"How To Get Your Family Foods Fit + 3 New Quick Fit Recipes!"

Let me just start off by saying Mother’s are awesome. The only person who knows me nearly as good as my wife and daughter, is in fact my mother. A few weeks back on a trip back home to see my family, mine told me how good/young I looked, and didn’t realize I had shaved off my beard since we had last seen each other. Obviously she doesn’t like the way I look with facial hair. It’s tips like that, that can only be straight from the heart and come with hard honesty that we can appreciate. While we were together, Mom also sent me a pile of healthy/fit recipes for healthy snack bars, because she knows I’m on the run most of the time, and of course – that I’m obsesses with change, easy nutrition, & unique approaches with quick fixes. As a Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist, I spend just as much time researching nutrition as I do current fitness research and findings. I have found a handful of research websites that I frequent, so anytime I get new & interesting recipes from clients, family and friends I can’t help but to let everyone know about them!

One big thing my mother mentioned when I was spending some time with them recently, that really did ring true to my heart (with a pounce of common sense!):

Healthy families eat together! Even roommates, friends, or co-workers fall into this category if everyone’s on the same page. Be the one in your “mob” to organize a gathering if you’re not in a family setting. Make it healthy, and make it fun. My wife would want me to tell you to help with the dishes when it’s all done too ;).

Eating together has many benefits, especially for children and adolescents, as it can help set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating. Recent research has determined inconclusively that kids who eat with their families are more likely to:

·         Eat more fruits and vegetables

·         Eat less saturated and trans fats

·         Get more (often neglected) nutrients such as calcium and fiber

·         Accept new foods more readily

So why wouldn’t they? They’re watching their parents do it. This is how the world works in a kids eyes. I’m no stranger to this myself. With a picky eating 5 (almost 6) year old daughter who has an opinion to match her father’s, she does as most kids do and judges foods based on looks, smell, & familiarity. Sometimes texture comes into play, but only if you get them to put it in their mouth! But one thing I’ve found is that when my wife & I sit down with my daughter with TV off or TV muted, she sees what we’re eating, and even asks to try some of ours sometimes. She even has the cute little question of “does that make my muscles bigger like yours?” So we’ve even begun doing the “big no-no” and telling her what various fruits and veggies help different parts of your body, & believe it or not-she loves it! Kids are like sponges, ready to soak up everything you can teach them, so either build awesome habits for smarter, healthier kids…Or exhibit poor habits and you know the rest.

I can very much vouch for the fact that sometimes busy lifestyles can make it difficult to sit down as a family and eat together, but this is an important portion of balanced living. The key is to make it happen, and schedule in a time where food and socialization is the emphasis. There are a few different things you can try to make family mealtime more of a reality:

·         Give everyone a job

o   Such as: setting the table, assembling the salad or mixing sauces.

o   If you’ve got an enthusiastic mob, what might work is leaving a meal plan on the fridge so the first one home can get the ball rolling.

·         Prepare ahead whenever possible.

o   For example: cut up veggies on the weekend for a mid week stir-fry.

·         Find a meal time that works.

o   If dinner time is too busy, try breakfast.

o   Sundays your only option? It’s better than never.

·         Turn the TV and computer off (electronics), remove clutter from the table, and return phone calls later.

o   Let the age old art of conversation be the center stage.

o   Create dishes & set yourself up for a comfortable atmosphere to consume, and enjoy together.

How do you get the herd motivated? What's your secret to getting a new flavor accepted or tasted for the first time? What's the incentive for helping with the dishes after a mini food coma sets in? Ask yourself these questions, and come up with something that will bring your mob back to the kitchen, possibly even with their own ideas. Let it snowball from there.

These three recipes below look great quite honestly, and I’m looking to set up a date to make a few of the different batches. These are only three of the many that we will post for you over the next several days, so be patient & enjoy these for now! My mouth starts watering after just reading the ingredients!

So grab a “sous chef” (kids and spouses work great) to mix or measure, and let me pass the “motherly love” on to you.
 Sweet and Savory Puffed Brown Rice Energy Bars

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Ingredients: 

·         1 tsp Sesame oil

·         4 cups puffed brown rice

·         1 cup dry roasted peanuts

·         ½ cup toasted sesame seeds

·         ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds

·         4 sheets roasted Nori (throw them in the oven at 350 F for 3 miniutes, then crumble)

·         1 cup liquid or creamed honey

·         ¾ tsp sea salt

·         ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions: 

1.    With the oil, grease a large mixing bowl and a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

a.     Add puffed rice, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and nori.

b.    Mix well.

2.    In large saucepan: boil honey, salt, and cayenne over medium high heat until reduced to ¾ cup (about 5 minutes)

a.     Stir honey mix into puffed rice mixture and immediately scrape into prepared baking dish.

b.    Press down and smooth the top.

c.     Let cool completely/

3.    With oiled knife, cut into smaller bars.

Nutrition Information: Per Bar 

Calories	170	Carbohydrates	19 g
Protein	8 g	Fiber	2 g
Fat	6 g	Sodium	132 mg
Potassium	131 mg

 

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Protein Brownies

 Ingredients:

·         3 scoops Ultra Size Chocolate from Beverly International

·         2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

·         1 whole egg

·         8 oz water

Instructions/Directions:

1.    Combine all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth

2.    Pour into microwave safe container

3.    Microwave for 5 - 8 minutes (until you notice bubbles starting to form and the top is becoming firmer)

4.    Remove, cover, and let set at room temperature for 20 minutes

Nutrition Information:

Calories	532	Carbohydrates	19 g
Protein	62 g	Fat	24 g

 

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Low Fat "Majmum" Protein bar

Ingredients:

·         8 oz fat free cream cheese

·         4 scoops protein powder ( i use chocolate)

·         3 cups whole oats

·         ½ cup splenda

·         Dash of cinnamon ( to taste)

Instructions/Directions:

·         Combine splenda, cream cheese, protein, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high til its smooth.

·         Add the oats and mix with the mixer until you have a fairly homogeneous mixture.

·         Note if it is too thick add a ¼ cup of milk or water

·         Spray an 8x8 pan with PAM.

o   Spread the mixture in the pan.

o   Sprinkle some additional splenda on top and place in the fridge for an hour.

·         Cut them down into breakdown of 10 bars

Nutrition Information:

Calories	154	Carbohydrates	16 g
Protein	21 g	Fat	1.4 g

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That’s it for now! Hopefully we’ve provided you with enough fuel to not only find the fun in fitter foods, but also to help get your “mob” aka family and get them on board with a healthy lifestyle. If not just for you & your families health, crunch the numbers to see how much $$$ you can save by making your own treats. You will find that you not only save $100 or more each month, but also get to spend some quality time with the family while learning how to live fit together.

For more help outlining a nutrition program or even fitness program to work with your families’ budget & time, get with one of our certified personal trainers & certified nutritionists. If you missed the article posted by ACE-Fitness.Org earlier today discussing couples training and how to get the most out of your fitness & nutrition plan with your spouse on your side, you can check it out here:

http://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.aspx?utm_source=Health+eTips&utm_medium=email&utm_term=June+2011&utm_campaign=Consumer+Outreach&CMP=EMC-HET_0611&itemid=3217&category=7

Until next time!

Keep it fit,

Fitness Mastermind, LLC