Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Healthy Shopping Checklist

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Eating healthy is easier when you have the right foods on hand for snacking and preparing meals. This includes ready-to-eat meals, fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh meat. If possible, purchase meat fresh and cook it right away or freeze it for a meal later in the week. While meat that has been breaded and deep frozen may be convenient, fresh cooked meat tastes much better and is more satisfying.

Planning your meals ahead takes time and patience but it will ensure you have all the ingredients you need for healthy eating. Look through your cookbooks and check online for new recipes of old favorites. Find healthier ways to prepare some the foods you love.

When planning your healthy shopping checklist, you will want to add some herbs and spices to season your foods. Keeping these on-hand will help to enhance many dishes and make cooking and eating much more enjoyable. There are many other foods that you can stock as staples for several dishes you like to prepare. You’ll enjoy your meals so much more when you have everything you need to prepare them right.

Even if you don’t cook every night, planning a shopping list will help you to select healthy snacks and quick fix dinners that won’t have you standing over the stove for an hour. Adding a variety of these kinds of foods will give you a healthy alternative to stopping by a fast food restaurant on your way home from work.

If you take your lunch to work, you will definitely want to add your lunch items to your healthy shopping checklist. Be sure to get plenty of food, so you don’t run out before your next trip to the supermarket. Sticking to your managed diet is easy when you have everything you need to make a healthy, well-balanced meal.

A few healthy items to consider adding to your weekly list:

Cinnamon
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Ginger
Pepper
Seasonal Fruit
Bananas
Strawberries
Watermelons
Peaches
Mango
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Colorful Vegetables
Squash
Broccoli
Sweet Peppers
Leafy Vegetables
Spinach
Cabbage
Kale
Root Vegetables
Beets
Sweet Potatoes
Onions
Coconut Milk
Granola
Oatmeal
Quinoa
English Muffins
Eggs
Meat
Poultry
Fresh Fish
Seafood
Olive Oil
Ezekiel Bread
Flax Seed
Walnuts
Almonds
Greek Yogurt
Tofu

Sesame Orange Roughy

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My husband and I enjoyed this at a restaurant in South Florida and I mimicked the recipe until it tasted just right. I love to imitate our favorite dishes and add my own twist to each one. That way I can be mindful of the ingredients that are being used and I can assure that the meal doesn’t contain a frightening amount of hidden fat, salt or calories. Serve this with wild rice, cous cous, pasta, potatoes, carrots or greens.

2 Tbsp of low sodium
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp honey
1 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp reduced calorie margarine
3 Tbsp green onions

Directions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl, stir well, set aside.
2. Brush both sides of each fillet w/lime juice and sprinkle with sesame seeds..
3. Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, add margarine.
4. Heat over medium heat.
5. Add fillets and cook 3 to 4 minutes each side.
6. Drizzle with soy sauce mixture and add green onions on top.

Health Benefits:
Orange roughy is high in Omega 3’s that are essential to a healthy heart. Low fat, low in sodium, low in cholesterol, low in sugar and calories, orange roughy is a delicious source of protein that adds versatility to your diet.

Add A Little Spice To Your Life

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The secret to making your foods taste great, while possibly reducing your sodium is to add the right healthy spices. Just like life, a little spice livens things up and makes even the most common seem like an exotic adventure. Low in calories, spices and healthy garnishes add flavor to your foods without adding the fat. I did a little research and I’ve made a list of some good toppings to try.

Sesame Seeds are making a comeback and they should. Not only are they tasty, especially when toasted, sesame seeds and sesame seed oil is actually a potent medicinal food that would be as common in a medicine cabinet as in the spice cabinet. High in calcium and magnesium, the history of the sesame seed as a medicine goes back over 3500 years. Today, scientific evidence has proven sesame seeds effective for lowering blood pressure and glucose in type 2 diabetic patients. It has long been used in India as a treatment for gingivitis, tooth decay and bad breath, by swishing the sesame seed oil in your mouth for a prolonged period.

