Recipe of the Week: Dairy-Free Ice Cream

A Guest Post Recipe from Alex Strudwick, student at The Culinary Institute of America in New York... and my little sister :) Check out her blog here!

Ingredients:

o   1 ripe Banana, sliced and frozen

o   1-2 Tbsp of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, good quality

o   1 tsp of Agave Nectar or Honey

o   *Optional - 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1.      Slice the banana and place it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer until frozen (several hours or overnight). Once it is frozen, place it in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2.    Next, add 1 to 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder, depending on how chocolaty you want your ice cream to taste. Blend.

3.    To sweeten the mixture, add either honey or agave nectar. If you choose to flavor your ice cream with peanut butter as well, it can be added at this point. Now, blend it all together.

4.    If you like soft-serve ice cream then the mixture is ready to serve, however, you can place it back in the freezer for several hours to harden up.

Enjoy!

 



Recipe of the Week: Potato Topped Turkey Meatloaf

Who says you can't eat your favorite foods while striving to be healthy? Most people, especially in the South, crave comfort foods. All they need is a healthy twist! My mom makes this healthy version of meatloaf... I was surprised the first time I tried it realizing that it's delicious:

1.5 lb ground turkey (Jenny-O Lean Ground Turkey)
1/2 cup 2% shredded cheese
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2/3 cup mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg, well beaten
1.5 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups hot mashed potatoes (Bob Evans)

Combine all ingredients except the potatoes in a large bowl. Blend well. Press mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven & let set in pan for 5 minutes.

Spread mashed potatoes over top and sides of meat. Place under broiler until golden brown.
You can find both of the key ingredients in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. By using lean ground turkey instead of beef, there is 65% less fat while keeping high protein content. Bob Evan's mashed potatoes have many varieties while containing 2g fiber and 7g protein per serving!

Makes 6 servings. 1 slice: 330 calories, 20g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 28g protein

Tip: For weight loss, eat 1 slice with side salad, vegetables & keep mashed potatoes to 1/4-1/2 cup
      For weight gain, eat 2 slices with side salad, vegetables, extra mashed potatoes & drink milk



 



Company Cafe Brings a Healthy Twist!

How has it taken me this long to discover Company Café? While they have a restaurant on Greenville, their newest spot is right on the Katy Trail next to Ice House... less than a mile from my apartment.

D Magazine sums it up pretty well: “The folks at Company Cafe care about natural, locally sourced, organic food. They are also determined to serve healthy, ‘clean lifestyle’ comfort food, including gluten-free versions of old-fashioned favorites.”

I stopped by Company Café on a Friday afternoon to try the Buddha's Brew Kombucha tea I keep hearing about from one of my favorite clients. One sip of this pineapple & blueberry concoction… and I was convinced this new find should become part of my normal routine.

Those who know me know I’m a little overboard with tea… usually having 3-4 venti unsweetened iced green teas a week from Starbucks, as well as the nightly cup of various hot tea. Now add in pineapple, blueberry, sparkling, antioxidant-packed goodness. I’m hooked!

Because the tea was such a hit, the roommates and I returned for dinner. Another amazing experience. Company Café is doing such an awesome job of showing people that local, clean, fresh food can taste just as good as comfort foods and be better for you.

By substituting some favorites, they put a healthy twist on each item on the menu. Cauliflower mash (to mimick mashed potatoes) tastes delicious while giving the body more omega-3, vitamins and minerals than regular mashed potatoes. Buffalo burgers give the body a leaner meat with less saturated fat to protect the heart. Many items on the menu also feature gluten-free options for those with celiac disease or suffering from a gluten sensitivity.

12-Hour Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash & Spinach

Needless to say, we woke up Saturday morning craving Company Café. Embarrassing? Maybe a little. Too embarrassing to go back for the third time in two days? Naaaah. Breakfast was the bomb.

The Deep Bowl with Sweet Potato Hash & Avocado

Company Migas with Corn Tortillas & Organic Salsa

Go to Company Café on the trail. Pick something new. Leave feeling satisfied, refreshed and healthy.

Tea, please.

Green tea has long been researched for its health-giving properties, but what can it really do for us?

