What's for dinner?

Made this deeeeee-licious recipe last weekend and had to share! I call it "comfort food without the bulky sweater", get my drift? ;) Chicken cacciatore in all it's glory! Only 302 calories, can't beat that!

Chicken Cacciatore

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves on the bone, about 2 pounds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, chopped and juice reserved
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste

 

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over moderately-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken.

Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

*if you serve with brown rice or pasta, add an add'l 200 calories per serving Serves: 4
Calories: 302
Total Fat: 5 gramsSaturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 45 grams
Total carbohydrates: 12 gramsSugar: 6 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Cholesterol: 105 milligrams
Sodium: 418 milligrams

Cut your calories in 1/2

Eat more, weigh-less? YES! If you choose the right foods you can not only cut your calories in 1/2 BUT you can weigh-less! It's all about choosing good for you foods, and avoiding those overprocessed not so good for you ones. Below is one of my favorite substitution lists that I have come across. It's filled with great ways to cut those calories at every mea,l and at snacktime, and still keep you belly satisfied!

Breakfast	Substitution	Calories Reduced by
Top your cereal with low fat or fat-free milk instead of 2% or whole milk.	1 cup of fat-free milk instead of 1 cup of whole milk	63
Use a non-stick pan and cooking spray (rather than butter) to scramble or fry eggs	1 spray of cooking spray instead of 1 pat of butter	34
Choose reduced-calorie margarine spread for toast rather than butter or stick margarine.	2 pats of reduced calorie margarine instead of 2 pats of butter	36
Lunch	Substitution	Calories Reduced by
Add more vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and onions to a sandwich instead of extra meat or cheese.	2 slices of tomatoes, ¼ cup of sliced cucumbers, and 2 slices of onions instead of an extra slice (3/4 ounce) of cheese and 2 slices (1 ounce) of ham	154
Accompany a sandwich with salad or fruit instead of chips or French fries.	½ cup diced raw pineapple instead of 1 ounce bag of potato chips	118
Choose vegetable-based broth soups rather than cream- or meat-based soups.	1 cup of vegetable soup instead of 1 cup cream of chicken soup	45
When eating a salad, dip your fork into dressing instead of pouring lots of dressing on the salad.	½ TBSP of regular ranch salad dressing instead of 2 TBSP of regular ranch dressing	109
When eating out, substitute a broth-based soup or a green lettuce salad for French fries or chips as a side dish	A side salad with a packet of low-fat vinaigrette dressing instead of a medium order of French fries	270
Dinner	Substitution	Calories Reduced by
Have steamed or grilled vegetables rather than those sautéed in butter or oil. Try lemon juice and herbs to flavor the vegetables. You can also sauté with non-stick cooking spray.	½ cup steamed broccoli instead of ½ cup broccoli sautéed in 1/2 TBSP of vegetable oil.	62
Modify recipes to reduce the amount of fat and calories. For example, when making lasagna, use part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole-milk ricotta cheese. Substitute shredded vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, and spinach for some of the ground meat in lasagna.	1 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese instead of 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese	89
When eating out, have a cocktail or dessert instead of both during the same eating occasion.	Choosing one or the other saves you calories. A 12-ounce beer has about 153 calories. A slice of apple pie (1/6 of a 8" pie) has 277 calories.	153 if you have the apple pie without the drink 277 if you have a drink and no pie.
When having pizza, choose vegetables as toppings and just a light sprinkling of cheese instead of fatty meats.	One slice of a cheese pizza instead of one slice of a meat and cheese pizza	60
Snacks	Substitution	Calories Reduced by
Choose air-popped popcorn instead of oil-popped popcorn and dry-roasted instead of oil-roasted nuts.	3 cups of air-popped popcorn instead of 3 cups of oil-popped popcorn	73
Avoid the vending machine by packing your own healthful snacks to bring to work. For example, consider vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, low fat or nonfat yogurt without added sugars, or a small handful of dry-roasted nuts.	An eight-ounce container of no sugar added nonfat yogurt instead of a package of 6 peanut butter crackers	82
Choose sparkling water instead of sweetened drinks or alcoholic beverages.	A bottle of carbonated water instead of a 12-ounce can of soda with sugar	136
Instead of cookies or other sweet snacks, have some fruit for a snack.	One large orange instead of 3 chocolate sandwich cookies

3 BIG tips (and one for good luck) for BIG results!

It's monday, (just in case your morning coffee is still brewing and you were wondering) and that means you've either had a great weekend of eating great healthy food, OR you're like so many, starting that new years resolution.....again. No biggie, it's only January 7th and nobody's perfect!! So quit trying to be! Eating healthy is a lifestyle, NOT an every other day thing. Being healthy is about CONSISTENCY, that is....you have to choose healthy eating and exercise all the time, not just to fit into that dress/suit for the special occasion. It's about being mindful of what you eat, not eating perfectly. When choosing meals, think healthy and portions/serving sizes, and you'll be on your way, EVERYDAY to being a healthy YOU!
Ok so now that I've woken us all up with alot of exclamation points!!!! ;)
Here are some of my BIG TIPS to help you lose that unwanted winter fluff (cute name but not so cute on your middle, ya know?)

