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Archive for March, 2012

Low Carb foods on a budget

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

When you’re on a budget, every penny counts; trying to stay on a low carb diet can be challenging however when you know the basics, you can create wonderful meals. Choosing foods like eggs, beans and tuna can be the base for fantastic meals.

Although eggs contain saturated fat, the protein and other nutrients far outweigh negative effects. There are virtually millions of things you can do with eggs; they are extremely versatile and cost next to nothing.

Beans are another food that is versatile and inexpensive and a big highlight is that they are high in fiber. Canned or dried beans can be added to soups and salads or they can be ground up to make incredible dips. Chili is another favorite that you can use beans for however it is important to watch what ingredients that you add; you want to keep it low carb. Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans and pinto beans are the most chosen beans because their carb count is about fifteen grams per half cup and the cost is just pennies per serving.

We all know that fish is one of the best things to eat; they contain lean protein and omega 3 fatty acids that contribute to good heart health. You can use it in many different ways and in many different recipes to create incredible culinary delights that will please even the fussiest eater. You can use it to top salads, or add light mayo to make an excellent tuna sandwich on whole grain bread.  It is important that you choose canned tuna in water and not oil; tuna in oil may contain unhealthy fat and be higher in carbs.

Veggies, veggies, veggies! There are so many different kinds of vegetable that are low or no carbs at all; they contribute to good heart health and have so many different health benefits. There has been a long-standing debate as to what is better; fresh or frozen.

Without a doubt fresh vegetable yield a bounty of nutrients, vitamins and minerals; however, unless you live on a farm and pick your vegetables daily, you may be shocked to find vegetable loose some of  their nutritious value as soon as they are picked. There is no telling how long they sit in the grocery store; while vegetables that are meant to be frozen have the same nutrients vitamins and minerals, are picked cleaned and frozen right from the field usually within twenty four hours of being harvested.

While fresh vegetable can be expensive, frozen vegetables are usual reasonably priced; however when it comes to using them, each has its advantages.

Which ever you choose, vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and spinach are low carb and can be added to salads, pasta dishes, and they can be eaten as snacks and a multitude of other dishes.

 

It’s spring and summer swimsuit season is around the corner. How to choose a great restaurant and still eat healthy.

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

When you choose to eat a healthier diet, you choose the foods that you like and learn to prepare them in different ways. You fall into a routine and enjoy finding new ways to create healthy dishes.

Every once in a while, you still want to go out, have a quiet relaxing evening out with friends or family. You want to stay with your healthy diet, and choosing a restaurant that serves healthy food can be a little frustrating.

Unless the restaurant you choose is a health food restaurant, you’re going to find that your favorite restaurants are not specifically low fat, sugar, carb, sodium & calorie. You really have to look at the menu and choose healthy options. Even fast food restaurants now offer a healthy menu selection.

Burgers in a fast food restaurant or in a fine dining restaurant can have as much as 1800 calories, and huge amounts of artery clogging fat; these same restaurants offer healthy green salads low cal dressing. Its all in your approach, you can enjoy dining out, and keeping to your healthy lifestyle.

When you’re in a sit down restaurant, a brief description of what the dish contains is on the menu; if your still not sure, ask the waitperson how the dish is prepared. A good restaurant will train their waitstaff to answer questions like these. You can also ask the waitperson to substitute foods in the dish for healthier options; most restaurants will do this.

You can also choose the salad bar as your main dish, this way you are controlling what is on your plate.  Most salad dressings are loaded with calories and fats, so make sure it is the low calorie dressing, or you can just use some vinegar or lemon juice on your salad. You can choose the healthiest vegetables in the bar.

Most restaurants offer a breadbasket when you are seated; you can ask the waitperson if they have a whole grain bread basket or choose not to eat what is there.  Instead of putting butter on the bread, either enjoy it plain, or just put balsamic vinegar on it or a mix of a tiny amount of olive oil with the vinegar.  It is delicious. When the bread basket arrives many people aren’t able to just eat the one, so you can ask them to just bring you one roll, or not to bring any to the table.

It is recommended that you do not go to all you can eat buffets because you will be tempted to try all of the delectable treats on the table; it is also recommended that you do not order the specials on menus as most specials will contain all the ingredients you are trying to stay away from.

It is best not to go when you are extremely hungry, that also leads to quick and bad food choices.  Having a half or a whole Granola Gourmet Energy Bar will help you curb your appetite enough so you will not feel like eating everything in site at the restaurant.

Any restaurant can be a healthy one; it is up to you to make healthy menu choices. You should not have to sacrifice a night out because you want to stay on your healthy diet. You can go out and have fun, give yourself the night off from cooking and enjoy healthy eating and let someone else do all the work!