Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Cajun Spice (to taste)
• hot sauce (to taste)
• 2 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat Caesar salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Direction:

1. Sprinkle spice and hot sauce on chicken breast, catering to your own taste, and grill chicken on skillet or grill (chicken is done when light pink has disappeared from center).
2. Toss lettuce, dressing and chicken to evenly distribute throughout salad. Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and serve.

Make 1 serving

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 3.3 g
• Carbohydrates 7.4g
• Calories: 196.1
• Protein 31.7g

Sparks Peoples recipe

14 Tips for Starting and Sticking with it!

To help get started and stay on track, here are a few tips:

1. Throw Away- the bathing suit you wore in high school... and the memory too. It's normal to have a mental image of yourself when you last exercised. But if that image is from high school, you could be in big trouble. Even if it's from last year, forget it. Remember as little as possible of what you used to look like. Starting today, make a new memory!
2. Prepare- We already know you don't have the time, so write it down like an appointment every day. You wouldn't cancel an appointment, why would you cancel on yourself?
3. Start Slowly- Do much less then what you're capable of. Take a 20 minute walk if you're returning to exercise. You might feel like it's not enough, but it's a good start.
4. Get the family involved- Run while your daughter rides her bike. Go to a local track and let the kids play their own games while you run/walk.
5. Where are your friends? Four words, four reason- motivation, inspiration, determination, conversation. Surround yourself with friends who think positive and live large.
6. Put the pain in perspective- When the going gets tough, remember that you have survived 600 carpools, 540 loads of laundry (this month) 230 dinners and one family vacation! What's the big deal?
7. Allow yourself to slow down- You're driving this bus! For the first time today, you are in control.
8. Sign up for a race- It's a goal to strive for and adds a little meaning to your everyday workout.
9. Run/walk in public- Be proud of your accomplishment. take in all the sites and be an inspiration to others.
10. Just show up- Go to the gym, class or the park. Once you're there, it's hard to say no. 98% of life is showing up!
11. Eat- Follow a healthy eating pattern. If you limit your calorie intake, you will not have enough energy to work out and your metabolishm will slow down.
12. Understand your energy cycle- there aer peaks during our days. Even during the week. Try to complete your workout when you feel good about yourself.
13. Wallow in your greatness- You can exercise to become a better exerciser or you can exercise to become a better mother, a better fater, doctor, or a better friend or you can exercise to become BETTER. Be proud of that accomplishment.
14. Have fun- Where's your childlike spirit? When you can make workouts "playouts" you've got it made.

Don't give up on yourself! After all, it's never too late to be that healthy person you might have been.

Happy Holiday!

Peppermint-Dark Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 sticks "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" cooking and baking blend, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4 sugar-free candy canes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat butter blend with mixer and slowly add sugar. Beat until smooth. Add egg mixture and blend until incorporated. Add the flours and blend on low until a dough is formed.
3. Divide the dough in half. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Place half of the dough on the wrap. Using a floured hand shape into 9-inch long roll. You can shape into rectangle, square or pyramid, depending on the shape of cookie you desire. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes or until dough is firm. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use silpats. Slice dough into 1/4 pieces. To assure even baking, place 1 pan on upper-middle rack and 1 pan on lower middle rack. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Rotate cookies front to back and change racks. Continue baking until golden brown about another 7 minutes. Cool on rack.
5. Melt the chocolate chips. Crush the peppermint by placing in Ziploc bag and lightly hit with a rolling pin. Spread 1/3 of the cookies with melted chocolate and sprinkle with small amount of crushed peppermint.

Make 6 dozen

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 3.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 5.9g
• Calories: 55.3
• Protein: 0.6 g

By: sparkpeople

7 Healthy Holiday Tips

Here are seven great tips to remember this Holiday season to stay healthy:

1. Don't Skip out on sleep- Though it is tempting to enjoy a couple of holiday cocktails at a social gathering to ensure you'll get some shuteye the rule is to never have two drinks in a row, opt to have water or club soda between.
2. Start with a mind-body workout routine- Take a few minutes in the beginning of the day before people get around to workout. This will help you stick to your routine.
3. Forgive yourself for slipping up- When it comes to emotional eating, wee need to first come to the fundamental realization that we're mess-ups. Too often in life, we expect ourselves to be more perfect than is humanly possible. So do not give up if you miss a day or two of exercise.
4. Don't give in to holiday weight gain- It is a myth that we gain 7-10 pounds during the holiday. Actually only about 1 to 2 pounds are gained. A good suggestion is to eat 100 calories less per day during holidays get rid of weight you would have gained and set standard for the new year.
5. Get in that exercise- Yes, it seems like it repeats tip 2, but it can not be said enough. No matter how busy you are, no matter how stressed you get, work out!
6. Don't make the meal the focus of the holiday- A suggestion is to eat an early meal and then do something active. Play family football, play a game on the Wii do something that keeps you moving.
7. Eat natural foods to boost immunity-Eating plenty of broccoli, which helps clean out the liver, and taking a multivitamin with omega-3 and making sure to get a daily dose of vitamin A,B,D and E.

