Holiday Dessert Swap

It's that time of year of year again where everywhere you go it's "pumpkin" this, "cranberry" that, and "peppermint" something else. I am back at home and attended an annual Holiday Party at my old piano teacher's house. My eyes were immediately drawn to a magnificent looking peppermint pie! After taking a bite of the ultra rich cream pie, I thought to myself, there's absolutely NO way that this can be good for you.. But oh, it could be deceiving! Indeed, there's something inherently tricky about minty desserts. They seem light. It's like the mintiness sends a message straight to the brain, triggering the response, "This can't be THAT bad for me!" I quickly found the maker of the delicious pie and she informed me of the ingredients. Sugar, heavy whipping cream, oreo cookies.. Ahhh.. This was definitely not a dessert to be taken lightly.

After some quick research on the internet, I found an awesome recipe that subs out the heavy cream for fat free cool whip, which naturally sweetens without the use of oreo cookies and other sugars. Even better, there's ZERO baking involved, just some quick and easy mixing of ingredients.. and after 10 minutes of prep time, all that's left is some time for the pie to chill and harden, and voila! A minty, chocolatey healthier cream pie! Check it out!

Less than 5 grams of fat per slice? Dig in!

Ingredients:
Purchase a pre-made chocolate graham cracker crust
Filling

• 1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1 small (4-serving) box Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix
• 3 cups Cool Whip Free, thawed
• 3 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 standard-sized peppermint candy canes, lightly crushed, divided
• Optional topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:

To make the filling, combine condensed milk, milk, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth. Gently stir in chocolate chips and about 3/4 of the candy cane pieces. Once crust has cooled completely, evenly pour filling into the pan. Refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 2 hours. (Overnight is best.) Sprinkle pie with remaining candy cane pieces. If you want, top with Reddi-wip just before serving. Dig in!

Here's the BEST part:

• Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of pie) 
• Calories: 202
• Fat: 4.5g 
• Sodium: 250mg 
• Carbs: 37g 
• Fiber: 0.25g 
• Sugars: 24g 
• Protein: 2.5g 

So, when you're thinking of a healthier option to take to the next Holiday Party, give this recipe a try! It took all of 10 minutes to whip together! So, it's super quick, easy, and it tastes delicious! Enjoy! 

Tacos-Cheap, Easy, and FAST!

So you would think with my profession that I absolutely love going to the grocery store.  But after a long day at work, a 65 lb puppy that needs attention, and frankly pure laziness on my part...I dread it and want to fly through there as quickly as possible.  Although I think that through this dread and impatience has come a good outlet of knowledge.  Having done my research, I now feel confident that my speedy trip's outcome will not do a disservice to my healthy diet.  I would like to share some short-cuts on how to have a great tasting and HEALTHY taco night! 

Cheap and Easy Tacos

1/2 pre-roasted turkey or chicken (I like Jennie-O brand, and remove the skin!)
1 package Whole Wheat Tortillas (I like the low-carb brands, they seem to have a higher protein and fiber content)
1 Green pepper
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 bushel Fresh Cilantro
1 Avocado
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Hot sauce

Grill onions and green peppers in a well-greased frying pan (olive oil spray is a healthy choice to cook with.)  Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 secs.  Slice fresh tomato and avocado.  Chop fresh cilantro pieces.  Remove skin from roasted chicken.  Pull of about 3 oz of meat (size of deck of cards) portions for each taco.  Add grilled vegetables, fresh tomato, avocado, sprinkle cheese, and cilantro.  Add hot sauce for some spice.

Get nutrition advice without leaving your room and earn a prize!

Don't have time to make an appointment with the dietitian but have a specific question about nutrition?  Did you know you can post nutrition questions to the dietitian on this blog?  Just go to the link "Ask Maria" and post your nutrition questions in the comment section.  Ask away on anything from cooking tips, what to eat in your servery, to how to fuel for that first marathon!  Include your rice e-mail with your post and I will give the first 3 posts (and they have to be legit questions, this will be determined by me, the dietitian) $10 in wellness bucks to use on any wellness center service!

Ice Skating at Discovery Green

Great source of family fun!

The skates are comfortable.. just make sure you remember socks!

You're never too old for a visit from Santa!

Staying in Houston over Winter break and looking for something to do? Looking to blow off some steam and relax after studying for finals? Or just looking for something fun to do outdoors as the weather gets chillier? Look no further than Discovery Green's outdoor ice skating rink! The downtown Houston skyline is the perfect backdrop for outdoor skating on a rink that uses recycled water from Kinder Lake and is powered by renewable energy. 

