A Healthier Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

I’m a sucker for a good dessert. One of my favorites has always been strawberry shortcake, but the calories and fat in this delicious dessert made me stay away from it in recent years…until I stumbled upon this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens:

Lower-Calorie Strawberry Shortcake

Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 1 hour 10 min.
Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons margarine
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup buttermilk or skim milk
Nonstick spray coating
1 1.4-ounce envelope whipped dessert topping mix
1/2 cup skim milk

Directions
Combine strawberries and the 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, the 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine egg and buttermilk. Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring until combined.

Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with nonstick spray coating. With lightly floured hands, pat dough into pan. Bake in a 450 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely, or serve shortcake warm.

Meanwhile, prepare whipped dessert topping mix according to package directions using the skim milk.

Split shortcake into 2 layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Top with some of the berries, then add the second layer of shortcake. Spoon dessert topping and the remaining strawberries on top of cake. Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 231, total fat: 8g, cholesterol: 47mg, sodium: 193mg, carbohydrate: 35g, protein: 5g

Recipe: Puff Pancakes with Fruit

Here’s another healthy breakfast recipe, brought to you by Better Homes and Gardens. If you like fruit, you’ll love this:

Fruit-Filled Puff Pancakes
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh fruit (choose from sliced strawberries, peeled and sliced kiwi fruit or peaches, blackberries, blueberries, seedless grapes, sliced nectarines or apricots, and/or pitted and halved sweet cherries)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade, warmed

Directions
1. For pancakes, coat four 4-1/4-inch pie plates or 4-1/2-inch foil tart pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl use a rotary beater or wire whisk to beat egg product or whole egg plus egg white, flour, milk, oil, and salt until smooth. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until brown and puffy. Turn off oven; let stand in oven for 5 minutes.
3. To serve, immediately after removing the pancakes from oven, transfer to 4 plates. Spoon some of the fruit into center of each pancake. Drizzle fruit with warmed orange marmalade. Makes 4 servings.
Good Food, Good Health Eating Plan Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat/sugar.

Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 123, total fat: 4g, saturated fat: 1g, cholesterol: 0mg, sodium: 210mg, carbohydrate: 18g, fiber: 2g, protein: 5g, vitamin A: 4%, vitamin C: 69%, calcium: 4%, iron: 6%

Lower Your Blood Pressure–Eat Dark Chocolate

If you want to lower your blood pressure and/or help reduce your risk of diabetes, start munching on dark chocolate rather than milk or white chocolate:

I Heart Chocolate
The sweet stuff has a way with your heart — but not all chocolate is equal
By Lorie Parch
Special to MSN

Can chocolate be sweet for your heart? A growing body of research suggests the answer is a qualified yes.

The latest is a small study done in Italy indicating that eating chocolate could have an effect on blood pressure and protect against diabetes. Participants who ate 100 grams of dark chocolate — equivalent to a little more than two 1.45-ounce Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate bars — every day for 15 days had lower blood pressure and improved sensitivity to insulin, meaning they were better able to metabolize blood sugar. Those who ate roughly the same amount of white chocolate every day saw no improvement in these areas.

The compounds in dark chocolate responsible for heart benefits are called flavanols. These substances, which are found in plant-based foods, stimulate production of chemical messengers that help keep the lining of blood vessels healthy, explains Sandra M. Hannum, a research dietitian at the University of Illinois’ division of nutritional sciences in Urbana. “Flavanols also delay — but don’t stop — blood clotting. So you have less platelet aggregation, which means you’re less likely to get a blood clot that might cause a heart attack or stroke,” she says.

As potent antioxidants, flavanols also help fight free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments, says Stephanie Moritz, a spokeswoman for the Hershey Foods Corp.

Full Article

Trans Fatty Acids

Just one more thing we need to worry about in our attempt to eat healthy—trans fatty acids. They increase our bad cholesteral and, thus, increase our chances of suffering from heart disease. Here is an article from iVillage.com that explains what trans fatty acids are, which foods they are found in, and how much of them your body can handle:

Small amounts of trans fatty acids occur naturally in some meats and dairy products. But the majority of trans fatty acids in our current diet are formed when processed foods contain hydrogenated fats. Food companies often start with a liquid oil, such as corn oil or safflower oil. To preserve food for a longer period of time and add more flavor, these liquid fats are hydrogenated, or made more solid. Think of the difference between liquid corn oil and stick margarine ‑- the stick margarine contains hydrogenated fats, along with trans fatty acids.

Food processors bombard liquid fats with hydrogen, causing a chemical reaction that produces hydrogenated fats ‑- and creates trans fatty acids at the same time. You find trans fatty acids in vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, candies, baked goods, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, salad dressings and many processed foods. Studies estimate that most Americans consume between 2.6 and 12 grams of trans fatty acids each day ‑- enough to cost between $900 million and $1.8 billion each year in medical costs, lost productivity and pain and suffering from heart disease. Trans fatty acids increase our body’s levels of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind of cholesterol). The higher our LDL levels, the greater our risk of heart disease.

