Avocado Pudding Recipe

A friend of mine suggested I try out her Avocado Pudding recipe she found in a magazine (not a clue which one). I'm always one to try new things, especially if they are healthy. You get a boost of unsaturated (healthy) fats and some protein! The recipe was really simple and quite good. It took me less than 10 minutes to make, so great to make in a pinch!

Just some forewarnings:
1. It is not sweet! If you are more of a sweet tooth, add some type of sweetener.
2. The recipe I used called for dates (10-12), which I did not have, so I used some honey instead.
3. It tastes much better after it sits in the fridge and gains the "pudding-like consistency."
4. I topped mine with some Reddi Whip, which gave it a little more sweetness and more of a dessert feel.

Avocado Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
1 Avocado (ripe)
1T Honey
1/2c Almond milk
4T Unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or blender. Chill for 1 hour and enjoy!

Easy Chia Seed Recipes

My new adventure this week and last was with Chia seeds. If you are thinking, "Chia seeds, like Chia pet?" You are indeed correct! These are the same seeds featured in the Chia Pet. So, what are Chia seeds? According to WebMD, "Chia is an edible, unprocessed seed (and whole-grain), that can be absorbed by the body (unlike flaxseeds)." You can sprinkle raw Chia seeds on cereal, sauces, vegetables and yogurt. You can also use Chia seeds in baked goods. Chia seeds are a good replacement for eggs (if you have an allergy), just mix with water! Chia seeds are a good source of fiber, protein, calcium, Omega-3s, and antioxidants.

Last week, I made Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding. To be honest, once you get over the weird texture, it is actually pretty good. I found it to be an easy snack with a boost of fiber.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding 
Ingredients
2T Chia Seeds
1/2c Milk (I used almond milk)
1T Cocoa Powder
1tsp Honey

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a jar or container with a lid. Shake vigorously.
2. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!

**I made the mistake of trying to stir it all together and it did not go well. Shaking is the way to go!

Today, I ventured to make Chia Seed Crusted Chicken, in a few different forms (recipes below), since I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the great flavor. A definite must-try recipe!

Picture taken while I was still cooking, note the raw chicken :)

Chia Seed Crusted Chicken
Ingredients
2T Chia Seeds
2T Coconut Oil
3 Chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2T Unflavored Bread Crumbs or 2T Almond Flour
1T Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg, beaten lightly

Directions
Option 1: Dip chicken in egg then chia seeds. Fry in coconut oil.
Option 2: Dip chicken in egg then bowl with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and chia seeds (mixed). Fry in coconut oil.
Option 3: Dip chicken in chia seeds. Fry in coconut oil.

**My personal favorite was the chia seeds with parmesan cheese.




http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-chia

Pizza Hummus Recipe

Every week, I lead a weight management support group at the YMCA. I always bring in a new recipe or food item to taste test. I think it makes the class interesting and allows for some food conversation. This past week, I served a pizza hummus with pretzel sticks and pita chips and it was a hit! I would definitely serve this recipe warm (unless you like the taste of "cold pizza"). It's a great quick snack to satisfy the cravings. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Pizza Hummus
Ingredients
2 T olive oil
1/4c tomato paste
3c chickpeas plus 1 T reserved liquid
1/4c lemon juice
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp garlic
Dash of salt

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add tomato paste, oregano, basil, garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
2. Food process chickpeas, reserved liquid, and lemon juice.
3. Add sauce mixture to food processor with chickpea mixture. Season with salt to taste and enjoy!
(**I put everything back in the saucepan after food processing to get it heated to serve)

Nutrition Facts (2T): 40kcal, 83mg sodium, 5g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 1 g fiber

Tips for Keeping Your New Year Resolutions

It's that time again! What time do you say? Time to start making your New Year Resolutions! Recently, I was asked to make a resolution for a video. What did I say? Absolutely nothing. I don't know what "firm decision to do or not to do something" I want to make (Google definition). Sure there are things that I want to do or change; however, do I really need to wait until January 1st to do them? Why can't I just start now, or January 2nd? I feel like if I think about something I want to change or do, I should just start when I get the idea. I think of this epic resolution time as procrastination. "I'll start my diet in the new year; I'll be nicer in the new year; etc, etc. But this is just my opinion :)

Anyway, for those of you on the New Year Resolution boat, here are some tips to help you stick to the ones you choose. Whether your resolutions are for a weight loss or simply a healthier lifestyle, it is important to keep a few of these tips in mind.

