A Healthy Quick Dinner Recipe For Busy Families - Orange Chicken

It seems that our days are getting busier, and it's often hard to get a healthy and quick dinner recipe on the table at a reasonable time. Family dinners are an important part of the day and worth planning ahead to make sure there is a healthy quick dinner recipe available. Finding healthy recipes that are quick and easy can be a challenge, but with a little planning ahead cooking dinner can be a snap.

Plan a weeks worth of menus in advance and shop using a list. This will save you money on impulse items, and you will have a quick menu planned for every night of the week. When planning, be sure to take into account any regular weekly activities such as little league or dance lessons. Sometimes a crock pot meal or a cook ahead entrée is best for these nights.

Here is a healthy quick dinner recipe that is simple to prepare, then cooks quickly in only 15 minutes in the oven while you prepare a box of rice pilaf and green vegetable. This healthy quick dinner recipe will help solve tonight's dinner crisis and provide you with a winning entrée fit for a company meal. As a bonus, it can be halved or expanded to fit the number of servings needed and uses only one bowl and one baking dish, so cleanup is easy.

If you're a dark meat fan, you could also use chicken thighs and legs for this recipe, but you would need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.


Healthy Quick and Easy Orange Chicken Dinner 4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

pinch black pepper

1 cup orange juice

grated rind of 1 orange

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Arrange the chicken breasts in a 13x9x2" baking dish
3. Drizzle the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with paprika.
4. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken.
5. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until fork tender, basting occasionally with the pan juices.  
6. 
   

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a wild rice pilaf and green beans or a salad.

Diane Watkins is a traditional southern style cook. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and writing about good food and family at [http://easysoutherncooking.com]

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Use Tomato Juice Recipes To Add More Health Benefits

Just as tomatoes are an important addition to many food recipes, they are also an important addition to many vegetable juice recipes as well. This is not only because tomatoes are jam packed with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients such as the antioxidant lycopene, which is excellent in preventing cardiovascular problems and for eye health, but simply because tomatoes taste great. Tomatoes are highly versatile and available year round, either from other parts of the country or other parts of the world. your best option of course is right out of your garden, but not everyone has access to a garden.

The base for the popular vegetable juice drink V8 is tomatoes. If you enjoy the taste of V8 juice this can be a good place to start by creating your own V8 juice. Start with a couple of tomatoes, two stalks of celery, a half a dozen carrots. If this pleases your taste buds add other vegetables one at a time such as a green pepper, a beet, a cucumber, a cup of spinach, a cup of cabbage and even an onion, season with salt and pepper to taste. 
 If you need to sweeten it up a little, an apple will work fine placed into the mix. This vegetable juice will have the added benefit of being fresh, easily assimilated by the digestive tract and not lacking in vitamins and nutrients that are so easily destroyed by commercial processing ion order to give the product a long shelf life.

If you prefer your tomato juice straight, this is another option. Just add whatever seasonings you like such as salt, pepper or even hot sauce. The tomato pulp you remove from the juicer can also be used in other ways. For starters you can add a little bit to your tomato juice if you want more fiber. It can as well be used in recipes such as casseroles or sauces where you don't mind the crunchiness of the tomato seeds or chewiness of the skins, though in recipes if they are cooked log enough, they will soften up. another option is to make the pulp into a vegetable leather.

This works better with fruits, due to their sweeter taste and the stickier nature of the pulp which makes it adhere better into a solid mass. A simple method for a leather is just to place it in a wax paper lined pan and cook it in the oven on low for a few minutes until it feels dry to the touch or cook in the microwave in a wax paper lined plate for 1/2 minute low setting bursts until it feels dry. 

Roll it up and it will last a couple of days. You can sweeten it with honey before cooking if you desire. Some produce will work better than others. But it makes for a chewy between meal snack.


If you drink the fresh tomato juice before the meal it can help to curb your appetite to some degree. With other added vegetables in the mix it will be even more effective. The important thing to remember is to use the juice right away, the longer you wait to ingest it, the more vitamins and nutrients will be lost. You want to receive the full value of the high vitamin C as well as vitamin A and the B vitamins, the antioxidant lycopene and the trace minerals sodium, phosphorus and potassium.

Want to learn more about tomato juice recipes? Visit my website at http://www.juicingbenefitstips.com for helpful tips and information on creating the best juices for your needs.

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Diet Shake Recipes - Healthy and Delicious!

