In the Kitchen with Sidra: Mushrooms 101

Whether you love or hate mushrooms, there's no arguing over their nutritional value: Low in calories but loaded with flavor and nutrients, the fungus is often called a superfood by diet and nutrition experts. A cup of raw mushrooms (which will actually cook down to about 1/2 cup) provides 34 percent of your daily needs for copper (which helps protect your pumper), 16 percent for selenium (critical for antioxidant defense in the body), and offers a healthy dose of B-vitamins (which help convert food to energy and promote brain health). They're also packed with antioxidants, which may help ward off cancer, boost immunity and reduce the risk for heart disease, according to research.

Most of the mushrooms that you'll find at the store are cultivated—that is, they're grown on a farm for consumption. The most common varieties of cultivated mushrooms available are white button, portobellos, which have a steak-like texture, criminis, which are similar in shape to button mushrooms but are darker and more flavorful, oyster mushrooms, which crisp up nicely when you pan roast them and shiitake mushrooms, which are very versatile and pair well with ginger and garlic. Certain times of the year, you may find wild mushrooms (such as morels or chanterelles) at your grocery store or farmers market. They're usually very expensive and delicious. (Note: Some wild mushrooms are poisonous, so never experiment should you find them while hiking or exploring.)

All cultivated mushrooms can be eaten raw or cooked; wild mushrooms should always be cooked before eating to kill any bacteria or toxins that could make you sick, and also to aid in digestion. Here are a few simple mushroom recipes to experiment with:

• Marinated Mushrooms - Slice cultivated mushrooms, toss with lemon juice and a touch of olive oil, season with salt, pepper and finely chopped fresh chives. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to eight hours. These are great tossed with salad greens, as a condiment in a sandwich or as a side dish for fish, poultry, meat or tofu.

• Roasted Mushrooms - Heat oven to 375 degrees, roughly chop mushrooms and place on a baking sheet, season with vegetable oil spray, salt and pepper. Roast until edges are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Toss with whole-grain pasta, along with other roasted vegetables or serve as a side dish for fish, poultry, meat or tofu.

The Rookie Diaries: The Top 8 Reasons to Use a Weight-Loss Meal Plan

As I type this, I am snacking on cheese. You know why? Because I'm not following a meal-plan. If I were following a meal-plan, I would have eaten my carefully calibrated 100-calorie treat for Sunday night and would be finished munching for the night, because the plan says so, and because I would know that I'd taken in enough calories for the day and that my body truly doesn't need more. I'm hyper-aware of this fact because I've just finished—for the first time in my life—a week-long, super healthy, slimming meal-plan. (I'm temporarily day-lighting as a magazine editor and tested out a meal plan for one of their upcoming articles.) I lost five pounds, painlessly.

What took me so long to see the light? It wasn't for lack of knowledge or effort. As a journalist who writes about nutrition, I'm familiar with what works. I've pieced together what I believed was a top-shelf concoction of strategies: cutting back on portions, eating more veggies, stepping up my exercise, saying "no" to dessert, not arriving hungry at the grocery store or happy hour. Despite the fact that my self-styled dieting behavior hasn't always yielded tangible results, I've enjoyed the freedom of going it on my own. I have always resisted the iron-clad restrictions of following a specific weight-loss meal plan, afraid it would turn me into a calorie-obsessed, uncreative eater, or that I'd be forced to endure tasteless, tiny morsels that comprise a joyless plan designed by a stern dietitian in a white lab coat whose greatest thrill in life is to ban cheese from my life.

Well, I stand corrected. I shudder to think of the pounds I could have left behind decades ago by just following instructions! Of course, it has to be the right meal-plan: It should be delicious, nutritious and provide enough calories to keep you full while reigning it in enough to create a calorie deficit. It should be designed by an R.D. or M.D.—or at least vetted by one—and fit your lifestyle. (The Best Life meal plans meet all these criteria, by the way.) Once you find that perfect-for-you plan, here's what you can expect to gain…and lose.

1. You will lose weight. Seriously, if you follow the plan—no cheating, no adapting it to include your beloved three-cheese lasagna, no over-measuring or under-achieving—you will eat less and drop pounds. It's a scientific fact, and it's a beautiful thing to behold when you test the theory. The Best Life meal plans offer six different calorie levels, so matter what your gender, activity level or current weight is, you're sure to find a calorie level that will keep you satisfied but still help you peel off pounds.

