Recipes

Celebrate National French Fries Day—the Healthier Way!

July 13, 2011 at 12:58 pm
By Karla Walsh

July 13 may just seem like another day on the calendar, maybe just a regular Wednesday in the middle of summer. But did you know that it’s also National French Fries Day?

Lately, the potato has been vilified after being singled out as one of the most common dietary component of folks who gained weight during a recent study by Harvard researchers. Here at FITNESS, we appreciate moderation and think that there are plenty of ways to incorporate the starchy root vegetable into a healthy, balanced diet.

In honor of the holiday, here are a couple of our favorite fry makeovers. OK, we admit they’re not “fried” but they sure look and taste like your favorite drive-thru side dish!

Crunchy Baked French Fries

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 medium baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; brush with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining olive oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle potato wedges with salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes. Turn potatoes; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes more or until tender and golden.

Nutrition facts per serving (serves 4, 8 wedges each): 155 calories, 6 g. fat (1.5 g. saturated)

My personal favorite? Fat-Free Fries. Who says that sweet potatoes don’t count?

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Cut sweet potatoes into quarters; cut each quarter lengthwise into 4 wedges. Arrange on a baking pan misted with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine spices; sprinkle over potatoes.
3. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, or until potatoes are brown and tender, turning once.

Nutrition facts per serving (serves 4): 76 calories, o g. fat

Before you dip, check out which condiments are the healthiest!

Now tell us: Which food do you think should have its own holiday and why?

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Alternatives to Peanut Butter (and How to Make Them at Home!)

July 8, 2011 at 12:46 pm
By SparkPeople

Mmm, peanut butter. It has that ideal balance between sweet and salty, making it the perfect companion for everything from whole grain toast to celery sticks. And it’s an inexpensive source of protein and good-for-you monounsaturated fats. Generations of kids have gotten through the school day fueled by peanut-butter sandwiches and a carton of milk—you were probably one of them!

But what about the other nut butters out there? How about spreads made from almonds, cashews, and even seeds like sunflower? As an alternative to the old standby, consider these other products most easily found in gourmet, natural and/or organic grocery stores:

Almond butter: Like peanuts, almonds are a source of monounsaturated fats.

Cashew, pistachio or hazelnut butter: Like the nuts themselves, these butters are rich and slightly sweet. They make good additions to Indian curries or Mediterranean dishes.

Macadamia nut butter: Also rich and sweet, this type of nut butter is typically used with chocolate or fruit spreads, in desserts, or sweet snacks.

Seed butters: Pumpkin and sunflower seeds can be ground into a smooth paste and used like nut butter; both contain beneficial nutrients like zinc, iron and potassium. Tahini, made of ground sesame seeds, is a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.

Unfortunately, truly natural butters are more expensive than most mainstream brands, which often contain additional ingredients (sweeteners, oils, etc). If you can find fresh-ground or grind-your-own nut butters (natural foods grocers carry them), you’ll find that the price per pound is somewhere in between major brands and natural, minimal-ingredient butters.

If you really want to cut the cost of buying nut or seed butter by the jar–while knowing exactly what’s going into your nut butter–consider making your own at home! Keep reading for a homemade nut butter recipe… Read more

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Fit Blogger We Love: FANNEtastic Food

June 30, 2011 at 8:34 am
By Marianne Magno

We admire this runner and foodie’s recent big life change: quitting her cubicle job to move to Europe and then back to the U.S. to become a registered dietitian. Her blog features photos of healthy food that’ll make you drool and gorgeous scenery that’ll make you want to pack your bags for your own adventure! Here’s more about this soon-to-be R.D.:

I’m happiest when I’m: Outside! Hiking, running, biking, swimming, walking…you name it! If it’s outdoors, I probably love it.

My fave fit snack: Greek yogurt with fruit, my Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Granola Bars or my 5-Minute No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars!

Most embarrassing song I’ll admit I work out to: I have a very random mix of music on my computer, and sometimes old school Disney movie songs come on. I’ve definitely rocked out to “Hakuna Matata” before while running. I may or may not still know all the words.

Olympic sport I’d love to try: Probably something super random like synchronized swimming, just to see what it was like. I have a feeling it would be a lot harder than it looks…

My “I Did It” Moment: Finishing my first half-marathon! Not only had I trained hard, but it was also approximately 1,000 billion degrees that day so finishing was an even bigger accomplishment than I had anticipated! I’ve since gone on to run a second half-marathon (and knocked nearly 15 minutes off my time due to better training and race day conditions), but I’m not sure anything will top the relief and pride I felt crossing the finish line that first time.

Do you have a favorite fit blogger you want us to highlight? Tell us in the comments below.

