Thinkin' Mediteranean

This week is my final week of blogging! I am getting myself ready to embark on an incredible experience where I am going to be visiting Poland and Israel, spending a week in each country.  I am going to be exploring the concentration camps where the Nazis tormented the Jews, and also touring the Jewish homeland.  I am extremely excited for this life-changing trip.  In order to prepare myself for this trip, I thought it would be necessary to add a recipe from this region of the world.  Today I chose to make Low-Fat Falafel.  Falafel is a Mediterranean classic: fried chickpeas generally served in a pita with Israeli salad and other vegetables and sauces.  The recipe I used today bakes the chickpea mixture instead of frying.  This eliminates a large amount of the oils found in the fried recipe.  I used garbanzo beans, garlic, onion, egg whites, cilantro, cumin, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce.  With only 102 calories per serving, this is a healthy and delicious Israeli treat!

Because I am going to be traveling in the next week, I chose to research food from around the world.  I found that food found across the world originated based on the crops, resources, and religions found in those areas.  Not only do the types and flavors of food differ around the world, but the way of eating is also unique.  For example, in places such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Korea, rice and soup (their common foods) are eaten with chopsticks.  While I am abroad, I will make sure to take careful note of how and what people are eating.

RANDOM FACT: Carrots were first grown as a medicine, not a food

TGIF

As the week comes to a close, I have finally finished putting together my recipe book, except for the recipes I plan on completing next week.  My recipe book has three sections: appetizers or sides, main dishes, and of course, desserts.  I am so excited to be able to have this recipe book with me next year as I go to college, in order to help me make healthier decisions.  This book proves that all good-tasting foods don't have to be high in fat or calories.

This week has been a difficult week to cook because it is Passover.  Passover is a Jewish holiday that forbids Jews (me) from eating bread products.  Because of this, I found it too hard to create a recipe that will be enjoyed by everyone throughout the entire year.  Next week, I am going to complete more recipes of my favorite fattening foods that have somehow been left out of my current recipes.

Keep posted for more recipes next week!

What Am I Missing?

As my WISE experience is rapidly approaching a close, I decided to take a day to reflect on the foods I have cooked thus far.  After looking through all the recipes, I noticed that several of my favorite unhealthy foods were not in the cookbook with a healthy alternative!  So, in the next week that I have to complete my cookbook before I leave for the March of the Living, I am going to create healthier recipes to my favorite fattening foods that I seem to have left out.  These include: Israeli food (FALAFEL), chicken parmesan, cake, and the classic American hamburger.

Not only have I been creating recipes based on my own opinions, but I have also been consulting my friends, family, and classmates.  This ensures that I cover all types of foods, even the ones I never thought I would like.  After my recipe book is completed I plan to give a copy to those who view my final presentation as well as my friends and family that have helped me with ideas for my project.

Tomorrow, I am going to continue working on my final presentation as well as exercising and researching about the long-run benefits that exercise and nutrition has on the body.

The Final Stretch

Today was a relatively slow day for me.  I decided that since this is a particularly busy week for me because of packing, celebrating passover, and finishing up my school work.  A week from tomorrow I am going to be headed to Poland and Israel for two weeks. I am going on a program called The March of the Living, where we tour the concentration camps set up by the Nazis during the Holocaust.  I am extremely excited about this trip, but it requires a lot of preparation with making up school work and packing.  However, I am not letting this trip completely interfere with my WISE project.  This week, I have made significant moves in my final presentation.

Usually, after third period every day I leave school to go to the gym and workout as well as try out new healthy recipes.  However, today I stayed at school and viewed Coach Love's model WISE presentation.  It helped me to see exactly what a presentation should look like and started giving me ideas for what I am going to do.  Now, I am more excited than ever to begin my final stretch of my WISE experience.  Yesterday, I began compiling the recipes I have tested out.  All recipes are healthier alternatives to fattening  foods.  I am proud to say I currently have about 40 new recipes!  In the coming days of the week, I am going to begin finalizing the book and hopefully making several copies.

Chocoholic

I am writing relatively early today because I have my regional playoff game for lacrosse this afternoon!  We won districts against our rivals, Western High School.  With a score of 9 to 6, we beat them for the first time all season.  So, today, we are playing Coral Shores High School to determine which team moves on to states.  Wish us luck!

So, today I baked my third and final meal of the week.  I chose a light and decadent dessert that everyone loves: chocolate mousse.  Usually, chocolate mousse has about 361 calories plus however many calories are in the whipped cream and chocolate used to garnish the mousse!  However, this recipe has a mere 147 calories and an additional optional 15 for whipped cream.  For this recipe I used semisweet chocolate chips, reduced-fat extra-firm tofu, salt, egg whites, sugar, and water.  Besides letting it chill for 4 hours, it was relatively easy and fast to make.  This dessert is great for anything!

Over the weekend, I am going to continue planning my final WISE presentation.  I plan on doing an interactive presentation and allowing my audience to taste one of the recipes I have made.  Keep posted!


RANDOM FACT: The Swiss consume the most chocolate.  Then the English!

PASTA PASTA PASTA

Pasta is one of my absolute favorite foods to eat!  However, many of the traditional pasta dishes contain an overwhelming amount of calories and fat, stopping me from enjoying it.  After reading articles, watching informative shows, and searching the grocery store, I have found the perfect substitute for pasta: tofu noodles!  I know it sounds anything but appetizing; however, it tastes EXACTLY like regular noodles, and has only 20 calories per serving!!  This is a healthy and delicious way to enjoy pasta.  For my recipe today, I made my entire family pesto pasta.  For the pesto sauce, I used basil, fat-free ricotta cheese, reduced-fat Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.  This recipe has only 177 calories whereas the average pesto pasta has 564 calories!  This is definitely a much better option.

As I do every day, I researched more today.  I learned the importance of snacking throughout the day.  By eating pre-planned snacks throughout the day, you lessen your chances of eating poorly for the rest of the day.  Snacks help keep you energized and not hungry.  Contrary to what many people think, healthy snacking throughout the day will not be a component of weight gain.

RANDOM FACT: There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide!

Nothing Fishy About This Recipe...

