Meatless Meals

Our dietitian instructed us the first week of the Challenge...meat servings no larger than a deck of cards, decrease red meats, incorporate one fish per week, and one meatless meal. Meatless is not too hard, fish is a challenge for this family (except for tuna casserole, tuna salad).

This recipe was part of the Hyvee Healthy Family Challenge recipes given to us Week 1. I finally got around to trying it yesterday.  Due to cost I made a substitution. Imitation crab for scallops.

Seafood Explosian

(Serves 4)

1/2 lb cod, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 lb salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch pieces ( I used canned salmon and just added it later)

1/4 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 lb bay scallops

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Toss cod, salmon, shrimp and scallops with seasoning. Cook cod and salmon, stirring frequently, about 1 minute or until they are halfway cooked. Add shrimp and scallops and continue cooking until cod and salmon flake easily, shrimp is curled and pink and scallops are nearly opaque, about 2 minutes. Serve. 

140 calories, 4.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 90 mg  cholesterol, 640 mg sodium, 1  g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 0g sugar, 21 g protein

Look at all the Omega-3 value in this recipe. I was a bit hesitant considering the cost but my kids loved this!

This next recipe, Black Bean Lasagna is a family favorite. Several years ago a colleague pointed this recipe out to me. She found it on the back of Hyvee brand shredded cheese.

Black Bean Lasagna

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 15 oz. can refried beans

¾ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

¾ cup salsa

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

8 oz cottage cheese

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 box whole grain lasagna noodles, uncooked

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, refried beans, onion, green pepper, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Mix well. In a small bowl combine cottage cheese, garlic powder, eggs, salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup tomato mixture in bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of the noodles, overlapping slightly. Top with half of the remaining tomato mixture.

Spoon cottage cheese mixture over the top, and top with half the shredded, then the remaining noodles, tomato mixture and shredded cheese.

Cover with greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Can be refrigerated for 1 day. If refrigerated add 15 minutes to baking time.

210 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 550mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 13 g protein

Our dietitian suggested baked beans for the kids lunches as an alternate source of protein (and it counts as a vegetable!). Baked beans are great cold. OR heat in microwave, place in thermos dish and add a few pieces of chicken. Should still be hot for their lunch period. My neighbor Perm Horst gave me this recipe several years ago. Another family favorite.Great for potlucks too!

Calico Beans

1 large can Bush Beans (not drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can navy beans (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can butter beans (drained)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup catsup
1 T dry mustard
1/2 t. nutmeg
2-3 T. dry onions


Cook on low in crock pot all day.

 

Chiropractic Care for the Kids

This week all 5 kids received two chiropractic adjustments after Dr. Nelson reviewed their spinal screenings. Each one has a unique problem and we are now on the way to treating those. Finding a way and a time to get all 5 an adjustment is a real challenge! Having an alternative method to treat the kids chronic problems (ADHD, headaches, bed wetting, ear pain) is of real value to us. I just wish we had chiropractic coverage on our health insurance plan to help after the Challenge!

Steve and I are maintaining our chiropractic appointments. In addition, Steve is undergoing an internal herbal cleanse (Advocare product) at present at the recommendation of the office. In addition to my adjustments I have paid for two 30 minute massage sessions. I have to say the massage therapist at Nelson Chiropractic is AWESOME!

End of Week Five

Its almost the end of week 5 and I am behind in my blogging. Its very difficult to stay on top of things, life continues to get in the way! Lots has happened as we continue with the Challenge.

This week Wyatt taught us free weights, lunges, and a shoulder circuit. These are stabilizing muscle exercises. Lifting dumbells is hard work! Its also something you need a spotter for. I am to spot for Steve and he for me to be sure we don't drop it on our chest. At the bench press you lay flat and lift the dumbell from the rack and raise it above the nipple line in controlled raises. Steve can handle this much better than I. This is a better workout than similar movements on the weight machines and we utilize stabilizing muscles (my muscles definitely need stabilizing--just watch me shake!). Its not that its so heavy its that you don't feel in control of the equipment.

I do lunges (at this point without weights) and Steve does squats. Its really hard work. I feel like I am going to fall over! With practice (and strengthening of my stabilizing muscles) I will eventually add weights. 

If I understand Wyatt correctly, persons usually concentrate on major muscle group exercises. Weak stabilzer muscles will prevent you from being able to lift more weight. Strong stabilizer muscles are essential to maximize our fitness results! More hard work.

