It's Pitza Time!

Nope, not a spelling error. Pizza, Mark and Brandee style!

Stuff you'll need:

Joseph's Pita Bread:  http://www.josephsbakery.com/SubPages/StaticPages/ProductDetails.aspx?ID=a882465d-659f-4dd7-9850-c8daf449f7d4    60 Calories for one Pita

We get it at Walmart (unfortunately), but hopefully you can find it at your local grocery store.

HEB Brand Pasta Sauce: There are several varieties. I love the Roasted Red Pepper flavor (http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/heb/spicy-red-pepper-pasta-sauce/) but you can use the Marinara or whichever of the other flavors sounds best to you. All of them are tasty, and really low calories. 35 calories for half a cup of sauce. You'll need less than half a cup, probably closer to a quarter cup.

HEB Brand Fat Free Shredded Mozzarella: http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/heb/fat-free-fancy-shredded-mozzarella-cheese   45 calories for a quarter cup. 

This stuff is a game changer in the dieting/cheese world. It and the shredded cheddar cheese both actually taste like and act like the regular stuff. It toasts and melts without tasting and looking like it's made of high grade plastic.

And then on to toppings. This is where you can get as crazily creative as you want. We just used Boar's Head Turkey pepperoni http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/boars-head/turkey-pepperoni

An ounce of pepperoni is going to more than cover your pizza, so you'll end up using less than the 70 calories worth of pepperoni unless you REALLY REALLY REALLY love pepperoni.

Once you've got all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, grab an oven safe tray, and assemble your pitza(s) on said tray.  We have a ventilated tray made specifically for pizza/pitza cooking, which worked out great since the heat from the bottom really helped crisp up the pita crust. I'd imagine some tinfoil on a regular tray will work fine as well. though. Toss them in the oven and let them cook for 12-13 minutes. Take your pitza(s) out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes (to avoid the invitable searing off of tongue/roof of mouth skin), then dig in.

Enjoy!

So Totals:

Joseph's Pita Bread "Crust": 60 Calories

HEB Brand Sauce: (using 1/4 a cup, 35 calories per half cup) 18 calories 

HEB Brand Fat Free Mozzarella: 45 calories for your 1/4 cup 

Boar's Head Turkey Pepperoni: 70 calories for an ounce (you're using less than this, we'll call it 60 just for math's sake)

60+18+45+60 = 183 calories (this is on the high side, but just for upward rounding's sake) for a tasty pitza. 

Eating Well on a Budget

One of the biggest misconceptions about changing your unhealthy eating habits is that it's too expensive to buy good-for-you foods.  I thought the same thing for years until I learned what to look for and how to (at least marginally) prepare healthier options.  For me, the hardest part about getting healthy is letting the food go to waste, since it's obviously much more perishable than processed junk.  In that sense, sure, it can cost more.  But if you commit to buying healthy ingredients for your meal, and you prep and store the food right when you bring it home, you will get the most bang for your buck.

Below is the shopping for about a week's or so worth of food for both Mark and me.  Not everything on the list is healthy, and yet we still spent very little. Here's the haul:

That's $96.52 total! For two separate households!  There are very clearly items we could have done without (like all the ice cream and brownies), but that we could afford because we shopped smarter than we did in the past.  The receipt on the left is from Sprouts Farmer's Market, a smaller grocery chain, and HEB, a Texas-based grocery chain.  If you use coupons and shop sales, you'll find that no matter where you live, there are deals to be had and money to be saved on foods that won't ruin your waistline.  

When "Good For You" Isn't

When I first started trying to eat healthfully, I heard that yogurt was a healthy alternative to other sweet foods I would normally eat (like ice cream).  I would buy fat-free or reduced fat, single-serve containers in bulk, thinking it was a better deal than the sugary desserts I would normally be shoving in my face.  One day I decided to actually look at the label. I couldn't believe what I saw.  In a 6 oz container of Yoplait 99% fat-free Strawberry yogurt, there were 170 calories and a whopping 26 grams of sugar!  For that many calories, I could have had a serving of full-fat ice cream or something like a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich. If I was going to eat "diet food," I wanted it to be diet-worthy!

I transitioned to light yogurts, but I didn't care for the taste, and they didn't fill me up. A meager 6 ounces and 5 grams of protein wasn't a substantial enough snack.  And the plain yogurts were disgusting to me.  I knew I was dieting when I ate them.  I felt let down by this super food.  I grew to hate yogurt completely.  Until I found out about Greek yogurt.

A disclaimer, I now enjoy (and sometimes even crave) plain yogurt because I've eaten it so frequently. Same goes for grapefruit.  But even if you're not a fan of plain yogurt, here are a few ways you can jazz it up and have a filling, healthy snack that packs no added sugars and comes complete with about half of your recommended daily intake of protein.

