Lose pounds and eat healthy

Everyone loves a party! There’s something about getting together with your friends that really helps you forget the stress of your hectic daily life.  And with so many people trying to live healthier these days, finding tasty and nutrition-friendly food really isn’t as hard as it used to be.

Deciding what to choose can be a challenge though and with greater quantity comes greater temptation – scientists have proven that we eat more if food is available buffet style!

So if you’re hosting & cooking for the party, it’s up to you to find healthy recipes for your guests that won’t add to their waistlines.

Here are some tips for healthier food choices:

1. Reduce the fat in creamy dressings or dips by using low-fat or fat-free yogurt instead of sour cream or mayonnaise.  Offer hummus as a low-fat spread for crackers and vegetables.

2. Use non-stick cookware so you can cook with a minimum amount of oil or use a low- calorie vegetable spray.

3. Use flavoured vinegars or lemon juice to enhance flavour of a salad without adding fat.

Or fill a spray bottle with oil and vinegar so your guests can lightly mist their salads with  just enough flavour.

4. Use low fat milk and cheese in recipes instead of full fat varieties.

5. Choose oven baked over fried everytime. Baked foods are always a better choice.

6. Instead of bowls of pretzels or potato chips, offer your guests a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Break out of the carrot sticks and celery routine with an Asian-style vegetable platter of baby corn, snow peas and fresh bean sprouts drizzled in a low-fat seasame dressing. For another interesting variation, try a southwestern theme of fresh salsa, black beans and corn served in half a red pepper.

7. Nuts are a heart-healthy snack choice. Roasted almonds are  a great source of magnesium and vitamin E, while pecans and other nuts are rich in monounsaturated fat.   Look for raw, unsalted or lightly salted varieties of your favourite nuts.

8. Don’t bury good foods under fat and sugar. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and don’t need extra sugar.  Bake them, slice and sprinkle cinnamon instead.

9. Serve gravies and other sauces on the side so guests can choose how much they would like. When you’re making gravy, skim off the fat with a gravy-separating cup or let the drippings cool in the refrigerator first and remove the hardened fat before making the  gravy.

10. Offer alcohol free-drinks. Spritzers made with sparkling water and cranberry (or other fresh juices) and virgin Caesars don’t contain empty alcohol calories.  Look for 100% juice (not juice mixes), and they’ll count towards your guests’ daily fruit and vegetable quota.

11. Need dessert ideas?  Forgo the high-fat cheesecake and pastries. Instead, serve Angel food cake or yogurt and top it with fresh berries, sorbet and exotic fruits such as mango, papaya and kiwi.

If you’re attending a party, here are a few tips to help you make healthier choices:

1.  Don’t arrive hungry. Hunger can make it difficult to make good food choices-everything looks delicious when you’re starving.  Have some soup, a handful almonds of half a sandwich and drink water to take the edge off your hunger before coming to the party.

2.  Maintain your regular eating pattern throughout the day prior to the party.Saving up your calories for the party is not the best idea.  Continue to eat a meal or snack every 3-4 hrs instead of every 2-3 hrs.

DO NOT GO MORE THAN 4HRS WITHOUT EATING!!!

3.  Take a walk around to see what food is available before you pick up a plate. Take note of the healthy selections.

4.  Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Then choose a few other items to round out your meal.

5.  Limit yourself to one trip to the serving table. If you’re still hungry, go for the healthy produce options.

6.  Cut down on portion sizes to allow yourself a bite or two of your favourites. Use a smaller plate and serve your food with a teaspoon instead of a serving spoon.

7.  Reduce your alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol lowers your inhibitions, making you more likely to make poor food choices.  Enjoy a drink, but alternate with a glass of mineral water or diet soda.

8.  If you want to have an appetizer, select something nutrient rich, like bruschetta with fresh tomatoes or shirmp in cocktail sauce.

9.  Enjoy desserts in small portions. It’s the first three of four bites that tasts the best, so take a small portion of your favourite and savour each bite.

Parties are opportunities to be social, so have fun!  Don’t let the food distract you from talking with friends and family.  And even if the tables are laden with your favourites, with a little forethought and preparation, you can make healthy food choices that won’t derail your good eating habits

For more simple and easy recipes for the holiday season contact Laura

From Commonly shared Tips

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup of the splenda or other sugar choice until fluffy.
Beat in eggs. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Remove 1 1/2 cup of batter and set aside. To remaining batter, blend in remaining splenda, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pour into spring form baking pan. Using large spoon, add dollops of reserved light colored batter; swirl together with knife. Place in large cake pan: pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch up side.
Bake at 350 Degrees for about 59 minutes or until puffed and no longer shiny in center.
Turn oven off. Quickly run knife around edge of cheesecake; let cool in oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove from water and oven and let cool completely on rack. Because of it’s soft texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours or over night up to 2 day before removing from pan.