Diet shakes and diet shake recipes are so popular even televangelist Pat Robertson has one on the market. Expensive protein shake mixes line the shelves of supermarkets and health food stores.
Some of the recipes below require that you buy protein powder. You find it at local health food stores and smart shopping saves a lot of money. You don't have to dig all your money out of your pocket to create a great diet shake, just follow some of the easy recipes and watch the weight fall off.
Diet shake recipes with no protein powder.
Mocha Delight
Make a pot of extra strong coffee or dissolve 1 teaspoon of regular or decaffeinated coffee in 1/4 cup of hot water. Add a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and a teaspoon of artificial sweetener made from sugar. Put the coffee and cocoa mixture into a blender and add a cup of skim milk and four ice cubes. Turn it on for a refreshing pick me up shake.
This recipe contains just a few nutritional benefits but only contains 105 calories and is a great mid morning diet snack.
For those on the raw food diet the next delightful diet shake recipe is just right for you.
Orange Applenana Shake
Peal an orange and leave a little of the white part on the sections. This rather bitter tasting substance is high in valuable antioxidants. Use 1/2 the orange, remove the core from 2 green apples and chop it. Put the orange and apples into bender and add a ripe banana and one tablespoon of brewer's yeast.
Blend until it's smooth and garnish it with a slice of orange.
Use 12 ounces of the next diet shake to replace a meal.
This shake is less than 100 calories.
Chop one apple. Put it in the blender add a peeled orange and banana and a handful of blueberries or strawberries. Put in four ice cubes and a fresh-pitted peach. Add a half-teaspoon of toasted wheat germ and blend.
This wonderful shake is a great lunch or breakfast that provides a lot of additional nutrition to a diet.
Fudgalicious Peanut Butter Shake
Use one cup of any fat free, sugar free ice cream, add ¾ cup of low fat 1% milk and 1 to 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Whirl in the blender until it is totally mixed.
Use this as a filling substitute for a breakfast or lunch. Since it doesn't contain all the valuable nutrients, don't overuse it.
Great Diet Shake Recipes that Use Protein Powder
Try this unusual apple shake.
Mix one cored apple with 12 ounces of soymilk, 3 to 4 ice cubes and 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder. Toss in a tablespoon of almond meal and a tablespoon of wheat germ. Blend the mixture and enjoy.
Make a root beer float
Put a can of diet A&W root beer in the blender and add one and a half tablespoons of heavy cream, four ice cubes and two scoops of a vanilla protein powder. Blend the mixture and serve. This yummy drink takes off fat fast and helps build lean muscle mass.

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Diabetic Chicken Recipes - How To Make Them Healthy And Tasty

Are you a diabetic? Or you know someone who is suffering from diabetes? If yes, then you need to know some exciting ideas like diabetic chicken recipes for help. There is a perception that diabetic diet is always boring and tasteless, but it is not necessary always. You can make chicken recipes for diabetic patients without losing on the tastiness and health factor. Chicken is a lean protein and versatile in terms of preparations. There are plenty of delicious options that make healthy diabetic chicken recipes. Here you will learn about a few.

Baked Chicken - Using Leeks and Onion

You need some

• sliced onions,
• cloves,
• leek,
• olive oil,
• thyme leaves, and
• salt, apart from chicken to prepare this recipe.

How to cook

Put all the vegetable ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and allow cooking until the vegetables get a coating. Marinate the chicken with spices like shallot, rosemary, mustard, pepper, and soy sauce. Place the chicken on vegetables and cook for some ten minutes. Now, use mustard glaze and brush it on the chicken pieces. Bake for some 45 minutes and you will get one of the best diabetic chicken recipes.

Autumn Stew of Chicken

This is one of the healthiest diabetic chicken recipes. You need parsnips, carrots, and apples to prepare this item. Ingredients include

• virgin olive oil;
• chopped onion, parsnips, carrots and rosemary;
• ground pepper;
• cider vinegar; and
• salt.

How to cook

Take Dutch oven and heat with two tablespoons of oil. Now, add chicken and cook for a few minutes and then add all the other ingredients and put the oven on a steamer heat. Put some vinegar and stir for a few minutes and the dish is ready. This is an incredibly healthy and also diabetic chicken recipes easy preparation.

Spinach and Chicken Soup

This is an Italian menu and healthy for diabetic patients. You need some skinless and boneless chicken breast, canned beans and baby spinach. Get some basil presto to get that herbal flavor. Other ingredients include

• garlic,
• clove,
• carrot,
• olive oil,
• basil leaves,
• parmesan cheese, and
• ground pepper.

How to cook

Heat 2 teaspoon of oil on a big saucepan and add chicken and carrot. After three to four minutes, add garlic and stir for five minutes. Add the vegetables and scrape down basil and parmesan. Stir and use pepper for seasoning. This is tasty and one of the easiest diabetic chicken recipes in terms of preparation.

Now you have learned about some of the interesting ideas of diabetic chicken recipes. One of the most essential things that you should know is that such a recipe should not include skin of chicken. Chicken skin includes carbs, which is one of the biggest enemies of diabetics. It is better that you consult your dietician to learn about the best recipes, as the professionals will be able to guide what exactly you should include or avoid.

Controlling blood sugar levels is an art. If you want to be an expert in it, you should know the full details of Diabetes Food List

Murali is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article should be complete and active.

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Make a Simple Diet Interesting Through Healthy Recipes

Meal preparation is a bit exciting, cool and mind blowing chore. But there's nothing compared to knowing what recipe captures dieters' taste, consequently giving them shocking drop in weight. There are various diet and recipe available everywhere, one could find through patient and resourceful searching.

Lots of healthy and weight losing recipes everywhere and to reach the needs of most dieters, here are some flavorful, savory and mouth-watering recipes.

Kimchi Diet and Recipe

Kimchi is a famous Korean dish which is often referred to fermented Napa cabbage stuffed with various spices and pastes like garlic, red paste mixture, chili, and fish sauce and is stocked in a thick huge pot, fermented in the sun and is set aside for several months for savory result.

Not only Koreans are hooked up with this savory and peppery recipe. In fact, even Westerners like to order kimchi in Asian and Korean themed restaurants. But how kimchi consider a great weight losing diet? Kimchi is found to be effective prevention to obesity, unbelievably dropping pound and pounds of fats. The credit goes to its ingredients. Kimchi has complete natural and organic ingredients such as cabbage and spices known to have antioxidants and a great immune system booster. Napa cabbage which is mostly the ingredient in cabbage kimchi is very low in calories, making it an ideal ingredient to whatever diet.

