Being Healthy is NOT just for Rich People

Many of you have voiced concerned over how you will be able to afford to eat healthy.  Let me assure you that I wouldn't be a good personal trainer/wellness coach if I couldn't help you help yourself.  Today I will give you lots of ideas on how you can incorporate the foods I listed on my "health challenge".  Eating healthy has a lot to do with what kinds of foods you put in your mouth and also how much.  Portion size has gotten out of control.  I will teach you how much a serving is.  I suggest you measure your servings out so you can see what it looks like and then as time progresses and you know what a serving looks like you can lose the measure devices.

Serving size for various food groups:

VEGETABLES: 1/2 C cooked
                           1 C Raw
                           1/2 C vegetable juice
FRUITS:  1/2 C chopped fruit
                 1/2 C fruit juice
                 1 medium piece of fruit
                 2 Tbsp Dried raisins, 3 prunes (dried fruit is tricky because you think you can eat more, but you actually eat less... be sure to drink lots of water with dried fruit)
PROTEIN SOURCES: 1 Egg or 2 Egg whites
                                     3 oz cooked lean meat, poultry, fish (about the size of your palm and as thick as a                               deck of cards)
WHOLE GRAINS:  1 slice of bread
                                 1/2 C grain or pasta
HIGH CALCIUM FOODS: 1/2 C nonfat cottage cheese
                                             8 oz nonfat yogurt or milk
                                              for cheese check the package for serving size
GOOD FATS:  24 Almonds, 15 Walnut halves,
                          1 tbsp canola or olive oil
                          1/4 C avacado

Here are some meal ideas:
Breakfast: 1/2 C dry oatmeal cooked however you like, then add a serving of nuts if you desire, some raspberries maybe.  Drink a 1/2 C of Orange Juice, Grape Juice or whatever yummy juice you may have... as long as it's 100% juice.

Breakfast: 1 or 2 Eggs scrambled in a cup, then cook 2 C of spinach (buy a big bag at Costco) in the microwave until wilted, drain any excess water off the spinach, add to the eggs, combine it well, then cook it in a pan until cooked through.  When you're done it should look like a frittata.  Add some plain yogurt, salsa, cut up cucumbers, tomatoes, and avacodo... whatever you have... Watch your serving size of everything you put on.  Serve with a peice of toast and a glass of milk.

Breakfast: Whole grain pancakes (search my blog for a recipe), top with grape jelly, bananas, or any other homemade jam or fruit you may have. 

Lunch:  Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwhich with a piece of fruit canned or fresh, some kind of vegetable like carrots, and some yogurt.

Lunch: Mac n Cheese (check my blog for recipe).  Eat with a serving of a green beans and a piece of fruit. 

Lunch: Turkey sandwhich with tomatoes, cheese, lettuce tomato, avacado, mustard, served with whole grain bread.  (serve my blog on how to make whole wheat bread).  Eat some carrots and fruit with it.  Drink plenty of water after your meal.

Dinner: Spaghetti, Pizza (homemade of course, check my blog for recipes), Bean burritos, Tacos, Taco salad, Taco Soup, Stir Fry, Pasta salad, Enchiladas (the kind with red sauce), etc. Tuna burgers (recipe on my blog), pumpkin soup served with pumpkin dinner rolls and a green salad or green beans or peas.

Snack ideas:  Handful of nuts with 2 TBS dried fruit and 2 TBLS semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate. 
A slice of whole grain bread served with peanut butter and sliced banana on top, sprinkle some cinnamon on. 
Plain non-fat yogurt served with fruit or a TBLS of Jam preferably grape or berry Jam. 
A granola bar with a piece of fruit
An Apple with a slice of cheese or or 2 Tbsp peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter
1/2 C Grape Juice and 1/2 C milk (called purple cow, pour into a cup and enjoy!)

The key is to watch your serving size and substitute bad foods for good foods: 
Substitute plain non fat yogurt for mayo and sour cream.
Look for whole grain over enriched, bleached.
Try to make each meal colorful, the more color, the more likely your foods are nutrient dense. 
Go Romain or Spinach over iceburg lettuce
Eat slower by using your non-dominant hand
Use a salad plate and not a dinner plate
When you're tempted to eat more than you should get up and walk away from the table, leave the room, tell the food who's boss!  Yell at the food if you want to, who cares if your family thinks you're Koo Koo.

Homemade Yogurt: (I triple the batch for my family and I get about 4 quarts)
4 C. Water
1 C. Powdered milk (non instant, I use the milk from the LDS church cannery)
1/4 C plain yogurt with live active cultures (I use Costco's greek yogurt)
     Mix the water and powdered milk in a blender.  Heat the milk to 170-175 F over medium heat.  Remove from stove and allow to cool to 110-112 F.  Mix yogurt start with about 4 C of warm milk in a blender and then stir into the rest of the milk.  Pour into quart jars top with ring and lid.  Incubate in oven or warm place set at 110 degrees for 4 hours.  I have a food dehydrater that I use.  Refrigerate for several hours before eating.  * yogurt takes some practice, but once you get it down, it's really cheap to make and totally worth the effort.

Texas Rice Salad
3 Cups cooked brown rice                                       1/2 C chopped, fresh cilantro
1 Can black beans, rinsed                                         1/4 C thinly sliced red onion
1 Can whole kernal corn, drained (I use frozen)         2 TBSP lime or lemon juice
1 Small avacado, peeled and diced                            1/4 tsp salt
1 C tomato salsa                                                       1/8 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve immediately or refrigerate up to three days.  Can serve with salad greens and sliced grilled chicken breast.  This feeds my family of 6.  We really like it.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls (makes 4 dozen)
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C warm water
2 C warm milk
1/4 C. butter (melted)
2 C. Cooked mashed pumpkin
2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 C whole wheat flour (I use about 2 C wheat and 8-10 C white flour)
10-12 C. Flour
7 Tsps Dry Yeast (weird measurement I know)

In large bowl combine sugar, water, milk, butter, pumpkin, and salt.  Mix well.  Add wheat flour, 7-8 C flour and yeast.  Continue adding flour and knead until dough is elastic and not sticky.  Place dough in greased bowl.  Cover with towel and set in warm place until double. (60-90 minutes).  Punch dough down, divide into thirds, divide each third into 16 pieces.  Shape into balls.  Place on greased cookie sheets (24 on two large cookie sheets.  Rise till double (about 30 min).  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until tops or golden.  Cook on wire rack.  SOOOO GOOD!  1 roll is a serving.

Enjoy!