Side note: I never use sugar or artificial sweeteners with cooking...I use stevia. I use it in my coffees, teas, oatmeal...everywhere I would use sugar. My personal preference is the NuNaturals brand - White Stevia Powder. I used to buy mine at Lassens until my sil told me about www.iherb.com - where instead of spending $9.99 on 1 box of 100 packets, I can get the same box for $5.99 (which this lasts over a month because we use the packets for on the go....in th pocket for our iced teas w/ lunch somewhere). And a tub of it that lasts a couple of weeks, where I spent $26.99 at the leocal store...and now pay $13.99 for it online. Totally the best tasting stevia on the market. The Truvias and all the cheaper others are a bad experience compared to this. And if you want to place an order, you can SAVE $5 on your first purchase, which will totally cover shipping - the code is: WIF523. It's a win-win - no calories, non-artificial & sweetness...all natural!
So back to NUTMEG! Go out and get some this weekend because I'm going to share where I use mine to spice up some healthy meals/snacks.
I use nutmeg on my nonfat/plain greek yogurt. Couple things here on the yogurt...Yogurt we know is good for us w/ all the probiotics. Great for digestive health, right? But those little, tiny containers of Activia, just don't cut it for me. Those tiny little things are about 120 calories each. But w/ the greek yogurt, I can have a whole cup for 130 calories, plus 15 grams of PROTEIN. (That's a great serving of protein by the way...not found in the traditional sugary cups of yogurt.) There is only 11 gms. of sugar in the greek yogurt, which, just regular plain, nonfat yogurt has 17 (even though you don't taste anything sweet in it.) And there's a ton of calcium in this, which also is great for pms/women. (Google Calcium & PMS symptoms. Great info out there on how we can help control cravings by getting adequate amounts of calcium. We need calcium as women.) We need probiotics for our digestive system to stay 'on schedule'. So get some of this. I've found a great one: ZOI Greek Yogurt Nonfat Plain at Winco. It's only $2.78 for a 32 oz. tub. I usually only dish out 1/2 cup at one time, I add my stevia, sprinkle my nutmeg...stir it all up & it's scrum-dum delicious! You can add the serving size of frozen/fresh berries to it...I sometimes put 1 tbsp. of slivered almonds if I want a little crunch - measured out...not eye-balled!) - And for some reason, despite my lactose-intolerance, my tummy tolerates yogurt!
Oh my gosh...just found this yummy little treat yesterday in my kitchen. My bodybuilder friend mentioned that I could freshly grind up my almond butter at Winco (not intending to be a Winco commercial, but that's where the deals are at). So I got some...measured out 1/2 tbsp. put it on some toast (50 cal. slice)...took a bite. Alone, the butter's not so appealing. So I busted out my trusty stevia & nutmeg...and wow! Yummy stuff. Almond butter - the real/raw stuff has the 'right fats' I hear. And a little bit goes a long way. So yes...I think I will have some before I work out today! It's so good. But - YOU GOTTA MEASURE IT OUT! This is a great breakfast for those who 'don't like to eat breakfast' - you have to jumpstart that metabolism, so try some of this...try one piece of the toast w/ your 1/2 cup of the greek yogurt above. A very filling, high protein breakfast.
Get familiar w/ this wonderful vegetable. It's amazing!!! Check it out in your produce scection...it's usually w/all the other different squashes like acorn squash and others. Not next to zucchini. Now, if you get them whole, fresh...they are thick vegetables. I get mine, take it home...wash it, use the carrot peeler to peel the skin off...cut down the middle & you'll see how the seeds resemble a pumpkin. (You can find them cubed up at Costco in the produce section, Fresh & Easy has them fresh & frozen - pre-cubed).
I make mind by: slicing it up & cubing it. Make them smaller cubes so that it doesn't take forever to bake all the way through. After it's all diced up, I put it in a big bowl...pour some spray butter over it...then sprinkle stevia all over it, then some nutmeg. Mix it/fold it over...making sure it's all coated w/ the butter spray...and then, yes, I add more stevia & nutmeg. I spread it out on a cookie sheet & bake for about 45 min. - 1 hr. at 375 degrees or so. Every 15/20 min. I stir it/fold it over...so that it bakes evenly. And I grab a bite to see the tenderness...figuring out when it's just right. Last weekend, I mixed the butternut squash w/ some sweet potatoes. Oh, and I did add a little cinnamon. I personally don't like cinnamon as much as nutmeg...so I let the nutmeg be the ruling seasoning! Yummy side - I believe 1/2 cup is 60 calories!!!! Great to put on the list of healthy dishes for Thanksgiving!
I love egg nog! Growing up at my grandma's, I had 2-3 glasses of this stuff, at a time, on the holidays! Yes, can say bloated & full!!! (I happen to be lactose-intolerant, found this out as an adult, no wonder my tummy hurt every Thanksgiving and Christmas!) Nevertheless, I love egg nog. But for so many years, I stopped drinking it. (Plus...it's very high in fat & calories - no bueno if you're on a mission to lose weight, right?)
But finally, after finding Almond Breeze's Almond Milk, I discovered a great substitute for egg nog. (Now, I do use this 40 cal./cup almond milk. I get a box of 6 qts. at Costco for $8.59, I use/measure out the almond milk for my coffee, my oatmeal, my cereals...or when I want a cup of milk!)
Substitute for egg nog: measure out 1 cup...add stevia to sweeten...and then sprinkle the nutmeg on top! Instant, lactose-free, 40 cal. egg nog alternative! Try it - it's great!
TRY THESE & LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! Let's work hard to enjoy the flavors we love during the holidays...without feeling the bulge & seeing the scale tip upward!
No comments:
Post a Comment