Healthy Nutrition Diet - Restaurant Eating Tips

Most people believe that heading to a restaurant for dinner or special occasion means eating an unbalanced, overindulgent meal. That simply isn't true. While it is a treat, eating out doesn't have to mean giving up any attempt at eating a nutritious well-balanced meal. No matter what style or type of restaurant you choose, the odds are they offer a few more healthy eating options along with the not-so-good-for-you options. To make menu choices easier when eating out, here are a few basic nutritional tips to follow when sitting down to eat at a restaurant:

Choose steamed, Broiled, Baked or Poached vegetables, meats and seafood instead of fried or sautéed. Avoid menu choices described as au gratin, buttered, breaded, casseroles, fried, crispy, hash, or rich. While they might sound tasty, they are probably much higher in saturated fats and not nearly as good for you.

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Start your meal with water and a salad. Choose dark leafy greens and lots of colored vegetables for your salad, and be especially careful of high saturated fat foods from salad bars such as croutons, cheese, egg, olives, coleslaw, macaroni and potato salads, and the like. Another important tip: use low-fat dressing only and put it on the side for light dipping, you'll use much less that way. Drinking water with your meal will also help you feel fuller quicker and help you to avoid overindulging. The high sugar content in some sweetened drinks may actually make you feel hungrier, causing you to eat more.

Leave the bread in the kitchen. When your waiter brings the breadbasket, ask him to return it to the kitchen. But, if you have to have the bread, top it with honey instead of butter or margarine.

Top sandwiches with healthy ingredients. Always have your sandwiches topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mustard instead of mayonnaise, cheese, bacon and special sauces. Also, opt for whole grain breads or rolls instead of white.

Share Dessert (or skip it altogether), and when you just have to have something sweet at the end of a good meal, opt for fresh fruit, frozen yogurt or sherbet instead.

Always leave something on your plate. Serving sizes in restaurants today are well past the recommended amounts. Eat to feel satisfied (but not full) and take the rest home in a doggie bag for lunch the next day. Remember, the proper serving size for meat and fish should be no larger than a deck of cards (that equals about 3 ounces); a ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta should look no larger than a baseball; 1 cup of raw leady vegetables about the size of your fist; and 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine is only the size of your thumb. Just because the portions in front of you are huge doesn't mean you have to eat it all at a single sitting.

Healthy Nutrition Diet - Restaurant Eating Tips

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Crunchy Nuts And Seeds Are Healthy Food Snacks

Are you looking for some delicious, alternative dietary choices to replace those highly processed sugar, and hydrogenated fat food snacks? If so, look no further than to nuts or seeds. Most people do not even consider them, avoiding nuts or seeds, altogether, because of their high fat and calorie content. While it is true that they are high in both, shunning them from your diet for these reasons, alone, will have you missing out on a wide array of other important nutrients.

Nuts and seeds, depending on the variety, are quite a nutrient dense food. Nutritional research science studies are finding out, that people who eat 1 to 3 ounces of nuts regularly have fewer risks of developing heart disease, cancer, and lessens the severity of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

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These foods are healthy food snack choices, and although they are nutritious, some people may have a hard time not over indulging on them. As with any other diet choice, healthy or unhealthy, moderation is the key.

There is a way, though, that you can improve upon the nutritional aspect to eating them even further. Try eating them dry roasted. Avoid most commercially processed brands, which are slathered in several unhealthy varieties of processed polyunsaturated fats like cottonseed, rapeseed, and soybean oils, and coated in nutrient deficient processed salt.

While everyone may not have this convenience in their own backyard, Amish community bulk food stores are a wonderful resource for finding many different kinds of fresh, raw nuts and seeds. Roasting them does lessen the nutritional value slightly, but you can do this at home rather easily, and you will have a much healthier snack product afterwards. Coat the nuts or seeds with a little coconut oil, sprinkle with sea salt, bake in the oven, and store in an air-tight container.

Nuts and seeds are high in mostly monounsaturated fat and, to a lesser degree, polyunsaturated fat. They are also good sources of antioxidant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, and cholesterol lowering phytosterols.

