Healthy Recipe: Spinach Pernod Shrimp Dip

Pernod is the brand name of a type of liqueur called a pastis. The leading characteristic of this drink is its licorice flavor, which is produced either with licorice (the plant, not the candy) or anise.

INGREDIENTS:

1 T. Butter, unsalted

½ cup Minced shallots or green onions

2 tsp. Minced garlic

¼ cup Pernod

8 cups Baby spinach, fresh, cleaned and chopped

1 cupSmall shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

2 oz. Fat free cream cheese

½ cup Skim milk

¼ cup Shredded parmesan cheese

STEPS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.


• Heat up large sauté pan to medium low.


• Add butter.


• Add shallots or onion and garlic and sauté until soft.


• Deglaze the pan with Pernod.


• Add chopped spinach and stir to wilt.


• Stir in shrimp, cream cheese and skim milk.


• Place mixture in small casserole and top with parmesan cheese.


• Bake until parmesan has a golden color.


• Serve warm with pita chips.

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 6; SERVING SIZE ¼ cup; CALORIES 60kcal; FAT 3gm

Healthy Recipe: Mussels and Clams in Garlic White Wine Sauce

This is a great simple yet crowd pleasing dish. Fresh and local seafood will make it even better!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp. Olive oil

½ lb. Mussels, cleaned and scrubbed

½ lb. Clams, cleaned and scrubbed

1 Onion, chopped fine about 1 cup

2 Garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes

2 Bay leaves

½ c. Dry white wine, chardonnay or Chablis

¼ c. Fresh parsley, chopped

STEPS:

• Prepare a hot pan that has a lid about medium size like a large sauté pan.


• Add olive oil, wait until hot, and then add onions, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.


• Cook until onions and garlic are soft.


• Turn heat to medium high, and add cleaned mussels, clams, and white wine.  Put a lid on it.


• Let mussels and clams steam for a few minutes but make sure to shake pan to move ingredients around in pan. This will take about 5 minutes.


• Turn heat to medium low and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.


• Remove lid and discard any unopened shells.


• At the very end stir through the parsley and garnish with lemon wheels.

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 8; SERVING SIZE 2 mussels and 2 clams; CALORIES 70kcal;

PROTEIN 7gm CARBOHYDRATES 3gm; SODIUM 160mg;

Healthy Recipe: ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade:

1/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup Brown sugar

1/3 cup Water

2 ½ teaspoons Green Onion, chopped

2 ½ teaspoons Fresh ginger minced

Dressing:

1 ½ tablespoons Sesame oil

1 ½ tablespoons Olive oil

½ tablespoon Fresh ginger

2 ½ tablespoons Sugar

3 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar

3 ½ teaspoons Oyster sauce

½ tablespoon Cilantro

¼ teaspoons Salt

4 teaspoons Water

¼ teaspoon Garlic

1 Roasted poblano, peeled and chopped

Salad:

12 cups Cabbage, shredded

2 cups Red bell peppers, julienned

½ cup Ramen noodles, raw, chopped

2 Chicken breast (4 ounces each)

Method

• Combine all marinade ingredients into a large bowl or Ziploc bag.


• Add the chicken to the marinade, allow to marinade at least 2 hours or overnight.


• Combine all dressing ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.


• Bake chicken breast until cooked through, about 14-16 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Allow the chicken to carry over cook to 165 degrees.


• Once the chicken is perfectly cooked, shred it.


• Combine cooked chicken, cabbage and peppers tossed in dressing and top with raw ramen noodles.

Serves: 4

Serving Size: 1 Salad= 3 cups cabbage/1/2 cup bell peppers/2 tablespoons ramen/ 2 ounces chicken/2 ounces dressing

Calories: 371

Fat: 10.5 grams

Protein: 15 grams

Healthy Recipe: Moroccan Couscous

[caption id="attachment_11065" align="alignright" width="400"] Moroccan Couscous[/caption]

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 Tablespoon  Vegetable Oil
½ each Onion, diced

1 each Roma tomato, seeds in, diced

Pinch  Saffron

½ Teaspoon Tumeric

½ Teaspoon Ginger, ground

½ Teaspoon Black pepper, ground

To Taste Salt

4 Cups Water or Stock

¼ Cup Carrot, diced

¼ Cup Turnip, diced

¼ Cup Butternut Squash, diced

¼ Cup Zucchini, diced

¼ Cup  Yellow Squash, diced

¼ Cup Garbanzo beans

¼ Cup Peas

½ Cup Couscous

PREPARATION:

• Collect all ingredients. On medium, heat oil.


