Healthy Menu Mailer

Recipe For Winter Vegetable Soup

Susanne — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:44:00 +0000

When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than a hot cup of vegetable soup. Fix this winter vetetable soup for your family this week. It makes a filling lunch, or serve it for dinner with a piece of crusty bread or our favorite - grilled cheese sandwiches.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
7 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 zucchinis, diced
2 cups of cauliflower florets
2 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Salt and black pepper
Fresh chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions:

Slice the cabbage quarters into thin strips. Heat the oil in a large soup pan and add the cabbage, carrots, celery and parsnips cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stir often so vegetables don’t stick to pan. (you may need to add a tablespoon of stock).

Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, zucchinis, cauliflower and tomatoes with a little chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Serve into warm soup bowls and garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley.

Susanne Myers
Healthy Menu Mailer - We Make Menu Planning Simple

Bicycling - A Great Way To Stay Fit

Susanne — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:20:00 +0000

Bicycling has always been a popular sport, but today, bicycling is extremely fun, easy and a great way to spend time with your friends or family. Here are some great tips on getting the most out of one of America’s favorite outdoor activity- bicycling.

Today, you can enjoy bicycling easier than ever. While there are high end bicycles that are very expensive, for the most part bicycles are very affordable and come with great features that make bicycling easier than ever to enjoy.

Many people that don’t own a bike can easily rent one for only a few dollars a day, this is a great way to ride a high performance bicycle on vacation, at a great location or just around the neighborhood, especially if you don’t ride that often, renting a bicycle is fast and easy and doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars.

For more seasoned riders, it pays to buy a decent bike, especially if you ride often or prefer the same bicycle each time you ride. There are plenty of places to ride, including around the neighborhood at tourist destinations and on mountain trails. In fact mountain biking has become on of the more popular ways to enjoy bicycling.

Mountain biking is also great for the entire family to spend a weekend or just the day together. Many people pick popular bike paths or trails to ride with their entire family. You might either rent bikes at the location or bring your own. Many people travel from one destination to another enjoying time spent with their family or friends while they take in the wonderful sights. If you are looking for a great outdoor activity, check out bicycling.

Susanne Myers
Have You Tried The Healthy Menu Mailer Yet? - We make Meal Planning Simple.

Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Susanne — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 03:56:00 +0000

Do you usually gain a few pounds in December? I used to… It’s so easy with all the holiday goodies and special dishes we fix sitting around. There always seems to be a fresh batch of cookies sitting around, just waiting to be tasted. All those extra little snacks add up, especially when we also eat a full meal right after.

I’ve been doing a few different things this year to avoid gaining those extra few pounds and thought I’d share a few tips with you. Even if you avoid gaining just two pounds by implementing a couple of these things, that’s two pounds less you have to lose in January.

Avoiding Extra Calories In Holiday Foods

If you are looking for some great low calorie holiday recipes, and of course if you are planning any type of Christmas dinner or lunch, grab your copy of the Healthy Christmas Planning Guide here

http://www.healthymenumailer.com/xmas

Take care,

Susanne Myers

Lemon Thyme Chicken Recipe

Susanne — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:59:00 +0000

Here is a great chicken recipe that is low in fat but full of flavor.
Thyme is such a great spice for poultry and combined with the lemon makes the chicken tender and flavorful.

Small potatoes are added for a complete meal. Dinner made simple, easy and fast - what more could you ask for?

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Small Potatoes

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
3 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
3 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 ¼ cup brown rice (dried)
2 cups water
3 cups chicken stock
8 oz baby spinach leaves.

Place chicken. Mix 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 teaspoons lemon rind, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl and rub over chicken. Cover and refrigerate approximately 20 minutes to let flavors sink in.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep non stick pan or wok add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add rice and stir everything together until rice is coated, approximately 2 minutes. Add the water and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. If necessary add a little more stock and cook longer until tender.

While the rice is cooking, transfer the chicken breasts and marinade to a non stick baking tray and grill for approximately 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Once rice is finished, stir in the baby spinach, remaining lemon rind and thyme and transfer to serving plate. Top with grilled chicken and serve.

