Veggie Bee

The playoffs are over and now we know who is going to the Super Bowl. Give me a WHO DAT!! Our big question now is what are we serving at the Super Bowl party?! Finger foods and appetizers are inevitable, but making sure they’re effective for losing or maintaining weight is something that has to be planned. Whether the party is at your house or you’ll be watching at someone else’s house, be sure to take a healthy appetizer that you can share with the group. And always follow the standard strategy of eating something filling and healthy before the party starts, like a protein shake or a healthy soup.

Dips and salsas are great as appetizers, but processed chips and crackers are loaded with calories that can add up very quickly. Fill up on high-volume, low-calorie veggies and be sure you’re dipping into your favorite low-cal dip. Try a Mango Black Bean Salsa or make your own hummus for healthy snacking.

Here are some "chip" ideas to use for dipping:

• Jicama
• Bell Pepper
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Carrots (try slicing them as chips)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes (baked or microwaved as chips)
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Asparagus
• Snow peas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Radishes

Who will you be cheering for in the Super Bowl?? And what’s your favorite healthy dip & “chip” combo??

Thanks to Monica for sharing this amazing deal at Amazon! You can’t beat getting an awesome magazine like Cooking Light for only $5 for a year… but hurry and put your order in, the sale ends on Saturday.

Order Cooking Light on Amazon

What’s your favorite healthy cooking magazine??

I had intended to chop up the romaine I had in the fridge and have a huge, yummy salad for lunch before I went into the office. But I lollygagged too long and had to grab something fast on the run. Good thing I had an Amy’s Black Bean Vegetable Burrito! Next time I’ll plan ahead, but this got me through in a pinch.

Spinach+fruit vegan smoothie is on the menu for a snack when I get home and then I’ll get to have my big salad. Still plenty of time to get lots of veggies in for the day!

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I’m back from my hiatus kids! I’ve got lots of healthy, informative posts coming your way, but I’m apparently taking lots of time to put in all in writing, so while it percolates in my brain, I’ll start giving you some updates on what I’m eating… and now what I’m not eating. I’ve decided to take on a month-long vegan challenge, courtesy of Vegan Hope, as a way of putting some new, healthy plant-based options in my diet. I’ve been a vegetarian for many years, and I’ve also allowed some fish in there at times as well. I always seem to gravitate to eating mostly vegan when I can though… lots of veggies, tempeh & tofu, some fruits, a little bit of nuts & nut butters, a bit of Ezekial bread here and there and I’m good to go. So I thought it would be a good challenge to see if I can convert fully to vegan over the course of a month, especially to eliminate the dairy that’s in my diet.

Understand though, Veggie Bee is not meant to be a platform for vegetarianism or veganism, but it is meant to be a platform for incorporating more veggies and fruits into your diet, no matter what else you eat. I hope through my vegan efforts you can find some new recipes & ideas to add to your diet as well. If you are a meat-eater looking for a new challenge, and looking to incorporate more plant-based foods too, check out Mark’s Daily Apple for his take on primal eating.

Goodbye Dairy!

Two things that I am going to miss on my way to vegan are these goodies:

Half & Half and Buttermilk Dressing!

I do think that we can all benefit from decreasing or eliminating dairy from our diets regardless of whether we are vegan or not. Annie’s Naturals has a great line of natural and organic salad dressings, some of which are vegan, but be careful because a lot of them are really high in calories. This dressing has only 60 calories per 2 tablespoons but it is thick & creamy so you don’t have to use a whole lot. I’m going to work on a vegan recipe to duplicate this!

I’ve tried vegan creamer before and it has some additives in it that I don’t want to drink, like carageenan. So I’m going to have to do some research on a good substitute while I use up my Horizon supply. I’ve learned to limit my coffee these days but when I have it, I must have it with some type of creamer I’ve decided, now I just have to find a good vegan substitute. As you probably know, dairy is not the only danger in this creamer.  The calories from creamer can add up fast if you’re pouring more creamer than coffee into your cup!

Hello Salsa!

Here’s my new favorite find at Henry’s… if you like garlic, you will love this salsa! I’ve been adding it my salads and it is so yummy!

HotCha Cucumber Jalapeno Salsa

Please bear with my cell phone photos as I search for a brand new camera!

Now that summer is here, I’m sure you’ve already done some grilling!! While grilling is a fabulous option for poultry, fish and shellfish as part of your healthy life, don’t forget that dessert deserves a chance on the grill too. Grilled fruit is a tasty and easy way to help you increase your fruits and veggies and enjoy your dessert too!

