Dried Fruit to Get Rid of Chocolate Cravings

I have a lot of posts devoted to chocolate substitutes. But sometimes they just don't cut it. And then you have that piece of dark/milk/white chocolate that you are craving so badly. And you allow yourself 'x' many pieces. Which is totally fine by the way. That should end your cravings right? You had what you wanted right? Alas, the world is not a fair place and rarely does only a little bit of something as good as chocolate satisfy us. I believe this is part of the great punishment bestowed upon Adam and Eve back in the garden of Eden..... Anyway, I randomly found a cool fix to this unending chocolate craving. It gets rid of the chocolate aftertaste in your mouth. Of course you could just brush your teeth, but that does look kinda weird in public haha

After you eat your chocolate, have a piece of dried fruit. I find that granny smith dried apple rings work wonderfully at making the idea of eating more chocolate absoluelt repungent. And it only takes one to work. (I think they are about 10 calories each- feel free to correct me). Dried Apricots also work well- I actually just had some to get rid of the dark chocolate taste in my mouth! The sugary taste completely distracts the taste buds and allows the mind to forget about ever wanting more chocolate (well, most of the time!) Prunes/ dried plums don't really work that well and I haven't tried any other dried fruit, but I would imagine raisins would NOT work well (trail mix anyone- raisins are always paired WITH chocolate!)

Of course, gum is always another option, but you know, I'd be boring if I wrote a post about that. So this is my creative solution. Try it and let me know if it works.

Crunchy Tuna Salad with Fiber One

In my opinion, tuna salad was made to crunch. My mom always prepared it with mayo and tons (I mean tons!) of chopped celery and onions on a sesame roll. Besides from the resulting bad breath it was great. Now out of the comforts of my childhood innocence about how many calories that sandwich contained, I've omitted the mayo and the roll, and I prefer my tuna in salads as opposed to 'tuna salad'. (To clarify, I mix tuna in a salad of mixed greens, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc). But much to my dismay, I am a horrible celery chopper. Maybe that trait skips a generation? It takes me forever, and the pieces are either too big or are too measley to add significant crunch. When I take the time and make a tuna salad for dinner I take the time to struggle through my disability (haha) but more often than not I am faced with two problems: 1. who has time all that often? 2. And many times I make the salad ahead of time, bring it to work for lunch, and add the tuna there from one of those handy dandy no-fridge-necessary packets- you can't chop celery there (it would take up my whole lunch break!) and even if you have celery in the actual salad, it doesn't really take to mixing with the tuna all that well.

Many times I sucked it up and somewhat unhappily ate my unsatisfying mushy salad (you know tuna with greens and tomatoes etc. Well, I'm sort of lying, crunchy vegs are in there such as broccoli and peppers, but it in no way makes the overall salad crunchy.) When foods don't have a certain crunch factor, I don't feel like I've eaten as much and don't feel full.

And then one day I had brought fiber one for a snack, and I decided to mix in the fiber one with my salad when I added the tuna. WOAH MAMA my problems were solved! I added 1/2 c fiber one (it was a large salad haha) and it added crunch to every bite! Plus, it added an very interesting taste that in my opinion makes the tuna taste slightly less overpowering allowing it to complement the taste of the vegetables better. The extra boost of fiber also keeps me fuller longer. And the best, best part of all is that it solves all of my problems! It's quick and easy, I can easily add it to salads at work, and I can repress the fact that I will never be able to chop celery. Since the fiber one is easily transportable in a little baggie college students can even bring it with them down to the dining hall and add it to a salad made there.

I usually only add 1/4 c of fiber one (30 calories, 7 g of fiber) for every 3 oz or so of tuna and you can either mix it all in the beginning or what I like to do is mix in half at the beginning and then half a little bit later in the eating process. It's important to add it right before eating otherwise, like most carb things, will get soggy. For all those vegans, people who don't like tuna, etc., do not fret: you can use fiber one to top any salad! Hope this makes some of you a delicious salad!

Hot Chocolate Update

A new discovery: if you add 1/2 pck of splenda to the previously mentioned Diet Hot Chocolate packet, it brings out the chocolate taste. A conundrum I know, as it seems weird that sugar would make it more chocolatey, but alas it does. The only slight disadvantage to this is that along with more chocolate, you also get more aftertaste. And it's not a good one. With the splenda it tastes, well, like artificial flavoring. So personally, I would opt for the packet of hot chocolate as it is even with it's slightly less chocolate taste because then afterwards I feel like I had chocolate, not chemicals, but I figured I'd share this little taste-bud adventure with you and let you make your own judgements!

