2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
2 cups Minute Rice Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
Asian Dressing
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Salad
2 cups roasted deli chicken breast meat, shredded
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cup chopped cucumbers, unpeeled
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
½ cup roasted peanuts
Garnish
2 tbsp chopped green onions
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
lime wedges
DIRECTIONS
To prepare the rice, in a small saucepan bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes. Place rice in large serving bowl and set aside.
For the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk rice vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds until smooth set aside.
To prepare the salad, add chicken, red pepper, carrots, cucumbers, parsley and peanuts to the cooked rice. Pour dressing over to coat well. Garnish salad with green onions, sesame seeds and lime wedges.
2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup cream cheese
1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a pan on the stove on a medium heat setting. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until the onion is clear.
Stir in the mushrooms, and sautee until the mushrooms are golden brown.
Add rice, and stir for about 2 minutes.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth, and stir the entire mixture until it's thick - about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to a low setting and stir in the cream cheese and cooked chicken breast. Cook for about 2 more minutes or until the cream cheese is incorporated and the chicken is warm.
Serve with a sprinkling of chopped green onion or parsley.
1 lb of thinly sliced sirloin (or any tender prime beef cut), about 1/8 inch
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 yellow onion
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and grated
2 tbsp rice wine (mirin)
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup of Coca Cola
1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
2 cups Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients except the beef in a bowl to create the marinade.
Add the beef and marinate for a few hours or overnight for best results.
Grill or pan-fry until meat is cooked (approx. 30 minutes).
Garnish with sesame seeds, add individual serving sizes into foil packets, close packet and serve with a side of Minute Rice® Premium Instant Long Grain White Rice
NOTES
If you want to swap the coke for a healthier alternative, use half a cup of crushed asian pear or royal gala apple
always taste your marinade before adding beef so you can adjust to your taste
the meat quality and thinness is super important!
if you double the recipe for leftovers, portion them out and freeze; thaw overnight the day before consuming.
you can freeze the unused (& uncooked) meat in the freezer for a few weeks
you can find pre-sliced bulgogi thinly sliced beef at most Asian stores, if not, ask the deli if they can thinly slice the meat about 1/8 inch. If you choose to cut the meat yourself at home, slicing is easier when meat is partly frozen.
Wonder Water: 6 Unexpected Infused Water Ideas for Gorgeous Skin
While most dermatologists and doctors preach the benefits of drinking more water, water gets boring. Perhaps you’ve done just about everything to make your plain glass of water more enjoyable. If you’re running out of ideas and are tempted to reach for a caffeinated beverage you’re not alone. We talked to the experts who gave us six fresh infused water recipes that’ll pack a punch of flavor and add health and beauty benefits to your H2O! If you’re new to infused water it’s easy. Chop up the ingredients, let them sit over night in your water pitcher and sip your way to healthy hydration inside and out.
Mango Ginger
This combo might seem weird, but adding the health benefits of ginger and the antioxidant power of mangoes is a surprisingly tasty mix! “Mangoes contain so many vitamins that help boost your immune system. It has antioxidants that maintain youthful glowing skin and aid in the production of blood cells,” says Dr. Christopher Calapai D.O. an anti-aging expert and long-time health advisor to the New York Rangers hockey team. “Ginger is also helpful in fighting infection, has been linked to lower cholesterol levels, may reduce muscle aches, and helps digestion,” adds Dr. Calapai.
Grapefruit Rosemary
Recently rosemary was found to be the main ingredient eaten by residents of an Italian village with one of the highest populations of people who live past 100! “Rosemary improves circulation and sends more blood to the brain which is linked to greater concentration and potentially reduces risk of Alzheimer’s,” says Dr. Calapai. Grapefruit is not only delicious but it’s a natural fat burner, boosts metabolism and cleanses your liver.
Melon Mix
Cut up watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe chunks and throw into your water over night. “This melon variety tastes great and is amazing for your skin,” says Dr. Kally Papantoniou board certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. “Melons are immensely hydrating, meaning more hydration per cup of water. They are also chock-full of antioxidants that keep skin clear plus they contain vitamins that promote collagen production which helps skin cell turnover.”
