Eat Well and Save Money

You do not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or a lot of money to eat well.

Cook enough to last. Casseroles, meat loaf, and whole cooked chicken may last for several days. (Be sure to freeze or refrigerate leftovers right away to keep them safe to eat).

Buy frozen or canned vegetables (no salt added) and canned fruit packed in juice. They are just as good for you as fresh produce, will not go bad, and make quick and easy additions to your meals.

If your local store does not have the foods you want or their prices are too high, go to another store. Start a weekly shopping carpool, share the cost of a taxi with friends, or ask a relative or neighbor for a ride.

Many people think that bigger is better. We are so used to value-sized portions—especially in restaurants—that it can be easy to eat more than our bodies need. Eating smaller portions will help you cut down on calories and fat (and just might save you some money too). Here is a 1,600-calorie per day sample menu with sensible portion sizes:

Breakfast
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 English muffin with 1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup orange juice

Lunch
2 ounces baked chicken without skin (a little smaller than a deck of cards)
Lettuce, tomato, and cucumber salad with 2 teaspoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 cup rice seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon tub or liquid margarine
1 small whole-wheat roll with 1 teaspoon margarine

Dinner
3 ounces lean roast beef (about the size of a deck of cards) with 1 tablespoon beef gravy
1/2 cup turnip greens seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 small baked sweet potato with 1/2 teaspoon margarine
1 slice cornbread
1/4 honeydew melon

Snack
2 1/2 cups low-fat microwave popcorn

Cutting calories and eating healthy foods can save your waistline and cost less too!

Red White and Blue Muffins

Fresh fruit and berries are abundant during these warm Summer months. Or - you can usually find an assortment of healthy berries in the frozen food isle of your local store. The vitamins and antioxidants berries provide are good for your health. And they can add a wonderful flavor to any meal or snack.

Try these delightful blueberry muffins at your Fourth of July celebration or for a delicious treat anytime!

Here's all you'll need:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk, low-fat
2 Tablespoons melted margarine
1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries and coarsely chopped strawberries (or you can substitute your favorite fresh or frozen fruit or berries!)


Let's get cookin:

Use butter or PAM to grease your muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir well until all ingredients are blended.

In another bowl, combine buttermilk, margarine, egg, and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients - the flour and sugar mix from the prior step.

Using a large spoon, gently stir ingredients just until moist (don't over mix). Add the blueberries and chopped strawberries.

Stir gently (avoid over-mixing).

Spoon batter evenly into 9 muffin cups.

Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy these nutritious little wonders with your friends and family this 4th of July or anytime! Enjoy eating healthy foods this Summer and year round!

Happy 4th!

Salmon - The Best Source of Omega-3 Fat

Cold Water wild caught salmon is one of nature's richest treats! We strongly suggest avoiding any farm raised fish. Fresh caught Pacific salmon is one of the healthiest choices you can make. Health and nutrition experts recommend eating fish two or three times a week. The Omega-3 fats in salmon are great for your heart and your brain!

Try this simple and nutritious baked salmon and you can taste for yourself the rich flavor salmon has to offer!

Here is all you'll need:

1 pound salmon fresh or frozen

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

If using frozen fish, thaw in refrigerator according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate (or cut) fish into 4 pieces. Place fish in a 9x13x2 inch baking pan.

Combine paprika, garlic and onion powder, pepper, oregano, and thyme in a small bowl.

Sprinkle herb mixture (step 4 mixture) and lemon juice evenly over the fish. Then drizzle olive oil on top.

Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Or try these easy to make salmon patties for a healthy meal anytime!

Eating healthy foods is easy when you enjoy some of natures super-foods! If you want to lose weight this year - Dieting is Easier When You Love the Food. Delicious meals shipped to your door. It's a proven strategy that works!

Enjoy an Easy Summer Salad

Eating healthy foods is so easy while you enjoy some outdoor Summer fun! Try this easy to make Caribbean bean salad while you enjoy time with friends and family this weekend!

Here's all you need:

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1/4 cup red onion sliced or diced

1 cup canned, drained and rinsed, black beans

1 peeled and diced orange

1 diced tomato

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano


Once you've gathered all your ingredients - simply toss everything together in a large salad bowl. Add in some black pepper to taste.

2. Serve immediately or cool in your refrigerator for an hour before your gathering!

Who said eating healthy foods has to be boring? Taste some Caribbean fun with this delightful and nutritious salad!

Keep eating healthy foods

And Have a Happy Summer!

Eating More Fiber is Good For Your Heart

You've probably heard that it's good to eat plenty of fiber. But what is fiber, and why is it important for your heart?

