Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

Latest Youtube Videos

Healthy Recipe: Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Chick Lit Plus

Healthy Recipe: Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

April’s edition of Fitness Magazine had a ‘Dinner in 20’ section, which is perfect for me! Between a full time job and running this blog, along with a busy social life and trying to keep up on my workouts and favorite TV shows, I don’t have much time (or patience) to cook a lot. So short, simple meals are the best for me. The one recipe that really caught my eye was Chicken BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing. A light, easy meal that is healthy at the same time, and it only takes 10 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. Keep reading for the ingredients and the recipe that will serve 4.
Ingredients:
4 slices lean turkey bacon
4 1-inch-thick slices ciabatta bread
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk, well shaken
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups tightly packed chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups roughly torn rotisserie chicken, skin removed

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat, turning occasionally until lightly browned and beginning to crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Crumble into large pieces.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly brush the ciabetta slices with the olive oil and grill until just toasted, about 2 minutes per side. Lightly rub the cut garlic clove halves over the surface of each slice. Let the bread cool, then cut into 1-inhc cubes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, salt, sugar and black pepper. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and croutons and half the bacon. Toss well. Transfer to plates and top each serving with some of the remaining bacon.
Fitness Magazine reports this recipe has 295 calories, 28 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (2.8 g saturated) and 3 g fiber.

May 19, 2010
Leave a comment
Double Check The Labels!
Chick Lit Plus

Double Check The Labels!

As I was reading the April edition of Fitness Magazine, I came across an article simply titled ‘Wrong Number.’ The article talked about how research has found that a product’s calorie count could be ‘up to 8% higher’ than the number stated on the label. What does that mean for the health conscious label checkers? Unfortunately, looks like the answer is more work. Fitness reports that with the sheer volume of products hitting the shelves, it just is not possible for the FDA to regulate each and every item, making it harder to know what is the real deal. They have listed the top three ways to avoid common mistakes.
The carbs should be ‘equal or greater than the combined total grams of sugar and fiber.’ The example Fitness gave was that if a cookie has three grams of fiber and eight grams of sugar but the label reads just eight grams of carbs, that is an error.
If you see a cooked food or pasteurized juice that says it has 100% of the vitamin, that could be wrong. Heat reduces vitamin C, so those foods are highly unlikely to contain high amounts. Double check the label, and if the ingredients include ascorbic acid it is ok- this means the vitamin was added after the processing.
The amount of sodium needs to be listed. If salt is included in the ingredients, sodium needs to be printed on the nutrition facts. If sodium is missing but salt is listed, the amount of calories is likely to be incorrect.

May 12, 2010
1 Comment
How to Ease your Allergies – Without Medicine
Chick Lit Plus

How to Ease your Allergies – Without Medicine

Seasonal allergies are something I have suffered from throughout my childhood and into my adult life. Each year I am hoping that went spring rolls around the sneezing will have stopped, but no such luck yet. While taking over the counter medicines and even getting a shot can help calm my allergies, Fitness magazine added a few more tips to help get people get through the allergy season. Those ideas include:
Eating Spicy Foods. The spices can increase blood flow, which will help bring oxygen to the nasal passages, causing the mucus to thin and be eliminated.
Drink Water. Drinking plenty of H20 will help clear the airways by hydrating mucous membranes, also helping to thin and drain mucus.
Eating Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Foods such as fish, almonds and flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and ease respiratory symptoms.
To read the full article, including body and mind tips, head over to Fitness.com .

May 5, 2010
1 Comment
Guest Blog: Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Chick Lit Plus

Guest Blog: Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Here’s a Quick Way to Cook Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Chops Peppers

Photo: http://www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/Chops_Peppers.jpg

Ingredients

Pepper — 4 pieces
Ham — 150 grams
Breadcrumbs
Flour — 4 tablespoons
Eggs — 2 pieces

This recipe can satisfy 4 people and can be prepared in 50 minutes. Chops and Peppers is very inexpensive, easy to prepare, and allows you to use leftover foods in your refrigerator. You will have a savory meal with little fat and calories in less than an hour.

