My trick to eating healthy

I think that eating right is all about being prepared. It's when you have to make last minute choices about dinner (or any meal or snack) that you find yourself making horrible decisions. It's just like grocery shopping when you are hungry... don't do it! If you sit down as a family, with just your husband, or by yourself on Sunday night and plan out all of your meals for the week, it makes it super easy to make better choices. I try to plan out several weeks at a time 'cause it's more fun that way. By doing this, I've noticed several things: I spend less money at the grocery store, less food goes to waste, I'm eating lots more veggies and I'm trying lots of new dishes. I don't know about you, but if I don't keep track or plan ahead, I tend to eat the same 5 dinners over and over again. BOR-ING! This way, not only am I branching out with my cooking, but the family and I are trying new things. Winning! ;) HAHAHA. Just had to do that. I actually try to plan for all meals. That way we aren't eating cereal every morning (expensive much!?)

Here's what my dinner chart looks like:

If you pull out and gather all our your recipes, then you can take inventory on monday morning and go shopping for what you need. Also, try to get some healthy snacks and things to nibble on so you won't be tempted to eat and buy junk food. This chart is also a great way to see if you are getting in all of your fruits and veggies and if you are eating a well balanced diet. You will notice that your shopping cart should be full of much more healthy choices, and you won't just be cruisin' the aisles and putting random crap in it. Yay!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Another great thing about this is that you can cook once and eat twice. Like for instance, make grilled chicken one night but cook extra. Then the next night or so you can have chicken fajitas. Cook once, eat twice. It's a wonderful thing, Martha.

-Bree

Smart Subsitutions for Your Cooking

I got this list off the American Heart Associations website. It is a list for healthy subsitutions for recipes

Instead of using 1 c whole milk use 1 c fat free (or low fat) milk plus 1TBSP liquid vegetable oil.
Instead of 1 c heavy cream use 1 c evaporated skim milk OR 1/2 c low fat plain yogurt and 1/2 c plain low-fat unsalted cottage cheese.
Instead of sour cream use low fat unsalted cottage cheese plus low fat or fat free plain yogurt, or fat-free sour cream.
Instead of cream cheese use 4 tablespoons soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) blended with 1 cup dry, unsalted low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed.
Instead of 1 TBSP butter use 1 tablespoon soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) or 3/4 tablespoon liquid vegetable oil.
Instead of 1 egg use 2 egg whites; or choose a commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute (1/4 cup).
Instead of 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate use
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or soft margarine; since carob is sweeter than cocoa, reduce the sugar in the recipe by 25%.

Also, I know that applesauce can be replaced for vegetable oils for your baking recipes. Use the same amount of applesauce as the recipe calls for oil.