Posted by Heather Jones on Wed, Dec 23, 2009
Looking for guilt-free (and delicious!) party foods to serve this holiday season? Check out these healthy chip and dip picks from my book, The Grocery Cart Makeover.
Favorite Tortilla Chips: Guiltless Gourmet
These trans-fat-free baked tortilla chips are made from stone-ground certified organic corn and high quality oils, providing a full-flavored taste for less than half the fat and far fewer calories than traditional fried tortilla chips. And, if you fancy flavored chips, Guiltless Gourmet is right there with you. From Mucho Nacho to Chile Verde, you're sure to find a chip you'll love to crunch. Here's how to factor them into your diet: Count 80 calories worth (that's about 11 chips or 0.66 oz) as one starch serving, about the same calories as a slice of bread or a third cup of rice. So, if you choose the chips, cut back on starch somewhere else in the meal.
Favorite Cracker: Wasa Crispbread (all the whole-grain varieties)
All the Wasa varieties carrying the Best Life seal are either 100 percent or nearly 100 percent whole grain, and many contain whole rye, a rarity in crackers (and breads). Whole rye is a good source of lignans, which may play a role in fighting breast cancer. You might not think of this sturdy crispbread as a party cracker, but pair it with the dips above, and let the party begin! Follow the same calorie guidelines as above; sub 80 calories of Wasa for a starch serving.
Favorite Hummus: Sabra
Hummus is a wonderful way to up your fiber, vitamin E, folate, potassium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, and calcium intake. And if that's not enough, it's moderate in sodium, contains protein and is darn tasty. Sabra's recipe tastes like traditional homemade hummus and is available in a wide range of flavors, including Roasted Red Pepper, Jalapeno and Greek Olive. At 35 calories per tablespoon (140 per quarter cup), it's a lot lower in calories than many other spreads (for example, margarine ranges from 50 to 80 calories per tablespoon). But still it's caloric enough that you should eat a little less of something else to fit in this appetizer.
Favorite Guacamole: Wholly Guacamole
Guacamole is delicious, nutritious, and perfect for dipping. The problem is, store-bought guacamole dips are far from the real thing. And even if you do have the time to make fresh guacamole, you know that avocados don't stay green for even an hour once sliced and peeled. To the rescue: Wholly Guacamole. Their "fresherized" package is specifically designed to keep their guacamole green and beautiful for up to 30 days. Each tablespoon has about 25 calories—follow the same advice given for hummus on fitting it into your diet.
Favorite Salsa: Green Mountain Gringo
Green Mountain Gringo tosses ripe tomatoes, fresh onions, tomatillos, and spices into their all-natural salsas. They offer their salsa in a range of heat levels, which makes it easy to please even the most heat-sensitive pallets. And, like most salsas, it's low in calories and high in vitamins A and C, but lower in sodium than your average store-bought salsa. At 5 calories per tablespoon, you don't really have to worry about portions.
For more healthy-eating suggestions, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Willow Jarosh on Thu, Oct 22, 2009
Brussels sprouts have gotten a bad reputation–in movies and on TV shows, parents are always forcing or bribing their kids to eat the veggie. Many blame their dislike of the veggie on their sulfuric smell and taste, but this only happens when you overcook them. If you cook them right, you're in for a treat. In fact, I always gladly finish my Brussels sprouts—and even go back for seconds! Not just because they're so cute (Brussels sprouts resemble tiny cabbages, and are indeed in the cabbage family), but because they are delicious, loaded with nutrients, easy to prepare, and quite versatile.
My favorite way to make them is by roasting them with a little olive oil cooking spray and a crackle of fresh black pepper. To prepare them, simply rinse, remove any loose leaves, trim the thicker bottom portion, and they’re ready to go. (I prefer to slice my sprouts in half—they cook quicker and get a bit crispier on the outside.) Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with pepper, and bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once. If I'm making a small batch, I stick them in the toaster oven; larger batches go in the regular oven.
Eat your roasted Brussels sprouts as is, add them to your salad, or create my favorite side dish by tossing them with balsamic vinegar and freshly grated Parmesan. One cup provides two servings of veggies and packs in fiber, more than 100 percent of your daily needs of vitamin C, and special phytonutrients that may help ward off certain types of cancer. You (and your kids) may want to think twice before bypassing Brussels sprouts!
For more tasty ways to prepare veggies, check out TheBestLife.com.