When choosing to add them for health conscious reasons, to your existing diet, don't consider them as a fix-all approach for poor eating habits. Look at them as a replacement therapy tool, in getting rid of the processed fatty meat snacks, other fried foods, and sugar laden treats out of your diet. Nuts and seeds can help you with weight management issues, because of their high percentage of healthy fats, protein, and fiber content. They provide a 'full' feeling of satiety when combined with a full glass of water.

Most nuts and seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals help to control blood pressure, while their naturally high fiber content helps protect against colon cancer.

As an example, of the nutritional powerhouse that can be found in nuts and seeds, a listing of the content in certain types of nuts and seeds is provided below for your information. One hundred grams equals, approximately, a 3.5 ounce serving.

Seeds: Pumpkin-100 g pumpkin seeds contain 29 g protein, 11.2 mg iron, and 1144 mg phosphorous. Sesame- 100 g of sesame seeds contain 26.4 g protein, 12.6 mg vitamin B-3, 7.8 mg iron, 131 mg calcium, and 10.3 mg zinc. Sunflower- 100 g sunflower seeds are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium and contain 24 g protein, 7.1 mg iron, and 120 mg calcium. Flax seeds- 100 g flax seeds contain 431 mg magnesium, 831 mg potassium, and 112 g folic acid, not to mention its high omega-3 content.

Nuts: Almonds- 100 g almonds contain 16.9 g protein, 4.2 mg iron, 250 mg calcium, 20 mg vitamin E, 3.1 mg zinc, and 0.92 mg vitamin B-2. Cashews- 100 g cashews contain 17.2 g protein, 60 micrograms vitamin A, and 3.8 mg iron. Peanuts- 100 g peanuts contain 2.3 g protein, 2 mg iron, and 3 mg zinc. Pecans- 100 g pecans contain 9.2 g protein, a very high fat content of 71.2 g (of which, 60 percent is mono and 30 percent is polyunsaturated), 130 micrograms vitamin A (also very high), 2.4 g iron, and 73 mg calcium.

And, while there is definitely more nutritional content in each one of those food sources listed above, nutritional research science is still discovering, and identifying, even more unique and natural food substances in all of our plant foods every day.

One thing is for certain, we are all living through one of the most interesting generations to date. For the first time in history, man's curiosity has him seriously investigating the perfect union nutritional path nature intended all of us to strictly follow.

What is being learned today, about eating beneficial plant foods in their truest and unadulterated forms, will help future generations wipe out many modern diseases that are, now, plaguing most modern cultures. Although this one aspect, alone, is not the complete answer to all of modern society's health care woes, these new nutritional discoveries being uncovered today will definitely help more people lead healthier and happier lives tomorrow, in body, mind, and spirit.

Crunchy Nuts And Seeds Are Healthy Food Snacks

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How to generate healthy Blueberry Juice

Introduction

Fruit juice you buy can be loaded with sugar. Drinking a lot of juice can as a matter of fact add the fat from the added sugar. Purchasing a bottle of pure blueberry juice with no sugar can be as a matter of fact pricey. Many need to stay on a low sugar daily diet because of type 2 diabetes. You can formulate your own unsweetened juice with blueberries. I pick my own blueberries in the summer and frost them. This is much cheaper than buying them throughout the year. It is easy to grow your own blueberries and have abundance for making juice as well as for other uses. buy your blueberry plants from an on-line reputable source and get the variety you want. making juice, jams, and jellies is a good way to save summertime furnish when it is produced in large quantities. You will have abundance of fresh blueberries. You can make concentrated blueberry juice and frost it for time to come use.

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Recent study has reported that drinking blueberry juice can improve learning and memory. Enhancing your learning and memory are worth adding blueberry juice to your life style.

As a sweetener I use stevia in place of sugar. Stevia is popular ,favorite by the Fda and has no harmful side effects unlike most synthetic sweeteners.

This report discusses how to make wholesome blueberry juice.

