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calorie tips

What Can You Do With All Of Those Darn Tomatoes?

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It’s a banner year for tomatoes in the northeast and I have red ones — both large and small — pinkish ones that are sort of heart shaped, plums, green striped ones, and canary yellow ones. The voracious woodchucks and chipmunks (I watched a little Alvin wrestle a tomato off a plant on my deck, roll it across to the stairs, and  then snag it in his mouth like a toddler carrying a giant beach ball) are feasting to their hearts’ content and there is still a surplus.

An Experimental Mixture

Some unexpected company for a casual dinner gave me an opportunity to experiment, to use up some odds and ends in the fridge,  and to invade the tomato surplus.

Aside from my  tomato abundance, I had a big bowl of ripe peaches from the farmers market, lots of basil growing on the deck, and a hunk of feta cheese.

Do Things That Grow Together Go Together?

I had read somewhere that things that grow during the same growing season go together.  Now that may or may not be true, but why not try peaches and tomatoes together?

To go with a roasted chicken I picked up at the market (of course I know I could have grilled some cutlets, but sometimes a shortcut or two is a sanity saver), I made an absolutely delicious tomato, peach, feta and basil salad.

Tomato, Peach, Feta, And Basil Salad

I did not use any precise measurements although the chopped amounts of tomatoes and peaches looked about the same.

Ingredients:

  • Equal amounts of tomatoes and ripe peaches
  • Crumbled feta cheese to taste
  • Fresh basil to taste
  • Salt
  • Balsamic vinegar

1.   Core and seed the tomatoes.

2.  Chop tomatoes into bite sized pieces salt them and let them drain

3.  Remove peach pits and chop into bite sized pieces about the same size as the tomatoes

4.  Make a chiffonade of basil (cut into thin strips)

5.  Mix everything together

6.  Add the crumbled feta

7.  Mix again

8.  Correct the salt and add balsamic vinegar if desired

9.  Serve at room temperature

10.Refrigerate any leftovers which are great the next day as a type of tomato/peach salsa on fish, chicken, sandwiches or anything else you can think of.

Finish Dinner With Blueberries

The perfect — and easy end to such a simple and delicious dinner was the blueberry buckle I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I had blueberries from the farmers market, too, so I used those, bit I could have combined blueberries and peaches or other berries or stone fruit, too.

SocialDieter Tip:

Roasted chicken; tomato, peach, and feta salad; and blueberry buckle add up to a rather low calorie, low fat meal especially if you have the chicken without the skin, use fat free feta in the salad, and skim milk and decreased amounts of sugar and butter in the blueberry buckle recipe.  Delicious, nutritious, low in calories, and easy.

How Many Calories Do You Need Each Day?

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Most Americans Don’t Know How Many Calories They Need

Trying to lose weight? Do you have any idea about how many calories you should eat every day? According to a 2010 Food & Health Survey by the International Food Information Council, most Americans don’t have a clue.

The survey found that:

  • 65% of people in the study said concerns about weight were the prime driver of their food choices
  • 70% are concerned about their weight
  • only 17% could estimate how many calories someone of their age, height, weight and activity level should eat
  • for people trying to lose weight, only 19% are counting calories, and not many knew approximately how many calories they burn in a day
  • Nearly half said they’re trying to eat more protein
  • More than half worry about the amount of salt they eat and 60% buy reduced sodium products

What Dictates How Many Calories You Need?

How many calories you need varies with your age, gender, current weight, metabolism (the physical and chemical processes that naturally take place in your body to sustain life, like breathing and digestion), and your activity level. When you eat more calories than your body needs you gain weight; when you eat fewer than you need you lose weight.

What’s The Relationship Between Metabolism and Weight?

Your metabolism is usually measured in calories. Although you can estimate your average calorie requirement based on your weight and activity level, every person’s metabolism is different. To manage your weight it helps to know about how many calories you need every day. You can figure this out by knowing your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)  and the number of calories your activity requires.

  • Resting Metabolic Rate:  if you are not an elite athlete, about 70% of the calories you expend every day you use for essential life processes. This is your resting metabolic rate (RMR) and is basically the number of calories your body requires to keep it alive if you just flaked out on the couch all day.
  • Calorie Requirements For Activity:  These are the calories you burn through movement, activity and exercise. Even non-exercise activity, like fidgeting, counts.  For many of us, this makes up about 30% of our total daily calorie expenditure.

