find tender greens, blossoms, and all sorts of young sprouts to quickly pluck and add to your salad; ingredients like baby broccoli buds, tiny beets clinging to their tender greens, and itchy-bitsy radishes. Just wash them up and toss them into a salad. Cucumbers can also be the star of a salad, not just a bit player. A big bowl of young cucumbers, sliced and marinated with fresh herbs, vinegar, and olive oil is a wonderful treat on a hot summer day.

Fall Garden Soup

When the season changes and nights start getting colder, you need a nice bowl of hot soup to finish off the day. But, you don't have to stand in front of the stove for hours to make a soup that's satisfying. When the vegetables are right out of the garden, the flavors will do the magic without hours of cooking. Harvest an armful of squash, onions, beans, carrots, rutabaga, potatoes, and any other vegetables you can pick or dig, then scrub and dice them. The trick here is to roast them for a few minutes to sweeten and intensify the flavor, then throw them in a big pot with water or broth and simmer for just a few minutes. When the vegetables are tender, it's time to dig in.

Fall Garden Salad

It may seem like summer is the time for salads, but not when you have such lovely fresh fall vegetables to choose from. For a delightful cold salad, cut beets in half and roast them just until knife tender, then peel them, dice them and refrigerate. Once they are cold, toss the beets in a bowl with chopped onion, vinegar or salad dressing, then top with some crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese.

Any fall vegetable such as squash, sweet potatoes, or even pumpkin can be diced and roasted and then tossed with tangy oil and vinegar dressing for a filling salad. If you have the end of the season tomatoes still hanging on, you can blend those, strain the juice, and create lovely creamy dressings. And check your pepper plants! You may be surprised with a few that have turned a gorgeous red color and are just waiting to be chopped up and tossed in with a big bowl of shredded cabbage.

Walk around your garden any season and think about what you could do with your harvest without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It's really quite easy to turn your fresh produce into delicious soups and salads without fussing with lots of ingredients or preparation. A well tended garden will always provide satisfying meals in minutes – all it needs is your imagination!

Creating Healthy Harvest Soups Kids Will Love

Digging into a big pot of hearty vegetable soup might seem like the perfect meal to end a busy day, but not necessarily of you're a kid. It seems a kid's taste in soup is often limited to chicken noodle soup out of a can. When it comes to serving healthier soups, kids don't always appreciate your delicious creations.

Feeding kids a healthier bowl of soup can be tricky since most nutritious soups have a fair amount of vegetables in them. And kids tend to turn their noses up at vegetables, so it's pretty hard to get them to even try a bowl of soup that contains more than broth and noodles. Let's take a look at a few tricks to create a nutritious soup loaded with nutrients that even the fussiest kids will try.

Ranch Style Soup

As most parents know, dipping vegetables in creamy Ranch style dressing usually results in the kids ingesting at least some nutrition. Why not use this trick to serve a whole bowl of soup filled with vegetables? Cook up a batch of broccoli, for instance, then throw it in the blender and puree it until smooth. Now, sprinkle in a little bit of dry Ranch style dip seasoning and some milk, and puree again. Crush some whole wheat crackers into the bowl for a bit of crunch.

Your kid may think they are eating a whole bowl of Ranch style dressing, but you know better. This trick works with any vegetable you can puree. However, if you prefer a chunky soup, just simmer chopped vegetables in broth until tender, then add Ranch style seasoning, milk, and stir. It's the flavor of the seasoning that will grab, and keep, a kid's attention.

Sweet Surprise Soup

Take a dessert or sweet side dish and turn it into soup. Pumpkin is a good example of a vegetable that most kids equate with dessert. Use plain canned pumpkin and flavor with spices and a pinch of sugar to taste. Or, you can dice a cooking (sugar) pumpkin and simmer until tender, then puree until smooth. Add a swirl of heavy cream to the top of the bowl for a pretty soup presentation, and sprinkle with cinnamon or allspice.

You can also use sweet potatoes in the same way, mimicking a sweet potato casserole. Add a generous sprinkling of crushed pecans to complete this nutritious soup that also happens to be just sweet enough to please a picky eater.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

If chicken noodle soup out of a can is the only soup your child will even consider eating, why not give in – sort of.  To make the leap to a more nutritious option, begin by making broth at home with lots of fresh garden vegetables. Simmer a variety of vegetables to get the most nutrients you can right in the broth itself.