After a relaxing weekend, today I was ready to get back to work.  I began my week with my side dish.  I chose to make a coconut shrimp recipe.  This was different for me because in general, I do not eat shrimp.  However, after much research, I decided that because I do not have any seafood recipes, I should try a mild one: coconut shrimp.  This recipe was much easier and tastier than I had expected.  For the crunchy outsides, I used Fiber One bran cereal, breadcrumbs, and shredded sweetened coconut.  I also used chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and egg whites.  This recipe has only 164 calories for 5 large shrimp. Usually, 5 coconut shrimp would have about 400 calories!  Not only does this recipe have minimal calories, but it also used minimal time to make. I recommend this recipe to all my followers.

In addition to cooking today, I chose to research about food labels placed on foods.  These labels give vital information about daily food consumption.  It indicates how many calories, fat, protein, sugar, fiber, and various nutrients and vitamins are in a specific food.  Since I have become more health-conscious, I am more aware of the labels of the foods I eat.  It lets me know exactly how healthy a product is, and how much of it I should eat.  One of the most common misconceptions that leads to overeating is not being aware of serving size.

RANDOM FACT: The first soup ever made was from hippopotamus and dates back to 6000 B.C.!

Just Peachy!

Today was my last day of cooking for the week, and no surprises, it went well!  I baked the dessert recipe of the week which I chose to be peach cobbler.  This sweet, fruity dessert satisfies all of my cravings!  It was extremely easy to make, too.  I used splenda, brown sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and of course, peaches.  For the crust, I used Fiber One oat bran cereal, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, soymilk, light whipped butter, and sugar-free maple syrup.  This recipe only has 212 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.  Compare that to the average peach cobbler that has 503 calories and 19 grams of fat!!  This is clearly a much better option.

Being active and exercising daily is an important component to losing weight and staying healthy.  Along with the recipe book I have been actively putting together, I have also been exercising and researching the benefits.  I have learned that by engaging in physical activity, you strengthen your immune system as well as promote better moods, and better sleeping habits.  Each day, I do about 30-45 minutes of cardio and about 20 minutes of weights and ab exercises.  Since I have begun my exercise routine, I have noticed a significant difference in the way I feel every day!

Over the weekend, I am playing in the first playoff game of my lacrosse season.  You can be sure that in this game I will be running A LOT!  So, I am going to continue exercising and researching new recipes.  Stay posted for next week!

RANDOM FACT: Exercise produces a relaxation response that serves as a positive distraction, so get moving and release your stress!

Say Cheese!

As usual, today proved to be another successful day for my WISE project.  After school, I made my daily visit to the local gym where I did cardio as well as weights and different abdominal exercises.  After completing my workout I came home where I continued searching for a recipe to make.  I decided to make a healthier and much less fattening version of an Italian classic: Baked Ziti.  Since I was extremely young, this cheesy pasta dish has always been my favorite, but not my body's favorite.  However, now it is!!  For this recipe, I used whole-wheat pasta, onions, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, basil, and tomatoes.  For the cheese, I used fat-free ricotta cheese, part-skim mozzarella cheese, and reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated cheese.  In the average baked ziti, there are about 872 calories and 44 grams of fat.  In this recipe, there are only 286 calories and 7 grams of fat! One of the main ways we were able to cut out a lot of the fat and calories by using healthier alternatives of cheeses.

In addition to cooking today, I also completed research on the importance of vitamins.  Although I previously knew that vitamins were good for you and help strengthen your immune system, I didn't know the specific details about them.  I learned that the body needs a minimum amount of vitamins and minerals each day to remain healthy and function properly.  A lack of these important substances can cause serious disorders.  The best way to obtain all of your necessary vitamins and minerals is to eat a well balanced diet, and not to deprive yourself of any food group.

RANDOM FACT: Snacks are a great way to refuel.  Choose snacks from different food groups.  If you eat smart at other meals, it is okay to splurge once in a while on a snack.

Roll Out the Calories

After a long week of midterm exams, I am refreshed and ready to begin cooking again.  I have just begun my very last quarter as a high school student, and can't believe how fast this year has gone by!  Since it is fourth quarter, that means my final project for WISE is extremely close.  So far, I have about 25 recipes for my book, and I plan to add more by the end.  Because my final presentation is approaching quickly, I have begun to think of how exactly I want my presentation to be conducted.  My thoughts now are that I will include a cooking demonstration as well as a detailed look at the cookbook my audience will receive.  These are just a few ideas which I will embellish before the day of my presentation.

Today, I chose to make a healthy and delicious appetizer.  I made shrimp egg rolls.  This Chinese classic has always been a "don't-touch" when thinking about this type of food.  However, now, it is a "must-have!"  With very simple ingredients that include egg roll wrappers, coleslaw mix, shrimp, different vegetables, garlic, salt, and pepper, this recipe was extremely easy to put together.  Compared to the average egg roll that has about 330 calories for two egg rolls, these have only 189 calories for two!  With a significant difference in the amount of calories between the two, it is evident that we have successfully rolled out the calories in this new recipe.

For this coming week I am going to continue exercising daily, researching, as well as cooking.  Stay posted for more recipes!

RANDOM FACT: Freezing is the best form of food storage because frozen food loses several times less vitamins A, C and B group than during keeping fruit and vegetables when another storing method has been chosen.

A Sweet Ending

To end a long and hard week of school, I decided to make a delicious dessert recipe.  I chose to make a low calorie vanilla cupcake with rasberry frosting.  This cupcake contains a mere 79.6 calories, whereas the typical cupcake has 179!  Thats 100 calories less.  This recipe uses egg whites, salt, honey, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt, whole wheat flour, baking powder, low-fat cream cheese, and fresh rasberries.  This cupcake is the perfect ending to any meal, especially a party or game-day meal.  They are extremely easy to eat when on the go because they are small and simple to eat and make.  I recommend this recipe to everyone!

After researching for several weeks, I have learned that greek yogurt is a healthy ingredient to incorporate into cooking.  It is extremely low in calories, and extremely high in protein.  I am going to continue looking for recipes in that I can use greek yogurt to lower the calories and increase the nutrients and protein.

This weekend I am going to research and relax.  It has been a very busy week, and next week I will continue cooking new recipes to add to my final cookbook!

RANDOM FACT: Eighteen ounces of an average Cola drink contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Nacho Average Meal

Today was another very busy day for me!  I have been studying for my midterms coming up this week as well as cooking more recipes for my final healthy alternatives cookbook.  Today, I chose to make healthy nachos.  I am still going with the theme of game-day food and finger foods.  These nachos had all the same taste as the fatty and oily nachos you can find at any game or restaurant.  This recipe called for baked tortilla chips, veggie chili, salsa, soymilk, fat-free cheddar cheese, The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, fat-free cream cheese, and fat-free sour cream.  Within 20 minutes I was done! Quick, easy, and healthy.  What could be better?  This recipe has about 216 calories, compared to the 440 calories found in the average order of nachos.  I was very pleased with the outcome of this recipe!