• Sauté vegetable oil, onion, roma tomatoes, saffron, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and salt on low for 10 minutes.


• Add water for stock, boil for 20 minutes.


• Add carrots and turnips, cook for 5 minutes.


• Add butternut squash, cook for 5 more minutes.


• Add the rest of the vegetables and cook until all are tender.


• Drain, reserve broth and vegetables, and keep warm.


• Mix the couscous with the broth, covering ¼ inch above. Cover with plastic and let set for 15 minutes.


• Fluff cous cous with fork. Plate and place the vegetables on top. Add extra broth if needed.

 

Servings:   2

Serving size:  1/2 cup

Calories:   180

Healthy Recipe: Balsamic Vinegar Glazed Acorn Squash

The Acorn squash is great for both sweet and savory preparations.  It may be easily substituted for the sweet
potato.

INGREDIENTS:

Balsamic vinegar  1 cup

Honey  2 tsp.

Bay leaf  1 leaf

Rosemary sprig  1 sprig

Acorn squash  3 lbs.

Olive oil 1 T.

Salt  ½ tsp.

STEPS:

• Glaze:  In a small saucepan combine balsamic vinegar, honey, bay leaf and rosemary sprig.  Bring to boil; reduce heat.  Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup.  Remove and discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaf.


• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F.  Spray a 15X10X1-inch baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; set aside.


• Using a sharp knife, half the squash, cutting from blossom to stem ends.  Remove seeds and discard.  Cut squash crosswise into 1-inch slices, discarding stem ends.  Place squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Turn each squash slice to coat with oil.


• Roast uncovered for about 45 minutes or until squash is tender and browned, turning slices once or twice.  Transfer squash slices to a serving platter.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar glaze over squash.

NUTRITION:

SERVINGS 8; SERVING SIZE ½ (1 inch) slice.; CALORIES 78kcal; FAT 2gm

HEALTHY RECIPE: Pesto Encrusted Chicken

If golden color is desired, turn your oven up to broil for the last couple minutes of cooking to get a golden color on top.  Also, remember that if you are working with a large or thicker fillet to make sure you adjust the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces, 2 each Chicken breast

2 T. Panko crumbs

 

Pesto:

2 cups Basil leaves, fresh

2 T. Pine nuts

4 T. Parmesan cheese, fresh

1 T. Olive oil

1 T. Fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp. Lemon juice

½ tsp. Kosher salt

STEPS:

• Preheat oven to 375˚F.


• In food processor place all the pesto ingredients


• Processes until ingredients are well blended and somewhat smooth.


• Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.


• Place chicken breasts on baking sheet.


• Pat one tablespoon of pesto on top of each filet.


• Then sprinkle panko over top of each chicken breast.


• Lightly spray over chicken with pan spray.


• Place sheet pan in oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes.


• Serve with your favorite sauce or as is, is great!

Active Time – about 20 minutes

Total Time - about 20 minutes

NUTRITION:SERVINGS 2; SERVING SIZE 1 chicken breast; CALORIES 145kcal; FAT 4gm

Nutrition: Adding Nuts and Avocados

Two food foods often vilified during the low fat diet days were nuts and avocado.  Their high fat and high calorie content dieters often discouraged their consumption.  However, more recently, since they are both excellent sources of “good” fats, they are popular again and should be included as a part of a healthy diet.  Specifically, nuts and avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated oils, which have been shown to lower the risk for cardiovascular disease.  Research for the positive attributes nuts add to a diet is so strong, that Jeffery Bloomberg, a professor of Nutrition at Tufts University in Boston and one of the world’s authority’s on antioxidants, commented that “it really is at a point now where I think there is a large body of evidence and is – I would even say – a consensus of nuts being a healthful food choice if consumed in reasonable amounts.”