Citrus Mint Pick your favorite citrus fruits, cut up into slices and add some crushed mint. “Adding mint to your water is not only extra refreshing but also improves digestive health and can speed up your metabolism,” says Dr. Calapai. “Mint actually contains salicylic acid, a potent acne fighter,” says Dr. Papantoniou. “It’s also well known for it’s anti-inflammatory properties which work to calm irritation both on your skin or internally,” she adds.
Cucumber Lavender
“The reason so many spas use cucumber based treatments is because it contains many skin friendly minerals like magnesium, potassium and silicon,” says Dr. Papantoniou. “This mix is especially healthy,” says Dr. Calapai “Cucumbers are powerful detoxifiers, flushing out any waste in your system. Adding crushed lavender to the mix not only adds a beautiful aroma but can also help digestion as lavender contains polyphenols that reduce bad bacteria in your gut, making your system run smoother,” he explains.
Pineapple Coconut Water This one is almost cheating… almost. Get your favorite store bought raw coconut water and refrigerate over night with large chunks of pineapple. The coconut-pineapple flavor combo is delicious and reminiscent of a piña colada without all the sugar and calories. Although this is not pure H2O, coconut water contains electrolytes which plain water does not, which rehydrate you in record time. “Pineapple is yet another fruit that aids in collagen production,” says Papantoniou “This is not just great for beautiful skin, collagen also has a major role in bone health and tissue repair.”
Clearly there are benefits to keeping hydrated. Water does not have to be boring, it can be delicious. Drink up!
Dr. Christopher Calapai D.O.
Anti-Aging Physician and "The Stem Cell Guru"
Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, anti-aging medicine and chelation therapy. Proclaimed as the "The Stem Cell Guru" by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S.
His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer's, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson's.
Dr. Calapai started his practice in New York City in 1986 and for over 25 years he has hosted nationally syndicated radio shows, including his two weekly call-in shows on WABC 770-AM, where he offers health and medical advice. He has a show on Saturday morning 8-9am and Sunday evening from 6-7pm. He has consulted with numerous high-profile individuals including Mike Tyson, Chris Noth, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Fox series Gotham's, Donal Logue and worked as a medical consultant for the New York Rangers hockey team as well as various modeling agencies.
Dr. Calapai received his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and he consults in Manhattan with practices on Long Island, in East Meadow and Plainview. He has appeared on News12 and in the pages of 25A Magazine and Social Life Magazine.
He is the author of E-books Heavy Metals and Chronic Disease, Reverse Diabetes Forever! Seven Steps to Healthy Blood Sugar, Top Ten Supplements You Can't Live Without, and Glorious Glutathione. Learn more about Dr. Calapai on his website, www.drcal.net.
What’s Not So Sweet About Sugar? - Guest Blog
By now you’ve probably heard that sugar isn’t good for you, but do you know exactly what that means? Many people don’t understand why exactly sugar is detrimental to their health, and they’re not sure how to limit the amount of sugar they consume.
If you want to learn more about sugar’s effect on your brain and body, read on for more information about its harmful effects and tips to avoid it.
Obesity
Scientists have been telling people for some time that obesity rates are rising in both children and adults, and much of this rise can be attributed to excess sugar in the American diet. Whether it’s soft drinks, pizza, or fast food meals, sugar is added to almost every processed food that people eat. Constant sugar consumption leads to a higher calorie intake, which leads to weight gain.
Even worse, sugar has no nutritional value. There are no vitamins or minerals in sugar and no essential nutrients that contribute to your daily diet. Since you should only eat a limited number of calories each day, making sure all your calories are nutritionally dense and worthwhile is a crucial aspect of a healthy weight.
Addiction
If it were easy to give up sugar, everyone would do it, but it’s not easy, and for some people, sugar is just as addictive as alcohol or drugs. In fact, for people with addiction issues, lessening their sugar intake isn’t enough. Just like an alcoholic or drug addict, they need to abstain from sugar entirely or risk being pulled back into addiction.
