Food. That's right food. My friend, my enemy.
This month's blog topic focuses on nutrition. Oddly enough I think I overdid it on food this week too. We had a great trip with a number of our local civic leaders to Arizona and Louisiana this week. It was ridiculous how much food we were offered. My self-control is pretty non-existant when it comes to eating. I figure that I workout so that I can eat, but this week was off the charts. I paid for it Tuesday and Wednesday. Time to get refocus!
I've noticed that when I eat right, I feel better. Odd how that works right? But seriously, when you eat whole grains, lean meat, fruit and vegetables, you feel stronger, you have more energy. I've cut soda out of my diet, even diet soda. Think about it-- what in that stuff is natural? Our bodies work harder to break that artificial stuff down, detracting from where it should be working to burn calories/fat. I'm focusing on eating good food that gives me continued energy and I'm increasing my fish intake.
One thing that most military people have at their disposal, but never use, is a nutritionist. As we get older, it gets harder to lose right? Well what if you've been doing it all wrong? What if the food you eat is working agaisnt you instead of working for you? A nutritionist can help you pinpoint the right food, and the right amounts.
Warm weather is finally here and as I start to transform myself back to where I was last year, I know that my diet will be a major factor in getting me there!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Turkey Meatloaf recipe
As promised, the recipe for Turkey Meatloaf (adapted from Barefoot Contessa):
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onions)
• 1/2 cup diced bell peppers (optional)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast (use the 85% fat free or else it’ll be really dry)
• 1 cups plain dry bread crumbs (I normally take some whole grain bread, toast it and chop it up or put it in the food processor)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup ketchup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onions)
• 1/2 cup diced bell peppers (optional)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast (use the 85% fat free or else it’ll be really dry)
• 1 cups plain dry bread crumbs (I normally take some whole grain bread, toast it and chop it up or put it in the food processor)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup ketchup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.
Enjoy!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Good eats
Food and nutrition are a significant part of a healthy lifestyle. When I get busy, not only does my workout time suffer, but my eating habits also go. Here are some ways that I try to keep myself and my family eating properly.
- Whole grains – These things are showing up everywhere: breads (tortillas, english muffins, bagels), pastas, cereal, brown rice. Why are they so good for you? They armen’t as processed as their “white” counterparts and more of the nutrition is left behind. It also takes longer for your body to digest whole grain foods so you feel full for a longer period of time. If you can’t stomach an entire serving of whole grain pasta, try mix regular pasta with whole grain or whole wheat pasta. Kashi products are a personal favorite and we eat their cereals, crackers, and granola bars. We’ve also discovered Tostitos makes a multigrain chip that’s actually rather healthy if you need a chip. We served these at my son’s birthday party last weekend:
http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/tostitos-multigrain-chips.html
For other info on whole grains, take a look at this site:
http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/List_of_Common_Whole_Grain_Foods
- More fruits and veggies – I love the spring and summer because more fruits and vegetables are in season. In a pinch though, I keep frozen vegetables on hand, the kind without butter or seasoning. This way I can control the amount of salt and fat that is added. I’m always adding frozen corn to my soups and chilis too and I’ve been known to add some chopped spinach to a chicken quesadilla. I also steam lots of broccoli and carrots and then season them with a little bit of salt or not at all. I found that the whole carrots actually taste a lot better than the little ones. As a side note, I’ve heard that the USDA has revised their fruit and vegetable recommendation by saying half of your plate should be fruit and vegetables. That’s a big part of my plate that I know I’m not getting.
- Healthy snacks – Yogurt w/some low fat granola and fruit dumped in. Yoplait now makes a Greek yogurt now that has less sugar than their regular yogurt – I dig it. The Organic Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt is also a favorite. A Nature Valley granola bar also works for me in a pinch – 2 bars at 7g of fat but you get some grains at the same time. Low fat cheese and Kashi crackers is another popular option at home.
- Lean meats – We try to eat ground turkey and chicken more than ground beef. I have a great recipe for turkey meatloaf which I’ll share later. Of course I enjoy a good burger but I just try not to do it as often. Pork tenderloin is also an easy option as well: season with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast @ 425 for 20-22 minutes.
I think the bottom line for us is that if I don’t buy it, we don’t eat it which means, I need to buy more of the healthy stuff and leave the other foods at the store. Someone once told me that if you buy the majority of your food from the perimeter of the store, you’ll do pretty well. If you think about it, that’s where all the fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products are. I know when I eat better, I feel better.
What are your healthy food tips?
- Whole grains – These things are showing up everywhere: breads (tortillas, english muffins, bagels), pastas, cereal, brown rice. Why are they so good for you? They armen’t as processed as their “white” counterparts and more of the nutrition is left behind. It also takes longer for your body to digest whole grain foods so you feel full for a longer period of time. If you can’t stomach an entire serving of whole grain pasta, try mix regular pasta with whole grain or whole wheat pasta. Kashi products are a personal favorite and we eat their cereals, crackers, and granola bars. We’ve also discovered Tostitos makes a multigrain chip that’s actually rather healthy if you need a chip. We served these at my son’s birthday party last weekend:
http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/tostitos-multigrain-chips.html
For other info on whole grains, take a look at this site:
http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/List_of_Common_Whole_Grain_Foods
- More fruits and veggies – I love the spring and summer because more fruits and vegetables are in season. In a pinch though, I keep frozen vegetables on hand, the kind without butter or seasoning. This way I can control the amount of salt and fat that is added. I’m always adding frozen corn to my soups and chilis too and I’ve been known to add some chopped spinach to a chicken quesadilla. I also steam lots of broccoli and carrots and then season them with a little bit of salt or not at all. I found that the whole carrots actually taste a lot better than the little ones. As a side note, I’ve heard that the USDA has revised their fruit and vegetable recommendation by saying half of your plate should be fruit and vegetables. That’s a big part of my plate that I know I’m not getting.
- Healthy snacks – Yogurt w/some low fat granola and fruit dumped in. Yoplait now makes a Greek yogurt now that has less sugar than their regular yogurt – I dig it. The Organic Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt is also a favorite. A Nature Valley granola bar also works for me in a pinch – 2 bars at 7g of fat but you get some grains at the same time. Low fat cheese and Kashi crackers is another popular option at home.
- Lean meats – We try to eat ground turkey and chicken more than ground beef. I have a great recipe for turkey meatloaf which I’ll share later. Of course I enjoy a good burger but I just try not to do it as often. Pork tenderloin is also an easy option as well: season with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast @ 425 for 20-22 minutes.
I think the bottom line for us is that if I don’t buy it, we don’t eat it which means, I need to buy more of the healthy stuff and leave the other foods at the store. Someone once told me that if you buy the majority of your food from the perimeter of the store, you’ll do pretty well. If you think about it, that’s where all the fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products are. I know when I eat better, I feel better.
What are your healthy food tips?
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