healthy recipes

Two Easy Summer Cocktails to Make This Weekend

June 15, 2012 at 4:05 pm
By Colleen Moody

There’s nothing better than a fruity, tropical drink in your hand to celebrate the beginning of another weekend. Except for the fact that those refreshing recipes often call for some superstar mixologist skills with ingredients you can barely pronounce, let alone find. But thanks to Polar Beverage‘s limited edition collection of summer seltzers, the mixing is already done for you. In fun flavors like piña colada, mint mojito, mango and more you can make a health-smart sip without the mortar and pestle. Not to mention shave off a ton of unwanted calories–the average mojito is approximately 200 calories while a piña colada can clock in at 644!). Try these cocktail recipes for an instant escape.

Sparkling Summer Punch

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of grenadine
• 2 ounces of Cointreau
• 2 ounces of quality brandy
• 3 ounces of lemonade or passion fruit juice
• 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 bottle of Polar Pineapple Passionfruit Seltzer (about 4 cups)
• Lots of ice

Directions:

Combine grenadine, Cointreau, brandy, lemonade (or passion fruit) and frozen pineapple with ice in large pitcher. Stir vigorously. Add Polar Seltzer, stir gently and ladle into glasses.

Calories per serving: 33

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Whip Up a Guilt-Free Mother’s Day Breakfast This Weekend

May 11, 2012 at 9:00 am
By Colleen Moody

Want to spoil Mom this weekend with some breakfast in bed? Devin Alexander, author of The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Most Decadent Diet Ever shared two of her favorite recipes with us to treat her taste buds without the side of guilt. Try one of these this weekend for a better-for-you brunch. Don’t forget to tell her to share with the cook!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Devin Says: These pancakes are chock full of chocolate chips, so I prefer them without butter. If you like a more buttery taste with just a hint of chips, use only 1 tablespoon of chips and spread 1 teaspoon of light butter over the top of each pancake. You’ll add 17 calories and 2 g of fat per teaspoon. You’ll also notice that the recipe calls for very little syrup. Each teaspoon has 17 calories and 0 g of fat. And remember–pancakes have much more sodium than most people realize. If you get even a half stack at your local pancake house, you’re probably eating more than half of your sodium allowance for a day. That said, I usually eat only one or two pancakes for breakfast as a treat to follow an egg white dish instead of eating a big plate of them. You may want to do the same, since pancakes require baking soda and salt to rise, and thus I couldn’t reduce the sodium much here.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup whole-grain oat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
• Butter-flavored cooking spray
• 4 teaspoons pure maple syrup, divided

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Volleyball Pro Misty May-Treanor’s Fuel-Up Tips and Recipes

May 1, 2012 at 2:37 pm
By Marianne Magno

With more career wins than any other female volleyball player, Misty May-Treanor is a pro at getting her body in top shape. With less than 100 days until the London Games, she chatted with us in between competitions to share her nutrition tips and favorite fueling recipes, and told us about a fun opportunity for you to learn volleyball from none other than the champ herself.

What do you eat to fuel up before a big game? What do you eat after?

As an athlete, it’s important to watch what you eat. I eat meals throughout the day, so I carry foods that help sustain energy. I eat a lot of sandwiches and try to be conscious of eating carbs and protein. I try to eat every couple of hours. I like sandwiches with whole wheat/grain and use pickles or cucumbers for moisture instead of mayo or mustard. I like having chicken or turkey breast sandwiches right after working out. Some other sandwich combinations that I love are:

• Tuna with sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce and red onions
• Roast beef with avocado and red onions

Do you have any go-to healthy meals or snacks?

Since I try to eat every few hours, if I feel like I need a little extra after a meal, I’ll have a piece of fruit or add more vegetables to my lunch to stay fuller. When I’m home I like to have almond butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches. They’re easy to make and kids love them, too.

How does your diet change when you start training for competitions?

I think diet needs to be a constant routine, so I don’t stray so much. But you need to give yourself some sort of leeway—if you want a brownie once in a while, then you can have one. But it takes discipline and it’s easier to stay on top of it than play catch up later on. It’s all about having a healthy lifestyle.