As part of my WISE project, I have vowed to make my lifestyle healthy, not only by eating, but also by exercising, and researching the benefits of different foods.  So far, I have been very consistent with running or going to the gym to keep my body healthy.  Today, I had my trainer and learned new ways to use weights to tone different parts of my body.  I loved it!

As for now, I am going to go continue studying for my midterms coming up this week.

RANDOM FACT: On the average, each American Consumes 117 pounds of potatoes, 116 pounds of beef, 100 pounds of fresh vegetables, 80 pounds of fresh fruit, and 286 eggs per year.

Layer Off The Calories!

This week I am creating a variety of foods that are perfect for game days.  They are all finger foods, and can be enjoyed by many people.  Today, I decided to start with the traditional mexican eight-layer dip.  When I found this recipe online, I knew that it was perfect because usually it is layered with calories and fat, but not this one.  For this recipe, I used lettuce, fat-free sour cream, heated black beans, butternut squash cubes, tomatoes, onion, red pepper, veggie shreds, taco seasoning, and lime juice.  For the meat component of this dish, I used a BOCA burger to keep the calories from building up.  For one cup of this dip, there are only 100 calories! It's a great and easy way to start a party. 

This week I have been researching various components of the food pyramid.  The recently updated food pyramid incorporates all food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat and beans.  This pyramid ensures that by eating the correct amount of servings, you will have a healthy and balanced diet.  Not only does this pyramid discuss the appropriate amount of servings one should consume, but it also depicts a ladder running up the side.  This symbolizes the importance of daily exercise, for at least 30 minutes per day. 

Today, I turned in my WISE midterm video, so hopefully it went well!  For the rest of midterm week I am going to continue making recipes that can be considered "finger foods" and great for company or game day!

RANDOM FACT: Apples are more efficient than coffee at keeping people awake in the morning.

Busy Busy Busy...

To wrap up my busy week of cooking, I decided to end with a sweet treat!  Using regular oats, I made oatmeal raisin cookies.  Among all kinds of cookies, these have long been my favorite, minus the heavy calories, of course.  But, the cookies I made today have less than half the amount of calories and fat that the regular ones have.  I used regular oats, whole-wheat flour, raisins, brown sugar, Splenda, light whipped butter, applesauce, egg whites, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  With these ingredients there is a mere 125 calories in one LARGE cookie!  Compare that to the average 296 calories!  These cookies tasted amazing.  When I distributed them to my family, I had some requests to make the cookies without the raisins.  So, next time I will make a batch of half and half: half with raisins and half without.

Not only have I been deliberately working on my recipes and research, but I have also been busy working on my WISE midterm.  For the class, we are required to make a 2.5 minute video that gives an overview of my project.  I don't make movies on the computer often so this has been relatively challenging for me.  I have been actively trying to figure out the details of how to use the movie maker program.  However, after working on it for hours, I think I finally got the hang of how it works.  Hopefully the final project turns out well! 

For now, I am going to continue working on my video so I can have it ready on time.  This weekend I am going to continue brainstorming recipes, specifically finger foods!  Stay posted to see what I come up with!

RANDOM FACT: I bet you didn't know that the world's oldest recipe is for beer!

Nuts About Healthy Eating

Today has been another successful day of my WISE experience!  Going along with my current week's theme of nuts and grains, I decided to make a loaf of banana-nut bread.  Banana bread is a quick bread whose main ingredient is mashed bananas.  This tasty treat did not become popular until around the 1930s, the same time that housewives accepted baking powder as a fast leavening ingredient for quick breads.  Banana nut bread is especially popular among the people of Australia.  Because I have always loved the taste (not the loads of fat) of banana nut bread, I decided to bake a healthier version that I found through my research.  This recipe has only 140 calories and 5 grams of fat, whereas the original banana nut bread has 430 calories and 16 grams of fat!  I used whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, sugar, canola oil, egg whites, bananas, skim milk, vanilla extract, and walnuts.  If you prefer pecans, those have relatively the same nutritional information as the walnuts.  After about an hour and a half, I was ready to eat this bread.  Not only is this version much healthier and diet-friendly, but it is also much tastier!

I wanted to make a banana bread that had nuts in it because nuts, when consumed in the right quantities, have many nutritional benefits.  They have an excellent source of protein, minerals, and good fats that have been proven to help strengthen the heart.  By eating 1.5 ounces per day of nuts, one can reduce the risk of heart disease.  According to my research, the six healthiest nuts include: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, and Macadamia nuts.  Of all that were listed, cashews contain the least amount of fat.  By eating a variety of nuts, one can receive all of the benefits that nuts have to offer.  After researching for hours about the benefits of nuts, I realized that this high-calorie snack has many benefits, and by eating the right amount, it won't hinder my weight loss.

RANDOM FACT: Surprisingly, a peanut is not actually a nut.  It is a legume!

Back on Track

It has been quite a while since the last time I blogged! But, I am now back from spring break and had an amazing time.  I started off my break on a cruise with my 6 best friends.  We went to the Bahamas and the boat's private island.  Even though it was only a 3 day cruise, we had so much fun!  After we got off of the ship, I drove up to Jupiter, where my grandparents live.  My entire family from my mom's side flew down and we all celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday together.  I enjoyed relaxing and being with my friends and family.  Even though it was spring break, I continued to exercise and eat healthy (for the most part).  But now, it's time to get back on track and continue thinking up new recipes to add to my final recipe book. 

This week, I decided to ease into the cooking again by making a healthy snack that can be eaten at any time throughout the day! One of my favorite foods to eat on the go or mix with yogurt for breakfast is granola; however, the store-bought granola is often high in calories and fat.  So, I did my research and found the perfect recipe that is less than 1/4th of the calories.  For this recipe, I needed old-fashioned oats, puffed rice cereal, puffed wheat cereal, sugar-free pancake syrup, and bite-sized freeze-dried apples.  After baking the mixture in the oven for about 30 minutes, I let it cool, and finally I was able to eat it.  It was one of the best granola's I have ever had.  The only thing I would do differently next time is add a dash of cinnamon.  Other than that, it was delicious!  This recipe has a mere 165 calories and 1 gram of fat for 1 cup, whereas regular granola has over 518 calories and 27 grams of fat in 1 cup.