 Grilled Fruit with Strawberry Dip

Ingredients
4 peaches, halved or quartered
8 chunks of pineapple
4 plums, nectarines or papayas, halved
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Dip
8 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon dried, ground ginger
8 strawberries, halved

Preparation
In a blender, puree cheese, yogurt, ginger and strawberries until smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for two hours. Thread fruit onto eight skewers and mix vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Grill fruit until lightly browned, turning frequently and brushing with vinegar mixture every few minutes. Serve with strawberry dip on the side.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts per serving
Calories: 106
Protein: 4 grams
Fiber: 2 grams

Recipe courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Grilled Bananas

Ingredients
4 bananas, cut in half
Cinnamon sugar
Melted butter, optional (or olive oil spray)

Preparation
Cut bananas in half so that both halves have all the skin on. Cut the halves lengthwise (so the bananas are shaped like boats) and LEAVE THE SKIN ON. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. (If using butter or olive oil spray, brush or spray bananas lightly before sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. To make it lower calorie, use olive oil or canola spray and sprinkle with cinnamon).

Place bananas cut side down for 1 to 3 minutes or until bananas have grill marks. Turn over and continue cooking until warmed through. When the banana skin starts to pull away from the fruit, they’re done.

Eat right out of the skin while still warm or serve on top of a serving of Stonyfield Farms Organic Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt!

What’s your favorite recipe for grilling fruit??

I found this easy recipe a while ago and now I can’t find the source, but it’s very tasty and great to keep in the refrigerator for an extra fruit & veggie boost to your daily diet. It’s great to try with home-made baked potato “chips”, as a salad topping or with my new favorite jalapeno tortilla chips from Food Should Taste Good. They’re perfectly spicy! Food Should Taste Good has other flavors that I’m sure are delicious, but I always gravitate to the jalapeno flavor!  I promise to try the other flavors and give you a review.  I like these tortilla chips because they do not contain any artificial ingredients and they’re so tasty, but they are still 140 calories per ounce (as opposed to about 25 calories per ounce for home-made baked potato chips), so you should eat them with vegetables or vegetable dips like this salsa if you need help with portion control.  

I use the Trader Joe’s frozen mangos in place of fresh mango, just allow to defrost before mixing.

Ingredients
1 large mango, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Preparation
Combine mango, red onion, black beans, cilantro and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

What are your favorite salsa or healthy dip recipes??

Today’s post is by Jeremy & Jamie Clear, of Clearly Vegan. Whether you’re interested in becoming a vegetarian or simply interested in better health, this is great information for adding healthier proteins to your daily diet.  Take a moment to subscribe to their newsletter, Elevate Your Plate for more great healthy living information!

7 Sources of Plant Based Proteins

by Jeremy & Jamie Clear 

One of the most common myths (perpetuated by the meat industry) is that vegetarians don’t get enough protein. Here’s  something everyone should know about protein: Every whole food contains protein! 

 Carrots contain it, celery contains it. We do not have to restrict ourselves entirely to nuts, seeds, and beans when thinking about protein. We certainly do not need to focus on animal products. The protein consumed from a balanced plant-based diet appears to be plenty. Many of us have been conditioned to worry about specific nutrients, such as protein. If we just consume the foods the human body is designed for, we don’t have to worry about the nutrients and we should experience optimal health.

The American Heart Association agrees “You don’t need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.”

In fact, diets high in animal protein are linked to an increase in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Try these 7 great sources of plant-based protein:

 Read more at: The Protein Myth - Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine

I don’t often eat out at fast food or casual dining restaurants simply because I like to be aware of not only the ingredients I’m eating, but also the calories of the meals. I also usually have to make special requests, you know what I’m talking about… dressing on the side, no oil, no meat, etc. So unless I’m with someone else who wants to eat out at one of these places, I would rather just eat something I’ve prepared at home (and yes, sometimes that means Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals!)  I’m not the type of eater who likes to portion control my food either, I like to be able to order something and eat it all if I like it!

I was excited to end up at two separate restaurants over the weekend that made it completely easy to just order straight off the menu! I knew exactly what was in the food I was ordering and the calorie count, I didn’t even have to make substitutions or special requests. I applaud these establishments for helping us out with our weight management…. now if I could just ensure fresh, organic ingredients…. ah well, one step at a time.

• Coco’s Bakery - they have locations on the west coast and we have one right down the street. We wanted to go somewhere for a quick breakfast and I was pleasantly surprised to find their Fit & Lively menu options (at the bottom of the menu page). I had the Tomato Basil Egg White Omelette. They also have Fit & Lively lunch & dinner options. Scroll over the symbol by each item name and it will give you the nutritional info.
• Islands Burgers - I usually have their veggie burger with the endless fries as a splurge, but I decided to take a look at their menu online before we went to see if I could find a meal that wouldn’t be such a splurge. They’ve added their Paradise’s Bikini Beach menu and it lists all the calories for each choice. I enjoyed the No Blame Grilled Veggie Tacos and they were really good! I stole a few french fries from David too, shhhhhh!

