Slimming Tip: More Veggies

Serve three vegetables with dinner tonight, instead of just one, and you’ll eat more without really trying. Greater variety tricks people into eating more food — and eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to lose weight. The high fiber and water content fills you up with fewer calories. Cook them without added fat. And season with lemon juice and herbs rather than drowning their goodness in high-fat sauces or dressings.

Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit. Vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat eaters. While there are several reasons for this, legumes may play an important role. Bean burgers, lentil soup, and other tasty legume-based foods are simply packed with fiber. Most Americans get only half of this important nutrient, which fills you up with fewer calories and helps to clean your system. Try making vegetarian meals ahead and freezing them. Easy options are casseroles, veggie burgers, and lasagnas. That way when you have a busy night and find yourself pressed for time, you automatically reach for something healthy.

 

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DIY Microwave Meals

One of the biggest set backs in healthy eating is the time it takes to make home-cooked meals. Everyone is restricted on time these days. So I wanted to give you guys one of my best secrets for saving a ton of time and still eating super healthy meals.

These Zip ‘n Steam bags are amazing when it comes to saving time. You can put all kinds of things in them and microwave to have a simple steamed meal in minutes. They are also freezer safe, so you can make meals ahead of time and just pull them out when you need one.

I have found they are exceptionally good for most any seafood and vegetables are seriously good!

What I do is make several at once, mix them up and stack them in the freezer. I can put 2 portions of vegetables and 2 portions of protein in each bag. Which makes a super simple lunch for 2 in about 8 minutes. The bonus is that since it’s all steamed, you don’t have to add any extra oils to cook in and you keep the vitamins & minerals in your veggies.

I like to mix flavors up so they don’t get boring. Here are some of the combinations I have tried:

• Salmon with asparagus & carrots
• Blue Hake fillets with broccoli & cauliflower
• Shrimp with sweet potatoes & baby carrots
• Garlic Herb Shrimp with acorn squash
• Spinach, mushroom, onion & garlic
• Corn on the cob lightly peppered & garlic

It’s also fun to try different vegetable blends if you buy frozen bags. You can also cut up fresh, organic veggies and throw them in too. The possibilities are endless once you get the hang of it. Plus, you’ll find that making several at once only takes about half an hour to have good meals all week-long.

When you mix your veggies and protein together like that, you do want to make sure you put your protein on top. It will get better airflow inside the bag and cook more evenly that way. The bag will tell you which side to put up when you cook, so just arrange your goodies carefully and you’re all set!

If you are already using them, or giving them a try for the first time, let me know what your favorite combinations are.

Soup Season!

Now that the weather is finally leaning toward the colder months ahead, it’s time to break out the crock pot. Soups, sauces, chili and stew are some fantastic choices. Plus it’s super easy to crock pot a big batch at once and have leftovers for easy, healthy lunches.

Here’s how to make a ton of healthy creative soups that you and your family will love:

Pick your protein
I put beans in almost all of my soups. They are incredibly healthy and full of fiber, which makes them filling too. You can go with almost any beans, or buy soup mix bags that have a variety all in one bag. Also pick a meat to go along with it if you like. I usually ether go with chicken breast, beef stew meat or bison pieces. They tend to make really good soups.
*Check your beans. Most of them have to soak anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight. Be sure to do this ahead of time, then put them in your crock pot.

Veg-Out
Go crazy adding vegetables! Seriously, you can add such a wide variety of different veggies. I usually go through my fridge and see what’s lying around — the white end of your green onions? Slice ’em up and throw them in! Peppers of every color, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots or raw spinach? Sure thing, chop them up and toss in the pot. This is one of the things that helps every soup be a little different. Plus, the more you add, the more flavor and nutrients your soup gains. Pile them in right on top of the beans.

Seasoning
It is generally safe to say that you can season your soup according to your meat. Just be sure to add a bit extra to get through the whole pot and taste test along the way. It’s easier to add to it than take away, though if it does end up too strong, you can drain some of your broth and add plain water back in.

Broth
You can get a pre-made vegetable or meat flavored broth if you like. A lot of people prefer them because it adds a bit of flavor. However, you can also mix your own if you feel creative (or just don’t want to go to the store). This past weekend I used spicy diced tomatoes (in a blender for a few seconds to eliminate some of the chunks), crystal hot sauce and bar-b-que sauce for flavor. Then just added water until my veggies were covered.

Cooking
This is the easiest part of all! Once your ingredients are in and covered with broth, turn it on low and walk away. Most soups will take about 8 hours, so you have plenty of time to do your running around or just take a nap on the couch.

Raw Vegetables

Raw vegetables make an outstanding snack. They satisfy the desire to crunch, they’re full of water to help you feel full, and they’re low in calories. Half a cup of diced celery has just eight calories. Try coating celery with a little peanut butter or dunking carrots in salsa. When you’re in the mood for chips and dip, try replacing the chips with raw veggies.

If you want a super healthy after school/work snack, have some raw vegetables with 2 hard-boiled eggs for protein. Save some time by boiling eggs and cutting veggies ahead and storing in containers.

For the little ones, try alternating a few vegetables and cheese squares on skewers or toothpicks for a fun treat. You can also ramp up their lunchbox by adding sliced squash or zucchini to their sandwich. Both have a mild enough flavor that they won’t notice the veggie as much as the fun new crunch.

Serve a green salad twice a week with dinner. Especially if you have a meal with higher calories, creamy sauces or limited amounts. Having a fresh salad before your meal can help reduce the amount you eat and save you a bundle of calories.

How do you eat your raw veggies? Leave your answer in the comment section below, I always like new ideas.

 

 

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• Super-Veggies: Cruciferous Vegetables
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Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

This weekend I got to throw a party for my cousin who just moved into town. We made what was easily the best Spinach Artichoke Dip EVER! You could say I’m slightly biased, but it wasn’t just me. Everyone said so.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans artichoke hearts
• 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach
• 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups mayo of your choice
•  4 tsp minced garlic (I used dry minced, but wet would work just as well)
• 1 tsp salt

You will need to let the spinach thaw so it can be drained and squeezed. We had a small strainer to put over a bowl and dropped both boxes in there. That worked pretty well.

You are also going to want to make sure you have a clean knife, at least 1 big bowl and a cutting area ready.

1. Drain the liquid from the artichoke cans and squeeze them a little to get the juice out from inside. (Notice mine are squished flat?). Then you want to cut them into smaller pieces. Quarters should do unless you like them smaller.
2. Once the spinach has thawed, take small handfuls and squeeze the extra juice out of them as well. Add to the same bowl with the artichokes.
3. Add in all remaining ingredients and mix well. You should have a creamy mix with no powder chunks left.
4. Spread into a glass baking dish about an inch thick across the bottom and bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

 

When it’s done baking it should look like this. Notice the edges turn a slightly darker color, but not crispy or dry? That’s perfect!

You can serve this hot or make it a day ahead and refrigerate.

Enjoy!