2. You will learn that 1 teaspoon of olive oil is about 1/16 of the amount you normally use. This was an epiphany to me. I'm half-Greek, so I think it's my cultural right to use olive oil generously, and magically not get fat. Yes, it's a great source of good fats—but I've been ignoring one of the two words in italics.  One teaspoon of olive oil has 40 calories, and 1 tablespoon has 120 calories. A good-quality olive oil will go a long ways, and 1 or 2 teaspoons is all you need to dress a salad (along with some vinegar or lemon) or sauté chicken or veggies.

3. You won't stress out about what you're going to eat for your next meal. You know that feeling when you come home from work, you're tired, you're stressed, so you call in take-out or snack for two hours straight on whatever is in your cupboards? Won't happen on a meal-plan. You will have planned to have the ingredients on-hand for your prescribed dinner (you will have taken the chicken out of the freezer to thaw or skipped the extra drink at happy hour so you can get home in time to cook). I won't lie—the planning is work and takes time. But with the plan's ingredients in your fridge and cupboards, you've already won half the battle.

4. You will learn new recipes. Some of these recipes you'll love, others not so much. But by the end of the week, you will have at minimum a handful of new, yummy, slimming favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Admit it: Your current repertoire is getting old and could stand some new additions. Why not learn how to cook meals within a meal plan that's designed for weight loss?

5. You will realize that losing weight and being hungry do not have to go hand-in-hand. The only time I was hungry was at night, right before bed, during the hour I plop myself down on the couch and normally snack my way into a coma while watching reality TV. This doesn't even qualify as hunger—it's a craving tied to an ingrained habit. If the diet you're following includes no more than 30 percent of calories from fat (about 53 grams on a 1,600-calorie plan), with no more than 10 percent from saturated fat (about 16 g); about 20 percent of calories from protein; and the rest healthy carbs, you'll discover that you won't need more calories to feel satiated.

6. You will realize you've been gulping down a meal's worth of calories in the form of beverages. The plan didn't build in a caloric allotment for drinks other than skim milk. So I cut out juice, alcohol (OK, one night I drank two white wine spritzers) and soda. This was hard, because I am a juice fiend! I normally mix all manner of berry- and citrus-blend beverages with seltzer throughout the day. But I didn't miss it much on the diet, partially because I was eating plenty of whole fruit and getting my fix that way. I probably shaved off 200 calories a day on drinks alone.

7. You'll finally, finally recognize the importance of a healthy breakfast. Yes, you've heard it a gazillion times: it's the most important meal of the day. Well, this plan forced me to eat 400-calorie breakfasts with plenty of protein. The first few days it was hard because I'm normally not hungry in the a.m. But because I wasn't night-snacking, I was waking up with a healthy hunger. At work, I wasn't truly hungry until lunch because I'd had a filling breakfast, and so on and so on. The domino effect of a hearty morning meal could not be denied and accounted for a large part of the diet's success, in my opinion.

8. You won't have to worry you're not getting all your nutrients. If your plan is designed or co-created by a dietitian (they should have the letters 'R.D.' after their name), you're golden. Dietitians are programmed to build nutritionally balanced meal plans. They live for that moment when milligrams of this nutrient and that nutrient add up to the RDA and they can declare a diet "nutritionally sound!" You really couldn't do better yourself, so why try? I never ended a single day of my diet with the concern that I'd skimped on calcium sources or missed my fiber target. I felt confident that I was a walking, breathing advertisement for the Food Pyramid. Lose weight and get all your nutrients? It's a win-win (or rather a lose-win). You could say that I'm a meal plan convert now. Next up, The Best Life meal plans!

In the Kitchen with Sidra: Steam Things Up

If steaming brings to mind images of soggy overcooked vegetables or mushy fish, then it's time to brush up on your technique. This cooking method is super-healthy—most of the nutrients are retained during the process of steaming and you don't need to add extra fat or calories (from oil or butter, for instance). Not to mention, cleanup is a cinch. And, if you do it correctly, you end up with an ideal texture to your favorite foods.