NOTE:: if spring form tends to lean, wrap with foil around bottom and sides of spring form pan.

Nutrition info: serve s 12, carbs 4g Protein 5g, Fat 17 Calories. 189
For your info,: if you are using sugar, the carbs. will be higher, if the sour cream is light and eggs beater is used the fat will be lower.

Enjoy.

Please e-mail me an let me know how you enjoyed that recipe

Laura
www.lauracreavalle.com.

Makes four servings

2 cups cubed frozen yellow turnips cooked

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup water

¼ Tbsp salt

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon, divided

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Dash white pepper

1 cup evaporated skim mild

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp reduced calorie tub margarine

¾ tsp. granulated sugar

2 slices nine-grain or whole-wheat bread

Parsley sprigs for garnish (optional)

Start:: In a 3-quart saucepan, combine turnips, pumpkin puree, chicken broth, water, slat, ginger, 1/8^th tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and white pepper. Blend in evaporated milk.

Cook: Heat slowly to serving temperature over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine margarine, sugar and remaining 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Spread equally over bread slices. Toast in a toaster oven or under broiler until golden.

Serve: Cut each slice of toast into four triangles. Divide soup into four bowls and garnish each with a parsley sprig. Serve each bowl of soup with two toast triangles.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 153 calories, 9 g protein, 24 g carbs, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber

Happy Thanksgiving

Laura Creavalle

Low Fat recipes

Turkey:
One 3 1/2- to 4-pound bone-in turkey breast, halved at the breast bone (see Tips, below)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Gravy:
One 1 1/2-ounce container veal or chicken demi-glace
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

Make stuffing:
Preheat oven to 425°F and grease 9-by 13-inch roasting pan.

In large skillet over moderately high heat, melt butter.  Add onion, celery, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, and bay leaf, and sauté until vegetables soften, 5 to 6 minutes.  Stir in sage and cook 30 seconds more.  Stir in stock and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Put corn bread in large bowl and pour vegetables over.  Toss to mix well. Add eggs and stir to combine.

Make turkey:
Rinse breast halves and pat dry. Season generously with kosher or coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and rub all over with olive oil.

Mound stuffing in center of roasting pan and arrange turkey on top, making sure breast halves aren’t touching. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of turkey (do not touch bone) registers 170°F and juices run clear when pierced with fork, 45 to 55 minutes.

Make gravy while turkey is roasting:
In small saucepan over moderately high heat, combine demi-glace, 1/2 cup water, and brandy. Bring to boil, stirring until smooth. Stir in butter, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until gravy thickens, about 1 minute. Stir in cream and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve hot, over turkey and stuffing.
Tips:
• It’s easiest and fastest to ask your butcher to split the turkey breast in half for you. But this can also be done at home: Use a heavy, sharp knife and don’t be afraid to whack the breast at the wishbone several times until it comes apart. Slicing the skin down along the breastbone before you start cutting is also helpful.
• If your corn bread isn’t stale, spread out slices on a baking pan in a 200°F oven until they feel dry and crumbly. (Depending upon how moist the loaf is, this can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.) Then crumble up the slices. Any leftover stale bread—rolls, focaccia, even bagels—can be substituted for the corn bread.
—In the gravy, bourbon, whisky, wine, port, or vermouth can be used instead of brandy.

By Laura Creavalle, World Champion, chief and  author.

For more simple and exciting recipes, check out Laura cookbooks, designed for Bodybuilder and fitness Competitors,  Taste of Club Creavalle, The Lite Lifestyle and  Laura’s Lean and Luscious e-book.  www.lauracreavalle.com

1 tin of lentils

1 can  sockeye salmon

4   cloves  of garlic or  1 tsp

1 medium onion chopped

1 tbsp Cajun spices or  other  spices preferences

Sautee onions and garlic in non stick skillet for 2 to 3 minutes

Add canned salmon,  saute for additional 2 minutes

Add lentils and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Flavor to taste.

Taste great with rice or whole grain pasta

Note I like very spicy food so I add additional peppers to mine.

Enjoy

Laura Creavalle