Find a weight loss plan that works for you

Find a weight loss plan that works for you

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5 ways to burn calories during winter in Boise

Check out my new column on examiner.com! Check back there frequently for updates – there will be 3 to 4 new articles posted each week!

5 ways to burn calories during winter in Boise

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Easy Ways to Include More Whole Grains in Your Diet!

Throw out the white bread and white rice! Eating the entire grain provides the body with needed nutrients and fiber. You need at least three daily servings of whole grains, so here’s how to sneak them in.

• Substitute half of the white flour with whole wheat flour in recipes for baked goods.
• Replace one-third of the flour in a recipe with oats.
• Add a half-cup of bulgur, wild rice, or barley to bread stuffing.
• Add three-quarters of a cup of uncooked oats to each pound of ground meat for hamburgers or meatballs.
• Add some cooked wheat berries, rye berries, wild rice, or sorghum to soup (this gives it a hearty flavor and texture, too).
• Also look for whole-grain varieties of pasta, breads, and cereals.

Check out www.wholegrainscouncil.org for more tips!

TMK Recipe #10: Shrimp Fried Rice (Yes, it’s Healthy!)

I have avoided ordering any variation of fried rice for about 5 years now for two reasons. 1. I don’t know and don’t want to know what kind of oil/grease it typically gets fried in and, 2. The standard side order of fried rice has on average 500 calories and 18g of fat. I suspect that’s being a little on the conservative side, too. AHH! Not worth it to me (and hopefully it makes you stop and think twice about ordering it if you’re trying to lose weight or be health-conscious too).  Don’t get me wrong, I looooove me some fried rice and I grew up shoveling the stuff in my face. Good thing I know better now, and it’s a VERY GOOD thing I’ve stumbled across what I consider one of the best recipes I’ve ever known – Healthy Fried Rice! Here’s the deal – it tastes like the real thing, looks like the real thing, but doesn’t leave you with that bloated feeling you get afterwards, like you’re about to give birth to a mean food baby. UGH! It’s filling too, so a one-cup serving is plenty satisfying! I cooked up some shrimp in order to make this my one-and-only dish for the evening instead of just a side, so this also raised the protein quotient without raising the calories much. If you don’t like shrimp just leave it out. Either way you’ve GOT to try this tonight!

Veggie-rific!

Shrimp Fried Rice

Hungry Girl, adapted by Trainer Girl (that’s me!)

Ease-Factor Rating: 4. Okay so it’s not that this is difficult to prepare at all, but you have to consider the prep time. You’ll need to cook the brown rice ahead of time and this recipe also calls for it to be at refrigerator temperature when you’re ready to cook, so you’ll need to set aside time to put it in the fridge for an hour or two. You’ll also need to chop the green onions and mushrooms, grind the ginger if you use fresh (you can also use ground ginger in powdered form if you have it), and thaw the shrimp if frozen so you can peel them. It’s not hard work, it just takes a little prep. So put on some music and chop!

Ingredient Search: Simple if you know where to find veggies, the Asian aisle, brown rice and egg substitute! Most of which  should be staples in your home already…riiiight??? There were two kinds of fried rice seasoning – I went with the one that had less sodium. Also – when looking for the frozen diced carrots, try seeing if they’ve got the peas and carrot mix so you get two for the price of one. I couldn’t find diced carrots all by themselves, anyway.

Vitals: I know I mentioned how great this stuff tastes, now here’s a cherry to go on top of that news! These stats include the shrimp, so if you make it without shrimp the protein drops to 8.5 g, calories drop to 167, fat drops to 0.5 g, and carbs drop to 30g. All other stats are unafffected. Calories per serving (makes 5) = 263; Fat = 2.1 g; Sodium = 766 mg; Carbs = 30.8 g; Fiber = 4 g; Sugars = 4 g; Protein = 27.5 g

Taste: I risk sounding like a broken record but this recipe is FANTASTIC! I loved how close it tasted to the real deal! I didn’t even miss any of the restaurant flavor! I loved the hint of ginger and the fact that after eating this I wasn’t miserable like I used to be after eating Chinese take-out. Plus this baby’s loaded with veggies! The shrimp was a perfect addition but you could also try adding grilled chicken if you wish.