Make Your Resolution Something You Truly Want! 
---Don’t just do what everyone else is doing; you may end up not fulfilling your true goals.

Start Small! 
---Make a list of long and short-term goals.
---It takes a lot of work to change a behavior, so small steps are important.
---Be specific as to what you want to accomplish to make your goals more attainable.

Pair Up! 
---If your resolution is to start exercising, join the gym with a friend or take a walk with a neighbor.
---This will also tie in with keeping you motivated.

Plan Ahead! 
---If you are trying to eat healthier, plan your meals so you won’t have to worry about snacking on unhealthy foods.
---If you are starting an exercise plan, set a time each week when you will you be exercising and stick to it.

Keep Track of Your Progress! 
---This will help you to stay motivated.
---It is certainly difficult to alter or change a behavior, so every bit of motivation will be beneficial.
---Also, you can look back at where you started and see how much progress you made.

Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself! 
---Don’t give up on yourself when you “fall off the wagon.” Think of these days as learning experiences.
---Also, you could think about ways you could handle them differently in the future.
---For example, if you know every Thursday there are cookies in the break room and you always eat multiple cookies, either don’t go in there on Thursdays, bring your own snack, or take one cookie and leave the room so you won’t overindulge.
---While it is important to be healthy, it is also important to be happy. Indulging every once in a while can help you to live a healthier lifestyle and not just “be on a diet.”

What are Black Soybeans?

I've been hearing a lot about black soybeans in the news (This is mostly due to Dr. Oz's show). I wanted to do some investigating to see how good they really are.

What Are They?
Black soybeans are simply a variety of soybeans, which are seeds from a plant. I found it to be very interesting that mature, dried soybeans can be a variety of colors, including black, brown, and blue. Fresh, undried, soybeans are always green in color.

What Are The Health Claims?
"Eating black soybeans helps you to lose weight, easily, lower cholesterol, and fight inflammation."

What Does the Science Say?
The National Institute of Health's study shows that consumption of various beans may inhibit oxidative stress. Black soybeans showed the greatest improvement in risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. This study was only conducted on rats thus far. The most consistent effect of soybeans on blood fats has been a moderate lowering of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Comparison to Regular Soybeans
Black soybeans have less calories, total fat, carbohydrates, and sugars. Regular soybeans, on the other hand, have more fiber and protein.

Health Benefits
Soybeans, in general, are a good source of Vitamin K, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Fiber. Black soybeans, however, have a higher antioxidant content.

To sum it all up, all types of beans are a great choice for both a vegetable and protein source. Black soybeans have a slightly higher antioxidant content; however, it is not such a big deal if you eat regular soybeans in their place.

Final Bean Tips
-Throw some beans into a soup or stew for a protein boost.
-To use as a simple side dish, cook (sauté, stir-fry, boil, etc) and season with olive oil, onions, and garlic.
-Make "nuts" by roasting chickpeas in the oven. Mix 1 can of chickpeas with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread over a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Enjoy as a quick snack!

¨http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=79¨http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-seneca-organic-soy-beans-i108429

Black Bean Brownies Recipe

Today, I tried my first kick at black bean brownies. To be honest, before I made them, I was pretty skeptical of how good they would taste. I mean a sweet treat with black beans? Sounds a little weird. Well, was I pleasantly surprised by the end product. A little bit different texture than a real brownie, but just as good!

