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Healthier vending machines coming to a breakroom near you
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
These machines let you see the nutrition information before you buy (photo courtesy of h.u.m.a.n. Healthy Vending)
Ten years ago, when you stepped up to a vending machine, your options may have included chips, candy bars, soda and gum. But snack dispensers have evolved (and nutrition initiatives have been put in place) so your diet may not be in as much danger the next time you walk into a breakroom with a crisp dollar bill to ease your mid-afternoon growling stomach.
Health professionals lie on both the “pro” and “con” side of the more nutritious vending debate – supporters say it never hurts to have better options, while those who oppose claim vending machines are only one brick in a mile-long wall of nutrition problems.
Besides populating break rooms, vending machines are also mainstays in school cafeterias. Currently, 27 states have rules about what can be sold in elementary school vending machines, the New York Times reports. So it’s no surpise that new companies are popping up to fill the space left behind by the machines that don’t fit the new food rules.
Continue reading at http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/blogs/fitstop/tag/healthy-vending-machines/
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Healthy Forth of July Recipes | Grilled Pizza!
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta
Dazzle your guests – and keep the kitchen cool – by baking pizza on the backyard grill. For convenience, this recipe uses prepared pizza dough, found in most supermarkets, and pesto from a jar.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound prepared pizza dough, preferably whole-wheat
1/2 cup prepared pesto
4 ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn
Preparation
1. Heat grill to medium-high.
2. Meanwhile, place dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch round crust, about 1/4 inch thick. Place crusts on a floured baking sheet. Carry crusts and toppings out to the grill.
3. Lay crusts on grill (they won’t stay perfectly round). Cover grill and cook until crusts are lightly puffed and undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
4. Using tongs, flip crusts. Immediately spread pesto over crusts. Top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with feta and pepper. Cover grill and cook until the undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
430 calories
16 g fat (4 g sat, 9 g mono)
14 mg cholesterol
60 g carbohydrate
13 g protein
6 g fiber
774 mg sodium
Nutrition Bonus: vitamin C (30% Daily Value)
Want more? Check out these EatingWell features:
Browse EatingWell Recipe Collections
Browse Healthy Recipes
More Healthy 4th of July Recipes
Energy Boosting Foods for Finals Time!
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011By Kelsey Brown
Final exams are just around the corner, and as we make the big push to finish papers, projects, and labs, our diets tend to be put on the backburner. Lattes and frosted scones may seem like life rafts in a sea of stress and fatigue, but these sweet goodies hurt our ability to perform and succeed.
Photo by Kelsey Brown
Rachel Beller M.S., R.D., nutrition expert for Glamour and founder of Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, understands that stress is an inevitable part of the college experience and that eating healthfully can be hard when you’re pressed for time. However, the nutritional support you give your body during these intense periods of mental exertion can be the extra boost you need to make it through to the finish line.
Rachel counsels college students to take an “energy lasting approach” to eating that will promote healthy brain function and increase mental sharpness. For long hours in the library, select foods that meet the following three criteria: little to no refined sugars, healthy fats, and lean protein. Rachel says to “think synergy and balance” between those three components, and you will be providing your brain with the maximum nourishment to endure the demands you’re placing on it. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will neutralize your blood sugars while white bread, ice cream, and pretzels will spike your energy temporarily and leave you feeling even more tired an hour later. Look for healthy fats like avocado, hummus, olives, almonds, and lean proteins such as turkey, egg whites, salmon, and Greek yogurt.
Reduced sleep and stress put our immune systems to the test. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the vitamin aisle alluring illness-avoiding promises; supplements are great but only when you have all your other bases covered first. Rachel suggests that the best way to keep your immune system strong is to be productive with your food and create shortcut solutions that won’t rob the time you already don’t have. Make easy energy lasting and immune-boosting snacks in your dorm or apartment and have them at the ready when hunger strikes.
Rachel recommends a quick turkey-hummus wrap: in a whole-wheat tortilla, spread a tablespoon of all-natural hummus and 2-4 nitrate free turkey slices, then roll and go. These wraps keep well in your bag, and they won’t make a mess. Late at night, Rachel suggests sticking to snacks low in sugar and high in fiber that will keep you full, like plain popcorn with salt and pepper or oatmeal with cinnamon to help regulate blood sugars.
Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and opt for quality green teas before sugar-loaded or caffeinated concoctions that can create a vicious cycle of extreme energy highs and lows. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols that provide sustained and calming energy, and be consumed both hot and cold. If you can’t imagine finishing your thirty-page term paper on the Nicaraguan Revolution without coffee, Rachel recommends that you moderate your consumption and take it black with one teaspoon of agave and a splash of soy milk.
Eating for energy and performance will not only give you the needed edge for test day, it honors your body and all the hard work it has done for you over the past semester. When everything else seems to have gone haywire, a balanced and nourishing diet can help bring things back to center. For more tips on maintaining a nourishing diet throughout stressful and busy periods of young adulthood, visit Rachel Beller M.S., R.D. online and on Facebook.
Kelsey Brown writes about healthy hearts, minds and bodies for Small Kitchen College and Happyolks. She’s gearing up for finals season at the University of San Diego with green smoothies and the Avett Brothers on repeat.
Originally posted on HuffingtonPost.com
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