Use carrots, celery, onion, parsnips, kale, turnips, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, zucchini, yellow squash, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and anything else you can pull or dig out of the garden. Simmer these vegetables until they are completely soft, then strain and set the solids aside to puree later for another soup.

Use the super-vegetable broth to make a more nutritious noodle soup. Add even more nutrition by choosing whole wheat, spinach, or sun-dried tomato noodles. Your child gets the beloved noodle soup, and you get the satisfaction of knowing it's loaded with nutrition.

Look at your kids' eating habits right now. No matter what they like to eat, you can usually find a way to re-create those eating habits into new healthier habits. It takes a bit of imagination and, let's admit it, a bit of trickery, but it's all worth it. Soon you'll be feeding your kids healthy soups they will actually eat, and enjoy!

Quick Tips For Creating Healthy Harvest Soups

Stock Your Kitchen With These Staples To Create Your Healthy Harvest Soups

Have you ever had a quick and easy soup recipe become slow and difficult? It's usually not that the recipe is more complicated than you thought, but that the kitchen is missing a few ingredients. Yes, those simple soup recipes are often written by folks who assume the cook has prepared their kitchen with the basics. But, many of us have not.

In order to make simple recipes work, there are some ingredients you'll need to keep in your kitchen. Let's take a look at kitchen staples that will help you speed through any simple soup  recipe and make it even simpler.

Broth

This ingredient seems almost like a given, but some cooks still have not gotten used to having chicken, vegetable, or beef broth on hand at all times. You can, of course, get by with water as a base for your simple soup recipe, but broth adds so much flavor it would be a shame not to take advantage of this kitchen staple.

You can buy canned or boxed broth, but you may want to make your own to save money. Plan a day to simmer chicken, vegetables, or a beef bone for hours and you'll have a rich broth ready when you are. If standing over a pot doesn't thrill you, just throw the ingredients in your crockpot and let it cook all day. Either way, creating big quantities of broth and having it in the freezer is a big help when it comes time to make your quick soups and stews.

Chopped Vegetables

Soup making time can be cut drastically when you prepare at least some of the vegetables ahead of time and store them. These vegetables would include the ones we use most often as the basis for any soup – onion, celery, carrots, etc. As soon as you get home from the grocery store, wash and dice these vegetables, then store separately in zipper food bags either in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

Then, when the recipe calls for the standard “saute onion, celery, and carrots” step, you are ahead of the game. Stopping to chop these basic vegetables takes time, which is something we are trying to avoid by making simple soups to begin with. This is a kitchen staple everyone needs to keep on hand.

Seasoning Blends

It doesn't matter what the blend is, having a favorite pre-mixed seasoning blend of any kind or flavor helps the busy cook with the creative process. Instead of stopping to search, measure, or think about substitutions, grab a seasoning blend you like and sprinkle it in the soup. It's like decorating a house; if you buy the styles you like, the house will look nicely decorated. That's because we all tend to lean toward the same styles over and over, making the house unified and pleasing to your taste.

Likes and dislikes in flavors and seasonings are the same. Use seasonings you find tasty and your soup will please you, too. Once you find a seasoning blend you like, or several blends you like, stock up. Now when you are following a recipe that has a list of spices as long as your arm, you can skip the frustration and grab your favorite seasoning blend and move on.

Any Starch

A quick and easy soup recipe can sometimes be on the watery side. Part of this may be because there just isn't a lot of cooking time involved, or a lot of ingredients, or both. Some recipes solve this by turning the soup into a blender to puree. This works just fine, but there are soup recipes you might want to serve chunky.

 Keep potatoes, pasta, and rice on hand to add body to your soup. These starches will thicken the broth without adding a lot of extra work. You can even keep dried potato flakes in your pantry and simply sprinkle into the soup if you don't want to bother peeling potatoes and waiting for them to cook. Both pasta and rice can be added to the soup raw or cooked, but raw will provide a little more thickening power.

These kitchen staples are particularly helpful when making simple soup recipes. Be sure to have the basics on hand in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer and you can have your soup on the table quickly and easily, just like the recipe says!

Make Healthy Southern Dishes With These Tips

Cooking Healthier In The Deep South

Mention the term "southern cooking" to most people and you'll find the belief that this style of cooking is all about deep fried fat and sugar. Although some of our favorite southern recipes may include those elements, they don't all, or they don't all have to.

Let's take a look at a few ways we can cook southern style dishes a bit healthier.

Fried Chicken

Of course, a piece of fried chicken that's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside is a delight. But, watching that chicken swimming around in a vat of fat can be a bit unnerving.

