Wednesday, April 6, 2011

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.

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