Meanwhile we continue to increase our cardio workouts. Wyatt's recommendation is to increase them by 10% each workout. Increasing speed, resistance or time. Steve is on the cusp of running on the treadmill.  After I saw him, I had my first ever thought "maybe I should try it!" Never have I thought of myself as a runner. Never?

More Lessons Learned

Although we should always take one day off a week from exercise (per Wyatt) it seems life gets in the way and suddenly there is more than one day missing of exercise per week. Life is full of things that get in the way--a friend calls can you do this or that and it sounds better than working out (I can always workout later I think to myself), suddenly someone is sick and you need to stay home, a meeting runs later than expected and now the kids need taken here or there (there goes my workout again). Our schedule was so booked this weekend the YMCA was not open when we were available to workout! This is not easy! Hence the reason one might need an option of their own equipment at home? Or maybe just take a walk in the neighborhood and call it good! I get it.

Then there are fun things that get in the way of getting our healthy food in. This weekend we went to a wedding. Terrific food. Boy did it become apparent to me how much difference there is in portions!! The chef cut the roast beef much larger than a deck of cards! Probably the size of 3 and on-half decks. I asked that he cut mine down to a third of his offered slice. The buffet table offered two plates, one for salad. We should only use one plate. That would control our out of control portions America! As I go through the line with the kids everything looks awesome two types of pasta, 2 meats, garlic toast. Only the salad and melon (the kids won't eat a full serving of cucumbers) will count for our 5 A-Day! We likely won't get in our needed 5. We should have planned better way back at lunch and breakfast! Would I have ever thought this way before?

Today we have another busy day planned--church, book fair setup, Xavier's football game, and a nephew's Eagle Scout Ceremony over the supper hour. How will we eat right AND get in a workout that we missed out on yesterday? One needs a PLAN. Being the planner that I am, Steve and I discussed the following last night. Research when other YMCAs open...can we workout sooner than noon, lets pack a picnic lunch (its gorgeous outside) so we don't get forced into eating out (and can eat healthy and get in our dairy and fruits and vegetables), and we need to plan that the scout event might not include fruits and vegetables. Lets see how this works....we will be on the go from morning until night.

Ripples, Photos, and More

Our married college age son, Nick, has taken an interest in our Challenge. He has been somewhat more health conscious himself since graduation from high school--exercising regularly, trying to eat what he thinks are better items. Another ripple effect is his new education of actual nutrition and exercise. Here he is working out at the YMCA with Steve and I.

There are other ways to get your exercise in for the day--that are not only family oriented but FUN! With the size of our family we have a good start on enough players for a football team!

And there is the excuse of "its good exercise" to do some much needed fall yard work! Everyone loves to have a good time!

We have discovered some new to us cereals with high NuVal scores (89 and 91) that the kids like! My mom was astounded that she could do better than her Fiber One cereal (at NuVal 52). I had not heard of the Moms Best Naturals brand until discovering this in the smaller Health Market section at the Rockingham Hyvee. And 2 for $5 with this weeks sale! Even puffed wheat was only $2.99 a box. Who said healthy could not be affordable!

Recipes

I enjoy cooking. It takes a bit of planning, but I am a planner. Here are two recipes we have discovered during this challenge that have earned a spot in my cookbook. These are kid approved!

Apple and Smoked Gouda Lettuce Salad (serves 5)

1 bag or a head of iceberg lettuce
1 cup halved red grapes
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, diced
2 T chopped pecans
1/2 cup light red wine vinaigrette

Toss lettuce, grapes, apple, cheese and pecans in large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. This recipe was taken from a recipe provided via Hyvee for the Family Makeover Challenge 2011.

Chicken Fettucine Dish (serves 4)

1 pound chicken breast cooked (I used leftover white and dark meat)
frozen mixed vegetables (I used a Carribean blend with yellow squash, broccoli, and red peppers)
olive oil
8 ounces whole wheat fettuccine pasta
1 cup low-fat Alfredo sauce (I made my own homemade--so easy)

Cook chicken in olive oil. Prepare fettucine according to package directions. Add frozen vegetables to boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain. Stir in Alfredo sauce into pasta mixture. Serve chicken over top or do like me and just dice the chicken and stir all together.

This recipe was adapted by me from a recipe provided via Hyvee for the Family Makeover Challenge 2011.

Alfredo Sauce

3 T butter
2T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups milk (not skim)
1/4 t. white pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese

Melt butter with olive oil over med/low heat. Add garlic, milk, white pepper and simmer. Stir often.  Add Parmesan cheese and simmer 8-10 minutes more or until thick and smooth. Add mozzarella, stir frequently, serve. This recipe I adapted from one I found online.