We can reduce the fat in a few ways that won't sacrifice flavor. Begin by skipping the saturated fat entirely. These are the fats that are solid at room temperature. Choose other oils for frying your chicken that are liquid, such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, or grapeseed oil. No matter what oil you use (note: extra-virgin olive oil is not for high heats) take the chicken out and drain it well. The idea is to ingest the least amount of oil as possible.

Skip the thick batters, too. A light dusting of flour and seasonings should be all that is needed for a crispy coating. If you want, dip the chicken in buttermilk before you flour the pieces. Buttermilk, unlike it sounds, is naturally low in fat.

If you want to eliminate even more fat, skip the deep frying entirely and switch to oven frying the chicken. The trick here is to make sure the chicken is on a rack before it goes into the oven. Make sure you bake the chicken long enough to cook the insides. You can start at a lower temperature then raise it up to crisp the outsides. Try rolling the chicken pieces in a little cornmeal before oven frying for a different texture and taste.

And don't forget the seasoning! When you oven fry, all that good spicy seasoning will stay put, so be careful but experiment until you get the flavor you want.

Gumbo

This southern classic usually involves lots of fat and flour. If you are trying to avoid either, or both, you can still make a pot of gumbo, but you need to tweak your ingredients.

The beginning of a good gumbo is a good roux. Some cooks use butter or animal fat and white flour. You can, however, use a different mixture and still get good results.

Start with the healthiest oil for your diet. This may be peanut oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil. The oil you choose will need to be a high-heat oil, meaning it won't burn easily. Then choose a healthier flour, such as brown rice flour or whole wheat flour. You will have a slightly different roux from what may be traditional, but the flavor is what matters.

You can also skip most of the fat entirely. Since roux is a thickener, you can replace it in your gumbo if you wish by adding other thickeners like okra or file powder. Fresh okra can be fried in the pot in the beginning before adding the Holy Trinity (onion, green pepper, celery) and it will start to thicken the gumbo in a fashion similar to roux. File powder can be sprinkled in at the end which will thicken and tighten everything up.

But, what about the flavor of a traditional roux? Some cooks fry sausage in the pot to create some brown bits in the bottom before making the gumbo. This echoes the deep flavors of the roux. Paprika can also add color and more flavor.

Don't forget the old refrigeration trick. Just put your cooled gumbo in the refrigerator overnight and when you take it out the next day, skim off the fat layer that has formed on top. This one trick will remove a lot of fat without disturbing the flavor in the least.

Sweet Tea

This southern classic is difficult to tweak a lot, but, there are a few things you can try. First, make your sweet tea at home. When you order sweet tea at a restaurant, you are most likely drinking a mass-produced version. This is loaded with syrups and sugars you don't need or want. If you are dining out, order “un-sweet tea” and add your own sweetener so you have control.

If you make a pitcher of sweet tea at home, be sure to steep it no longer than 15 minutes. If you want stronger tea, use more tea bags, don't steep it longer. Pour the boiling water into a jar or pitcher, then add the tea bags and shake a bit to make sure they submerge. Set the timer for 15 minutes, then remove the tea bags and discard. Do not squeeze the tea bags. Doing so will only send bitter tastes into the pitcher, and it's these tastes you will over-sweeten to compensate for.

Immediately stir in about half the sweetener you would normally, and continue stirring until the sweetener is completely dissolved. Let the tea sit for a few minutes after stirring, then stir again and taste. You would be amazed how many people put too much sugar in their tea because they are impatient to drink it. The sweetness seems to develop if it is allowed to sit for a couple minutes.

You can use any sweetener you like when you make your own sweet tea at home. Try natural sweeteners, even honey, if you like. But, no matter what you use, start with half the amount you think you need.
Another trick is to add mint to your sweet tea. Some folks keep adding sugar to hide a bitter taste in the tea, but actually mint will do the same thing. Of course, you can avoid this whole bitter thing if you remember not to steep the tea too long and skip squeezing the tea bags.

These are just a few ways to make southern classics a bit healthier. Depending on your particular dietary needs, you may be able to tweak even more dishes to suit your tastes. Of course, moderation is the key with anything, so if a little fat or sugar is used in a southern dish, just keep portion control in mind. It all goes together when you're trying to eat healthier, but still enjoy some good ol' southern cooking!

Tips For Healthier Eating

What's On Your Plate? A Healthier Eating Guide

There has been much debate over the validity and usefulness of the new food guideline called MyPlate. Developed to replace, or at least augment, MyPyramid, MyPlate continues the personal approach (My), but dialed the complexity back several notches. This was intended to provide a more easily understood diagram, especially targeting children. With the simple diagram of a plate and cup divided between five food groups, children could take part in their own healthy eating patterns.