How much is too much? You won’t find a percent daily value for trans fatty acids because scientific research hasn’t yet shown a definitive amount of trans fatty acids that we should avoid. Most experts agree that zero trans fatty acid intake is the ultimate goal, but keeping your intake to less than 2 grams per day should be sufficient to keep LDL cholesterol from rising. To make a choice your heart will appreciate, when you’re comparing food products, add each one’s amounts of trans fatty acids and saturated fat together, then choose the product with the lowest amount of these two combined.

Full Article

Asparagus Frittata Recipe

I always found breakfast to be a huge obstacle in my quest to eat healthier. I wanted something that filled me up as much as eggs, bacon, and sausage, but that was better for me. I searched for great healthy breakfast recipes and came upon a few at the Better Homes and Gardens website. Here is one example:

Asparagus Frittata

Source: Better Homes and Gardens
http://www.bhg.com

Prep: 15 min.
Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients
3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus
6 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Nonstick spray coating
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small tomato, cut into wedges, or 1/4 cup chopped tomato

Directions
Cook fresh asparagus spears in a small amount of boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Reserve 3 spears for garnish; cut remaining asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Or, cook frozen asparagus according to package directions; drain. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs until foamy. Beat in cottage cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside.

Spray a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with nonstick spray coating. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until just tender. Stir in asparagus pieces. Pour egg mixture over mushrooms and asparagus. (If using fresh asparagus, arrange the 3 reserved spears on top.)

Cook mixture over low heat about 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles slightly and begins to set around the edges.

Bake frittata, uncovered, in a 400 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until set. Garnish each serving with tomato. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information
Nutritional facts per serving
calories: 183, total fat: 10g, cholesterol: 416mg, sodium: 375mg, carbohydrate: 7g, protein: 18g

A Great Alternative to French Fries

If you crave french fries, but not the grease that goes along with them, try this sweet potato fries recipe from About.com. I made them for the first time the other day…and they were YUMMY!

Ingredients

2 tb Thawed orange juice -concentrate
1 t Onion powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/8 ts Ground red pepper (cayanne)
1 lb Sweet potatoes, cut into -1/2″ sticks
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam In a medium bowl combine orange juice concentrate, onion powder, salt and cayanne. Add potato sticks and turn to coat. Arrange coated potato sticks on the oiled foil in a single layer. Bake 10 min; turn carefully, bake 10 more minutes or until tender.

The Mediterranean Diet

If you are looking for a non-diet diet, in an attempt to get your body healthier, you should consider the Mediterranean diet. Those living in countries surrounding the Mediterranean are thought to have one of the best diets of any region. Why? Well, they eat more of certain foods and less of others.

For instance, their daily diet consists of foods in the following categories: breads, other grains, couscous, and potatoes; fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts; olive oil; and cheese and yogurt.

Sweets, eggs, and meats like poultry, fish, and red meat are eaten much less frequently than, say, in the typical American diet.

The olive oil might actually be one of the key ingredients to the healthy Mediterranean diet. They save butter and cream only for very special occasions, so their main source of fat comes from olive oil. But, olive oil is very low in the bad fats, such as saturated and polyunsaturated fat. In addition, olive oil is thought to increase good cholesterol while having little or no affect on bad cholesterol.

Those living in the Mediterranean also drink wine on a regular basis, usually between one and two glasses a day. And, we’ve all heard those lovely reports on how alcohol (in moderation) may help reduce the risks of various medical conditions including heart disease.

So, if you are looking to change your menu and take better care of your body, consider switching to a Mediterranean diet.

Food and Pregnancy

When women become pregnant, the immediate tendency is to begin eating for two. But, do you really need to eat THAT much? And, are there any foods you should avoid?

Recent studies suggest that you do not, in fact, need to eat for two. Instead, you should focus on consuming enough vitamins and minerals for two. Pregnant women should only increase their calorie intake to 2500/day (as opposed to the normal 2000/day). If they choose to breastfeed after giving birth, they should increase that to 3000/day.

There are several things pregnant women should avoid with regards to food. First, there is vitamin A. As little as four times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A could increase the chances of damage to the embryo, especially within the first trimester.

In addition, consumption of fish such as salmon and tuna should be limited. These fish contain a form of mercury, which can cause damage to a child’s brain and central nervous system.

Studies have also found that too much caffeine during pregnancy can increase the chances of a child getting diabetes.

Finally, junk food should be avoided as much as possible. This is not because they contain a certain product, but rather because of their effects on appetite. Junk food tends to make a person feel full, but does not provide anything of nutritional value. This means a pregnant woman who eats too much junk food could feel like she’s eating enough for her and her baby, but would actually leave the baby starving for much needed vitamins and minerals.