Pre-Workout Fuel

Maybe you don't like protein bars, or powders but who says you can't dress it up a bit!?

My go to shake has been half pre-made for me!

But sometimes, you want more than chocolate flavor. And sometimes the shakes are less than "shake" consistency... so, I crack open a bottle of Pure Protein - Frosty Chocolate - 120 calories and 23 grams of protein and add a banana and five ice cubes to it! Blend it up and divide into 2 portions - 115 each.

I've also added a banana and 1/2 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter bringing the total calories to 275 - divide into 2 servings - 135(ish) each. 

Drink half the shake 30 minutes prior to your workout and the other half immediately following (within an hour at most!). The protein will help rebuild your muscles and potassium from the banana prevents muscle cramping.

The World's Healthiest Foods.org has this to say about Potassium:

Potassium is especially important in regulating the activity of muscles and nerves. The frequency and degree to which our muscles contract, and the degree to which our nerves become excitable, both depend heavily on the presence of potassium in the right amount.


So before you hit the gym, make sure you are eating/drinking something for fuel and by the same token re-fueling after a workout so your muscles have the chance to rebuild and develop. 

Off to the "hills" of the stationary bike! Come on warm weather!

Rutabaga Fries and Veggie "Wings"

A few weeks ago I posted about new snack finds and new to me produce ....

I decided that on Superbowl Sunday (Sorry Pats!) I would have wings and fries like the rest of America - but, without all the calories. So, I compromised and had Morningstar Farms Veggie Buffalo Wings - and made Rutabaga "fries".

So, how DO you make Rutabaga fries you ask - well, it's simple. The hardest part of Rutabaga is that it's, well, hard. You must cut off each end and peel the outer skin. The inside of a Rutabaga is much like a really hard potato. Once I got to the meat of the tuber, I cut "fries" into 3/8" strips (this does not have to be exact - but to cook evenly all pieces should be about the same thickness). Spray with Olive oil or cooking spray and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Bake on cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes each side on 400 degrees - or until desired crispness. 

The greatest thing about Rutabagas? A 10 oz. serving - only 90 calories. Also, this little tuber is high in Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin C and fiber. 

The veggie wings were definitely spicy - though a small-ish portion for the calorie cost - 5 wings = 200 calories. However, they do satisfy the craving of a breaded buffalo flavor. 

Wegman's Recipe Re-do - Fit Foodie Style

Up here in New England Butternut squash seems to be a staple, much like grits in the South. Wegman's (The once small Mom and Pop Grocery turned into Mega New England Food Market Mecca) creates a Menu magazine every few months with tons of recipes using their brands of food products. The newest Menu magazine is all about produce, which I happen to love! So, I decided to take one of their recipes (that looked delish!) and lighten it up a bit.

Aztec Blend with Roasted Butternut Squash - Fit Foodie Style

1- 20 oz. package of cleaned and cut Butternut Squash (or clean and cut one yourself - it's worth the work)

1 cup Chicken or Veggie stock ( I used Goya chicken bouillon - because it's calorie free)

1/2 cup Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Juice drink

1/2 cup chopped red onions

2 tbsp. dried cranberries

1 tbsp. raisins (it calls for golden but I had regular - works fine)

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup Aztec blend** (see note below)

1 tsp. Olive oil

**If you don't live near a Wegman's to get this Aztec blend you can sub in any sort of rice/pilaf/couscous/grain you like best. The Aztec blend is essentially a mixture of: Colusari, Heirloom red rice, brown rice and multi-colored split peas. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lay out squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray squash with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes, then flip squash, bake another 15. Now, the Wegman's recipe requires a braising pan (which I do not possess) and that you put it in the oven for 55 minutes. I cannot wait that long to eat! So I shortened it up a bit...

In a 4 qt. sauce pan heat your olive oil, toss in your onion - cook a 2 minutes, then your garlic - cook another minute, then your dry rice/grain mixture - cook 2 more minutes - stirring constantly. Add in your broth and juice - bring back to a boil - stir a few times, reduce heat to low and cover for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove from heat, fluff with fork, recover for another 10 to let rice continue to soften. Add butternut squash back in to mixture and heat through - about 2-3 minutes on medium. 

Serves 2 - about 2 1/2 cups and 375 calories each

Wegman's serves 4 - but uses 4 tablespoons of Olive oil and the entire box (1 1/4 cups Aztec blend). For their recipe you get only 1 1/2 cups and you pay 480 calories and 15 grams of fat! So essentially, I've made the recipe heaviest on the squash, lightest on the grains and oil. View their recipe.

I will note, this turned out to be a bit sweeter than I expected. Perhaps it was the diet Cranberry juice - or the amount of dried fruit - however, feel free to substitute all veggie/chicken stock and/or roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) instead of a tablespoon of raisins or cranberries. 