As simple concepts go, this is great. But, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Where are the oils? What kind of grains should you eat? Are any proteins a good choice? Is milk necessary at every meal?

By just putting a little more thought into the MyPlate graphic, we can come up with a more detailed nutritional guide. Let's take a look at the divided plate and see how we can improve it.

Vegetables

Divide your plate in half, and fill most of that half with very colorful vegetables. Bright colors equal nutrient rich foods. Do not include white potatoes in this portion of your plate, unless it's a small amount. Better yet, make those potatoes sweet potatoes. Remember, it's about the color.

Fruits

Fill the rest of that half of your plate with brightly colored fruits and berries. You want to choose a wide variety of colors in order to receive lots of nutrients. Bananas and apples are good, but they are not colorful. Branch out beyond these familiar fruits and explore all the colors you can find. Remember, frozen fruit and berries are a healthy option.

Whole Grains

You'll notice we changed the name from the MyPlate group called 'grains.' We want grains to be whole and as unrefined as possible. Limit refined grains (like white bread or white rice) to a bare minimum. An occasional cupcake is fine, but on a daily basis, keep your cereals, breads, pasta, and rice brown and whole for optimum nutrition. Whole grains should make up one-quarter of your plate.

Healthy Protein

Again, you'll notice a name change. The food group 'protein' is way too general. We want you to strictly limit your red meat and processed meats such as bacon and cold cuts. This one-quarter of your plate should be filled most often with fish, poultry, beans, and nuts. Occasionally lean meat can be served, but only occasionally.

Water

Yes, we've done it again. That glass of milk has been changed to water. It is not that milk should be totally avoided. However, one or two servings of dairy is sufficient, while water should be on the table at every meal. You will also want to have one glass of juice per day, but should avoid sugary drinks, including sugary fruit juices.

Healthy Oils

We have actually added a 'food group' to our plate. Now we have a little bottle of oil on the table. This signifies 'healthy oils' that should be included in our diet. Olive oil, canola oil, and other plant oils for cooking or salads is a good choice. Oils like butter should be limited, and saturated fats should be eliminated.

Stay Active

Many of the earlier food group guidelines added exercise, or staying active, as an important part of healthy living. Eating healthy is only part of the equation. Staying active, having a fitness routine, or just moving around, completes a well-rounded nutrition program, and that is why we added staying active back into our guideline.

MyPlate is a good tool to get kids and adults thinking about how their meal should look. But, it doesn't go far enough. Each individual should design their own plate with more specific, healthier choices laid out in more detail. You can call it My Own Plate, or My Own Pyramid, or whatever you choose. No matter what you call it, just start making healthier choices now to live a healthier life forever!

Make Your Next Salad Shine With These Super Foods!

Take Your Simple Salad To Super Food Status

When looking for a quick nutritious dish, many of us turn to the old reliable bowl of salad. It's quick and easy, especially if you use all the handy bags of salad makings. But a bag of lettuce doesn't exactly win prizes when it comes to nutrition. Nor does it fill you up and keep you satisfied for long.

So how do you turn a quick salad into a nutritious salad? Let's take a look at a few ways to take that simple salad up a notch or two.

Greens

We might as well start at the beginning. The most basic salad can be better when you choose healthier greens. Just like any vegetable, the darker the greens, the more nutrients they offer. Don't limit your greens, whether lettuce or others, to one color or variety. You can find packages of mixed greens that offer choices, or you can create your own healthier blend of greens.

If you have some standard iceberg lettuce, go ahead and use it for the splendid crunch, but mix in some other greens like escarole, frisee, or even baby spinach. Don't forget to try some mustard greens for a spicy kick. And, all these greens offer lots of nutrients that our favorite iceberg lettuce does not.

Veggies

Look at your refrigerator and pantry. Are there vegetables lurking there? Perhaps there are veggies that you might not have even considered for a salad. Maybe you don't have a fresh tomato or cucumber. What would a salad be without these two veggies? Wait and see!

Grab a carrot and peel pretty shavings into the salad bowl. Chop up those celery tops you've been saving for soup. Do you have frozen okra, corn, green beans, or sweet peas? Toss them in. If you need to have a bit of tomato but don't have a fresh one, don't despair. Open a can of diced tomatoes and spoon out a few. The flavor will surprise and delight. Don't let the idea of a 'side salad' keep you from adding any vegetable you want to your new and improved salad.