Do you have any techniques or mantras to get your more motivated, especially on off days?

I try to live life to the fullest and live in the present. What keeps me motivated is wanting to constantly get better. I want to keep improving. [As gold medalists,] we have a huge target on our back and competitors are trying to bring us down, so that always keeps me wanting to do better.

You’ve teamed up with Arnold and Oroweat Bread to give one lucky person a private training clinic. Do you have any special tips for people wanting to learn or get better at volleyball?

The person that wins this contest will get a taste of the lifestyle that I lead. Have fun, get out there and play, even if you don’t know all the rules.

How to Enter The Arnold and Oroweat Bread Slice of Gold Contest: Submit your original healthy sandwich recipe on Facebook to enter for a chance to win a private volleyball clinic with Misty May Treanor!

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Announcing: The Skinny Pins Contest!

May 1, 2012 at 6:00 am
By FITNESS Editors

Show us your go-to moves, recipes, inspiration and gear, and you could win a $100 American Express gift card!

When it comes to staying in shape, one great way to keep your eye on the prize is through visual reminders. That’s why we’re obsessed with Pinterest, the free social-networking site that lets you create your own virtual inspiration boards, instantly.

But it’s also fun to share what works for you! So in the spirit of good health, we’re inviting you to pin the stuff that keeps you strong and healthy: The exercise moves, recipes, motivating quotes, fitness gear, and more. A panel of FITNESS judges will check out the submitted boards and five winners will score a $100 American Express gift card.

Here’s How to Enter:

1. Follow FitnessMagazine on Pinterest.
2. Create a new Pinterest board entitled “The Skinny Pins Contest – Fitness Mag.”
3. Fill that board with at least 10 pins. Of those 10 pins, at least 5 of them must be items (recipes, exercises, etc.) pinned from FitnessMagazine.com.
4. Each pin’s description must explain why or how the pinned content keeps you in shape. Are tricep kickbacks your never-miss move at the gym? Do you keep the weight off with Greek yogurt? Tell us! This step is very important with the judging.
5. Once your pinboard is complete, enter the contest by submitting the board’s exact url here.

Pinboards will be judged on effectiveness and believability of the pinned content, originality, adherence to the contest rules, and understanding of the FITNESS lifestyle and voice. The contest is open from May 1 through May 31.

Disclaimer: You must be a member of Pinterest.com to enter and you must follow Fitness Magazine on Pinterest. If you do not have a Pinterest account, you can sign up here.

Official Rules

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Two Must-Try Brunch Recipes From Rocco DiSpirito

April 2, 2012 at 4:04 pm
By Karla Walsh

Last week, FITNESS advisory board member and super chef Rocco DiSpirito made me breakfast. This was strictly (delicious) business, though! He hosted a group of editors to teach us how to make a low-calorie, well-balanced morning meal with ideas from his Now Eat This! Diet book and new recipes created with Coffee-mate’s recently-released Natural Bliss creamers.

It was all really tasty (and a huge step up from our usual weekday grab-and-go), so we asked DiSpirito to share two of his favorite recipes so we can all recreate them at home.

Vanilla Ricotta-Stuffed Crepes With Orange Maple Syrup

• 6 tablespoons Natural Bliss Low-fat Vanilla
• 4 teaspoons egg white powder
• 8 ounces light ricotta cheese
• 1 navel orange, 1/2 teaspoon of zest removed with fine grater, then peeled
• 1/2 cup calorie-free pancake syrup
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 4 sprigs fresh mint (about 8 leaves), torn into small piece