Even if you aren’t addicted to sugar yet, you should definitely be concerned about its addictive properties. Avoid it like you avoid cigarettes or other harmful drugs.
Disease
Excess sugar in the diet can lead to Type II diabetes, and it can also be responsible for many other conditions, including:
High blood pressure
Fatty liver disease
Metabolic disorder
Insulin resistance
Don’t forget that sugar also causes tooth decay, which can lead to painful and expensive dental procedures. If you need a little extra encouragement, do an internet search for tooth decay or fatty liver to get a sense of what excess sugar can lead to.
Read Labels
Sugar is hidden everywhere. Without reading the label or requesting nutritional information, you might not know that there’s sugar in many of the products you eat every day including:
Jarred tomato sauce
Canned soup
Fat free salad dressing
Barbecue sauce
Multi grain crackers
Fast food French fries
Educate yourself, so you know all the ingredients in what you’re consuming. Once you know exactly what you’re eating, you’ve taken the first step on your journey to make healthy decisions.
Substituting Fruit
If you have a sweet tooth, try substituting fresh fruit (not dried fruit) for other sugary treats. While fruits may contain sugar, it’s a different type of sugar. More importantly, fruits are nutritionally valuable, unlike simple sugar, and contain many vitamins and minerals. The fruit fiber helps to moderate how the body responds to sugar and blood sugar isn’t spiked so quickly or so high when fruit sugar is introduced with fruit pulp and fiber.
Be aware that fruit juice isn’t the same as whole fruit. While it does have vitamins, it lacks the fiber of whole fruit and often has added sugars as well.
Talk to Someone
Because sugar is in so many foods and has such a strong pull on many people, it might be helpful for you to talk to someone. Whether it’s a psychologist, nutritionist, or life coach, talking to an expert can help you understand the addictive properties of sugar and why it’s so important to cut it out of your life.
Taking a holistic approach to controlling sugar and improving your diet makes sense if you consider that this is a life change to improve your health, not just a temporary diet fix.
Curbing Cravings
Evidence has shown that some natural supplements curb sugar cravings. If you’re not having luck cutting sugar out of your diet on your own because of your intense cravings, try nutritional supplements. Check with your doctor and ask if the following might help you control your sugar cravings:
L-glutamine
Magnesium
Chromium
Eating Better
Now that you have some information regarding the harmful effects of sugar, go ahead and research the ways in which you can live a healthier, less sugary life.
Author Bio:
Carl Turner is a freelance writer and a health enthusiast from Los Angeles, California. With his expertise in health and medicine, he enjoys helping his clients reach their optimal health. When he is not busy with work, he publishes informative articles on news and media outlets around the world.
Looking to eat well? Keep it simple to make it stick
Stock a smart pantry to stay on track
At the start of 2017, many of us vowed that this year would be different. In 2016, we were too busy to grocery shop, our kids turned their nose up at dinner – so we caved and got takeout more than we’d like to admit. But this year it was going to be different. We were going to eat better, take proper care of ourselves and our families, and not fall into the same traps. But chances are old behaviours have already started rearing their heads, prompting many of us to ask: what am I doing wrong?
You’re doing nothing wrong. Contrary to popular belief, it can take anywhere from 18 to over 250 days to form a new habit. Every single one of us operates on a different timeline, which means our environment greatly influences our success. And when it comes to forming new eating habits, what we keep in our kitchen – or put in our pantry – can sway what we actually end up eating.
Not to mention, getting a meal on the table during the week is no easy task. There is a reason why dinnertime has earned the title of the “witching hour.” From picky eaters, to turning into a short-order cook, or being just too tired to shop, these parental pain points have us yearning for a mid-week win. Well, wait no longer. Help is on the way, with the Minute Rice® #WeekdayWin Challenge. Need a 15-minute recipe for a real? A meal your picky eater will actually eat? Our #WeekdayWin network - a community of moms, foodies and family experts - has the answers. For the next eight weeks, our network will uncover the best, mom-endorsed recipes and meal planning tips to solve the most common pain points for Canadian families. Sourced from their community of moms, our network will help families across Canada to create a new habit with simple meals they can feel good about. After all, who knows better than Mom?