This formula yields blueberry liquid and blueberry pulp, which can also be used in assorted recipes.

What You Need

8 quart-sized saucepan Stevia five lbs. Fresh blueberries Spoon Big metal colander 1 potato masher Air-tight container

Directions

Put the blueberries in the big colander and rinse them well with cold water to get rid of any bugs or debris. Shake the colander while washing to jumble the blueberries. Pour two cups of water into a medium-sized saucepan, and then mix in 2 packets of stevia or 1 table-spoon of stevia. Add blueberries to the liquid. Fill the pot half way full of the blueberries. The blueberries should fill the eight quart pot about halfway full. Pour cold water over the blueberries in the pot until the blueberries covered with about 1 inch of water. Put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat on under the pot and set to low heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about two hours. Check normally to insure there is adequate water in the pot. Add water to the pot a diminutive at a time as needed to avoid burning. Meticulously mash every one of the blueberries in the pot using a potato masher. The pot should be about full with only the top quarter of the pot not yet full of blueberry juice. Put a metal colander over a big vessel and cautiously pour the pot of mashed blueberries into the colander. Use a large spoon to smash the blueberries into the colander. This further drives out liquid from the pulp. The result should be adequate liquid to fill a one gallon container. Pour the resultant blueberry juice into the pot, and place the pot back onto the burner. Bring the blueberry juice to a boil. Let the fluid boil for roughly two minutes while stirring it so it does not burn and then turn the stove off. Allow the resulting blueberry juice to cool to room temperature. Place some of the blueberry juice in the refrigerator and chill for about four to five hours prior to serving. For every six ounces (about 3/4 cup) of this concentrate, you can generate about two quarts of blueberry drink. Let the fluid cool to room temperature. Pour the rest of the liquid into air-tight containers for freezing.

Tips for the cook

For a tasty blueberry drink put 1 cup blueberry juice consolidate plus 1 3/4 cups country time lemonade plus 30 packets or 15 tsp of liquid stevia into 1 1/4 gallons of water. The blueberry pulp left over in the colander from making the juice can be used in assorted recipes. Extracting the blueberry juice. Line a large container with clean cheesecloth. The cloth will need to be two layers to contribute adequate strength. Several inches of cloth out of the pan are needed. Draw together the ends of the cheesecloth to form a bag containing the blueberry pulp on the inside. Be cautious as the juice is very hot and can furnish terrible burns. Wind the cheesecloth bag to squeeze out the blueberry juice and then put the bag in a strainer that is setting in a bowl so the rest of the blueberry juice can drain. Don't over squeeze the bag or the blueberry juice may be cloudy. Allow the fluid to drain for a consolidate hours and add the blueberry juice that drained out of the cheesecloth back to the pot.

Summary

The juice from the blueberries makes a nutritious drink that is rich in antioxidants. Blueberries have been harvested from nature for centuries for fresh eating and making juice. By growing your own blueberries you can make this wholesome drink at a low-cost. recent study has reported that drinking blueberry juice can improve learning and memory.

How to generate healthy Blueberry Juice

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

healthy Cake Recipes - How to Make Your beloved sweetmeat a Part of Your Diet

Are cakes bad for health? How can I turn cake into healthy? I love cake yet, are there any healthy cake recipes? Cake has always been a symbolic element for every fun occasions, whether anniversaries, birthdays, weddings and more. Yet, these sweet delights are not all created to be equal in terms of nutritional value and calorie content. Not all cakes are bad and you don't need to eliminate these ease foods in your diet. Instead, try to integrate on selecting cakes that is fruit or vegetable-based. Great examples comprise banana cake, pumpkin cake, apple cake, carrot cake or fruit cake, that's made from dried fruits. They are equally delicious without compromising your health.

Who said you can't eat cake? Transform your cake using healthier substitutions and try these healthy cake recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour

• 1/4 tsp ground allspice

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, cinnamon

• 1/2 cup sour milk

• 1/2 cup granulated maple sugar or brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 cups crushed pineapple

• 2 cups grated carrots

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush baking pan with oil and sprinkle with flour.

