A wacky oil experiment

Looking at my journal for the week, it became abundantly clear that I don’t get my healthy oils in every day. To help remedy that I came up with a strange idea…put a teaspoon of oil into my morning fruit & yogurt smoothie. The theory was that I wouldn’t really taste it mixed in with all the other good stuff, but it would knock one oil serving right off the top of the day and perhaps even keep me full longer.

I tried it this morning and I must say that I did taste the oil a little bit. It wasn’t horrible, but definitely there. I might try it again for a couple of days to see if I get used to it. I’m also going to see how many hours I go before getting really, physically hungry again. Typically it’s only 3 hours before I need to eat again, which is frustrating since I eat breakfast at 6:30 am. If I can make it closer to lunch before eating a snack that might help me bring down the total PTS+ I need to feel satisfied.

Stay tuned for an update, and for more posts on ways to get in those Good Health Guidelines (GHGs) like 2 tsp of healthy oil per day.

A post about pasta

In the spirit of trying to bring you some new content, I went back and started scanning some of my favorite healthy living blogs to see what’s new or what I may have missed in the past. It didn’t take me long to find a great post that I wanted to share with you. It’s from the “Eat Like Me” blog, which is written by a local dietician and part of the SELF magazine franchise. She explains her three rules about eating pasta, why she eats regular pasta and not whole wheat (I’m a whole wheat girl myself, but for the same reason she isn’t…taste), and how to work pasta into a healthy diet without overdoing it.  Here’s the link:

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/blogs/eatlikeme/2010/07/you-asked-aboutwhole-grain-pas.html

Roasted Green Beans

I recently discovered the joy of roasting veggies instead of boiling or steaming them, and I swear I don’t know how I ever lived without it.

I just made roasted green beans and they were amazing (and I’m not a veggie person, so if I loved them you KNOW they’re good!).  All I did was take a large fistfull of fresh green beans, trimmed the ends and tossed them in a ziploc baggie with 1 tsp of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. I roasted (a.k.a. baked) them on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes and voila! They were great.

I was reading comments on a similar recipe online and someone said “these cured my craving for french fries”. I thought she was nuts, but when I tasted them I thought “wow, these do kinda taste like french fries!” So if you are a sucker for fries try these as a healthier substitute.

And these also help you get in 1 veggie and 1 oil, so a double whammy on the Good Health Guidelines.

Products To Try: Poland Spring Sparkling Water, Mandarin Orange

As I’ve posted before, I don’t like seltzer very much (even flavored). But I tried Poland Spring Sparkling Water in Mandarin Orange flavor at a friend’s house a few weeks ago. It’s got a nice light flavor without tasting too much like seltzer. I just finished a bottle and it is nice and refreshing. Give it a shot if you’re looking for something new to drink this summer.

(Note – I bet it’s also a good way to cut the calories in OJ. Mix 1/2 cup OJ with this and it’s only 1 PT per 8 oz).

Fabulous frozen veggie find!

I generally stay away from convenience foods that are labeled with the latest gimmick phrases, like chocolate chip cookies “made with whole grains” (give me a break – it’s still a cookie!).  But I had a coupon for Green Giant’s new boxed frozen veggies and decided to try two different varieties – “Healthy Vision” and “Healthy Weight”.

I was not a huge fan of the “Healthy Vision” flavor, but tried the “Healthy Weight” blend and it was delish! 

It steams in its own pouch in about 4 minutes so it’s easy for a quick weeknight dinner, or to take to work. And with black beans, edamame, snap peas, and carrots it’s very filling. The butter sauce was yummy, too.

It claims to make 2 servings, but it’s small enough that I can see eating it all myself in one sitting (it’s about 1 cup, tops).  According to the nutrition information it’s 1 PT per serving (90/2.5/5) or 3 PTS for both servings in the bag(180/5/10).

The beans make it very filling, and with some chicken breast meat mixed in would make a great light meal.

Is whole grain always better? (Panera Bread Bagels)

Nutritionally, yes. Choosing whole grains over white bread is always better.

But in terms of PTS, it’s not always the lowest choice. For example, I planned to have a bagel at an event I went to yesterday. The bagels were from Panera Bread, and I planned to have their whole grain bagel assuming the fiber would lower the PTS (and I just prefer the taste).  Much to my surprise, the plain bagel actually had fewer calories and less fat than the multigrain that I ate  – 290/1.5/2 vs. 370/3.5/6. 