Kimchi is also easy to prepare. Despite of its long preparation, this Asian dish can be devoured even without undergoing the process of fermentation, but of course it taste best when fermented. Usually, the fermentation process takes 2 to 3 days. So for those planning to have kimchi included in their diet, here are the simple steps in preparing it.

For Cabbage Kimchi:

1. Wash the Napa cabbage then slice it into four parts and in lengthwise. Take out the sagged cabbage leaves and rinse it in a large dish full of water to thoroughly wash out the dirt and unnecessary substance. Leave it soaked and sterilized for about 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Take out the leaves and squeeze as much water out of it and chop the cabbage into one inch square piece and put it in a clean, dry and large dish.

3. Sprinkle appropriate amount of salt and toss each coat piece until it is evenly lathered with salt.

4. Soak the cabbage kimchi for twelve more hours in the fridge and leave it hibernated for 2 to 3 days.

5. While waiting for the marinated Napa cabbage to ferment, prepare the spices for kimchi stuffing. Rinse green onions and chop them up into thin lengthwise strips, peel cleaned and crushed garlic, grate the peeled ginger and shred the peeled and cleaned carrot into thin strips. Mix all ingredients and stuff the fermented cabbage with these spices.

To add more facts about this renowned Korean recipe, pickled kimchi allows lactic acid to break in the food, letting the bad bacteria fighter lactobacillus kimchii form. Experts prove that lactic acid improves endurance, promotes healthy and appropriate metabolic functioning, and regulates proper digestion. As kimchi has various natural and organic ingredients, this also improves blood circulation and consequently producing fat antioxidants that play big role in losing weight. Kimchi is one of the many diet solutions proven effective and a great choice for those looking for ultimate diet plan.

Although he's a newbie in article writing, Jigo Emmanuel Antonio makes great articles worth to read. He is currently into freelance virtual assistant venture. He can work full time and as long as his employer needs his skills. He does basic web designing, article writing, transcribing, researching, video editing, audio editing, and a bit of flash animation.

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Healthy Diet Recipe - High Protein Banana Cake

A banana has three kinds of natural sugar: sucrose, fructose, and glucose. It also has an abundant amount of fiber. The amount of sugar in a banana gives instant energy to your body. Researches show that two bananas can supply you enough energy to work out for 90 minutes. Other than sugar, it also contains some vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphor, and manganese. Those minerals are the minerals you commonly get in a sport drink. It also helps to treat some medical disorders.

A banana can prevent depression. According to some surveys done to some people with depression, they feel better after eating a banana. It contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid your body uses to synthesize serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that makes you feel relaxed. It is a hormone thought to produce better sleep and mood.

Banana contains a high amount of iron. People who suffer from anemia can make banana part of their daily meals to stimulate hemoglobin production in their bodies. Lack of hemoglobin is one of the most common causes of anemia.

The high amount of potassium in a banana makes it a natural remedy for hypertension. US Food and Drug Administration allows the industries that produce food products from banana to officially claim a banana as a natural remedy to treat high blood pressure. Potassium is also beneficial for preventing stroke.

The high amount of fibers in a banana can help prevent constipation. Lack of fibers is the most common cause of constipation. Consuming more fibers can help improve your digestive health and eliminate some digestive problems.

There are more health benefits you can get from a banana. Here is a recipe you can try to enhance its natural flavor.

For three servings

Ingredients:

- 35 grams of instant oatmeal

- 50 grams of whey protein, vanilla flavor

- 1 egg white

- 25 mL of water

- 100 grams of banana

- One tablespoon of palm oil

How to make it:

- Mix whey protein powder and oatmeal. Leave it aside.

- Put egg white, banana, water, whey powder, and palm oil into the blender. Blend them together until smooth.

- Prepare a medium size mold for brownies (15 x 10 cm). Grease it with palm oil. Pour the mixture into it.

- Bake it at 180-200 degree Celsius for 30 minutes.

- Ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts per serving

- Energy: 170 calories

- Fat: 4.7 grams

- Carbohydrate: 14.8 grams

- Fibers: 2 grams

- Protein: 17 grams

Following a balanced diet and exercising regularly are the keys to a healthy lifestyle. Julian Hee is a fitness enthusiast and has started a website dedicated to bodybuilding supplements: protein powder, creatine monohydrate, meal replacement bar, glutamine, etc.

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Top 3 Recipes That Are Not Just Tasty and Addictive, But Healthy As Well

One of the most important things for any delicious dish is the way it will be served at table. Each dish should satisfy all senses.

Did you know that since most dietary dishes have the biggest amount of vegetables in them, the taste and colors are most vibrant in them?

Recipe #1: Delicious Bio Millet Cupcakes

The best thing about this recipe is that all products, except millet are raw. Do not forget that millet is one of the healthiest foods. It is easily digestible, gluten free and its consumption contributes to cleansing the body. That's what makes it perfect for your diet and healthy cooking.

Ingredients:

• 200 g bio millet
• A pinch of salt
• 500 ml water (mineral or spring)
• 3 tablespoons of tofu
• ½ avocado
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• Fresh basil
• Several olives

The millet should boil in a ceramic pot with a pinch of salt in it. It must be well boiled in order to clot and the cupcakes to be well formed.

While the boiled millet cools, put all the ingredients needed for the filling in the blender and mix them. You should put plastic wrap on the bottom of the cupcake shapes. In this way you will be able to easily take them out. Use a spoon to put 2 balls of the boiled millet and press them with fingers in order to take on the form of a cupcake. Add a spoonful of the filling mixture.

