Nutritious Foods
Almonds – Satisfying snack, packed with carbs, protein, Vitamin E, and fiber25
Chicken Breasts – Versatile, lean meat that is served often at my house
Black Beans – Puree canned beans with garlic and a little salt and you have a tasty bean dip
Spinach – My favorite way to eat it is sautéed with garlic
Sugar Snap Peas – Another great snack: slightly sweet and very crunchy
Red, Yellow, Orange, and Green Peppers – Peppers are packed with antioxidants and go well with so many foods. I especially like mine sautéed and served on a tortilla with beans.
Zucchini – Full of vitamins and minerals and low calorie
2% Milk Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Full of calcium and protein and even reduced fat
Skim milk – Milk is a great post-workout snack because of the combination of carbs and protein
Bananas – I prefer them with cereal and milk or topped with peanut butter. Yum! Excellent source of potassium.
Clementines – These sweet little oranges are portable, full of Vitamin C, and easy to peel
Berries – Frozen berries are always in season. I like mine pureed and mixed with applesauce, on pancakes, in oatmeal, or in muffins.
Whole wheat bread (especially if it’s made by my mom) – Who doesn’t like fresh homemade bread?
Oats – Cooked to make oatmeal, I like to put raisins in mine. Or I’ll add them to pancake batter or cookies.
Barilla Plus Pasta – A tasty, whole grain pasta with added omega-3 fatty acids
Whole Wheat Flour – I replace white flour with whole wheat whenever I can: in brownies, muffins, or pancakes, for example
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars – Made with whole grains and goes great with yogurt
Wheaties – Good source of fiber and not too much sugar
La Tortilla Factory Tortillas – A great brand of low-carb tortillas
Hershey’s Lite Chocolate Syrup – Another great tasting treat that doesn’t taste “light”. Add to skim milk for chocolate milk.
Whipped Butter My spread of choice for toast or baked potatoes
Favorite Tools
Pedometer – It’s motivating to count your steps throughout the day. Have you gotten your 10,000 steps today?
Exercise Bands – When you don’t have time to go to the gym, these are great for toning
Jump Rope – A fun way to burn a lot of calories
Running Shoes – Asics have been my favorite since high school
Jogging Stroller – I bought my Avenir double jogger at a local bike store. I couldn’t do without it!
Food Scale – An essential kitchen tool that I use often. I have an inexpensive one that I bought at Target. Eventually I’d like a nice digital one.
Food Thermometer – How else do you know if the food is really done?
Some Favorite Websites
A useful website for current, science-based nutrition information
The USDA’s website on “MyPyramid.” Go there to find your personalized recommendations for what to eat everyday.
All the recipes you could ever need created by pros
One of the best sites to visit for nutrition information of food
Where to go to find out how much you burn
Another helpful website for easy meal ideas
Healthy recipes using canned foods