Tempted By Leftover Halloween Candy?

Susanne — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:57:00 +0000

We hope you and your family had a nice Halloween. We both had a lot of fun trick-or-treating with the kids. As a result there's a huge bowl of candy sitting in each of our kitchens. It's almost impossible to muster enough self-control to not sneak the occasional piece of candy with the temptation sitting right in front of us. Something had to be done...

We've been emailing back and forth with ideas on how to "get rid" of all that candy and thought we'd share some of our favorites with you.

1) Save it for decorating a gingerbread house for Christmas, or make Christmas ornaments out of the candy. Make a batch of salt dough and cut out cookie shapes. Bake the dough according to your directions, then glue candy on it to decorate. Coat your ornament with an acrylic sealer to make it last for years.

2) Take leftover candy to the office and share it with colleagues. Even if those with kids have had their fill of candy, co-workers without kids will enjoy the childhood treats.

3) Fill a bag or empty coffee can with the leftover candy and take it to a local charity, nursing home or homeless shelter.

4) Wrap a few pieces of candy for each day from now until Christmas, number them and let your child open one each day - Think of it as an extended advent calendar.

5) Check with your child's teacher to see if she would like a bag of candy to use as rewards in the classroom.

6) When the snack cravings hit, keep some healthy alternatives around like yogurt, caramel rice cakes, chocolate covered strawberries, frozen grapes, or some dry fruit.

7) When everything else fails, throw the extra candy out so you won't be tempted to eat it all.

Take care,

Susanne Myers & Christine Steendahl

Healthy Halloween Treats

Susanne — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 05:15:00 +0000

Candy and chocolate don’t have to be the only treats you hand out to little kids in costumesthis Halloween. There are also plenty of nutritious options available that will be just as fun without causing a sugar rush and cavities. Here are some ideas for healthy treats you can hand out this year.

Dried Fruit
Dried fruit makes a great portable snack as well as a good Halloween treat. Grab a few bags of dried fruit, like apples, raisins, cherries, cranberries, dates, apricots and banana chips. Repack them in little bags. You can also get raisins and other dried fruit in small individual boxes that are ready to go.

Roasted Nuts & Seeds
Fall is nut season, so why not grab a variety of roasted nuts and seeds (including pumpkin seeds of course) and hand them out for Halloween. Just make sure the parents are aware of what you are handing out in case one of the kids is allergic to nuts.

Trail Mix
Combine the dried fruit and nuts. Add some dry cereal and a few M&Ms and you have trail mix. Use orange and brown M&Ms to give your trail mix that “Halloween Look”.

Juice Boxes
Juice boxes make another great Halloween treat. They are already individually packed and ready to go into pumpkin pails or goody bags. Look for all natural juices without additional sugar.

Stickers
What child doesn’t love stickers? Go to your local craft store, department store, or even the dollar store and pick up some little packs of Halloween stickers. The kids will enjoy playing with these stickers.

Dollar Store Toys
Since we were already talking about the dollar store, why not pick up some small toys there as well. Pick a few for boys and a few for girls and let the kids pick one when they come to your door. If you get a pack with a few little toy cars in them, it isn’t any more expensive than a candy bar, but they will enjoy playing with it for weeks and months to come.

Grab a few of these healthy choices for Halloween this year. Simply wrap it all up nicely in some little baggies, or some of the specialty zippered bags you can get with cute Halloween prints on them and they will be ready to hand out. Parents will appreciate these healthier alternatives as much as the kids will enjoy the treats.

Healthy Beef and Barley Soup

Susanne — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 02:48:00 +0000

Here is another great soup recipe. This healthy beef and barley soup combines the nutty flavor of barley with some yummy veggies and lean beef. The end result is a very tasty and filling soup that's also good for you.