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Fit Links: Celebrating Summer with Yoga, Strawberries and a Hammock

June 24, 2011 at 3:11 pm
By Marianne Magno

• Turns out the 10 percent rule for increasing your mileage when running doesn’t prevent injuries, according to a new study. — NYTimes
• This strawberry pizza looks amazing— and just in time for summer! — FitSugar
• As if we needed another reason to want a hammock…Scientists found that the rocking motion improves sleep quality. — The Body Odd
• How did you celebrate the start of summer? This yogi did downward dog in the middle of Times Square.— Ladies’ Lounge
• Not so shocking: City dwellers respond more to stress than those who live in rural areas. — The Chart

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Best and Worst Cookout Foods

June 2, 2011 at 9:15 am
By SparkPeople

Summer is here, and that means outdoor parties and cookouts with friends and family! But if you’re trying to eat healthier, it can seem hard to find good choices at the picnic table. You don’t have to hide out until September just to resist temptation, though. Use this guide to choose food that’s light, healthy and refreshing at any backyard blowout.

Burgers ‘n Dogs
Hamburgers and hot dogs don’t have to be a diet disaster. Start with a 100% whole wheat bun instead of white for a healthy dose of fiber, and watch the fat content of the meat. The average beef and pork hot dog contains about 180 calories and 17 grams of fat before you add a bun and toppings. Turkey dogs are tasty and won’t sabotage your diet—you can have two of them for less than 100 calories. If you’re going for a burger, stay away from the high-fat toppings like cheese, mayo and bacon. Choose cheese slices made with skim milk to reduce the fat content and load your burger with mustard and fresh veggies instead. Here’s the burger ‘n dog breakdown:

Worst	Better	Best
Hamburger patty (4 oz) 290 calories 22g fat	Turkey burger patty (4 oz ) 160 calories 9g fat	Veggie burger patty (2.5 oz) 110 calories 4 grams of fat
Bratwurst (4 oz) 300 calories 25g fat	Beef hot dog (2 oz) 180 calories 17g fat	Turkey dog (2 oz) 45 calories 5g fat
Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms 150 calories 13g fat	Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mayo and mustard 131 calories 9g fat	Lettuce, tomato, ketchup, pickles and mustard 25 calories 0g fat
Buttered bun 160 calories 6.5g fat	Whole wheat bun 110 calories 1.5g  fat	A lettuce leaf 5 calories 0g fat

Chips, Salads & Sides
If potato salad is your downfall, make your recipe healthier by leaving the skins on the potatoes (for more fiber and nutrients) and choose nonfat Greek-style yogurt instead of mayo. Make creamy cole slaw more waist-friendly by reducing the fat in the dressing by swapping plain low-fat yogurt for half the mayo. Baked beans are usually a good choice, but opt for vegetarian varieties that aren’t made with bacon, if possible. If you want to avoid the creamy salad temptations completely, fill your plate with fresh grilled vegetables. Spray chunks of red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant with canola oil spray and grill them on the barbecue. Add freshly ground pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar for extra punch.

When it comes to dips, look for vegetable and fruit-based choices like guacamole (made from avocado fruit) and salsa (made from tomatoes and veggies). These pack healthy nutrients that creamy dips often don’t.

Worst	Better	Best
Potato salad (1/2 cup) 179 calories 10.3g fat	Cole slaw (1/2 cup 150 calories 8g fat	Vegetarian baked beans (1/2 cup) 100 calories 1g fat
Ranch dressing (2 Tbsp) 180 calories 18g fat	Guacamole (4 Tbsp) 100 calories 8g fat	Salsa (1/2 cup) 60 calories 0g fat
Potato or tortilla chips (1 oz) 150 calories 10g fat	Pretzels (1 oz) 110 calories 2g fat	Raw vegetables (1 oz) 16 calories 0g fat

Read more

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Fit Links: Better Burgers and Music To Go Gaga For

May 27, 2011 at 4:17 pm
By Karla Walsh

This week’s fit links from around the web:

• Ten recipes for building a bikini-friendly burger this holiday weekend. —FitSugar
• “I say a little prayer for you…” More Americans are turning to their spirituality to help cope with health issues. —Time Healthland
• The long-anticipated new album from Gaga is here—and packed with great tunes to power you through your workout! —Fit Bottomed Girls
• We’ve heard of ice cream trucks, but snack trucks? These “mobile vending machines” may be sabotaging even the most nutritious school lunch programs. —WSJ.com
• Find out if your city is among the fittest (or least fit) in the U.S. —American Fitness Index

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Fit Blogger We Love: The Fitnessista

May 19, 2011 at 2:31 pm
By Marianne Magno

We’ve got to admit, The Fitnessista‘s appetizing food photos never fail to catch our attention when we scroll through our RSS feed. This week, we chatted with Gina, the personal trainer, group fitness instructor and girly-girl behind the blog, about dry shampoo (AKA post-gym lifesaver), workout mantras and yummy snacks she likes to call “Amazeballz.”

