Low Cal Pad Thai!!!

I was really craving some sort of stir-fry this whole week, so tonight I decided to make Pad-Thai for my family and I. If you don't really know what pad thai is then allow me to quickly explain. It's an amazingly good dish of stir-fried noodles, with usually eggs, a variety of sprouts or vegetables, and tofu, chicken, or shrimp. The recipe presented below is very healthy and only has about 400 calories per serving (1 serving is about 1  1/2 cups). It also contains about 25 grams of protein, about 25% of your daily value of Vitamin C and about 20% of your daily value of Iron as well as it containing many other nutritional benefits. The recipe below serves about 3 servings. The great thing about this recipe is that once you have prepared everything (let the noodles soak and cut the vegetable and such) It only takes about 10 mins to make! It is very quick and very easy.

What you'll need:

7-8 oz of small shrimp - peeled and deveined

3 cloves of garlic - diced

2 cups of bean sprouts

1/2 a bundle of scallion greens - sliced

A quarter of an Onion (red or yellow) - sliced

2-3 tablespoons of dry-roasted peanuts - chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons of fish sauce

3 tablespoons of rice vinegar 

2 tablespoons of sugar

2-3 teaspoons of peanut oil

1 teaspoon of chili-garlic sauce **(see bottom of page)

1 large egg (can add another if you want more egg in it)

4 oz of dried rice noodles 

(I doubled the recipe so there is twice as much ingredients in the picture above then needed)

What to do:

1. Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water for about 20 mins, or until limp and white

2. Heat peanut oil over high heat in a wok or large sauté pan. When oil is hot add garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds, until golden. 

3. Add the egg and stir for a few seconds until it is scrambled. Then add the onions and the shrimp. Stir-fry for about 2 mins, or until the shrimp turn pink and curl. ***(see bottom of page) 

4. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan. Use tongs to toss everything around in the pan, until noodles are soft and they begin to curl (2-4 mins)

5. Add the bean sprouts, scallions, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and chili-garlic sauce to the pan. Continue to toss/stir-fry until the shrimp are fully cooked and the noodles are warm (about 2 mins)

5. Garnish with peanuts and serve!

**This chili-garlic sauce is pretty spicy. So if you do not like spicy food use half as much or do not put any in at all. I do not eat a ton of spicy foods but I definitely think its needed for flavor so I would no suggest taking it out completely but obviously it's up to you!

***It is important to always be stirring the things in the pan. If you let the food sit to long while cooking the eggs and some of the other items could burn so constantly be stirring or mixing the food in the pan/wok. 

Picks and Passes at the movies!

Being a young adult and all I love to go to the movies all the time! I go out to a movie almost every weekend in fact, and of course getting food from the concession stand is

 a must. So I decided to look into what you should eat at the movie theaters and what you shouldn't, and with a lot of help from shine.com here is what I found out.

Candy:

In general the sweet and/or sour candy items are a lot better than the chocolate choices but keep in mind that they are still a dessert food meaning they are not very healthy to start off with. 

Pass: Skittles (7.2 oz bag) They have 826 calories and 9.7 grams of fat you definitely want to stay away from!

Possibility: Twizzlers (6 oz bag) They have 606 calories and 3.8 grams of fat... still not something you want to choose.

Pick: Sour Patch Kids (3.5 oz bag) These have 375 calories and 0 grams of fat. Thats more than half the calories a bag of skittles has!!

Popcorn:

Many people have the illusion that because popcorn is whole grain and doesn't really have much in it that it can't be that bad for you or that it is actually nutritious. They are definitely wrong! In fact, a large popcorn almost has as many calories as women are supposed to eat in a day, and contain almost 2 days worth of fat!!!

Pass: Large buttered popcorn. 1,640 calories and 126 grams of fat... it is so NOT worth it!

Possibility: Small no butter popcorn. 400 calories and 27 grams of fat.. that is much better but not the best option

Pick: Kids popcorn with no butter. 300 calories and 20 grams of fat. 

Ice Cream Treats:

Whenever there is the option to choose frozen fruit always do it. Any type of fruit is almost always a winner!

Pass: Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. 490 calories and 23 grams of fat

Possibility: Butterfinger Ice Cream Bar. 290 calories and 19 grams of fat. 

Pick: Edy's Strawberry Iced-Fruit Bar. 120 calories and 0 grams of fat! Low in calories and has no fat! It's definitely a pick!

Chocolate:

Sadly, most movie theater concession stands only have once size in this department, and of course during a movie you will eat a whole box. So go for something in a smaller box to keep the portions in check so you are not eating more than you need to be. 

Pass: Peanut M&M's (5.3 oz bag). These have 786 calories and 39.3 grams of fat. I was extremely sad to find this out seeing as these are one of my favorite candies in the whole world ): oh well, they are not worth that many calories and grams of fat.

Possibility: Junior Mints (4.7 oz box) 595 calories and 10.5 grams of fat.

