100 Calories

Good Afternoon!

Today on Fitbe.com I found a great article on ways to burn 100 calories. I thought this would be a good article to share because its good to remember that not all workouts must be in the gym. Walk the dog, go for a hike, play a game with the kids! There are so many ways to make exercise a fun part of your everyday routine that it doesn't have to be a chore!

Read this article and get some ideas on how you can get more active and have more fun, which is good for your body, mind and soul all at the same time.

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/64-ways-burn-100-calories

 

 

Give these ideas a try and see how much fun you have!

 

Stay healthy!

Andrea :)

 

PS Stay tuned tomorrow for my breakfast cookie recipe!

Creamy Chicken Ravioli

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

Today I'm sharing one of my all time favourite pasta recipes with you! I got it a few years ago from Oxygen magazine and it is great! It is high protein (the pasta alone has 16grams), full of veggies, and low-fat cream cheese and pesto.

The fresh pasta is from the fresh pasta and sauce section in Costco (near the veggie cooler) and it is the white meat chicken and mozzarella ravioli. Best part about fresh pasta (other then the fact that its fresh) is that it cooks in under 5 minutes (just follow the package directions).

The sauce is also super easy! I sauteed 1 chopped red pepper and a big handful of fresh mushrooms. Then I added in 1 large tub of light cream cheese and about 1/4 cup of pesto. I stir it around until its melted and creamy and then pour it over the pasta. For my boyfriend and I it makes 4 servings but for normal people this should make about 6. Because this pasta is fairly high calorie its important to keep the your portion to about 1 cup.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Andrea :)

Meals On-The-Go: Snacks

Good Morning and Happy Friday! Today's topic - healthy and filling snacks!

Snacks are a terrific way to satisfy that hunger and get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. They also help energy levels going all day long, keep you satisfied all day so you don't over eat at meal time and help you metabolism stay strong to help shed and keep off unwanted pounds! Try to steer clear of foods with lots of added sugars like candy bars, soda, chips and other processed foods. And look for foods that contain fibre like whole-grain breads, cereals, fruit, and vegetables and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese.


Here are some great ideas:

Fresh fruit or individually packed containers of cut-up fruit and 1 piece of string cheese

Raw vegetables including carrots, peppers, zucchini, cherry or grape tomatoes with 2 tbsp light

    ranch dip

Baby carrots and whole wheat pita triangles with hummus.

1 slice whole grain or Ezekiel bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and 1 small banana.

Fresh, frozen or canned fruit with low fat yogurt or in a smoothie

 

1 small whole wheat tortilla wrap made with salmon or tuna and salad dressing, onions, celery and
    green peppers.

English muffin with melted mozzarella cheese and apple slices.

1/2 cup kashi cereal and 1/2 cup of skim milk

Dark green leafy salad with orange sections and almonds with 2 tbsp oil based dressing

1/4 cup nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds and 1 medium apple

2 cups plain popcorn

Popsicles made with 100% fruit juice or yogurt

1 package of instant oatmeal

1 cup skim milk, chocolate milk or fortified soy beverage

1 cup 1% cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fresh fruit

1/2 mango, 1 piece of 70% dark chocolate & 10 almonds

 

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce sprinkled with 2 tbsp chopped pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon

8 tortilla chips with 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 of an avocado

When I'm in a hurry starving and don't have any snacks or time to make a snack my go to is:

Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks: 120 Calories, 0 grams of fat, 12 grams of protein, and 12 grams of sugar



On the flip side of things here is an article from Fitbe.com on the worst snacks you can pack in your kids lunches and why:

http://fitbie.ca.msn.com/slideshow/worst-snacks-pack-your-kid-s-lunchbox



I hope I've given you lots of new meal and snack ideas this week to help make meal planning just a little bit easier. Stay tuned next week for a delicious creamy (healthy) pasta recipe and a mouth watering breakfast cookie recipe that helps make morning easy!

Have a great weekend and talk to you on Monday!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Meals-On-The-Go: Lunch/Dinner

Good Evening!

As promised today's topic is lunch! Here are some healthy lunch and dinner 'on-the-go' recipes to make sure you stay fueled all day long.

Ham, Swiss and Apple on a Chiabatta Bun served with 1 Cup of Grapes and 1 Cup of Skim Milk


Turkey, Mozerella and Apple Pinwheel served with carrot sticks and humus


Tuna Dip - Tuna mixed with 0% fat greek yogurt, lemon and dill to taste. 12 whole grain crakers for dipping served with carrot and celery sticks


1 to 1.5 Cups of Bean and Vegetable Soup served with 1 small whole-grain dinner roll


Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken


Tuna Pita: Mixed tuna with 0% fat greek yogurt, lemon and dill, chopped celery and halved grapes and fill 1/2 whole wheat pita. Serve with red pepper stips



Classic PJ & J on Whole Grain or Ezekiel Bread with 1 cup of skim milk


Sampler: 2 hard boiled eggs, 4 rye crackers, 1/2 cup grapes, carrot and pepper strips



No Time? Best TakeOut Options!

