FitSugar

Chip Substitute: Jicama

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:30:00 -0700

For me, the word snack is synonymous with crunch. I find snacks more satisfying if they have some snap to them. Needless to say I am a chip lover, but they are not the most nutritious food on the planet and can be rather fattening too.

Luckily, my love affair with chips is cooling now that I have found jicama. It is a Spanish word; so pronounce the "j" with the sound of "h".

Native to the Americas and sometimes called the Mexican potato, and a mix between a potato and a pear. You can also compare it in texture to a water chestnut, and in fact jicama is made up of almost 90 percent water. A cup of jicama has almost 6 grams of fiber and only 50 calories. It is also high in vitamin C, potassium and folate.

Peel the coarse, papery skin and julienne the white flesh, into carrot stick size pieces, and squeeze some lime juice on it to keep it from browning. Add a pinch of chili to the lime juice and you have an excellent treat right there. It is also great in salad. I like to use jicama as a vehicle for salsa, and that is why I call it a chip substitute.

Source

Pimp Your Greens: Three Salad Ideas

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

Taking basic salad greens and loading them with extra veggies is a great way to increase your intake of nutrient rich fruits and veggies. The only problem with this plan is that we can easily end up in a salad rut. I asked you all to pimp my salad and the combinations you came up with sound amazing. It was nice to get some interesting salad dressing ideas too. I can also tell you that FitSugar readers do not shy away from dried cranberries or gorgonzola – two of my favorite salad toppings.

There were many tasty combinations listed, but I found three very different creations that I thought I would highlight.

Pizza Salad: This one I can’t wait to try. DearMissPriss eats this when she’s being good on pizza night - this salad doesn't even need dressing!

Red leaf lettuce
Turkey pepperoni
Marinated artichoke hearts
Hearts of palm
Capers
Crumbled feta
Oregano
Red pepper flakes

There are two more really tasty salads, so to see what they include just read more.

Full of Fruit Salad: I love how rumpel2 adds fruit to her salad. Veggies and fruits do mix!

Mixed greens
Mandarin oranges
Strawberries (optional)
Apple (optional)
Chick peas
Avocado
Feta cheese
Pine nuts
Grilled shrimp/hard boiled egg (optional)
Dried cranberries
Strawberry vinaigrette or any other sweet dressing

Veggie Galore Salad: This salad from superfoxml has so many veggies in it that it sounds like a harvest party - I can't wait to try the vegan salad dressing from Whole Foods.

Romaine
Mixed fancy schmancy greens of your choice
Green and red peppers
Peas
Corn
Celery
Tomatoes, your choice of type
Mushrooms
Onions
Jicama
Herbs of your choice
Tofu marinated in sweet chili sauce and grilled
Vegan Caesar dressing from Whole Foods
Fresh ground pepper

There were many other great salad ideas, so if you greens are hurting and none of the above salads appeal to you, check out the other options listed in the comments section.

Source

Lite'n it Up Group Feature: Vegetable Couscous

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 08:45:00 -0700

User llendril wanted to make something that would use up what she had in the fridge and still be delicious, so she turned to the Bon Appétit cookbook for a Vegetable Couscous recipe and ended up with an amazing and healthy lunch. Lucky for us she posted it in the healthy recipe group.

Learn about llendril's adventure in cooking and how to make this tasty recipe, just read more

Here's what llendril had to say:

in the grocery store, there are two sections that i can just linger in all day long. one is the baking aisle (*sigh*) and the other is the produce section. i love to stare at the vegetables, have a new one strike my fancy, take my time choosing the best of the store's selection. it's even better at wild oats and whole foods. maybe they take a clue from disneyland (at the park, they intentionally waft the scent of vanilla through the air on main street. it's not actually coming from the ice cream shop) and purposefully create the aroma, but i am struck with absolute glee every time i walk into their produce sections. it's the fresh herbs, the greens, the fennel . . . i want to buy it all. and sometimes i end up buying more than i could possibly eat before it goes bad . . .
i didn't want that to be the case, so yesterday i wanted to make something that would use up what i had in the fridge and still be delicious. the bon appétit cookbook helped me out in that endeavor, and my lunch ended up being amazing.