I definitely suggest giving the recipe a try; however, I wouldn't tell anyone they were made with black beans until after they tried one :)

Black Bean Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
1 (15.5oz) can black beans, rinse and drain
3 eggs
3 tbsp oil or 1/3c melted butter (my first try I used the oil and had a good result)
1/4c unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2c sugar (some recipes say 3/4c, but I think 1/2c was sweet enough)
2 tbsp chocolate chips (optional, you can use more/less)
**You can also try adding nuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish.
2. Mix all ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared dish.
**I pureed the black beans first. I didn't want the brownies to be chunky and I wanted the flavor to mix well.
3. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Enjoy!


Nutrition Facts (1 brownie):
Calories: 41
Total Fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Sodium: 55mg
Potassium: 15mg
Total Carbohydrates: 5.5g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 1g

Cereal Vs. Ice Cream

This past week I had the privilege of leading a nutrition supermarket tour. When my tour group came to the cereal aisle, many of my participants had a very eye-opening experience about all of the sugar in "healthy cereal" products. In talking about carbohydrates and sugar, one woman had a very interesting comment, "With that much sugar, I could have just had my bowl of ice cream for a snack. I thought I was being healthier by having cereal."

After the tour, I was curious to see how cereal, a so called wholesome breakfast, really stacked up to a bowl of ice cream. Here begins my investigation:

Raisin Bran (w/o Milk)(1 cup): 
-Calories: 190    -Total Fat: 1g       -Sodium: 210mg    -Total Carbs: 46g
-Fiber: 7g    -Sugars: 18g    -Protein: 5g  
-Additional Vitamins and Minerals

Raisin Bran (with skim milk)(1 cup): 
-Calories: 230    -Total Fat: 1g       -Sodium: 275mg    -Total Carbs: 52g
-Fiber: 7g    -Sugars: 24g    -Protein: 9g

Special K (with skim milk)(3/4 cup):
-Calories: 160    -Total Fat: 1g       -Sodium: 205mg    -Total Carbs: 33g
-Fiber: 3g    -Sugars: 16g    -Protein: 6g
  
Choc Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream (1/2 cup):
-Calories: 160    -Total Fat: 9g      -Sodium: 65mg       -Total Carbs: 20g
-Fiber: 0g    -Sugars: 14g    -Protein: 2g
-Vitamin A and Vitamin C

Chocolate Ice Cream (1/2 cup):
-Calories: 150    -Total Fat: 7g       -Sodium: 45mg    -Total Carbs: 19g
-Fiber: 1g    -Sugars: 14g    -Protein: 2g
-Vitamin A and Vitamin C

So, we have similar calorie ranges, especially with the ice cream and Special K cereal. The ice creams have a higher fat content and lower protein content; however, they have less sugar, calories, and sodium. The cereals have more sodium, carbohydrates and sugars; however, they also have fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

What does that leave us with? Well, the cereals are a good source of fiber and protein, at the expense of too much sugar and sodium intake. I'm not sure how many people really measure out their cereals in the morning anyway. Most of the time, cereal is just poured in the bowl and eaten. Unless you measure your cereal (kudos to you), you will be likely multiplying all of the nutritional information by 2.

In terms of which is a "healthier snack," I would go for what tastes better. In the end, they both have a high carb/sugar content, as opposed to healthier snacks (like veggies, nuts, seeds, or fresh fruit). I really suggest checking the sugar content of your favorite cereals. If you have never took notice of the nutrition label, you may be surprised at how much sugar you are consuming. While cereal does have extra vitamins, minerals, protein (mostly due to the milk added), and fiber, it is not a significant amount to make a difference if you are eating an overall healthy diet. Most cereals are "enriched" with vitamins and minerals anyway, so they aren't really a "natural" source to begin with. Depending on the cereal, and ice cream, you choose, you may even end up with more skewed results than I found.

Some final advice:
1. Always read the nutrition label! Look at the ingredient list too. Ingredients are listed by weight, in descending order.
2. If sugar is one of the first 4 ingredients, skip it!
3. Compare products. Check out all of the nutrients and see which is the best option.
4. Be mindful of portion sizes. Read the serving size and compare it to what you are normally eating.
5. If all else fails, have a little splurge and enjoy what you are eating!

http://www.turkeyhill.com/products/premium-ice-cream-flavors.aspx?pID=431

nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5547/2