Keep these tips in mind and go into the Holidays with the thinking that you are not going to forget all your health goals!

Tip of the Day

Buy healthy, convenient breakfast foods like cereal, yogurt, fruit and oatmeal. Most people who maintain weight loss eat breakfast regularly.

Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 Cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Dark Molasses
• 1 tsp Ginger, ground
• 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
• 1 Egg
• 1 1/2 Cup all purposes wheat flour
• 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Cup tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

Direction:

1. Beat the butter on medium-high speed in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Beat in the brown sugar. Add the Molasses, ginger, and cinnamon, mix thoroughly.
2. Add the egg. Mix in as much of the flour & wheat flour as you can with the electric mixer. Stir in any remaining by hand.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees
5. Spray 3-4 cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray. Shape into 1 inch balls, roll in granulated sugar mixed with cinnamon.
6. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until cookies are set and tops crack

Yields: 48

Nutritional Information

• Fat: 1.4g
• Carbohydrates: 9.6g
• Calories; 53.3
• Protein: 07.g

Holiday Spice Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup "I can't Believe It's Not Butter" baking blend
• 1/2 Cup organic can sugar
• 1/4 Cup Molasses
• 1/4 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
• 2 tsp ginger, ground
• 1 tsp allspice
• 3 Cups whole wheat flour

Creamy Decorator's Frosting:

• 1 Cup Powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbsp Skim milk
• Few drops of food coloring, as desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Beat the butter blend using a mixer until softened. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Add molasses and orange juice and blend.
3. Mix the flour with the spices and then add the wet mixture. Store until dough is formed.
4. You may roll out dough at this point, but the whole wheat flour will absorb the liquid from the orange juice and blend the flavors better if let to chill for 30 minutes
5. Divide the dough in half and roll one half to 1/8inch thickness. Flour the cutter and cut out the cookies. Place on cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or use silicone baking sheet liners. These will not spread much so they can be placed about 1/2inch apart.
6. In order to assure a more evenly baked cookie, place one cookie sheet on the upper third of the oven rack and the other cookie sheets front to back. Bake another 5 minutes. Cool on rack. Be sure to cool completely before decorating.

Yields: 5 dozen 2 2/2 inch cut-out cookies

For the frosting:

Mix all ingredients in small bowl until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Add more milk if needed.

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 3.1g
• Carbohydrates; 9.4g
• Calories: 66.9
• Protein: 0.9g

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces light (50% less fat) breakfast sausage
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 4 1/2 cups sourdough bread cubes or croutons
• 8 ounces shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 large whole eggs
• 4 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 2 cups low fat milk

Directions:

1. Crumble sausage into a medium nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until nicely brown, breaking up into bits with spatula as it cooks. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with canola cooking spray and set aside.
2. Add sausage to large bowl along with toasted bread squares, cheese, mustard powder, and salt, if desired. Add whole eggs, egg whites (or egg substitute) and milk to mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and completely blended.
3. Drizzle egg-milk mixture over the sausage and bread mixture; stir to blend. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spread top evenly, cover with foil, then chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake, covered in foil, for 45 minutes. Uncover the foil, and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for about 20 minutes longer or until set.

Makes 8 servings

Nutritional Information:

• Fat: 11.7g
• Carbohydrates: 16.4g
• Calories: 282.6
• Protein: 26.3 g

7 Tips for Healthy Meal Planning

Healthy meal planning does not need to be difficult and time consuming. By using a few of these tips and enjoy the extra time you'll discover as a result.

1. Use a slow cooker- Simply set everything up in the morning or the night before and enjoy warm, home cooked meal when you're through with your busy day.
2. Overcook- Make different versions using the same main ingredient. For example cook chicken cutlets all at once then you can use them for a variety of foods.
3. Double a recipe- As long as you'll be cleaning those pots and pans, make more than one meal. Simply double or triple the recipe, label and freeze for later use.
4. Have breakfast for dinner- Breakfast can include a goldmine of healthy foods; high fiber cereals, whole grain pancake or waffles, fresh fruit smoothies, eggs and much more.
5. Keep a running food shopping list- by keeping a running list in your kitchen, you'll find it easy to keep healthy foods on hand.
6. Use some supermarket smarts- When food shopping, keep things quick, easy and healthy with precut, prewashed vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain breads, nuts, beans and quick cooking lean protein.
7. Menu planning and food preparation- There are so many great options available to make meal planning quick and easy.

Healthy meal planning doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming at all! It can be quick, easy and delicious with just a little bit of creativity and the willingness to do things just a little differently.