Chocolate Yogurt

Speaking of chocolate cravings I figured I post another use for cocoa powder- making your own chocolate yogurt. Stonyfield makes a Chococlate Underground flavor for 170 calories and something like 34 g of sugar. In my opinion, that's a lot of sugar. Plus stonyfield isn't always that um friendly on the wallet. I had just bought Unsweetened Cocao Powder from Trader Joe's and was eager to experiment with it. For 3 tbsps it's 110 cal, 7g of protein, 3 g of fat, and this is from memory but I think it had only 2 g of sugar.

Well, the first creation was my very own chocolate yogurt! I used a plain non-fat yogurt (80 cal), 2 splenda, and 1/2 tbsp of cocoa. That makes the total approx 100 calories. Let me just say that the cocoa powder worked well! It was really chocolate tasting. At first I didn't mix it well enough (see right- you can see the specks of cocoa) and it didn't exactly look all that appetizing ... but then I moved it to a bowl and mixed it better (see below)



It wasn't as thick as the stonyfield yogurt, but I suppose you could use greek yogurt for a very thick consistancy, or even a 1 or 2 % yogurt. But I thought this was a great substitute for the high sugar (and higher cal) chocolate yogurts that are in the market. It had a rich chocolate taste- was very real tasting, meaning you could tell it wasn't artificial. And it wasn't very sweet. If this isn't sweet enough for you, the powder tastes awesome with ff vanilla yogurt! Back to the plain yog version, I would have to say it tastes like a natural snack... like for some of these other creations you could give to anyone and they wouldn't expect it was healthy or diet or whatever, but this tastes like a dieter version of chcolate yogurt. In sum, I think it is quite tasty but you have to know not to expect some very rich decadent treat- it tastes like just like yogurt that is chocolate.

I plan on trying it with more cocoa (1 tbsp) to see how that tastes. Perhaps that will make it richer tasting. I'll keep you updated!



(And as an added bonus: you can then freeze this chocolate yogurt for a cold chocolate "fro-yo"!)

SwissMiss Hot Chocolate

Hey guys. Sorry for a lack of posts this week. I've just been feeling so frustrated! I constantly am fighting with myself whether I should be counting calories or simply trusting my instinct. When I count calories I tend to get obsessed and I start thinking 24/7 about food and my next meal and whether I have enough calories, etc. So I am much happier mentally when I don't count. But it's so much easier to have a guide- to have a limit, to have restrictions. Something that tells you "No, don't eat that because you are almost over your calorie limit" is much easier to adhere to than "No, don't eat that, you really shouldn't". I mean, everywhere you look there are articles telling you about all the non-hunger cues that cause people to eat- so then how do I know when is the correct time to trust my instinct and when it is being tricked? Sorry for the rant... back to food :)

Unfortunately, during this um, 'bout', I have been craving some not so good-for-you foods. An item that has gotten me through some intense desires to keep eating has been Hot Chocolate! Or more particularly Swiss Miss Diet hot chocolate. One pack has only 25 calories, 4g of carbs, 1g of fiber, 2 g of sugar, and 2 g of protein (and a bonus of 30% Calcium). While it is not the most intense chocolatey thing in the world, it is pretty good- it tastes like hot chocolate. And it has a great cocoa aroma- I can even picture myself in a ski lodge in front of the fire place! I recommend only using the 3/4c or less of water recommended because if you use more it really does get watery. You can also use milk to add richness. I haven't tried this but if you like a really intense cocoa flavor, you could try adding a tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder (adds not that many calories and some protein). The SwissMiss Diet hot choco also tastes great with fat free whipped cream. It's been on sale at a lot of places lately at 2 for $4.00. I find that this is a great way to satisfy the chocolate taste I crave (you know when you get that taste in your mouth?) and is good at stopping me from binging on chocolate.

Nestle also makes a carb select fat free with calcium hot chocolate for 25 cal a packet and what looks like essentially the same product in a large canister called only fat free with calcium. There's also a rich fatfree version sold in a canister as well. I am intrigued to try the carb select fat free with mini marshmellows by nestle that has 35 cal a packet. If any of you try it- let me know how it is!

And since I mentioned cocoa powder, I'm sure you can make a kickass hot cocoa with just that and milk and sweetener (perhaps I'll experiment soon?) but for now the travel packs really come in handy!

