When Olive Oil is not healthy anymore...

It is common to hear people say that the veggies they saute' are healthy because they use olive oil.

Well guess what?

It may not be as healthy as you think.

When oils reach a certain temperature, they begin to break apart.
(see the chart below).

When they break apart, they release "free-radicals" and become no healthier than vegetable oil.

So unless you are lightly sauteing your veggies at low heat, you might as well be cooking with vegetable oil because it's cheaper and just as unhealthy.

Might I suggest exploring with some of the higher heat oils or even balsamic vinegar?!

Use the following temps only as a starting point.
SORTED BY TEMP	SORTED BY NAME
200's 225 F: Canola Oil, Unrefined : Flaxseed Oil, Unrefined : Safflower Oil, Unrefined : Sunflower Oil, Unrefined 300's 320 F: Corn Oil, Unrefined : High-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Unrefined : Olive Oil, Unrefined : Peanut Oil, Unrefined : Safflower Oil, Semi-Refined : Soy Oil, Unrefined : Walnut Oil, Unrefined 325 F: Shortening, Emulsified Vegetable† 330 F: Hemp Seed Oil¥¥ 350 F: Butter (Good Eats) : Canola Oil, Semi-Refined : Coconut Oil† : Sesame Oil, Unrefined : Soy Oil, Semi-Refined 356-370 F: Vegetable Shortening 361-401 F: Lard 375 F: Olive Oil (Good Eats) 389 F: Macadamia Nut Oil†† 400's 400 F: Canola Oil, Refined : Walnut Oil, Semi-Refined 406 F: Olive Oil, Extra Virgin* 410 F: Corn Oil (Good Eats) : Sesame Oil** 420 F: Cottonseed Oil† : Grapeseed Oil¥ : Olive Oil, Virgin** 430 F: Almond Oil*** : Hazelnut Oil*** 435 F: Canola Oil (Good Eats) 438 F: Olive Oil* : Rapeseed Oil*** 440 F: Peanut Oil† : Sunflower Oil† 450 F: Corn Oil, Refined : High-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Refined : Peanut Oil, Refined (Good Eats) : Safflower Oil, Ref. (Good Eats) : Sesame Oil, Semi-Refined : Soy Oil, Refined : Sunflower Oil, Semi-Refined 460 F: Olive Pomace Oil** 468 F: Olive Oil, Extra Light* 485 F: Grapeseed Oil** 495 F: Soy Bean Oil† 500's 510 F: Safflower Oil† 520 F: Avocado Oil, Refined	Almond Oil*** 430 F Avocado Oil: Refined 520 F Butter (Good Eats) 350 F Canola Oil: Unrefined 225 F Semi-Refined 350 F Refined 400 F (Good Eats) 435 F Coconut Oil† 350 F Corn Oil: Unrefined 320 F (Good Eats) 410 F Refined 450 F Cottonseed Oil† 420 F Flaxseed Oil, Unrefined 225 F Hazelnut Oil*** 430 F Hemp Seed Oil¥¥ 330 F Grapeseed Oil¥ 420 F Grapeseed Oil** 485 F Lard 361-401 F Macadamia Nut Oil†† 389 F Olive Oil: Unrefined 320 F (Good Eats) 375 F Extra Virgin* 406 F Virgin** 420 F Olive Oil* 438 F Pomace Oil** 460 F Extra Light* 468 F Peanut Oil: Unrefined 320 F Peanut Oil† 440 F Peanut Oil, Refined (Good Eats) 450 F Rapeseed Oil*** 438 F Safflower Oil: Unrefined 225 F Semi-Refined 320 F Refined (Good Eats) 450 F Safflower Oil† 510 F Sesame Oil : Unrefined 350 F Sesame Oil**: 410 F Semi-Refined 450 F Shortening, Emulsified Vegetable† 325 F Shortening, Vegetable 356-370 F Soy Oil: Unrefined 320 F Semi-Refined 350 F Refined 450 F Soy Oil† 495 F Sunflower Oil†: 440 F Unrefined 225 F Semi-Refined 450 F Walnut Oil, Unrefined 320 F Semi-Refined 400 F High-Oleic Sunflower Oil, Unrefined 320 F Refined 450 F

via

My first batch of homemade granola!

You should probably make some.

It's delish!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 15-20
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 223.6

• Total Fat: 10.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 165.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 40.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.0 g
• Protein: 4.1 g

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 75

Number of Servings: 15

Tips

3 cups of quaker oats can be used instead of the 2.5 cups of oats and .5 cup of steel cut oats (but the steel cut oats have all the good nutrients in them, so try and include it)!

My favorite way to enjoy it is to mix it with vanilla greek yogurt! =)

Ingredients

2.5 cups Quaker Oats 

.5 cups Steel Cut Oats 

1 cup Almonds 

1.5 cups Craisins 

3 tbs Cinnamon 

1 cup Shredded Coconut 

1 tsp Salt 

.25 cups Coconut Oil 

.25 cups Honey 

.25 cups Lite Maple Syrup 

1 tbs Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat Oven to 250* degrees.

Mix oats, steel cut oats, almonds, cinnamon, shredded coconut, salt and craisins (the dry ingredients) together in a large bowl.