Put the millet cupcakes for about an hour in the refrigerator. Decorate them with a variety of fresh vegetables, dried tomatoes, sprouts or whatever you like. Use your imagination!

Recipe #2: Steamed Vegetables with Coconut Oil and Hemp

Now everyone knows that the healthiest way to cook is by steaming. But most people do not know that this is also one of the easiest and convenient ways. Most promotional pictures of steaming utensils show appealing piece of salmon or chicken but there many more dishes we can cook this way.

There are many ideas on how to prepare healthy food. Take a look at this one:

Ingredients:
• Several organic potatoes;
• 200g frozen organic carrots;
• 200g frozen organic corn;
• 50 grams organic hemp seed;
• Coconut oil;
• Soy sauce;
• Ground nutmeg (if you like it)

Wash well and cut the potatoes into slices (0.7 cm). Actually, you can cut them in any way, but if you want your dish to look beautiful, this is the best option.

If the potatoes you use are organic, do not peel them. The peelings are useful because they contain the most valuable ingredients of the potato.

Put nutmeg spice in the steaming utensil. Arrange the potato slices on the two levels below. Put corn and carrots on the top levels without mixing them in order to be able to arrange them well later when serving.

Turn the timer to 20 minutes and until you prepare your favorite salad, the dish will be ready.

Serve as you arrange the carrots and corn on the potato slices and sprinkle them with hemp seeds.

Pour soy sauce and melted coconut oil on them.

And remember that the most delicious spice to the dish is a pinch of love!

Recipe #3: Raw Mediterranean Protein Omega-3 Crackers

If you need an extra dose of crude plant protein, these gluten-free crispy crackers are the perfect solution. They are extremely healthy, delicious and rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fats, many minerals, vitamins and fiber. Moreover, they combine incredible Mediterranean flavors and 4 types of raw seeds.

Here is the recipe for 16 crackers:
• 1 cup ground flax seed
• ½ cup hulled hemp seed
• ½ cup soaked sunflower seeds
• ½ cup soaked pumpkin seeds
• 4 pieces of soaked dried tomatoes
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• basil and oregano

First of all, soak the ground linseed in a cup of water. Then strain the soaked dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and the other spices. After that, add the puree to linen mixture. Then add the other seeds - hemp, sunflower and pumpkin and mix them well. Finally spread the mixture on a baking sheet and form squares with a knife.

The baking dish is placed in the oven at 60 degrees for 1 hour. Then the temperature should be decreased to 50 degrees. After 12 hours crackers should be turned carefully in order to dry on the other side. The whole drying process is about 20-24 hours until they are fully prepared and crispy.

Tip: I recommend them in combination with a rich green salad!

About the author: Radmila is co-author at qualityhoodia.com - supplements and dieting recipes. Proud author of more than a dozen healthy food recipes.

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Colon Healthy Recipes And Foods For Meals

Having a healthy colon is the key to long term health and finding good colon healthy recipes is one way to help keep your body healthy. While it might be difficult to actually locate recipes that are labeled to be healthy for the colon, you can learn to recognize them by the ingredients that they contain- namely fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, a healthy recipe will contain little or no white flour and white sugar. Perhaps the best recipe for colon health, however is to include lots of fruits and vegetables in your meals as described below.

The large intestine or colon is where the results of the entire digestive process gather up to leave the body. Due to poor eating habits, most people have an unhealthy colon resulting in constipation. If your colon is not in tip top shape, food can get trapped in the lining and start to rot. It can also become hardened in there and can even be trapped in your colon for years!

Of course, food plays a big role in the health of your colon. There are many arguments for the pros and cons of a vegan diet, however when it comes to colon health, a vegetarian way of eating has many benefits.

Animal foods are hard to digest where plant foods are quite easy to digest. So, colon healthy recipes will include little or no animal foods and be based mainly on whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In addition to good colon health, using recipes made with these foods will have a pronounced effect on your overall health in general.

Vegetables and fruits are very colon friendly and can be processed or digested quite easily by the body. They contain a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as enzymes and fiber- all things that are essential to good health. Fiber, in particular, is good for your colon health as it adds bulk which helps to pass the food along the digestive tract.

One simple and easy breakfast recipe could be a fruit salad with oatmeal (not the packaged or instant stuff). Natural fruit juice can be quite healthy too although it does not have fiber and drinking a lot of water will help with the digestive process.

Always try to include a salad for lunch with lots of dark leafy greens. Stay away from the iceburg and try to include romaine lettuce and spinach as these have more vitamins. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and kale are great additions to any salad. Don't forget the olives and artichokes for a little zest. Instead of bottled dressing which is probably loaded with sugar, try olive oil and vinegar- you might even mix in some fresh herbs and create your own salad dressing recipe!

For snacks, stay away from anything that comes in a package and go for raw nuts, fruit, veggies or even a nice fruit smoothie- made with real fresh fruit, of course! If you need something crunchy try spreading all natural peanut butter on celery (this can also help to satisfy any cravings for sweets).

Colon healthy recipes for dinner follow the same common sense rules. Try cutting down on the red meat and eating fresh fish along with a salad and perhaps some steamed broccoli, zucchini and carrots. If you need something more substantial try adding brown rice, corn on the cob or potatoes.

Just like with any other aspect of your health, eating nutritious healthy foods is a sure fire way to keep your colon, and your whole body, in good health.

Lee Dobbins writes for Colon Articles where you can learn more about keeping your colon healthy as well as get more information on colon healthy recipes.