To steam food, use a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Turn a smaller ovenproof bowl or pie tin upside down and place it inside the pot. Fill the pot with water so it nearly reaches the top of the upside down bowl or pie tin. Place an ovenproof plate on top of the bowl or pie tin, and cover the pot. Bring the water to a boil. Place your food on the plate and reduce the heat so the water is at a simmer. Leave covered (except when checking to see if your food is cooked) until cooking is complete. The best way to tell if a food is done is by touch, using either your finger or a sharp knife—food should be tender enough to eat but not mushy. Be sure to check your food often because it does cook quickly, and a matter of minutes can result in overcooked food.  Also make sure that there's water remaining in the steamer and the pot is not dry. And finally, remember the steam is hot, so be careful when removing the lid and the food. (Note: You could also buy a metal basket for steaming or use a bamboo steamer.)

Approximate Cooking Times for Steaming
Broccoli: 4 minutes
Carrots (sliced): 3 minutes
Green Beans: 4 minutes
Spinach: 2 minutes
Cauliflower: 4 minutes
Eggplant (sliced): 7 minutes
Leeks (sliced): 7 minutes
Salmon: 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness
Cod: 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness
Chicken Breast: 12 to 15, minutes depending on thickness

A great way to finish off food after steaming is with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs or lemon juice.

Snack Attack

The snack aisle is hardly the place for healthy shoppers to linger. If you load up your cart with the oh-so tempting boxes and bags of chips, pretzels, and cookies, you're just asking for trouble. Not only are these kind of snacks low in nutrients, they're also high in calories. These tips, from my ebook The Grocery Cart Makeover, will help you find ways to satisfy the munchies without ruining your diet.
 
Chips and pretzels
Sweet potato chips, packed with vitamins A and C, are a health cut above plain old (white) potato chips. And pretzels with at least some whole grain (100 percent whole grain pretzels are nearly impossible to find), offer more nutrients and a nuttier flavor than regular pretzels. Keep in mind, however, that you're not getting fewer calories in these snacks—just more nutrients—so have your chips or pretzels with a sandwich, veggie burger, or other healthy entrée, instead of straight from the bag to keep from overdoing it. Look for sweet potato chips and multi-grain pretzels with no more than about 150 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat (no trans fat) and 150 milligrams of sodium in a one-ounce serving.

Popcorn
Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a very smart snack depending on the type and amount of oil it's made with. Look for brands with no more than about 150 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat and no trans fat (or partially hydrogenated oil) per serving; check the label, as popcorn servings range from two to five cups. (Smart Balance Popcorn Light Butter and Smart 'n Healthy varieties bear the Best Life seal of approval.) Also, opt for ones that are lower in sugar and sodium.

Crackers
Whole-grain crackers run circles around their bland, white-flour counterparts. Not only are they higher in fiber, they're also crunchier and more flavorful. Look for 100 percent whole grain crackers with at least 3 grams of fiber, no more than about 130 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat (no trans fat) and 200 milligrams of sodium per one-ounce serving.  

Cookies
It's tough to find 100 percent whole-grain cookies, but they offer so much more than empty-calorie, sugar-filled cookies. Look for cookies with at least some whole grain, and no more than around 150 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat (no trans fat or partially hydrogenated oil) per one-ounce serving. Chocolate chip cookies can have up to 3 grams of saturated fat because the type of saturated fat in chocolate (stearic acid) doesn't raise cholesterol.

For more healthy-eating tips, join TheBestLife.com.

Frozen Assets

Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you'll have to wait months to eat the season's fruit again. Thanks to the technology of flash-freezing, you can buy excellent frozen versions of your favorite produce. Not only are frozen options more convenient than fresh—no spoiling!—but they can often be more nutritious. After all, 'fresh' produce just isn't all that fresh after being shipped across the country. Heat, light and time all destroy key nutrients. Flash-freezing, on the other hand, happens just after produce is picked, which locks in most vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Take a look at all the good-for-you nutrients these frozen picks offer.

Blueberries (unsweetened)
Calories per cup: 79
Frozen facts: They're an excellent source of fiber (four grams per cup), putting a dent in that 25-grams-per-day goal for women (38 for men). They're also a rich source of anthocyanadins, antioxidants linked to reducing blood clots and improving memory.

Blackberries (unsweetened)
Calories per cup: 97
Frozen facts: They contain an amazing eight grams of fiber per cup.

Peaches (unsweetened)
Calories per cup: 107
Frozen facts: They pack four grams of fiber, 443 milligrams of potassium, and a whopping 236 milligrams of vitamin C per cup.

Strawberries (unsweetened)
Calories per cup: 77
Frozen facts: A cup contains four grams of fiber and 91 milligrams (one and a half times the daily value) of vitamin C.

For more healthy-eating advice, check out TheBestLife.com.