Tuna Sandwich sans Bread

This is my favorite portable lunch recipe. Usually when you make a tuna sandwich in the morning, by the afternoon the bread is a little soggy. This completely takes care of that problem! Plus, if you're watching carb or calorie intake, it instantly lowers it! Instead of bread, use half a red pepper and stuff the tuna in. Prepare the tuna how you normally would (with whatever condiments you use) and pack it in. You can eat it like a regular sandwich. Tada! A no-mess, easily portable, non soggy "sandwich"! The best part is that you can make it the night before and it will be great the next day (I usually wrap it in aluminum foil). And half a red pepper is only about 20 calories! To make it more sandwich-like you can top it with some lettuce, sliced tomatos, or even a slice of cheese. My favorite combo is:

• 1/2 red pepper
• 2.5 oz tuna prepared with mustard
• topped with a thin layer of lettuce
• 1/2 a slice of muenster cheese

Although I am generally not usually a fan of cheese on my sandwiches, I found that muenster gives it a lot of oomph. I've also used jarlsburg. Now, I realize the cheese does add more calories (~60) and fat, but it still only brings the above recipe to about 180 calories! And it takes a while to eat because the pepper is so crunchy you can't just gobble it quickly. If you want you can use the other half of red pepper and make another sandwich and your lunch would still be only a bit more than 350 calories. Or you can use the whole slice of cheese on one half. What I don't recommend is low-fat cheese: it deosn't add much flavor (I tried it with light jarlsburg YELCH).

I've used this creation for years and I have yet to get tired of it. I just love that for lunch I can eat this "sandwich" in addition to an array of other items (ie yogurt, veggies, almonds, etc) and although it is an extremely filling meal, it is not that many calories!

Peaches n' Cream

I think it's time for a fun dessert-ish post. Now, this is a very very simple combination, but just tastes heavenly. All it is, is peach yogurt, crushed honey graham crackers, and sliced almonds. It tastes creamy and peachy, but the graham cracker adds a little crunch and pie-crust taste. And then the almonds just add some more flavor. Depending on what brands you use, it could be only 60 +70 (for a half sheet of graham) + 33 (1 tbsp sliced almonds crushed) = 163 calories. For a treat that tastes this good, I think that's a good number! However, if that is too many calories for you, use wheat germ instead of graham crackers (I liked 1 tbsp of honey crunch wheat germ = 35 cal), or you can omit the almonds. or not use as much yogurt. I used to make this using only 3 oz of yogurt but the same amount of almonds and graham crackers/ wheat germ and it was just as filling and satisfying- I guess it depends on how hungry you are!

And clearly, you can make this with other flavors of yogurt. I would imagine vanilla, blueberry, strawberry, and strawberry-banana would taste great! It's the graham cracker or wheat germ that's key here for the "dessert" taste!

1000 Baby!

Wooooooooot. Over 1000 unique visitors in only two weeks! Thanks to everyone for visiting the site, giving feedback, and then returning again to read more. Hopefully I will continue to meet and or exceed your expectations and keep you coming back for a long time! And I'll keep on experimenting! Next mission: recreating a snickers bar......

Make your own Fruit Yogurt

As much as I love my " fro yo", sometimes Dannon Light n' Fit is just too artificial tasting for my likes. Enter Fage 0% Greek Yogurt. Honestly, it intimidated the crap out of me for a while. And then (while working the dairy case at Trader Joe's) I examined the nutritional facts: 80 cal, 13 g of protein, 0 g fat, and only 6 g of sugar. Holy Crap!! I just had to try it... and my first reaction was "YUCK". This tastes like.... sour milk. But I did love the thick consistancy so I didn't give up just yet. I remembered hearing someone say they added some artifical sweetener, so I added a packet of splenda... and voila! much better. However, it still wasn't high on the "yummy" rankings. Well, after a few combinations, I found one that is delicious: adding some frozen fruit (blueberries work well, but so do raspberries, or even mixed berries) in addition to the splenda. I let it sit for about 5 - 10 min and stir again- this lets the fruit melt a little and add some "color" to the yogurt. Ta da! it's your very own fruit yogurt but with very little extra sugar added! Sometimes I add another packet of Splenda (I swear, I'm trying to kick the splenda habit! I'm getting a little bit better :)) You can buy bags of frozen fruit at most grocery stores and they are somewhere between 50-80 calories for about 1/3 of the whole bag. It obviously depends on which fruit you use. MMMM, I really want some greek yogurt now!

(This works just as well with any fat-free plain yogurt... it just gives you a thinner consistency- but that's sometimes what you are in the mood for)

Crystal Light Soda

"Water is sooooo goood for you...." say all the websites. Yeah, I can't argue-they're right, and as much I try to drink only pure water, I sometimes find it hard to motivate myself to drink it. I recently discovered flavor waters which I like a lot. But the way I used to hydrate myself was with crystal light (any brand of low cal drink mix would work well). I think it tastes goood! My favorite is the Ruby Red Grapefruit Sunrise flavor. And unfortunately, sugar alcohols don't always agree with me (aka stomach bloating and discomfort) especially when I drink the whole mixture (8 glasses). A way I use to lessen the effect while still being able to drink it is after preparing the mix with water, I drink glasses of half seltzer and half crystal light. (Seltzer is carbonated water or club soda). This way, I for the same 8 glasses I only get half the sugar alcohols I was getting and all of the flavor! And if you are a soda fan, I imagine this would a good sort of substitute. This 'trick' clearly isn't for everyone since some people also have problems with carbonation, and I'm sorry I don't have an idea that would work for everyone- but I'll keep experimenting and hopefully find something. And if anyone has any other ways they use crystal light or any other low cal drink mixes I would love to hear it!