1. 20 minute RULE! (it takes 20 minutes for your tummy and your head to become in sync and know that you are FULL, so don't go for a second helping until you have sufficiently given your body time to digest its food. Set the microwave timer if you have to. Don't eat until you're uncomfortably full, that feeling is "overeating")

2. Drink a glass of water (hungry? you could just be thirsty, drink a glass a water before a meal to keep you from overeating, and before you go for a snack. It might just be "thirsty" you're craving)

3. Calories (it's not all about counting those calories, it's about knowing how many calories are in a serving. Look at the back of the packages you're eating to know what a serving is. Potato chips 15 chips/160 calories. Know before you go....and it will prevent you from overeating and instead be a "mindful eater". Amazing how you can still eat the things you LOVE when you portion control your food to a serving!

4. Protein (protein should be throughout your day in your meal choices to keep you full and satisfied. If you're hungry ALL the time, you could be overeating those carbs and forgetting the protein. Make your meals a good carb/protein balance and see the results of good nutrition. AND that doesn't have to be animal protein (how many  chicken breasts can one chic eat right?) Lowfat dairy, egg, snuts, (soy) seeds (pumpkin, sunflower) fortified cereals are all options, too!

Veggie FUN!

Having a hard time getting those veggies in? I heard DR. OZ say once, "No one ever got overweight eating their vegetables!" Well isn't that the truth! But if grabbing a bag of chips seems a whole lot easier then eating vegetables, here are some quick ways to help you change that habit......

Shop for pre-chopped veggies
(stores are wonderful at making things convenient for you these days, grab a bag of baby carrots, a vegetable medley of broccoli and cauliflower , pop them in your bag and you have an on the go snack, so no excuses for the drive-thru!)

If you're a nibbler while making dinner
(have some chopped veggies on hand to munch and crunch to avoid unwanted calories before your meal)

Roast those veggies!
(roasted veggies are easy and fast, recipe below, and a great way to add a vegetarian night to your weekday meal plans)

Hide those veggies in a smoothie
(mix any of your greens, spinach, kale, etc into a fruit smoothie and you'll never know their there, but your body will thank you!)

Veggie pot pie
(trade your lowfat chicken pot pie recipe in for a veggie only pot pie, pastry crust and gravy? what's not to like!)

Scramble those eggs with veggies
( omato and peppers or anything you like, vegetables pair great with eggs!)


Virtually little calories, and you can eat a bunch! Good for you and waist slimming, vegetables are where it's at!

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Cut into chunks: Carrots, green and red peppers, onion, garlic cloves, zuchinni, rutabaga, parsnips, squash, sweet potato (any of your favorite vegetables) ¼ cup pure olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp each) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Put vegetable chunks on pan, sprinkle with olive oil, and toss with salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Roast until tender; about 20 minutes. Insert fork or sharp knife to test for doneness.ENJOY!

What's in a calorie?

So you've heard it time and time again, cut your calories and lose weight! But you're just not sure how many calories you're supposed to be eating in the first place, right? Generally here's the rule of thumb when it comes to mealtimes and snacks calories:

350 calorie breakfast
400 calorie lunch
500 calorie dnner
2- 150 calorie snacks

Of course if you are working out ALOT, you will need more calories to balance all those efforts. Also you can breakdown your day into smaller meals, less calories per meal, to add up to the same sum.

NOW how do you figure out how many calories you should be eating for optimum weight loss?

In order to lose weight, you must create a "calorie deficit" in your day,  in other words, less calories in, more calories out. Our friends at Livestrong explain it most effectively in this breakdown:

1. Multiply your current weight by 15 (if you are moderately active, that is 30 minutes of exercise a day) Or times 10 if you are not active at all. For instance if you are 150 pounds, then doing the math, you consume 2.250 calories a day.  If you want to lose weight, you eat less than 2, 250 calories, by creating a calorie deficit.

2. To create a "calorie deficit"you  should subtract 500 to 1,000 calories from your starting number (Subtract from 2,250 calories or whatever your # came up to be). For men generally 1800-2000 to lose weight, women, 1400-1600.  Dipping any further down is not good for your body and metabolism, so make sure to consume good calories, just less calories. ******And Harvard Medical school cautions that men eat no less than 1500 and women, no less than 1200 when losing weight. You want a # that is doable in the long run, so when you reach your goal, you can add healthy calories back to maintain, not gain.

8 week challenge!

So you're back to work, back to school, still home with the kids crawling on you and the laundry piling up (not that I'm complaining ;) AND you're ready to attack that "healthy for 2013" goal, head on! Yes, me too! Now when you're processing a goal and you one to stick to it, it's soooo easy for the adrenaline to have you shooting for the moon first BUT, you're going to run out of steam. I've seen it, I've done it, I've been there. So take your goal, to be healthier, lose weight or smile more often (hey we all could smile more, don't you think?) AND break it down! Small goals, BIG SUCCESSES!