This week I am going to explore different grains and nuts.  Stay posted to find out about my weekly research and two more new and exciting recipes!

RANDOM FACT: Many people think that eating late at night is what packs on the pounds...it doesnt! In fact, it is consuming too many calories during the day that will hinder your weight loss.  So just make sure that the amount of calories you consume is less than the amount you burn.

Cleaned Up American Classic

Spring break is finally here and I am going to be spending it on a cruise with 6 of my best friends! But, before I leave I had to cook my third and final recipe of the week.  I made an American classic dessert - apple pie.  This recreation of the normally fattening dessert is so delicious and even more convenient! They are pie-lets, making portion size much easier to control, and much easier to eat.  For this recipe I used Splenda, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, apples, and fat-free butter spray.  Also, for my crust, I used large square egg roll wrappers.  These are great because they are extremely low in calories and fat and taste just as good as pie crust!  This turned out to be my favorite dessert that I have made thus far in my WISE journey! It has only 103 calories in each pie!  Compare that to the average apple pie with 250 calories.  I recommend this recipe to everyone!

Reflecting on the week, I would say that it has been a successful week of tasting cultures around the world.  From the Mexican guacamole, to the Chinese sesame chicken, and ending up right at home with the American apple pie, everything tasted delicious! Also, the research that I have found will help me gain better insight and give me more motivation for making this cookbook the best and most useful it can be. 

As for now, I am going to go pack for my cruise!  In the next week although it is spring break, I am going to continue thinking of new recipes and of course my exercise and healthy eating will continue as well.  I will write more when I return from vacation!

RANDOM FACT: Whenever you can, order a children's meal at a restaurant to help you with portion control!

Too Chicken To Try It?

Today I cooked a Chinese-inspired dish: sesame chicken.  Every time I eat at a Chinese restaurant, I always order this for my dinner.  Little did I know this chicken dish has an average of 393 calories per serving!  The recipe that I cooked has only 288.  It cuts out more than 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.  In order to make this chicken, I used a boneless, skinless, lean chicken breast, salt and pepper, egg whites, whole-wheat flour, chicken broth, corn starch, syrup, vinegar, ketchup, sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce.  This dish was relatively easy to put together, although it took me a few minutes to get the hang of it.  Once it was finished and I was able to try it, I was shocked at how good and authentic it tasted! The sesame chicken was definitely a success!

Along with cooking this week, I have also begun new research for my own knowledge.  Because my project deals with eating healthy and losing weight, I thought it would be interesting for me to research different eating disorders.  Many people feel that in order to lose weight they have to starve themselves, work out excessively, or regurgitate the food that they consume.  These describe the two major and most-common eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulemia nervosa.  Eating disorders disrupt normal body functions and daily activities.  According to my research, the main causes of eating disorders are as follows: culture, personal characteristics, emotional disorders, stressful events or life changes, biology, and family.  These disorders are serious and should be treated by professionals. 

The goal of my project is to provide healthy alternatives to foods that are generally restricted on a diet.  It is also to allow people to enjoy food that they wouldn't normally consider so that they don't have to resort to the horrors of eating disorders. 

RANDOM FACT: Add spices to your food to keep it flavorful and to keep you satisfied!

Tastes of the World

Another weekend has come and gone so quickly, and it is time to get started again with my cooking.  For this week, I have chosen to create specific dishes that represent different regions of the world.  For my appetizer, I looked to Mexico for a Hispanic dip: guacamole.  For my main dish, I am going to cook a healthy sesame chicken, an indigenous food to China.  And finally, for dessert I am going to stay right at home and bake a classic apple pie.  I chose to try recipes from different parts of the world because it increases the variety of the foods in my cookbook.  I also enjoy traveling, and while I am home and in school, this is the closest thing to traveling I am going to do. 

Today I started out with the guacamole and chips.  This recipe was extremely simple, and is a much healthier alternative to any other guac and chips that you will find.  The average serving contains about 350 calories and 21 grams of fat.  This recipe, however, has only 160 calories and 4 grams of fat.  For the dip, I used corn, peas, avocado, fat-free Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper, tomatoes, cumin, chili pepper, and onion.  And for the chips I used corn tortillas and salt.  Although the recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, it is extremely simple to make.  This Mexican dip proved to be a real hit!

For the rest of the week I am going to continue cooking tastes from around the world.  I am also going to continue exercise as well as research more on weight loss.  Stay posted to see the sesame chicken dish!

RANDOM FACT: Before eating, consider whether or not you are truly hungry.

All You Need Is Lava...

After watching the Food Network Channel everyday, I finally found a recipe that I had to make healthier: chocolate lava cake!  Although this hot and gooey cake tastes incredible when you order it at a restaurant, it tastes even better at home.  This is because it has about one-fourth of the calories, and all the taste.  For this recipe, I used moist-style cake mix, diet hot chocolate mix, egg whites, semi-sweet chocolate chips, Splenda, salt, fat-free chocolate pudding, fat-free creamer, and light whipped butter.  The recipe made four individual lava cakes, each containing only 182 calories and 4.5 grams of fat! Compare that to the average lava cake that has 437 calories and 23 grams of fat.  Luckily, now eating this cake doesn't mean sacrificing your diet. 

As part of my research this week, I interviewed one of my closes friends, Karli.  I chose to interview her because recently she has lost several pounds simply by dieting and exercising.  She cooks dinner most nights with her parents, and through her weight loss journey has learned important tips for cooking healthy meals and ordering slimming dishes from restaurants.  As Karli shows by her daily eating habits, losing weight does not mean eating less.  Karli consumes about 240 calories every three hours to keep her metabolism working at a rapid pace, and to keep her from getting too hungry throughout the day.  She also emphasizes her belief that everything is okay to eat as long as you do so in moderation.  The major foods among teens that Karli feels are directly related to weight gain are alcohol and fast foods.  Karli was able to give me a perspective on losing weight from someone my own age, giving me more direction when researching weight loss and chosing what foods to cook.

This weekend I am going to continue cooking and researching as always.  I also plan on continuing my workout routine of running and going to the gym.  But for now, I am going to go enjoy my hot and gooey chocolate lava cake!

RANDOM FACT: When using various spreads, such as honey, it is best to use a runny spread so you will be able to spread it more thinly, and therefore keep your calories to a minimum.

I Want A Pizza That!

