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I'm looking for a good recipe for Balsamic Chicken of some sort....anyone??? I tried a recipe but it wasn't a winner. If you have one please share! xoxo

Some tips for staying strong in a healthy lifestyle!

Here are some small tips that help me when I'm trying to stay strong!

-When I go to the grocery store, besides having a grocery list (that I must stick to!) I use one of the small grocery carts (above) if possible! It fills up quicker and makes it less likely to throw in "extra" stuff

-If I'm hungry or snacky the gum trick only works so much (sorry Biggest Loser plugs for Extra). What works better for me brushing my teeth (if I'm at home) or brush-ups (if I'm not at home)!

-If I have plans to go to the gym or a workout class but not for a couple hours, I change into my workout clothes and tennis shoes immediately. If I'm in my workout clothes I'm more likely not to slack and skip the gym

-Speaking of workout clothes, I wear my workout clothes when I do my grocery shopping most of the time. Not because I'm lazy but who wants to be wearing workout clothes & buying a bunch of junk food? Not me! And it' a reminder that cheating means undoing the work in the gym.

-This tip won't work for all but since I live alone it works wonders for me. I'm the personality type where if its in my house I'll eat it. Not saying I don't allow myself to have treats but instead of having junk snacks in the house, I like to have fruits & veggies around to snack on.

-If you're trying to loose weight - write it down. Writing down EVERYTHING you eat (& be completely HONEST) has been shown to help people eat fewer calories. And when I say everything, I mean everything! Did you have just a bite of something? just a couple chips? a couple mints from the restaurant? When you're writing things down honestly, you're more apt to realize what you're mindlessly eating or feel guilty that you have to write down 4 girl scout cookies :)

-If I'm going to a restaurant I check to see if they have a website and I pick out what I'm going to order BEFORE HAND! When I do this I always pick smart choices that are on track with a healthy lifestyle. When I don't do this, I get sucked into "oh my gosh I'm soooo starving I want THAT!" I have never regretted my decision when I've picked before I went, I HAVE regretted what I've ordered when I did it when I was starving or swept away in the "eating out" experience

Just thought I'd share some of these, please share any others that help you! I'd love to get some new ideas!!

Zucchini "Pasta" Review

I like to try some of those different creative options out there that people like to do to decrease calories or eat healthier. Since I'm a dietitian, I get asked about these things but also I like being creative with what I cook/eat. Well last night I tried making zucchini spaghetti. For those of you unfamiliar it is where you use zucchini in place of pasta. The idea is you decrease calories/carbs, increase your veggie intake, all with still being able to enjoy "pasta". Now I wasn't trying this so much as a diet option, because I think encorporating whole grain pasta into my diet is fine. But I was just curious!

I sliced my zucchini into thin long strips, boiled them for about 2 minutes, drained them, and topped w/ my favorite pasta sauce. If you put hot sauce on top that can continue to cook the zucchini so just be aware. I topped w/ a touch of fresh shredded parmesean.

I did like the meal and thought it was flavorful but I think I would do it more as a side dish (i.e. the whole italian zucchini & tomatoes type dish). I'm not sure if I cut the strips thin enough though to even come close to pretending to be pasta but I was worried they would fall apart if I cut them too thin. I did like this dish but you have to think about it as a dish on its own, NOT a replacement for pasta. For the pasta lovers feeling guilty out there, just pick a whole grain pasta but more then that keep your portion size in check! That's really the downfall for most pasta lovers.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried zucchini "pasta" or the next product that is making me super curious to try & review: Tofu Shirataki Noodle Substitute

*Update - had the leftovers which were sooo yummy! I liked it much better than the original dish because the tomato sauce soaked into the zucchini & made it a little extra flavorful, mmm!

Balsamic Vinager

Two new uses for Balsamic vinegar that I've been doing lately -

*Current obsession for snack or side dish:
Fresh mozzarella + tomatoes + sprinkle with ground Kosher salt and Balsamic vinegar
Soooooo delicious, fresh, & light! I love using the ball shaped mozzarella w/ grape/cherry tomatoes. Or the kind of mozzarella you slice w/ some sliced vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes are yummy too. Add some fresh basil if you want! Makes me crave some just thinking about it!!

*Liven up some strawberries
I read about this in a magazine (sorry I don't remember which one) but its a way to liven up those kinda iffy looking strawberries...you know the ones that are still edible but not too pretty anymore.
1. Slice strawberries & sprinkle w/ sugar (I use the Splenda sugar blend, I don't use just plain Splenda because the sugar pulls the water out of the strawberries making them moist and juicy). Refrigerate for 30mins
2. Sprinkle w/ ~1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar and refrigerate for another 30 mins
3. Eat plain, add to salads, be creative!
These end up being really good, it just kind of boldens the flavor a bit.

Yummy yogurt

I'm actually pretty excited - I have FINALLY found a way to eat yogurt that I love & think I'll stick with! It's not that I hate yogurt, I just don't really enjoy it (except my obsession w/ TCBY of course but that doesn't count). I've tried all sorts of brands (Rachel's was my favorite) and all sorts of flavors (lemon would be #1 of the "normal" flavors) ... BUT the thing is I'll buy some and try to eat it and I ALWAYS end up throwing most of it away. Or opening a little cup of it, eating 2 spoonfuls then either wasting the rest or shoving it down my throat. So occasionally I've bought yogurt for smoothies but I think you're getting the point. Well this past shopping trip I bought some Fage fat free Greek yogurt - plain which I've been wanting to try. Then I took 6-8 strawberries and pureed them (in my Magic Bullet). I mixed ~1/2 cup yogurt + my strawberry puree + a small dash of splenda - YUM!!! It was seriously like a desert. This will definitely be a new snack or treat if I'm craving something sweet. And I'm excited to try some other fruits too. You can always use honey in place of splenda too if you prefer. And if the fruit is sweet enough you might not need any additional sweetness.