Mediterranean Chicken

Posted on April 25, 2013 by danayeats

Do you enjoy chicken but feel like it is the same old tired recipe that you use?Here is one of my favorite “go to” recipes for a quick mid-week dinner, that feels elegant, special and certainly not tired and boring.

Mediterranean Chicken
Chicken breast – pound the chicken (to double its size) with a rolling-pin or meat tenderizer (I recommend placing it in between plastic wrap or wax paper)
Roasted Red Bell Pepper – I make it easy on myself and usually have a jar handy in my pantry – chop
Black or Green Olives – chop
Sun-dried Tomatoes – Chop

Combine the bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. I usually use about 1/4 C of this mixture per chicken breast. Place it on one side of the chicken and roll your chicken up, secure it with toothpicks.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Variations: Add a sprinkle of feta cheese to the bell pepper, olive and tomatoes mixture.

This can be prepared the night before and placed in your fridge. When you get home from work you can have a delicious meal in about 35 minutes.

Add a salad and veggie to the side of this dinner to balance out all of your nutritional needs. I hope you enjoy this recipe as mush as my family and I do.

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Find Your Motivation

Posted on April 24, 2013 by danayeats

The only workout you will regret is the one you didn’t do.

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Apple sauce vs. Vegetable Oil

Posted on April 24, 2013 by danayeats

Do you enjoy baking breads, muffins or really anything that calls for vegetable oil; but you don’t like the idea of all of the saturated fat? Have you ever considered using apple sauce when a recipe calls for vegetable oil; but you were unsure of what ratio to use? If either of the above statements sound familiar I am here to help.

Apple sauce is a wonderful substitute whenever a recipe calls for vegetable oil. I usually have a large jar on hand in my pantry; the key is finding a brand that doesn’t add any extra sugar. I have found that usually you can use the exact same amount of apple sauce that you would vegetable oil. I have also found that when I substitute oil with apple sauce my breads and muffins turn out very moist.

Trust me, you won’t miss the oil and neither will your tummy. Next time a recipe calls for vegetable oil try using the same ratio of apple sauce.

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Emotional Eating

Posted on April 23, 2013 by danayeats

Recently, I have been learning more about emotional eating and many of the challenges that come along with it. We can all relate to eating a piece a chocolate when we are stressed, reaching for something salty or just the typical stress or depressed eating that we all have experienced at one point or another in our lives.

So why is it so hard to resist? Well, for many of us food has been rooted into our programming from early on. If you are a parent, or just observed parents and kids at a grocery store; I am sure you will recognize this next scenario. We will use Johnny as our child’s name. “Little Johnny, is throwing a fit in the grocery store. Mom reaches for a piece of candy or even a banana to get him to calm down. Once Little Johnny has this, low and behold he quietest down.” Now I can openly admit that when I am cooking dinner I will give my kids food if they start throwing a tantrum…I usually have raw veggies to give them and I haven’t ever given it a second thought. Now, I realize that even the act of comforting them with any type of food might not be the best choice.

We usually reach for food and have “emotional eating” when we are trying to fill another void in our life. Since this type of comfort has been established early on in our lives, it is understandable why it is that much harder to break as adults. So if you have kids, I urge you to be mindful and maybe not be so quick to comfort your kids with any type of food. Trust me, I know in the moment it is sometimes easier, but are we helping our children establish a healthy foundation with their relationship to food when we do the easy thing.

And as for us adults with emotional eating challenges, you are not alone so don’t ever feel embarrassed or ashamed. I will have more to come on this topic for adults with more helpful techniques. Trust me, breaking our bond with emotional eating is challenging, but not impossible! I believe that we all can overcome this and have a healthy and lasting relationship with food.

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Being Mindful and Present

Posted on April 22, 2013 by danayeats

I recently met with a friend of mine to discuss some nutrition questions she had. It was a great meeting and a lot more came to the surface. One area that we spent some time on, was “being mindful and present”. This simple phrase can be overlapped with so many aspects of our lives. Being Mindful and Present to our ourselves (with our goals and dreams), to our families, to our eating, to our fitness routines, to our jobs…etc…

I know we have all been there with the infamous bag of potato chips and the TV. Before you know it the bag is empty and you don’t know how or when that happened. This is not being mindful to what we are eating and our overall health. My challenge to you this week is, to really be present for your meals and see how your food affects your mood, your energy, and your overall satisfaction. Food is meant to bring pleasure and satisfaction, without that we will continue to overindulge trying to fill that void.

So this week: turn the TV off during meals, try to eat your meals at a table (not the car, not at your desk while working)…truly take the time to enjoy your food and see what your food can bring you. I know it is challenging, we are all extremely busy and our society dictates that we do more and multitask more often, but when it comes to our food we should take the time to slow down and enjoy it.

