Trick or Treat?

Mothers often struggle to get their children to eat fruits and vegetables...but mostly vegetables. So how can you overcome this and get them to eat an adequate amount of daily fruits and vegetables each day? My suggestion..trick them with a treat!

"Sweet Green Smoothie"
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana
4 strawberries
1/2 cup peach slices
1 kiwi unpeeled
1 kale leaf
1/4 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
4 baby carrots
1/2 cup yellow squash
1 tsp flax seed
1 tbsp old fashioned oats
1/2 cup cold water
4 ice cubes

Random ideas:

• Mix carrots, spinach, and zucchini into spaghetti sauce or other sauces
• Finely mince vegetables into hamburger patties or turkey burgers
• Minced vegetables into tuna for sandwhiches
• Put carrots or advocados in smoothies (it's good, trust me!)
• Homemade soups with a lot of vegetables
• Put banana on peanut butter toast for breakfast
• Add spinach to pancakes
• Vegetable Pizza
• Vegetable Omelets

Refresh Yourself!

Garden Salad, Caesar Salad, Fruit Salad, etc. Whatever type of salad you prefer they can be refreshing and beneficial! I have noticed quite often that women eat more salad than men, why is this? Do men feel that meat is "manly" and salad just...isn't? There is such an opportunity for variety when it comes to salads! You may use different types of lettuce, dressings, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, cheese, etc. Just make sure you are not going overboard with the additions or it may just lose the benefit of being low in calories!

By the way, this does not include dessert salads!! :)

Four reasons why to eat salad:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats

And remember you can add ThinStick to your salad dressings.

For the entire article please visit:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/4-healthy-reasons-eat-salad-today

Lower HFCS in your diet!!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that each American averages 142 lbs of sugar per year, and 59 lbs of this comes from High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). HFCS is found in ketchup, fruit yogurt, salad dressings, bread and many many processed foods. This sugar DID NOT exist in 1970 but it's convenient now because it is cheaper and sweeter than sugar. It blends easily into foods, prevents feezer burn, and extends shelf life.

Why HFCS not healthy: The body handles this sugar differently than regular sugar, preferring to funnel it into fat stores and tricking our brains into thinking we need more food. HFCS is on the hot seat for raising colorectal cancer risk.
To avoid HFCS: Buy 100% fruit juice without HFCS, choose fresh fruit over fruit juice, and eliminate soft drinks. It isn't realistic to completly eliminate HFCS but you definitly can lower your intake.

Have a healthy, happy week.

- Based off of Metabolic Maintenance's Nutrition Alert Article by: Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

Thirsty Thursday

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

1/2 cup nonfat milk or try soy milk
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
1 teaspoon honey
1 ThinStick

Excellent source of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It's also a good source of fiber, manganese, phosphorus, riboflavin, and vitamin D.

Tasty Tuesday

I really enjoy eating shish kebabs in the summer time but hadn't heard of "Fresh Fruit Kebabs" until I ran across the recipe today on Mayo Clinic's website. Here is the recipe, it sounds yummy! I'll have to try it out and add ThinStick to the yogurt!!!

Ingredients
4 ounces low-fat, sugar-free non citrus-yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh non-citrus juice
4 to 6 strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and diced
1/2 banana, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 to 6 red grapes
4 wooden skewers

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, juice, and ThinStick. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Thread 1 of each fruit onto the skewer. Repeat with the other skewers until the fruit is gone.

Other fruits: You can almost use any type of fruit as long as it is citrus free

*Recipe has been modified to fit ThinStick guidelines

10 workday lunches that will save you time, money, and calories

This is such a practical article from WebMD. If I'm not mistaken all of us enjoy anything which saves us money or makes us feel as if we are getting some kind of deal!

A list of YUMMY $5 lunch ideas(assuming you already have dressing)!


1. 1 pita with lettuce and grilled chicken with light Caesar dressing; baby carrots; and an apple.
2. Salmon lettuce wraps with light sesame Asian dressing; 1 can of broth-based soup; and an orange.
3. Tomato & cucumber salad with olive oil and vinegar; tuna salad on pita; baby carrots; and an apple.
4. 1 can of soup; and grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with sliced apple and light vinaigrette.
5. Garden salad with salmon, tomato, cucumber, and baby carrots; an orange; and 1 can of soup.
6. Whole-wheat tortilla wrap of hummus, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives; plus a carton of fat-free vanilla yogurt, and berries.
7. Whole wheat pita stuffed with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese; and apple slices with peanut butter.
8. A green salad loaded with canned chunk light tuna, carrot strips, pepper slices, tomato wedges, red beans, and dried cranberries topped with balsamic vinaigrette; with a cup of low fat chocolate milk to drink.
9. A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread; a piece of fresh fruit; and low fat yogurt.
10. Whole-wheat tortilla roll with sliced turkey, sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, red pepper strips, and lettuce leaf (chill and slice into bite size pieces); with fruit salad and a glass of skim milk.



TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE GO TO http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cheap-and-healthy-brown-bag-lunch-ideas-for-grownups