So just what are those dinner time dilemmas for parents?
Shop your pantry for that mid-week win.
Recent Canadian Minute Rice® Research confirms that eight-in-ten women (82%) say that when they’re too busy to grocery shop, they rely on a stocked pantry with key items like rice, pasta or olive oil to prepare easy, wholesome meals at home. As much as many of us romanticize the idea of the daily, European-style shop, our busy North-American lives rarely – if ever, during the week – allow for it.
“When you spend as much time online as we do, you can be lured into falsely believing that every meal you make needs to be an original creation, with carefully-sourced ingredients that were bought day-of,” says family food blogger and #WeekdayWin Network member Julie Albert, who co-founded Bite Me More with her sister Lisa Gnat. “We love cooking like that occasionally, but we can’t do that every day. Our pantries are packed with simple basics that we can quickly match up with a few other ingredients to satisfy our families when we have lots of other things going on,” echoes Lisa.
Kid Friendly meals? The struggle is real.
Every parent has experienced it in one form or another – the long-faced, pouty-lipped expression coupled with an “I don’t want to eat this” (or on worse days a “you can’t make me.”) Minute Rice’s study reveals that nearly four-in-ten parents admit to struggling to find kid-friendly meals their family will eat, and 36% avoid dinnertime altercations altogether by preparing a different meal or dinner for their kids than they do for the adults.
If the adults want fish and veggies with rice, it’s easy enough to substitute scrambled eggs in place of fish, or fruit in place of veggies, without having to create a second full meal from scratch. Interestingly also, a person’s willingness to do this may somewhat depend on where they live: the research shows that people in Ontario are almost twice as likely to customize meals for kids as those from the Prairies.
“Between school, work, and activities many parents have limited time with their kids these days,” says Julie. “Many simply don’t want to spend family time fighting over dinner. Pantry ingredients like instant rice allow for easily adaptable meals that every member of the family can enjoy.”
In keeping with these sentiments, the majority of women (79%) feel that meals they can make at home in 15 minutes, with fewer ingredients, make their life easier during the week. And simple ingredients can help solve that dinnertime dilemma.
Wholesome doesn’t have to be pricy.
The study also revealed that 67% of Canadians want their family to eat wholesome and natural foods, but they feel it’s expensive to do so consistently. In reality, it doesn’t have to be. There are many wholesome foods available that don’t cost an arm and a leg – and many of them can live in your cupboard, which can come as a surprise to some Canadians.
For example, half of us don’t know that instant rice is simply rice that’s been partially pre-cooked, a fact men and women equally agree on. One in four of us admit to not knowing what instant rice is at all.
“Rice is a grain we’ve been eating for thousands of years, that is simple, delicious, naturally fat-free, gluten-free, and non-perishable,” says Norma D’Onofrio, Senior Brand Manager, Minute Rice. “Our instant rice is just rice that’s been partially pre-cooked and dried so that people can save time at home. No additives, and it’s just one ingredient. It’s really that simple.”
This means that those who stock their pantry with staples such as instant rice are in a position to save cooking-time, while also eating a wholesome grain that’s been around for ages.
“Once you’ve decided that rice is going to be a part of the family meal, you only have to select a veggie and a protein to complete your plate,” says Lisa. “A simple solution is imagining your meal in terms of ‘thirds’. Pairing a grain, a serving of vegetables and a protein – like beef or chicken – can be your family’s formula to making dinner time easy in three simple steps.”
What’s your #WeekdayWin?
Most Canadians decide what’s for dinner about an hour before they start cooking, and when you’re in the middle of your busy week, it’s fair to assume that creativity is waning. So start your year off right by following #WeekdayWin for our network’s inspiration, tips, and the winning mom-tested recipes tasted and scored by our network of savvy moms and Canadian families. And there’s more. This February 8th, Bite Me More will provide some mid-week inspiration on our Facebook Live debut which tackles 15 minute meals (for real). Need further motivation? Visit MinuteRice.ca for versatile, delicious and easy 1-2-3 meal ideas and see our network in action.