It was so nice to just order straight off the menu with no changes, no requests, no questions. I hope every restaurant starts doing this.

Are there any restaurants that you’ve been to that have calories and nutritional info right on the menu??

Just because you’re trying to increase your veggies, doesn’t mean they have to be bland or topped with artificially flavored dressings! You don’t have to sacrifice taste for health.  There are a lot of options out there that can support your efforts to enjoy veggies in a lower fat or lower calorie way.  Ideally, you’ll want to aim for a maximum of 45 calories for 2 tablespoons of dressing since most regular dressings can easily increase your daily calorie intake. There are plenty of options with wonderful natural ingredients available, don’t settle for preservatives and artificial ingredients no matter what the calories are!

Individual seasonings
Use these together or separately instead of a bottled dressing. These are usually available at restaurants as well!

• Balsamic vinegar ~ Balsamic vinaigrette is made using vinegar as well as oil. However, balsamic vinegar by itself has only 14 calories per tablespoon and its flavor goes a long way on a salad or over veggies.
• Lemon juice ~ Used alone or combined with any of these other ingredients, it can add a flavor punch over salad or steamed, grilled or roasted veggies.
• EVOO ~ Extra virgin olive oil. Good extra virgin olive oil is best used as a dressing since heating it too much can change its flavor. At 120 calories a tablespoon however, you may not want to pour it on your veggies without care. Try spritzing it or using a Misto sprayer to give you better portion control.
• Salsa ~ Naturally made salsa can be super flavorful using only a few ingredients and makes a great topping not only for salads but over potatoes or black beans as well.

By the bottle

• Galeo’s ~ Their tag line is “The world’s best dressings!” and I have to wholeheartedly agree. All of their dressings are fantasic. My favorite is the Miso Sesame, but all 4 of their flavors are yummy!
• Trader Joe’s ~ If you live near a Trader Joe’s, you know what a blessing this place is for healthy, cost-effective foods. They have a few great options for salad dressings:
  • Parmesan Ranch ~ you can find it in the produce section.
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
• Follow Your Heart ~ They have 2 really great ranch dressing which can usually be found in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store’s produce section.
  • Low Fat Ranch
  • Low Fat Spicy Southwestern Ranch
• Newman’s Own ~ many of Newman’s Own dressings are high in calories and fat, but 2 of his dressings stand out as both tasty and low calorie. Plus all the profits go to charity!
  • Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Annie’s Naturals ~ Annie’s carries a wide variety of organic and natural sauces and dressings. Here are a few of their lower calorie options. Check the store locator to find Annie’s near you!
  • Lite Gingerly Vinaigrette
  • Lite Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette

Individual packets

• Newman’s Own Light Italian Dressing ~ Minimus.biz is a site for finding travel-size and convenient products, but I could only find one salad dressing to recommend since most of the others contain what can only nicely be called “unnatural.” If you find any others on the site that you have a question about, let me know. These individual packets make it very convenient for travel or to keep handy in your purse for meals out where you may not be able to find suitable dressing.

Recipes

• If you never want to buy your dressing again, check out A Veggie Venture for all the information you’ll ever need about making your own! Be careful with the amount of oils in dressing recipes if you’re trying to lose weight, remember that all oils are around 120 calories per tablespoon.

What’s your favorite bottled salad dressing or dressing recipe??

A simple and easy way to add new veggies to your life is to try roasting them. Roasting brings out a wonderful flavor and texture of your veggies and are great additions to salads, soups, dips and even as pizza toppings!

Roasting doesn’t have to require a lot of oil, try using nonstick cooking spray on the pan and over the veggies, or use a Misto Olive Oil Sprayer to control the amount of olive oil you use.

Check out these links for more tips and recipes for roasting all types of veggies:

• Hot Properties ~ from the San Diego Union Tribune, it includes several recipes like Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic.
• Roasted Vegetables: Recipes & Tips ~ From WebMD Health Center, it includes some info on how to roast garlic.
• Ratatouille of Roasted Vegetables ~ a recipe from Eating Well. This recipes uses a minimal amount of oil to lower fat and calories while maximizing the flavor of roasting.
• Balsamic Roasted Vegetables ~ a recipe from Epicurious. To lower the fat and calories, use less oil than the recipe calls for and check out the reviews for variations on the recipe.

My favorite veggie combo for roasting has been eggplant, zucchini and red peppers!

Do you roast vegetables regularly??  What’s your favorite combination of vegetables to roast??