Meal Makeover!

Makeover Your Meal, Makeover Your Body!

Eating healthy doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite foods. With just a few adjustments you can make everything from lasagna to cheesecake healthier and with fewer calories . Sounds crazy, I know!!! Today I'm going to makeover an ultimate classic and one of my personal favorite desserts ...the hot fudge sundae.

• ORIGINAL SUNDAE: Two scoops vanilla ice cream, tons o' whipped cream, nuts, 4 tablespoons hot fudge sauce CALORIE COUNT: 950


• MAKEOVER SUNDAE: Try two scoops of Breyer's vanilla ice cream or Haagen Dazs sorbet, 2 tablespoon whipped cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and strawberries, blueberries or blackberries, whichever is in season! CALORIE COUNT: 350

How 'bout that, a sundae with about 60% fewer calories!!!



Feel free to send me your favorite recipes and I'll show you how to make healthier, lower calorie versions!

Fast, Healthy Breakfast Recipies

Did you know that you should be eating a 600 calories breakfast? It is after all the most important meal of the day, even though it is the one most people skip. Breakfast gets your metabolism revving for the day and is a key in losing weight and getting the body you want. So make sure you find a breakfast that works for you...Here are a few of my favorite fast recipes...

• Easy Eggs: Scramble two eggs whites with one whole egg and cook in a pan coated with cooking spray. (get the flavor without the extra calories and cholesterol). Add feat cheese, spinach and chopped tomatoes. Serve with orange juice, and whole wheat toast with a little but of peanut butter.
• No Excuses Oatmeal: Make a serving of one-minute oatmeal and microwave for two minutes. Add a little bit of maple syrup and/or cinnamon to taste. Serve with two pieces of turkey bacon and fruit like a banana or strawberries.
• Yes You Can Eat Waffles!: Toast two Eggo low-fat Nutri-grain waffles, top with about a table spoon of peanut butter and honey. Serve with fruit.

SMART SHOPPING

Whole roasted chickens are one of the best items you can buy when you go grocery shopping. First the chickens are pretty inexpensive and (big bonus here) they're already cooked. I like to buy the natural ones since I have a feeling the hormones in chicken and man-boobs might have a bit of a cause and effect relationship going on, but that's just me. Whole roasted chickens have tons of white breast meat and one bird makes for several great healthy lunches and dinners. Here are a few of my favorite recipes...

• Shred the chicken and mix with taco seasoning for chicken tacos


• Slice and use for chicken paninis


• Toss with salad, balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil and feta cheese for a great lunch or light dinner


• Top with salsa and serve with broccoli and rice pilaf


• Slice and mix with penne pasta, tomato sauce and broccoli

Easy Healthy Snacks

If you're out and about all day you're going to get hungry . Here are a few quick and healthy snacks you can pack to avoid attacking the vending machine or the Starbucks pastry window:) To keep hunger at bay, make sure you eat something with lean protein and healthy fat.

• All natural sugar free individually packaged applesauce.
• Healthy nuts like almonds or walnuts.
• If you have access to a fridge, fat free yogurts are great and so is low fat cheese.
• Carrots or other cut fruits and veggies

Recession savvy eats!

So, I consider myself an optimist and I have been trying to find a silver lining to the, cue foreboding music, recession. Well, I think I have found it. Eating out less and cooking more meals at home. I know I know, at first this seemed like a major bummer to me too, but after a Bravo marathon of Top Chef I was ready to take on the kitchen.

When you are cooking for yourself at home you're in charge of the ingredients you're using and that can lead to cooking and subsequently eating healthier meals. This is a great thing for staying in shape since foods in many restaurants are served in huge portions and cooked with lots of oil and butter. (Yes Bloomin' Onion I am talking to you). One of my favorite resources for cooking at home is CookingLight.com since the recipes on the site are all "lightened" versions of everyone's favorite meals. These recipes taste great and vary from pot stickers to cheesecakes. My favorite is the "Manicotti Made Easy". It's super nutritious, tastes great and is cheap to make and lasts for a few days. So if you're looking for a good way to save some money and eat healthy meals check out CookingLight.com.