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How To Lose Weight While Pregnant - 3 Tips To Help You Lose Weight While Pregnant

Putting on extra weight while pregnant is, as we all know, part and parcel of the whole process. And it has it's plus points too - those bigger boobs make your hubby feel like a kid at Christmas! :)

But what is a normal and appropriate amount of weight to gain while pregnant? Are there any ways that we can safely lose weight while pregnant? What can you do now that will make your labour easier and help you get back to your pre-pregnant weight super fast when your little bundle of joy finally arrives?

Are you really overweight?

These days it's easy to get sucked into the media's image of what a mum-to-be should look like, what with all these celebrity toothpicks, as I like to call them, having no more than a small bump, whilst being on some faddy diet. I must stress that pregnancy is definitely not the time to be going on a strict weight loss diet. What you need is to ascertain what a suitable pregnancy weight is for you, and then take steps to try to maintain it and increase your health and the health of your baby.

Everybody is different, and every woman's body will react differently while pregnant. An average weight gain for a full term pregnancy is anywhere between 25-45 pounds, which includes the increase in the mother's blood volume, the size of the uterus, the placenta, various fluids and the baby. This is an average figure so there will be much variation either side. Check with your doctor for more advice on your optimum weight.

How to lose weight while pregnant Tip no.1 - Control Your Cravings

Cravings are one of the hardest things to deal with during pregnancy, and annoyingly, one of the biggest contributors to excessive weight gain. Waking up in the middle of the night yearning for chocolate, or ice cream with gherkins, is a well-known part of pregnancy. However, these cravings, while healthy and perfectly normal, can be controlled and there are even certain foods that can reduce your cravings. Eating foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI) can help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce the highs and lows that many women suffer throughout the day, due to their slow release of energy. This can help you in reducing the onset of any excess pounds and begin to help you lose weight while pregnant.

By craving foods with high sugar and glucose levels a vicious circle can be created because they will often make the cravings worse, affect your mood and contribute to excess weight gain.

How to lose weight while pregnant Tip no.2 - Eat More Often

"Hang on, didn't you just tell me to control my cravings Now you're telling me that eating more often will help me lose weight while pregnant? Are you out of your mind?"

This kind of sounds counter-intuitive doesn't it? The idea though is that you'll be eating smaller portions more regularly instead of 2-3 large meals a day. By doing this you're not consuming any extra unnecessary calories, but are feeding your body and the baby more regularly. This will help keep your metabolism and blood sugar at consistent levels and keep you energised throughout the day.

And yes, I am out of my mind but not because of this! ;)

How to lose weight while pregnant Tip no.3 - Exercise

Exercising regularly during pregnancy was once frowned upon, but now has seen to be a great way to stay in shape and lose weight while pregnant, avoid the aches and pains common with weight gain, and can increase energy, flexibility and make your labour significantly easier (thank goodness!).

Walking and swimming are excellent low-impact ways to keep you fit and healthy and maintaining a balanced weight while pregnant. The buoyancy you'll find in the pool will often come as a relief and an aid to your daily routine and let's you get some fantastic exercise without putting stress on your body or the baby's.

Stationary cycling is also a great way to get some low-impact exercise and build stamina.

Yoga and Pilates can be beneficial and effective ways to lose weight while pregnant but make sure you find a suitably experienced instructor who has specialised in dealing with pregnant women.

Again it's always best to check with your doctor on the intensity of your workouts, for instance, if you exercised regularly before you were pregnant then your workouts will be notably different to someone who didn't.

There's no need to go through your pregnancy feeling overweight, unattractive and lacking energy. There are many more simple steps you can take to help you lose weight safely while pregnant, and have an easier labour.

Discover more secrets and tips on How To Lose Weight While Pregnant at my website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1196670

Healthy Recipes for Your Kids' Breakfast

Preparing breakfast for kids is a challenging task for moms. Kids need healthy foods to start their day and that means that moms need to be creative in finding breakfast recipes. Mornings are always rushed, so the solution can't take a lot of time. If you are trapped in this kind of situation, don't worry. 

Nowadays, plenty of healthy recipes for your beloved children are available. Below I will share some great recipes for a healthier breakfast each day. These recipes are easy; all you need to do is just make some small adjustments to the original ingredients. I know that you don't have much time to prepare breakfast so hopefully these ideas will be very helpful for you.

Pancakes or Waffles

You will love to know that there are ways to make your pancakes or waffles a little bit healthier. You can use ¼ cup of bran flour to substitute for some of the regular flour, and this is a great way to add fiber in your kids' foods. This substitution won't change the pancake taste or texture. Your kids will still get a tasty pancake while at the same time they will get enough fiber for their body. 

Do you want another pancake trick? Well, you can also add ½ cup of banana or apples to add flavor. Add some cinnamon to the flour before adding water, since cinnamon and apples go very well together. These fruits will add vitamins in the pancake that make their systems strong.

Muffins

Most kids love muffins since they are easy to grab. You can make the recipe healthier by adding certain fruits like strawberries, bananas or raisins. It is also possible to add vegetables such as spinach, carrot or pumpkin. Adding ¼ cup of fruits or vegetables gives your kids a vitamin boost.

Smoothies

Some kids don't like to eat in the morning. If your kids don't like to eat pancakes or waffles for breakfast, there is a great trick to overcome this. You can make a smoothie so that they can drink their breakfast. The basic compositions for smoothie are milk, yogurt and fruit. To create a delicious flavor, you can mix some fruits like pineapple, strawberries, kiwi or blueberries. Add low-fat vanilla-flavored yogurt and skim milk then mix them. If your kids don't like milk in the smoothie, you can substitute 100% fruit juice. It can be fun to get your kids to help you and they can choose their favorite fruits to mix.