However, because of their high caloric content, some weight conscious dieters have continued to shy away from nut consumption.  Two recently published studies by the same researcher, Dr. Joan Sabat’e, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Loma Linda University in California, suggests that not only can nuts and avocados be included in a healthy diet; they might actually help people manage their weight. The first study, published in the online medical journal PLOS ONE, confirmed that those who ate the most tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, pistachios and walnuts) about an ounce a day, had a lower risk for cardiovascular disease.   He found that they also had a significantly lower risk for obesity than those who consumed fewer nuts.  Please keep in mind that an ounce a day is still a relatively small amount of nuts, amounting to a small handful for most people.  If you get too liberal with your intake, the calories will begin to add up.

The second study, published in the Nutrition Journal, found that those who that consumed half a fresh avocado (125 calories) with their lunch, reported a significantly decreased urge to eat for as long as 5 hours after, compared to those who had a standard lunch with no avocado.  The addition of the avocado helped to stabilize blood sugar, ultimately helping to manage hunger.  This was a very small study, and funded by the Hass Avocado Board, but Dr. Sabat’e commented that “this leads us to believe that avocado’s potential role in blood sugar management is worth further investigation.”

For those who have been avoiding nuts and avocado, now might be the time to begin to incorporate them in back in to your diet in moderate (the amount mentioned above) amounts.  My favorite way of incorporating avocado in my diet is with one of H3’s recipes. It is a very simple salsa recipe and is absolutely delicious.  Enjoy!

Trio Huevos Avocado

Ingredients:

Avocado, pitted, cubed/diced          2 cups

Tomatoes diced                                   1 cup

Red Onion, finely diced                      2 T.

Cilantro, fresh chopped                     1 T.

Lime Juice, fresh                                  2 T.

Salt                                                          ¼ tspn.

40 calories per 4 T.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; allow flavors to marinate for at least 15 – minutes before serving.

It is a great dip for cut veggies or pita chips, and topping for potatoes, eggs, and salads.

Will store safely in the refrigerator for up to a week, but will start to turn brownish in a couple of days. You can delay the browning process by covering tightly, keeping the pit in the salsa and adding a little more lime juice from time to time.

Healthy Recipe: Ham, Egg and Cheese Quinoa Cups

These perfectly pop able bites are packed with protein, and they take no time at all to make.  Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Ingredients

2 cups Quinoa, cooked (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
2 Eggs
¼ cup Egg substitute
1cup Zucchini, shredded
1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Canadian bacon, diced
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 green onions, sliced
¼ teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.


• Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and spoon mixture to the top of each cup.


• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the cups are golden brown.


• Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the mini muffin tin.

Serves: 14  Serving Size: 1  Calories: 100  Fat: 4 grams  Protein: 6 grams  Carbohydrates: 8 grams  Sodium: 180 milligrams  Fiber: 1 gram

Fit Shop: Holiday Gift Idea

If you have been to Hilton Head Health over the past several weeks you were probably lucky enough to enjoy one of our delicious gingerbread muffins.  If you have not had the chance to try them don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out!  Chef Karla has given me her secret recipe and I boxed it up as the perfect Holiday gift!  Along with the recipe for our Gingerbread Mini Muffins, this gift basket includes two Gingerbread Mini Muffin dry mixes, a mini muffin baking tin and one ounce scoop.  Wrapped up and tied with a bow our gift basket is ready to be given to a loved one as the perfect Holiday gift – or you can treat yourself!  Not interested in the entire basket?  No problem, we also have the dry mix and recipe cards available separately!  If you are interested in placing an order please contact me via email (kmilgie@hhhealth.com) or give me a call (843.785.7292 x 126) – I look forward to hearing from you! Happy Holidays!!

Kelly

Healthy Recipe: Cauliflower Gruyere Gratin

This recipe is sure to be a family favorite. Here is a tasty dish your children will love and will also be getting their daily vegetable servings in at the same time.

