FRIDAY FARE: Healthy Trail Mix

I read an article from Shape Magazine yesterday that was titled: "The Most Deceiving Foods - They Have More Calories Than You Think". Looking through the different foods was interesting. Most of them were ok to eat if you just watched your serving size. One of the foods was trail mix. Here is what it said about that:

This seemingly healthy snack can cost you almost 700 calories per cup! Trail mix can include a wide range of ingredients, but you're almost always better off skipping store-bought brands and making your own at home. Our suggestion: Mix 1 ounce of walnuts and about a teaspoon each of raisins and chocolate chips. The result is satisfying snack for about 250 calories.

After reading this, I thought I'd look for some good healthy trail mixes for you to try. Here's the first one...

From Shape Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp dried cherries
1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp organic soy nuts

Directions

Mix honey into oats and form dime-sized clusters. Spread on a baking sheet and toast at 275° F for 5 minutes. Once cooled, toss in a sealable container with remaining ingredients.

After I found this, I googled "most healthy ingredients for trail mix", and an article from fitday.com came up. There are 5 healthy ingredients that they list:

Oatmeal ("high in fiber and has been shown to help reduce cholesterol and protect the body from heart disease." Their suggestion: "If you’re making your own trail mix, toast rolled oats in the oven on a baking sheet to cook. Flavor with a few drops of vanilla extract or a sprinkle of cinnamon.")

Dark Chocolate ("A smattering of dark chocolate chips is a great way to add a little sugar and a healthy dose of antioxidants to the mix. A little bit of the sweet stuff helps raise lowered blood sugar levels and gives the body energy it can use right away." Their suggestion: "Don't overdue it... a little goes a long way.")

Almonds ("full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and muscle-building protein. They are also high in vitamin E and dietary fiber. Almonds are an excellent source of energy". Their suggestion: "Stay clear of salted varieties".)

Unsweetened fruit ("Dried fruits provide vitamins and minerals." Their suggestion: "stay clear of sugar-coated, sweetened varieties... Check ingredient labels to make sure sugar is not listed.")

Seeds ("great way to add variety to your trail mix while also adding healthy fats and protein". Their suggestion: "To get a dose of heart protecting Omega 3 fatty acids, sprinkle on freshly ground flax seeds.")

So, according to the guidelines above, the recipe above was great! Try your own recipe!

FRIDAY FARE: Chocolate-Amaretti Peaches

Chocolate-Amaretti Peaches

Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed amaretti cookies (about 8 cookies)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 large ripe peaches, halved and pitted

Cooking spray

8 teaspoons butter

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, shaved

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler

2. Combine cookie crumbs and sugar in a small bowl.

3. Hollow center of peach halves using a melon baller. Fill each peach half with 1 rounded tablespoon cookie crumb mixture. Arrange peaches in an 11x7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place 1 teaspoon butter on top of each filled half. Broil 2 minutes or until butter melts. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tip

Look for amaretti cookies at specialty or gourmet markets - they have a distinct almond-amaretto flavor and crunchy texture that make this dish memorable. In a pinch, you can substitute crumbled almond biscotti..

FRIDAY FARE: One Bowl Chocolate Cake

ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

I got this recipe from www.eatingwell.com. The little blurb on the recipe said the following:

"This easy-to-make chocolate cake is dark, moist, rich—and only dirties one bowl! Not quite as easy as boxed cake mixes, but those often contain trans fats. Our simple “from scratch” recipe gives you a home-baked cake with healthful canola oil and whole-wheat flour."

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
* 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup hot strong black coffee
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a circle of wax paper.
2. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan, peel off the wax paper and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar before slicing.

Tips & Notes

* Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
* Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Nutrition

Per serving: 139 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 212 mg sodium; 60 mg potassium.

I'm going to try this cake as soon as I get all of the ingredients - let me know if you make it, and what you think of it!

TUESDAY TIPS - Health Benefits of Chocolate

So, since I tempted you yesterday with all the talk and pictures of chocolate, I thought I'd better find some good information about the health benefits of chocolate (and, I'm just craving chocolate again - go figure!)

Here is part of an article found on ClevelandClinic.org:

"Flavonoids help protect plants by shielding them from environmental toxins and helping repair damage. When we consume plant-based foods rich in flavonoids, it appears that we also benefit from this “antioxidant” power. Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes such as breathing and from environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke. When the body lacks adequate levels of antioxidants, damage from free radicals occurs and leads to increases in LDL (“bad)-cholesterol oxidation (oxidized LDL-cholesterol hurts the arteries) and plaque formation on the walls of the arteries.

Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research indicates that flavanols have other positive influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot, and lowering cholesterol."

If you'd like to read the rest of the article, just CLICK HERE and you'll be directed to the article. It's very interesting.