6 Small Meals!

Here's something I read this morning and thought it might help you all on your way to healthy eating!

For more information on what a healthy diet consists of... you can visit... http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Six-Meal Diversity Deal
By RealAge

Are you still stuck in the three-meals-a-day mindset? You’re not alone. Many people get hung up on the misconception that eating anything beyond their allotted three meals per day constitutes a failure of dietary willpower. But while it's true that eating empty-calorie snack foods between meals is no recipe for health, limiting yourself to the traditional breakfast-lunch-dinner feeding format may not be doing you any favors, either.

So try this: Forget between-meal snacking. Forget three squares a day. Your new recipe for healthy eating: Six is better than three.

It sounds like a contradiction, but with a focus on diversity and proper portion size, eating six mini meals instead of three large meals each day will add variety to your diet and can help you feel fuller and be healthier overall.
Ditch the Word "Snack"

Your first step in eating six diverse meals is to kick the word "snack" out of your vocabulary. It often conjures up images of low-nutrition or high-fat items such as chips, pretzels, or ice cream. These types of snacks won't help you lose weight or make your diet any more diverse.

Your second step is to focus on size. Doubling your number of meals shouldn't double the food you eat each day. Instead, your three big meals become six mini meals. You should continue to take in roughly the same number of calories each day, assuming you are not currently overeating.

Finally, make each mini meal an opportunity to vary and balance your diet to include the proper amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats as well as important vitamins and minerals.


More Is Less

The health bonuses of eating more meals are varied. Studies show that people who eat more meals tend to eat a greater variety of foods and are more likely to meet their daily nutritional needs.

Eating frequently may also help control your appetite, which in turn could help you control your weight. And by breaking up your three big meals into six smaller meals spaced evenly throughout the day, you may also lower your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
Don't Space Out

With three squares a day, meals tend to be too far apart, which allows blood sugar levels to drop down low. When this happens, the urge to reach for unhealthful snacks in order to satisfy cravings can get you into trouble.

Grabbing a quick high-carbohydrate snack may bring your blood sugar level up quickly, but most likely too quickly, after which it could simply crash once again, leaving you searching for your next food fix.

Eating many small meals throughout the day -- as long as the meals are balanced -- can help stabilize your blood sugar, so you don't get energy highs and lows.

The key to the mini-meal approach is to pack your meals with enough nutritional punch and fiber to sustain yourself without adding a lot of unnecessary saturated fat and calories.
Choose Foods Your Body Can Use

To keep your blood glucose levels steady throughout the day, focus on foods that will increase blood sugar levels slowly and stably. Try to include a fiber-rich item, a protein-rich item, or a bit of healthy unsaturated fat in every mini meal in order to sustain your energy over a longer period of time. These kinds of food items digest more slowly and raise blood sugar levels more steadily.

Also, keep your focus on diversity with each mini meal. While you balance your intake of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats throughout the day, your goal should be to enjoy a number of different items from each food group.

If your morning meal contained protein-rich dairy, get your protein from another source in the afternoon. Try lean meats such as canned tuna, or vegetable sources such as soymilk, almonds, or red beans. If the fiber-rich carbohydrate in your midday meal was whole-wheat bread, get your next fiber fix from a piece of fruit. Fruits high in fiber include figs, dates, raspberries, raisins, and kiwifruit.
Dynamic Dietary Duos

Your mini meals will be more diverse if you try to include items from at least two food groups in every meal. Serving at least one fruit or a vegetable in each mini meal not only ensures variety but also helps you meet your RealAge Optimum of four fruit and five vegetable servings a day. Avoid mini meals that contain only a single kind of food.
Pairing certain foods can help maximize the benefits of the six-meal lifestyle. Here are a few examples of great pairings:

* Couple your vegetables with a bit of healthy fat to help your body better absorb the vitamins and minerals. For example, a drizzle of olive oil on a salad of mixed greens and sliced tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb the lutein in the greens and the lycopene in the tomatoes.
* Pair complex carbohydrates with a protein or healthful fat. The addition of a protein or healthy fat slows down the rate of digestion even more than a complex carbohydrate alone. Try whole-grain bagels with natural peanut butter, or dip your whole-grain crackers into spicy hummus. Or add walnuts to a fruit salad, which will help your body use any carotenoids in the fruit.

Healthy Eating Redefined
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is a great way to increase your opportunities to meet nutritional gaps in your daily diet. Mini meals that incorporate whole-grain foods, colorful vegetables and fruit, lean fish or poultry, low-fat dairy, and unsaturated fats not only will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels but also could help reduce your risk of several diseases, from heart disease and hypertension to diabetes and certain cancers. Saying goodbye to snacks and three squares a day never sounded sweeter.

Snack ideas around 200 calories or less!

I know eating healthy can sometimes slip into … well … boring … And because great nutrition is so important to good health and good singing.. here are some ideas that are quick and easy to keep your snacking interesting, low calorie and yummy… There are a few in here I found for a particular client … (You know who you are…) The rest of you will be glad he asked…

Eat well, live well, and sing well...

Enjoy!


EGGLESS STUFFED BREAKFAST BURRITO

Serves: 1

Ingredients
1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber large tortilla
1 Slice extra-lean turkey bacon
2 Cups spinach leaves
1/3 cup diced mushrooms
¼ cup diced Roma tomatoes
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cut bacon into small, bite-size pieces. Set aside. Spray a small pan with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces, mushrooms, pepper and onion to the pan. Stirring occasionally, cook until bacon begins to crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add spinach leaves, and cook and stir until the leaves have wilted. Add shredded cheese, and stir until just melted. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Warm tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Lay ­tortilla flat and spread cheese wedge on top of it. Evenly layer spinach mixture over the cheese-topped tortilla. Place diced tomatoes on top of spinach mixture. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, and then slowly roll tortilla up from the bottom to top. Enjoy!



