Something To Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which often means a diet-disaster for everyone; however, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a reason to eat so much you can't even move. Countless people have asked me how to keep Thanksgiving as healthy as possible, so I thought it was worth addressing the issue. Everyone has their trick for healthy Thanksgiving eating, and since Tiny Tummy is not at your family's table, I can't tell you which dishes are your best bet or how much of what to have, so I'm going to stick to a few generic, simple tips to follow to ensure your Thanksgiving isn't a total diet fail, some of which are tips from Tiny Tummy's previous posts that are especially important to remember at Thanksgiving!

1. Save the stuffing for your turkey, not your Tiny Tummy: Chances are, there will be an ABUNDANCE of food on your Thanksgiving table, and most likely, everything will be served buffet style. The key here is to remember portion control. If you're the type that has to have a little of everything, then go for it, but stick to that single plate. Alternatively, if you can resist the fatty, starchy dishes without feeling deprived, then bulk up on lean protein and clean veggies!

2. To thrive, don't deprive: I've said this before in the past. If you deprive yourself, you will only end up overindulging later. This tip can be applied to Thanksgiving day, itself, as you don't want to starve yourself all day in preparation to pig out. It can also be applied to the meal itself: if you deprive yourself during the meal, chances are, you'll end up overdoing dessert, so take a little of everything you crave- just don't go CRAZY.

3. Cheat, but don't repeat: Yes, it's somewhat inevitable that Thanksgiving will at least be somewhat of a cheat day for all of us, and that's allowed. The important thing is to remember to get right back on track the next day-- maybe throw in a little extra exercise, but DON'T starve yourself! Hey, black friday is a great excuse to get a little extra walking in, right? Pin It

An "I Can Eat the Whole Bar" Kind of Chocolate Bar

As I have disclosed in previous posts, I am a self-proclaimed chocoholic. Since I try to stay away from eating things with added sugar, this places a fairly restrictive limit on my chocolate choices. While dark chocolate is a great treat that I indulge in fairly frequently, for those days when a few decadent squares just isn't going to do it, I realized I needed a low-cal chocolate bar that wasn't going to leave me sugared-silly (and wasn't made with any cancerous sweeteners!) Fortunately, Trader Joe's came to the rescue.

While this Simply Lite line of no sugar added chocolate bars is not specific to Trader Joe's, I find that most locations sell them. I will say, they are not quite as decadent as a traditional chocolate bar, but hey, for a low carb, low sugar, 110 calories per serving chocolate bar, I am certainly not complaining. I am personally partial to the dark chocolate bar with almonds, though I've yet to try the others, so I can't compare. One thing I will say is for a chocolate bar with almonds, there sure aren't that many almonds (not surprising for the nutritional stats). Again, if you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this will certainly do the trick, though if it's true rich, decadent dark chocolate you crave, I may opt fo a smaller serving of a different bar. Pin It

This One's In the Bag

Every night, without fail, I have a cup of tea. I don't know what it is about the warm tea that is so soothing, but after a long day (which seems to be every day lately), it really hits the spot. I am pretty routine about drinking my favorite hibiscus looseleaf tea, but for some reason, I decided to change it up a bit and try something new. Now, I'm generally not a huge fan of green tea, but I know that it is so good for you (the nutritional benefits are endless), so I decided there had to be a way for me to enjoy it, and then I remembered that my freshman year in college, when we were forced to eat in the dining halls, they used to have this green tea with pomegranate tea bags that I loved, but the only downside was, they were caffeinated- not the best thing before bed. Low and behold, when I went to my supermarket to buy them, I found that the company now makes these gems in DECAF bags! And, they have lots of new exciting flavors! (And they were on sale- always a plus for Tiny Tummy)

Bigelow Tea is the maker of these gems, which also come in lemon and blueberry acai flavors. I've yet to try the others, but the pomegranate adds some sweetness to the usually bitter taste of green tea. Tiny Tummy may have found a new addition to the nightly routine! Pin It

Eggcelently Speedy Breakfast

Let me be the first to say if you are one of those people who claims you aren't an omelette person, you are seriously missing out! Omelettes can be one of the lowest cal, quickest, easiest, and yummiest breakfast toss-togethers out there, if made in a healthy manner. Really, the only trick is to follow the formula of egg whites+veggies+spices, and use cooking spray instead of oil. If you're the eggs-require-cheese type, then breaking up a fat free cheese slice, or sprinkling a little cheese in your omelette won't kill you either, but as far as the omelette necessities are concerned, if you can do without the cheese, I say do-- especially if it's your pre-workout snack!