Other Ideas

You can also try to serve oatmeal and add some cinnamon, blueberries or other fruits. The key to serving a healthy breakfast is to keep it high in fiber and low in sugar. With the ideas above, preparing healthy recipes for breakfast won't be as hard as you thought.

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Looking for Healthy Easy Recipes for Dinner? Try These Spanish Meatballs

Trying to choose quick healthy easy recipes for dinner can sometimes be cumbersome, especially you're in a mad scramble to get everything prepared, cook a meal the whole family can enjoy all the while making sure it's nutritionally dense and well balanced. 

With this Spanish meatballs recipe below you can rest assured because it's a quick and healthy easy recipe for dinner that the whole family will enjoy.

Healthy Easy Recipes for Dinner: Spanish Meatballs

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g organic lean minced beef

• 1 large organic or free range egg

• 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

• 2 organic beef stock cubes

• 1 litre of boiling water

• Dried Herbs de Provence (or a good selection of dried mixed herbs)

• 1 white onion, finely sliced

• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, salt and ground black pepper

Method:

1. Mix the mince with the egg and half the onion chopped. Season with 1 stock cube and black pepper.

2. Roll the mixture with your hands into ping pong sized balls and fry in oil until almost cooked (the meatballs can still be slightly.

3. pink in middle as they are going to simmer in the sauce). Be sure to turn them around now and again so they cook evenly.

4. Take the meatballs out and put them on a plate to rest.

5. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan, retaining the bits of meat that are left in the bottom of the pan.

6. Add the rest of the chopped onion and some finally chopped garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes until golden.

7. Add the 2 tins of chopped tomatoes and a good sprinkling of mixed herbs.

8. Add in the water and crumble in the final stock cube. Season with salt and pepper if required.

9. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens a little.

10. Add the meatballs and mix them well with the tomato sauce. Let them cook for another couple of minutes.

These meatballs are delicious and can be served with some steamed greens such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach or any other of your favourite veg. If you do find yourself craving some pasta or spaghetti you can have them with some 'miracle noodles'. These little gems are low calorie and low carb which means they are perfect if you are carb conscious and looking to drop a few pounds or maybe even if you're looking to lose a stone fast. That's not to say that carbs should be avoided altogether, definitely not. I hope you enjoy this healthy recipe idea for dinner and that you give it a go. Hasta luego.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Mulry

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Five Simple Healthy Recipes for Kids

Those of you with children may find it difficult to offer healthy recipes for kids throughout the entire day. This may be especially troublesome these days if your children have already developed some poor eating habits or if they are among friends who are consistently eating fast food and bags of potato chips.

However don't worry, with a little bit of persuasion and vital teachings from your part, you can open your children's eyes to the wonderful world of healthy nutrition.

This is the perfect opportunity to educate your children about the importance of eating healthy, and what the long term repercussions can be if a person does not monitor what they eat. It's never too early to educate them about healthy nutrition in the hopes that from your teachings they grow up taking care of their bodies and never have to worry about health related issues of being overweight or obese.

Here are some healthy recipes for kids to get you started building your arsenal of meals that will be conducive to a nutritious and well balanced life. As you explore these options, take note of what your family enjoys eating and additional possibilities that you may think of. Often merely tweaking a few ingredients can produce an entirely new meal without needing much extra work.

1. Beef Bowl with pudding dessert. Grilled or baked strips/chunks of meat with a layer of brown rice, beans, and any vegetables you know your family prefers. You can even add beans if you'd like, or potato wedges instead of rice. As a dessert, a small helping of pudding with a dash of whipped cream and a cherry to top it off.

2. Grilled chicken wraps with jello dessert. These can be fantastic choices to offer your family because aside from the grilled chicken, you can include a variety of vegetables or other low calorie options that will taste great such as lettuce, beans, brown rice, tomatoes, onions, or even some shredded low fat mozzarella cheese. Use a whole wheat tortilla instead of tortillas made with refined flour.

3. Whole wheat pasta with turkey meatballs and frozen yogurt dessert. Instead of eating the standard pasta made of refined enriched flour, opt for 100 percent whole grain pasta since it is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and high in fiber so you will eat less of it to get full. Ground turkey is also better for you than regular ground beef, or you can ever select the garden meat variety that is vegetarian to make your meatballs or meat sauce.

4. Soup and Salad. There are a variety of soups such as vegetable, lentil, and minestrone that are all healthy and great tasting. Spice it up for kids by throwing in a few goldfish crackers and they will happily eat it all. A bowl of soup and a salad with their favorite toppings and a light salad dressing, PRESTO... you have a healthy meal on your hands.

5. Tuna pita pockets with applesauce dessert. Whole wheat pita pockets provide the perfect "container" to place an assortment of healthy edibles within, and kids will treat it just like a taco. Tuna with lettuce, olives and some parmesan cheese can be a great starting point.

The healthy recipes for kids listed above are all far better and lower in calories than the majority of fast food or pizza delivery options available around you. Use these meals as building blocks to get you thinking of other possibilities you could prepare for your children. Depending on the age of your kids (5-10), you may want to get a little creative with the presentation of the meal. It's the simple things that matter, 

so think how you can present the healthy meal in a way so that they will start asking you to cook this meal again in the future. Sometimes by merely adding a decorative garnish such as a fruit cutout or curly orange/apple peel can inspire your child to want to eat the meal. If adding that little extra is all it takes to get them eating in a healthier manner, the minute or two spent on the future. 

