T-5 - Eat Well, Eat Happy

Theme

Eat Well, Eat Happy

Description

Eating nutritiously can be not only invigorating, but delicious and wholly satisfying

To Do

Plan your food for the duration of our 6-week challenge... whether you choose to do something different each week, go on a 3-week cycle you repeat, or come up with a weekly plan you will replicate each week. 

Nourish Yourself

Evaluate the foods you plan to consume... do they provide energizing calories or empty ones?

Get Up & Go!

Take into account your food consumption when considering your workout plan... the old “wait an hour before going swimming” things and so on

Tools

Calorie stat links

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/  (the best!... well of course... it’s lance armstrong!)

http://www.calories-in-foods.com/

http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/

http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/calorie_counter.asp

Tip(s)

• Portion control portion control portion control!
• Take smaller bites (I actually use a smaller fork in order to achieve this!)
• Eat 4-6 times per day (goes along with the portion control thing... example, I routinely eat breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon tea snack, dinner and finally dessert)
• Eat slowly
• Drink a goodly dose of water prior to eating to curb hunger and avoid overeating

Tweak

Substitute where you can, tricking yourself as need be

(for example I am a butteraholic, and so I coat nearly everything with a pump or two of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter zero-cal spray.... both head and tummy are satiated)

Question

What overindulgence can you readily part with... what not-exactly-healthy treat should you keep in order to maintain sanity?

Thoughts

“Food should be enjoyed rather than endured.” - Steve Hamilton

“Food is an important part of a balanced diet” hee hee... - Fran Lebowitz

Tidbits

10 Fun Food Facts (from http://breadplusbutter.blogspot.com)

1 - The first soup was made of hippopotamus. The earliest archeological evidence for the consumption of soup dates back to 6000 BC and it was hippopotamus soup!

2 - .007 calories are consumed while licking a stamp.

3 - Banana trees are not actually trees - they are giant herbs.

4 -7-Up - invented in 1920 contained Lithium - the drug commonly prescribed now to sufferers of bi-polar disorder.

5 - The world's first chocolate candy was produced in 1828 by Dutch chocolate-maker Conrad J. Van Houten.

6 - Coca-Cola was originally green.

7 - In the 1950’s a McDonald’s hamburger, fries, and coke had about 600 calories. Today you can get a quarter-pounder, super-sized fries, and a 42 oz coke along with 1550 calories

8 - California's Frank Epperson invented the Popsicle in 1905 when he was 11-years-old

9 - Large doses of coffee can be lethal. Ten grams, or 100 cups over 4 hours, can kill the average human.

10 - The hamburger was invented in 1900 by Louis Lassen. He ground beef, broiled it, and served it between two pieces of toast

(Anyone heard of Louis Lunch in New Haven, CT. That's the place where it all began and it's still served the same way. Oh, if you go there...don't ever ask for ketchup in your burger. It's frowned upon. Seriously.)

Treat

Stuffed Chicken Divan with a Sherry Dijon Sauce

from FoodNetwork.com

Notes

We've updated this classic dish while still keeping all the elements that people love: crisp broccoli, juicy chicken, and a tasty Parmesan sauce. By stuffing the chicken breasts we were able to cut down on the overall cheese in the dish while still maximizing flavor. A mixture of low-fat evaporated milk, broth and sherry with a touch of cornstarch makes a creamy sauce that tastes as rich as the full fat version.

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat the broiler. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels.

Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic. Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of the broccoli mixture. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through. Transfer to the baking dish.

Meanwhile, combine the milk and stock in a small pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the sherry and cornstarch until smooth and pour, whisking constantly, into the sauce. Cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut each breast in half on an angle. Whisk the mustard into the remaining sauce and spread a few tablespoons on each plate. Top with a halved chicken breast.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Calories 347; Total Fat 11g (Sat Fat 5.1g, Mono Fat 3.9g, Poly Fat 1.1g) ; Protein 50g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 126.5mg; Sodium 433.5mg

Blog

The Food & Happiness connection: http://www.makeeverybodyhappy.org/index.php?q=happiness-and-food

In Sum

Enjoy your food, enjoy exercising balance, enjoy this process.... and soon you will enjoy delicious results!