Failed Oatmeal Pudding Experiment

In response to n2fitness's comments about trying the peanut butter and pudding over oatmeal, I investigated a similar creation myself. I had sf chocolate pudding powder and tried that with oatmeal. It wasn't good. It was edible certainly and didn't taste bad per say, but it definitely was not an "indulgent creation". Maybe using already made pudding will work better? Let me know if you try it....

Cottage Cheese Power Snack

To avoid getting stuck in a peanut butter theme, this post is about cottage cheese. It's not nearly as exciting as ooy gooey chocolate and pb, but oh well. (don't worry though, I have plenty of more pb ideas left to share!) Anyways, this idea isn't all that innovative, but I find the combination delightful. It's simply cottage cheese with fiber one. It's crunchy yet creamy, that blandish dairy flavor yet sweetened, protein yet fiberific. (haha). They just work reallllly well together. I usually use 1/2 c 1% cottage cheese with 1/8 c fiber one (or 1/4 c if I'm in the mood for it) It's a quick 100 calorie snack with 13 g of protein and 3.5 g of fiber. I also like cheerios mixed in, but I think the flavors don't complement each other as well and the cheerios get soggy. I've also tried Kashi Go Lean, which although I absolutely love in yogurt, didn't enjoy as much in cottage cheese. But I guess that's all personal preference. Oh, and I have tried melting peanut butter and mixing it in with the cottage cheese...let's just say it was interesting. I ate it and it was alright, but it certainly wasn't delicious-- it was actually a little odd. Anyway, there's the lowdown on my not-so-exciting but actually-really-yummy cottage cheese snack.

Warm Peanut Buttery Chocolatey Pudding

OH. MY. GOSH. I have just made a new discovery. Like 5 minutes ago. And I am so excited about it that I need to tell you all about it now!!!! Ok I just bought 60 cal sugar free chocolate pudding cups. They are good. I forgot how much I enjoyed them. But you don't need to hear about that. So I was hungry, craving chocolate, and cold. I wanted to something to heat me up. I thought about oatmeal with cocoa powder, but that wouldn't be chocolately enough. I thought about the pudding cup, but I wanted something to warm me up. And something a bit thicker and more sustaining than just a pudding cup. And then I was like hmmm microwave..... and then I thought hmmm peanut butter. And VOILA! a creation is born! I emptied the pudding chocolate cup into a bowl, added 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, microwaved it for about 45 seconds, and stirred. It was amazing!!!! Thick with a rich chocolate-peanut butter taste, and so warm! It tasted homemade. The peanut butter and chocolate mixed so well, it was like that was how it came. Plus, the best part is that it was filling an extremely satisfying! And only 105 calories!!!!!! Woopeee! I am so excited right now if you can't tell.

(Note: I'm sure this would work as well with any brand of pudding, or even actual homemade pudding!)

"Peanut Butter Brittle"

The title of this post is in quotes, because this recipe is not actually a brittle of any sorts. It is in fact, another recipe for oatmeal. (hah yay!) One that tastes like candy- kind of like a sweet, sticky, brittle (but not crunchy). It's simple. All it requires is regular oatmeal, milk (I actually use 1% for this one), peanut butter, and splenda (the splenda is actually necessary here). The little trick is to add the peanut butter AFTER you microwave the oatmeal. I usually use 1/4 c oats, 1/2 c milk, 2 splenda, and 1 tbsp of peanut butter- either crunchy or smooth would work, but I usually use smooth. And the most 'health conscious' choice is clearly natural peanut butter (which tastes great), but I um, unfortunately think Skippy just tastes absolutely amazing in this oatmeal. I add the oats, milk, and 1 splenda to a bowl, cook for 2 or 2.5 minutes (stopping it to stir when it's about to overflow) and then immediately when it's done, stir in peanut butter and another splenda. Let it sit for a little (I know this is hard to do- I myself usually ignore this when people say it, but you don't really get the full peanut buttery taste right away. Maybe it has to absorb or something?) And then eat! To me, it tastes so sweet it's like carmelized sugar almost- but nutty! It's not what I would eat as a midday snack or for breakfast, but more of a after-dinner dessert. This is more of a common recipe so some of you have probably had this before (but maybe not in these delicious proportions?). For both those who are old lovers of this combo and those who have never tried it and plan on it, what do you think?