For my omelette, I basically just used what veggies I had in the fridge-- spinach, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes, though if you have peppers, carrots, or anything else you may like in your omelette, all veggies are allowed! I also added some onion powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of my favorite chipotle seasoning to my egg whites before they hit the pan.

While I don't think an omelette requires a step-by-step, per say, to prepare, simply spice up your eggs, sautee your veggies, put them aside, pour your egg whites into a sprayed pan, let them brown, add your veggies, flip, and you're good to go. If you like a "closed" omelette, then instead of flipping the omelette like a pancake, fold it in half-- just make sure the middle cooks through!

And, if you're feelin frisky, like Tiny Tummy was, feel free to top it all off with a little hot sauce (or salsa or ketchup if you so desire. Pin It

You Want a Pizza This?

So in honor of National Pizza With the Works day, I thought it was only fitting to share my latest pizza find, and it happens to be found in the frozen section of your supermarket! Not going to lie, I've had my eye on these pizzas for about 4 months, but couldn't find them ANYWHERE, and the thought of ordering them in bulk online just didn't seem like a good idea in case they were gross, but they are actually pretty good!

Vitalicious's new VitaPizzas are PACKED with protein and fiber, and only have 190 calories per pizza- as far as frozen dinner pizzas are concerned, you can't find a better one! While I will admit they are a little small, for a convenient and filling microwavable meal, these pizzas get an A+, and if you put it in the oven after microwaving it like Tiny Tummy did, then you get a nice crispy crust. These guys are finally making their way into local supermarkets (Waldbaums, Stop & Shop, etc.), so you might have to dig a little, but definitely worth the hunt! Pin It

A Mug of Perfection: Reeses Hot Chocolate

As it starts to get colder, warm drinks become the way of the world for Tiny Tummy- especially since my roommate loves to live the windows open. While I love my hibiscus tea, it's nice to change things up every now and then, and ever since my recent discovery of this powdered peanut butter, I've been doing all sorts of experimenting with different ways to use it. Let me tell you, this one's a winner!

Ever had that thought that Reese's are so good you could practically drink them? Now you can! To make your very own Reese's hot chocolate, all you have to do is combine a giant mug full of piping hot water with about 1T of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1T of powdered peanut butter, and mix until it's all combined. If it's too bitter for you, you may wish to add a little Stevia. Also, for a creamier drink, you could sub milk instead! Needless to say, this GIANT cup of love will cost you way fewer calories than your average Reese's cup. And, if you're only making a small mug's worth, you can cut the cocoa powder and PB2 in 1/2 which will result in even fewer calories. A choco-peanutty bargain in my opinion! Pin It

Powdered Perfection

I will be the first to admit, the idea of powdered peanut butter was definitely a little funky, but when it comes to food, I am the furthest thing from shy, and when I came across PB2 powdered peanut butter at only 45 calories per 2 tablespoons, I had to give it a shot, and honestly, my mind has been blown!

All you have to do is add a little water to this powdered peanutty god and watch the magic as it transforms into a peanut buttery paste- the normal consistency of regular peanut butter (unless you add too much water, that is!) It's works great in a PB&J, as a peanut butter dip of sorts, and if you melt a little chocolate in with it, you may enter a danger zone. Fortunately, you make it as you go, so you don't have to worry about eating the whole container at once! It also comes in a chocolate peanut butter flavor, which I will absolutely be trying next! I imagine it would all work well for baking too, so if peanut butter cookies have been calling your name, this may save you major calories in that department! Pin It

Grilled PB&J (Another Sandy Creation)

As I've said in the past, I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to bread- I simply don't like sliced bread unless it's toasted. I know, weird quirk, and while I should have put this aside given the Sandy situation, I refuse to eat food I don't like, so I found a way to get a little innovative.