vegetable couscous
adapted from the bon appétit cookbook, copyright 2006

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 leek (white part and slightly into the green), chopped
* a pinch of celery seed
* 1 large red bell pepper, roasted and coarsely chopped
* 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch rounds
* 3/4 eggplant, cubed
* 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
* 1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut into 1 inch pieces
* 2 cups chicken broth, fat-free and low sodium
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
* 1.25 cups couscous
* salt and pepper to taste (my personal taste called for none of either)

1) heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. add onion, leeks, and celery seed. sauté 5 minutes
2) add bell pepper, carrots, eggplant, and fennel. sauté 5 minutes
3) add zucchini. cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
4) add broth, raisins, cinnmon, and tumeric. bring to boil
5) mix in couscous. cover and remove from heat. let stand 10 minutes
6) fluff couscous with a fork when the 10 minutes are up. add salt and pepper as desired and serve

the original recipe calls for red bell peppers (not roasted), onion, carrots, and zucchini. as i mentioned before, i rebecca-ized this up a lot by throwing in whatever i happened to have on hand (with the exception of things that i really didn't think would go well). the result? i thought it was fantastic. it's bursting with veggies, with the couscous being a nice bit of consistent texture as well as a vehicle through which the broth, cinnamon, and tumeric flavors could really shine (especially the cinnamon. oh, it was just divine). the large diversity in vegetables allowed for a completely different taste combination in most every bite. and by using 1/3 cup of raisins instead of the initial called-for full cup, i was able to be pleasantly surprised each time one of the tiny, sweet morsels found its way into my mouthful of couscous.

i found this dish to be lovely. it is given as a side dish option in the cook book, but i thought it would make a nice light lunch on its own. and for being so scrumptious, i almost couldn't believe that the portion pictured clocked in at under 300 calories and under 5 grams of fat. nice.

Print recipe with images | without images

Yum! Thanks for sharing and kudos on the lovely pictures, they look straight out of a cookbook. Have healthy recipes that you want to share too? Then join Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group to share and you'll also have access to tons of tasty and healthy recipes already posted in the group. This recipe for a Green Bean Jicama Salad posted by user Lucky Penny makes my mouth water!

Diet Tip: Focus on What You Can Add

FitSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Diets often focus on what you have to eliminate: no carbs (you know that I think that is a bad idea), sugar (good to eliminate for a little bit), all food but cabbage (really bad idea). Instead of focusing on the plate being half empty, why not fill it up with foods you should be eating.

We all should be eating 5 to 7 servings of fruits and veggies, and some diet plans recommend trying to eat up to 13 servings a day. So focus on what you can and should add to your meals and snacks. Here are a few ideas of how to increase your intake of healthy foods.

Use veggies as chip substitutes. Carrots sticks, cucumber slices, jicama, celery and pea pods are great vehicles for hummus.
Add berries to your breakfast cereal. Strawberries are just coming into season so they should be less expensive. Blackberries are super high in antioxidants too.
Add extra veggies to your salads. Left over steamed green beans or broccoli can go right onto your greens.
Try vegetable purees instead of mashed potatoes. Celery root, cauliflower and squash are tasty substitutes for mashed potatoes.

Do I have more suggestions? I surely do, so read more

Use an apple or bosc pear instead of crackers for cheese or peanut butter.
Take a banana with you wherever you go. You don't need to pack it in anything especially since it naturally comes with a nice thick skin.
Add steamed veggies to pre-made soup.
Cut up some fruit for dessert, it is a great palate cleanser and light enough to not push you over the edge.
Snack on frozen grapes.
Make smoothies for breakfast or a snack and add lots of frozen fruit to the mix. Make your own since Jamba Juice is not really the best option.

Changing your lifestyle is all about attitude, so focus on the positive. In fact, we can all focus on eating more fruits and veggies.

Source