What should you choose, then? For me, if I had to pick one I think I’d still pick the multigrain bagel for reasons of both taste and nutrition. A single PT isn’t going to impact WL long term, and you can just avoid having something else later in the day, or use a WPA. But it’s worth knowing the nutrition of both so you can make an informed choice.

(Note 6 – 7 PTS is still WAY more than I would prefer to spend on breakfast, so it’s not something I eat often. But I love bagels and since I knew they’d be there I accepted the fact that I was going to want one and just planned it into my day. If I had eaten some other breakfast beforehand, I still would likely have wanted/had the bagel and then gone over PTS. I didn’t fight the craving - I planned for it).

1 PT canned peaches

Like many I struggle to get my fruits and veggies in during the cold weather months, when produce  quality in New England drops for many varieties.  One of the staples I’ve come to enjoy is canned fruit, but it can be soaked in sugary syrup.  Luckily Del Monte offers a “No Sugar Added” canned peaches that are just 1 PT for the entire 14.5 oz can.

Sadly the company’s Web site doesn’t have a page dedicated to each product that I can link you to, but as of today this Featured Products page shows a picture of the can.  I will try to take a photo of the can itself when I get home and post that so you’ll know exactly what to look for.

Cole Slaw

As I’ve said before, I have a hard time getting my veggies in some times. One way I’ve discovered to make that easier is cole slaw. Now, you may be thinking – how’s that possible? Coleslaw is very high in PTS.  Well, yes and no.  Cole slaw from a restaurant or a grocery store is high (4 PTS per 1/2 cup) because they use all regular ingredients to make it.  But I make my own using the recipe on the back of the Dole Cole Slaw mix bag, with a few substitutions:

1/2 c Miracle Whip Light instead of 1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp skim milk instead of 2 Tbsp regular milk
1 packet Splenda instead of 1 tsp sugar

Vinegar is vinegar, so I use the 1 Tbsp as called for.  I figured out the PTS for my version using the WW Recipe Builder and it turns out to be 2 PTS per cup.  Not bad!  Plus the cabbage and carrots provide a serving of veggies and tons of fiber.

I just made some of this and plan to have it with chicken salad and a piece of Matzoh for lunch tomorrow. Yum!

2 PT Hot Cocoa (1 Milk Serving)

One of my goals in 2009 is to do a better job getting all my Weight Watchers Good Health Guidelines in every day (e.g. 2 servings milk, 5 fruits and veggies, 48 oz of water, 2 tsp healthy oil).   I have no trouble with some of them, particularly : choosing whole grains instead of white grains, limiting sugar and alcohol, 2 servings of lean protein per day.  But the milks, veggies and oil are often hard for me to fit in.

I started coming up with low PTS ways to get in milk servings, and I realized that my favorite “from scratch” hot cocoa recipe counts as a milk serving but is only 2 PTs.  The fake cocoa made with water from a packet is 1 PT, so the milk version is not much more and helps insure I get my daily calcium and Vitamin D for healthy bones.

Here’s the recipe for 2 servings. I usually drink one immediately and put the other in a mug in the fridge for the next day.  It’s great cold, or warmed in the microwave for 1 min 30 seconds on 70% power.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup Stop & Shop Baking Cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups 1% or fat free milk

Put the water, Splenda, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan.  Warm on medium heat, stirring constantly until all lumps are dissolved into water.

Add milk and heat slowly over medium heat, stirring constantly.  (You really do have to stand there stirring the whole time and keep the heat low-ish because milk scalds really easily)

That’s it.  Literally.  Stupidly simple, and so, so yummy.  Especially on a day like today when it is 18 degrees outside with wind chills below zero.    So make a mug of cocoa, snuggle up with your honey and/or a good book and a blanket, and enjoy some healthy, PTS friendly cocoa!

Optional Additions for extra yummines:

1 tsp peppermint extract (adds no PTS)

1 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss (adds 1 PT. Chop it up and put it in the bottom of the cup before pouring in cocoa. It will melt and add a super yummy flavor!)

1 oz peppermint schnapps (adds 2 PTS. I was floored to find that a shot (or what WW calls a “jigger” of schnapps was 4 PTS!  But it is.  I think 1 oz is more than enough to add to a mug of cocoa, and even sometimes add less.  It adds just a nice minty taste and adds to the warmth of the drink.  We often serve these as “Peppermint Patties” at holiday parties)