Many people get bored with drinking water throughout the day. When clients ask me what they can do to switch it up… my first response is: Drink tea! Here’s why:

Given its widespread consumption, it’s hardly surprising that tea has been studied for its potentially health-giving properties. Tea originates from China around 2,000 years ago. Much of the early speculation was based on purely anecdotal reports but recent research indicates that tea (and especially green tea) really does seem to provide health benefits.

What is green tea?

All types of tea are made from the leaves of a plant called ‘Camellia Sinensis’. There are two main types of tea:

                  1. Non-fermented green tea, produced by drying and steaming the fresh leaves which prevents the oxidation or loss (via a process known as fermentation) of some of the key compounds in tea associated with health;

                  2. Fermented black (and red) tea, which undergoes a full post-harvest fermentation stage before drying and steaming. This fermentation leads to greatly increased oxidation and a subsequent reduction in the final concentration of some the key health-giving compounds described below.

Although both black and green tea have been researched for their health benefits, green tea contains significantly higher levels of naturally occurring powerful antioxidants called ‘flavenoids’. In green tea however, the main flavenoids are ‘catechins’ of which four are present in high concentrations.

The exact content and ratio of catechins depends on the way the tea is processed, but the important points are that first, it is these catechins that scientists now believe are the compounds responsible for the main health benefits of green tea, and second, all of these compounds are much more abundant in green tea than in black.

Simple Breakdown:

Green tea: Non-fermented – Retains more antioxidants, or catechins

Black tea: Fermented - Still good for you, with less antioxidants, or catechins

How can green tea affect our bodies for the better?

• Studies have shown that 1-6 cups of green tea per day can increase the antioxidant capacity of the bloodstream and reduce the damage to cell lipids and DNA
• Regular green tea consumption is also believed to enhance cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Some studies have indicated that the combination of green tea catechins and caffeine (found in all types of tea) produces a ‘thermogenic effect’, boosting the rate at which calories are burned at rest and also increasing the rate of fat oxidation
• In one study, after 12 weeks, those subjects consuming green tea daily lost significantly more abdominal fat compared to the control group. This is important because it’s abdominal fat that is particularly associated with increased health risks such as heart disease in overweight people.

While green tea has been a lifelong favorite, I am becoming extrememly interested in the newer Kombucha tea.

Kombucha actually comes from a mushroom. It is fermented and made into a differenty type of tea providing high levels of vitamin C, B vitamins and probiotics (healthy bacteria). Probiotics may help with digestion and offer protection from harmful bacteria, just as the existing "good" bacteria in your body already do. Kombucha tea altogether is made by fermenting tea and sugar with a kombucha culture.

Although more research is needed, there's encouraging evidence that probiotics may help:

-Treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics

-Treat irritable bowel syndrome

-Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections

-Prevent and treat eczema in children

-Prevent or reduce the severity of colds & flu

Tip: Green, Black, Red teas (hot or iced) are found at many restaurants. Buddha's Brew Kombucha tea can be found on tap at Whole Foods in Austin, WF @ Kirby in Houston, and WF @Parklane in Dallas. It is also on tap at Whip In in Austin & Company Café in Dallas.

So there you have it. Many different types of tea. Many different major health benefits for your body!

Recipe of the Week: PIZZA

Healthy Pizza

1 Flatout Wrap
1/2 cup Newman's Own Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic Sauce

1/4 cup 2% Shredded cheese

1/4-1/2 cup Raw spinach

1/4 cup Sliced mushrooms

3 oz. Chicken breast strips (John Soules)

Place the wrap on a plate or counter. Spread the sauce evenly & top with cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and chicken. Place mini pizza in the toaster oven for two rounds of toasting or until wrap is as crispy as desired.

This is an easy way to make one of people's favorite foods in a quick and healthy way. John Soules chicken strips are pre-cooked as well as hormone and steroid free. The Flatout wraps contain 8 grams fiber and 9 grams protein. By using 2% cheese, the saturated or "bad" fat is reduced. You can always mix it up by adding any vegetables that you like!

Calories: 450 calories, 8g fiber, 37g protein

Tip: Remove the red sauce and fold in half for a healthy quesadilla!



Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Treat your heart well today! Have a balanced breakfast, lunch and small snack to avoid overeating at dinner (and hopefully including a delicious dessert!)
  

big boys eat peanut butter

How long will 10 extra large jars of peanut butter & 4 huge bags of trail mix last 12 football players?
About 2 weeks.

