Skip the sugar… make these Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Related to my blog post yesterday… I was in the mood for a sweet treat. I looked at what I had in my kitchen, and staring at me were perfectly ripe (…maybe almost toooo ripe) bananas. Meanwhile, I had a few zucchinis out that I was planning to use for dinner. My sweet tooth took over and I decided to make these fabulous Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins adapted from this recipe.

More than just satisfying my sweet tooth-- these yummy muffins are portion controlled and can freeze well. When you make them… make sure not to eat them all at one time. Leave out a few (they always taste better fresh…) and put the rest away in an air-tight container. (Out of sight) In my case… I gave them to my husband to bring to his office as his mid-afternoon snack (instead of the cookies and cakes normally found in his office pantry).

In my excitement of eating these muffins, I did not photograph them. Imagine that these are what they looked like! Seriously… they were pretty close ;)

When snacking- all nuts are not created equal

There are many recipes for homemade roasted nuts

Nuts are a great choice for a quick, nutritious snack.  They provide many nutrients like minerals, fiber, protein, and essential fatty acids (think good, unsaturated fat).  Yet- some nuts are more nutritious than others- providing more bang for you buck, so to speak (more nutrients per calorie or per gram of fat).

But- always keep in mind that high fat products are high in calories!!

When snacking on nuts- take into account calories, protein, fiber and minerals.  You can use the chart below to compare:

1) similar calorie content (ex. walnuts give you more than twice the protein that pecans do for the same calories)
or
2) similar protein content (ex. walnuts have less calories and fat compared to the macadamia nut for the same amount of protein)

Nutritional composition of 1 cup of various nut varieties- 1 serving is usually 1/4 cup*

*Peanuts are not truly a nut- they are considered a legume.  But, for our purposes- they are included in this.

Nuts are one way of lowering risk of heart disease by providing monounsaturated fats

The key to nutritionally dense foods is portion control.  A quick/handy measure of a serving of nuts is the amount that fit (in a single layer) on the palm of your hand.

Take home message: 
-Choose your nuts wisely as some  may be much higher in fat or calories than another.
-Nuts should be MINDFULLY eaten (not straight out of the can!)- measure out a portion because, although nutritious, these are very high in fat and calories.

For more nut (or any!) comparisons- look to the USDA food composition website!

Source for table:
Murano, Peter S. "Chapter 2- Food Categories and Composition." Understanding Food Science and Technology. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2003. p35. Print.

it's not what we eat, it's how much

It has been raining for the past three days here in New York- really, raining the whole day, everyday.  Because of this, I have not had time to do any school supply shopping or have time for fun, outdoorsy activities (read... non-school supply shopping), but I have had time to read.  This is a good thing, because I have already been given more reading than perhaps I have done in the last four years since college.

We all know that Americans are overweight- well at least two-thirds are.  But, it may not be all because of a change to a more sedentary lifestyle or the development worse eating habits.  The reason may be simply that: we eat too much.

Bucket Gulp 

The size and portion of our food has increase dramatically within the past few decades, and Americans are unaware of how much more they are eating.  Foods we buy are sometimes two to five times larger than when they were first introduced into the marketplace.  (Even our apples are bigger!!)  Haven't you heard about people who go on vacation in Italy or France and lose weight- even though "all they ate was pasta and bread and cheese and delicious crepes?"  The reason is that the portions are much smaller in other countries, and if less is on the plate- you eat less and still feel satisfied.  (by the way- the French croissant doubles in size when it's baked in America! oy)