Avocado Oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils available. Featuring a silky, rich, delightful flavor, it has a bounty of healthy benefits. It fights inflammation, improves heart health, lowers cholesterol, and blasts belly fat. Extremely versatile, avocado oil can be used in high heat cooking such as grilling or pan cooking. Just like olive oil, it tastes great in salad dressings, drilled on pizzas or as a dip for crusty bread. Eat it on chicken and try a dollop in your soup.

Sichimi Togarashi is a Japanese spice that is hot for 2014! A blend of seven different spices, it often includes chili powder, orange or tangerine peel, flaked nori, sansho, black and white sesame seeds and seaweed. But what it doesn’t contain is salt. A new spice in trendy restaurants, especially those featuring ethnic cuisine, it tastes great on fish, chicken or noodles. Rich in antioxidants, making it a heart-healthy spice to try.

Cinnamon tastes good, is very versatile, makes an attractive garnish and is extremely healthy. Cinnamon helps to lower blood pressure, fights fungal infections, improves blood sugar levels in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon helps your body to digest foods and helps reduce the body’s negative reactions from high fat foods. Sprinkle it on fruit, toast, cereal, oatmeal and baked goods. Eat it on sweet potatoes for a super food meal.

Bee Pollen is a real superfood, containing vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K. Rich in folic acid, aalcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, protein, and amino acids. Try it in smoothies and shakes, sprinkle it on yogurt, applesauce, granola or salads. Caution, some people are allergic to bee pollen, so try a small amount or check with your physician before adding it to your diet.

Cooking Healthy and the Sneaky Chef

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When you have finicky eaters who refuse to eat foods that are good for them, it’s time to call on the Sneaky Chef. That’s the nickname a friend of mine called me one day after I had explained the art of substituting healthy ingredients in my family’s favorite meals. It’s not so much being sneaky, as it is being a savvy cook. It’s about making foods taste great without the extra calories and then adding ingredients that are actually good for you.

If you have ever eaten a cake made with applesauce rather than cooking oil, you will probably agree that there is little difference in the taste or texture. The cake is just as moist but without the higher calories of the oil. I use applesauce in many of my recipes.

I have substituted tofu for meat in many recipes and used ground turkey in place of ground meat. Cottage cheese is a wonderful substitute for ricotta cheese, and can be used in lasagna and other tomato sauce dishes. I like some low-fat cheeses, but others don’t have much taste. I never compromise the flavor of the dish by cutting too much fat or calories from a recipe.

Another way to sneak healthy foods on your family and yourself is to make a big salad. Add ingredients that you don’t normally try, but do it gradually. One new vegetable or fruit at a time will allow everyone’s taste buds and digestive system to adjust. Make your own salad dressing to control the amount of sodium and sugar that you are adding to your meals. You can make it ahead of time and store vinaigrettes on the table and cream based dressings in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

As often as possible, substitute olive oil for butter and vegetable oil. Olive oil has so many health benefits; it’s good for your digestive system, your cardiovascular system, and your immune system. Eating foods with olive oil will give you radiant skin, lustrous hair and beautiful nails. It’s delicious on meats, vegetables and bread.

If you dare to be sneaky and substitute healthy ingredients in your family’s meals, you won’t regret the benefits of healthier eating. Keep them eating this way and they will continue to make healthy choices for the rest of their lives. A happy family is a healthy family; some foods your family members will like but others they may not, the important thing is that you all try new foods together as a family—that’s really what it is all about.

Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Apricots

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When I want something sweet I like to treat myself to a delectable dish of chocolate. Besides the many health benefits that are associated with dark chocolate, it just feels good to indulge. And what better way to pamper myself than with the sweet taste of apricots paired with the crunch of some fresh chopped pistachios? You will love it!

1/4 cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips
24 dried apricots
4 Tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate chips.
2. Dip half of each apricot in melted chocolate and sprinkle with pistachios.
3. Cool in refrigerator.

Health Benefits:
Great tasting antioxidants, Apricots and Pistachios and Dark chocolate are good for the heart. Apricots relieve constipation and provide protective health benefits. Low in calories, low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol and low in sodium. Iron rich, this snack is great after a workout.