SocialDieter Tip:

Here’s a link to a page where you can plug in some of your information to calculate your:

  • BMI (Body Mass Index) which will give you a general idea if are you considered normal weight, overweight, or obese
  • RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) to estimate how many calories you burn in a day based on your physiologic needs
  • Calorie Requirements for Activity:  There is an activity calculator which shows how many calories different types of activities will burn and will also calculate how many calories you burn in 24 hours

Watermelon: Tastes Good, Looks Good, And Fills You Up

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How much fun is it to sit on some porch steps or on a big rock and spit watermelon seeds. (I know, seedless watermelons not only exist, they are the most popular watermelon in the US.)  Maybe even have a contest.  Okay – so not everyone gets as much of a kick out of it as I do, but it has been fun since I was a kid.

Watermelon was – and still is – a treat.  It certainly finished off lots of camp meals and family picnics.  How great is sweet, juicy watermelon on a hot day?  What about the college special: watermelon infused with vodka – or when money was scarce, grain alcohol?  And, how pretty are those intricate carved watermelon baskets filled with watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew balls?  Labor intensive.  My mother was good at that.

A Melon With History

The first recorded watermelon harvest was in Egypt, nearly 5,000 years ago. Now you can find more than 1,200 varieties which are are grown in 96 countries.  Watermelon, 92% water and 6% sugar, is a cousin of cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash and is the most consumed melon in the US, followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.

Some Watermelon Trivia

  • Because of its water content, watermelon is a volume food. It fills you up and quenches your thirst and is great for weight control.
  • 1 wedge (about 1/16 of a melon, 286 g) has 86 calories, no fat, 22g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g protein.
  • 10 watermelon balls (122g) have 37 calories, 0 fat, 9g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g protein
  • 1 cup of diced watermelon (152g) has 46 calories, 0g fat, 11g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein
  • Two cups of watermelon chunks will supply 25% of your daily vitamin A, 30% of your daily vitamin C, B6 (6%) of B6; 8% potassium, 4% phosphorus, and 8% magnesium as well as beta carotene and lycopene (red flesh melons).
  • The inner rind is edible and has a bunch of hidden nutrients.  The outer rind, also edible, is sometimes used as a stir-fried or stewed vegetable or pickled condiment.
  • When you buy a watermelon look for one that is firm, symmetrical, and free from bruises, cuts, or dents. It should be heavy for its size and its underside should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground while it ripened in the sun.
  • Whole melons will keep for 7 to 10 days at room temperature but lose flavor and texture if they’re stored too long. They’ll keep for three to four days in the fridge after they’re cut.

SocialDieter Tip:

I love the combination of sweet and salty – with a sweet/sour dressing.  Here’s a recipe for a great watermelon, feta, and greens salad that is low in calories and fat.

Mediterranean Watermelon Salad

Ingredients: (adapted from watermelon.org)

  • 6 cups torn mixed salad greens
  • 3 cups cubed seeded watermelon
  • 1/2 cup sliced red onion
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup watermelon vinaigrette
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Mint sprigs

Watermelon Vinaigrette:

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup pureed watermelon (puree chunks in a food processor)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Make vinaigrette.  Whisk together all ingredients; store in refrigerator; shake well before using. Makes about 1/2 cup.

In large bowl, mix all salad ingredients except vinaigrette, pepper, and mint. Just before serving, toss salad mixture with vinaigrette. Garnish with pepper and mint sprigs.

Makes 6 servings. About 75 calories per serving.

What’s Luscious, Blue, Low In Calories, And Good For You, Too?

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The Magical, Wonderful Blueberry

It is peak blueberry season in the Northeast and I’m ecstatic.  I love blueberries – especially the kind that I’ve been getting at my local farmers’ market:  big, sweet, and almost crunchy when you first bite into them.  That said, I also love wild blueberries – tiny, very dark blue, and sweet – the kind I eat on my visits to Maine.

A Native North American Fruit

The blueberry is a native American species. When the Pilgrims established a settlement at Plymouth In the winter of 1620, their neighbors, the Wampanoag Indians, taught them new skills that helped their survival —  planting corn and using native plants, like blueberries, to supplement their food supply. The colonists learned to gather the berries, dry them in the sun, and store them for winter. Blueberries eventually became an important food that was preserved and canned. A blueberry beverage was a staple for Civil War Soldiers.

A Nutritional Superstar

A one cup serving of blueberries has about 80 calories and virtually no fat.  Blueberries rank first in antioxidant activity when compared to forty other common fruits and vegetables. Concord grape juice ranks second with about two thirds of blueberries’ antioxidant activity followed by strawberries, kale, and spinach.

