Healthy Eating Nightmare

Eating out is a part of life and when you are trying to loose weight it is a huge challenge to stay on track.   Here are some tips to help keep that meal out a little better on the belly…

1. Split your meal! Portions are HUGE, big enough for 2 in most cases.  Miss HuskyHiker and I have starting doing this a lot.  Not only are you saving calories your saving money too.  Heck, even the grilled chicken at chilli’s has 850 calories and 45 grams of fat!  That is without fries!   Even if you are not with someone who is willing to split order your meal with a to go box and split it right when you get it.  Enjoy the rest the next day for lunch…

2. Avoid sugary soda. Get water instead, you should drink more water anyway…   One regular soda packs about 160 calories.  Water zilch! and never mind free refills with water the first fill is free…

3. Don’t go blind and hungry. Do your research, look at the menu on line.  Plan your attack before you get there make a healthy choice and stick to it.  Most restaurants have nutritional info on line for download…  Keep looking it’s there somewhere, they hide it well they don’t want you to see that info.  Also have a healthy snack before you go it will help keep your mind on track and avoid appetizers.  The bloomin onion at outback has 1560 calories and 86 grams of fat.

4. Avoid the fat key words. Some things just sound so good… butter, cream sauce, creamy, oil breaded, alfredo, battered, gravy, smothered.  Stay clear,  as good as it sounds it is just not worth it…  The fettuccine alfredo at the olive garden has 1220 calories and 75 grams fat.  Keep that in mind when you see the fat key words.

5. Change how they serve it. That burger comes “smothered” in mayo ask for it with no mayo, or mayo on the side.  Salad or a vegetable side instead of fries most will do it…  Have them make it for YOU!  You are paying top dollar for this food so you should be happy with it…

So when heading out this weekend keep these tips in mind…

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Its easy to overindulge when camping. S’mores are just so delicious and hamburgers and hot dogs are so much fun to cook over the open fire. Here are some ideas for healthier camping food options…

The easiest thing to do is take a look and see if you can find lower calorie versions of the food you would normally take.  Replace fatty cuts of meat with leaner cuts, hamburgers with turkey burgers, find lower fat hot dogs, baked potato chips or pretzels rather than greasy chips. Beef jerky is a great healthy camping food most are 97% fat free.  Don’t forget your veggies too, many are very very tasty cooked over the open fire.

• Corn on the Cob – Peal back the husk and remove the hairs replace the husk and soak in cool water for 20-30 minutes, grill till tender over hot coals
• Zucchini and Summer Squash – Cut in half or quarters brush with olive oil lightly salt and pepper and grill over hot coals till tender
• Sweet Potatoes – Cook just like you would with white potatoes, wrap in foil and toss directly on hot coals.  (note: do not stab foil wrapped potatoes with a fork to check tenderness or to remove from fire. doing so embeds tiny bits of foil into the potato.)

Another great way to cook on the camp fire is “foil packet cooking”.  Almost anything you roast you can cook in a foil packet “beets and sweets” would make a great foil packet meal… All you have to do is lay out a large piece of foil and place the ingredients into the center of the foil. Fold into a packet of some sort (wrap it so you have a few layers of foil on each side). Place just over hot coals turning a few times for even cooking.  Time needed will depend of what you are cooking.

Just remember when you are camping you are more active than normal so it’s ok to enjoy a few s’mores!

Please share your favorite healthy recipes in the comments!!!

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Beets & Sweets

I think beets and sweet potatoes are my two favorite vegetables.  Combine them with garlic, salt and some white onion and we have a winner…

This is something I would usually think to make in the fall or winter but had some beets and sweet potatoes both just sitting there on the table so I figured summer, why not…

Ingredients:

• 3 large beets or 5 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large white onion, cut in large pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F
2. Place chunked beets in a gallon ziplock bag with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 the pressed garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Shake well to coat beets.  Place beets on a large baking sheet, single layer. bake for 20 min.
3. Place chunked sweet potatoes and onion in large bowl add 2 tablespoons olive oil, rest of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix in bowl.  Add beets from oven and toss to mix.
4. Place beets and potatoes back on baking sheet and return to oven for 30- 40 mins or until veggies are tender and enjoy!

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Fiddleheads with shallots & garlic on a bed of rice

I almost missed out on fiddleheads this year. Luckly I found them at a store today and cooked them up for dinner tonight.  Usually in the beginning of May you see them start to show up in the locally owned grocery stores, this year I seemed to keep missing them and when I finally asked I was told they were already passed season.  Fiddleheads are the unfurled fronds of a young fern, They grow in the wild and are uncultivated.  Only certain types of fiddelheads are edible and you should only hunt and pick them if you know what you are looking for.  Fiddleheads taste a bit like asparagus and should be boiled or steamed.  I like to rinse them in cold water and gently rub them to remove any of the brown papery stuff on the spiral then steam or boil, some say to change the water half way through cooking.

The photo above is fiddleheads with shallots and garlic and white rice.  I sauteed the garlic and shallots in olive oil, when well browned I added a bit of beer (I used Sierra Nevada ESB). Then I added the fiddleheads covered the pan and let it simmer for a bit, 10 minutes or so seemed to be good.

It is just great to be able to eat something fresh and local so early in spring…  Being in Western, MA I have the availability of some of the best asparagus you can find anywhere.  Can’t wait for summer and the availability of more local awesome veggies!

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