Ingredients:

5 heads Cauliflower, (6in heads) cut into medium size florets

2/3 cup Butter, unsalted

1/2 Cup  AP flour

10 Cup Skim milk, heated

½ tsp. White pepper

1 ¼ tsp. Nutmeg

1  2/3 Cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1  2/3 Cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

 

Preparation:

• Cut cauliflower into florets, then put in steamer for about 5 minutes. 


• While cauliflower is steaming, in a saucepan melt butter, and add flour making a roux.


• Pour the hot milk in the roux and whisk until it comes to a boil and starts to thicken.


• Once thick pull off the heat and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.


• Stir in cheeses.


• Spray hotel pan, place cauliflower in pan then drizzle milk mixture over the cauliflower until covered.


• Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving size:  ½ cup

Calories:          110

Fat:                  6 grams

Sodium            210

Healthy Recipe: GLUTEN FREE WAFFLES

  

Waffles are great as a sweet or savory breakfast in the morning. Unfortunately, a lot of people cannot indulge in them due to food allergies such as intolerance to gluten. However, this delicious recipe provides one gluten-free way to enjoy waffles.

INGREDIENTS:

3 ½ cup Rice flour

2 tsp. Kosher salt

½ cup Sugar

1 cup Ground flaxseed

1 tsp. Cinnamon

2 T. Baking powder

5 each Eggs, separated

½ cup Egg substitute

3 cups Skim milk

½ cup Canola oil

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

 

PREPARATION:

• Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.   


• In a separate bowl, separate the whole eggs (yolks and egg whites separate—egg whites in large metal mixing bowl).  Using a hand-mixer, beat the egg whites until a stiff peak form.


• Combine the rest of the wet ingredients, including the egg yolks, and mix well.


• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, the batter should be a little lumpy (that is okay).  Gently fold in the egg whites, in 2 separate batches, until just combined.


• Preheat the waffle iron.  Add ½ cup of batter for each waffle.  Allow waffle to cook as needed.

 

AMOUNT PER SERVING:  recipe makes 16 large waffles, but serving size is ½ of waffle cut into quarters (2 quarters each)

 SERVINGS:  32 

NUTRITION:  150 calories, 6 gm fat, 19 gm carb, 1 gm fiber, 4 gm protein

Healthy Recipe: SMOKY FRITTATA

SMOKY FRITTATA      

This is an easy recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight meal, when paired with a simple side salad.  There is something about the texture of the cauliflower in the frittata that will win you over!

INGREDIENTS:

1 small                       Cauliflower, cut into medium-small florets

6 each                        Eggs

¼ cup                         Sour cream, light

2 T.                              Dijon mustard

2 tsp.                           Sweet paprika

3 T.                              Chives, finely chopped

¼ cup                         Sharp cheddar cheese, 2%

½ cup                         Smoked gouda cheese

¼ tsp.                          Salt

¼ tsp.                          Pepper

1 tsp.                           Olive oil

 

PREPARATION:

• Simmer cauliflower in a large pan of boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes, or until semi-cooked.  Drain and dry.


• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Break eggs into large bowl.  Add the sour cream, mustard and paprika and whisk well.  Make sure eggs and sour cream are thoroughly blended.


• Stir in the chives and 75% of the cheeses—season with salt and pepper.


• Heat olive oil in large ovenproof frying pan.  Fry the cauliflower for about 5 minutes (until golden brown on one side).  Pour the egg mixture over the cauliflower.


• Use a fork to spread the cauliflower evenly throughout the egg mixture.  Cook on medium for ~5 minutes.


• Scatter the other 25% of the cheeses on top. Carefully transfer pan to the oven.


• Cook 10-12 minutes or until the frittata is set.  Remove from oven and rest 2-3 minutes before slicing into 6 portions.

SERVINGS:  6  

NUTRITION:  220 calories per wedge (14 gm fat, 16 gm protein, 9 gm carb, 2 gm fiber)

Fitness Friday: Hip Stretch

Check out the hip opener stretch series with Karen and Danielle for your Fitness Friday!!