Vegetable Beef Soup with Barley
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour (ready in 7 hours) - Yield: 12 (1 1/3-cup) servings

2 to 3 pounds cracked beef soup bones or knuckle bones
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
14 cups water
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 potatoes, unpeeled, cubed (about 4 cups)
2 medium parsnips, peeled, cubed (about 2 cups)
1 1/3 cups frozen cut green beans
3/4 cup uncooked barley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small head cabbage, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 450'F. Place all bones on large roasting pan. Bake at 450'F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until bones are very deep brown but not charred, turning bones occasionally.

2. In large stockpot, combine bones, cubed beef, onions and garlic. Discard fat in roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the water to roasting pan; heat and scrape to loosen any browned meat drippings. Pour hot liquid and remaining water over bones and beef in stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 2 to 4 hours or until meat is tender. Skim and discard residue that rises to surface.

3. Remove bones from broth. Cool slightly. Remove meat from bones. Add meat to broth. Cool broth uncovered in refrigerator.

4. Skim fat from broth; discard. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cabbage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add cabbage; cover and cook until cabbage is tender. Remove bay leaf.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Serving Size: 1 1/3 Cups * Calories: 240 * Calories from Fat: 50 * % Daily Value: Total Fat: 6 g 9% * Saturated Fat: 2 g 10% * Cholesterol: 40 mg 13% * Sodium: 430 mg 18% * Total Carbohydrate: 30 g 10% * Dietary Fiber: 7 g 28% * Sugars: 6 g * Protein: 17 g * Vitamin A: 110% * Vitamin C: 40% * Calcium: 6% * Iron: 20% * Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 1/2 Lean Meat or 1 1/2 Carbohydrate, 1 Vegetable, 1 1/2 Lean Meat

Get more recipe for healthy eating each week.

Healthy Cooking For Vegetable Haters

Susanne — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:55:00 +0000

Do you have a vegetable hater in your family? You know, the guy (or girl) that just won't eat vegetables unless they are covered in cheese or sauce until you can no longer identify them as veggies? Well, there is still hope to get them to eat healthy and get them in the habit of eating vegetables and even (gasp!!) like them.

Read more about Healthy Cooking For Vegetable Haters.

Susanne Myers
Healthy Eating Made Simple

Heart Healthy Crock Pot Recipes

Susanne — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 02:51:00 +0000

I love my crockpot!

It's just so convenient to toss in a couple of ingredients in the morning and let it cook all day. We get a delicious homemade dinner without me having to slave over the stove for hours.

Unfortunately, a lot of the more traditional crock pot recipes aren't all that healthy. But there are some really good heart healthy crock pot recipes. Here is one of them - give it a try.

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken
Makes 8 servings

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/2 can fat free milk
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
8 cups noodles cooked

Combine chicken, soup, onion, celery, milk and parsley in crock pot. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours. Serve over hot cooked noodles or brown rice.

Calories 313
Calories From Fat 20
Total Fat 2 G.
Saturated Fat 0 G
Cholesterol 14 mg
Sodium 82 mg
Carbohydrate 53 G.
Fiber 3 G
Sugar 4 G
Protein 13 G

Take care,

Susanne Myers

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Healthy Barley Soup Recipe

Susanne — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:22:00 +0000

Barley makes for a great tasting and very healthy soup. This one gets some added protein from the chicken. This healthy barley soup recipe isn't just healthy and good for you, it also tastes great and is packed with nutrition.

Healthy Barley Soup Recipe (with Chicken)

Makes 5 servings

1 broiler-fryer chicken (2 to 3 pounds), cut up
2 quarts water
1-1/2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 chicken bouillon cube, optional
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

In a large kettle, cook chicken in water until tender. Cool broth and skim off fat. Bone the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces; return to kettle along with remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour or until vegetables and barley are tender. Remove bay leaf.

Diabetic Exchanges: One serving (prepared without bouillon and salt) equals 2-1/2 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable; also, 259 calories, 127 mg sodium, 89 mg cholesterol, 22 gm carbohydrate, 31 gm protein, 5 gm fat.

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Health Problems Related To Fast Food

Susanne — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:35:00 +0000

You probably know that fast food isn't the best thing to feed your family (and yourself). But it's just so easy to just go through the drive-through and grab a few burgers and fries.