Who doesn't like pizza?! Ever since I was very little, pizza has always been a personal favorite.  Whether it be thin crust or thick crust, plain, or loaded with toppings, it always brings me happiness when I eat it.  Before today, I had never made my own homemade pizza.  However, now that I have, I'm never going back!  My favorite kind of pizza has always been the California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza.  So, for my pizza recipe today, I decided to recreate a healthy version of this delicious meal.  I used light string cheese, boneless lean chicken breast, barbeque sauce, a high-fiber whole wheat pita, red onion, and cilantro.  Compared to the 1,136 calories found in CPK's pizza, this one only has 340!  With less than half of the calories of the original, this recipe has more than double the taste!  You can be sure that I am going to be cooking this recipe often.

Pizza, along with other fast food chains across America have been causing more weight gain and increased risk of developing insuline resistance.  The consumption of these greasy foods has increased dramatically in our country over the past thirty years.  Often, a single meal from one of these restaurants contains enough calories and fat to satisfy a person's daily caloric needs.  By eating this food daily, one puts themselves at risk for different diseases including diabetes and heart problems.  Part of my reasoning for completing this cookbook and researching about healthy lifestlyes is to educate others on the importance of eating healthy and exercising daily.  By teaching others, maybe eventually the rate of obesity in our country will decline.

With two recipes down and one left to go for the week, I am planning on baking a diet-friendly chocolate lava cake at some point this week.  Stay posted to see how it turns out!

RANDOM FACT: 2/3 of Americans are overweight.  Keep your portion sizes small, and ask that all high-fat sauces and condiments be "on the side" and use them sparingly!

Going the Distance

Today has been the perfect day to end my weekend! It consisted of much more than just trying out my new appetizer recipe: mozzarella sticks.  Early this morning, I participated in an early morning 5K run.  The run was held about 20 minutes away in support of the Joe Dimmagio's Children's Hospital, and I did it with my friend Jen Schneider.  Although this was not the first 5K I have run, it was the first where I had run the entire thing without stopping.  It was a good indicator that all of my daily exercise and healthy eating is really helping my body become healthier and more in shape.  Even though my final product of my WISE project is a cookbook with healthier alternatives to fattening foods, I am also learning about being healthy in general.  In order to accomplish that, I must exercise daily and eat right. 

After my run, I decided to test out my first recipe of the week.  Because this week's main challenge is to create a healthy pizza recipe, I decided that the appetizer of the week should also have the Italian flavor.  I cooked healthy mozzarella sticks.  I never thought that mozzarella sticks would ever be deemed acceptable to eat while on a diet...but now they are!  This recipe yields 4 crispy, cheesy sticks, all for only 155 calories.  Compare that to the average mozzarella sticks, where 4 sticks would be 440 calories.  For this faux-fried recipe, I used low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, Fiber One bran cereal, egg whites, and Italian seasoning.  It was so easy to make, and they tasted exactly the same.  You would never know they are less than half the calories of the regular ones!

Tomorrow I am going to cook the main dish of the week: pizza.  As for now, I am going to rest because it has been a long day!

RANDOM FACT: When trying to lose weight, don't rely just on healthy eating.  Incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine.

Skinny Buns

Today was my final day of cooking for the week! As my resolution to make only breakfast foods this week, I decided to make my sweet ending to a big breakfast.  I made diet-friendly sticky buns.  These warm and cinnamon-flavored treats have been a favorite of mine since I was young.  Every Saturday morning, I used to wake up to the smell of them coming from the kitchen.  However, once I started watching my weight, I knew these breakfast desserts were off limits-- not anymore!  For this recipe I used dry yeast, water, fat-free milk, 1 egg, unsalted butter, cinnamon, salt, and raisins.  The recipe makes 8 sticky buns, each with 200 calories.  Although that sounds like a lot, it is significantly less than the average sticky bun with 314 calories.

This week has proved many different things to me.  It has showed me that every recipe doesn't turn out just the way you planned.  Whether it be the muffins sticking to the baking cups, or the glaze for the sticky buns being too strong, you learn from your mistakes and perfect them the next time you make it.

I also met with my mentor today.  We discussed plans for next week and decided that I am going to try to discover a good, healthy pizza recipe for my main dish next week.  Stay posted to see how it turns out!
As for now, I am going to continue thinking of new recipes and researching different aspects of food and dieting.  I am continuing to exercise everyday and eat healthy.

RANDOM FACT: It’s easy to shed1lb in a week simply by reducing your calorie intake by 500 calories a day!

Fit Toast

Today was another very long day of cooking! I decided to make a healthy baked apple-cinnamon French toast casserole.  Usually I would stay far away from any type of french toast because it is extremely unhealthy and totally NOT diet friendly.  However, this recipe only has 183 calories per serving and 1 gram of fat.  Compare that to 534 calories and 21 grams of fat!  It was extremely simple to make.  I used nonfat milk, egg whites, whole wheat bread, honey, vanilla extract, salt, dried apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  The only problem with this recipe is that you have to let the mixture sit for anywhere between 8 to 24 hours.  The active cooking time, however, was only about 20 minutes total.  Despite the 8 hour waiting time while the mixture sits in the refrigerator, I would most definitely make this recipe again - it was so good!

As part of my WISE project I am continuing to research different aspects of healthy eating and dieting.  This week, we were required to research something about the history of our topics.  So, I found how food, and our daily diets, have changed over the last century.  Obviously, farming has changed drastically as we now have faster and more productive ways to produce food.  Also, we have begun adding food preservatives to a lot of our processed foods.  Although it allows for a more efficient way of producing food, the natural homegrown foods that humans ate 100 years ago are much healthier for our bodies.  Also, the method of cooking food has changed a significant amount.  Years ago the women were responsible for staying at home preparing the food all day; however, with the faster pace of society and less women staying home to cook, faster cooking methods, such as frying, have become more popular.  This is unfortunate because these faster cooking methods result in people consuming unhealthy food, and therefore gaining weight.

RANDOM FACT: Don't let the food labels that claim to be fat-free fool you! If a product says it is 90% fat free, this means it still contains 10% fat or 10g of fat per 100 g...that's a lot!

The Best Way to Start the Day

After a long weekend of research and brainstorming, I have begun yet another week of healthy cooking and eating.  My mentor, Mrs. Patterson, suggested I devote an entire week to various breakfast foods.  To start the week, I decided to bake blueberry muffins.  These muffins are the perfect addition to any breakfast.  Compared to the average blueberry muffin that has about 394 calories and 18 grams of fat, these low-fat sides have just 96 calories and 2 grams of fat!  The recipe consists of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, fat-free milk, unsalted butter, and one egg.  The recipe was incredibly easy to make; however, instead of using paper muffin liners, I think next time it will be better to just spray the muffin tins with nonstick spray, and not use as many blueberries as I did today.  Although the muffins didn't turn out the way I had expected, I learned from my mistakes and hopefully in the future will be able to perfect them!