Pick: Milk Duds (3 oz box) 371 calories and 13.1 grams of fat

Hot Foods:

First of all you should always be weary of anything that contains glow-in-the-dark cheese *cough* nachos *cough* hahaha

Pass: Nachos with nacho cheese. These "treats" have 894 calories and a whopping 52.5 grams of fat. Definitely stay away from the nachos with the glow-in-the-dark cheese!

Possibility: Hot dog with ketchup. 315 calories and 19 grams of fat. These aren't too bad but I would suggest staying away from movie theater hot dogs in general anyways. 

Pick: Soft pretzel. 310 calories and 4 grams of fat. 

So the winners are:

  

For Chocolate Lovers!

So how was everyones valentines day?  I just got home from an amazing valentines day weekend and decided to update this blog and share with you guys a recipe for a great chocolate dessert that I found at eatingwell.com. If you want to eat healthy but think you cant still indulge in some chocolate then you are wrong. This is a great chocolaty dessert that is less than 300 calories. Amazing right? Anyways here is the recipe. 

You will need:

4 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped (can use dark chocolate if you would like)

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of light corn syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons of light cream

1 egg

1 teaspoons of instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water (divided)

2 tablespoons of canola oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

5 tablespoons of powdered sugar

4 tablespoons of flour

1 tablespoon of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of very hot water

1 Mini muffin pan

1. Okay so first preheat your oven to 350, position your rack in the center of the over, and coat the mini muffin pan with cooking spray. 
   
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir well and then continue microwaving on Medium stirring every seconds until the chocolate melts completely.
   
3. For the filling: Stir together the granulated sugar, cream and half the espresso mix in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high just to steaming for 20 to 40 seconds. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and half the melted chocolate (save the other half for the batter) and stir until completely smooth. Cover and put in the freezer until cold and firm (about 30 mins).
4. For the batter: When the filling has been chilling for bout 20 mins, whisk the egg, oil, vanilla extract, salt and the remaining espresso mix in a medium bowl until very smooth. Return the remaining chocolate mix to the microwave. Microwave on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds until just warm again (be sure not to overheat). In two batches, whisk the egg mix into the warm chocolate until well blended. Sift the powdered sugar, flour, and cocoa over the batter and whisk in just until smoothly mixed. 
5. Spoon half of the batter into the mini muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cup. Remove he filling from the freezer and spoon 1/2 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each (save the rest for the sauce). Divide the remaining batter evenly among the muffin cups, about 1 rounded teaspoon per cake. Smooth out the batter to cover the filling.
6. Bake the cakes on the middle rack until the edges look dry and puffed but the centers still look very underdone and pudding-like (about 6 to 9 mins). Let cool on a cooling rack until firm (about 2 mins). Place a cutting board on top of the pan and invert the mini cakes out onto it. If the cakes are stuck to the pan, funa  knife around and under them to loosen.
7. For the Sauce: Throughly stir the very hot water into the reserved filling,  1 teaspoon at a time, until very smooth and slightly fluid. Serve 2 warm cakes per person drizzled with the sauce. 

These chocolate cakes are only 244 calories per serving (serving= 2 mini cakes) and 17 grams of fat!

Tip: Try serving the cakes with a scoop of low-fat coffee or vanilla ice cream and/or garnish which a chocolate-covered espresso bean for something extra. Or try topping them with powdered sugar, light whipped cream and/or some fresh berries such as raspberries or strawberries!

*Got the picture from here

Salad of the week: Salad with Orange, Feta, and Beans

This salad is a really good light salad that serves 2 (about 4 cups of salad each). It can be prepared in about 15 mins and is only about 220 calories (per serving). 

So heres what you need for the dressing (makes about 1 cup and takes only 5 mins.):

1/2 teaspoon of orange zest

1/2 cup of orange juice (for best results use fresh squeezed)

1/4 cup of cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of chopped fresh oregano (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

*Place all of these ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake to mix.

Heres what you need for the salad:

6 cups of chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup of canned kidney beans, rinsed (because the juices the beans are kept in while in the cans has a ton of salt in them)

1 cup of sliced oranges 

1 scallion, sliced 

1/4 cup of crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

1/4 cup of Eatingwell.com's Orange-Oregano dressing (recipe above)

*combine lettuce, beans, orange slices, scallion, and feta in a large bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss to coat. Voila! You now have a wonderful nutritious salad thats ready to eat!

(you can add radishes if you would like but I don't like radishes so I decided to take them out of the original recipe)

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I made this recipe my own by changing a recipe I found here. This site has a ton of great information on healthy eating and is filled with tons of great recipes!

5 Red Foods that everyone should eat!

So I was researching nutrition today, like always, and I stumbled across some pretty cool information about 5 red foods that everyone should eat* in order to be healthy and I decided to share them with you guys! So here they are:

#1. Cherries 

Cherries are rich in antioxidants. Well now you might

 be wondering what antioxidants are. Antioxidants are nutrients

 in our food that can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body uses oxygen it automatically produces by-products that can cause damage. Antioxidants prevent and repair the damage done by these by-products. Health problems contributed by oxidative damage consist of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and cancer. Not only are cherries rich in antioxidants but they are also a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin A.