Chinese Food: "Have Your Sauce and Eat it Too!"

Making Chinese food available for takeout was such an amazing idea- kudos to whoever started that ages ago. Who doesn't like Chinese food? But you're probably thinking it is barely ever low calorie unless you get plain dishes with no sauce- and when you order in chinese food who wants that? Ok, that was a bit harsh, since I've actually done that myself many times. But I admit, as sodium and fat-laden as they probably are, I am a sucker for the sauces they use- be it either a brown sauce or an egg sauce or a spicy one. To me, chinese food just isn't chinese food without them. Yes, I've done the whole "sauce on the side thing" but, it definitely doesn't taste the same. So I thought, and I thought, and then I figured out how to "have my sauce and eat it too" (haha): add plain steamed vegetables to your dish! The benefits of this are: it ups the percentage of food to sauce, allows me to eat more for fewer calories, its not boring because you mix the flavor laden bites with the plain ones (or manage to get both in one mouthful!) This works either when you are sitting down at a restaurant or when you get takeout.

And then the next great realization I had was that this was getting expensive! The price of two dishes for one. Since I normally just get takeout, why couldn't I just add my OWN steamed veggies? That way I could choose which vegetables I use and it's FREE! It saves you about 6 dollars and you probably choose healthier vegetables than they do. I like using frozen broccoli, spinach, and edamame. (You can obviously steam fresh vegetables too- I just always have tons of frozen vegetables in my house) I make it in a big bowl and then I take a portion of the dish that I ordered and mix it in. And if neccesary I pour on it a little bit of the extra sauce that's on the bottom. I just combine different individually bagged frozen vegetables, but if you're looking for more of an Asian-inspired blend, Costco sells a huge mix that has broccoli, edamame, snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, red peppers, and baby corn.

The benefits of this substitution are as follows (sort of a recap):

• you get tons of vegetables, probably more than they would have given you in the dish
• you get to eat a lot more for not that many added calories
• a lot less sodium and fat than had you eaten the same volume of just the dish itself
• it still feels like you are eating real Chinese food- not like a 'diet plate' of plain food
• it's free
• it's fast- you can heat the vegetables in your microwave in the 10 minutes it takes them to make your food

I actually just ate Chinese food using this method, and mmm it was good and I don't feel like I ate hundreds of extra calories!

Thank You!

Before my next post, I would just like to thank everyone for your comments! I appreciate them so much, whether it's a compliment, a suggestion, or a disagreement. I would like to be one of those site owners whose readers feel connected. Hopefully I am and will continue to foster that kind of fun, friendly environment! If there is something you'd rather email me about, feel free to- my email is in the 'about me' section. (PS If you have some snack ideas that you would like me try and write about- email them to me! I would be honored to use them and would credit you derservingly!) In the mean time, keep the comments coming and enjoy reading!

Oh, and soon enough I will be adding up my own pictures of the "creations"... that's a lot more exciting than using product website pictures!

[UPDATE 3:29 PM: Pictures added to Oatmeal Heaven and Trail Mix Buffer! Still many more to come...]

~Michelle

Trail Mix Buffer

I may as well get this out in the open now, I LOVE nuts! Particularly almonds, cashews, and walnuts. And I wish I could be one of those people that says, "A little bit of nuts go a long a way" but honestly, for me they don't. Sit me down with a tub of planters mixed nuts, or whole cashews, or a bag of trader joe's nuts, and chances are that almost half will be gone. So I try to avoid those tubs. I'll make little baggies of a few almonds with some cashews, but just looking at a measley little bag with barely anything in it is hardly mentally satisfying. I like to think I'm eating a lot. (who doesn't?) So I am always looking for a higher volume alternative while still getting my nut fix. In stores, the only other option I ever see is nuts with dried fruit. Now the ratio of dried fruit is usually pretty high, and to be honest, dried fruit is also 'nutrient dense' (meaning a lot of calories for not so much volume) and has a decent amount of sugars. However, I can't deny that dried fruit and nuts is a tasty combination. But it doesn't solve the problem of adding more volume with fewer calories. A lot of websites suggest using popcorn, but in my opinion, the flavors of popcorn and nuts don't go well together.