Mix the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract and lite maple syrup (the wet ingredients) in a small bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread uncooked granola over 2 cookie sheets (spray with non-stick spray if needed) and place in oven.

Cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes (75 minutes). Mix/stir granola every 15 minutes for even cooking.

Serving Size: Makes 15-20 half cup servings

I uploaded it to SparkRecipes.com HERE

Dinner is Served...

Honey Balsamic Chicken

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 173.3

• Total Fat: 2.6 g
• Cholesterol: 65.7 mg
• Sodium: 367.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
• Protein: 26.3 g

Minutes to Prepare: 3

Minutes to Cook: 15

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp of dried thyme 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tsp olive oil 1lb chicken breast 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp honey

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of chicken.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low; add vinegar and honey to pan. Simmer 1 minute or until glaze thickens; stir constantly. Pour glaze over chicken. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half).

Number of Servings: 4

Via

Portion Size Guide

How do you size up?

Kids Snacks

If you have picky eaters, try making healthy snacks fun.

And don't give up. 

It takes 27-32 times for something new to be accepted by the body!

So keep trying mom, your little one will eat their veggies soon!

Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 164.2

• Total Fat: 2.1 g
• Cholesterol: 65.7 mg
• Sodium: 142.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 7.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
• Protein: 27.3 g

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Minutes to Cook: 360

Number of Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 4 tomatoes, chopped or one 14.5-ounce can low-sodium tomatoes, drained 4 medium ribs celery, diced (1 cup) 2 small zucchini, diced (2 cups) 1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced One 18-ounce jar low-sodium marinara sauce 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried thyme

Directions

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker; add the
garlic, tomatoes, celery, zucchini, and pepper.
Pour the marinara sauce over all, and sprinkle
the basil and thyme on top.
2. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6
to 7 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken
with a fork.

Via SparkRecipes.com

Eat this, Not that (yes, this is from the book)!

You should probably read it =)

Portion Control

I'm just sayin'

Nutrition Label

Here's some info on how to REALLY read a nutrition label:

St Patty's Day-Leafy Green Showdown!

Dark Leafy Greens are powerhouses packed with nutrients

and not calories...

It's a wonder we don't eat them more!

Here is some nutritional information from HealthCastle.com about these green nutrition giants...

(per one cup serving)

"Highest in Lutein

Winner: Kale - 26,498 mcg

Runner-up: Dandelion greens - 7,486 mcg

Dark green leafy veggies contain lutein, a nutrient that guards against age-related macular degeneration and has a protective effect against heart disease and stroke. The amount of lutein in kale is seven times what you get from an equivalent serving of spinach.

Richest in Folate

It's a tie!

Winner: Turnip greens - 107 mcg and mustard greens - 105 mcg

Runner-up: Spinach - 58 mcg and collard greens - 60 mcg

Folate is important in the production and maintenance of new cells; it is one of the most-needed nutrients in infancy and pregnancy. It also plays a role in the prevention of anemia and cancer.

Most Vitamin K

Winner: Kale - 547 mcg

Runner-up: Dandelion greens - 428 mcg

Dark green leafy vegetables are generally high in fat-soluble Vitamin K, which plays an important role in blood clotting. Just for comparison, an equal amount of spinach contains 145 mcg.

Top for Vitamin C

Winner: Kale - 80 mg

Runner-up: Mustard greens - 39 mg, turnip greens - 33 mg, bok choy - 32 mg

We often associate Vitamin C with fruits, but it turns out some of the dark green leafy veggies also contain a respectable amount of this well-known antioxidant.

Packed with Vitamin A

Winner: Kale - 10,302 IU (515 mcg_RAE)

Runner-up: Turnip greens - 6,373 IU (318 mcg_RAE)

Vitamin A plays a huge role in vision health, and is also important in bone growth, reproduction and skin health. It also helps the immune system to fight off infections."

The Salad Monster

All too often, when we go out to eat, to be "healthy" we order a salad. Well, that's not always the best choice! Just because it's a salad, doesn't mean it's low in calories or good for you...read the following article by http://www.healthcastle.com/ for help in choosing the right menu item that wont increase your waist size!

Salad Pitfalls You Can Avoid

Orange Dreamsicles for a hot summer day...

Ingredients


1 - .3oz box of Orange Flavor Sugar Free Jello

1 - 1oz box of Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 - container of Cool Whip Free (8oz.)



Directions

Makes approximately 4 1-cup servings.

Prepare Jello according to package directions by adding the hot and cold water. Stir in instant pudding powder mix (do not prepare as normal). I use a wire wisk to mix.

Fold in entire container of Cool Whip Free, and wisk until completely blended. Refrigerate for a few hours until set.

**you can also pour into ice cube trays and freeze, or into those popsicle molds that you freeze for a refreshing treat**
Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 71.5
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 353.0 mg
Total Carbs: 13.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
Protein: 1.3 g

Find this and more great recipes HERE!

Pop Quiz!

             

Click HERE to see how well you know your portion sizes (from sparkpeople.com)!


Let me know how you did in the comment section below...

What does 300 calories look like?

300 calories looks a lot different when
you cook at home vs. eating out:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1260