Many of the players training for Combine 2012 are looking to gain muscle mass and lose body fat in order to become stronger, faster and leaner. How does an athlete put on mass while losing body fat? Eating clean & often is the first step for them.
Fat has 9 calories per gram while protein & carbohydrate only have 4 calories per gram. Adding healthy fats is one of the easiest ways to increase calories while also adding quality calories.
One 6 oz. cup holds 3 servings of trail mix. A 6 oz. cup is also a manageable sized snack that won't be too heavy on the stomach. 480 calories. 30 grams fat. 36 grams carb. 15 grams protein. Eating this snack twice a day easily packs on 1000 extra calories for the gainers. Easy enough!
Healthy fats contain omega-3, which can help with reducing inflammation, improving circulation in the body, absorbing fat-soluble vitamins with the newest find being improving brain function and/or helping the brain recover from concussions. According to the American Heart Association, healthy adults may take 1-3g of omega-3 per day. AHA recommends eating fish twice a week to obtain omega-3 but other foods containing omega-3 include: flaxseed, olive oil, avocado, nuts (especially walnuts), caulifower, hummus & leafy greens.
Tips for healthy weight gain:

• Top yogurt or cereal with granola
• Add avocado to salads, sandwiches, tacos, etc
• Use trail mix as a snack
• Drink 100% fruit juice with meals
• Add nuts to salads
• Eat PB&J or Banana & PB sandwiches before bed

While weight gain takes increased overall calories, there are two very important times to make sure the body is getting quality calories. Dr. John Ivy, chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin, has spent the past thirty years looking at simple, healthy options for building strength, endurance and muscle mass. What he has discovered is that timing is everything. One of the best times to fuel is post-workout, especially for athletes in two-a-days.
In the 30 minutes following a workout, a muscle’s potential to rebuild peaks, and it is extremely sensitive to insulin. To take full advantage of the muscle rebuilding benefits that can occur in this golden window of opportunity, the right combination of nutrients, such as carbohydrate and high quality protein, should be consumed within 15 to 45 minutes after exercise.
“When you exercise,” says Ivy, “the muscles become very sensitive to certain hormones and nutrients, and you can initiate many highly desirable training adaptations if you make sure the correct nutrients are present. This increased sensitivity of the muscles only lasts for a limited length of time, so the element of time becomes absolutely crucial. If you miss this window of opportunity, there’s no way you can stimulate the muscle adaptations to that extent until after the next bout of exercise.”
Another easy way to get in calories is the before bed snack. Because the body is going to sleep soon, it is easier for the body to hold on to these calories rather than burning them in a workout. A high-protein and high-calorie whey snack augments muscle weight gain by ensuring you have plenty of amino acids in your muscles while you sleep, the peak time for muscle repair and growth

Recipe of the week

Always a favorite... this recipe is simple & delicious. From start to finish, this will take ~30 minutes. Give it a try at some point this week!

Fish in Parchment Paper

Ingredients:

4 (6 ounce) fish fillets (Salmon or tilapia work well)

Newman's Own Black Bean Salsa

Fresh spinach

Lemon

Jalapeno (optional)

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 large pieces of parchment paper. Place a handful of raw spinach on parchment paper. Top with fish fillet. Add 3-4 tablespoons salsa followed by 2 lemon slices and jalapenos if desired.

Fold up parchment paper and place fold side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with other fish fillets. Cook for 15-17 minutes @ 400 degrees or until fish flakes easily.

While the fish is cooking is a perfect time to make some orzo, brown rice or sweet potatoes to go along with this meal!

Let's fill the tank!

Welcome to FUELED... a blog that, I hope, will motivate, inspire and teach you. This blog is for anyone that has an interest in nutrition, fitness or just food in general! 
When talking about nutrition, I always ask people to think of their dream car. Ferrari? Porsche? Now that you have your dream car, what type of fuel are you going to put into it? Only the best, I'm sure! How often are you going to stop for more fuel? You can't go anywhere successfully on empty.
The same goes for your body. FUELED is here to encourage you to pick the best fuel for your body and your specific goal. FUELED is here to teach you how to keep the tank full for better energy levels rather than skipping meals due to time constraints, travel or busy schedules.
I believe that anyone can benefit from fueling their body correctly whether the goal is performance, concentration, better energy levels or changes in body composition.

My goal is to encourage you, direct you and help you fill your body's tank bite by bite with the best fuel possible!