So my handy dandy solution to this problem is.... Cheerios! Adding 1/2 a cup to any arrangement of nuts adds ridiculous volume- that measley empty looking bag is now brimming to the top! It's a lot of little pieces so it takes longer to eat and feels like you are eating a lot more. Taste wise, I think it works really well- it's bland enough not to overpower the nut taste (tastes amazing with almonds!) but has that unique yummy Cheerio taste. And it's not a taste that sticks in your mouth leaving you craving more (You know that feeling that happens with say, goldfish, or chex mix) Any type of cereal would work, and although Cheerios may not be the nutritional powerhouse of say, Kashi GoLean, it is good enough with soluble fiber, barely any fat, and no sugar! If you want to boost the fiber count, fiber one tastes great with Cheerios and nuts. Kix also works well as a base, but isn't as nutritionally balanced as Cheerios.

Here are my two favorite "trail mixes":

1. 1/2 c cheerios, 1/4 c fiber one, 2 tbsp raw slivered almonds

- Calories: 165
- I like using slivered almonds because it allows you to have an almond-y taste in more of the handfuls. Plus, you feel like you are getting more for your calories. Note: these are not 'sliced'- sliced adds very little flavor

Ooh visual of the trail mix

Look at how full that bag is! And there's only 1/4 c cheerios, 1/8 c fiberone, and 1 tbsp of almonds in there. (And only 85 calories for all that munching time!) You'd need a much bigger bag for the combination I wrote out!

2. 1/2 c cheerios, 7 whole almonds, 5 cashews (in pieces), 4 dried apricots cut into quarters

- Calories: about 165
- Hey, I do like dried fruit sometimes!
- I use this as an energy- boosting snack
- These numbers are kinda arbitrary. Obviously add more or less as you so desire. I only say these numbers because that is what I made recently and it tasted good.


Other "healthy" ideas of what you can add: (and I use quotes only because you can add virtually anything to trail mixes and it will be yummy, so I will only mention the "healthier" ideas):

- dark chocolate chips, walnut pieces, mini marshmellows (ok not so helathy, but no one ever thinks of them and they are yummy), kix, craisins, soy nuts, sun flower seeds, pepitas, freeze-dried strawberries, basically any cereal (I feel like Puffins Cinnamon or Peanut Butter Bumpers would be an amazingly delish but less-nutritional alternative.... let me know if you try it!)


With these trail mixes, I am able to eat a lot, get a very nutty taste, and mindlessly munch without over indulging in hundreds of calories (which happens when left with an actual trail or nut mix).
What do you guys think? Helpful? Will you try it?

[Pictures to come soon and a few other tried combinations- sometime next week! Check Back]

Cream Cheese Replacement

I don't know about you, but when I was younger I used to eat cream cheese by the knife-full. haha But since then I don't really crave cream cheese or any other forms of spreadable cheese. It just wasn't my thing. Well, that was until I tried Laughing Cow Light Garlic and Herb Cheese Wedges! They are so good! I have tried them on a variety of things, but I think they taste best on a slice of whole wheat bread. (I've tried rice cakes and ak-mak crackers). They are 35 calories each and exploding with flavor. Honestly, there is so much in a wedge- my bread ends up with such a thick layer! My favorite bread to use is Trader Joe's Low Calorie Whole Wheat Bread (45 cal, 5 g of protein, 5 g of fiber). I just take one slice and spread one wedge over it and eat it flat. (I've tried folding it into a sandwich, but the bread-cheese ratio isn't as satisfying that way- plus it feels like you're eating more when it's not folded up) The cheese is so thick and creamy (like cream cheese) and the bread is so soft, it's like sinking your teeth into something truely decadent every single time. I can't really say whether this is all that filling of a snack, but it's certainly quite satisfying! The Garlic and Herb flavor adds a good taste to your mouth so you don't really crave something else immediately after. I don't find the regular light swiss flavor as satisfying or tasty- I describe as more bland; and I have yet to try the French Onion flavor but I expect that to be just as good. I find that this is a snack I can eat anytime of the day: in the morning, lunchtime, afternoon, or late at night.

(This isn't supposed to be a product review, just a snack idea! Sorry if the overlap offends anyone!)

Salad Dressing Alternative

This isn't so much a treat, but more of a creative idea. Have you ever been at a salad bar and completely aghast at the lack of fat-free/ lite/ healthy dressings? Fear no more, I have accidentally discovered a good substitute for dressing... soy sauce! Most salad bars (especially cafeteria style/college dining halls) have it, and although it contains a lot of sodium, it's only 10 calories per tablespoon (compared to 45 for some regular dressings). Plus it's thin and liquidy, so you don't need to add a lot to get your whole salad covered. And one more great thing about it: it's portable! Soy sauce often comes in little packets with sushi or chinese food- so it's easy to bring with you and add to your salad at lunch time so you can avoid the soggy lettuce syndrome. Like I said, it is high in sodium but from my general understanding, as long you are not downing frozen meals or canned soups for every meal, and your blood pressure is alright, having more sodium every once in a while is ok. Hope this helps some of the salad eaters out there!