So because I WANT US to succeed (yes, why would I make you do this and not do a self-check myself?) Let's break down our time to an 8 week challenge! A jumpstart to healthy that, after 8 weeks, you will have established new healthy habits that will be second nature to you! And that's what we want, right? New healthy habits, weight loss and bigger smiles! Now I have tons of tips, tricks, snack and meal ideas to keep you going for months, and I will be posting them everyday throughout this 8 week challenge, BUT to get you started, here are 8 ways to get you adopting healthier habits in 8 weeks!

8 Week challenge:

1. Drink more water (put down the sugar laden coffees, sodas, juice and yes, diet soda! and drink only water OR lowfat milk (almond or soy if you prefer, my beautiful vegetarians and lactose free-ers :) at each and every meal, and when you're hungry! Often we are thirsty before we are hungry, so drink up before you eat up!

2. Green tea - scientific studies continue to prove that green tea is good for us! Metabolism boosting AND full of antioxidants to ward of diseases. Aim to drink at least 2 cups a days, and if it's a little weak tasting for you, brew your favorite herbal flavored tea to with it and mix it together. Cold or hot it's delicious!

3. Sugar, Sugar, Sugar! Save your sweet treat for once a week. Sugar turns into fat, it's a mood tester (yes it can make you moody and cranky). And be mindful throughout your week as to where it's sneaking up on you.....your protein bars, your drinks, your snacks. Look for products low in sugar. (and avoid fake sugars, your body does not know how to process these chemicals, yes chemicals! And they cause you to overeat! Yep, not what we are going for!)

4.  5 A Day Eat those fruits and vegetables! Put them in a smoothie, throw some fruit on your cereal, eat some raw veggies while you're cooking up dinner, grab an apple as you run out the door. There's lots of ways to get those fruits and veggies in, so get creative!

5. Get off the scale! Weigh yourself today, and then again next wednesday and so on. Once a week. You should be losing 1 to 2lbs a week, if you're not, you need to modify you're eating and exercise plan. Remember slow and steady win the race!

6. Exercise start small with 20 minutes a day. You know you don't think you have time right now, but you do! You must make the time. 20 minutes is totally doable! What your favorite show and get moving, whether it be dancing to your favorite CD, using light weights, jump roping or using an exercise machine. If you're not sure where to start......THE FIRM videos are awesome and will keep you motivated, like a personal trainer, without that big bill!

7.  MIND GAMES 80% of this is in your mind. You must stay POSITIVE and FOCUSED AND know that YOU CAN DO THIS! If you are having a hard time telling yourself how wonderful you are, ask a friend to exercise with you, join a gym with those uber perky group exercise instructors, and keep reminding yourself with post-it notes all over your refrigerator, why it is you want to change!

8. Last, FOOD LOG! Write down for a week (longer if you can, but a week will really be eye-opening) all that you eat for 7 days straight, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You will get to see where it is you're overeating, where you're not eating enough, and why you're not losing weight, as well as if you're eating enough protein, veggies, fruit, and if you're overdoing it on sugar and empty calorie snacks.

Cold Turkey!

So you've decided to get healthy this New Year, but don't know where to start? Well don't go "cold turkey" on everything....you'll just end up like the rest of the fools on February 1, who stopped using that new gym membership after a week. OOOH harsh right? But alas, true....so start small by asking yourself these questions on our "Out of Control Checklist".
Writing down your goals will keep you focused and honest with yourself as you dive into your bad habits and ninja kick them to the curb!Hang this list up in your office, on your fridge or post it to your forehead, hey whatever works to keep you pushing forward to BeingFIT4U!
And remember as you continue on your journey to health and wellness this year.....

“Once you begin working on your problem areas with small, daily, success-oriented goals, the problems will disappear”

~Dr Wayne M. Dyer

 

B-FIT4U~ OUT OF CONTROL CHECKLIST:

 

(Questions to ask yourself when you need to get back on that “Food” wagon:)

 

Am I eating enough protein?

 

Am I skipping meals and not “interval eating” every 2-3 hours?

 

Are my portions or serving sizes too large?

 

Is my sugar/salt or caffeine intake too high?

(these things will change your mood  and energy levels)

 

Am I exercising enough?

(3-4 days a week/30 minutes of cardio or cardio/strength training)

 

FOOD LOG, identify where you are overeating, not eating enough, and/or skipping meals.

 

 

Great reference tools for staying on track:

 

www.myoptimumhealth.com overall great site for health and wellness

www.eatingwell.com healthy, fast and delicious recipes

www.savingdinners.com –free weekly mailers for meal planning

www.my-calorie-counter.com food logging

www.calorieking.com  food logging

www.BMI-calculator.com calculate your BMI for weight loss

 

*Remember, you are not the # on the scale, you are a work in progress, striving for your health and wellness, to put your own best body forward and feel good from the inside and out.*