Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Raise a Glass!

There are plenty of options for milk alternatives out there on the market, but do they stack up to the real thing? You may select an alternative based on taste, preference, nutrient content, or health reasons. But an alternative may not be the best for you and your body! I support you and your decision on what kind of milk or altnerative you want to drink. I am just here to clear the air between the differences and help you make a more knowledgeable decision for your life and health.

Let's dive in!

Skim Milk- In just one 8 oz glass of milk, there's only 80 calories! Within those 80 calories, there's no fat at all, less than 5 mg of cholesterol, 12 g of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, 30% of the daily value of calcium and 25% of the daily value of Vitamin D! Just one small glass of milk packs a good punch of nutrients! Nothing needed to be added into milk in order to make it like this, its all nautral!



Let's compare it to 8 oz of Soy Milk
One 8 oz glass has 110 calories (thats 30 more than a glass of skim milk). There's 2.5g of fat, 15 g of carbs, 5g of protein, and vitamins that are added into the beverage to add some nutrient content. This is the ingredient list for this vanilla soy milk -
  • Organic soymilk (filtered water, whole organic soybeans)
  • Brown rice sweetener (filtered water, brown rice)
  • Natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors
  • Tricalcium phosphate
  • Sea salt
  • Carrageenan
  • Vitamin A palmitate
  • Vitamin D2 




Let's look at Almond Milk
 It has only 30 calories in an 8 oz glass of the unsweetened variety, but it has 3.5g of fat, 3g of carbohydrates and only 2g, at most, of protein.  There is a significantly less amount of nutrients in almond milk compared to skim milk!

Let's look at Coconut milk!
One 8oz glass of coconut milk has 80 calories, like the skim milk, but has 5g of fat all coming from saturated fat, 7 grams of carbs, and less than 1 gram of protein!!! This product is also fortified with vitamins in an attempt to up the nutirent content.


For those who are lactose intolerant and rely on milk alternatives in an attempt to get some nutrients, there is a better option! Nestle has a new milk product called FairLife. It comes in Chocolate Milk, 2% and Skim Milk, and the best part is that it is actually made from cow's milk! Now you may be thinking "why is she saying this if I can't have milk because of the lactose!" FairLife is Ultra High Pasturized Milk, meaning that it is heating to an extremely high temperature which breaks down, or denatures the lactose proteins, making it lactose free. Not only is it lactose free, but there's also 50% more protein than regular milk, half the carbohydrate content, and 30% more calcium! Let's look at the nutrient fact panel

Just like the regular skim milk, there is 80 calories, only 6g of carbohydrates, and 13g of protein!! This milk really packs a punch and is great after a tough workout.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)
Servings Per Container About 7
Amount Per Serving
Calories 80 Calories from Fat
 % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g0%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 120mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 6g2%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Sugars 6g
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 40% Iron 0%
Vitamin D 25%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Ingredients: Nonfat Ultra-Filtered Milk, Lactase Enzyme, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3
Contains Milk. 

Now that you have all this information, it's time for you to decide what is best. You can't milk a soy bean, almond or coconut! 

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Tots with a Twist! (Picky Eater Approved)

We love tater tots in my house. We could eat a whole bag of them if we didn't care about the nutrient content of them. This recipe I found makes tater tots, with a twist! Instead of potatoes, I shredded up some zucchini. Zucchini is a very versatile vegetable. It can be fried into chips, chopped into a salad, or sauteed as a side dish. My dad actually introduced my mom to zucchini when they first got married. My mom was a very picky eater when she was younger, and it didn't help that my grandma would mostly serve meat, potatoes, and corn or peas for dinner. Mom was pleasantly surprised by this dish, and went back for seconds and thirds! You, just need 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to roast in the oven, and you have a tasty and easy side dish even picky eaters will love! Its really important to get as much water as possible rung out of the tots to help them crisp up.
These are the tots before they went into the oven!

The recipe was adapated from Skinny Taste

INGREDIENTS:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 packed cup grated zucchini
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 medium onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste

I added a little bit of chile powder to add a little kick to these too. Instead of the salt, you can substitute it for Garic Salt which will enhance the flavor as well

DIRECTIONS:


  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Yield: 3 servings, Serving Size: 5 tots
  • Amount Per Serving:
  • Smart Points: 3
  • Points +: 3
  • Calories: 108
  • Total Fat: 4.3g
  • Saturated Fat: g
  • Cholesterol: mg
  • Sodium: 262mg
  • Carbohydrates: 11.5g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Sugar: 2g
  • Protein: 7g


Read more at http://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-tots/#5tkJbVtmdtR5W5wx.99