You’ll soon get used to the satisfaction of consistently getting a meal on the table that’s good for your family – and that you can feel good about serving. Achieved your first Weekday Win? Celebrate with us and share your #WeekdayWin to inspire others. We’ll bask in your glory, and you may even have the opportunity to be showcased on our site.
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About Minute Rice: Made by the Catelli Foods Corporation, Minute Rice pre-cooked instant rice is available in tastes and formats that suit all palates. Wholesome, 100% Natural, Premium Long Grain White Rice; Premium Whole Grain Brown Rice - that’s ready in ten minutes; convenient Ready to Serve Cups; flavourful Basmati and Jasmine varieties. For more information, visit MinuteRice.ca.
About the Research Study:
A survey of 1578 Canadians was completed online between November 28th and December 1st 2016 using Leger’s online panel, LegerWeb. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
Tetley Tea Talks - #TetleyFindYourBalance
Recently Tetley Tea hosted a Tea Talk Event in Toronto which I got to attend. Think about Ted Talks but for tea. They had healthy snacks, tea samples and talks on Ayurvedic and tea topics. This was a unique one of a kind experience and I learned a lot about Tea Ayurveda that I did not know. The new line is divided into the 3 categories called Dosha's : vata, pitta and kapha. To find out your dosa click here.
They sent me home with a care package that includes all three of the teas from their new line. I love them all but the cool pitta is my fav! Let me know if you pick them up and give them a try! Trust me when I say they will help you find your balance and that they are delicious as well!
We've all seen the post on Instagram that says a Sunday well spent brings a week of content. We over here at Train It Right couldn't help but agree! Sunday's are a great day to relax, reset and get ready for the work week ahead. But like many, you're probably on a journey of health and fitness. Eating clean and sticking to a plan can be one of the hardest parts of your journey. The best way to combat failure in this is planning and prepping. Though there are many food prep companies (and they are great) prepping your own food can be simpler and easier than you think.
Here are a few tips to help you ease into prepping your own food:
* Create a grocery list based on your food plan and shop the day before prepping
* Lay out all of your containers
- Use your open counter space to house your containers and place the food in the containers as you go. So when your spinach is ready go ahead and ration it out for each meal as you go.
* Cook all at once
- The cool thing about a full kitchen is several appliances. Example... You can bake your fish or and chicken in the oven while cooking your sides such as spinach, kale, broccoli and more on the stove top. Multitasking at its finest!
- You can also make use of the racks in the oven and bake several items at once. Just keep strict watch of the timer.
* Wash the dishes as you go
- This helps with clean up which speeds up the process. A secret of all chefs!
*Remember why you're doing it
- Lets face it, some of us just don't like to cook. With that being said, remember why you're investing the time now. Not only are you sticking to your meal plan to ensure you meet your goals, but you're saving time and money!
Happy meal prepping.
Want a delicious Super Bowl meal that burns belly fat and help you get lean? Chili! You can even use fatty ground beef. [Recipe below.]
Husbands, boyfriends and other men over 40 can also build testosterone levels – and have more energy, more strength and less belly fat, according to Clark Bartram, 53, Performance & Nutrition Industry Expert for Six Pack Abs, and Lead Advisor to the International Sports Sciences Association. When men’s testosterone levels are low, they face muscle loss, low energy and loss of sex drive. Additionally, their body stores most of the food they eat as belly fat.
Clark Bartram cooks testosterone boosting, belly fat burning chili, his Super Bowl meal of choice.
When a man turns 30, his testosterone levels can decrease by 1-2% a year. By the time he reaches his 40s and 50s, his testosterone production can be down to half of what it once was, according to Bartram.
“Giving you half the testosterone production and double the belly fat – that’s not good,” he says. “That’s why it’s so important for us older men to start boosting our natural testosterone immediately.”
Rather than get testosterone treatments or “legal steroids” (with frequent side effects) from a physician, Bartram says, “Let food be your medicine.”