Proteins

Here's where the nutrition takes another leap. If we're talking about taking nutrition up another notch, we have to mention protein. No meal is complete without a good amount of protein. But, in a salad, you need to be creative.

Chop up cooked chicken, fish, or meat and throw it in. But, don't stop there. Remember to hard-boil some eggs, mash them up, and sprinkle on top. A can of white Albacore tuna, flaked slightly, makes a delicious and nutritious addition. Skip the croutons and add nuts for protein and crunch. Rinsed canned beans or oven baked crispy garbanzo beans are another protein rich source. Cheese is another good source of nutrition. Use shredded hard cheese like Parmesan or crumbled soft cheese like Bleu cheese for interesting flavor, texture, and nutrition.

Fruits and Berries

When you're looking for super salads, look no further than fruits and berries. Choose first for color and then for taste. You really can't lose when you add any sweet fruits and berries to a cold, crispy bowl of greens.
Strawberries, orange segments, and tart apples are just the beginning. Include some fresh pineapple, mango, or pomegranate to the list and your salad will be full of color and nutrition. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries add lots of antioxidants and make any salad stand out.

With any nutritious dish, salads are best when you combine flavors, textures, and colors all together in one arrangement. Consider combining all these elements when you choose your ingredients and you will be guaranteed a successful super salad!

Nutritional Tips You Need To Know

Take A Trip Through The Nutritional Guide Timeline

If you attended grade school any time during the last half century, you are familiar with one form or another of a guide to proper nutrition. These guides included a variety of shapes, lists, and patterns that were designed to educate the public about dietary needs for the individual.

Depending on the decade, and in some instances the group designing and promoting a particular guide, you would find differing emphasis on certain food groups. Let's take a look at the changes in food guides through the years.

1920s and 1930s - Keeping in mind that during this time refrigeration in homes was not commonplace, many of the guidelines were focused on safety. Food groups were established by nutritionists, but since this period in time was during the Great Depression, there were allowances for cheaper ways to feed the family. This did not always constitute the healthiest choices if we use what we know today about red meat, saturated fats, and sugars.

1940s - This decade's food guidelines were influenced by World War II. The 'Basic Seven' food groups introduced in the wheel graphic coincided conveniently with war rationing coupons. An interesting oddity in this food group wheel is that it was very specific about what foods to eat.

 For instance, instead of a group called "fruit and vegetables," in this guideline the group is called "citrus fruit, tomatoes, raw cabbage." There is also a group called "butter and fortified margarine" and one called "milk, cheese, and ice cream." However, you will not find serving sizes in this guideline. It just recommends that you have a number of servings from each group and that you "Eat This Way Every Day."

1950s to 1970s - In this guide we drop from seven food groups to four in order to simplify. The focus during these decades turned to fitness and adequate nutrition for health. Now we are given serving size suggestions within the four food groups (milk, meat, vegetable and fruit, and bread and cereal). However, there is no mention of sugars or fats.

1970s and 1980s - During these decades, a fifth food group is introduced as a means of informing consumers not to consume too much of a good thing. This food group covered sugars, fats, and alcohol. In the 1980s the Red Cross developed a graphic wheel design which included goals for nutrition as well as for moderation. Serving sizes were calculated for different caloric needs of an individual. This 'Food Wheel' was very much the inspiration for the Food Pyramid.

1990s - The Food Guide Pyramid took the graphic approach to a whole new level. Now the portions were easily understood at a glance. The largest servings per day were at the bottom, building upward to what we want as the smallest servings. This guide laid  out portions based on calories and set goals for optimum nutrition as well as moderation. This guideline added nuts to the meat group, but otherwise remained basically the same as the Food Wheel.

2005 - Aside from the new vertical design, the food guide called MyPyramid, continued along the same basic lines. However, this guide did add oils to the foods list and added physical activity along with twelve calorie levels as additional concepts when considering an individual's nutritional needs. As you can see, the food guidelines were getting more complex, again.

2011 - Many see the introduction of the MyPlate food guideline as a return to the less complex system from the 1940s. Here we have an easily understood graphic of a plate and cup. The plate and cup are divided and labeled with 5 different food groups - vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and dairy.

 By glancing at the illustration, we notice a couple changes from the previous guidelines. The most notable is the "fats, sugars, alcohol" food group is gone, losing the lesson in moderation and replacing it with abstinence. The other change is the grains food group has now fallen from its lead role, being replaced by vegetables.