2. In a basin, mix flour, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt.

3. In someone else bowl, whisk egg and integrate sugar, sour milk, oil and maple sugar.

4. Using a rubber scrapper, integrate carrots and pineapple and fold it together with the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. integrate two mixtures. After that, pour into ready pan.

6. Bake for 1 hour and insert a toothpick to test for doneness.

7. Take off pan from oven and leave for 15 minutes. Using a table knife, isolate cake from pan.

Instead of using icing, you can use cream cheese to top the cake. It's less in sugar yet equally delicious. This healthy cake method is good for 10-12 people.

Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 1 1/4 cups hot water

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 stick softened margarine or butter

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup brown sugar

• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, hot water and margarine and set aside. Add vanilla eggs and sugar.

2. In a isolate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.

3. integrate it to the oat mixture.

4. Pour in a greased pan and bake for 30 -35 minutes in 350F oven.

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

• 1/2 stick margarine or butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups coconut

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup nut chopped

In a skillet, heat all ingredients under low flame and stir until combined. Spread over the cake. Under a broiler, heat again for 2 - 3 minutes. This healthy cake method serves A Lot of people!

If you wanted to transform your usual beloved cake into healthier version, you can always substitute some of sugar ingredients with fruit puree. Although it still depends on the type of cake and your personal liking, you can try fruit juice, nonfat sour cream or flavored yogurt to cut back calories without compromising quality. There are many healthy cake recipes you can try like fruit cakes, toady cake and angel cake. But regardless of what type of cake, always be in control to avoid overindulgence.

healthy Cake Recipes - How to Make Your beloved sweetmeat a Part of Your Diet

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

Healthy Menopausal Years - The Wise Woman Way

Menopause is a time of enormous change. Wise women of all times have found simple life-style changes can make their Change much easier. For optimum health during and after menopause, follow these simple steps:

Exercise a different way every day: take walks, lift weights, dance, garden, do yoga, try tai chi. Drink nourishing herbal infusions.

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We all know how important exercise is for strong bones, healthy hearts, resistance to diabetes, and weight maintenance. But did you know it prevents depression too? By yourself, or with a friend, exercise is one of the golden keys to a long, healthy life.

Nourishing herbal infusions are the second key to vibrant elder years and an easier menopause. They provide protein, minerals, phytoestrogens, and special fats needed by menopausal women. Many common menopausal problems can be connected to a lack of one or more of these nutrients.

Low protein leaves hair and skin dull, lifeless, and thin. Nourishing herbal infusions, plain yogurt, lentils, and organic meats are excellent sources.

Low levels of minerals leave the bones and heart deprived of calcium, the immune system low in zinc, and the muscles prone to pain and spasms. Nourishing herbal infusions, plain yogurt, seaweed, and organic chocolate are magnificent sources.

Insufficient phytoestrogens in the diet increase breast cancer risk and menopausal distress. Nourishing herbal infusions, lentils, roots and seeds are the best sources.

Lack of high-quality fats can lead to thyroid problems, immune system stress, lack of energy, and blood vessel disease. Nourishing herbal infusions, full-fat yogurt, organic chocolate, olive oil, organic butter, nuts and seeds are superb sources.

To make a nourishing herbal infusion:

Buy (or gather and dry) at least one ounce of nettle leaf or oatstraw or red clover blossoms or comfrey leaf. Place the ounce of dried herb in a quart jar. (One ounce equals one full cup of dried herb.) Fill jar to the top with boiling water. Cap tightly and allow it to brew for at least four hours. Overnight is fine. Strain and drink 2-4 cups a day. Most menopausal women prefer their infusion iced, but you can drink it hot or at room temperature. A little mint or sage may be added to change the flavor.
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) builds energy, strengthens the adrenals, and is said to restore youthful flexibility to blood vessels. A cup of nettle infusion contains 500 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of bone-building magnesium, potassium, silicon, boron, and zinc. It is also an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. For flexible bones, a healthy heart, thick hair, beautiful skin, and lots of energy, make friends with sister stinging nettle. It may make you feel so good you'll jump up and exercise.