Nutritional Goals Revisited

Today I met with the dietitian (gotta love access to the experts!) to discuss her interpretation of our nutritional intake. Overall, she says we are doing "very, very well!" She is impressed with our food variety. I have to say that has come from my upbringing. We have always had a garden, always exposed them to new things and new recipes. I like to cook and don't mind the planning. Steve was not raised quite like that but came along over the years. He discovered beets and spinach after he married me. Two things he really likes! I have continued that philosophy and variety with my children from a very early age. I also don't cave. This is what we are eating.


What exactly did she notice?  We do have areas for improvement.

•  The entire family is not getting their required calcium rich dairy. We discussed shifting our nutritional goals to the focus on dairy from the NuVal scoring. We have learned so much from the NuVal scoring! But, we all need more milk. We also need to move to a lower fat milk. Last week we did move from 2% to skim but the kids really noticed. Not favorable! I think we will settle on 1%. She recommends Steve and I consume milk, in front of the kids, at least one time per day. If not, we both should be taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement. 
• Charley gets a fair amount of his dairy from lesser sources like cheese. No wonder he tends to be constipated. I think I will make more homemade yogurt and see if that will bring up his dairy. I know Alexis will eat it very readily and she too needs more milk as she approaches the teen years. Janet explained this age is when classically kids dairy intake really falls off and especially girls need it the most!
• We should change to unsweetened applesauce.
• She says potatoes and beans (including refried beans) and other starchy vegetables do count as vegetables. We had not been counting them! Which means, on some days we were doing even better getting in our 5 A-Day!
• Although I have been mixing white and whole wheat pasta for most dishes, we could do even better getting in whole grains with our pasta intake. Just make the entire switch!
• There are days when the kids juice intake is too high (both of the middle boys take a medicine in juice). These are empty calories. She suggests diluting the juice with water for this.
• We need to move from 3 fruits and 2 vegetables most days to 3 vegetables and 2 fruits.

Next time, I want to incorporate a tour of the store to learn more about things I tend to overlook. Like FROZEN bread (sprouted whole grains) in the Health Market section--better NuVals! I bet there are other hidden treasures within my local Hyvee!

Together we Elliptical!

Its the beginning of Week 5. We are continuing to work hard! Last week I mastered 30 minutes on the elliptical, now I am increasing the resistance! Steve has long since mastered 30 minutes and resistance, now he is working on increasing his strides (speed). Many of our cardio workouts are the combination of elliptical and bike or treadmill. Steve likes the rowing machine too!

More Wellness

Nelson Chiropractic is a partner in the Healthy Family Challenge. All of us receive free chiropractic care during the challenge. (Do they know there are 7 of us?) We have not had chiropractic coverage with our health insurance in many years.

Finally, last week we went for our initial screening and evaluation. A spinal exam of course along with a rolling thermal scan that indicates weaknesses in our spinal cord/column.

My evaluation findings revealed I am in pretty good shape "one of the best scans the doctor had ever seen", had I ever had chiropractic care?  Yes, most of my life. I have always said if my chiropractor moved, so would I! That was, until I had no further chiropractic coverage. I will be seen twice a week for a few weeks and then be given a maintenance schedule (monthly?). They also recommended some massage (not free) as an adjunct treatment for my tight muscles. I had my first massage, and it was heavenly! Complete with an icy cold bottle of water for my ride home!

Steve on the other hand...he needs a lot of work! He will start with three times a week for 2 weeks! The initial plan includes other adjunct therapy including some exercises to learn, drinking more water, kinesio taping, and some electrical stimulation for other improvements.

The kids all had their scans but we go back next week for their interpretation and potential plan.

They also reccomend we attend a 20 minute How to Stay Young class.

Important Questions, Answered

Remember I wanted to know if my kids were getting enough milk...no they are not!  Janet Macon our Hyvee dietitian is reviewing our food journals. "Charley and Alexis for example, are falling short on their calcium-rich dairy. More than half of Charley's dairy is coming from cheese, a relatively low-quality choice. They need 3 servings a day with only one serving from cheese. "She suggests aiming for milk and yogurt for the other 2 servings.