Yummm Reeses

Ok, Reeses has to be one of the most popular candies out there. That probably explains why there are so many new 'limitied editions' versions of the stuff. I admit that although I am a huge peanut butter fan, I am not always in the mood for one. However, when that craving hits, oh man it's intense.
One day I discovered a combo completely by accident that tastes just like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup! And the ingredients are (drumroll please) Quaker Chocolate Mini Quakes and Natural Peanut Butter.... but refrigerated. (for some reason that makes a HUGE difference) Just take a quake and spread as much or as little pb as you so desire, refrigerate, and eat! Nutritional information obviously depends on how much peanut butter you use, but I think (I have to admit it's been a little while since I've made these) I've used 1 tbsp for 4 quakes. That's about 130 calories for FOUR treats whereas with a Reeses it's 140 for ONE. I'll let you do the math.
Anyway, I am really curious what anybody else thinks of this "invention". Yummy and like a Reeses, or do you think I'm delusional and this doesn't even come close to replicating that creamy goodness created by Hershey's?

What this Blog is Not..

This blog is supposed to be fun. It is not meant to be diet advice or advice of any sort. One of the things I am realizing is that I depend so much on the advice of experts or of diet websites, that I have stopped listening to myself and my body. And when that happens, when all I think about is what I should be doing, or that I should(n't) be hungry, or that I should eat this and not that, I become unhappy. I need to do what works for me, and you do what works for you. So consider all of these playful suggestions, and nothing more. Fun ways to add variety if you so choose. You certainly don't need ANOTHER person telling you how to eat or live. BUT I may however sometimes mention things that I do, like what I like to eat as a pre-workout, or how I trick myself into drinking more water. But I will never, ever, ever say these things in a didactic, condescending tone, or in one of authority. After all, most of us are in the same boat of trying to live and eat well (without gaining pounds) :)

~Michelle

Oatmeal Heaven

If I had to choose one food in the world to eat for the rest of my life, it would be... OATMEAL! I love the stuff! It's so versatile, meaning it will taste like what you add to it, and it's all warm, so I always feel better after eating it (especially after a long stressful day). Actually, for me oatmeal has a lot of uses: breakfast, comfort food, pre-workout, pre-drinking, post-drinking, digestion aider, or as an energy-upper. Plus it's cheap! However, I understand that not everyone (haha actually most people) has the same undying adoration I have for the stuff. But that's ok! Oatmeal can be daunting if you don't know what to add to it. But, it is such a nutritional powerhouse (many atimes listed as a "Top 10 healthiest food") that it can't hurt to include in your diet. I'll have many posts on oatmeal recipes, but here's a few to start that might just get you to like oatmeal:

(NOTE: I use regular Old Fashioned Quaker Oats. You can still cook in the microwave, it just takes 2 / 2.5 min and consitent stirring. It comes out much thicker and um natural tasting than even instant plain oatmeal)
(NOTE 2: I list all recipes using non fat milk, because when I have milk that is the way I prefer it... but I just as often cook with just water. It still tastes great! Less creamy and thick though. 1% works well also and so does Vanilla or Plain soymilk!)
(NOTE 3: I use splenda. Usually one or 2 pckts. Yes, I love the taste of oatmeal... but in my opinion, it needs a little "somthing". And Splenda gives it that. I am trying to limit myself to only packet per recipe, but sometimes, it just needs a little more sweet to it!)

REGULAR OATMEAL:
- 1/4 c oatmeal
- 1/2 c nf milk
- 1 tbsp of ground flax seed
- 1 splenda (2 if you use soymilk)
*add all before microwave

(I only had Soymilk in my fridge!)

SUPPER NUTTY OATMEAL:
- 1/4 c oatmeal
- 1/2 c nf milk
- 2 tbsp of ground flax seed
- 1 tbsp of chopped almonds (*I take slivered almonds and break them up into pieces)
- cinnamon to taste
- 2 splenda
*add almonds and cinnamon after microwave
**This is a super super filling recipe!

Nutrition: 255 calories, 12 g of protein, 27 g of carbs, 7.4 g of fiber, 12 g of fat (5 polyunsat and 4.6 monosat --> those healthy omega-3s)

BANANA NUT
- 1/3 c oatmeal
- 2/3 c nf milk
- 1/2 banana cut into 1/2 slices
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1/2 or 1 tbsp chopped almonds
- 1 or 2 splenda
*add 1/4 of the banana before cooking, and the other half and seeds after wards
**When people think of banana nut, they think of walnuts, but surprisingly, sunflower seeds taste great with banana! This is a very thick, more desserty- type oatmeal (def higher carb) This is the oatmeal that got me hooked- it was so delicious that I wouldn't snack at night just so I could have this in the morning!!