Sometimes by merely adding a decorative garnish such as a fruit cutout or curly orange/apple peel can inspire your child to want to eat the meal. If adding that little extra is all it takes to get them eating in a healthier manner, the minute or two spent on the presentation is well worth it.

If your children are older (11-18), then definitely a more serious conversation should take place. You can even gather specific articles and pictures from the Internet that will work wonders for motivation. Nothing works better than a graphic representation of a coronary bypass surgery.

Keep in mind as you build your library of healthy recipes for kids, maintain an ongoing recipe book where you continually add new healthy meals that your family enjoys. Pretty soon you will have a book full of healthy recipes for kids and if you want, you can even let your children decide which meals to cook out of the recipes you have collected. This way they will feel more connected to what is prepared and served that day.

Gregory L. Gomez, M. Ed, has been teaching 5th grade in the LAUSD for 12 years and has recently embarked on a journey to lose weight, eat healthier, and finally get in shape! Follow his progress on http://HealthyChoicesInLife.com as he strives to lose 60 pounds through dedicated exercise and eating healthy. From healthy eating guides to a step-by-step manual to help tackle the process of losing weight, readers will find the latest information to combat the rising obesity epidemic and start getting into shape at http://HealthyChoicesInLife.com/why-cant-i-lose-weight.


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Cooking Healthy Recipes - Tips in Healthy Cooking

Healthy cooking is in nowadays when people are becoming more and more conscious of what they eat. Of course, eating healthy is one of the important things that you have to remember always if you don't want to suffer later from diseases and other health problems.

Indeed, opting and switching into cooking healthy recipes can be of big help for your health. If you are starting to have that change in your lifestyle into a healthy one, you can actually start from small steps. Hera are simple tips that you might find useful in your quest to stay healthy with your food.

- Make sure to get fresh ingredients for your recipes. If you are looking for the healthiest, go for organic vegetables, as this would mean no pesticides or chemicals that can ruin your healthy recipes. If organic vegetables and ingredients are not available in your area, make sure to wash your vegetables thoroughly before using them to get rid of chemical residues.

- Cut down on salt. This can be one of the important tips in cooking healthy recipes. You can also increase or add more herbs to your recipe as an alternative to salt and you will be surprised that it does not show any change in flavor.

- Increase vegetables into your diet. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of nature's vitamins, minerals and many other important nutrients needed for the body. Eat in variety as you can never get most of the nutrients you want in just a single vegetable or fruit.

- Avoid fats as possible. Go for more fibrous foods. If you can't totally avoid fats, go for the unsaturated ones. If you need to use oil, use olive oil or canola oil as these are the healthier forms of oils. Check labels of processed foods as well. These are places where saturated fats may be hiding.

- Find alternatives. If you do not want to put meat on your cooking, you can also find alternatives to meat. Among the healthy alternatives to meat are soy protein, or TVP, also known as textured vegetable protein.

- Watch your process of cooking. Aside from the ingredients, you also have to take into consideration the process whereby you cook your food.
Cooking healthy recipes should not just be about ingredients but also the manner of cooking. Among the healthy ways to cook healthy food are baking, steaming, broiling, baking, grilling and braising. Although it may not be good to grill your food regularly.

- Cut down on processed foods. They are usually those that are high in sodium which is a culprit in high blood pressure and other problems as well.

- Use natural herbs and fat-free sauces to help you make a healthy recipe. Indeed, herbs can replace other processed spices in the market. Go for natural ones as well.

These are just a few on the many things you can do to practice cooking healthy recipes. Indeed, you have a choice and as soon as you have learned what to look for in your healthy cooking, you will eventually make it a habit to go for healthy ingredients, healthy recipes and healthy methods of cooking.

Carolyn Anderson loves healthy cooking. If you want to learn healthy cooking, check out Fun With GF-LG Food. Also check out Healthy Urban Kitchen, a manual that can teach you how to shop and cook healthy food.

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Easy Healthy Recipes - Good Food Means Good Health

Easy healthy recipes are good food that brings good health. Sometimes, these foods are better compared to those you buy as a take-out. Here is a step by step guide on making a few dishes that are really fast to do and are guaranteed good and healthy.

The first one is a typical dish that is turned into a plate full of nutrients. It still tastes delicious, and importantly it is as good as its classic counterpart, but does have fewer calories and less fat. The secret ingredient of this lighter Mac and Cheese is pureed winter squash.

Heat the oven to 375°F. With a cooking spray, cover the baking pan. Suggested pan size is nine by thirteen inches. Boil a large pot of water, put the macaroni, and cook for about five to eight minutes. Check if it is tender and firm and drain it to a large bowl. On another pan, cook together with minimum heat the frozen squash and milk. Stir occasionally. Defrost the squash.

 Increase the heat from low to medium heat and wait until the mixture is almost simmering and bubbles are seen on it. Turn off the heat, remove the pan, and stir in all the other cheese: ricotta cheese, jack cheese, and cheddar cheese. Mix with it the following: salt, mustard and pepper. Combine this mixture with the macaroni. Sprinkle combined bread crumbs, parmesan, and oil on top. Bake for twenty minutes and broil for three minutes.

The second easy healthy recipe is a favorite Chinese dish for take out. Would you believe that you can make a home counterpart that is healthier? Here are the ingredients and the directions in making sesame chicken that is better served with brown rice.