While PB&J sammy's are fairly traditional storm food, grilled PB&J's add a whole new spin to this classic, and since my gas stove was up and running, I was able to grill my sammy in a pan, giving it an almost toasted complexion. All you have to do is prepare your PB&J as usual (self-explanatory, but bread, PB, and jelly/jam/preserves/etc.), and pop it in a pan. You can feel free to add a little butter or non-stick spray to your pan, but I was actually so lazy that I didn't even spray the pan, and the bread still got brown. The key to getting the inside of your sandwich warm and gooey is to place the top of a pot over the sandwich to trap all the heat in while it cooks, and don't over-flip the sandwich. Really let it cook on the one side before you give 'er a flip.

For anyone who says PB&J's are boring, try kicking it up a notch with this trick! Pin It

California Furkey Fun

This whole post-Sandy madness has me trying all sorts of new things, and since my usual Health is Wealth burgers are MIA, and I was seriously craving a veggie burger, I decided to give a new MorningStar Farms Burger a try, and honestly, I may have found a new freezer-staple.

The burger of choice was MorningStar Farms California Turk'y Burger. With a mix of veggies, and visible (and tastable) chunks of avocado, and furkey flavors, these guys are delish! And, with 90 calories and 9 grams of protein, they make a pretty awesome addition to a meal! I had mine with a little salsa and black bean dip and a side of veggies-- can't go wrong on meatless monday! Pin It

Another Sandy Quickie

Living off of non-perishable foods is the furthest thing from fun- the inner creative chef in me was feeling extremely stifled because generally these "no-cook" meals rely on simplicity, which can actually be a great thing in every day situations too. This next 2 ingredient recipe was a go-to snack for me during the storm, and is a great option for those days when you're in a rush.

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To make Tiny Tummy's Two-Second Taco, you will need:

1 Laughing Cow Wedge of Choice (I used Garlic and Onion)
1 La Tortilla Factory Tortilla

To prepare:
During the storm, I warmed the tortilla in a pan on the stove top and melted the cheese in it using the stove heat, but feel free to use the toaster oven, regular oven, or microwave if you don't care about crispiness. Pretty self-explanatory, but spread the cheese wedge on the tortilla, heat, and eat. Salsa makes a great addition, as usual! Pin It

Taco Tuesday: Nach-yo Average Nachos

Happy National Nacho Day, and how fitting that it falls on a Taco Tuesday. Even though I have a ton more Sandy recipes to share, I had to take a break to share my version of guilt-free nachos, and they are super simple to make.

First, whip up a batch of Tiny Tummy's tortilla chips. Then, either break apart a fat free cheese slice or two and sprinkle it over the chips, or shred up a block of Lifetime's fat free cheese (they have a few awesome options for nachos-- jalepeno jack, mild mexican, etc.). Then, add a few scoops of Tiny Tummy's fav Bean Dip, and, finally, top it all off with some shredded lettuce and, of course, some salsa!

And of course, if you're feelin frisky, feel free to spice things up with some jalepenos!

For you calorie-counters out there, 1 plate of these nachos (using 1 tortilla, 1 oz of cheese or 2 FF slices, and 1 serving of both the bean dip and the salsa) has under 125 calories! If you're making this a meal, feel free to add some avocado for a little healthy fat or some shredded chicken for protein, or simply double the recipe! Pin It

Souper Simple

Since the weather has been getting colder, restaurants have begun to serve soup as specials more regularly, which means the soup aromas are constantly filling the streets. Personally, I find chicken noodle soup to be one of the most delicious smells out there, and after roaming the streets and inhaling all those aromas, it was absolutely time to make my own chicken noodle soup, and Hurricane Sandy provided the perfect opportunity to experiment. Let me just start with a disclaimer stating that under normal circumstances, I would use low-sodium chicken broth or make my own broth with real chicken in place of vegetable broth and ditch the sodium-PACKED bouillon cube, but what I had in my pantry was vegetable broth, and I wanted chicken noodle soup, so that was how it went. I will say

To make this storm-friendly soup, I used:

2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 carrots sliced
6-8 stalks of celery chopped (I really like celery in my soup, but if you don't you can use less)
1/2 medium onion chopped and sauteed
2 cloves roasted garlic
1/2 t onion powder
1 pack miracle noodles/yam noodles/ tofu shirataki noodles (I used the skinny yam noodles)

To prepare, simply toss everything into the pot and let it simmer for as long as you'd like to let all the flavors marinate and the veggies soften. I cooked mine for about an hour. And FYI, if you don't keep roasted garlic cloves in your fridge like I do, feel free to substitute some garlic powder, or omit it entirely. Also, if you're a fan of parsley or any other greens like italian seasoning, oregano, etc., feel free to add it in, but Tiny Tummy generally isn't a fan of herbs.

