Taco Meatballs
This past week we’ve had UCO Dietetic Intern and Graduate Student Brittany Wheaton join us in the clinic. Enjoy this tasty recipe she has modified for us! Yummy!
Taco Meatballs
What is better than a meatball? A Taco Meatball!! These tasty treats give you all the wonderful flavor of tacos but fit in wonderfully to your new lifestyle. Try topping these with fresh cilantro, salsa, jalapenos and black olives for a loaded taco fiesta. Because they are small, they are portion friendly, portable and freezable. Try making a batch to spice up your meals.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef (at least 90/10 lean)
- 1 package taco seasoning mix (Taco Bell, Ortega, etc.)
- 1 green onion, finley diced
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- 1 block low fat cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- Fresh cilantro, salsa, olives, jalapenos and shredded cheese for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Beat eggs and mix all ingredients except the cheese together. Mold a Tablespoon of meat around a cube of cheese to form a small shaped meatball. Repeat with all meat.
Place on edged cookie sheet (sprayed with PAM) and bake at 425°F for 7 to 10 minutes or until meat is done and cheese has melted.
Serves 10-15 people. Less than 1 carb per meatball.
This recipe was adapted from http://www.lowcarbluxury.com
Memorial Day Weekend
I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Just because it’s a fun 3 day weekend doesn’t mean we need to put exercise on the back burner. Whether you are home or at the lake there are plenty of activities to join in on! My group of friends and I always go to the lake. So of course the girls spend months getting ready for the first day to be in a swim suit and all that hard work can be dumped right down the drain if we are not careful. So the past couple of years the girls have done the grocery shopping picking up healthier options to be cooked. We buy the usual bbq stuff but we got turkey dogs instead of the regular hot dogs, turkey burgers and the leanest meat we could find. For those who want buns for their hamburgers and hot dogs we got whole wheat. It’s the little things. You can always ask our great dietitians for helpful hints on meals. For the most part we grill out a lot, so we have steak, chicken, grilled veggies etc.
As for exercise we just brought our walking shoes. We found some trails not to far from our camp sites and we would get up early before it got to hot and go for a 30-60 minute walk. It was really relaxing! Sometimes it’s just nice to be out in nature. If you’re looking to get in some strength training you can always do some lunges, squats, pushups, sit ups, etc. We always bring a football and frisbee to add some activity into our days! Make sure you wear sunscreen, drink plenty of fluids, (water) and have a great activity filled weekend!
Summertime Veggies!
It’s warming up at a rapid pace here in Edmond, Oklahoma! Schools are nearing the end of the semester and pools are getting cleaned up and ready to go as a result. You know what else this means? Yes you do! It’s grilling season!
It’s not uncommon that I hear the phrase “I’m not a vegetable person” in my office. One of my first responses…”have you tried grilling them!?” I love grilled veggies. They have a wonderful crisp texture and the flavor comes out in a way you can’t get with other preparation methods. You can also enhance the flavor by using a marinade for the veggies, just as you would for the meat! Kraft Foods has a very simple foil pack recipe for veggies using a marinade. Try this recipe out for a starter, and then get creative from there!
Sensational Foil-Packed Vegetables (courtesy of Kraft Foods)
1 zucchini, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup button mushrooms
1 each red & yellow bell peppers cut into 1 1/2 inch squares
1 cup large cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup light Italian dressing
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (**this is the secret ingredient. SO good!)
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine vegetables, tomatoes, and dressing. Spoon onto center of large piece of heavy-duty foil. Bring up foil sides. Double fold tops and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
3. Grill 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender, turning after 4 minutes.
4. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packet. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with cheese.
Like this:
Exercises that can get you a big calorie burn!!
Are you stuck in a rut? Changing up your exercise may be the key! Sometime we get use to the same activity and that can lead to boredom and then we stop working out. So Prevention magazine had some helpful tips of some changes in your activity to keep it fresh and exciting. You can check out, “8 Low-Impact Exercise workouts” at the link below to help change your gym routine.