McDONALD'S

Hamburger, Garden Salad Shaker and small one-percent milk

Total: 470 calories, 17 grams fat, 52 grams carbohydrate and 28 grams protein.

Keep in mind: If you want to add salad dressing, choose fat-free herb vinaigrette for only 35 additional calories.

Chicken McGrill and Garden Salad Shaker

Total: 440 calories, 13 grams fat, 49 grams carbohydrate and 33 grams protein.

Keep in mind: Remember to order grilled instead of fried chicken; you'll save 200 calories!

 

SUBWAY

6" ham sandwich on a deli roll plus one oatmeal raisin cookie

Total: 423 calories, 11 grams fat, 66 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams protein.

Keep in mind: Dessert is possible if you choose wisely!

6" Super Turkey Breast sandwich

Total: 333 calories, 4 grams fat, 47 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber and 26 grams protein.

Keep in mind: If you choose a sub with mustard instead of oil, and opt for veggies instead of cheese you will save 72 calories and 7 grams of fat!

 

WENDY'S

 

Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich with a Mandarin Orange Cup and a Medium Iced Tea
Total: 480 calories, 7 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 980 mg sodium

 

QUIZNO'S

Small Honey Bourbon Chicken with a Cup of Chili (no crackers), and bottle of water

Total: 460 calories, 11.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 1,540 mg sodium

BURGER KING

Whopper Jr. without Mayo with Garden Salad and 10-oz Minute Maid Orange Juice

Total: 445 calories, 12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 520 mg sodium

Don't forget the joy of leftovers! I try to always make enough food at night that there are leftovers for the next day's lunch. I also like to mkae giant batches of turkey chili and casseroles for the winter so I have dinner one night and lunch for a week. Stay tuned for those recipes in the coming weeks! And stay tuned tomorrow for snack ideas!

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)

Meals On-The-Go: Breakfast

Good Afternoon!

Now that the kids are all back in school (yay!) and the adults are all back at work (boo!) it time to start thinking about packing lunches and having meals on the go. Its not easy to come up with quick, nutritious and delicious meal ideas so I'm here to help! Today we'll discuss breakfast, tomorrow lunch/dinner and Friday snacks.

So lets talk breakfast! Breakfast is indeed a very important meal. A good breakfast fuels you up and gets you ready for the day. In general, kids, teens and adults who eat breakfast have more energy, do better in school/at work, eat healthier throughout the day, and maintain healthier weights. Without breakfast, people can get irritable, restless, and tired. So make time for breakfast — for you and your kids! To make eating breakfast easier here are some great breakfast ideas that are fast, nutritious and delicious!


Breakfast Smoothie: 1/4 greek yogurt, 1/2 frozen mixed berries, water to to make the consistency you want and if you want a scoop for vanilla protien powder











Breakfast Wrap: 1 small tortilla, 2 eggs scrambled, 1oz low fat cheese, 2 tbps salsa - wrap and go!



Greek Yogurt Parfait: 1 individual container flavoured greek yogurt, 1/2 fresh berries, 1/2 blue menu granola



Cottage Cheese, Fruit and Toast: 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup fresh fruit, 1 piece of ezekiel toast



Dark Chocolate Bran Muffins & a Banana: 1 Blue menu dark chocolate bran muffin and 1 medium banana











Oatmeal with Nuts & Maple Syrup: quick cooking plain oatmeal, 2 tbsp chopped pecans, 1 tbsp maple syrup



Instant Oatmeal made with Milk (My Favourite brand in Nature's Path in the health food section of
                                                Loblaws)

2 Hard Boiled Eggs, 4 Whole Grain Crackers & Fruit



Chunky Monkey Wrap: 1 small tortilla, 1 small banana and 2 tbsp chunky peanut butter. Spread the PB on the tortilla, wrap around the banana and go!
 


No Time and Need To Grab Something on the Go?
Try these lighter and healthier options!

Starbucks Spinach and Feta Breakfast Wrap - 290 calories, 10 g fat, 6 g fiber, 19 g protein

 

 

 

 

 

McDonald’s Egg McMuffin - 300 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein

Starbucks Apple Bran Muffin & a Tall Nonfat Latte - 450 calories, 9 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 7 g fiber, 16 g protein

 

Subway 6-Inch Egg and Cheese Sandwich on 9-Grain Wheat Bread; an order of Apple Slices - 395 calories, 12 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 7 g fiber, 19 g protein

 

I hope these breakfast ideas will make hectic mornings a little bit easier for everyone! Always remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and to make time for it... even if that time is in the car as your boyfriend drives you both to work like me! :)
Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)