We know it's bad for us, but many stay loyal customers. The fast food industry is very happy.
Why do we continue to fuel our bodies with fast food?

It tastes good
It's convenient
It's what we've always done

That doesn't make it right though. Read this article on health problems from fast food. Then join us for a free 7-day sneak peak at the Healthy Menu Mailer. We'll show you how to prepare healthy food quickly and it won't take much longer than driving to your favorite fast food joint.

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Health Benefits Of Drinking Plenty Of Water

Susanne — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:45:00 +0000

Many of us have heard that we need to drink certain amounts of water, or substances with a large amount of water in them every day. There are several reasons why this has been stated and several who have done research on how it relates to leading a nutritious life.

Water is needed to act as a cleansing system for the body. Because water is a liquid, it is able to move nutrients into the right areas of the body while also move waste out of the body. Water also lubricates all the bodily functions like the digestive system and joints and it can also reduce the appearance of wrinkles as it is able to remove toxins and supply all your skin cells with the right nutrients.
If you do not have enough water in your systems there are some tell tale signs of dehydration that sets in very quickly. If you are thirsty you are already dehydrated – did you know that? Dry mouth and dried up skin are also signs that you could do with drinking more water. Other symptoms involve dizziness, headaches, and light headedness. So make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

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Family Exercise

Susanne — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 03:40:00 +0000

If your daily / weekly workout routine has you bored, try working out with family and friends instead. Not only can you hit the gym together, but try some other alternatives as well.

Go for a walk or bike ride in the neighborhood in the afternoons or plan a hike for the weekend.

Chase the kids around the yard during a game of tag, or take them to the local aquatic center.

Everyone in the family will benefit from getting some exercise. Make it a family activity.

I recently started taking walks with my 3-year-old around the neighborhood. I thought it wouldn’t be much of a workout, since she tends to stop a lot to talk and look at things, but it turned out otherwise…

I ended up with a pretty good interval walking session of slowly walking and stopping with her and then chasing after her because she started running toward a dog.
My weight training started about 3/4th of the way home, when she decided she couldn’t possibly walk any further. 35 pounds makes for a lot of added resistance and does wonders for your arms and shoulders.

Susanne
"Your Secret Weapon For A Healthy Eating Lifestyle"
www.healthymenumailer.com
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Splenda Safety Issue?

Susanne — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 19:31:00 +0000

Is splenda not as save as we were made to believe?
It has bothered me for quite some time that splenda advertises so heavily toward parents and kids. It took years to find out that equal and nutrasweet were not particularly safe for children and pregnant women, yet Splenda maintained it's product was safe because of it's close molecular makeup to sugar.

Apparently there are some questions regarding it's safety coming up. Take a look at my friend Carrie's blog for an take on the issue. http://naturalmommy.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-splenda-safe.html

She mentions Stevia, a natural low-calorie sweetener as an alternative. I will give it a try and give you an update in the next few weeks.

Health Food Mistakes

Susanne — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:31:00 +0000

Here are a few healthy foods mistakes that I picked up over the last few months. Avoid making these for a healthy eating lifestyle.

1) I Can Eat As Much As I Want - It's Low Fat

There are hundreds of foods in the grocery stores that are labeled "low-fat" or "fat-free".
We often mistake low fat or fat free foods for low calorie foods. Big Mistake!
Many of the low fat options have just as many or even more calories as their regular counterparts. Extra sugar and other additives are added to make up for the flavor loss after taking out the fat. Read the label before you start munching and limit your portions.

2) I Can Eat As Much As I Want - It's Low Carb

This makes as much sense as the low fat mistake. Read the label. Low Carb foods often have extra fat added and you end up with just as many calories. If you don't watch your fat intake (think bacon, cream cheese, mayonnaise and other not so healthy low carb foods) to keep yourself out of trouble. If you are taking a low carb approach, stick to lean protein and complex carbs with a fair amount of fiber (i.e. whole grain pasta, rice and bread).

3) It's Got To Be Healthy - It's Multi Grain

Many breads and cereals these days are labeled "Multi Grain" to appeal to health conscious consumers. Multi grain will not do you much good though if the grains have been processes. Look for whole wheat options instead and read the label to make sure whole grains are one of the first ingredients.