After brainstorming all of my new breakfast recipes, I thought it would be a good idea to research the importance of eating breakfast every morning.  After reading many different articles, it is evident that those who eat a healthy breakfast are less likely to sucummb to unhealthy cravings throughout the day, and are more likely to make healthier food choices for the remainder of the day.  Also, it has been proven that those who eat breakfast are able to focus more, feeling less fatigued and tired.  A typical breakfast should include protein as well as fiber.  Although many people believe that skipping meals, especially breakfast, will lead to weight loss, it has been proven that consuming more food and eating more often to refuel the body will be the true cause of weight loss.

RANDOM FACT: When eating meat, choose lean cuts and trim off any visible fat before cooking.  Also, use cooking methods that don't require extra fat to be added, such as grilling.  This will keep your fat intake low, while allowing you to still have the nutrients found in red meat!

Easy, Breezy, Cheesecake

Finally another week of successful cooking has ended.  Today I experimented with the third and final "B" of healthy cooking.  I baked an extremely famous and popular American dessert: cheesecake.  Usually, when on a diet, cheesecake is a major "no-no".  However, with the recipe I tried today, there is no shame in eating the delicious berry cheesecake.  Instead of making one large cake, I chose to make individual cheesecakes in order to practice portion control and demonstrate serving size.  In order to make these desserts, I used reduced-fat vanilla wafers, fat-free cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, egg whites, and fresh strawberries.  These mini desserts only have about 101 calories.  Compare that the 185 calories in a regular individual cheesecake!  This has been one of the most successful recipes I have made thus far!

Today was also important because I met with my mentor.  We discussed the multiple recipes I have created, and brainstormed ideas for recipes to create in the future.  She gave me the challenge to create all breakfast foods next week.  This should be relatively easy for me since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! 

As for now, I am continuing to exercise and eat healthy.  I also am going to continue researching and brainstorming for new recipes in the future!

RANDOM FACT: When eating carbs, go for the high-fiber carbs such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, and wholewheat pasta.  They contain more fiber and whill help fill you up!

Broil Down to the Basics

Today was yet another great day of cooking.  Although it took me many hours to try and find a healthy recipe that incorporated the second healthy b of cooking, broiling, I finally found the perfect recipe.  Since yesterday's soup recipe could be used as a main course, I knew I had to make an appetizer of some sort today, so I made a black bean dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips.  Compared to the average black bean dip, this one is significantly healthier.  Not only because of the lack of sour cream, but also because it is served with broiled, whole-wheat tortilla chips.  This recipe yields 8 servings.  Each serving contains about 102 calories, and only 1 gram of fat.  This recipe was among one of the more difficult recipes I have cooked thus far.  I used dried black beans, red pepper flakes, garlic, cumin, chili sauce, whole wheat tortillas, and egg whites.  It was delicious!

Along with my cooking, I have also been actively researching, trying to learn as much as I can about healthy eating.  What I learned today was that it is extremely important to notice serving sizes on the nutritional labels of all foods.  Usually, the serving sizes on food labels don't correlate with how much we actually eat.  This is a major cause of weight gain.  Research has shown that Americans continue to eat more and more food, contributing to the widespread epidemic of obesity.  By carefully monitoring your serving sizes, you will be able to practice better portion control, keeping your diet under control. 

Because serving size is extremely important, when I create or find recipes, the serving size and nutritional information are the first things I look at when deciding if the recipe is healthy and beneficial to people dieting.  Tomorrow, I am going to experiment with the final "B" of healthy cooking: baking.  Check back tomorrow to see what healthy dessert I decide to bake!

RANDOM FACT: Temperature can have a large effect on appetite.  The colder a person is, the hungrier the person is!

Boil, Boil, No More Trouble...

After a long weekend of barely any sleep I am ready to begin my cooking again.  However, throughout the weekend I began wondering the effect sleep has on weight loss.  Of course I know that sleep is essential to healthy living, but I was unsure of how it directly relates to losing weight.  I began researching and found that the quality of your sleep harmonizes with your hormonal activity tied to your appetite.  This is because the hormones leptin and ghrelin (they both are known to affect appetite) are influenced by the amount of hours we sleep.  The less sleep a person gets, the lower the levels of leptin, and the higher the levels of ghrelin, causing you to be less satisfied after a meal and wanting more food.  Obviously, eating more after a meal can cause weight gain.  Research shows that those who sleep less often tend to be more overweight than those who get the right amount of sleep.  After finding this research, I have made a promise to myself to never lose too many hours of sleep.  If I want to be successful in losing weight and living a healthier life, I need to get about seven hours of sleep daily.

However, sleeping is not the only way to lose weight.  Obviously, food is a critical component.  For this week, my mentor as challenged me complete three recipes, side dish, main dish, and dessert, using the three healthy B's of cooking: Boil, Broil, and Bake.  Today I decided to begin with "boil."  I cooked a Minestrone soup using many vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, yellow squash, bell peppers, and onion.  The main ingredient that I used which is different from most Minestrone soups is Chickpeas.  I also used vegetable broth as well as pesto, and a variety of fresh herbs.  This soup was amazing, and had about 100 calories less than the average Minestrone soup.  This soup has about 133 calories per cup, and only 3.1 grams of fat.  It turned out great!

As the week continues I will try broiling and baking in order to experiment with the three healthy B's of cooking!

RANDOM FACT: In order to increase weight loss, it is important to get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night!

That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

For my final recipe of the week, I made the classic dessert favorite: chocolate chip cookies.  Ever since I was little, I have always loved warm, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.  Because cookies are extremely detrimental when it comes to dieting, I did my research and found a recipe that nearly cuts the amount of calories in half.  The average medium-sized chocolate chip cookie contains about 200 calories and 9 grams of fat.  The recipe I baked today, however, only contains about 88 calories per cookie and just 1.5 grams of fat! After tasting the end result, you would never know that these are not the store-bought fattening treats.