#2 Pomegranate 

Studies have shown that pomegranate seeds may help reduce plaque buildup in arteries as well as lower blood pressure. Other research says that pomegranate juice might help manage prostate cancer, diabe

tes, arthritis, and erectile dysfunction. Nutritionists believe that the benefits of pomegranates comes from its large amounts of polyphenols (chemical substances that have characteristics similar to antioxidants). 

#3 Beets

Beets are very low in calories but high in fiber and folate (a vitamin B needed for the growth of healthy new cells). Their nice red color comes from a phytochemical called Betanin that is thought to bolster immunity. 

#4 Chile Peppers

Chile peppers contain an antioxidant call

ed Capsaicin that thwarts food spoilage and is thought to protect blood vessels. Studies show that Capsaicin increase the body's metabolic rate and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us think and feel that we are less hungry. A 2005 study showed that people ate 16% fewer calories at a meal if they had sipped tomato juice with hot-pepper extract versus plain tomato juice a half hour before. *

#5 Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a wonderful source of vitamin C with a little bit of vitamin A, potassium and fiber thrown in as well. Not only do they taste great but they are also really good for you! Tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called lycopene that fights skin aging and may be beneficial against cancer and heart disease. I love tomatoes and things that have tomatoes in them so keep an eye out for some quick and healthy recipes that have tomatoes in them!

OTHER WAYS TO USE YOUR FOOD AS MEDICINE:

• If you have migraine headaches try eating some fish. Specifically a fatty fish such as trout or herring. The omega-3 fatty acids in these fish lower the body's production of prostaglandins which are hormone-like chemicals that can cause the pain of migraines. 
  
• If you have Heartburn ginger root will cure it and prevent it from happening in the future. 
  
• If you have joint pain eat some berries. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries will the slow the deterioration of your joints. 
  
• If you have bad breath drink a cup of tea after a meal. The compounds in black teas and green teas stop the growth of bacteria in your mouth that makes your breath smell bad. +
  

 

+ got the information from here

* got information from here

Starbucks: Picks and Passes

So everyone knows that college students rely on coffee weekly in order to keep themselves awake through class, or awake enough to study for the upcoming tests. Because Starbucks Coffee is one of the most popular coffee shops in the world, and is my coffee shop of choice, I decided to look at their drinks and let you know which ones you should order and which ones you should stay away from!

*the nutritious information below is based on a Grande drink with 2% milk

Pick these:

Hot Espresso:

• Cappuccino- Calories: 120, total fat (g): 4
• Cinnamon Dolce Latte with sugar free syrup - Calories: 180, total fat (g): 6
  
• Cafe Late- Calories: 190, total fat (g): 7
  
• Carmel Macchiato- Calories: 240, total fat (g): 7
• Cafe Mocha (no whip)- Calories: 260, total fat (g): 8

Frappuccinos

• Espresso Frappuccino Light- Calories: 110, total fat (g): 0.5
• Coffee Frappuccino Light- Calories: 130, total fat (g): 0.5
• Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino Light- Calories: 140, total fat (g): 0.5
• Mocha Frappuccino Light- Calories: 140, total fat (g): 1
• Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Light- Calories: 150, total fat (g): 0.5
• Caramel Frappuccino Light- Calories: 160, total fat (g): 1.5
• Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Blended Creme (no whip)- Calories: 360, total fat (g): 2.5
  

Pass on these:

Hot Espresso:

• Peppermint White Chocolate mocha (with whip)- Calories: 540, total fat (g): 19
• White Chocolate Mocha (with whip)- Calories: 470, total fat (g): 18
• Espresso Truffle (with whip)- Calories: 460, total fat (g): 24
  
• Peppermint Mocha Twist (with whip)- Calories: 400, total fat (g): 15
• Pumpkin Spice Latte (with whip)- Calories: 380, total fat (g): 13

Frappuccinos:

• Strawberries & Creme frappuccino Blended Creme (with whip)- Calories: 570, total fat (g): 15
• Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme (with whip)- Calories: 510, total fat (g): 19
  
• Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino (with chocolate whipped cream)- Calories: 470, total fat (g): 19
• Peppermint Mocha Twist Frappuccino (with whip)- Calories: 470, total fat (g): 17
• Java Chip Frappuccino (with whip)- Calories: 460, total fat (g): 19
• Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino (with whip)- Calories: 430, total fat (g): 14
• White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino (with whip)- Calories: 410, total fat (g): 16

* Try ordering any drink without whipped cream. It can cut up to 70 calories (light frappuccinos do not have whipped creme on them)!

* Ordering non-fat milk instead of 2% cuts 40 calories!

* Iced coffees have less calories than hot coffees of the same size do!

* In general stay away from the Creme frappuccinos because they are way more fattening than they other ones. 

* I got the information above from starbucks.com and for more information on starbucks nutritional values go here!

Welcome to my blog!

Hey guys what's up? So I'm a senior in high school and for my senior project I am studying quick and easy cooking, geared towards college students. I am learning a lot about nutrition as well so that my meals and tips can help you guys eat things that you like while still staying healthy. I plan to update this Blog at least once a week with new information ranging from healthy eating tips to new recipes.