Healthy Recipe: Peanut Butter Hummus

For a protein kick, try a simple and delicious afternoon snack of hummus and colourful veggies. Prepare the hummus and cut the vegetables the night before for a quick and healthy snack that won't spoil dinner appetites.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups - Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 Cup - PB2

½ Cup - Peanut butter or almond butter

1 Cup - Water

1 tsp. - Vanilla extract

2 T. - Sugar or honey

STEPS:

• Combine all ingredients into a food processor, puree until smooth and whipped.

NUTRITION:

Servings: 20

Serving Size: ¼ cup

Calories: 150kcal

Fiber: 5 grams

Carbohydrates: 17 grams

Protein: 12 grams

Sodium: 210 milligrams

Healthy Recipe: Beef and Vegetable Lasagna

This week’s recipe is our Beef and Vegetable Lasagna.  It’s a super simple way to add lots of vegetables to a dish without adding lots of extra calories or fat.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups Broccoli, cut small

4 cups Zucchini, cut small

4 cupsYellow Squash, cut small

1 Bag Spinach

1 pound Lean ground beef

1 pound Lean ground beef

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoon Oregano

2 teaspoon Basil

2 teaspoon Onion powder

2 teaspoon Garlic powder

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, part skim (reserve for top layer)

15 Lasagna sheets, Whole Wheat

3 cups Cottage cheese 1%

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

6-8 cups H3 Marinara sauce

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°F.


• Steam veggies and drain well


• Squeeze moisture out of spinach


• Sauté beef with garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and salt


• Then add H3 Marinara to the beef mixture, about 4 cups


• Reserve remaining marinara


• Then turn down heat and let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes; set aside


•  Mix cottage cheese with Italian seasoning


• Spray oil a 9 X 13 inch pan


• Place one cup of marinara sauce on bottom of pan; top with lasagna sheets; top with veggies; top with a layer of cottage cheese and meat sauce; then top with lasagna sheets


• Repeat


• Top last layer of noodles with sauce


• Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap; then cover with aluminum foil


• Preheat oven at 350˚ F, and bake lasagna primavera for 1hour 15 minutes


• Remove covering and top with mozzarella


• Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer to brown the cheese

NUTRITION                  

Number of servings: 12 servings
Serving size: 1/12 of the pan
Calories:  380
Fat grams:  10

 

Healthy Recipe: Thai Peanut Stir Fry

This week’s recipe is our Thai Peanut Stir Fry.  It’s a super simple way to add lots of flavor to a dish with out adding lots of extra calories or fat.

INGREDIENTS
Stir Fry:
2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 cup Water
1 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 tsp Ground Cayenne
1 Tbsp Minced garlic
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ginger
2 each Soba noodle bundles, cooked
1 tsp. Sesame oil
1 each Red pepper, chopped
1 each Carrot, sliced on a bias
1 stalk Celery, washed, and cut on a bias
1 stalk Broccoli florets, washed, and cut medium size
12 each Crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 bunch Scallions, chopped large on a bias
1 each Pork tenderloin, cut into strips, marinated in sesame ginger marinade (4ounces raw per person)
Sesame Ginger Marinade/Sauce:
4 each Garlic, minced
2 T. Ginger, fresh, minced
1 tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 T. Sesame oil
2 ½ T. Brown sugar
6 T. Low sodium soy sauce

PREPARATION

STIR FRY:

1. Place the first 10 ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.


2. In large sauté pan, heat pan with sesame oil.


3. Sauté pork tenderloin for one minute then sauté peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli and mushrooms.


4. Once vegetables are soft, add in cooked soba noodles and Thai peanut sauce.


5. Sauté until all components of the stir fry are hot.

SESAME GINGER MARINADE/SAUCE:

1.  Heat small sauté pan.


2. Add sesame oil


3. Sauté garlic and ginger


4. Then add brown sugar, stir frequently


5. Finally add red pepper flakes and soy sauce


6. Let sauce reduce just a little bit then serve.

Note: This recipe works great as a marinade or as a sauce. This is a very flavorful sauce; a little goes a very long way. This is a great marinade for chicken, shrimp, tofu, tempeh, pork and beef. Or this can be a great sauce for your stir fry or even your favorite kabob recipe. Depending on how you use this recipe can change the calories- marinade would be about half the calories that are listed.