Usually, when people think of dieting they feel that they need to cut out all excess foods, which include desserts and other treats.  However, based on my research, the key to dieting is to practice moderation.  By not depriving yourself of any kind of food, you program your brain to not want that food in heavy quantities because you have already satisfied your cravings with a small dose.  Although it is true that when dieting you should try to stick to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, it is also detrimental to eat too much of these healthy snacks.  Obviously, in order to sustain a diet and lose weight one cannot eat too much of anything, and anything is acceptable to eat if it is eaten in moderation.

Next week I will continue to cook diet-friendly meals that will add a variety to my everyday life.  Until next week I am going to continue eating healthy, researching, and exercising.  Check back next week to see what new recipes I am going to cook!

RANDOM FACT: When trying to lose weight, avoid using the scale everyday as this makes you focus on losing weight as opposed to body fat.

Lasagna...I Know Ya Wanna

After much debate I decided to cook healthy lasagna for my main course recipe.  Lasagna has always been one of my favorite dishes, but it is also one of the most fattening.  An average serving of lasagna contains about 870 calories.  That's more than half of a day's total calories!  When I found out the true nutritional facts for the pasta dish, I knew I had to find a healthier alternative.  The recipe I made contains about 240 calories for one serving.  That is less than half of the calories found in the average lasagna.  In order to slim down this meal I used thin slices of eggplant instead of ground beef or vegetables soaked in oil.  I also used fat-free ricotta cheese and fat-free mozzarella cheese.  As opposed to using multiple layers of lasagna noodles, I only used two.  In the recipe, I also used a variety of different spices to add flavor.  Not only did this recipe reduce the calories by a significant amount, but the flavor was so rich and delicious!

Today was not only a day of cooking for me.  I also met with my mentor to make sure I am still on track with my project.  We discussed the recipes I have already completed as well as the recipes I am going to try in the future.  Mrs. Patterson also gave me new ideas for my upcoming recipes.  We decided that each week she is going to present to me a new "challenge" to incorporate into my cooking.  Next week I am going to try the three B's of healthy cooking: Bake, Broil, and Boil.  This challenge has gotten me thinking of what I am going to cook next week.  I'll keep you posted!

Besides planning my upcoming recipes and reflecting on past recipes, I have also been looking into cooking classes with my mom.  We found a program that offers cooking classes on a variety of foods, and have begun researching to see if and when we can start.  Hopefully, within the next week I will be all signed up and ready to attend my first class.  As for now, I am going to continue cooking, researching, and exercising to keep up with my healthy lifestyle.

RANDOM FACT: When cooking, instead of using olive oil or butter to grease the pan, use a nonstick cooking spray such as PAM!

Mediterranean Mentality

Today was yet another very successful day of cooking as I decided to make a healthier version of hummus. Usually hummus is around 435 calories for just one cup; however, my recipe is only 91 calories!  Surprisingly, this healthy dip includes very simple ingredients, and is extremely easy to make.  I placed chickpeas, plain nonfat yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, ground cumin, and ground allspice in a blender, and pureed all the ingredients with water.  When I took the dip out of the blender, it was ready to eat.  Nothing is better than a healthy, fast, and easy recipe!  I am definitely going to make this recipe in the future and maybe incorporate it in other healthy meals. 

One of the reasons I enjoy making my own meals is because I am aware of every ingredient put into my food, whereas if I eat at a resturaunt I may not recongnize the hidden ingredients used.  While cooking my healthy meals, I make sure to use whole foods instead of processed foods because it is proven that whole foods are much healthier.  Whole foods are foods that have not been altered by synthetic chemicals.  They contain nutrients and enzymes, which cannot be found in processed foods, but are essential to the body's health.  Processed foods are infused with chemicals and preservatives, and therefore are mainly artificial.  These processed foods are high in trans fat, refined grains, salt, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils, all of which have been linked to serious heart conditions and health issues.  Obviously, processed foods are detrimental to one's health and should most definitely be avoided.

For the rest of this week, I plan to continue cooking, adding a main course and a dessert to my cookbook.  I am going to continue researching the healthiest ways to cook, making sure to use as many whole foods as possible!

RANDOM FACT: In order to lose weight, eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going fast!

Live to Eat or Eat to Live?

This week was extremely successful for my WISE project!  I began cooking, and learned more in depth about the basic components of an effective diet.  Yesterday, I met with my mentor, Mrs. Patterson, and we spent time discussing the progression of my cookbook as well as interesting topics that related to my project.  One phrase that my mentor said to me that really stuck with me was "Food is Meant to Nourish the Body".  This stuck out in my mind because although food is primarily meant to keep the body alive, in our society, people use it for taste variety, comfort, and social aspects.  Food is the basic matter of survival.  Without it our bodies lack nutrients and our biological mechanisms shut down.  This is interesting to me because it questions whether or not people live to eat or eat to live.  Most people live to eat; they enjoy the variety of tastes they experience on their pallette as well as the entertaining aspect of sitting down with friends and enjoying a meal. 

Although food is simply an ingredient to sustain life, I still find happiness and excitement in the food that I eat.  Therefore, I am going to continue to create recipes that are filled with variety and taste, while still keeping the necessary nutrients to keep my body healthy.  Today, I completed my first dessert recipe.  I made a 154 calorie serving of monkey bread.  Compare that to the average monkey bread with 437 calories per serving! In order to slim down this recipe I used splenda, light whipped butter, and sugar free syrup.  Other ingredients included cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder, and Pillsbury dough.  Even though this recipe has less than half the calories, it has double the taste! 

As my first week of cooking comes to a close, I can proudly say that each recipe was a success and will be included in my final cookbook!  Next week I will continue to cook, adding three more healthy recipes to my list!

RANDOM FACT: When using oil, olive oil is a great choice because it contains Omega-3's which can help strengthen your heart!

Fiesta Food and Tips from a Pro

In order to learn more about healthy food choices and why people often make poor food decisions, I decided to interview Sheryl Weiss. Sheryl is a Weight Loss Counselor and Food Coach who works for a medically supervised weight loss program. She encourages her patients to lose weight and make healthy food decisions. 

According to Sheryl, when looking to lose weight it is important that you eat from all food groups, and keep a variety of foods in your diet.  She also stated that eating every two to three hours will help speed up your metabolism, allowing for more rapid weight loss.  Also, contrary to what many people think, incorporating oil into your diet is essential as it contains omega-3's which help strengthen the heart.  When I asked her what foods to fully avoid while cooking, she said that most foods are okay to eat if consumed in moderation.  She also stated that "food preparation is a big consideration. Try to stay away from fried and breaded foods as well as those served with lots of heavy sauces".  Evidently, my interview with Sheryl was definitely helpful when thinking of how I was going to proceed with creating my new and healthy recipes!