I must admit, I'm not very graceful when it comes to walking around in regular old tennis shoes. So, thoughts of taking my somewhat clumsy self to the ice on thin blades was enough to make my already quivering knees, weak with nerves. But the outdoor scenery and the excitement from fellow skaters, not to mention the delicious hot cocoa and the holiday music and cheer, was enough to put me in the skating spirit!

Here's what I LOVED about skating at Discovery Green:

1. Fun for all ages! There were families, young couples, kids, and teenagers all having a blast!
2. It's a workout! I have to admit, after about 10 laps or so, I was tuckered out!
3. No experience necessary! Whether you're brand new to skating, or whether you can skate backwards like a pro, everyone is welcome on the ice.
4. Refreshments! There's nothing like a hot cocoa or a mint chocolate latte to warm you up on a chilly day.
5. You may get to see Santa! We arrived at the rink around 4:30 on a Saturday, and about 45 minutes into our skating experience, Santa himself came out for a spin on the ice.

Discovery Green is located at 1500 McKinney St.
Houston, Texas 77010

The skating rink is open daily from November 25, 2010 – January 17, 2011 

Admission is $10 plus tax, and this includes rental skates.

Hours of Operations:

• Monday - Thursday (School Days) 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
• Fridays, Saturday, School Holidays 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
• Sundays 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Visit the website: www.discoverygreen.com for more information. 

Smart Snacking @ Super Target!

Watch as your wellness center's registered dietitian, Maria Tsakalis, talks about buying healthy snacks at Super Target!

Easy Cooking with Coconut Milk

So it is always an adventure trying to find something to cook with when you haven't been grocery shopping in weeks....it sparks, let's call it creativity?!  Stocking your pantry with canned items and stocking your freezer with frozen fruits and veggies can lend you a healthy back-up meal when your time is tight.

I think a great thing to stock in your pantry is LITE coconut milk.  It contains 50 calories and 4.5g of fat per 1/3 can.  It can make a great stir fry.  Below is a recipe that I threw together last night.

Curry Coconut Vegetable and Chicken

6 oz thawed frozen chicken breast
1 can lite coconut milk
2 tbs red or green curry paste (can be found in the international section at grocery stores)
4 cups chopped or frozen veggies.  I used frozen brocolli and peas.  A fresh red pepper, jalapeno pepper, one beet, and 1 cup fresh kale.
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Red pepper, pepper, garlic powder to spice

1 cup rice 

Bring coconut oil to boil in a saucepan.  Add curry paste and mix until blended.  Add chicken and frozen vegetables.  Let cook until chicken and frozen vegetables are almost cooked.  Add fresh vegetables to pan and spices, cover and let cook 10 mins.  Serve over rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Makes 2-3 servings--depending on your appetite!

Smooth Mondays-Free smoothies!

I think that one of the best things that are healthy, cheap, and easy are smoothies!  Where else can you pack vitamins, minerals, protein, antioxidants, and fiber into an easy meal that you can take on the go?!  I always promote smoothies for the busy, non-breakfast eater, for something that is a bit easier on the stomach in the mornings and can quickly be made up in the blender the night before and poured into a protein shaker that is easy to grab on the go in the AM.  They are also great post workout, a perfect combination of carbohydrates and protein to help your body recover!  Making your own smoothies has a vast amount of benefits:
-You can make them all-natural
-They will have no added sugar
-They are CHEAPER

and don't fall for all the additive supplements marketed to be "good" for your health.  A simple smoothie recipe is as follows:

-1 cup milk (Provides protein)
-1/2 cup greek yogurt (Provides added protein and probiotics)
-1/2 cup frozen mixed fruit (Provides antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates)
-5-6 ice cubes

Join me your dietitian here at the wellness center and my co-blogger Sherry, as we let you taste test some smoothies for FREE!  We will be in the RMC this Monday, November 15th from 1pm until 4pm blending you up some goodness.  I will also be there to answer your nutrition questions and you will have the opportunity to book a free nutrition consultation with me!

"We're not talking about bacon..."

This week Chef Roger explains to us how he cooks up healthy pork tenderloins!  Pork tenderloin, like chicken, is a lean protein, high in protein and low in fat. A USDA analysis found that pork tenderloin contains only 2.98 grams of fat per 3 oz compared to chicken breast which contains 3.03 g per 3 oz. So pork can be a great alternative to chicken for more variety in your diet.  But Chef Roger reminds us, we are NOT talking about bacon, which comes from a different cut of the pig and can be very high in fat! Enjoy:)