Make a Christmas Eve Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Healthy Eating While Traveling

Sticking to healthy foods while traveling can be one of the most difficult things to do in your life. If you learn how to make smart choices, then healthy eating is really not that difficult. This is probably not the best time to start a healthy eating program, but if you are currently making healthy choices in your foods already, modifying your diet slightly to accommodate travel is not as it first may seem.
When you are traveling by airplane, you may have to eat airplane food which can often be of poor quality, depending on the selection. When you book your flight, ask about your food options and ask if a vegetarian dish is available. Vegetarian dishes are sometimes more nutritional in this case, but it really depends on what they will be serving. If you can eat a larger meal before your flight, you don't have to eat the meal that is served.

When driving or taking a bus, you may be tempted to stop at fast food restaurants. Avoid this whenever possible! If you're on vacation, you may wish to splurge a tiny bit, but having fast foods more than once during a week can really be bad for you. If you must, choose the healthiest options available chicken breasts and diet soda is good choices.
Remember that you can take your own food when traveling. Carrying a loaf of whole-wheat bread or pita wraps, some lean lunch meat, and low-fat cheese in a cooler is a great way to avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol junk food meals. These are much better choices and you'll save a lot of money as well. Call ahead to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your hotel room.
Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side and ask about low-carb options. In fact, many places print these options directly in the menu for the health conscious people. Control your portions by ordering lunch menu sizes or splitting the meal in half and don't forget to get a doggie bag. You'll be well on your way to healthy eating, even away from home.
Yes, eating healthy foods when you travel can be a challenge. Your health is worth it. When you eat good foods, you will also fight off illnesses that you are likely to encounter when traveling and you will be more alert so that you can enjoy your trip.
Healthy Eating and Peer Pressure
Whether you are on a diet or simply enjoying a healthy lifestyle, you probably know that peer pressure to eat foods that are not good for you, is a major part of your life. If you are concerned about the food that goes into your stomach, don't worry, there are ways to overcome peer pressure. It simply takes a little know-how to get people off your back!
Parties are a major source of peer pressure, especially with alcohol. Alcohol contains hundreds of calories in just one drink take beer for an example: "one beer equals a loaf of bread" so when you go to a party, people might be pressuring you to have a drink and relax. It can be difficult to say no when they are constantly trying to convince you. Offer to go with to a bar instead. That way, you become the designated driver, they won't want you to drink and drive, in fact, they will not pressurise you to drink. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
Other times when you may feel under pressure to eat, is at work, when the boss orders lunch for everyone at a meeting or when you have to visit a client. Instead of giving in to temptation, simply politely decline the food by letting your boss know in advance or order a meal that is healthy and split the portion in half so you have a meal for tomorrow's lunch as well.
Baby showers, weddings, birthday parties, and other special events can also wreak havoc on your diet, even if you are good at resisting temptation on your own. When someone hands you a piece of cake and won't take no for an answer, it can be difficult to know what to say! Here a little white lie might be appropriate. For instance, say that your stomach was upset earlier in the day, will convince a person that you don't want to eat at the moment or pretending to have a chocolate allergy, will get people to allow you to enjoy the party without a hassle surrounding food.
Refusing bad foods is fine, you should be eating good foods.
If you do not change your eating habits, disorders can develop, which will give your family, friends and doctor a real reason to be worried about your health. It's ok to say no to peer pressure, but don't say no to food in general!



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If You Eat Hard boiled Eggs Daily, this is what happens to your body I H...

Raw Kale Recipes - 3 Easy Recipes!

Raw kale is one of the most nutritious greens you can eat. Here are three easy raw kale recipes you can try at home.

It is one of the healthiest greens for your bones because it contains vitamin K, manganese, which promotes bone density, and it also contains calcium.

It is also the top leafy green source of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which promote eye health. It also contains vitamins C, B6, and B2 and is a good source of fiber.

There are many varieties including Curly, Red Winter, and Lacinto. You might also be lucky enough to find an heirloom variety at your local farmer's market as well. Experiment with different types for different tastes and textures.

Here are three easy raw kale recipes that I hope will get you to try this very nutritious vegetable.

Warning: kale is contraindicated in people taking anti-coagulants such as Warfarin.

Tropical Smoothie

1 cup pineapple
1 cup mango
1 banana
6 Lacinto or Dinosaur Kale leaves
2 cups water

Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender such as the Vitamix until completely smooth and creamy. Add honey, agave nectar, stevia or another sweetener if desired. Enjoy as a super healthy addition to your breakfast routine or as nutritious snack during the day.

Green Juice

5 ribs celery
1 large English cucumber
2-3 large Fuji apples
1/2 lime
6 Curly Kale leaves

Put all the ingredients through a juicer. My favorite juicer because of it's versatility is the Omega Vert 350. If you don't have a juicer an alternative would be to chop the cucumber, apple, and celery and place it in a blender (cucumber first) with the chopped kale and peeled lime. Blend on high for about thirty seconds and then pour and squeeze the mixture through a sprout bag over a big bowl. Sprout bags are relatively inexpensive and have a variety of uses. The sprout bag will strain out all the pulp and leave you with a smooth and silky juice. Pour the juice back into the blender carafe and then pour into a glass.