Oatstraw (Avena sativa) reduces high cholesterol, increases libido, and strengthens the nerves. A cup of oatstraw infusion contains more than 300 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of many other minerals. Its steroidal saponins nourish the pancreas and liver, improving digestion and stabilizing moods. Oatstraw is best known however for its ability to enhance libido and mellow the mood. Do be careful whom you share it with, or you may find yourself sowing some wild oats. In Auryuvedic medicine, oatstraw is considered the finest of all longevity tonics.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is better in every way than its cousin soy. It contains four phytoestrogens; soy has only one (isoflavone). Red clover infusion has ten times more phytoestrogens than soy "milk," fewer calories, more calcium, and no added sugars. Red clover is the world's leading anti-cancer herb; soy isoflavone encourages the growth of breast cancer cells in the lab. Red clover improves the memory; Japanese men who ate tofu twice a week doubled their risk of Alzheimer's disease. Soy beverage can contain up to 1000 times more aluminum than milk, according to Sally Fallon, lipid researcher and fat specialist. She believes that "the highly processed soy foods of today are perpetuating ... nutrient deficiencies ..."

Comfrey leaf (Symphytum) is free of the compounds (PAs) found in the root that can damage the liver. I have used comfrey leaf infusion regularly for decades with no liver problems; ditto for the group of people at the Henry Doubleday Research Foundation who have eaten cooked comfrey leaves as a vegetable for four generations. Comfrey is also known as "knitbone," and no better ally for the woman with thin bones can be found. And, don't forget, comfrey contains special proteins used in the formation of short-term memory cells. Its soothing mucilage adds flexibility to joints, eyes, vagina, and lungs.

Menopause can change your life. Our Wise Woman grandmothers used nourishing herbal infusions, fermented dairy products, healthy exercise, and simple whole foods to weather their Change naturally and live productively another 50 years. You can too.

For further information on these herbs, and lots more, see New Menopausal Years, the Wise Woman Way by Susun Weed, Ash Tree Publishing, 2002.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Healthy Menopausal Years - The Wise Woman Way

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Healthy Meals for Pregnant Women

Being pregnant is an exciting but a difficult and sensitive time for women. During this time women take care of not only themselves but their unborn child. This is not to say that women have to give up the foods they love. All they have to do is make smart healthy choices about the food they eat. This is what we will talk about today.

1: Portion Control

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Nutritionists agree that women need about three hundred extra calories a day during pregnancy. This number is based on their weight before pregnancy though. Your Pre-Natal Nutritionist will be able to give you more details on your own serving size and your own eating plan customized just for you.

I want to make clear I am no doctor and these recommendations are only general. Talk to your doctor and nutritionist about your special needs.

2: Food Guidelines for Daily Use

Remember fatty foods like potato chips, donuts, and other junk foods do not provide the nutrition your child needs. They just provide empty calories that are of no nutritional benefit to anyone.

Now lets discuss what you should and can eat.

A: Six Ounces of grains daily-Steel cut oats, bran, 12 grain bread all have the grains you need. One ounce equals about one slice of bread.

B: Two servings of vegetables. One serving equals about one cup.

C: One Serving of Fruit-One serving to one cup ratio here also.

D: Three servings of Dairy-One serving is one ounce.

E: 5 Servings of protein- Same ratio applies.

One other must have nutrient for pregnant women is Folic Acid. This helps prevent spinal and birth defects in your child. Before and during your gestation take 40 micrograms a day.

By following these suggestions you will have no problem creating healthy meals for pregnant women.

Healthy Meals for Pregnant Women

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Healthy Lunch Recipes

Take-out lunches should be forgotten because there are so many healthy lunch solutions that can easily be taken to the office, to school and anywhere else you may need to go. Listed below are some tasty recipes which include delicious fresh produce such as fresh vegetables and lean protein which will fuel you for the rest of the day so that your body will not feel deprived.

o BBQ Chicken Sandwich

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Leftover cooked chicken can be tossed in barbeque sauce and crunchy carrots for a quick and healthy lunch.