MyPlate does not indicate serving numbers or sizes. However, this graphic is backed up by a website that offers all this detailed nutritional information and more. The graphic itself does what it intended - it made nutrition easy enough for a child to understand.

As you can see, throughout the years our understanding of a healthy diet has changed. The important thing to remember is that we are constantly studying and learning what constitutes good nutrition. Keeping abreast of these changes is what families need to do to eat well and enjoy good health for a lifetime!

Use These Tips ForSolving The Nutrition Puzzle

Ask a dozen people what their definition of nutrition is and you will likely get a dozen different answers. Is it possible that nutrition is that puzzling? Or is there another reason why such a wide range of answers should exist?

The answer is both. Nutrition can be puzzling AND there is a reason why nutrition cannot be generalized. Let's take a look at this complicated and puzzling question.

Complications and Changing Times

Human bodies are complicated. We are made up of many 'systems' that form our one body. I know you learned these in school, but let's recap just to remind ourselves of all the ways we need to feed our body. Our body's systems are: skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, digestive, endrocrine, nervous, respiratory, lymphatic, urinary, and reproductive. Whew! Is it any wonder why finding the right nutritional balance is a bit confusing? And, even though we all share the same systems, we all start out genetically different, we live in different climates, and we live in different cultures. This all complicates things further by predisposing us to a vast range of nutritional needs.

We must add to this confusion the fact that science changes. What is believed to be nutritious one year, decade, or century, may be considered less than healthy during another time. Browse any of the popular ephemera websites to see just how far health and nutrition changes throughout the centuries. It wasn't long ago that alcohol and tobacco were used in elixirs and powders claiming to promote good health.

As you can see, our perception of nutrition and health changes over time - sometimes with scientific studies and sometimes with common sense. Either way, we live and learn and slowly we become more knowledgeable about nutrition and healthy lifestyles.

Piecing Together The Puzzle

With all those systems in our body and so many changes in what nutrition really involves, how can we ever figure out how to eat a well balanced diet? You may be disappointed to hear that there are no simple answers. Remember, the body is complicated and science changes facts on us all the time.

So, how DO we piece together the nutrition puzzle? The best answer we have is to take one piece at a time and see if it fits our particular lifestyle. There is a reason why a wide range of definitions for a nutritionally balanced diet exists, and that reason is we are individuals. Each person possesses a particular set of nutritional needs uniquely their own.

For example, modern scientific studies have shown that a person who exerts a lot of energy either working or playing needs complex carbohydrates to burn. A person who is building muscle needs a lot of protein. A person with a weakened or compromised immune system will need extra antioxidants in their diet. People who have limited sunlight would need another source of vitamin D.

This is just a small example of how individuals might benefit from specifically designed diets focusing on certain nutrients. Within each of these groups, you may have people of varying ages, too. A child's nutritional needs are definitely different from an older person's needs. Women and men have different nutritional needs, as well.

If you're ready to launch yourself into eating the most nutritionally balanced diet known to man, you just have to remember that one person's super-nutritional diet may not be right for you. Begin your research by first piecing together your body's own unique needs. Then take a good look at your lifestyle. Only then will the nutritional puzzle come together for you!

Tips For Fast And Nutritious Meals

Nutritious Fast Food For A Frenzied Family

Let's face it - the sit down meal at 5 o'clock just isn't going to happen in your house tonight, or most nights, or maybe any night. A typical family evening may not see all the family members together until it's time to say goodnight. Between work, school, sports, clubs, music, and other activities, we are on the go from sun-up to sun-down, and beyond.

Once everyone gets their activities on the family's calendar, you can make your schedule and everything turns out just fine, right? Wrong. As you are traveling through your day, you notice nutrition has taken a back seat.
If most days are spent taking one or more trips through the drive-thru fast food place or calling in for pizza delivery, you know no one is eating a balanced diet. This is detrimental to your family's health and happiness. But, is there a way to change this? Yes. Let's take a look at some suggestions for having nutritious food ready and waiting for your frenzied family to grab and go.

Wrap It Up

This is one meal that satisfies everyone and is so easy to make and to store. Keep the ingredients simple, and don't use anything like lettuce, cucumbers, or tomatoes, or other things that wilt or get watery if you want the wraps to last for a while.