Raw Marinated Asian Salad

1 large bunch Lacinto or Dinosaur kale thinly sliced
(or another type of kale)
Juice from 1 lime (about 6 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon raw sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon cold pressed olive oil
2 tablespoons chickpea miso
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
(about 2 green onions green part only)
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
(about 1/2 large bell pepper)
handful of your favorite seaweed
[torn dulse, silky sea palm, kombu, wakame... (etc.)]
1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds (optional)

Make sure the greens are thinly sliced, you can even shred the kale with your food processor with the slicing disk on if you wish. Put the shredded kale in a large bowl and mash in with a fork the oil, chickpea miso, shredded ginger, and lime juice. Make sure the miso and oil is well blended. You can even massage the kale with your hands to make sure the kale is well coated. Serve now or let the kale marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hr., it can even sit overnight. The longer it marinates the more tender the kale will be. When you are ready to serve, add in the bell pepper, seaweed, cucumber, green onion, and sesame seeds.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and I hope you are inspired to eat more kale at home!

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Easy Vegan Recipes For Vegetable Side Dishes on Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick Day is just around the corner so why not take a healthful approach to what you serve with these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes. Celebrating with holiday parties is fun and since there will be plenty of green beer to sip on make sure to include some fresh healthful food for your event.

It's easy and cool to offer shot glasses filled with celery or asparagus soup. Asparagus soup is one of the many easy vegan recipes that you can do the night before and then after work, simply take the soup out of the fridge, fill your shot glasses and serve on Saint Patrick Day.

How about green olive tapenade on a toasted sourdough baguette? For holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day this dip can be made a few days in advance and again, just pull it out of the fridge prior to guest arrival and serve either already topped on the baguette or as one of your vegetable side dishes. (Recipe for olive tapenade can be found on page 83 in Budget Bash.)

Other vegetable side dishes your friends would enjoy on Saint Patrick Day are a cucumber salad with balsamic vinaigrette, Waldorf salad, fennel and mint salad or a cucumber and seaweed salad.

Of course, keeping it vegan and real let's not forget a bowl of edaname either cold or warm with or without salt. All of these easy vegan recipes mentioned for your holiday parties won't take much time and some can be made well in advanced, refrigerated overnight and then quickly transferred into fun and simple serving dishes as vegetable side dishes.

Roasted Asparagus Soup Recipe

2 1/2 lbs. thin asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2" pieces 
2 leaks, white & light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped 
2 T. Olive Oil 
salt & pepper to taste 
2 1/2 C. vegetable broth 
Chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a heavy roasting pan, combine asparagus, leeks, olive oil, slat and pepper. Mix to combine.

Roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes or until leeks are golden brown & asparagus are tender.

Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the broth. Process until completely pureed, taste to adjust seasonings.

Pour soup into shot glasses & garnish with chives if desired.

Waldorf Salad Recipe

3-4 Granny Smith Apples 
2 Celery stalks, thinly sliced 
4 oz. walnut pieces or pecans chopped 
Mixed greens if desired 
French vinaigrette dressing

Cut a few slices of apple with the skin on for decoration and then peel and core the rest of the apple and cut into thin strips. Toss the apple slices in lemon juice to prevent apples from turning brown.

Add the chopped celery, apple slices, nuts and mixed greens and toss with French vinaigrette.

French Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

2 tbs. Dijon mustard 
2 tbs champagne vinegar 
6 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a cruet and serve with salad.

I hope you found these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes fun to make for your holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun and economical to all!


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Wakame Seaweed Salad Recipe

Moroccan Beetroot Salad Recipe

Nutritional Salad - The Healthiest Way to Lose Weight

However much you may be keen to lose weight, it's often hard to replace meals with salads. They are, after all, so boring and tasteless! But did you know that you can add endless varieties of fruits, meats and vegetables to perk up an otherwise drab and dull salad, without of course adding calories? Moreover, the goodness of nutrition-filled salad can hasten your weight loss goals like no other food.
You could be thinking of losing weight for a variety of reasons, other than simply to have a slim waistline. Being overweight can invite a host of health problems including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and various types of sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Being overweight can also have damaging effects on your mental health.

Of all the innumerable options you have to lose weight, perhaps going on a healthy and balanced diet, coupled with some amount of physical exercises is the best. Did you know that having a bowl of nutrition salad can offer the same 'balance' that you were looking for in a meal? There are several approaches you can take to turn your salad into a healthy, no-fat, no-sweet diet option. For example, when you add chicken or egg whites to your salad, you are actually making your nutrition salad even healthier.

From where does the nutritional salad get its nutrition? Take the instance when you add lettuce and leafy green vegetable like broccoli to your salad. These two things are rich in fibers and carbohydrates which are extremely low on calories but give you a full feeling. By omitting starch-filled carbohydrates like potatoes, rice or bread, you are making sure that your salad is filled with nutrition but without the calories.
How can you add more value to your nutrition salad? Depending on the kind of weight loss you have in mind, you could add chicken, nuts, cheese and eggs as the protein content. The best part about salads is that the nutritional value does not diminish even if you make it tasty and scrumptious. For instance adding rice vinegar to your nutrition salad bowl does not add any calorie but enhances the taste. This addition also enhances the original taste of the vegetables without masking their flavor.
Depending on the amount of calorie-intake plan you have for the day, you can add or deduct any amount of protein you desire from the list of ingredients given below along with their calorific value:

1 medium head of lettuce: 55 calories - 5 grams of protein;
1 medium bag of lettuce: 45 calories - 3 grams of protein;
1 boneless chicken breast: 80 calories - 16 grams of protein;
1 hard boiled egg: 80 calories - 6 grams of protein;
1 ounce of cheddar cheese: 115 calories - 7 grams of protein;
1 dozen almonds: 90 calories - 5 grams of protein;
1 medium carrot: 25 calories - 1 gram of protein and
1 Tbsp olive oil: 40 calories - 0 grams of protein.
Boneless chicken breasts are the best ingredient for making you salad nutritious without increasing the calories. With practice you can make your own repertoire of nutrition salad, which you would find hard to keep away from other weight watchers.

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