1. Preheat the over to 350° F. Pour all but 2 teaspoons of the Natural Bliss in a small mixing bowl and whisk in the egg white powder until fully dissolved; set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the remaining 2 teaspoons of Natural Bliss and 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest set aside.
3. With a sharp knife, cut the sections of orange flesh out from the white membrane that encases them in the orange. Place the orange sections, remaining 1/4 teaspoon orange zest and the pancake syrup in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high until the mixture simmers, about 2 minutes. Carefully remove the plastic wrap on one side to vent but keep warm, and set aside.
4. Spray a 10-inch nonstick skillet with one second of cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour one-fourth of the Natural Bliss and egg powder mixture into the warm pan and swirl the mixture so it forms a thin even layer on the bottom of the pan. Put it over the heat until you can see browning at the edges, about 20 seconds, and then place in the oven and bake about 30 seconds or until it has full cooked. Pull the crepe out of the pan, cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside. Repeat these steps to make three additional crepes.
5. Place a dollop of the ricotta mixture in the center of each crepe and spread it out evenly over the crepes. Fold crepes in half and then in half again and place one crepe each on four plates. Spoon the warm orange syrup over each crepe and garnish with mint leaves.

Nutrition information per serving (one crepe): 108 calories, 4 g fat

For a super sip, click below.

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Fit Links: Love Morning Workouts and Banish Back Pain

February 24, 2012 at 3:06 pm
By Karla Walsh

This week’s fit links from around the web:

• Don’t dread the alarm! Here are nine smart tips that will help you smile through your morning workouts. — Fit Bottomed Girls
• What does “healthy” mean around the world? — GOOD
• It’s all about balance. The 80/20 rule works with your diet, relationships and more! — Healthy Tipping Point
• No meat? No problem! Whether you celebrate Meatless Mondays or eat fish on Fridays during Lent, these tasty recipes are for you. — Diets in Review
• Harness the powers of your brain to help shape up your body. — Q by Equinox
• My achy breaky back! Ease computer-related neck, shoulder and back pain with this stretch. — The Balanced Life

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Delicious Party Snacks Inspired By Oscar-Nominated Movies

February 24, 2012 at 11:26 am
By Karla Walsh

Katie Lee knows how to host one festive, tasty event. The food critic, cookbook author and former Top Chef host and judge has thrown countless parties and has big plans for Oscar Sunday this year! But before her big soiree, we caught up with Lee to snag her top three Academy Award-worthy tips:

1. Get everyone involved. “Bring the glamour of the red carpet into your living room. Details as small as gold or silver cocktail napkins, draped red table cloths and glitzy champagne glass charms can make a big impact.”
2. Add festive details. “Create simple ballots on festive stationery that allow your guests to predict the winners of each category. The guest with the most correct picks wins a fun prize!”
3. Set up party stations. “Encourage guests to mingle by creating separate food and drink stations around the room. This will allow your party to flow well, but also encourage guests to meet one another throughout the night. For an added attraction, theme each station to one of the best picture nominees!”

Chili Parmesan and Peanut Popcorn (Inspired by Moneyball)

Serves 18

• 18 cups plain popped popcorn
• 1/4 cup I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spread, melted
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1. Put popcorn in large bowl.
2. In small bowl, combine melted spread, chili powder and salt; drizzle over popcorn and toss until evenly coated.
3. Add peanuts and cheese; toss.

Nutrition information per serving: 110 calories, 8 grams of fat

Now that we covered the savory, Lee passed along a sweet idea. Click below for the recipe!

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Eating Tips and a Recipe from Cheryl Forberg, The Bigger Loser’s Former Nutritionist

February 23, 2012 at 9:26 am
By Colleen Moody

When Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian, James Beard award-winning chef and creator of The Biggest Loser meal plan signed on to the show for its first season, she was shocked at the contestant’s state of health. “Most of what I did was not on camera;  at the beginning of every season the applicant pool was huge. Season 5 alone had 220,000 applicants. Once we weeded applicants out down to about 75, we could start doing physical tests while I met with them to talk about eating habits and their weight loss and weight gain tendencies,” she said. “The first season was shocking to hear their eating habits, but after a few seasons I realized I was hearing the same thing over and over again.”

Read below as Forberg shares her experiences with The Biggest Loser, the nutrition factors she used to make the meal plan and a healthy spread you can make easily at home.

What were you most surprised to discover about with the diets of the past contestants on The Biggest Loser?

I found all the contestants had things in common, like the belief that skipping meals promotes weight loss, drinking too many calories, having too much processed fast food, not eating very many fruits and vegetables, little to no water consumption, not eating enough whole grains and forgetting to plan ahead. Everybody had a different combination of one these things, but what they all had in common was prioritizing their family, work or something else over themselves. They needed to put their head in the game and get healthy so that they could be around to take care of the people and things they loved. They needed to start taking care of themselves.