Susanne
"Your Weapon for a Healthy Eating Lifestyle"
www.healthymenumailer.com

Holiday Update

Susanne — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 14:17:00 +0000

Did you have a nice holiday? We enjoyed ours. I took my own advise on Holiday Eating and this is the first year in a long time that I didn't gain 5 pounds over Christmas.

Now that the holidays are behind us, it's time to start planning for 2006. What are your goals for this coming year? I hope Healthy Eating is pretty high on your list.

Is loosing weight on your list of New Year's Resolutions? I wouldn't be surpised if it was, after all it is one of the most popular resolutions each year.

If you are planning on loosing a few pounds this coming year, please check back in a few days. We are working on a free healthy weight-loss guide to help you make a resolution you can stick with the rest of the year.

Susanne
www.healthymenumailer.com

Healthy Holiday Recipes - Free Mini Ebook

Susanne — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 22:53:00 +0000

We put together a little mini ebook with some of our favorite holiday recipes. You can download the Healthy Holiday Recipe Mini Ebook here.

To view the ebook, you will need the Adobe Reader. You can download it free at www.adobe.com.

We hope you enjoy the recipes we have put together as much as we have.

Happy Holidays!

Healthy Holiday Recipe - Roast Pork with Cranberry Glaze

Susanne — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 16:53:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of being invited on the Healthy Family Talk Radio Show and promised to share some healthy alternatives to some of our favorite holiday recipes. You will find a Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe in the previous post, as well as a yummy recipe for some hot chocolate.

If your looking for a lower calorie main dish for this holiday season, take a look at the recipe below.

Roast Pork with Cranberry Glaze
11 Servings

Ingredients:

2 (16 oz) cans jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 tsp mustard powerder
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 pounds pork roast
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
Salt to taste

Directions:

Mash cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir in sugar, cranberry juice, mustard and cloves.
Place pork roast in a large roasting pan. Pour cranberry sauce mixture over the roast.
Cook at 275 F for 6 to 8 hours (until the meat is tender). Remove the roast and keep warm.
Skim the fat from the liquid in the roasting pan. Pour 2 cups of the remaining roasting liquid (add water if necessary) into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Blend cornstarch and cold water to make a paste. Gradually stir the cornstarch mixture into the boiling liquid. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add salt to taste and serve with the roast.

Per Serving:
Calories: 396
Fat: 9.2g
Carbs: 43.9g
Fiber: 0.9g
Protein: 34.1g

Don't forget to listen to the Healthy Family Talk Radio Show. Thanks again for having me on there Kari. I had fun chatting with you about the Healthy Menu Mailer.

Susanne

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Susanne — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 23:27:00 +0000

What do you need to go with the Hot Chocolate Recipe below? A cookie of course. Here is a great healthy and low fat peanut butter recipe for the holidays.

Low Fat Peanut Butter Cookie

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can of low fat sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter
1/4 cup fat free egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups reducted fat biscuit mix
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Mix the milk, peanut butter, egg substitute and vanilla with a mixer on a low setting until smooth. Add the biscuit mix and blend well. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350. Drop the dough by teaspoonful 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick spray. Sprinkle with sugar and bake the cookies until lightly browned about 6-8 minutes.

Each cookie has 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. They make a yummy guilt free holiday treat.

Enjoy!

Susanne

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Low Calorie Hot Chocolate Recipe

Susanne — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 21:04:00 +0000

What could be better than a nice cup of hot chocolate this time of the year? Here is a recipe for a yummy cup of hot chocolate without all the sugar and calories of a regular cup. It makes a nice creamy treat on these cool winter days.