To make my quesadillas, the basic ingredients I used were fresh vegetables (onions and peppers), low fat, whole wheat tortillas, and fat free cheddar cheese. I also used a low fat guacamole and a 2 ounce chicken breast which i grilled. After compiling all of the ingredients, it was the best (and healthiest) quesadilla I have ever had. Recipe #2 proved to be another success!

RANDOM FACT: Keep your house stocked with lots of fruits and vegetables to promote healthy snacking!

Squashing the Calories

This week is off to a great start! Today I tested out my very first recipe of my upcoming cookbook.  I decided to begin with a side dish.  I chose to start with something small and easy in order to ease my way into playing the role of a chef.  I made a healthy alternative to an American favorite: French fries.  After asking many teens my age what they snack on during the day, I found that it was common for most to engage in driving through fast-food chains to pick up a side of French fries.  Because these fries are extremely unhealthy, with an average of 370 calories and 20 grams of fat per order, I deemed it necessary that there be a healthy alternative.  After much research, I found that butternut squash fries have the same delicious taste as the fried favorites.  The only ingredients necessary are one butternut squash and salt.  After slicing and salting the butternut squash, all that is left to do is place it in the oven for about 40 minutes.  Quick, healthy, and easy! 

Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that has yellow skin and an orange pulp.  This vegetable grows on a vine and has a taste similar to that of a pumpkin.  As the squash gets ripe, the taste grows sweeter.  Butternut squash is very low in calories and serves as a great healthy alternative to potatoes.  I found my squash in the produce section of my local grocery store.

This recipe was an absolute success! It was almost impossible to tell the difference between my healthy fries and the original greasy French fries.  This recipe squashed the calories and kept the taste!

RANDOM FACT: Plan your meals ahead of time! By planning out your meals you will be less likely to snack on unhealthy foods in your kitchen, and you will also avoid making irrational decisions when it comes to ordering in food from a local restaurant.

Ready, Set, Diet!

As part of my WISE experience, I am incorporating all aspects of becoming healthier and slimmer into my daily routine.  Although my finished project for the class will be a hearty cookbook with a variety of healthy alternatives, I am also going to teach myself the importance of healthy living.  Thus, each day after school I will spend my afternoons exercising for about an hour.  I will do both cardio and core work to ensure a full body workout.  This will help to increase weight loss as well as strengthen my body and immune system, making me a healthier and stronger person.  When dieting, it is beneficial to not only eat healthy, but be as active as you possibly can.

Today, after my invigorating workout, I began more research for the recipes I am going to compile.  When cooking foods, especially desserts, it is easy to add unwanted calories without even noticing it.  For this reason, I found out one crucial piece of information: THERE ARE SUBSTITUTES FOR OIL.  By using oil in recipes, it adds many calories and grams of fat that can be avoided.  In my recipes, I will use applesauce and fat free sour cream as oil substitutes.  Other tips I came across to add flavor to the healthy dishes are to use low-fat cheese, garlic, and lots of herbs and spices.  Hopefully, this will do the trick in keeping the taste of the foods, but making it healthy! 

My goal for the rest of this weekend is to find out what exactly are the most popular fattening dishes people enjoy.  Once I discover these "guilty pleasures" I will begin to finalize my list of recipes that I am going to try out next week. 

Next week I will start my cooking.  Although I am just beginning, I can tell these recipes are going to have a lot of people grinning!

RANDOM FACT: Drinking water throughout the day will fool your body into thinking you are full; therefore, you won't eat as much because you won't be as hungry!

A Healthy Hunt

Today has been an extremely productive day for my WISE project.  At 7:00 this morning, I met with my mentor, Mrs. Patterson.  Mrs. Patterson is an AP Psychology teacher at Cypress Bay and is going to help guide me with my project.  She, too, is interested in healthy eating as well as cooking.  During our meeting we discussed possible websites to consider while composing new recipes as well as previous research that I have already found.  Together, we decided it was best to consider resources that are positive, negative, and indifferent in order to compile the most diet-friendly foods.  After meeting with Mrs. Patterson this morning, I am more excited than ever to begin my healthy foods cookbook!

In order to begin cooking, I need to find foods that are both crucial and detrimental to one's diet.  I have found that many foods contain hidden ingredients that are unfavorable when trying to eat healthy.  My research shows that the following foods should most definitely be avoided when putting together healthy recipes:

• Artificial Sweeteners
• Excess/Refined Sugars
• Hydrogenated/Refined Oils
• Sodium Nitrate
• Artificial Colors and Dye

After figuring out the general ingredients of what to avoid when choosing food to incorporate into my cooking, I also had to research foods that would be beneficial.  These include portions from each of the sections of the food pyramid.  Of course, however, everything must be in moderation to keep the recipes slimming.

With my new information on foods to avoid and foods to include, each week I am going to complete three new recipes: one appetizer or side dish, one main course, and of course, one dessert.  Although it has only been a few days, this project has already allowed me to become more aware of the foods that I eat, allowing a healthier diet. 

RANDOM FACT: To help with portion control, try using a smaller plate and smaller utensils.  It will trick your mind into thinking you have more food than you actually do!

Stirring Up the Recipe for Success

Yesterday was my first official day as a WISE student at Cypress Bay.  After hearing Coach Love describe the details of the course, I had many different ideas for my project spinning in my head.  I have been thinking for weeks of what exactly I wanted my project to consist of and after attending class yesterday, I finally figured it out.  I am planning on creating a cookbook that consists of healthy alternatives to typical daily meals.  Often, people are unaware of the hefty amount of calories they consume each day.  With my cookbook, I will compare popular, but fattening, dishes with just as tasty, but healthy, foods.

I have always been conscious of what foods I consume, and this project will allow me to expand my horizons and think up new diet-friendly recipes.  Not only am I extremely health conscious, but I have always had a passion for cooking.  This project is the perfect opportunity to combine both of these passions. 

Even though it is just the beginning of my journey, I have begun thinking of new recipes that include appetizers, main courses, and of course, dessert.  Yes, I said it, HEALTHY DESSERTS!!

To begin my WISE journey, I have spoken to my mentor and I am extremely excited to meet with her this week to discuss my project goals.  But for now, I am researching healthy food substitutes, and hope to begin cooking this week.

Stay posted to learn new recipes that will help you get your stomach from fat to flat!