Also, since Wegmans has a prettier photo - I'm throwing theirs on here as well!

Share from Yahoo: 10 Surprising Calorie Facts...

10 Surprising Facts about Calories...

New Snack Finds!

Here's a list of the newest grocery store finds and produce trials!

Fruits and Veggies!

First off - I've never been much of a fan of grapefruit - too tart (or so I thought) - until now. Ruby Red's are my favorite... super juicy and very beautiful! It makes you feel good to eat pretty food! 

The perfect afternoon snack - half a grapefruit contains a mere 60 calories... sprinkle with a little splenda.. grab a grapefruit spoon (LOVE these) and there you have it...

(image from BoulderLocavore.com)

Next up: Dates... not the kind you go on to dinner and a movie... the edible kind.

We were packaging up some Organic Medjool dates at the food market the other day and I decided to give one a shot... after all... I like raisins pretty well and assumed them to be similar (since they look like large raisins!) Boy was I wrong! These things are fantastic - taste like brown sugar candy! This "candy fruit" is a little higher in calories due to the high sugar content - 70 calories per date. Oh and watch out for the pit! 

And in the odd looking but tasty corner... Rutabaga!

These "giant turnips" have a similar taste but are more mild. The rutabaga is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage and treated like any other root vegetable... mashed, boiled, roasted, cut into fries, etc. They have a waxy outer skin that needs to be removed before consumption - however you can find them all ready cleaned and cut for you at some groceries. One cup cubed is only 50 calories!

Prepackaged snack finds!!

I stumbled upon these at work and decided to give them a shot. I'm always looking for a new "veggie" chip and these did not disappoint. With a name like Eat Your Vegetables the folks at Snikiddy have the right idea. I've only had the Jalapeno Ranch flavor thus far, but know the rest must be just as good. These are made with sweet potato, carrots and navy beans. How can you go wrong?! 130 calories per serving.

How about a Sour Cream and Onion "Fry"? Lesser Evil's potato sticks are crinkle cut crunchy bits bursting with flavor... and only 120 calories for 35 sticks. Get your crunch on!

In the same salty crunchy snack realm... Rold Gold Everything Bagel Pretzels... seriously, what more can you ask for, the everything bagel flavor in a little crunchy delightful pretzel. Perfect. Maybe too perfect... keep these on lock down. 14 pretzels for 120 calories.

Where's the sweet you ask? Here it is:

Kashi's Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookie! For 130 calories you get a really great tasting cookie with a good bite to it, double plus, it has 4g of fiber. Even better? Warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds... just like Grandma used to make (if she knew the secret Kashi grain blend).

Some products to note I don't love so much:

Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip cookie and Carrot Creme Cakes. In my foodie opinion... these aren't worth the calories. They are small and don't have as much flavor as I would expect out of my "desserts". I'd rather spend the extra calories to have something more substantial.

Peanut Butter Cheerios - a little disappointing actually. I'm a huge fan of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch and Peanut Butter Cheerios pales in comparison. The Captain brings a much bigger, stronger, peanut buttery flavor.

If you have new food finds, please share in the comments section below!

Not your Grandma's Fruit Basket...

Sometimes, people need a little push to eat their fruits. We shove them in the crisper and forget they are there until we need to make room for something else. Or we let the bananas get over ripe and mushy inviting an infestation of fruit flies. I like to make my fruit visible. I use the side door of my fridge for fruit that needs to stay cool - making it unavoidable! And for fruit that needs to be room temperature...

A beautiful chrome modern fruit bowl... complete with banana hanger. As you can see, it holds a lot of fruit and is pretty! So make your fruit center stage - that way, you won't forget to eat it!

If you want this cool kitchen gadget you can get it here... 

Amazon - only $14 with free shipping.

Winter Roasted Veggies and Kielbasa

I love a good roasted vegetable... and this couldn't be easier.

WINTER ROASTED VEGGIES & KIELBASA

1 - 10 oz. pkg of Baby Bella mushrooms (or another of your choice)

1 - 1lb. pkg frozen or fresh Brussels Sprouts

3 - medium sized carrots - sliced

1/2 chopped white onion

6 oz. Lite Turkey Kielbasa - sliced

1/2 tbsp. Wegman's Basting oil (or another garlic & herb flavored oil)

Toss ingredients in basting oil. Roast all ingredients except mushrooms at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Stir ingredients and add in mushrooms. Bake an additional 15 minutes.

Serves 2 - 370 calories each

This is a good, hearty, warm dish that will fill you up on a cold winters night (such as is every night in New England!). Vegetarians: Leave out the meat and add in other favorite veggies such as eggplant or potatoes. Enjoy!