1 cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt (I like Oikos and Voskos, personally) - 140 calories, 24 g protein
2 tablespoons Smuckers sugar-free raspberry preserves (or your flavor choice) - 20 calories
Total - 160 Calories

That's it! You get your fruit yogurt without any added sugars, but with all of the health benefits you were hoping (and almost twice the serving!).  If you're not a fan of fruit, you can try a bit of no-calorie sweetener (like stevia or sucralose aka Splenda) and different flavor extracts. Almond, vanilla, even rootbeer! The sky's the limit.

Don't Go Hungry At Work!

If you're like me, it's hard to get out of bed early enough to both prepare and eat a full, nutritious breakfast at home before you rush out the door.  I am NOT a morning person, and like to sleep until the last possible moment. This often meant that breakfast was what I could scrounge up at work, or, sometimes, a meal from Whataburger that I snagged in the drive-thru.  Sometimes I didn't eat at all, leading me to stuff my face at lunch and eat almost a whole day's calories in one sitting.  If you have a break room with a fridge, microwave, and toaster, you can make a nutritionally complete breakfast at work.  Go shopping for a few breakfast-friendly items and keep them in the office fridge for easy access.  Having the items on hand will make it easier for you to eat the foods you should, not the foods you think you want.

Office Omelette with Everything Bagel and a Side of Strawberries (Vegetarian Friendly)


Equipment needed:

- Microwave-safe dish
- Knife for slicing/chopping (if prep is not done at home)

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs (140 calories)
- Assorted diced veggies (I used green and red bell peppers) (~5 calories)
- 1 slice of fat free cheese (I used Kraft fat-free sharp cheddar) (25 calories)
- 1 everything--or flavor of your choice--bagel thin (I used HEB brand) (110 calories)
- 2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese (30 calories)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries (~50 calories)

Total Calories: 360 


I assume you know how to both toast a bagel and chop strawberries, so we'll just cover microwaving your omelette.  Microwaved eggs aren't nearly as good as those made on the stove top (especially in a cast iron skillet), but they're still pretty good if you dress them up, and it's a much healthier choice than a fast food breakfast sandwich.

In a microwave safe bowl (see picture for size reference), crack two eggs.  I recommend adding a small amount of water to stretch the egg mixture (you can use milk, but note that it will add a few calories to your total). Use a fork or small whisk and beat the eggs until uniformly yellow.  Microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time until the eggs start to cook.  Once the edges puff up, add your vegetables of choice to one half, and microwave again in 20-30 second intervals until the eggs are mostly cooked (there will still be some liquid at this point).  Add your cheese and cook until it starts to melt.  Once cheese has begun to melt, fold your omelette in half, and cook for another 45-60 seconds, or until eggs are completely cooked through, and no liquid remains. Voila!  A hearty, homemade breakfast right at your desk.

Time to Revive this Baby!

This blog has been neglected since the start, but we're going to fix that.  Here's a tasty creation that's low in fat, has zero cholesterol, and offers a pretty hefty portion!  If you go hungry with this, it's your own fault.

500 Calorie Vegan-Friendly Stirfry (Serves 4)


Ingredients:

- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce (80 calories)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple (in juice) (140 calories)
- 1/4 cup honey (480 calories)
- 1/2 tbsp oil (or spray) (65 calories)
- Water and spices to taste (I use about 1 cup of water, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and ginger)


- 1 lb firm tofu (cut into 1/2 inch chunks) (320 calories)
- Approx. 2 lbs of frozen stirfry veggies (about 300 calories)
- 1 cup rice (I used white, but feel free to use brown or any other!) (640 calories)


Total Calories: 2025 (506 per serving)


Instructions:

Cook the rice according to the directions on the bag.  For proper timing, start cooking the rice just before adding the sauce/tofu to the vegetables in the last step (see below).


In a pot or saucepan, heat the soy sauce, pineapple, and honey over medium high heat.  Use a whisk to blend.  After heating the mixture through, add approximately half a cup of warm water and taste test.  Add desired spices and continue to taste.  Add additional water if mixture is too strong or salty. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to a simmer.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until just before smoking. Add the tofu, and stir frequently to avoid sticking.  In a large skillet (at least 12 inches) or a wok, heat the vegetables over high heat, stirring frequently.  Once tofu is slightly browned on all sides, add to the simmering sauce.  One vegetables are heated thoroughly, are softened, and have been lightly browned, add the sauce and tofu.  There will be extra sauce mixture. You can choose to add less or cook the vegetables longer to allow the excess to evaporate/burn off.

Simmer the vegetables and tofu in the sauce, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, or until liquid has sufficiently burned off. Serve hot and top with sesame seeds (optional).