Use good whole grain, sundried tomato, or spinach tortillas. Spread hummus in the middle and top with shredded cooked chicken, black beans, or other protein like fish or tofu. You can include chopped bell peppers or celery, or cooked brown rice or quinoa. Just remember, if you want the wraps to last, limit the vegetables to non-runny kinds. Wrap these up into burrito shapes, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. You may want to wrap them up again in aluminum foil to make them easier to transport.

Chicken Bites

Make a big batch of chicken fingers and store them in the refrigerator for an easy, protein rich meal. But, you don't just want a bowl of chicken sitting there. Create small grab-and-go meals that are fast and nutritious.
Most kids like to dip chicken in dressing of some sort. Make your own healthier version of Ranch style dip using yogurt and lots of herbs. You may also like to make some spicy salsa style dip with fresh tomatoes. When you package up your homemade chicken fingers with a couple dips alongside, this fast food seems more like a meal. Don't forget to include a biscuit and your kid-on-the-run will have a full tummy in no time.

Tex Mex Meal

Black beans are an excellent source of nutrition that can be used in countless ways to make a fast meal. Expand the classic black bean dip you might enjoy at a Mexican restaurant to a more filling dish.

Lightly smash some rinsed black beans in a big bowl, add diced tomatoes, salsa, corn, chopped avocado, onion, and any other ingredients that sound good to you. Mix and chill. Divide the dip into little bowls, then package up with a couple handfuls of good whole wheat tortilla chips. Remember, black beans are loaded with protein and dietary fiber, so even though this dish is often considered a snack, with all that goodness going on in there, it is really a full-meal-deal.

Those are just three nutritious dishes that you can have ready and waiting for your busy family to grab anytime, day or night. It just goes to show you that you don't have to miss out on nutrition no matter how frenzied your family gets.

Easy Tips For Reading Nutrition Labels

New Nutrition Labels - Clarifying Confusion With Common Sense And Science

We've gotten so used to seeing nutrition labels on our food, does anyone even pay attention to them? The answer is; "Yes."  Since the 1960s, food labeling became the norm, rather than the exception. In the beginning, we saw foods mostly labeled for additives. The idea was to inform the consumer of ingredients they might prefer to avoid.

Then during the 1990s, a new focus was added; that was the idea that nutritional data was also important to consumers. New labeling terms were standardized so we could compare the claims made by food manufacturers. Terms like "low fat," "light," and "no sugar added" were investigated and new guidelines were created.

All this led to the nutrition label we see today. Now we find facts for fats, calories, and  percentage of dietary values for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients based on a specific caloric intake. It's all very good, but we all know how confusing the labels are. We also know there are still some bits of information missing.

The New Nutrition Label

According to the FDA, change is good, especially when it comes to clarifying nutrition labels. The last update was in 1994, and a lot has changed since then. Popular opinion, common sense, and scientific studies all played a part in these changes.

Here is an example of common sense. If you've ever struggled with calculating serving sizes, you are not alone. The new labels are designed to take the fractions of servings out of choosing a food product. This change was brought about by one common sense notion; when we sit down with a soft-drink, we don't care if it's 16 ounces, 12 ounces, or 20 ounces. We are going to drink the whole thing.

It's simple. The old labels assume a certain number of ounces was a 'serving.' The new labels take into account that we are not drinking part of a bottle of soda at one sitting; we are drinking it all. The new label will read "1 serving per bottle" and list the ingredients, calories, and nutrient information for that one bottle, not a portion of it. Common sense and no more math.

Larger packages which you would divide will have two column labels; one with "per serving" and the other with "per package" information. Think about a bag of chips or pint of ice cream. A person may choose to eat the entire package. If so, that person may want to be aware of what is being ingested. On the other hand, that person may wish to divide that bag of chips into the serving sizes on the package so he or she can limit their caloric, or sodium, or sugar intake to the "per serving" amount.

Speaking of sugar, labels will now show "added sugars" as a separate category so the consumer won't have to try to calculate natural sugars that occur in a product versus added sugars. Until now, "sugars" was a combination of added and natural sugars. Consumers said they wanted to know how much of each, and this new label will address that issue.

Science is playing another big role in these new labels. Since studies show that many Americans are currently deficient in Vitamin D and potassium, these two nutrients will now have a featured spot on the new label. Vitamins A and C may keep their place if the food manufacturer wishes to highlight them, but they are not required any longer. The 'daily values' will change for things like sodium, lowering the percentage to reflect a recommendation to lower sodium to reduce high blood pressure.

The ever popular "calories from fat" will be eliminated. This is due to studies that indicate that weight gain is caused by the type of fat consumed, and not by the amount of calories from the fat. You will still find the boxes for "total fat," "trans fat," and "saturated fat" so you can make an informed decision about what sort of fat you want in your meal.

