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!