NUTRITION
  Stir Fry


Number of Servings: 4
Serving Size: 2 Cups
Calories: 320
Fat Grams: 10





Sesame Ginger Marinade/Sauce
Number of Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Calories: 80
Fat grams: 4.5

 

H3's Meal Plan from a Guest's Perspective

Not only does today mark our 237^th year as an independent country, but today marks the 4 month anniversary of one of our beloved guests, Brian G.  This makes for a special 4^th of July, especially after numerous guests (including Brian) completed and conquered the local Firecracker 5k on the island this morning.  Four months ago today, Brian weighed in at 349 pounds.  Today, he is 85 lbs. lighter!!  His commitment to the meal plan and making the most out of his stay is something I admire as well as being a great model for any guests that gets an opportunity to talk with him.  I decided to ask Brian a few questions about H3’s meal plan and how it has helped him get to 261 lbs.  Enjoy reading J

Q1:   What 3 main things about H3’s meal plan make it so special?

1.  “The variety, flavor and portion control.  All the food is so fresh and filling.  For the calories, you get more than what you think you would get.  What they can do with the vegetables and minimal salt is amazing.  They turn something boring into flavorful masterpieces.”

Q2:  What is your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner at H3?

1.  “For breakfast, the apple muesli… lunch is a tough one to answer…either the turkey burger or pita pizza.  For dinner, hands down the chicken cordon bleu.”

Q3:  How have the Chef’s Tables enhanced our dining experience?

1. “I have lost 85 lbs. and have managed to attend every Chef’s Table offered.  It is great to see first-hand how gourmet meals can be healthy.  It shows I can enjoy a little cheese, wine and the finest ingredients—all in moderation.”


2. b.      The picture above is from our Red, White and Blue sorbet—a mix of our strawberry, coconut and blackberry sorbets featured in our America By Three’s Chef’s Table. 

Q4:  Would you rather have the fresh salad bar (Wednesday’s lunch) with the peanut butter mousse as dessert or have our short ribs for Friday’s gourmet meal?

1. He definitely struggled answering this one, but he made his final decision with “short ribs at gourmet night…I’d have it every night if I could.”

Q5:  What one piece of advice would you tell an incoming guest?

1.  “Keep an open mind.  If you didn’t think you liked a particular food, such as fish, then leave that at the door.  You actually don’t need all the unnecessary fat and salt to have flavorful food.”

Q6:  What are 3 recipes you would make once you go home?

“Chicken parmesan, peanut butter hummus and the apple muesli.”

Calories Count

True or False: If you eat healthy foods and exercise every day, you will lose weight.

This is a trick question, because it can be either true or false. When we eliminate unwise foods and concentrate on nutrition, our health is bound to improve. But sometimes portion sizes and preparation methods can keep us stuck at the same place on the scale.

When coaching clients come to me in a state of frustration because they are “doing everything right but not losing weight,” my first question is, “Have you added up your calories?” Often the answer is no. When these same clients take a hard look at the numbers, they are usually surprised to learn that they are a) taking in just enough to maintain their current weight or b) taking in more than they need, in which case they are actually gaining weight. The reality is, to lose one pound per week, we must create a 3,500-calorie deficit—in other words, consume 500 calories less per day than our body needs to maintain its current weight.

Whether you are Jethro Bodine or Albert Einstein, my bet is that you aren’t a good estimator when it comes to calories in and out. It’s just too easy to rationalize away a few hundred extras by overestimating calories burned and underestimating intake. But no matter how you justify them in your head, your body’s internal calculator will not be fooled. So what’s the solution?

In a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers confirmed that keeping a detailed account of what you eat and drink is a powerful weight-loss tool. The six-month study involving 1,685 middle-aged men and women found that those who kept such a diary lost about twice as much weight as those who did not.