You will also see calories take center stage. With the new enlarged font, you won't have to search for the number of calories in that bag of cookies. And, as mentioned, the package will take into account most consumers habits and assume that most people don't stop at just one cookie.

These are all good changes. From the common sense soda serving example to the scientific research regarding calories from fat and vitamin D deficiencies, the labels will give the consumer more up to date information. And, with the more visible calorie count, it will be rather difficult to explain away eating an entire box of cookies or bag of chips and pretending you didn't know how many calories you just ate. I'm sure that never happens, but it is good to know. And, the more we know, the more likely we are to make healthier choices. Happy label reading!

Simple Tips For Cooking Nutritious Foods

Keep Your Tummy Full With These Simple Nutritious Foods

Having a good selection of nutritious foods in your refrigerator and pantry at all times is a great way to stay on track with your diet. Whether you are on a weight loss program or just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition is important to the success of both.

But even our best intentions for eating well can go off track when we get hungry. That bag of chips is mighty inviting when our tummy starts to rumble. And, you may have stocked up on celery sticks to snack on, but hunger pangs and celery sticks just don't go together.

There is good news. There are nutritious foods that satisfy even the hungriest among us. Yes, some foods are more filling than others. The trick is to find the foods that are also nutritious. That bag of chips IS filling, but it doesn't fit the bill when it comes to nutrition. Let's take a look at some foods that meet both requirements.

Protein

Research shows that high protein snacks satisfy hunger for reasons other than just filling the tummy. It is believed that both plant and animal protein act the same in our body to produce that full feeling. As proteins are digested, they release peptides which send a signal to the brain that tells the stomach to release glucose which acts as an appetite suppressant. In other words, you don't want to eat anymore because your tummy says it's full, not because there is a lot in there, but what's in there is giving the 'all's full' signal.

Adding protein to every meal and enjoying protein rich snacks is a great way to feel full and avoid the snack attacks. Nibble on nuts, cold chicken, or go ahead and give that celery stick a try, but just fill it with peanut butter.

Prunes

Don't be sidetracked with an image of your grandparents enjoying their prunes every morning. This is one snack that should be added to your nutritious diet for so many more reasons than that. If it helps, remember that prunes are just dried plums. There, is that better?

Dietary fiber is a great tool for filling an empty tummy, and we all know that prunes are loaded with fiber! An additional benefit to eating prunes is they also satisfy a sweet tooth. So if your snack attacks involve a pint of ice cream or a sleeve of Girl Scout Cookies, grab a handful of prunes instead. You will fill up fast and enjoy the nutrients that come along with this little dried plum.

Garbanzo Beans

We all know that beans are loaded with fiber, protein, and other nutrients. But sometimes we just don't want to sit down to a whole meal of beans, we just want to stop a snack attack in its tracks. Here's where a great garbanzo bean snack comes to the rescue.

Garbanzo beans are a protein and by virtue of being a protein will help your tummy send an "all full" signal to your brain. However, making a crunchy snack out of garbanzo beans does double duty. Just spread some rinsed garbanzo beans on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil over the top, and bake in a hot oven until they crisp up a bit, stirring around a little during this baking time. Remove, add salt, and let cool slightly. Now you have a protein AND a satisfying crunchy snack in the same bowl. If you crave potato chips at night when your tummy feels empty, grab some crunchy garbanzo beans and your craving will be over and, unlike potato chips, it won't come back.

Nuts

We mentioned nuts in the protein section, but there are other reasons to eat nuts when you need to get rid of that hungry feeling. One reason is the natural oils in the nuts work to create that full feeling. Studies show that natural, healthy oils have a satiating effect on the stomach, sending signals to the brain that actually help slow down the drop in blood sugar. And as we know, rapid blood sugar drops create hungry feelings fast.

Other reasons nuts keep us feeling fuller longer is they are loaded with fiber and provide a long lasting chewing sensation. It is almost impossible to eat nuts too fast. Choose whole almonds for your next snack and I guarantee you will enjoy a good long nibble that will keep you feeling full for a good long time.

These are just a few of the foods that will keep your tummy feeling fuller for a longer period of time. If you are on a weight loss program, this is important to stay on track. If you are concerned about eating a nutritious diet, all of these foods offer lots of nutrients along with filling up your tummy. When it comes to good nutrition, having a few of these foods in your house will go a long way to satisfying all your dietary needs.