That's Fit

This week I've been sampling Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt, and I absolutely love it. Before I go any further though, let me tell you how I feel about yogurt. I like it, but only if I feel like I'm getting a high in calcium, low in sugar, legitimately fruit-filled snack. Now, there is always yogurt stacked up in my fridge, because I have two little children. But, rarely do I even open up a cup for myself. Not that I would ever buy my babies anything "bad"... cause I don't. But I regularly expect perfection of the things I put in my mouth. I'm simply not willing to waste 100 calories on a teeny cup of yogurt. I'd rather have two big pieces of fruit.

So! I was thrilled instantly by the calorie count on Dannon's new Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt. Each cup boasts only 50 or 60 calories, depending on the flavor. That I can do! The fruity varieties are also full of real fruit chunks. Fresh and healthy fruit chunks, not the icky stuff dumped in from a can. On top of all that, each flavor has proven to be delicious to both my children and me, and then a few of my personal training clients as well.

Before you go give Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt a try, I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison of it's nutritional content versus that of other yogurts. I did this a few days ago and couldn't find anything as good. This is the type of thing you want to put in your fridge if you're trying to lose weight. It's a great fix for your sweet tooth, while providing a decent amount of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients.

We are certifiable health food freaks and have been since long before we had a child. One of my husband's biggest concerns about being a healthy eating household was that none of our son's friends would ever want to eat over and subject themselves to vegetables and such.

Well, now that our little guy is three, we've been having some of his friends for dinner. How did it go, you ask? Here are two cases in point.

Our next door neighbor's six-year-old plays here almost every day after school and has recently begun to eat dinner here about once a week. She now asks every day what we are having for dinner because she has her favorites:

• taco salad made with homemade taco seasoning
• Applegate Farms hot dogs and Trader Joe's Organic Baked Beans and salad
• brown rice pasta with homemade red sauce, spinach, chicken sausage and zucchini chunks
• organic chicken burgers with avocado and salad

The word isn't all that appetizing, really -- fermented. It sounds like something that happens to gym socks left in a locker over a long weekend. But fermented foods are packed with beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, and can be a nutritious addition to a healthy diet.

What exactly are fermented foods? According to this article, they are foods that use microorganisms to convert the carbs in a given food to alcohol or acid. This prevents the food from spoiling, and also gives fermented food a nice tangy flavor. Examples of common fermented foods are:

• yogurt
• kefir
• sauerkraut (non-pasteurized)
• kimchi
  
  

You can easily make your own kefir and yogurt at home, if that interests you. Or you can find these and other fermented foods at your local health food store.

For more tips on what makes a healthy food choice, check out AOL Body's America Takes It Off! and their article on How to Stock a Healthy Refrigerator.

Most alcohol gets burned off during the cooking process. But if you have some recipes that require a cooking wine or liqueur and don't want to risk it on children or less-than-healthy guests, give these simple substitutions a try.

Replace one tablespoon of bourbon or sherry with:

• one tablespoon of apple or orange juice

Replace one tablespoon of coffee liqueur or chocolate liqueur with:

• 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract or
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee in 2.5 teaspoons of water

Just picked up a little recipe card from Kraft at the grocery store today, and thought I'd share it with you. The apple-cheddar stacker recipe offers protein, calcium, fiber, and energy. A decent little snack for the kids or you!

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Kraft 2% Milk Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 small apple, cut into 24 slices
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 24 TRISCUIT Crackers

It's almost Cinco de Mayo, which is, unfortunately, one of my favorite holidays to celebrate because, even though it packs a lot of calories, I really love Mexican food. And, what good is an enchilada without a margarita?

In case your mouth is watering just thinking about a cold, delicious margarita (because, honestly, mine is watering just writing about it), I've pulled together some links that look like good options. They'll keep your calories lower than a regular margarita, but it's no free pass -- most of these still pack over 100 calories per serving. But, if you have a recipe you dig, share the love! And feliz Cinco de Mayo!

• Fitnessmagazine.com -- Frozen Lime Margarita
• Hungry-Girl.com -- Rockin' Razzy Rita, HG's Fruitylicious Margarita, and HG's Magical Low-Cal Margarita
• Ehow.com -- Delicious Low-Cal Margarita
• MargaritaTexas.com -- Low-Cal Margarita
• Suite101.com -- Low Calorie Agave Margarita

An easy way to lose weight is to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Produce is famous for jamming massive amounts of vitamins, nutrients and fiber into very few calories. With most produce, you can consume lots of food for a very low caloric price. More bang for your buck that is!

