Stay in Shape using 6 Healthy Tips

1. Portion control! There is no reason to pile food on your plate! Just take a reasonable amount, and you should be good! Overeating is a huge problem in America because we don’t know when to stop!

2. Eat slowly. I know when you are really hungry that can be hard, but if you take time and chew everything slowly, you are less likely to overeat. How crazy is that? Just slow down, and enjoy the food.

3. If you don’t like the food, don’t eat it. I know that sounds silly, but we tend to just eat whatever is in front of us, whenever it is there. But if you only eat what you really like, that will also cut down on your food intake.

4. Don’t park close to the store. I know everyone wants the “prime” parking places, but it won’t kill you to walk the extra few hundred feet from the car to the store.

5. Switch it up! Don’t eat the same thing every week. Variety is the spice of life, and trying new things is good for your digestion as well!

6. Eat as much fresh food as possible. I know its tough sometimes, but be sure you aren’t always eating packaged food. They tend to have much higher amounts of sodium and other bad things for you.

I Hate Cabbage!

Urggghhh the smell of boiled cabbage, the taste, the texture of raw cabbage…. Absolutely hate all forms and manifestations of cabbage. Might have something to do with the ‘cabbage soup’ my mum used to make and have us drink/eat because it’s ‘good for you’ (don’t ask, she had a lot of strange recipes). Anyway, whatever the reason you couldn’t pay me enough AIG retention bonus to touch the stuff. And I don’t much care for cauliflower or brussels sprouts (yet another type of cabbage!) either. However, I’m totally committed to eating healthy now so what’s an honest ‘gross-vegetable-hating’ gal to do? Turns out, the answer is really easy – find vegetables I love and load up on them! I’m talking broccoli, peas, carrots, string beans, okra, collard greens, spinach in any form (steamed, stewed, raw, nuked, dipped, moussed, quiched, basically I’m yet to find a ‘non-yummy’ spinach recipe). So that’s my plan, eat good food that I love not just because it’s ‘good for you’ and stay well away from ‘good for you’ food that I abhor. Figure I stand a better chance of keeping the diet changes permanent that way. What do you think?

Cheap Healthy Foods – Watch Your Weight and Your Budget

Many of us are looking at our grocery bill for the first time. If you are like me, you buy what you need without paying too much attention to the cost of the item. Today, we are looking at ways to maximize the bang for our grocery dollar. But being frugal doesn’t mean skimping on nutritious food for you and your family.

Here is list of the top 5 nutritious food items you can get for less than $3 dollars:

1. Frozen Vegetables – I love frozen vegetables, they are picked in season and have the same amount of nutrients as the fresh ones. The advantage is that you do not have to wait for the season to eat them. In addition to being nutrient rich, they also have high fiber. They can be used in soups, stews and stir-frr.
2. Canned Salmon – For women in their reproductive years, Salmon is much better option than Tuna due its lower mercury levels. I also think it is little more upscale than tuna and can be easily added to salads and pastas. All the parts included in the can – skin and bones are all edible. The Salmon bones are great source of Calcium.
3. Brown Rice – We all know brown rice has high levels of fiber, but they are also high in E vitamin. They take 45 minutes to cook so cook in a large batch, and freeze them. A small bag of brown rice usually has 19 individual servings and cost less than $3.
4. Edamame - These have great heart health benefits of Soy, they are also high in protein and fiber. They are extremely easy to cook – just boil them for 6 minutes. Use them in Soups, stews and dips. Great food for kids and can be eaten hot or cold.
5. Sweet Potato – Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet vegetables that kids love and great for baby food. Sweet potatoes contain large amounts of vitamin A and fiber. Very high source of beta Carotene which is good for our eyes.

Never leave the grocery store without these 5 top nutrient foods. Please share your list of cheap but healthy foods which we call can benefit from.

10 Nutritious South Asian Snacks

Snacking between meals can contribute to a healthy diet, if you make the best snack selections. However, encouraging family members to grab an apple rather
than a bag of chips can be tricky. Here are a few tasty and nutritious snacks that will grab their attention, and appetite!

1. Sprouted moong Bhel
2. Plain puffed rice mumra, mudi, poori with chutney and tomatoes
3. Roasted corn on the cob
4. Boiled potato chaat or roasted tikka
5. Fruit chaat
6. Green gram or chickpea sundal or ghugni or channa masala
7. Fresh sprouted moong bean dhokla
8. Grilled tandoori fish, chicken or lamb kabab or tikka
9. Nonfat lassi flavored with fruit, spices or herbs
10. Roasted unsalted peanuts mixed with cereal chevda