Antioxidants help neutralize harmful byproducts called “free radicals” that can be precursors of cancer and other age related diseases.  Anthocyanins (the pigment that makes blueberries blue) are thought to be the reason for this health benefit.

Blueberry Buckle:  Not A Crisp, Betty, Or Cobbler!

I was looking for something easy to make that would taste good, not have an overwhelming calorie/fat count, and appeal to both adults and children.  Out came my mini-book:  How To Make Simple Fruit Desserts from the Cook’s Illustrated Library.  The crisps, betties, and cobblers all sounded great but mostly had more steps than I wanted to take.  I hit the buckle description – and it’s minimal steps — on page 68 of the 96 page book.

What Is A Buckle?

Hint:  it doesn’t secure what goes around your waist, but can cause an increase in its circumference.  According to the “buckle” chapter, traditional buckles are just yellow cake batter with fruit folded in and streusel sprinkled on top.  This recipe uses more fruit, less batter, and no streusel.  The butter is not part of the batter, but melted in the pan while the oven preheats.  The batter is added and the butter surfaces to form a thin, crisp top.

I adjusted the recipe to my liking:  less butter and sugar, more fruit, and some cinnamon and ginger added to the batter because I like those flavors with blueberries.  The decreased fat and sugar also decreases the calories.  You could try using brown sugar Splenda mix to cut down the calories even more.  I chose not to do that because I was serving children as well as adults and prefer not to offer kids artificially sweetened foods.  Although I violated the rules of precise measurement that bakers often adhere to, the dessert was a huge success with very little effort.  Really, how can you mess up blueberries? Even a self-professed blueberry hating 4 year old decided that her dessert wasn’t really blueberries anymore and cleaned her plate!

The Buckle Recipe:

The master recipe:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 cups sliced stone fruits or berries

Master Instructions:

  • Put oven rack in lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Put butter (I used ¼ less) in 8 inch square or 9 inch round pan and set in oven to melt.
  • Whisk flour, ¾ cup sugar (I used ¼ less), baking powder, and salt in bowl.  Add milk and whisk until just incorporated.
  • When butter is melted, remove pan and pour batter into it without stirring it into the butter.  Put fruit over batter (I used ¼ more fruit) and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar (I didn’t do this).
  • Bake until batter turns golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.
  • Serve warm.

SocialDieter Tip:

A blueberry buckle is an absolutely delicious one cooking bowl dessert with an acceptable calorie count and a high “good-for-you” dessert value.

You could really beef it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Then again you could also be totally virtuous and eat just a plain bowl of berries.  Great nutrition  — but then the 4 year old self-professed blueberry hater wouldn’t have had dessert plus seconds!

Table For 8? You Might Eat 96% More!

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No kidding.  You tend to eat for a longer amount of time — and eat more — when you’re with people you like compared to when you eat alone.  It could be because you mindlessly nibble while someone else talks, you’re using the good manners you were taught in fifth grade about not letting someone else eat alone, or you’re just having fun and enjoying your food. Most of us tend to stay at the table longer when we’re with others.   Bottom line:  The longer you stay at the table, the more you eat.

Losing Track

Here’s the other thing:  friends and family influence what you eat.  Sometimes, it’s so easy to get involved with the conversation (or argument) that all the monitoring of what goes into your mouth goes out the window.  Look down at your plate.  Did you ever wonder where all the cookies went or how you managed to work your way through the mile high dish of pasta or the four pieces of pizza?  How many tastes did you take of everyone else’s meal and dessert?  Those tastes aren’t like invisible ink.  Those calories count, too.

Who Sets the Pace?

You tend to mimic your table companions.  They eat fast, you eat fast. They eat a lot, you eat a lot. Ever wonder why you look at some families or couples and they’re both either heavy or slender?  As Brian Wansink, PhD says in his book, Mindless Eating, “birds of a feather eat together.”

96% More

Wansink reports on a study that shows how strong the tendency is to increase the amount that you eat when you eat with others.  Compared to eating alone, you eat, on average:

  • 35% more if you eat with one other person
  • 75% more with four at the table
  • 96% more with a group of seven or more.

SocialDieter Tip:

Think about who you are eating with – and why you’re eating with them.  If you want to have a blast and don’t care about how much you eat – eat with a big group and chow down.  But, if you want to be careful about what and how much you eat, think about eating lunch with a salad (dressing on the side, please) friend rather than the large pepperoni pizza group.  Remember, without thinking about it, you tend to adjust your eating pace to that of your companions.  So, sit next to the slow eaters rather than the gobblers if you are trying to control how much goes into your mouth.