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/8-low-impact-exercise-workouts
Baked Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Mushrooms
Tomatoes and spinach and mushrooms….oh my!
As we turn the corner to summer, my mind begins to fill with plans of grilling, fresh veggies, farmers markets, and….cooking with fish! I often hear in my office that the idea of preparing fish can be, well, overwhelming. Many of my patients prefer to splurge and order fish when dining out, but don’t want to risk making it on their own. Alas! This is a recipe that is easy, delicious, and…no offense… fool proof!
With only 5 ingredients and 4 steps, this is a great way to impress the family or friends. Give it a shot!
Baked Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach & Mushrooms (courtesy of KraftFoods)
4 salmon fillets with skin (Frozen ones in a bag are fine! Thaw in the fridge the night before use)
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
1 cup slices fresh mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
1/3 cup KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
1. Heat oven to 375 F.
2. Place fish fillets, skin-sides down, in 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon over fish.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.
Want a head turning butt??
I was looking around yesterday on prevention.com and came across this workout. I get a lot of questions about how to build back people’s rear ends. Unfortunately after weight loss surgery we can’t always keep the figure we were wanting. However, with these exercises you may find you will begin to reshape and re-tone certain areas. If you do this a few times a week and do cardio 5 days a week for 30-60 minutes you should notice some changes. Check out the website and give it a try.
http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/butt-toning-workout-butt-toning-exercises
Mushroom “Bruschetta” Chicken Skillet
Perhaps you already noticed this newly featured recipe on the Kraft Foods website (or if you follow me on Pinterest, perhaps you have already “pinned” it!) I love how simple the Kraft recipes are for the amount of flavor they produce! Simple and to the point recipes and ingredients with a big, big payoff. Bonus points for only needing to dirty 1 skillet!
Spoiler alert: It tastes as good as the picture shows.
Mushroom “Bruschetta” Chicken Skillet
Courtsey of Kraft Foods
1 lbs mixed fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded 2% Italian blend cheese
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh chives
1. Cook mushrooms and onions in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add dressing, garlic, thyme; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Transfer to bowl; cover to keep warm. Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 minutes on each side until done.
3. Top chicken with mushrooms and cheese; cover. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted; sprinkle with chives.
Like this:
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
It is finally here!! Congratulations to those who are going to participate in any of the events. We have our own WeightWise team running the relay. The Memorial marathon is a great experience even for those who are not going to be participating. The run usually consists of about 25,000 runner/walkers. It is an unbelievable site and you really feel great energy even from just watching it! Great motivation for next year!!! 
I’ll be out there cheering on two great friends of mine when they run their first half marathon and then I’ll head over to my relay check point! I’m very excited to cheer everyone on!! Our patient advocate Jamie will be cheering on her brother as he will be running his first full marathon. Our MA, Nohemi will be running her first half marathon!! We have two patients who are helping us out on the relay!! If you are not busy this Sunday morning it is worth getting up early to see the site of all these runners. I’ve ran in this run for the past 7 years now and it is always really encouraging to have people cheering for you. Sometimes that race can get a little lonely and you just need someone to say, “your almost there, keep up the great work!!” It gives you that extra boost!! The race will start at 6:30 and the 5k walk I believe starts at 7. You won’t want to miss it!
Good luck to anyone doing it!!
Zumba
In case you haven’t head yet, the exercise craze Zumba is a HUGE hit. I have several patients that already do the exercise class at home or at a gym and love it! It is easy, fun, you just can’t help but have a big smile on your face the entire time. I found an article that tells you what to expect for your first class. I have really noticed with clients I see that exercise is kind of intimidating and for many people they are just scared to try something new and are afraid of what they will look like. I totally get all of that, but I can promise you people in gyms are not looking at you! They are more concerned about themselves than they are with you. So don’t let this be intimidating any longer. Get in there and join the Party! Check out this article and find a Zumba class near you!!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/first-zumba-class_n_1418895.html
