Salsa's a Vegetable

Salsa is a vegetable! It's true. Made with all sorts of wonderful things like tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro and parsley, salsa is packed with vitamin C, beta carotene, fiber, and the disease fighting antioxidant lycopene.  Every half cup that you eat counts toward the minimum of 5 fruits and veggies you need everyday. The only problem comes with what we dip into the salsa. Be careful when you're eating regular tortilla chips, since they're loaded with fat calories, and we can munch a bunch of calories very quickly. Baked chips are a good possibility. Veggies such as raw broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower would make really healthy dippers.  If you have the time, I highly recommend making your own chips. They are so good, and so much better for you.  Marcia asked for my favorite baked tortilla chip recipe, so here it is:


Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Soft Corn Tortillas (4-6")
     cut into 6 pie shaped wedges
Spray with Cooking Spray
Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired (sea salt works great, since you can use less to get the salt taste)

Bake for 8 minutes. Turn over.  Bake another 7 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy.
Serve and enjoy!

*Trader Joe's has really good corn tortillas with no preservatives at all.  Just be sure to store them in the freezer if you aren't going to use them quickly.

Have it your way. Have fun trying out a variety of salsas and experiment with using them.  Try salsa verde (green tomato salsa,) corn salsa, black bean salsa, fruit salsas...there are just so many out there.  Salsa is great on top of a couple of scrambled eggs or as a dipping side for a grilled cheese on whole wheat sandwich. Marinade chicken, pork loin, or lean beef cuts with salsa or a blend of salsa and light Italian dressing before you grill.  It's great!

Try Some Salsa Twists...

Corn and Black Bean Salsa:

1 cup of your favorite salsa
1/4 cup corn, drained
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

Spicy Refried Beans:

1 cup fat-free refried beans (black are my favorite)
1/4 - 1/3 cup salsa

Mix together.  Serve hot.

Black Bean Soup:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
*Salsa (fill bean can with salsa)

Heat until hot.  Top with a dollop of light sour cream, diced cilantro, diced fresh tomatoes, and a light sprinkle of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese.

*Use milder salsa for this unless you really love spicy food---this one really zips.  If you want really mild soup, fill half the can with canned tomatoes, then the other half with salsa.

What are your favorite salsa recipes?  Favorite salsas? Let us know!


Remember:  Salsa as a dip is a 5 star nutritional powerhouse,  just watch what you dip in!


To your health!

I Don't WANT To Exercise!

I was chatting with a friend yesterday who has been struggling with her weight.  She has had so much crazy stuff in her life going on that stress has been a major hindrance to her progress lately. To get herself back into the right mode, she shared with me the wonderful plan she had written down of healthy foods choices for the day.  She was on a great roll! I was very proud of her---sometimes we need to stop and celebrate the minutes we stay in control of our eating. It looked like she was all set for success for the entire day.  When I checked back in with her later in the afternoon, the food was still on track, but her head wasn't.  The blah's had struck and she didn't feel like going home and exercising---her sofa sounded much more inviting at that point.  Can you relate to her?  


What should we do when we just don't want to exercise? Do the couch potatoes have it right? You know they don't!  They are just lying there, slowly losing muscle mass, gaining body fat, and letting their arteries clog up as they watch NCIS reruns.  We are NOT going to let ourselves go down that path.  We are going to take action and do something about our health!


To Motivate A Friend (or Yourself) Into ACTION:

• Just Do It!  Nike has it right with that logo.  Don't allow yourself to engage in a conversation about whether or not you're going to exercise.  You're just going to do it (unless you are injured or ill!) Treat it just as you do brushing your teeth or hair--it's part of good self care. The only discussion allowed is how you will do it for the day: mow the lawn, yoga, walk, run, swim, or is it a gentle stretching day...
• Visualize.  Practice first.  See yourself going home, starting dinner, putting on your exercise clothes, and jumping onto the elliptical machine.  Imagine yourself smiling as you sweat---it's good stuff!  See yourself done with the workout and smiling even bigger.  Imagine how GREAT you feel!
• Awesome After.  If you keep thinking about not feeling like exercise, STOP.  Focus instead on how you are going to feel when you are done.  You're going to feel wonderful when it's done!  Refreshed,  awesome, powerful, virtuous...rock star status.  Use that feeling to help lift you off your duff and start moving!  
• Get Support.  Call a friend, explain the problem and ask for help getting motivated to workout. Don't call the friend who will talk you into going out for ice cream or a beer after work instead, though! 
• Buddy System. Sometimes having an exercise date all set with a friend works so well that you aren't tempted to ditch that walk. Walking with a friend is a great way to both exercise and talk out all those frustrations causing you stress.
• Keep trying.  Repeat.  Don't give up on yourself.  If the sofa wins one day, so be it.  It could be you needed a little rest, just don't make it a habit.  Just keep trying until the new habit is getting that body of yours in motion and truly loving it that way!