The fats in red meat as well as salmon and tuna boost testosterone, he said. Other such foods are: almonds, garlic, eggs, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, avocados, bananas, watermelon, citrus fruit, grapes, and honey.
For Super Bowl chili, adding white button mushrooms are a key ingredient to blocking estrogen, the female version of testosterone. Estrogen can cause a man to bloat, develop breast tissue and store more fat around the waist. Rising estrogen levels also cause your belly fat to start producing a testosterone killing chemical that creates even more estrogen.
At TestMaxMeals.com, Bartram offers more testosterone boosting food tips, 3 so-called “healthy” foods that can dramatically decrease testosterone levels, and 3 “cheat” foods that boost testosterone. He also explains how to quickly prepare and cook an entire week’s worth of your favorite testosterone boosting foods in less than an hour and at a low cost.
Clark Bartram’s Super Bowl Chili Recipe
2 lbs. ground beef (15% fat) 1 can kidney beans
1 cup white button mushrooms 1 can black beans
1/2 cup chopped onions 1 can organic chopped tomatoes
2 tbs. chili powder pinch of salt
jar organic tomato puree garlic to taste
1.) Sauté ground beef until it is brown.
2.) Place meat into big pot and add all other ingredients.
3.) Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy.
Eating Healthy And On A Plan Is Empowering
So this in between time that I had from the end of my last competition until starting my new prep at 21 weeks out was strange. For so long I had always had a meal plan to follow with a cheat given to me every weekend. It was a pattern. I had gotten use to it. I enjoyed it. Although for quite some time I have to admit I was resistant to it. In the beginning I felt deprived. And honestly I look back at it and it was mostly because I follow a lot of IIFYM people online. Although I am a firm believer there is not just one way to achieve goals IIFYM is not for everyone. For me personally - Following Macros is great if you like flexibility, are good with numbers and are organized. I also find that a lot of IIFYM focus more on macros and not micros and personally I think its ridiculous to count vegetables as carbs. I don't even track vegetables. ANYWAYYYY enough ranting....Eating Healthy And On A Plan Is Empowering.
Why? Because I know what I need to eat, when I need to eat it and exactly how much. Ive never been good with numbers so I don't have to stress out about them. I don't have to calculate and take time out of my day to figure out meals. But for me its also helpful in a social setting. I can order exactly what I need. I can also easily pack meals for travel. Its simple. My coach does the work and I do the work in the real world.
Its also empowering. How? I go to events or a restaurant I have self control and make healthy choices based on my plan. I also find it more rewarding to follow my plan all week and reward myself with a cheat on the weekends. Its even better to enjoy the cheat with my boyfriend than shoving some terrible snack down my throat. Its simple: follow the plan. Get the results. Deviating from the plan you are only cheating yourself.
I was at one vent recently and saw all these people eating multiple muffins because they were labelled "organic" and "healthy." This was probably furthest from the truth though. All I could think of was yummmmmy but then I thought "you know what...abs are more of a reward than the quick little taste." Health over quick satisfaction with no rewards is so powerful. Was I always like this? No. It takes mental toughness. Am I sometimes weak? Yes. Im not perfect. But when I make the best decision I am a happier and healthier person.
If you need help and are willing to follow a plan I am precision nutrition certified and would love to help you reach your goals. Send me an email: alicia@trainitright.com or head on over to my site: www.trainitright.com/contact
So we're all on our fitness kick right now and it's going strong... UNTIL you start craving a midnight snack. Though eating at night isn't as bad as you might think, if your patterns are like the average persons, you're more inclined to eat sugary, salty, processed, unhealthy foods when hunger strikes at night (after dinner). I'm sure it doesn't happen often, but it happens, and the best way to handle attacks are to be prepared for them. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So here are 5 'surprise I'm hungry' midnight guilt free snacks that you can have in your house so that you're not tempted to run to the Convenience Store and grab chips, candy and all the processed junk that will set you back.