Low Calorie Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
3 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

Mix the cocoa powder, Splenda, and sugar together in a medium saucepan.
Combine the cornstarch with the water. Add the mixture to the coacoa poweder mix and blend until smooth.
Put the mixture on medium low heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.
Bring the chocolate mix to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring it often.
When the hot chocolate becomes smooth and thick it is ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Susanne

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Healthy Recipes In Your Inbox - For Free

Susanne — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 04:07:00 +0000

Did you know that you can get a free issue of the Healthy Menu Mailer? Just sign up and we'll send it to your email inbox right away.

http://www.healthymenumailer.com/sample-newsletter-signup.html

Enjoy!

Susanne

Are You Drinking Enough Water? Early Signs of Dehydration

Susanne — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:21:00 +0000

It's so easy to get dehydrated this time of the year. With the weather outside cold and rainly or snowy, I usually don't feel like drinking cold water. Hot Chocolate seems like a much better idea :)
Add to that the dry warm air inside from the heater and the fireplace and it's easy to get dehydrated in no time.
According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are:

Increased thirst.
Dry mouth and sticky saliva.
Reduced urine output with dark yellow urine.

You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache.

Let's try to stay well hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.

Susanne

www.healthymenumailer.com

Food Safety Quiz

Susanne — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 01:20:00 +0000

I just found this fun food Safety Quiz on About.com
http://nutrition.about.com/library/bl_food_safety_quiz.htm

If you have a few minutes, why not give it a try and make sure you're doing everything you can to keep your family healthy and safe.

Susanne

We're Ready

Susanne — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 18:10:00 +0000

I am so excited. We are finally ready to officially start the Healthy Menu Mailer. The first issue will be emailed Wednesday November 30th. We are also working on quite a few articles to bring you all the information you need to start and stick with a healthy eating lifestyle.
Ready to give it a try? Join us today at http://www.healthymenumailer.com/subscribe.html.

Susanne

7 Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You

Susanne — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 21:43:00 +0000

We found the following article on MSN Healthy today. You can find the original article at
http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100111475.

The article has some great points on Healthy Eating during the Holidays. Stick with some of these foods in addition to small portions of your "not-so-healthy" all time holiday favorites for a guilt-free holiday season.

Happy Holidays

Susanne and Christine

Here is the Article

7 Holiday Foods That Are Actually Good For You

by Nutritionist Sue Gilbert, M.S. for iVillage

With all the focus on how not to gain weight, and what not to eat over the holidays, the wonderful nutrition in holiday foods often gets overlooked. If you want to celebrate all the healthy reasons to eat this holiday, take a look below to see the cornucopia of nutritional goodies our traditional foods bring to the table.

1. Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a remarkably healthy ingredient, providing 3 1/2 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and a lot of fiber per half-cup serving. Pureed pumpkin lends itself to healthy cooking. It can, like applesauce and prune puree, replace fat in baked goods without giving them a rubbery texture.

2. Roast Turkey: Serve up three ounces of skinless turkey breast and you get a whopping 20 grams of protein with practically no fat. All that and only 100 calories. Plus you fill 25 percent of your daily need for niacin and vitamin B6.

3. Sweet Potatoes: Ounce for ounce, they have as much beta-carotene as carrots. A mere four ounces contain 50 percent of your daily requirement of vitamin C, as much potassium as a banana and a good amount of fiber. All this adds up to one terrific disease-fighting food!

4. Cranberry Relish: There's a substance in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections by interfering with the ability of bacteria to adhere to cell membranes. Cranberries also contain a potentially cancer-preventing compound called ellagic acid. Make a fresh orange-cranberry relish and get added benefit from the vitamin C in oranges.

5. Potatoes: Whether mashed or in latkes, potatoes are good food. They contain loads of vitamin C and potassium, plus fiber, iron, copper and plenty of B vitamins. Boiling potatoes will destroy some of the vitamin C and dissolve some of the rest of it into the cooking water. To help preserve the vitamin C content, use some of the cooking water instead of milk or cream when mashing them.

6. Figgy Pudding: Figs help make the pudding a nutritional gold mine. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, magnesium and niacin, plus they have a natural laxative effect.

7. Eggnog: Choose only the low-fat variety and enjoy a holiday tradition while getting a good amount of protein and some calcium. (Just be sure not to drink too much, since there's still lots of sugar and calories in even the low-fat version.)