Meatball Sub with Roasted Veggies & Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, divided
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1/2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (4 oz)
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (4 oz)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (3 oz)
  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh tomatoes, seeded, chopped and squeezed to release juices, seeds and juices discarded
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 14 oz whole-wheat baguette (18-inch long; widest baguette you can find)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine beef, oats, egg white, tomato paste, thyme, 1/2 tsp oregano, black pepper and 1 clove garlic. Line a sheet pan with nonstick foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Form beef mixture into 1-inch balls, making about 50. Place balls on pan, not allowing them to touch. On another sheet pan, toss zucchini, bell pepper and onion with oil. Put both pans in oven and set timer for 5 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together tomatoes, basil, remaining 1/2 tsp oregano and remaining 1 clove garlic. When timer goes off, remove meatballs from oven and pour tomato mixture over them. Use a metal spatula to turn meatballs to coat with tomato mixture. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes, again setting timer. When timer goes off again, remove meatballs and set aside. Stir vegetables, return to oven and roast for another 10 minutes.
  3. Slice baguette into 4 sections, then slice each section in half horizontally so it opens like a book. Spread open each section and tear out a bit of bread from the middle to make room for the meatballs. Toast bread in toaster or under a hot broiler for 1 minute to crisp.
  4. To assemble sandwiches, open up each piece of toasted bread, pile on a quarter of meatball mixture and top with a quarter of roasted vegetables. Close sandwich and serve with a fork for any stray meatballs and sauce.

 

Nutrients per sandwich: Calories: 452, Total Fat: 10 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 59 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 25 g, Sodium: 552 mg, Cholesterol: 60 mg

Fish Tacos

INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 2 boneless, skinless mahi mahi fillets (about 4 1/2 oz each)
  • 4 corn tortillas (6 inches each)

SLAW

  • 1 cup fresh, diced pineapple
  • 1 cup julienned jicama
  • 1 green chile or jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 lime, juiced and zested
  • 1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare slaw: In a medium bowl, add all slaw ingredients. Toss to combine and set aside in refrigerator, covered, until ready to serve.
  2. Preheat grill to medium. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and lightly mist it with cooking spray.
  3. In a plastic bag with a zip-top closure, combine coriander and cumin seeds. Gently crush seeds with a rolling pin or flat side of a meat tenderizer. Empty crushed seeds onto a large plate.
  4. Rinse mahi mahi and pat dry with paper towels. Gently press both sides into seed mixture and place fish on foil-lined baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to grill, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until fish is just opaque at the centre and flakes easily with a fork. Remove from grill and carefully wrap edges of foil around fish to keep warm (use oven mitts or tongs for assistance).
  5. Warm tortillas on grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side.
  6. To assemble tacos, slice fish into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Divide evenly among tortillas and top each with about 1/2 cup slaw.
Nutrients per 2 tacos (2 tortillas, 4 oz fish, 1 cup slaw): Calories: 231, Total Fats: 3.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Omega-3s: 190 g, Omega-6s: 410 g, Carbs: 25 g, Fiber: 8 g, Protein: 7 g, Sugars: 10 g, Sodium: 132 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

Dichotomous thinking: where struggling to behave or identify with moderation is the result of thinking in extremes

Previously, I discussed the common term “moderation” in relation to food and health.  A tremendous deterrent with people wanting to lose weight is the common and dysfunctional attitude of dichotomous thinking.  Also known as “all-or-nothing” and “black or white” thinking, this is when someone is only able to see the extremes of a situation, and is unable to see the “gray areas” or complexities of the situation.  For example, a person who engages in dichotomous thinking may believe that if they don’t stay on their rigid diet then they have failed and are off the diet.  You believe a piece of bread is bad and once you have that bread, even a little, you believe that you are therefore bad.

If you put food in groups like good and bad you are setting yourself up for the guilty feeling afterwards.  You are striving to be “good” by eating the “good” foods and avoiding the “bad.”  Since no one can be perfect, you will eventually slip up, feel bad and you’ll want to punish youself.  It becomeas a vicious cyle.  Instead, focus on any food in moderation.  By doing so you can avoid the ups and downs or guilt when you want to eat, and you can banish negative views of certain foods.  Can you imagine how liberating it would be to no longer feel the unnecessary guilt and to finally accept living in a healthy, moderate way?  (And lose a few pounds, too!)
P.S.  Whenever I see those black and white cookies, I think of this topic and the importance of how things should NOT be black or white, all or nothing, on a diet or off a diet.  Every aspect of your life should be seen more like a spectrum.  The next time you see these let it remind you, too…even if you take a few bites!

 

Erica Mehler

Your Fitness Specialist

Sports Drinks vs. Water

You’ve seen the commercials with famous athletes touting fancy sports drinks aimed at keeping you hydrated for optimal performance. Are those drinks really better than water? Sports drinks can be separated into three different categories: Isotonic, which contain similar concentrations of salt and sugar to the the human body, Hypertonic, which contain higher concentrations of salt and sugar than the human body and Hypotonic drinks, which contain lower amounts of salt and sugar than the body. Most of the drinks on the market are isotonic in nature. However, quite a few contain sugar, so reading the nutrition label is important before purchasing. You can get a boost of carbohydrates and electrolytes from these drinks. The sweet taste leads to more consumption than water, which can lead to better hydration. While water has no taste, it also has no calories. Overall drinking sports drinks every now and again is fine, but given the choice water is the best choice for staying hydrated.

Cool Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1 cucumber, cut into chunks
1 scallion, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons olive oil 

Directions:
In a blender, combine the yogurt, cucumber, scallion and dill. Pulse until pureed. Season with salt and pepper. Put into individual bowls and top each serving with 2 tablespoons of diced tomato, drizzled with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with a dill sprig.