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons light ranch dressing
1 small whole-wheat sandwich bun
1 leaf romaine lettuce

Method:

In a medium bowl combine the chicken, carrots and barbecue sauce. Spread ranch dressing on the bun and top with the chicken mixture and lettuce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

323 calories
8g fat (1g sat, 2g mono)
62mg cholesterol
38g carbohydrate
26g protein
4g fiber
729mg sodium
456mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Selenium (56% daily value).

o Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons lime juice
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound cooked and peeled small shrimp
1 cup thinly sliced red, yellow, and/or orange bell pepper
1 cup seeded and thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs

Method:

Whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, oil, brown sugar and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add the shrimp, cucumber, bell pepper and fresh herbs and toss to coat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

170 calories
5g fat (1g sat, 2g mono)
221mg cholesterol
6g carbohydrate
25g protein
1g fiber
652mg sodium
315mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Vitamin A (25% daily value), Iron (21% daily value).

o Tomato & Fennel Salad

Heirloom tomatoes are best used in this recipe. They are at their peak during the summer months and worth purchasing in your local grocery store or farmers' market. However, any type of tomato will work well in this recipe.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound tomatoes cut into wedges
2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/3cup toasted pine nuts

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, fennel, parsley and pine nuts and toss to coat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

141 calories
12g fat (1g sat, 5g mono)
0mg cholesterol
9g carbohydrate
3g protein
3g fiber
321mg sodium
513mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Vitamin A (25% daily value), Potassium (15% daily value).

o Lebanese Potato Salad

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 pounds of potatoes
1/4 lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Method:

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and bring to the boil in slightly salted water until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow them to cool for 20 minutes and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.

Just before serving add the spring onions and mint and toss gently.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

143 calories
5g fat (1g sat, 4g mono)
0mg cholesterol
22g carbohydrates
3g protein
2g fiber
153mg sodium
516mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (20% daily value), Potassium (15% daily value).

o Artichoke & Ripe Olive Tuna Salad

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped olives
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Method:

Mix together the tuna, artichokes, olives, mayonnaise, lemon juice and oregano.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

210 calories
8g fat (1g sat, 1g mono)
25mg cholesterol
12g carbohydrate
20g protein
3g fiber
791mg sodium
166mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (78% daily value), Vitamin C (19% daily value).

o Hot & Sour Slaw

This slaw is a perfect accompaniment to grilled pork tenderloin and a glass of Riesling.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups shredded greed cabbage
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced spring onions
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, oil, ginger, white pepper and crushed red pepper. Add the green cabbage, bell pepper, spring onions and bamboo shoots. Toss to coat all of the ingredients.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:

62 calories
4g fat (1g sat, 1g mono)
0mg cholesterol
6g carbohydrate
2g protein
2g fiber
112mg sodium
189mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (85% daily value), Vitamin A (18% daily value).

o Tijuana Torta

This is a Mexican-style torta, just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll rather than a tortilla. It is the most delicious lunch when it is served with grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can black beans, well rinsed
3 tablespoons prepared salsa
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ripe avocado, pitted
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 16-to-20 inch long baguette
1 1/3 cups shredded green cabbage

Method:

In a small bowl, mash together the beans, salsa, jalapeño and cumin. In a separate bowl mash the avocado, onion and lime juice.

Cut the baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each one in half and pull out most of the soft bread from the center. Divide the mixture and the cabbage equally amongst the sandwiches.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Per serving:

354 calories
9g fat (1g sat, 5g mono)
0mg cholesterol
60g carbohydrate
17g protein
17g fiber
682mg sodium
639mg potassium
Nutrition bonus: Folate & Vitamin C (29% daily value), Potassium (18% daily value), Iron (15% daily value).

Healthy lunch recipes really are that simple. Why go to your local café or restaurant for a lunch that may not be so good for your waistline, not to mention your health, when these delicious lunches can be prepared in no time at all. Another added bonus to preparing these healthy lunch snacks is that you know exactly what ingredients have been used to prepare them. What can be better than that?