And my friend?  I am very happy to say, she just did it!  She grabbed the motivation I tried to give her, visualized as she drove home, started dinner, worked out, and felt really great about herself at the end of the day. And I'm very proud of her, too.  

Moral of this story?  Keep on kicking, don't you ever give up! 

Time for an Ice Cream Cone?

Ice Cream.  There's something about it: cold, creamy, rich and sweet.  I like mine best in a sugar cone, licking it up in little laps. That's the way it was meant to be---perfect. It's takes me back to childhood.  Of course, my dad was an Extension Specialist and Professor in dairy nutrition, so we always had plenty around! Always loved that about growing up.


A reader asked for a little guidance in selecting ice cream treats at take out shops for her summer splurges, which is an excellent request for the start of our hot weather season.


Fat content is key! A quick lesson in ice creams:  regular ice cream is 10% butterfat by weight, premium ice cream is 16% fat,  ice milk is 2-7% fat,  whole milk frozen yogurt is 3-4% fat, while fat free frozen yogurt is... you guessed it,  0% fat!  Frozen yogurt seems like it would always be the healthier choice, but not always.  Make sure it's a fat-free variety, because some have more fat and calories than regular ice creams.  As a rule, frozen yogurt has more calcium than ice creams, but only about half the amount of calcium than regular yogurt, which really bums out many of the people I work with. (They'd like to count is as a full serving of milk :)  Regular yogurt has about 20 mg. (20%) calcium in a half cup serving (4 oz.) while frozen yogurt only comes in at 10 mg.  It still is a fairly rich source, but not as rich as the real stuff!  The same is true for it's protein content.  So, when you can, choose fat-free frozen yogurt, or ice milk (a.k.a. low fat ice cream.)


Watch your portion! Go small if you want your waist to be small. The typical small is a 4 oz. serving.  That's only a half cup, or half the size of your fist. Measure that out at home some time and really examine how big (small?) that is. Watch out for servers who love to scoop BIG.  That will mean your portion now has lots more calories, too.  Maybe she's not really doing you a favor!


Don't go hungry.  Seriously.  Go after dinner or after lunch.  Don't go for lunch or you'll end up ordering weigh too much!



A quick rundown on a few Ice Cream Shops:

                                      calories        fat (g.)    sat. fat (g.)
DQ
    small cone                                230            7             4
    small heath blizzard                    600          25           16
    large heath blizzard*                  1260          57           35
McDonald's cone                           150            5             3
Baskin-Robbins (4 oz.)          
    FF vanilla yogurt                        150            0             0
    lemon sorbet                            130            0             0
    van/pomegranate parfait yogurt   240            8             6
    no sugar/lowfat berry banana      150            6             3.5
    lite cappuccino chip                    220            8             4.5
    pralines 'n cream                       280           14            8
TCBY (4 oz.)                                110             0            0
Culver's frozen custard
    vanilla, 1 scoop                         320           14            0
               2 scoops                       592           27           17

* (This should come with a coupon to the local E.R.!)

Today, my husband and I enjoyed walking a 4.2 mile loop around a nearby lake.  Great day for it:  not too hot with a gentle breeze.  Our route just happens to end up at a soft serve ice cream shop!  Our choice? A small vanilla cone for each of us.  Perfect! We felt "righteous" (my husband's word) for our exercise, time together and our small treat choice!

Message for today?  Enjoy an occasional ice cream treat, but do it with mindfulness.  Think before you lick, and then enjoy every frozen minute of it!

Fire up!  You can do this!!

A Shower of Salt--Who Knew?