For someone looking to make their own meal plan for weight loss, what foods should be on their list?

To start, steer clear from the white stuff. That includes flour, rice, sugar and pasta. Try to focus on whole grains instead. Also be careful of how many carbs you are eating, since they are often the biggest culprit for people who are looking to shed major weight. People feel like they need them at every meal and snack, but that’s just not true. Kick up the amount of fruits and veggies you normally eat, with a majority of that being on the vegetable side. They have high water content and little starch. Things like tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant and bell peppers are great to stock up on and low in calories, so it is OK to munch away. Make sure you are eating some lean protein such as egg whites, beans, edamame and vegetables (are you sensing a theme here?). Lean beef and pork work great for dinner, along with chicken, turkey and plenty of fish. And don’t assume fat is bad, we all need good fats which you can find in things like avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil.

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Fit Blogger We Love: Heather’s Dish

February 16, 2012 at 3:32 pm
By Samantha Shelton

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all types of yummy recipes, look no further than Heather’s Dish. Many are healthy, while some are more indulgent (hey, we all need those once in a while!) and others are  fun in-between goodies. We caught up with this foodie extraordinaire to find out what songs get her groovin’ and which sport she’d play if invited to London this summer.

I’m happiest when I’m: Spending time with my husband. We could be traveling, hiking, grabbing coffee or just hanging out and it’s a guaranteed good time.

My favorite way to work out: I’m a big fan of running, walking, hiking and essentially anything that can be done outdoors! Weight training has always been fun for me too; I love seeing the results as my muscles change. In the summer, I really love paddleboarding—it’s such a fun full-body workout!

My fave fit snack: Carrots and almond butter are amazing together! So either that or Greek yogurt and Love Grown Foods granola. I’m very specific about the granola I like and theirs always hits the spot.

Most embarrassing song I’ll admit I work out to: I don’t really count it as embarrassing, but I love working out to “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner or “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. The energy in those songs is addictive!

Olympic sport I’d love to try: I grew up playing volleyball and truly miss it. If I could pick anything to really pour time and training into for the Olympics, it would definitely be beach volleyball!

We’re big fans of Heather’s dishes and thought you might be too. Click below for a yummy salmon recipe she’s whipped up that has earned rave reviews.

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Waistline-Approved Super Bowl Recipes

February 2, 2012 at 11:03 am
By Colleen Moody

Whether you’re watching for the game, the halftime show, or just want to stare at some buns in tight spandex for four hours, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest chow down sporting events of the year. To help you nosh at the festivities, we snagged some low-cal, football friendly food for you to make this year from cookbook author Dana Jacobi. Eat up!

Teriyaki Chicken Wings with Hot Mango Dipping Sauce

16 chicken wings, about 3 1/4 pounds

For sauce

• 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/3 cup Stevia In The Raw Baker’s Bag
• 2 tablespoons defrosted orange juice concentrate
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise
• 3/4-inch fresh ginger, in 3 slices

1. In small saucepan, combine all sauce ingredients. Boil sauce over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature. If desired, remove garlic and ginger, transfer to tightly covered container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a 15 x 11-inch or larger baking pan with foil. Coat two 10 x 10-inch wire racks with cooking spray and set in the pan, overlapping them.

3. Cut off first joint of chicken wings and discard. Arrange wings in prepared baking pan in one layer, smooth side up. Bake for 10 minutes.

4. Brush wings on both sides with sauce and bake smooth side up for 5 minutes. Brush with sauce again and bake with underside up for 5 minutes. Brush wings a third time and bake smooth side up for 5 minutes. Brush wings again and bake underside up for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 400° F. Brush tops of wings with sauce and bake, topside up, for 10 minutes.

5. Arrange wings on serving plate and discard any remaining sauce. Serve with Hot Mango Dipping Sauce (recipe on next page).

Read on to get the recipe for the dipping sauce and a healthy Super Bowl dessert recipe!

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