#1 Water - Often times we think we're hungry but in actuality we're just a little parched. Did you know the same signal from our brain that's released for thirst is also released for hunger? So before you reach for something to eat, try something to drink. It's so helpful to keep a bottle or glass of water near your bed. Not only for those 'I'm feeling hungry moments, but also for the morning... But we will talk about that another time.
#2 Berries - Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries... Though they're a fruit, and if your goal is to lose weight, you shouldn't consume LOADS of it, it's totally okay to snack on a few berries if hunger strikes and it's late. Just don't go overboard. Not to mention, they're low glycemic foods, so snack away.
#3 Tea - There's nothing like an evening cup of tea. Not only can it help curb your appetite, it can be soothing and can help you relax. Who doesn't want that at night? Try a chamomile tea, or one of your favorites. Just remember to stay away from anything with a high amount of caffeine that'll keep you up all night.
#4 Nuts - If you're not allergic, nuts are always a good choice for a midnight snack. Feel free to grab a hand full of nuts with a glass of water and it's sure enough to take off the hunger edge and not heavy enough to keep you up or make you feel uncomfortable. This food full of healthy fats is not only a good midnight snack, but a snack that's great anytime in moderation!
#5 Banana Ice Cream - If you're on a fitness journey, it's important to keep a few bananas around the house. Especially frozen. Not only are frozen bananas great to throw in for your smoothie, they're great to make ice cream with. Grab those frozen bananas, blend them up until they're creamy and there you have it... Banana Ice Cream. Definitely a fan favorite.
Skinny Up Your Soup With This Original, New Cookbook
SKINNY SOUPS 80 Flavor-Packed Recipes of Less Than 300 Calories
By Kathryn Bruton
“Totally delicious I could eat these soups forever.”
– Rachel Allen
Come winter, diets are the last thing on our minds. Warming bowls of comfort food is what everyone craves. Packed with a wide variety of substantial and nutritious soups, SKINNY SOUPS: 80 Flavor-Packed Recipes of Less Than 300 Calories (Kyle Books; January 2017; Paperback $19.95), the first book by food stylist and blogger Kathryn Bruton, offers creative and exciting ways to enjoy this most versatile of foods –with the added bonus of all the recipes having less than 300 calories!
SKINNY SOUPS will appeal to anyone, with or without dietary restrictions, who wants to be more health conscious but continue to eat delicious and satisfying meals. The book offers a variety of soups for everyone, from culinary novices to food experts, while many of the recipes cater for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those on gluten and dairy-free diets.
The book is filled to the brim with an exciting variety of soups fit for a main meal, a fantastically filling lunch options, start-the-day right breakfast bowls, and even delicious dessert options—a testament to how creative this wonderful dish can be. From simple recipes like Miso Roasted Butternut Squash, the restorative Hangover Soup, and tasty Turkey & Quinoa Soup with Peas to 15-Minute Mushroom Soup With a Kick and dessert soups such as Chilled Rhubarb, Orange and Chia Seed Soup, Kathryn minimizes the use of cream and substitutes fattening butter with nutritious olive, grapeseed, and nut oils, so that every soup in Skinny Soups is less than 300 calories per portion, but still jam-packed with flavor.
Whatever your ability in the kitchen, soup is a dish everyone can have a go at successfully. Every recipe is open to interpretation, ready for you to stamp with your own personality, if you so wish. So whether you use these recipes as guide to eat healthier, aid weight loss or simply enjoy some delicious bowls, the most important thing is that you enjoy doing it.
About the Author: Kathryn Bruton is a food stylist, recipe developer and blogger. Born in Ireland, she moved to Edinburgh to study fashion, but realized her real passion was food and switched to a diploma in cooking at Leith’s. She now lives in London. Visit her online at www.thelazybaker.co.uk
SKINNY SOUPS: 80 Flavor-Packed Recipes of Less Than 300 Calories
By Kathryn Bruton Photography by Laura Edwards
Kyle Books January 2017; Paperback; 978-1-909487-50-5; 160 Pages; 6 ½” x 9”; Full-Color Photographs Throughout; 80 Recipes; $19.95
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