PIZZA

Here is a really simple suggestion to satisfy a pizza craving and it is an excellent snack size serving.

* whole wheat English muffins
* pizza sauce
* low-fat mozzarella shredded cheese

The English muffin you purchase should be whole wheat, because we are aiming for a healthy snack. Whole wheat bread has many more nutrients than white.

The pizza sauce can be any tomato based sauce, but it should NOT include cheese. Check the label - so many pasta sauces on the market now include a form of cheese. The problem, again, is the added calories, which almost none of us need.

Split the muffin, spread some sauce, and use 1/8 cup of cheese (that is one-half of 1/4 cup) and you got a 100 calorie snack. Put it in a toaster-oven or under the broiler for a few minutes and you are done. (Do not use the microwave - it will turn out yucky).

How did we get to 100 calories? 50 for the English muffin, 10 for the sauce, and 40 calories for the cheese

And now you have a chance to add some Pineapple or other fruit or vegetable to make it even more healthy!


MEXICAN SNACK PIZZAS

A low-fat, low-calorie pizza with a Mexican flavor. The beans and whole-wheat muffins give a fiber boost.

4 servings. Per pizza (1/2 English muffin) : Calories, 95; Total fat, 2 grams; Saturated fatty acids, 1 gram; Cholesterol, 4 milligrams; Sodium, 300 milligrams. 1/4 c. tomato puree 1/4 c. kidney beans (canned), drained and chopped 1 tbsp. onion, chopped 1 tbsp. green pepper, chopped 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves 1/4 c. Mozzarella cheese (part skim milk), shredded 1/4 c. lettuce, shredded

Split muffins; toast lightly. Mix puree, beans, onion, green pepper, and oregano. Spread on muffin halves. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Garnish with shredded lettuce.

BETTER-FOR-YOU BUFFALO WINGS

Ingredients:

* 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 2 1/2 pounds (about 28) wing drumettes (look for skinless drumettes if available)
* 1/4 cup nonalcoholic or light beer (chicken broth or wine can also be used)
* light blue cheese dressing (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the seasoned salt, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and flour. Remove and discard the skin from the wings (if you weren't able to find skinless drumettes). Dip each wing into the seasoning mixture, pressing the mixture onto the chicken to coat well.
2. Generously coat a large nonstick skillet with canola cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the chicken wings (cooking in batches if necessary) and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned.
3. Flip with prongs and cook for about 4 minutes more.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the beer. Cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. If the wings aren't cooked through, turn them over and cook for a few minutes more.
5. Remove from the heat and serve hot with light blue cheese dressing if desired (not included in nutrition information below).

Yield:
Makes 7 servings (4 wing drumettes per serving)

Nutritional Information
per serving: 174 calories, 29 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 73 mg cholesterol, 539 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 23 percent.



NO-BACK PEANUT BUTTER POWER BARS

Ingredients:

* Canola cooking spray
* 1 tablespoon butter or canola margarine
* 1/3 cup reduced-fat smooth peanut butter
* 2 cups miniature marshmallows, lightly packed
* 1 cup low-fat granola
* 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal (or other puffed rice cereal)
* 1/3 cup ground golden flaxseed (golden flax works better in this recipe)

Preparation:

1. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray. Put the butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows into a medium-sized microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until mixture is just melted. Stir to blend.
2. Microwave again briefly if the mixture isn't melted or smooth. Then stir in granola, puffed rice and flaxseed.
3. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan, flattening it evenly with a sheet of waxed paper. Let it cool completely before cutting into 8 equal-sized bars.

Yield:
8 bars

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 207 calories, 5.5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 8 g of fat ( 2 g saturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 1.8 g polyunsaturated fat) , 4mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 174 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35%. Omega 3 fatty acids = 1 g, Omega 6 fatty acids = 0.7 g.




SPICE-ROASTED ALMONDS

These almonds are given a treatment of spices and a short baking time for amazing rich flavor and intense crunch.

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups whole almonds

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine chili powder, olive oil, kosher salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and pepper; add almonds and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Bake about 10 minutes or until almonds are toasted, stirring twice. Cool almonds completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Yield:
32 (1-tablespoon) servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 62 calories, 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 33 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.


SMOOTHIE
Smoothie blended with 6 ounces skim milk, 3/4 cup diced strawberries and banana, 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup and 1 cup ice

ANY WHOLE FRUIT

1 medium pear with 1 ounce Brie

2 ounces smoked salmon with 1 tablespoon nonfat cream cheese on 1/2 small whole wheat bagel

Larger than a tea sandwich, this snack is almost a mini meal in itself. It's low on calories and high on protein and whole grains, which means you're really getting the most out of those calories

TURKEY HERB CHEESE ROLL UPS

These are easy and make a slightly fancy, hit-the-spot snack.

Ingredients:

* 2 ounces sliced turkey breast
* 4 teaspoons light herb cheese spread (like Alouette® brand) or use light cream cheese and sprinkle it lightly with a Mrs. Dash® Herb seasoning blend
* 1/2 carrot, cut into about 4 thin sticks (thin celery sticks can also be used)

Preparation:
1. Lay out your turkey breast slices (about 4).
2. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the herb cheese spread over each turkey slice (if using light cream cheese, spread it over the turkey slices then sprinkle the an herb blend lightly over the top of the cream cheese).
3. Set a carrot or celery stick on one end of the turkey slice and roll up.

Yield:
1 snack serving

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 214 calories, 21 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat, 2.2 g monounsaturated fat, 0.1 g polyunsaturated fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 260 mg sodium (not including the sodium from the turkey). Calories from fat: 29%.