Mix the following: vinegar, soy sauce, scallions, chicken broth, sesame seeds, parsley, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Add the mixture to a previously cut chicken strips. Chill for one hour. Heat oil in wok. Stir fry carrots for one minute and jicama for another three minutes.
Remove the vegetables and stir fry drained chicken for two to three minutes. Move chicken to the outer edge wok. Place chicken marinade to center of wok. Heat until it simmers. Now, add vegetables to wok. Put frozen pea pods. Cook for one minute.

The last easy healthy recipe is called fish fillet with Spanish sauce. Good thing is that the sauce can also be used in spaghetti, omelet, meat loaf, and hamburgers. You will surely love it.

Saute onions until tender. Add ingredients: vegetable oil, bay leaf, canned tomatoes or juice, salt, diced and seeded green bell pepper, black pepper, whole cloves, and granulated sugar. Cover and simmer for thirty minutes. Thicken with flour that was previously mixed to a smooth paste with water. Take away the bay leaf and cloves. Reserve this as sauce for fish. Dip fish into milk. Mix black pepper with sifted and dried bread crumbs. Roll each piece of fish into the mixture. Put fish in low baking dish and brush with oil. Bake at 350°F. Add Spanish sauce and serve.

With a lifelong passion for health, I enjoy sharing my personal experiences with diet and exercise. I also enjoy reviewing products, enjoy my latest reviews on which 36 range hood and 48 range hood [http://48rangehood.com] units to choose for your kitchen.

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Healthy Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Pizza

Before you reach for the phone to order pizza drenched with saturated fat and sodium, try my chicken tortilla pizza. This is a recipe I make when I know everyone in my family is going to be running in different directions. It's so easy to make them ahead of time.
They'll keep for several days in the fridge so everyone can just reheat them when they come home, or store them in the freezer for later. You can also cut them up and grab a slice for a quick snack, satisfying those pizza cravings without all the fat and calories.


CHICKEN TORTILLA PIZZA
1 whole wheat flour tortilla
¼ cup part skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cooked, shredded chicken
¼ cup pizza sauce
¼ cooked green pepper
Preheat oven to broil. Poke tortilla with a fork several times on both sides. Lightly spray tortilla on both sides with olive oil cooking spray or an olive oil spritzer. Place on cookie sheet and put under broiler until the tortilla just starts to brown. Flip the tortilla and crisp the other side. Remove from oven. Add sauce, cheese, chicken, and vegetables. Return to broiler and cook just until the cheese begins to melt.

 Nutritional Info - 1 pizza

300 calories
7.6 g fat
3.5 g saturated fat
571 mg sodium
4.5 g fiber
29 g protein

Time Savers
Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own.
Make all the ingredients on the weekend and just assemble and cook the pizzas at dinnertime.

Options
Add mushrooms or any veggies you like.

Betsy McGuire invites you to visit http://www.chickpeawellness.com/ and sign up to receive her mind, body, and spirit blog the day entries are made. You can also "like" Chickpea Wellness on Facebook and receive new articles on your wall.

Copyright 2012 Chickpea Wellness, LLC

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Quick Healthy Recipes

Here are some quick healthy recipes ideas. These are recipes can be prepared in just a few minutes. They are hardy and nutritious. When you get home from a hard days work you may be too tired to cook a big three course meal. With these easy meals you will not be sweating over the hot stove.
Preparation is really important for making these tasty dishes.
To be prepared plan your menus in advanced. When you go grocery shopping have a list ready of the ingredients you need for the dishes you are planning to make. If you do this it will really speed up the entire process.

Hamburger is easy item that you can use for many different food dishes. It does not take long to cook some cheeseburgers. Everyone likes cheeseburgers. They are good for you and they taste great. You can slice onions and tomatoes to go with the cheeseburgers.
Butter and toast the buns. Bake beans and french fries go well with cheeseburgers. You can get bake beans in a can. Heat them up in a sauce pan. You can buy frozen french fries and heat them up in your oven. This is a meal that your entire family will enjoy.

Tacos are easy to make and fun to eat. Buy some taco shell and heat them up in the oven. In the meantime, fry some ground beef and use a packet of taco seasoning to give it an authentic Mexican flavor.
Grate some cheddar cheese. Chop some tomatoes and onions.
Fill the taco shell with the ground beef then put on the grated cheddar cheese. Top it off with the chopped tomatoes and onions and then spoon some salsa sauce. You can make burritos the same way just replace the taco shells with burrito shells.

Italian food is quick and easy to prepare. Spaghetti only takes a few minutes to boil. You can buy spaghetti sauce in a bottle. It only take a couple of minutes to heat it up in a sauce pan. Grated Parmesan cheese can be sprinkled on top. Heat some french bread in the oven. Make a salad of lettuce with carrots and green peppers. You will have a quick delicious meal with this spaghetti diner.

Cut up some broccoli, onions, mushrooms and stir fry it in a frying pan or a wok. Add some wine and soy sauce for a nice stir fried. Boil some white rice. Serve the vegetables over the rice for a delicious Chinese stir fry.

A favorite of many people is macaroni and cheese. This is a good hardy meal all buy itself. It is easy to make. All you need is elbow macaroni, some milk and medium cheddar cheese. Just follow the simple directions. Macaroni and cheese is a good filling meal. Make sure to leave room for desert.
The secret to quick healthy recipes is planning ahead. Plan your menus for the week and get all the supplies with one trip to the grocery store.
Then you will be all set to feed your family a tasty meal.

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