Fast and Healthy Recipes

So my much needed spring break was fantastic.  I got to spend a lot of time with my family, I was so happy we took my daughter Ayvin to see so much stuff.  I think she really enjoyed it, especially the zoo and the Children's museum. So much fun!
Now that I'm back and the polls are in everyone has decided they want some fast and healthy recipes.  So I have decided that I am going to give one a week or every other week as I come across some that I have tried and really enjoy.
This week I am going to give you a recipe for Non-fried Crispy Chicken
This is a personal favorite and sometimes it turns out better than others and it is very customizable so feel free to try it my way and then add your own spin!

Ingredients:
1 pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts or strips
Bread crumbs (you can buy these from a grocery store or make them)
    or non-salted saltine crackers (this is what I use most often because it's cheaper and less messy)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Eggs (I generally use Olive Oil because of the high cholesterol in eggs)
Seasonings (my favorite is Lemon Pepper or Soul Seasoning, which is just a little spicy)

How to do it:
*If you are using the saltines put them in a baggy and use a rolling pin, wine bottle, or can of soup whatever you happen to have, to crush them up.  You want a fine sandlike texture to your crumbs.
*If you are using bread crumbs just put them into a baggy.
Now add the seasonings of your choice to your baggy.
Preheat the oven to around 400
Take out your chicken and olive oil or eggs.
*If you use eggs put those in a bowl and mix them up until the yolks are incorporated into the whites.
*If you use olive oil you will want to just put it in a bowl.  I would say I use around 1/4 cup, but I don't actually measure it, so just use a little to start with and add more if you need it. So you don't waste alot.
Get out a baking dish, I use an 8x8 or a 9x9 metal works better for me than glass does, but you can use either.
Now take the chicken and dip it in the eggs or olive oil make sure both sides are coated then put the chicken in the baggy and shake it around until well coated.  Place in the baking dish.
Bake around 30-40 minutes, you want a really golden crust, it should look almost like its fried.

So I hope you enjoy this recipe.  leave me lots of comments tell me how it goes, or tell me what other kinds of recipes you would like to hear about!

Alcohol

So It's been a busy 2 weeks for me and I haven't had much of a chance to post.  But I wanted to say thanks to those who answered my poll questions.  And I just wanted to give a little information about alcohol, since I decided to skip the whole vegetarian thing.  Anways as a college student, I know that alcohol can be a problem for some people.  college students want to go to parties and have fun, but it's important to know what is safe.  It's recommended that men drink only 2 alcoholic drinks per day and women 1.  Everyone hears that and they through it right out the window, so maybe if they knew that binge drinking for a man is 4-5 drinks and 4 for a woman.  Binge drinking much like binge eating is unhealthy, you consume too many calories from alcohol and you inhibit the absorbtion of healthy nutrients in your intestines.  Not to mention the many side effects including hangovers, nasuea, vomiting, being disoriented, losing things, and the list goes on.  My point is not that people shouldn't drink, but we should drink withing the limits and be safe.  I personally know at least three people who have died from drinking and driving, and know countless others who have been injured and/or got in trouble with the law.  So remember to make sure you have a driver you can trust.  There's also a lot of research out there if you want to know more about how to stay safe and still be able to have a few drinks.  I just wanted to say a little about what I've been hearing lately.

Any Questions?  Please Ask or send comments.

Weekly Question

"I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. During the day at work I eat very little, but in the evenings and weekends, I can't seem to stay out of the kitchen. Do you have any suggestions to control my snacking in the evenings and weekends?"

The very best thing you can do is know your eating patterns
Know when you tend to snack the most and what foods. I would start by replacing alot of junk foods with healthy foods. If you like chips try snacking on some crisp carrots or cauliflower, this is easy because you can poriton it out into baggies and keep them where they are fast and easy. You can do that little trick with lots of fruits and vegetables. Something that is important to remember is that it is ok to snack, but always be careful what you snack on. If you want something sweet choose fresh fruit over canned fruits and always over candy. If you want something salty and fresh vegetables just aren't doing it try some oil based dressings, but watch your serving size of the dressing. It's easy to get to many calories from dressings because it doesn't seem like you're eating that much.
Also, to help curb afternoon snacking, try eating while you're at work. I know you're busy and sometimes it can be hard to find time to eat. But there are lots of fruits and vegetables you can store easily and snack on when you have time. Also there are meal replacement bars and smoothies, I do not recommend these because they are high in sugar and leave you wanting more so stay clear of these.
My favorite trick to help with snacking is get a lunchbox!
It sounds simple because it really is simple. Take your lunchbox and pack it full of as many fresh foods as you can. Also pack in some yogurts that are low in sugar, small baggies of meat or cheese that fit well into your diet. The trick is to plan what you put in here ahead of time, so you don't have to much sugar, fat, sodium, or just too many calories overall. The best thing is any time you want to snack you can have anything in this lunch box all day. I would keep it away from the kitchen so you aren't tempted to eat any foods that shouldn't be in your diet. Also, as you learn to use your lunch box you can start to decrease your calories from snacking just by limiting what you put in there.
Another trick that helps a lot of people even non-diabetics drink water!
Sounds easy, right. It really is just drink a glass of water 8-12oz. before you eat a meal or a snack. Occasionally when you think you are hungry it's really your body saying you're thirsty. So what you should do is get a glass or bottle of water and drink the whole thing. Don't drink it too fast. Then wait about 5-10 min. if you still feel hungry or crave something go ahead and eat it. This works before meals too. Have a glass before the meal is served and try to drink another full glass while eating. You will eat less rich calories and feel fuller faster so you won't keep eating until you feel full and then end up with a stomach ache.
What is that you say? You hate drinking plain water?!?! There are plenty of low-sugar tasty powders out there to help you make your water taste better. Try them out. I personally have found the generic brands to have more sugar in them than flavor, so go with lower sugar ones that are better for you. Just make sure you compare sugars and fats and prices; so you get the healthiest best buy.
Well I hope these tips help. These tips work well for diabetics, but can work great for everyone else too. So try them out and feel free to tell me how it works or just tell me some of your own tricks to help you snack less.
~Whitney~