This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Win a year's supply of Campbell's Chicken & Stars soup

I’ve been so busy that I never had time to post about my trip to the Campbell’s headquarters in Camden, NJ last month. I was impressed by their efforts in making their products – from soups, Prego, Pace, Pepperidge Farms and V-8 – healthier and how dedicated they were to making life easier for moms. (You can learn more about their Global Commitment to Responsible Advertising and their commitment to offering healthy and nutritious products and providing safe, high-quality and convenient products on their corporate website.)

Read about the event from some of the other bloggers who went:

Mom Advice	Busy Mom Reviews
Sugar My Bowl	The Debroff Debrief Part 1 and Part 2
Mom Views	This Full House Reviews
Table For Five	Because I Said So Reviews Part 1 and Part 2

So what do you get out of my trip, dear reader? Hopefully some recipes soon (I swear). But even more fun, a chance to win a year’s supply Campbell’s^® Chicken & Stars kids soup (reduced sodium) and a cute Campbell’s thermos!! (NOTE: a year’s supply is 24 cans.)

Here’s how you can win:

Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge and some Nutty Orange Monkey Oats

Quaker has partnered with Bravo TV's "Top Chef" for the first-ever Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge. They’re inviting people to submit their own original recipe using Quaker Oats on www.BravoTV.com/quickfire during the month of February.

Three finalists will travel to New York City and go head-to-head in the first-ever Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge. The finalists will experience what it's like to be a Top Chef when they put their culinary skills to the test and compete in a live Quickfire Challenge and prepare a new, original dish with Quaker Oats. If their culinary creation passes muster with the judges, the winner will have the chance to attend a future "Top Chef" episode. (Click here to enter the Quaker Oats Viewer Quickfire Challenge and to see the official rules.)

Quaker’s “Top This!” Oatmeal Bowl Contest

Now for a little inspiration, here’s my recipe for Nutty Orange Monkey Oats, which I submitted to Quaker as part of the Quaker Oats Living Proof Blogger Event last November.

Our recipes had to use a minimum of ¾ cup uncooked Quaker Oats (1 ½ cups cooked). Oats used in recipe must be whole (not ground into flour). Recipe can contain no more than 10 ingredients (excluding water). The recipe must meet the following nutrition criteria:

• Less than 400 calories per serving
• Less than 1g saturated fat per serving
• Less than 12g added sugar per serving
• Less than 20 mg of cholesterol per serving
• Less than 480 mg of sodium per serving
• At least 3g of fiber (oat soluble fiber)

I think I met all the requirements but maybe went overboard on the fat content due to the pine nuts.

Weight Watchers recipes for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is tomorrow, and this is one Fat Tuesday that doesn’t have to live up to it’s name. Luckily, Weight Watchers has some terrific, healthy Cajun style recipes for you to enjoy:

• Chicken Jambalaya – 7 points per serving
• Cajun Crawfish – 2 points per serving (I’ve been told that there is a shortage of crawfish due to weather, so you may have to substitute shrimp instead.)
• King Cake – 4 points per serving
• Shrimp Po'Boys – 4 points per serving
• Spicy Cajun Dip – 1 point per serving
• Cajun Crab Cakes – 3 points per serving

Enjoy and I hope you give up eating unhealthy foods and sitting on your duff for Lent.

My new favorite - Vitalicious VitaTops

One of the benefits of diet and health blogging is that you’re introduced to products that you wouldn’t have known about before. One of those was LightFull Satiety Smoothies, which I always keep stocked in my refrigerator for those hectic days when I have to grab a quick snack.

My new favorite is the Vitalicious Vitatops, which are also great to take with you when you’re on the run and can’t stop for a healthy snack. They’re delicious and only 100 calories. Even better they’re made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour organic cane sugar. If that wasn’t good enough, they’re full of fiber (most are in the 4-7 gram range), low fat (1 gran), high in protein (4 grams) and only 1 Weight Watchers POINT.

I also tried the Vitabrownies, which are also delicious and great nutritionally – full of fiber and low in fat. (They’re also only 1 Weight Watchers POINT.) Both products are great when you desire a little something sweet for breakfast or as a snack. Also, because they’re full of fiber, they leave you feeling fuller longer.

Two more recipes from the Fix-It and Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook

I hope I’ve convinced you to check out Fix-It And Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-top and Oven Recipes. They’re terrific for anyone trying to lose weight (on any plan) or just eat healthier.

Here are two more recipes from Phyllis Pellman Good's latest cookbook. Enjoy!

Basil Chicken Strips 
by Mary Fisher of Leola, PA 

Makes 4 servings 
Prep. Time: 10 minutes  Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken strips 
• 4 Tbsp. flour 
• 4 Tbsp. tub-style margarine, non-hydrogenated 
• 1 clove garlic, minced, optional 
• 4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 
• 1 tsp. dried basil 
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, optional 
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, optional 

Directions:

1. In a large re-sealable bag, shake chicken strips in flour until coated. 
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt margarine. 
3. Add chicken, and garlic if you wish, and sauté 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in vinegar, basil, and parsley, and cilantro, if you wish. Cook until chicken juices run clear. 
5. Serve over brown or wild rice (not included in analyses). 