Tonight they each got a glass of milk with dinner (we have classically been water drinkers with meals).  I have my first batch of homemade Greek yogurt in the crock pot now, I hope they like it! Making it myself will really impact the grocery bill. Greek yogurt even on sale is close to $1 per 6 oz. serving. I was saving that expense for my breakfast. A colleague of mine shared the recipe with me. It was published in The Radish. I love that publication!


Another question I posed was the value of chia?

Steve likes it and adds it to fruit smoothies or did earlier this year when trying an herbalife weight loss plan. Janet's response was quite interesting. "Chia is a great source of fiber and plant omega-3's (ALA), but is an expensive source. She suggests milled flax seed, not chia because the omega and fiber contents are almost identical and flax costs less than half what chia costs less per pound.

Next I wondered about tuna. Should I buy it in oil or water?I thought I had read that tuna packed in oil was higher in Omega-3's.

She replied "Tuna packed in oil actually tends to be lower in omega-3 – at least the edible portion.  The tunas natural oils will leach into the substrate – the added oil – and be drained off when you drain the tuna.  Tuna packed in water delivers more omega-3 because, of course, oil and water don’t mix.  A couple of published studies have found that water packed tuna delivers about 1/3 more omega-3 per 100 g (3.5 ounces) that oil-packed.  Albacore and bluefish have much higher omega-3 than light tuna, though it also tends to be higher in mercury.  Albacore is the variety of tuna that is limited (to 6 ounces per week) for pregnant women."

Lastly I have noticed the salad dressing aisle does not contain decent NuVal scores. What might she recommend? 

Because we don’t’ tend to get many nutrients from salad dressing anyhow, she recommends we choose the dressing with the lowest amount of unhealthy fat (saturated) that we and the kids like, then monitor how much of it we use.  See if you can find a high monounsaturated fat dressing (olive oil-based) that we like.  Otherwise, just limit how much we are using.

We  sure are learning a lot of tips through this challenge!

So Many Have Asked....here is the recipe!

Strained Yogurt

Ingredients:

½ gallon milk,  milkfat of your choice

½ cup purchased Greek-style yogurt

Supplies:

Slow-cooker/crockpot, whisk, warm blankets, colander and bowl, cheesecloth (Hyvee sells)

                Pour milk into a 4-quart cooker set to low. Allow the milk to heat for 2 hours, hten turn off the cooker and whisk in the purchased yogurt.

                Wrap the entire slow-cooker in warm blankets. The writer used a large fleece blanket and wrapped it twice—place it in a non-drafty location. Leave it like this for 12 hours or overnight.

                In the morning, line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Be sure that this setup is large enough to handle all of your yogurt. Pour the warm yogurt into the cheesecloth. It will be runny but not runny enough to go through the cheesecloth quickly. At this point you can refridgerate the yogurt. Leave it like this for several hours or until its convenient to do something with it.

                How quickly your yogurt strains completely will depend upon its consistency when placed in the fridge and the temperature of your refridge, as well as how thick you want the finished project to be.

                When yogurt is ready, enjoy it as you usually would.  The author likes hers drizzled with honey. ( I like it with Kashi granola with black currants. )She also suggests putting it right into your ice cream maker to make frozen yogurt. Yum!

Source:  HowStuffWorks.com

(I used the whey product to make instant pudding!)

Cooks notes: 

For creamier yogurt, replace some of the milk with half and half. Be aware that increases your fat content of your yogurt.

 (Beware this makes only 4 servings of yogurt but its delicious!)

Enjoy! 

This was published in The Radish

Random Photos

 

A great new find--a highly rated NuVal score (43) for this salsa. What makes this salsa so great? Brown rice is an ingredient along with corn. And its SO tasty!

Last Saturday night I had opportunity to educate Nick our oldest son (newly married) in the Hyvee aisles. It was approaching midnight but I shared my knowledge of NuVal scoring to make him a more educated shopper!

Ever faithful we sing our dinner prayer together. "God Our Father, God Our Father, Once Again, Once Again, We will ask your Blessing, We will ask your Blessing, Amen, Amen!"

Everyone can help with prep work for fahitas. Its faster and gets their minds off of eating for a bit.

 

This is the our kids at Kids Fit the free class that runs at the YMCA during our workouts on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30-6:30. It happens that Wyatt Knapper our Wellness Coach, oversees this class (he is in the center). Another youth is the teacher of this class. I think they were doing some stretches or warm-ups here in anticipation of KICK BALL!

 

Making salads for seven is a family operation. Especially when everyone is starving and more than ready to eat after working out. I can't say this enough, planning is really important! Makes it all easier. Good help is crucial too, Steve is great help! He will be going back to second shift soon, darn! No more help for the momma!