Nutrition: 303 Calories, 13 g of protein, 43 g of carbs, 6 g of fiber, 13 g of fat


That's enough for now! More to come soon. What's your favorite Oatmeal combo?

Frozen Bananas Plus

So, most people have heard of slicing bananas and freezing them for a yummy treat. I agree, they rock. But there are so many more possibilities! Who wants a plain frozen banana when you can make it gourmet? My favorite combination is banana slices dipped in chocolate syrup and then frozen. You can use 1 tbsp for a banana, or more if you'd like. I don't know about you, but I love banana and chocolate! Don't use sugar free syrup though, frozen it comes out very chemical-ish. Oh wait, there's more! You can also top your banana slices with... chopped nuts! Walnuts taste the best in my opinion. Chocolate banana bread anyone? haha (storage tip: I make layers in a tupperware with tin foil) Anyway, I like these banana slices because only one or two are quite satisfying and prob about 20/30 calories each.

So Frozen Banana Ideas (all frozen obv):
- plain slices
- covered with chocolate syrup
- covered with chocolate syrup and chopped nuts
- covered with raspberry preserves
- covered with peanut butter
- covered with peanut butter and then chocolate syrup
- covered with almond butter or cashew butter

"Frozen Yogurt"

Dear all,

I'll start with one of my favorites- frozen yogurt! You must be thinking, "What!? Frozen yogurt isn't healthy" Well, I'm actually referring to actual yogurt that has been slightly frozen! It is perfect for a warm day. The trick is, however, to put it in the freezer for the apporopiate amount of time because if you put in for too long, it becomes hard and icy. When it has been in the freezer for the perfect amount of time, it is creamy and solid, but not too hard that it is difficult to get your spoon in.
I like using Dannon Light n Fit. (60 cal, 0g fat, 10 g carbs, 7 g sugar, 5g protein) But I have found that some flavors taste a lot better than others and that they also take varying amounts of time. (it also depends on your freezer) I used Dannon because that's always in any store I'm in and is usually on sale. Here's my list in order of my most preferred to least (times done using my mini frdige/freezer):

Blueberry: My favorite frozen! It also takes the most amount of time- between 1 hour and 30 min and 2 hours
Strawberry- Banana: I love this distinct flavor- it comes out even stronger when frozen. Takes somewhere between 1 hour and 1 and a half hours
Lemon Chiffron: Same amount of time. In fact, I don't like this one as yogurt, I find it too sugary tasting, but as a froyo- it is perfect. This, like the blueberry, freezes with a good consistancy.
Strawberry: This yogurt is alright frozen, but takes much less time, more like an hour.
Raspberry: This is one is ehh. Tastes a little artifical.
Vanilla: I think it tastes awful frozen, but I love it as a yogurt.

(I haven't tried peach, blackberry, orange mango, or strawberry kiwi because I don't like those flavore)

One more tip is that a lot of times the top is a perfect consistance and the bottom is still very creamy, so if that happens, you can eat the top half and then put it back in the freezer til the bottom half is how you like it. This is good if you are near a freezer for a long time, so if you are not, it is just as yummy after only one round in the freezer.

Besides tasting delicious, another perk is that when you put in the freezer, it prevents you from snacking until it is ready. (At least ideally!)
Have fun with this.

Welcome!

Dear all,

Welcome to my site! I am a food-obsessed, nutrition freak who has spent my spare time in the past two years researching nutrition, cooking, shopping in supermarkets, (and working in Trader Joe's!) tasting food, basically everything food related you can think of. This was all in an effort to build a healthier lifestyle for myself. Unfortunately, it has not been a smooth journey. After initially losing a lot of weight and then developing some unhealthy obsessive habits , I am attempting a life of moderation. Yet, my love of food is still here! I have however, learned a lot over these past two years.

But my goal is not to share with you the healthiest food for weight loss or the ten secrets to boost your metabolism, there are enough websites that can tell you that. I however, am here to share with you my creativity. I am rather good (if I do say so myself!) at coming up with delicious concoctions that are low calorie, and usually pretty healthy. They are good at satisfying yens for heavy desserts, meals, and snacks (most of the time at least- come on, everyone needs some of the real stuff every once in a while!). And the best part, they require little preparation- usually just a microwave, fridge, or freezer. Even my friends, who are not necessarily health conscious, are impressed with my creations and how yummy they are. Hopefully you will agree :)
Until next time!