Preparation

Clean the peppers and make large slices along the sides then roast them. Let cool the stuff the peppers with sliced cheese and ham. Make sure the stuffed peppers are properly closed. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Soak the peppers in the beaten eggs and roll them in breadcrumbs. Fry and serve.

Nutritional Value:

Food Gr Kcal Fat Carb Pro Fib Water
Green peppers 500 100 0.85 23.2 4.3 8.5 469.45
Ham 150 267 13.53 0 33.93 0 96.81
Bread crumbs 100 395 5.3 71.98 13.35 4.5 6.51
Wheat flour or 40 144.4 0.66 29.01 4.79 0.96 5.34
Hen eggs – whole 40 57.2 3.98 0.31 5.03 0 30.34
Total 830 963.6 24.32 124.5 61.4 13.96 608.45
A head (4) 207.5 240.9 6.08 31.13 15.35 3.49 152.11
Per 100 grams 100 116.1 2.93 15 7.4 1.68 73.31

Penne with Ricotta

Photo: http://www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/penne_ricotta.jpg

Ingredients

Penne — 100 grams
Cheese — 40 grams
Grated parmesan — 20 grams
Salt
Pepper

This recipe can be prepared within 25 minutes and good for one serving only. Penne with Ricotta is a tasty energy meal and excellent for your personal enjoyment. Ricotta is a dairy product. It is very rich in protein and derived from different types of milk.

Preparation

Mix water with salt then boil in a saucepan. Follow the directions on the package for cooking the Penne. Drain the water but leave at least 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Add cottage cheese in the pan then season the mixture with salt and pepper. Before serving, make sure to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Nutritional Value:

Food Gr Kcal Fat Carb Pro Fib Water
Semolina pasta 100 371 1.51 74.67 13.04 3.2 9.9
Ricotta 40 55.2 3.16 2.06 4.56 0 29.76
Grated Parmesan cheese 20 86.2 5.72 0.81 7.69 0 4.17
Salt 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pepper 2 5.1 0.07 1.3 0.22 0.53 0.21
Total 164 517.5 10.46 78.84 25.51 3.73 44.04
A head (1) 164 517.5 10.46 78.84 25.51 3.73 44.04
Per 100 grams 100 315.55 6.38 48.07 15.55 2.27 26.85

About the Cooker – Felicia R. Mcclinton writes for the blog mediterranean vegetarian recipes , her personal hobby blog she uses to help people learn how to make Mediterranean recipes to eat healthy to prevent diseases.

April 26, 2010
3 Comments
The Best Yogurt for Your Waistline
Chick Lit Plus

The Best Yogurt for Your Waistline

I have been reading that yogurt is a great healthy snack that I should probably start eating. I have been getting better on my snacking habits; I have substituted grapes and string cheese for candy bars and chips, but it never hurts to try something new. But there are so many yogurts out there all claiming to be the best for you, so it’s a little overwhelming looking at all the choices in the grocery aisle. The April edition of Fitness magazine helps answer a few of those questions with their Eat Right section. They highlight yogurt, and even have a ‘what to look for’ box that lists the most important factors in your selection process. The guidelines, for a 6 ounce serving of yogurt, are as follows:
100-150 calories
3.5 grams of fat or less
2 grams or less of saturated fat
At least 8 to 10 grams of protein
20 grams or less of sugar
At least 20% of your daily value of calcium
At least 20% of your daily value of vitamin D

April 21, 2010
Leave a comment
A Healthier Version of Tuna Fish
Chick Lit Plus

A Healthier Version of Tuna Fish

The April edition of Fitness Magazine had a great section on what foods you should toss and which you should stock up on. Many of those highlighted were foods that pertain to me, in particular though was tuna fish. I usually feel pretty healthy when I decide to go with tuna for lunch, but the canned albacore tuna isn’t as healthy as I thought. Instead of buying the canned variety, you should stock up on chunk like tuna packets, because they have plenty of nutrients and proteins, but about 1/3 the amount of mercury found in the canned tuna. I know I will be switching!