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Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

Posted on April 19, 2013 by danayeats

I personally love the act of making and drinking tea, from filling the tea kettle and letting my tea bag steep, to sitting with my cup of tea; it gives me a little bit of peace and calm. Which lets face it, the fact that I will have 3 kids under the age of 5 in about 2 1/2 months, I could use all of the peace and calm I can get!

But there are other health benefits to tea, especially green tea. Green tea contains catechins – which are healthy antioxidants that may inhibit cancer cell activity and help boost immunity. Green tea also:

  • Helps to lower cholesterol levels
  • Protects against bacterial infection
  • Promotes joint health and stronger bones
  • Has enhanced the effects of antibiotics, even against drug-resistant bacteria and “superbugs”

Next time you reach for another cup of coffee (which dehydrate your cells), switch it up and reach for a cup of green tea. Go ahead and find your 5 minutes of peace and calm and get all of the added health benefits of green tea.

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Great Stir-Fry: Kale and Pork

Posted on April 18, 2013 by danayeats

1 (3/4-pound) pork tenderloin Or other protein (tofu, chicken, beef)
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups sliced shiitake or other type of mushroom caps
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
4 cups sliced kale
4 cups sliced bok choy
5 cups hot cooked rice

Preparation
Trim fat from pork; cut into 2 x 1/4-inch-wide strips. Combine pork, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons garlic, and 1 teaspoon ginger in a shallow bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. (can be marinated overnight)
Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, broth, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and crushed red pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and onions; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add pork mixture and kale; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture and bok choy; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until mixture is thick. Serve over rice.

Serves 5 (1C rice and 1C stir-fry)and is great for leftovers at the office. Try this low-calorie (407 calories with about 6 grams of fat)nutrient dense (23 grams protein, 66 grams carbs, about 4 grams fiber, and 189 mg calcium) dinner tonight.

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Calcium Pre and Post-Natal

Posted on April 17, 2013 by danayeats

If you are either pregnant or nursing, I am sure you are more aware of what you put in your body. It can get confusing at times as to what is best and the most efficient way to achieve optimum health during these times in your life.

One very important mineral your body needs during pregnancy and lactation is “calcium”. If you are not replenishing your body’s needs, the good news is your baby will still receive the amount of calcium they require ,but the bad news is it will be leached from your bones and teeth. The best way to ensure your health and the health of the baby is to continue to replenish your calcium intake.

Now, I am sure if you are a milk drinker you are probably thinking, that you receive enough calcium and your might be…but the truth is that our body actually absorbs more calcium from other foods such as kale and collard greens (all other leafy green vegetables as well) vs. cows milk. The reason is these vegetables are easier for our body to assimilate and absorb their minerals vs. our body’s breaking down cows milk to absorb the calcium. Additional good sources for calcium are: calcium fortified foods such as orange juice and certain cerals, soy milk, tofu, and dried beans are all excellent sources of calcium. So, if milk doesn’t bother you stick with it but try incorporating some of the above choices as well, and if you are not a milk drinker I hope you feel more empowered knowing about these other calcium rich foods. Keep up your bone health today by replenishing your body’s calcium.

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Strawberry and Kale Smoothie

Posted on April 16, 2013 by danayeats

Need an extra calcium and antioxidant boost try this easy smoothie as your breakfast in the morning.If you have never eaten kale before check out this smoothie recipe. You will love it and feel energized and refreshed.

  • 1 tightly packed cup of kale, washed and chopped (stems removed)
  • 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 1 cup of non-fat or low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
  • up to 1 cup of ice
  • 1 banana

(If you are using frozen strawberries you might not need the extra ice.)

Turn your blender to full speed until the kale has been evenly incorporated into the strawberries and yogurt.

This is a great breakfast or afternoon snack. Between the kale and strawberries you are getting about 12% of your daily calcium, 5 grams of fiber, about 4 grams of protein, not to mention vitamin: A, C and iron. If you have always wondered how to use kale, try this easy and nutritious recipe today! I promise you and your kids will love this fast and easy breakfast!

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Budget Stir Fry

Posted on April 15, 2013 by danayeats

If you are like me, you are constantly trying to stretch a dollar at the grocery store. A quick and easy meal that my family and I love for dinner is stir fry. Instead of buying the pre-sliced beef or chicken for stir-fry in the butcher’s section; buy a Beef Round Top next time it is on sale. You can usually find 1 1/2 lbs package in one slice, for about $3.50 if you get it on sale. I then slice it into 1/4″ slices against the grain for stir fry. It only takes about 2-4 minutes to cook if you slice it this way and is very inexpensive. Add your fresh veggies and rice and you have just fed a family of four for under $10.

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