Fiber comes from plants. Since your body can't really digest fiber or absorb it into your bloodstream, it's not nourished by it. That means, technically speaking, fiber isn't a "nutrient." But it's vital for good health.

First, fiber can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Second, it's also good for the digestive tract and overall health. And, as a bonus, eating lots of fiber helps you feel full on fewer calories, which makes it ideal if you're trying to lose weight.

There are two main types of fiber—soluble (also called "viscous") and insoluble. While both have health benefits, only soluble fiber reduces the risk of heart disease.

The difference between the types is how they go through the digestive track. Soluble fiber mixes with liquid and binds to fatty substances to help remove them from the body. Soluble fiber thus helps to lower cholesterol levels—thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Good sources of soluble fiber are whole oats, barley, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (which include beans, peas, and lentils).

Insoluble fiber goes through the digestive tract largely undissolved. Also called "roughage," insoluble fiber helps the colon function properly. Good sources of insoluble fiber are whole-grain foods (such as wheat and corn bran), fruits (such as apples and pears with the skins), vegetables (such as green beans, cauliflower, and potatoes with the skins), and legumes.

As you can see, many foods have both soluble and insoluble fiber. As a rule, fruits have more soluble fiber and vegetables more insoluble fiber.

Nutrition experts suggest you try to eat 25–30 grams of total fiber each day. That should include at least 5–10 grams daily of soluble fiber.

Here's a more complete list of good sources of soluble fiber:

* Whole grain cereals and seeds—barley; oatmeal; oatbran; and psyllium seeds (ground)
* Fruits—apples (with the skin); bananas; blackberries; citrus (such as oranges and grapefruits); nectarines; peaches; pears; plums; and prunes
* Legumes—black, kidney, lima, navy, northern, and pinto beans; yellow, green, and orange lentils; and chickpeas and black-eyed peas
* Vegetables—broccoli; brussels sprouts; and carrots

Try this easy Gazpacho for a tasty warm weather treat:

Gazpacho

This chilled, fiber rich tomato soup is a classic—and chock full of healthy garden-fresh vegetables.

* 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, chopped
* 1/2 C cucumber, seeded, chopped
* 1/2 C green pepper, chopped
* 2 green onions, sliced
*
* 2 C low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail
* 1 Tbsp lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp basil, dried
* 1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
* 1 clove garlic, minced

1. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Keep Eating Healthy Foods and have a wonderful Summer!

Simple Tastes - Baked Beans

"Cheerful cooks make every dish a feast." --MASSINGER.

Sometimes simple is best. Saving your money is easier when you prepare simple, easy to make foods at home. Eating healthy foods is easy and fun when you make them yourself!

The nutritional value of beans is time honored. And these baked beans taste delicious! Try some this weekend! ( Who has time to bake during the week? )


Pick over and wash well one quart of small white beans;
soak over night.

In the morning, pour off the water and cover with cold water.

After boiling one-half hour, drain them, and cover again with cold
water.

Boil the beans again, until cooked, but not broken.

Put them in a baking dish.

In the center of the baking dish place one pound salt pork (which has been parboiled and well gashed),

add: one tablespoonful of molasses,
one dash of cayenne pepper,
black pepper to taste.

Ordinarily the pork should salt the beans.

Cover with part of the liquor in which the pork has been parboiled, and bake three hours. Enjoy that wonderful aroma as these hearty and delicious baked beans are soaking up the flavors of the pork and molasses!

Who says eating healthy foods has to cost a bundle?

Chocolate Week

Celebrate Chocolate Week with some of your favorite chocolate treats! Enjoy some rich dark chocolate and enjoy the healthy antioxidants delivered by nature's sweet gift!

Time and experience have shown that chocolate, when carefully prepared, is an article of food as wholesome as it is agreeable! Chocolate is nourishing, easy to digest, and does not possess those qualities injurious to beauty as some might have you believe.

Some complain of being unable to digest chocolate; while others, on the contrary, pretend that it has not sufficient nourishment, and that the effect disappears too soon. It is probable that the former have only themselves to blame, and that the chocolate which they use is of bad quality or badly made; for good and well-made chocolate must suit every stomach which retains the slightest digestive power.

The best flavor to add to chocolate is vanilla; next to that, cinnamon. Beyond these two things one should use great caution, as it is very easy to spoil the fine natural flavor of the bean. Chocolate absorbs odors readily; therefore it should be kept in a pure, sweet atmosphere. As about eleven per cent. of the chocolate bean is starch, chocolate and cocoa are of a much finer flavor if boiled for a few minutes. Long boiling, however, ruins their flavor and texture.

Get the All-Clad Porcelain Double Boiler for all your best chocolate recipes.