It's Working!

Steve has more energy. Steve says he feels better. I have noticed he is doing more around the house! And Steve says he is getting used to eating better! He is definitely participating more in the planning piece. Planning very important...not only for what to eat but when to get the workout in!

According to the scale I am losing a few pounds! Will make you wait for the official number as I have not checked my weight on Wyatt's scale. I consider that the "official scale". I did not choose weight loss as my goal--too much pressure. This will be a side benefit for me.

Our participation in this Challenge has generated a lot of conversation (and more ripple effects!).

• Team Burney have gotten motivated to workout at the YMCA. Nancy has started working with Wyatt! Dennes is in process! Yeah! I am so proud of Dennes!
• Our neighbors the Elliotts have taken interest in our healthy habits. They are going to start with goals and attempt some food changes!
• Other friends have also taken an interest and truly are envious of our committment and especially the healthy food!
• Last week my lecture at the college was on the cardiac system. Part of the lecture includes some dietary recommendations (nurses can be a great source of information at a vulnerable time in patients lives). I have mentioned the Challenge in class to my students and this week educated them on NuVal scoring. We also talked about oils, fiber, and serving sizes.My students hopefully will educate patients and their families. (more ripples!)
• Others are reading the blog and asking for more tips!

Last but not least, I am pretty darn proud of myself! I am now up to 30 minutes on the elliptical! Today I even increased its Resistance!

End of Week Three

Another meeting with Wyatt. He showed us how to do RT together. One machine, Steve does a set (8-12 reps) on his settings, then I do a set on mine. We can assist each other in each others settings, things move a little quicker and we each get our 90 seconds of rest between sets. Of course, Wyatt took this opportunity to increase our resistance!  All I can say is I felt it! We felt it! Wowsa!
Another meeting with Janet the dietitian.  I had some questions. For example, what is the best olive oil. Light tasting or extra virgin. And it is safe for baking. I was concerned about free radicals. Next up was how to add variety to the kids sack lunch. She says we need to think outside the traditional box.

• A small thermos with baked beans (high in fiber, added protein and the sauce would keep pieces of chicken breast warm).
• Jicama sticks (a mexican potato, also high in fiber, fat free, and a source of vitamin C, reminds me of a turnip consistency wise only much larger--the one I bought weighed just over 2 pounds!) Charley (and Cariyana) really liked this dipped in ranch! Xavier said he did not care for it.
• hard boiled eggs and crackers
• a Cliff Bar

Another idea is to plan leftovers. There is that word plan again!  I am going to work harder at this. Cooking 2 whole chickens instead of one so we not only get a meal but have meat for chicken fettuccine, chicken sandwiches, chicken and rice soup, and a pan of chicken enchiladas. Not really a new idea, just one I need to bring back to the forefront of my thinking!

She gave me some new recipes. We also discussed apple juice. Apple juice cocktail with splenda has a decent Nuval score. But it really is just empty calories for kids. Dilute it or delete it.

She will begin to review our food diaries and give me feedback. I am particularly curious to know if we are getting enough milk. We hope to make changes based on her comments. Keeping these journals up-to-date is a real chore. The kids help out some but it is an added task each day for this big family!

Life Gets In The Way

Of Exercise...

Unexpected events occur. Life gets busy. Priorities change on a dime. Its hard to get back on track. Its easy to just skip the exercise and try to get back into life's routine and catch up on everything else that also got put on hold while life got in the way.

Of Planning...

Even exercise takes planning. I have taken to scheduling it officially on my calendar. It helps, especially if a time worked one week, I will schedule it the same time next week. Life gets in the way and so the scheduled exercise gets put on hold or just plain canceled.

Of Healthy Eating...

To eat healthy you need ingredients. I have always been a list maker. Steve and I have started to plan the weeks meals. I create the grocery list. Then one of us can do the shopping. No plan, no list, no shopping. That puts our healthy eating at risk.

Week Three

I have been remiss in not posting a family photo of all of us.Here we are! Left to right is Charley (11), Xavier (8), Cariyana (6), Joe (6), Steve and I, and Alexis (11).

Next is our BEFORE pantry photo (required for the makeover).

And our BEFORE refridgerator photo (also required).

As for how is Week 3 going? All I can say is wowsa! Steve and I met with Wyatt earlier in the week and we have been feeling the influences of Wyatt's intervention ever since! Essentially he increased resistance by way of weights.