April 12, 2010
Leave a comment
Healthy Recipe: Chelsea Handler’s Favorite Turkey Meat Loaf
Chick Lit Plus

Healthy Recipe: Chelsea Handler’s Favorite Turkey Meat Loaf

Chelsea Handler is one of my favorite late night comedians, and the way she talks about her food and drinks would make one think she doesn’t care how many calories she consumes in a day. But actually, Chelsea is very conscious of her diet, thanks in large part to her nutritionist and her brother, Roy, who is a professional chef. The comedienne shared one of her favorite recipes with Shape magazine, turkey meat loaf. Keep reading for the full recipe:

Serves: 16
Prep Time: 30
Cook Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Ingredients:
• Cooking spray
• 1 7″ loaf (about 4 1/2 ounces) stale crusty bread
• 2 cups lowfat milk
• 5 pounds ground turkey breast
• 3 cloves sliced garlic
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup plus 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, divided
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and preheat oven to 400° F. Tear bread into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and make sure bread is immersed. Let sit 30 minutes, mixing the bread and milk every 10 minutes, until the bread is thoroughly moistened. Add all of the ingredients except 1/4 cup mustard and 1/2 cup ketchup. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
Form into 2 equal size cylindrical loaves and put on a prepared baking sheet. Mix the remaining mustard and ketchup and spread evenly over the loaves. Bake for an hour or until juices run clear. (The loaves should be firm to the touch.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

April 6, 2010
1 Comment
How to Get Essential Nutrients
Chick Lit Plus

How to Get Essential Nutrients

Do you wonder about how to get all the essential nutrients from your food? I know I do, and I often just turn to vitamins as my easy way out instead of investigating healthy food choices. Shape.com posted an article titled, ‘The Nutrients You Need,’ and lists 8 essential nutrients, and better-where to find them. Check out some of my favorites below, and head to Shape.com for the complete list!

Eat This: Walnuts & Almonds. Walnuts especially are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help stave off depression, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. Shape recommends toasting the walnuts to help get more flavor, and toss in your salads or on top of yogurt.
Eat This: Kiwi. This fruit has been found to be the densest, which means they are high in vitamins and minerals. And research has shown that adults who ate two kiwifruits a day for a month lowered their triglycerides, which can lower the chance of heart disease.
Drink This: White Tea. White tea has been found to be even more powerful than healthy green tea, helping prevent cancer. Shape recommends buying loose white tea leaves such as Yinzhen Silver Needle White Tea ($30 for 4 ounces; inpursuit oftea.com).

March 31, 2010
Leave a comment
Yummy Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake
Chick Lit Plus

Yummy Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake

Who says you have to feel guilty for having some dessert? I will always have a sweet tooth, so even though I am trying to eat better, I just can’t cut out the chocolate! I found a fabulous recipe in the March edition of Fitness Magazine (page 150), and it is a much healthier version of my favorite pie, which is French Silk. This recipe is for Chocolate Cheesecake, and the ingredients and recipe can be found below. So have your cake and eat it too!
Makes 14 Servings
½ cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¾ cup fat-free milk
2 8-ounce packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese, softened
8 ounces fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Chocolate curls

1. In a bowl, stir together the graham crackers and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan. Chill while preparing the filling.
2. In a saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir over low heat until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; cool for 15 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla; gradually beat in the gelatin mixture. Divide the cream cheese mixture in half; gradually stir the melted chocolate into one half.
4. Spread half of the chocolate mixture on the crust. Spoon half of the remaining cream cheese mixture onto the chocolate mixture in small mounds; swirl them together with a butter knife.
5. Spread the remaining chocolate mixture on top. Spoon on the remaining cream cheese mixture, and swirl again. Cover; chill for 6 hours or until set.
6. Loosen the cake from the pan with a knife before removing the side of the pan. Cut the cake into wedges; top with chocolate swirls.

March 26, 2010
Leave a comment