I’m happiest when I’m: Dancing! Any type of dance or dance fitness: jazz, hip hop, Zumba, Dance Trance and dance cardio are my favorites, but I’m just as happy shaking it in my living room. It’s one of those workout gems where you forget you’re actually “working out” and burn a crazy amount of calories. Winner winner!

My fave fit snack: Amazeballz! These are high protein snacks that taste just like dessert. Amazeballz contain many of my favorite ingredients and are perfect to stash in your purse for grab-and-go. You can find the recipe here.

5 things I can’t live without: 1) My husband (aka “The Pilot”) and maltipoo, Bella, 2) Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder, 3)  Lululemon Cool Racerback tanks, 4) almond butter (Nuttzo peanut-free rocks my world), 5) Buxom eyeliner.

My fitness mantra: “Change creates change.” You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Anything you can do to switch up your workout routine or eating habits will keep the body from kicking into cruise control. Change something and change will follow.

My gym bag must-have: Dry shampoo! As a fitness professional, I teach quite a few times each day and don’t always have time to shower in between- sad, but reality. Dry shampoo has saved my life! I’ll spray a little to my roots (Ojon is my fave brand) and comb through, and then blowdry the wet parts. It gets me through the day without feeling like a greaseball.

Do you have a favorite fit blogger you want us to highlight? Tell us in the comments below.

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Fit Links: Conquering Peer Pressure

May 13, 2011 at 3:43 pm
By Karla Walsh

This week’s fit links from around the web:

• Under pressure…How to stay on the healthy when your pal’s idea of fun isn’t hitting the gym — That’s Fit
• Is food offered at schools any better than what’s served up in prisons? — GOOD
• Slather it on! The makings of an effective sunscreen — The Washington Post
• The link between online imagery and size prejudice — Healthland
• Fact of fiction? Uncover the truth behind common exercise rumors — Fit Sugar
• Just in time for weekend brunch: Seven pancake recipes that don’t break the calorie bank — Daily Spark
• Spa treatments that are wild—in the truest sense of the word! — NY Post

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Get Your Spring Produce Fix

April 20, 2011 at 12:29 pm
By Karla Walsh

To make sure that you’re eating well and feeling satisfied, registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner designed a delicious mix-and-match meal plan exclusively for FITNESS readers. Any diet that includes banana-nut pancakes and sesame chicken stir-fries—not to mention tasty snacks and restaurant options—is one that I can stick with!

I spoke with the super-creative Dawn to learn what she’s eating these days. She told me that her favorite spring eats include seasonal ingredients, especially asparagus and strawberries. Of course, I had to ask for her favorite recipes. Lucky for us, these family-friendly dishes are easy as 1-2-3!

Fried Brown Rice with Asparagus & Almonds
Serves 8

• 6 cups brown rice
• 1 bunch of asparagus, steamed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup almonds, slivered and toasted
• 4 green onions, chopped
• For sauce: 2 tablespoons each of rice vinegar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, minced garlic and minced ginger

1. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
2. In a skillet, add sauce and rice. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Mix until heated.

Nutrition facts per serving (1-1/2 cup): 272 calories, 10 g. fat (1 g. saturated fat)

Strawberry Rhubarb Fool
Serves 4

• 1 cup chopped fresh rhubarb
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 12 ounces (1-1/2 cups) plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1. Saute rhubarb and O.J. for 6-8 minutes, until thick and saucy.
2. In a blender, puree cooked rhubarb, strawberries and honey until smooth.
3. Layer strawberry-rhubarb mixture with yogurt in 4 glasses, swirl together with a knife. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Nutrition facts per serving (3/4 cup): 140 calories, 2 g. fat (1 g. saturated fat)

More from FITNESS: Fresh & Fit: 24 Seasonal Spring Recipes

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10 Ways to Lighten Up Any Recipe

April 14, 2011 at 10:17 am
By SparkPeople

Choosing healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two completely different forms when it’s quickly sautéed in olive oil versus battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it comes to home cooking.

The first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.

Here are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe overhauler!

1. Sauté—the skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of  low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you’ll save calories to use elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
2. Say no to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture  (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.
3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you’re watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving.

Keep Reading for 5 More Helpful Tips to Lighten Up Any Recipe!

More From Spark People:

How to Eat Out and Still Lose Weight

The Proven Weight-Loss Program That Isn’t a Diet

50 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories

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