Perfect Parfait

Yesterday Chase and I ran to the grocery store to pick up a few things before heading to pick up LO from school. When we were finished shopping, I had a random craving to grab a Fruit n' Yogurt Parfait from McDonald's.

I figured it's somewhat "healthy" (at least considering all the other junk one can get at McDonald's). I've recently started trying to watch my sugar and carbohydrate intake and have been attempting to limit both as much as I possibly can. But I figured I really ought to cut back on my fast food purchases, too, whether healthy or not.

When we got home, I decided to whip up my own version of this parfait, knowing I could control exactly what would go into it. So I busted out the following ingredients, which I happened to have on hand at home, to make my own delicious version:

Oh my word! This tasty little treat was fantastic! I would definitely recommend whipping one of these up as a quick and healthy snack! And maybe, just maybe, I can get one or both of my kids interested in this snack, too! That'd sure be nice...

Healthy Bites: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are BY FAR the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies on the planet! They are soft, moist, chewy and incredibly delicious! And the bet part is they are healthy! There's only 2 Tbsp. of butter in the entire recipe! I know, right?!

Seriously. These things are the best. They keep for days, assuming they last that long. My kids loved them. Hubs loved them. I loved them. But keep in mind they are only "healthy" if you avoid eating half a dozen in one sitting, which -- believe me -- isn't as easy as it sounds.

Enjoy!

Photo from www.davidlebovitz.com

Photo from www.davidlebovitz.com

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

About 36 cookies
Adapted from Nick Malgieri’s book, Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs (HarperCollins).
 
Ingredients:

1 cup flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup dark raisins (or dried cranberries)
2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or silicone mats

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the rack on the lower and upper thirds of the oven.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the brown sugar, then the egg, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats and raisins.
5. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons 2-inches apart on the baking sheets and use a fork to gently flatten the dough.
6. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they “look dull on the surface but are moist and soft,” according to Nick. Rotate baking sheets during baking for even heating.

(I made mine bigger, so whatever size you make them, just bake them until they look as directed by Nick.)

Storage: Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Healthy Bites: Do-It-Yourself Microwave Popcorn

Do you read Lisa Leake's blog, 100DaysofRealFood.com? If you don't, you have no idea what you're missing! Her blog is full of healthy, whole food recipes and snacks, and let me tell you -- they are GOOD! Whole-wheat banana pancakes, whole-wheat waffles, whole-wheat biscuits... the list goes on and on! ((I just noticed my insane carb addiction -- ha!))

Recently Lisa posted a little popcorn trick that I was quite skeptical of, but I finally decided to give it a try and boy am I glad I did! It's super simple, so economical and absolutely delicious!

I've always been one to purchase microwave popcorn, and always look for the "light butter" kind because I'm just not a fan of greasy popcorn. I never put that melted butter junk on my popcorn at the movies, either. In fact, I typically smuggle in a small Ziploc of microwave popcorn from home -- Shhhhh! Don't tell!). Imagine my surprise when I learned how simple it is to make it yourself!

Here are the instructions, taken directly from 100DaysofRealFood.com!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup popcorn kernels, preferably organic
• Brown paper lunch bag
• Optional: Melted butter, oil, and/or salt

Directions

1. Pour the kernels into the brown paper bag.
2. Tightly fold over the top three or four times. No tape or staples are necessary.
3. Put it in the microwave and start it on high for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
4. Listen for the popping to slow down to 3 or 4 seconds apart at which point you will take it out of the microwave. This usually happens for me around the 3 minute and 15 second mark.
5. Pour popcorn into a bowl and drizzle with melted butter or spritz with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. If you don’t use oil or butter the salt won’t stick.

Yield: Approximately 3 – 4 servings

Seriously?! How simple is that! My goodness this stuff is tasty! And check it out! Only 100 calories for about 5 cups of freshly popped popcorn! I sprayed a light spritz of canola oil (didn't have a sprayer for my olive oil) and topped with a pinch of sea salt. Seriously, like a pinch. That was all it needed and it was fantastic!

Healthy Bites: Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I was NOT expecting to love today's Healthy Bites meal idea as much as I did. If you're a fan of the Roasted Tomato & Basil Bisque at Mimi's Cafe, you'll LOVE this delicious Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup from Trader Joe's! It has a tiny little bite to it, and I topped mine with some freshly ground pepper for even more heat. It. Was. Delish!

I enjoyed 1/2 cup of white grapes and a large bottle of water along with my soup. Check out this healthy breakdown!

 

And just for comparison purposes, check out the stats on the aforementioned Roasted Tomato & Basil Bisque from Mimi's Cafe! The same serving size has a whopping 258 calories and 20 grams of fat!!

Serving Size	8 fl oz
Calories	258
Calories From Fat	182
Total Fat (g)	20
Saturated Fat (g)	10
Cholesterol (mg)	57
Sodium (mg)	902
Carbohydrates (g)	14
Dietary Fiber (g)	1
Sugars (g)	13
Protein (g)	2

Healthy Bites: Chicken Salad Sandwich

Today's Healthy Bites post can be used for lunch or dinner -- whatever your fancy! I really love this meal and it has been my go-to lunch for several days over the past week. Check it out!

1 slice Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Six Bread & Butter Pickle Chips, diced

1/4 cup Light Mayonnaise

1 can Chicken Breast

This is my super simple chicken salad recipe. Drain the canned chicken, add the diced pickles, mayonnaise and some pepper and VOILA! It's done! And this makes enough for at least 5 half-sandwiches. I serve it on Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat bread (thanks for the recommendation, 100daysofrealfood.com) so I only make 1/2 sandwich for a meal... those whole grains keep you full! I eat this sandwich with a side of fresh fruit or vegetables and a big ol' glass of water.

It's divine!!

Now, are you ready for the best part? Check it out!!!

Um, only 286 calories? I just burned that plus 15 more by walking on a treadmill for 45 minutes. Sweet! And notice we're looking at less than 5g of fat and over 16g protein!

Good stuff!

Healthy Bites: Kashi Go Lean Crunch

I'm embarking on a new lifestyle change. I am trying to eat healthier and get more active. From my excessive research, I've found these are the two ingredients in losing weight (YAY!) and being healthy (not taking "magic pills" or using an "easy button" -- apparently neither exist).

One of my biggest challenges has been finding healthy meals that are easy and delicious, using ingredients I tend to keep on hand at home. I figured as I find healthy meals and snacks, I will share them with you in case you're looking for new, fresh ideas for your own diet (and I don't mean "diet" like the "four-letter word" kind -- more like the "what you ingest every day" kind of diet). I think I'll call 'em "Healthy Bites."

So without further ado, I will introduce you to my yummy breakfast from this morning:

1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal

1/2 Diced Banana (this works well for me since Chase eats the other half!)

1/2 cup 1% Milk

This was a super easy, quick and delicious breakfast! It was surprisingly filling and held me over perfectly until my late morning snack: 1/2 sliced apple -- the kids ate the other half.

Check out this breakfast's stats:

Did you see that? Only 180 calories, less than 3g of fat and almost 10g protein! Now that's impressive!

I hope you found this healthy breakfast idea helpful! I'll be posting breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas as I come across them and hope you will find a way to incorporate these fresh, healthy ideas into your day!