I ask my personal training clients to try to include at least five meals per week consisting of pure produce. No meat. No grains. Most folks eat at least 21 meals per week, so this five meal plan doesn't deter anyone from getting enough protein. What it does do though, is get them to try new fruits and learn new ways to turn veggies into a meal.

Another benefit to this effort is that by keeping a few meals to just produce, you will more than likely be cutting quite a bit of calories out of the day. Over time, the more you rely on fruits and vegetables for snacks and meals, the more likely you'll be to achieve and maintain your ideal weight.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. I'm heading out for a week's vacation on a cruise ship next month, and worried that once again I'll gain almost ten pounds while gone. That's what I've done the last few times I've gone on a cruise. How can I get around it? There is awesome food everywhere! Susan.

A. Susan, Susan, Susan. I'm shaking my head. The deal with vacations, cruises especially, is that they're a time for you to relax, get away from the daily grind and have some fun. Pigging out and gorging are simply not what you should be focusing on...wherever you are! Yes, there is a lot of tasty food on cruise ships. There is also a lot of yummy things available at your local grocery store every single day! That doesn't' mean you should run through the aisles like a lunatic shoving everything you can get your hands on into your mouth. Just because food is THERE, just because food is FREE, doesn't mean you have to eat it.

I got my Williams-Sonoma catalogue in the mail recently. The best product is on the back page.

The company has just introduced a line of margarita mixes sweetened with agave nectar. Since me and my friends have been using this sweetener quite a lot lately as an alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, we did a little happy dance at the thought of more healthful margaritas while hanging out on the patio this summer.

Does seem a bit of a misnomer; a healthy margarita? But it's about as unrealistic to give up margaritas as it is to give up sweets. And why not have the healthiest margarita possible, right? So we plan to try them. But of course you could also make your own recipe using agave nectar instead of simple syrup. Certainly would be cheaper. The WS mixes are a whopping $16.95 for a 32-ouce bottle of the following flavors: Cherry Blossom Sling, Elderflower Twist, Golden Skirt or Classic.

I've got just the snack bar for you: The YOU Bar. You design it. You name it. You devour it. All you need is access to the internet and few minutes of time.

Check out this handy site for a step-by-step ordering system that allows you to choose a protein base and add extra ingredients, like dried fruits, chocolate, even coffee crystals. The folks at YOU Bar do all the work -- they bake, provide nutritional facts, and honor special requests, like "not too sweet." Not happy with what you've ordered once you taste it? Just send back your uneaten bars and you'll get a chance to modify your recipe.

If you're not tempted to create your own bar, tried and true flavors of this treat are available. Beware, though, these treats run $40 for a box of 12. Worth it? Give it a try and see.

April 22 is Earth Day. What will you do on this day to celebrate the diversity of life on our planet? What will you do promote a healthier environment? My mom thinks I should start a compost pile. Our local Home Depot is selling compost bins for $35. This would be a pretty affordable way to make a difference by cutting down on yard and kitchen trash and nourishing the soil in my yard.

Publix GreenWise Market magazine recommends I honor Earth Day by putting together a tropical snack mix with ingredients from around the world. Each yummy item listed below comes from a crop grown in ways that protect the rain forest.

• Dried papaya, diced (Mexico)

• Dried pineapple, diced (Phillipines)

• Dried banana chips (Central and South America)

• Flaked coconut, unsweetened (Philipines)

• Macadamia nuts, chopped (Hawaii)

• Cashews, raw (India)

For more Earth Day inspiration, visit earthday.net.

My mom makes a delicious basil pesto tortellini, yet it's a sin to eat as it's dripping in oil. But I can't stay away from the combined flavors of parmesan and garlic, two base ingredients in a pesto sauce. When I saw this healthier Broccoli Pesto recipe on YumSugar, I had to try it.

A couple nights ago I prepped and whirled all the ingredients in a food processor, then mixed the broccoli pesto sauce with al dente thin spaghetti. Not any boxed spaghetti -- I purchase multi-grain Barilla PLUS -- which is packed with protein, fiber and omega-3s. Beyond delicious, the recipe was a snap to prepare time-wise, and leftovers were polished off the next day.

I'll definitely make basil pesto sauce this summer, but I'm going to find a recipe with less oil. Until those basil seedlings mature, broccoli pesto is an excellent alternative. Here's the recipe ... add more or less garlic and parmesan to satisfy your palate:

• 16 oz spaghetti or thin spaghetti
• 16 oz fresh broccoli or 1 bag frozen chopped broccoli (I'm a fresh fan)
• 1 cup chicken or veggie broth
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 T olive oil, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 tsp salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Boil pasta, blanch fresh broccoli in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Blend broccoli, broth, cheese, olive oil, garlic and salt in food processor with knife blade attached. Drain pasta and toss with broccoli pesto. Before twirling your fork, sprinkle with pepper (and more parmesan) if you like. Serve with a salad and bread or enjoy solo!