 My husband really enjoyed grilling this weekend.  As I watched him salt the home-made baked tortilla chips, it occurred to me that I need to mention another problem we can have at the BBQ: a shower of salt!  Americans are consuming a whopping 3300 - 4200 mg. of sodium each day, which could be increasing our risk of heart attack and stroke ("Shake the Salt," blog, 2/1/10.) The American Heart Association is urging to get us to keep that under 2300 mg or 1500 if you have high blood pressure. As you get ready for your next BBQ, be aware of the sodium lurking in some of your favorite foods.

Picnickers beware!  BBQ food can be loaded with salt.  Take a look...

Sodium In BBQ Food

• Brat, 1 link                     700 mg          (280 calories) 
• Potato Salad, 1/2 cup      650               (175)
• Hot dog                          640               (170)
• Baked beans, 1/2 cup     530               (190)
• Brownie, 1 large             480               (300)
• Cole slaw, 1/2 cup          450               (170)
• Cherry pie, 1 slice           340               (480)
• Chip dip, 2 tbsp.             230                (50)
• Bun, hot dog or burger   200               (120)
• Potato chips, 20 chips    180                (150)
• Chicken breast, 3 oz.      145               (140)
• Hamburger patty, 4 oz.    60                (310)
• Watermelon, 1 cup           25                (45)
• Baby carrots, 8                 6                  (25)
• Strawberries, 1 cup           2                  (45)
• Beer, light, 12 oz.             0                 (100)

 After eating the hot dog, potato chips, dip and baked beans this weekend, did you notice your hands and face a bit more puffy than usual when you woke up the next morning?  Some of us are more sodium sensitive than others. You may have been retaining water due to the sodium shower you doused your body in the day before.   Moderation may be recommended for the next BBQ!  

Knowing what's higher in sodium and what the bargains are is the first step.  Then, the key is to balance out your choices.  If you choose one or two high sodium foods, keep the servings small, and load up on low sodium foods for the rest of the meal.   If you want to have the potato salad, you may want to stay with the grilled burger or chicken and have a side of watermelon.   Also, remember that packaged and bottled foods and sauces tend to be loaded with sodium,  so if you can, steer away from these. One big exception is salsa--a low calorie, low sodium, high nutrient density, delicious bargain!  The hard part is finding some unsalted baked corn chips or some fresh veggies to dip in! Be sure to drink plenty of extra water, too.  This helps flush out the excess sodium, and helps your body with cooling on those hot summer picnic cays.

Moral of today's story:  stay smart at that BBQ and you won' t get caught in a downpour of salt!

To your health!

Cookie Baking Marathon

Have I told you that I'm cursed?  Yep.  Cursed with the ability to make some really good cookies.  Working in nutrition, I know that some may consider this wrong on many levels, but what can I say?  I learned to bake when I was in 4-H as a 9 year old, and I guess it just soared out of control from there.  Many have appreciated my baking skills along the way, to the point that I occasionally get asked to bake for a graduation open house.

Today, I whipped up 20 dozen cookies for a graduation party.  I started at 12:30 and ended at 4:30---a 4 hour baking marathon.  In my past, much heavier life, I used to taste lots of dough as I baked (perhaps to make sure it was just right?)  I proceeded to chow down broken and misshapen cookies that came along. Those weren't my best moments...

I just want you to know that today, all four hours were under control. I thought I'd pass along how I handle the big baking these days...

Yesterday's Baking Success:

1. I ate lunch first---I never start this process when I'm hungry anymore!
2. Hydrate. On the counter, I had a huge glass of decaf iced tea that I kept refilling all afternoon.
3. A pack of sugar-free gum sat to the left of my 26 year-old cream colored Kitchen Aid mixer, ready to pop a new fresh peppermint piece in anytime I needed to chew something.
4. Twice, I sat down with one hot, nicely shaped cookie, and enjoyed every bite, once with a glass of non-fat milk, and once with my tea. (Quite a change from feeding myself the rejects!  I'm much more worthy than those.)
5. A bowl of melon chunks with a toothpick in it sat on the counter, too, next to the gum.  I found that clean, crisp taste of melon perfect to nibble on.
6. I packed up all the cookies on trays as soon as they cooled, and drove them right to the party...
7. Then, I took the dog for a walk!

Lesson:  Amazing, but it is possible to bake and not eat all the cookie dough! I certainly didn't know how years and years ago, but I do now.  And, I like it.