P.S.: This entire pot of soup (which yields a decent sized pot- I'd say at least 3 or 4 servings, if not more) has only 150 calories-- can't beat that! Pin It

National Candy Day: New Chocolate Find

You'd think these national food holiday makers would plan their holidays a little better- the fact that National Candy Day is less than a week after Halloween practically invited you to eat all of that leftover Halloween Candy. Instead of scarfing down all those miniature sugar comas, I invited you to try this chocolate bar that I just had for the first time yesterday that is beyond decadent and has no added sugar (sweetened with Stevia WOO!)

Lily's Dark Chocolate (I got the one with Almonds since I am a sucker for those crunchers) is rich and delicious, and I love the fact that the almond are crushed and dispersed throughout the bar instead of having one or two almonds dispersed throughout the entire bar. Half the bar as 170 calories, but it is actually so rich, you probably won't even want to eat the entire thing in one sitting (and that says a lot coming from this chocoholic!) If Tiny Tummy is satisfied with a few squares, chances are, you will be too! I grabbed mine at Whole Foods while I was impulse buying to restock my fridge post-Sandy, but I'm sure they sell these bars around elsewhere. Pin It

Souped up

As I'm sure many of you know, Hurricane Sandy pretty much wreaked havoc on lower Manhattan, and Tiny Tummy's apartment was no exception. Having to bear it with no power or cell phone reception is no easy task, but thankfully, Tiny Tummy is always prepared when it comes to food, though I will say, Sandy had this Tiny Tummy eating slightly different than usual. If nothing else, we can thank Sandy for a few new Flab Free Food Finds, as well as a few new simple recipes which Tiny Tummy most likely would have never tried without Sandy rearing her ugly head- all of which can be prepared without anything other than a gas stove (and really, you don't even need the stove- it just makes things hot!) Anyway, this first post-storm post is dedicated to a new non-perishable find from our friends over at Amy's.

Amy's Organic Lowfat Minestrone Soup was part of dinner one night when I was powerless, and I have to say, it was quite tasty... probably due to the high sodium content (580mg per ½ can- YIKES), but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. The entire can only has about 180 calories and with only 6 grams of protein, I was surprisingly full afterwards. The mix of veggie, noodles, and kidney beans was yummy, and since I was able to heat it on my stove, the warm soup was a nice dinner after a cold, dark walk home! Chances are, in the future, I will try to make this guy over into my own, less- sodium recipe, but for a shelf-stable soup find, taste-wise, this sucker is a winner.

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Trick or Treat? How about both!

I thought I would refrain from the traditional Halloween post about candy, and instead, give you all a sneak peak of my favorite treats that are tricks- AKA healthy foods in disguise that make it easy to trick AND treat!

#1 Mashed Cauliflower: Mashed potatoes are a comfort food for just about anyone, myself included, but mashed cauliflower, if prepared properly, can taste just as good! If you want to try making your own, make Tiny Tummy's Mashed Fauxtatoes!

#2 Butternut Squash Casserole: To keep the potato theme going, sweet potato casserole is a holiday favorite, that can easily be lightened up by using butternut squash instead. Toss a little Walden Farms Maple Syrup and some cinnamon in there, and I promise guests won't know the difference. Need a recipe? Check out this one!

#3 Yogurt Dip: Traditional dip for chips is made with full fat sour cream, mayo, or a combo of both. Yikes! Instead, swap out all that junk for fat free greek yogurt.

#4 Turnip Fries: French fries are known to be the diet devil, but if you use turnips in place of potatoes, and bake them instead of frying them, they are basically guilt free. Take Tiny Tummy's lead and follow this recipe!

#5 Faux Cream: Cream is a decadent, fattening ingredient found in lots of sauces, creamy soups, casseroles, etc. While I'll admit, creamy dishes are delicious, there's actually a way to achieve that same level of creaminess without cream itself (and no, I'm not talking about half and half). I'm talking about Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges! Confused? Click here!

Clearly, whoever came up with the idea of "trick or treat" missed out on the memo that you can have both! So, Happy Halloween- trick AND treat! Pin It