I have fond memories of the Outback Steakhouse. Years ago, my hubby and I would dine there every Friday night. This was before kids, before budgets, before our bodies began to bulge. We don't eat out so often anymore. And we typically stray from the place where cheese fries tempt our taste buds.

We're going to the Outback tonight. It just so happens to be a Friday night. It won't be quite the same as all those years ago, though. We'll have two little boys with us, and not so much money to spare, and we'll definitely be watching what we eat. Nope, not quite the same. It'll be better.

We love that we get to tow our guys with us to dinner. At ages seven and almost-five, Joey and Danny are pretty well-behaved dinner companions. The budget? I like it. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something great, saving money for our future. And the eating part? I no longer crave the junk I once ate and so I'm looking forward to a healthy Outback meal. They have those, you know?

I've already checked out the Outback's Healthy Weight Loss menu -- I'm not trying to lose any weight at the moment but I figure these options will serve me well -- and I think I'm going to order the salmon, without butter and seasoning. I'll get the house salad without cheese and croutons and with tangy tomato dressing -- it has no fat -- on the side. I"ll have veggies too, minus the butter. Have you ever eaten Outback veggies? They're yummy -- and soaked in butter. I hope they're still good without.

The Outback offers other healthy menu versions. There's the gluten-free menu, the heart healthy menu, the diabetic menu, and the high protein/low carbohydrate menu. When you're in the market for a dinner out, check these out. And tell us what you'd order.

Want to know what you should not eat while dining out? AOL Body has the dirt on the 20 worst restaurant foods.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

First of all, check out these super nutrition nuggets found in 1/2 cup cooked green cabbage: Calories: 16, Fiber: 2.9 g, Carbohydrates: 3.6 mg, and Vitamin C: 18.2 mg. No fat or cholesterol in this Super Food.

Green cabbage is just one variety of this cruciferous veggie. There are literally hundreds -- green and bok choy are the most popular in the United States -- and thank goodness for the abundance of this vegetable because it truly is a good-for-you food. It might just be one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

Cabbage, high in nutrients, readily available, and inexpensive, has been found to fight heart disease, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. It fights cancer too. Even it's smell contributes to the cancer cause.

Cabbage contains phytonutrients that protect the body from free radicals -- boiling destroys phytonutrients so try to sauté, steam, or roast this health food -- and it's a a muscle builder, blood cleanser, and eye strengthener too. It's also rich in iron and sulfur, can lower serum cholesterol, and is chock full of antioxidants. In juice form, cabbage can heal stomach ulcers and treat fungus infections. There's more: Cabbage promotes gastrointestinal health, prevents Alzheimer's, and optimizes cell detoxification.

Time to get cabbage into your diet. For starters, give this recipe for Healthy Cabbage Salad a try. Check out these
10 healthy cabbage recipes too. And these from Epicurious.

If you've got any tried and true cabbage creations of your own, please do share.

My favorite grocery store justed started carrying ready-to-eat green leaf lettuce. The large, deep green leaves are stacked like a loaf of bread and packaged in a recyclable plastic container. Usually I purchase a head of green leaf lettuce, rinse, pop in the salad spinner and chop for salads. But when I saw the stacked product sitting in our fridge, it inspired an out-of-the-box, healthy alternative to carb-heavy bread.

This past week I've eaten a grilled chicken sandwich with a little dill mayonnaise and tomato -- wrapped together with a big leaf of green lettuce. It was incredibly good, devoid of bread carbs and totally satisfying considering the solid source of protein. Last night we had to prepare a quick dinner (soccer season has begun!), so I whipped up some egg salad. Once again those stackable leaves were begging to be wrapped around egg salad, avocado and tomatoes. My husband was so inspired he returned his two slices of bread to the bread bag and started wrapping away. I'm not an Atkins diet fan, but this is definitely Atkins-like behavior.

Replacing two slices of our sandwich bread saved about 200 calories and 35 carbs. If you can't find ready-to-eat green leaf lettuce, just buy a head of romaine or green leaf, rinse, dry and stack yourself. It's better for the environment anyway. If you end up with leftover leaf lettuce here are over 70 leaf lettuce recipes from all recipes to peruse. Happy wrapping!