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen or fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, fridge temperature (this is 2 cups AFTER it’s cooked, not 2 cups uncooked rice – or else you’ll end up with 4 cups)
• 2 cups frozen diced carrots and peas
• 1 cup chopped bean sprouts (I didn’t chop mine, such a rebel, I know!)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters or any other variation)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions (I used green onions instead)
• One packet (about 1 oz.) fried rice seasoning mix (like the kind by Kikkoman or Sun Luck)
• 1 tbsp. light or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger (use slightly less if using fresh)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a small dish, combine seasoning mix, garlic powder, and ground ginger with soy sauce and 3 tbsp. warm water. Using a fork or whisk, stir until seasoning mix has dissolved. Set aside.

Cook your shrimp however you like them. For example – I used olive oil non-stick spray in a pan heated on medium heat and cooked each side until pink – about 2 minutes each side. (Pssst – I like to season mine with a tiny bit of garlic powder, too!) Remove from heat once cooked and set aside.

Spray a wok or very large pan with nonstick spray, and bring it to medium heat on the stove. Add egg substitute and scramble until cooked, using a spatula to break it up into bite-sized pieces. Remove scrambled bits from the wok or pan and set aside.

Add mushrooms and frozen vegetables to the wok or pan, and cook and stir until mushrooms have softened and all veggies are hot. Remove veggies and set aside with the egg-y bits.

Remove your wok or pan from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and bring to high heat on the stove. Add rice and seasoning mixture, and stir to combine. Add bean sprouts, scallions and the previously cooked veggies and scrambled eggs, and mix thoroughly to integrate. Cook and stir until entire mixture is hot, there is no liquid left in the pan, and rice is just beginning to crisp. Add shrimp at the very end, just to warm them up. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scoop into bowls and serve!

Let me know if you think this is yummy as I did!

TMK Recipe #9: Stone Fence (aka: Spiked Cider)

In honor of the holidays and the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebrating that’s upon us, I wanted to get this post up this week. I made this “specialty drink” at our family Christmas party a couple weeks ago and according to most everyone there (with a couple exceptions – the kids and a breast-feeding individual did not partake…and I’m proud of their morals), it was deceptively delicious! Deceptive mostly because you expect the normal spiked cider flavor and you get – well – nothing like it actually. It’s the apple brandy and hint of bitters that sets this drink apart from all others like it. So ENJOY and know that it’s FAR more healthy than those white russians or spiked egg nog you were planning on stepping into the New Year with!

Happy New Year!

Stone Fence Cider Drink

Cooking Light 2008

Ease-Factor Rating: 1. Seriously, you bust out some ice, pour some liquids together, slice an apple and call it a day with this one. ‘Nuff said!

Ingredient Search: I did have a somewhat odd visit to the liquor store (what liquor store isn’t packed with strange-behaving people?)  in search of Calvados (didn’t have it) and Angostura bitters (they only had orange bitters). I was informed that another store in the valley had both items I was looking for but after weighing the idea of crossing town in the hectic holiday bustle I opted for a bottle of Applejack (brandy) instead and I went with the orange bitters they had stashed behind the counter. I didn’t read the recipe thoroughly to realize that my decision wasn’t a bad one – you can use the applejack or even plain brandy if you can’t find Calvados.

Vitals: Calories per serving (makes 8 ) = 147; Fat = 0.1g; Protein = 0.4g; Carb = 24.7g; Fiber = 0.1g; Chol = 0mg; Iron = 0.4mg; Sodium = 3mg

Taste: Wellllll…it’s DELECTABLE, of course! The orange bitters proved to be a nice touch (apple and cinnamon mixed with a hint of orange = rockin!). But drinkers beware: This is one of those drinks that could be deceptively dangerous, too. You don’t notice the liquor so much when you’re drinking it but be sure to savor it because it WILL sneak up on you, guaranteed! That’s the brandy talking, my friends. I loved the decorative touch of the apple slice and cinnamon stick (is it just me that wants to eat the cinnamon stick and is a little let down every time I realize it’s not entirely edible?). My and my family’s verdict = Bottoms up!

Ingredients:

• 3  cups  apple cider
• 3/4  cup  Calvados (apple brandy)
• 1/8  teaspoon  Angostura bitters
• 1  (25.4-ounce) bottle sparkling apple juice
• Ice
• 8  slices unpeeled Rome apple (optional)
• 8  (3-inch) cinnamon sticks (optional)

Prepare:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a pitcher. Serve over ice. Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks, if desired. DRINK IT!

And please: Have a safe, happy, and HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!