Today, a number of Web-based weight-loss applications such as Lose It, Spark People, My Fitness Pal and others can be integrated with your computer and all of your smart devices. These programs allow you to log food intake and exercise, set and track goals, interact with others who share similar goals, and more. This is a fabulous way to begin your journey towards a healthier lifestyle, and I highly recommend it. Even if you are not a techie, these programs are easy enough to use and make calorie counting convenient. As an added bonus, many of them are free!

If the thought of keeping an electronic journal is unattractive or overwhelming, I encourage you to find a way to be accountable that suits your lifestyle—use a pocketsize notebook, diary, sticky pad, calendar, or voice recorder. Over time, you will notice behavior patterns and habits that you may want to adjust.

This doesn’t mean that you have to write down everything you eat forever. The long-term objective is to gain enough awareness and knowledge to make healthy choices more intuitively. By doing the math now, you will gain confidence in your ability to make daily decisions that support your health goals.

Chain Restaurants Display Calorie Information... But Will It Lead To Healthier Decisions?

You may have already heard that as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) restaurants with 20+ locations are required to post calorie counts on their menus. What you may not know is PPACA does not only affect fast food restaurants—but chain restaurants with buffets, convince stores, concession stands and even vending machines. Your next trip to Golden Corral may have you second guessing that endless buffet once you’ve had a chance to count the calories on your first plate alone—never mind the second or third.

Like me, you may be wondering if the calories posted will actually be accurate or underestimated. According to an interview with NPR health policy correspondent Patti Neighmon, we can assume the calories counts are correct give or take about 10 calories. While some menus under reported by over 100 calories, they surprisingly found that many restaurant postings actually overestimate calories content.

But will this be enough? Maybe so maybe not, but I think it will get people thinking. While traveling in D.C. this weekend I stopped in a Chipotle that had calorie counts posted. I was happy to see that my bowl (that is typically enough for two meals) was one of the healthier options on the menu but surprised when I realized that the $1.50 order of tortilla chips I was considering were an extra 570 calories. In this case, the calorie posting definitely did its job! My point is, we may not walk in a restaurant, look at the calories posted on the menu and walk right back out, but we may be prompted to make ‘better’ and more informed decisions.

Personally, I am excited for restaurants to start making the change. Although I consider myself pretty educated when it comes to healthy choices, I think I may find some of my random indulgences just not worth it. No matter how much we plan ahead, there will always be times when have to make a decision on the spot. In this case, my visit to Chipotle was unplanned but I was still able to make a smart decision due to their calorie postings. I think these new calorie counts will help lead to the ‘better’ or ‘best’ decision making. Do you think they will help you?

Are You Underestimating Calories?

As you know, one of my favorite mantras is “Unwise, Better, Best.” And while I think under most circumstances it can help, sometimes the best choice may not be that good. For example, the Ruby Tuesday’s Avocado Turkey Burger sounds pretty healthy, and might in fact be better than most of their other burgers, but at 1130 calories there are probably many other items on the menu that would be better choices.

The fact is that we tend to significantly under estimate the calories in food, especially if we think it is a healthy choice. Brian Wansink, who you may recognize as the author of one of my favorite books, Mindless Eating, said, “when people are eating in a restaurant that they think is healthy, they grossly underestimate how much they ate by about 50%.”

Even dieticians do a lousy job of estimating calories in the food served in restaurants. Over 200 trained dieticians were asked to estimate the calories and grams of fat in five typical restaurant meals. They significantly under estimated the calorie and fat content. For example, they on average estimated the calories in a burger and onion rings meal to be 863 calories when in fact it was 1550 calories; they estimated a tuna salad sandwich to be 374 calories when in it was almost double that at  720. If even well trained nutrition professional have a difficult time estimating calories in restaurant meals, imagine how bad the rest of us do.

Fortunately, more restaurants, especially chain restaurants, are posting their nutrition information online. In fact, the FDA will soon require all restaurant chains with more than 20 restaurants to make that information available to their customers. So the next time you go out, take a few minutes to see if the restaurant you are going to has posted their nutrition information online. If so, you will be in position to make a more informed choice. In addition to checking the specific restaurants’ websites, websites like Livestrong.com, myfitnesspal.com, sparkpeople.com and calorieking.com provide the nutrition information for dozens of restaurants in one convenient place.