Healthy Lunch Recipes

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Healthy Halloween Cookie Cake Recipes - How to Bake Yummy Tummy Fillers 4 Trick Or Treat Ghouls

Do you find every year when Halloween night comes around, not only do you have to cater for your own clan, but everyone else's too? I refer to those little freaky spooks, devils, monsters and imps that come a calling to your door trick or treating.

You can never know how many callers you will have on the evening, so more times than not you will either end up buying too many treats, or heaven forbid not enough. Did anyone ever tell you what "TRICK" stands for!

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This Halloween play it safe and make your own treats to give to the kids October 31st.

A sure way to make "everyone else's" children happy is give them cookies or cake of the healthy kind that you have made yourself. And the plus to doing this is, is nothing will go to waste because depending on the foods you bake for trick and treat night can likely be put in the freezer.

Cake and cookie treats you will find every ghoul will gladly remove their mask for, so bear this in mind mom and dad if your little Dracula or Zombie flatly refuses to take off his or her scary Halloween costume for bed.

Below are some simple to bake yummy healthy Halloween cookie/cake recipes

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin 1 egg 1/2 cup any kind vegetable oil 1 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. milk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup white chocolate or butterscotch chips 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 370F.

Note: If using butterscotch chips, use butter rum extract or butterscotch schnapps rather than vanilla for extra flavour.

Mix pumpkin, egg, oil and sugar. Combine and beat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to first mixture. Dissolve the baking soda in milk and add to batter. Stir in chocolate (or butterscotch) chips, nuts and vanilla.

Drop by the teaspoonful onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 370F degrees for approx 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe can be doubled even tripled which is something you need to consider doing if you are to keep up with the number of witches and wizards that are likely to knock at your door trick or treating on Halloween night.

Freeze leftover cookies, somehow I don't think you will need to do this if the kids come back dressed as Oliver Twist asking for more.

STRAWBERRY GHOSTS

Ingredients

30 fresh strawberries
8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon shortening
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Rinse strawberries and dry using paper towels. In a microwave bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract. Dip strawberries in chocolate mix; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts' tails. Quickly press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for approx 5 minutes. In the microwave, melt remaining chocolate chips until it is smooth. Using a toothpick prick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face.

Nutrition Facts: 1 strawberry equals 54 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 8 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

FRANKENSTEIN CUPCAKES

24 Servings

Ingredients

1 to 2 16 ounce tins of chocolate frosting
Cupcakes of your choice
Marshmallows
Corn syrup
Green and black sprinkles
M&M's miniature baking bits
Candy coated liquorice

Directions

Cover cupcakes with frosting. Spread a light coating of corn syrup over marshmallows. Roll sides of marshmallows in green sprinkles; dip tops in black. Place a marshmallow in the center of each cupcake. For eyes, attach baking bits to the face of each marshmallow with a little amount of frosting; pipe pupils using frosting. Attach liquorice candies to sides of head for bolts. Pipe frosting onto faces for mouths and stitches as desired..

BONE BISCUITS

34 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup butter, cut into squares
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons seedless strawberry/raspberry jam

16 to 18 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Combine confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in baking bowl. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add eggs and beat. Add extract and whisk. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and blend well. Shape dough into a ball; flatten into a disk shape. Wrap in plastic wrap; and allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. bone-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to turn brown. Remove and then allow them to cool.

On the bottoms of half the cookies, spread 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon jam down the middle; top with remaining cookies. Melt white chocolate in microwave at 70% power for 60 seconds; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Dip each bone cookie in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 155 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 54 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Make sure the little ones clean their teeth after eating their treats. Although they are all healthy recipes, children couldn't care a less whether they are or not just as long as they are yummy that is all that matters to a kid, and this is why it is up to you to inform the Halloween ghost or fiend in your midst that even ghouls and witches clean their teeth, because how else could they eat their bat and mice stew

Go on be devil and get baking to avoid the "trick" by giving a "treat".

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12 OUNCES EQUALS