Healthy Tailgates

Football season can mean lots and lots of high calorie, high fat foods. This doesn't have to be the case! Here is a list of foods to have on hand at your tailgate that won't pack on the pounds. Trust me, many people will thank you for bringing some calorie-conscious munchies!

-fresh fruits and vegetables
-hummus
-whole wheat crackers with 2% milk fat cheese slices
-chips and salsa

Here are some great dip ideas:

Pineapple Salsa
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1 cup chopped red and/or green bell pepper
1/2 cup sweet onion slivers
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or more to taste)

Chop up all ingredients, place in a covered bowl and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

COTTAGE CHEESE TACO DIP
8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (8 oz.) jar salsa
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 small head lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
Whole grain tortilla chips

Combine cream cheese, cottage cheese and taco seasoning mix in bowl; mix well. Spread on large serving dish. Chill for several hours. Layer salsa, onion, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese over mixture.

Check out "eatingwell.org" for a variety of great recipes including this one:

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip
Ingredients

1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans, preferably “spicy”
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium avocado, chopped
1/4 cup canned sliced black olives, (optional)
Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapeños in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese. Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

Fall=pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING!

The weather is cooling down in the mid west and in my mind, that means one thing: pumpkin season. From pumpkin spiced lattes to pumpkin smoothies, I love it all. Fortunately, pumpkin is actually a wonderful vegetable that is packed full of nutrients. Pumpkin is full of vitamin A which is essential for vision. It is also packed with vitamin C which helps with immunity and is a great antioxidant. It is also high in potassium, manganese, copper and riboflavin (a B vitamin). When used in the proper recipes, it is a low calorie and high fiber vegetable. Here are some ways to incorporate pumpkin into your diet:

Pumpkin smoothie
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1 cup of milk or low fat soymilk
1-2 truvia (stevia
add cinnamon to taste


A fan of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte? This is one of my favorite fall drinks but be careful, many of these lattes are full of sugar and calories. Opt for the nonfat milk and always skip the whipped cream. A tall pumpkin spice latte with 2% milk and whipped cream has 300 calories, 38g of sugar and 7g of saturated fat. A tall, nonfat, no whip pumpkin spice has 200 calories, 0g fat yet still 37g of sugar. These drinks are definitely a treat but calories and fat CAN be cut in various places.

My favorite alternative to this latte is pumpkin flavored coffee. This can be found at places such as World Market, Whole Foods and Central Market (Texas). Pumpkin flavored coffee with a bit of milk and truvia is delicious! Silk also makes a pumpkin flavored soy creamer but make sure to read the label, and measure out your portion, so the calories don't add up! If you're still a Starbucks lover, try a coffee (or other zero calorie beverage) with a "pump" or two of the pumpkin flavoring. Check out "http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks" for nutrition information.

Lastly, I am always looking for quick and delicious breakfast ideas. I ran across this one, but I haven't tried it yet. Nutritionally, it looks great and I'm sure I'll like it because it is pumpkin!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup milk, or as needed
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

Directions

Mix together oats and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once. Add more milk or oats to achieve the desired consistency, and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sugar. Heat through, and serve.

A little bit about me...

My name is Leslie Mueller and I am a Registered Dietitian. I completed my B.S. degree in nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University. During my junior and senior years at TCU, I was part of the Coordinated Program of Dietetics through which I completed my 1200+ hours of supervised practice. I recently took my RD exam in June of 2011. I am currently living in Omaha, NE where I am a student and pursuing my goal of becoming a Physician Assistant. One thing that I love about nutrition is that proper nutrition is the fuel of our body. If we don't put the proper fuel into our system, it won't work properly and more likely than not, we will end up with a preventable disease. My goal of this blog is to get information of healthy eating out to the general public. I am constantly being asked questions about nutrition or about how nutrition can help manage various diseases. If you have any specific questions, or would like to see more of something on this blog, please email me at lesliemm1117@gmail.com. Thanks!