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 257, Kilojoules 1075, Protein 27 g, Carbohydrates 7 g, Total Fat 13 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 66 mg, Sodium 230 mg, Fiber none

Weight Watchers POINTS per serving: 6 POINTS

This Mama’s Tips: If you have a gluten free diet, try brown rice instead of regular flour. If you don’t like using margarine, substitute olive or another heart healthy oil instead. Try eliminating the oil altogether and cook in vegetable or low fat chicken broth instead.

Throw an Award-Winning Oscar Party with Weight Watchers

Planning an Oscar Party this weekend? Here are some timely tips from the folks at Weight Watchers.

Pre-Party

Party like you’re a celebrity by dividing your get-together into two parts. You can have the pre-show in one area of your home where you can “dish” on your favorite actors and your favorite fare. Once the show begins, move the scene to another part of your house with the TV … away from the food. This will help prevent mindless eating and keep the focus on the Oscars – not the finger foods.

Beverage Bar

Make sure to fill your bar with lots of no-calorie drink options, such as diet sodas, bloody mary mix (minus the alcohol), flavored waters, teas and coffees. Of course alcohol has a place at the party, but be aware that it can reduce your resolve. Try to extend your drink by turning your wine into a spritzer, mix vodka with local lemonade or stay away from alcohol altogether with a beautiful pitcher of sparkling water with sliced lemons, limes and oranges.   

Dress Red Carpet Ready

Make sure to dress the part. Although you may just be lounging with some friends, it’s important to feel great in what you choose to wear.  Wear something that makes you aware of your body and what you are eating. Wearing fitted, tailored styles will help remind you when you have had plenty to eat. 

Looking for a great recipe to serve? Check this one out.

Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults

Not only does Phyllis Pellman Good’s new cookbook, Fix-It And Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-top and Oven Recipes, feature recipes, it also has some sage advice. Here’s an excerpt:

Tips for Healthier Eating for Stuck-in-Their-Ways Adults

Are you stuck in a food rut and having a hard time changing to healthier eating habits? If you want to make lasting changes to the way you eat, you need a plan. Follow these steps for changing an unhealthy behavior into a healthy one: 

1. List your behaviors that you think are unhealthy. For example, maybe you eat too fast, or snack throughout the day instead of eating regular meals, or eat whenever you're under stress. 

2. Choose one behavior that you would like to change. (Trying to change everything on your list at once can feel overwhelming.) 

3. As you think about strategies for changing, try to figure out how you developed the behavior. For example, do you tend to snack all day because you're under constant stress? 

4. Brainstorm about ways to change your behavior. Think of five to seven possible solutions. Then pick one strategy that you think is practical and doable. For example, choose a healthy habit that you can substitute for an unhealthy one. 

Fix-It and Enjoy-It! new Healthy Cookbook

I’ve been a fan of Phyllis Pellman Good's books since I discovered FIX-IT and FORGET-IT LIGHTLY: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker. Not only are the recipes easy to make, but her book includes nutritional information, which comes in handy when trying to calculate Weight Watchers POINTS. It also recommends a crock pot size, which comes in very handy, too.

In her latest book, Fix-It And Enjoy-It Healthy Cookbook: 400 Great Stove-top and Oven Recipes, Phyllis worked with experts from the Mayo Clinic to find recipes that were tasty, easy to prepare and nutritious.

“I am delighted to have teamed up with Mayo Clinic, whose dietitians have analyzed all the recipes for their nutritional value,” she said. “Together, we’ve adapted the recipes to fit within Mayo Clinic's Healthy Weight Pyramid."

Each recipe includes prep time, cooking time, nutrient analysis, and number of Pyramid servings. Here’s a sample recipe.

How to lose your job and some weight at the same time

I was intrigued by the new Weight Watchers Momentum Plan especially after I had LaaLoosh guest post about it. Then I received a coupon in the mail inviting me to start going to meetings again as a Lifetime Weight Watchers member. Hmmmm, I thought, maybe I should go to a meeting and check it out.

But when was I going to find the time? Most of the meetings were in the mornings when I was scheduled to be online as a community manager for a social networking site. Then thanks to the economy, I got laid off and had time to go to meetings again. Lose a job and lose some weight, I guess.

Not to worry, I did pick up extra freelance work to make up for the two community manager gigs I lost that week, but it got me thinking about so many others who have been laid off. Yes, I know looking for work is a fulltime job. However, many career advice gurus recommend that if you cannot find a job, you should do volunteer work to keep busy so you don’t get depressed. What’s another  healthy way to keep busy? Exercising and eating right!

More American Heart Month activities with Go Red for Women

Did you know that:

• Cardiovascular disease kills approximately 450,000 women each year, which is about one every minute.
• More women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.
• Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms.

That’s why the American Heart Association started Go Red For Women® to
educate and connects millions of women of all ages. With one out of three women still dying from heart disease, we continue to fight this No. 1 killer by helping women turn simple choices into life-saving actions. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, reducing our cholesterol, or quitting smoking, Go Red helps women make these choices for themselves and each other.

Research shows that 96 percent of women who “Go Red” have made at least one
choice to improve their heart health. For example:

• More than 40 percent have lost weight.
• More than half have increased their exercise.
• Six out of ten have changed their diets.
• 53 percent have checked their cholesterol levels.
• One third have investigated their family’s history of heart disease or talked to their doctor about their personal heart risks.