Eating Healthy On Vacation

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense

of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may

strive for healthy eating, it's easy to drift off

and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There

are however, ways to watch what you eat on

vacation.

It's easier than ever these days to request a low

fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If

you choose to instead drive to your destination,

the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more

complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for

nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler

full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers,

yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with

you on the road.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do

yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down - as

this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel

offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits,

cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove

or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy

food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you

are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large

portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit over

on a meal, simply cut back on the next.

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals

a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks,

as your body needs fuel every four hours or so.

When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you

do, do not miss any meals.

When it's possible, you should avoid eating large

meals at night. When your body gets ready for

sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a

much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and

make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or

poultry for your meal instead, and include

vegetables as a side dish.

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on

vacation isn't really that difficult. All you have

to do is use a little will power, and pass up

foods that you know aren't good for you. This

way, you'll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy

lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember

that eating healthy is a way of life. You can

afford to get something you crave, although you

shouldn't make a habit of it. One ice cream

cone or a pizza isn't going to matter - as long as

you know when to stop.

Eating Healthy When Eating Out

If you go out to a restaurant to eat, you probably

watch your calories very closely. To assist you

with your calorie watching when dining out, these

tips will help you make the most of it.

- Always order salad dressings or sauces on the side,

as this way you have control over how much you add

to your meal.

- When you order grilled fish or vegetables, you

should ask that the food be grilled without butter

or oil, or prepared with very little or either or.

- Anytime you order pasta dishes, be on the lookout

for tomato based sauces instead of the cream based

sauces. Tomato based sauces are much lower in fat

and calories, and tomato sauce can even be counted

as a vegetable!

- You should always try to drink water, diet soda,

or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain

alcohol.

- If you order dessert, share with a friend. Half

of the dessert will equal half of the calories.

- When you choose a soup, remember that cream

based soups are higher in fat and calories than

other soups. A soup can be a great appetizer, as

most are low in calories and you fill you up pretty

fast.

- When ordering a baked potato, ask for salsa instead

of sour cream, butter, cheese, or even bacon. Salsa

is very low in calories and provides a healthy

alternative with plenty of flavor and spice.

- When you are full, stop eating. Listen to your

body and what it tells you.

- If you get full, take half of your meal home.

The second portion of your meal can serve as a second

meal later. This way, you get two meals for the

price of one.

- If you're looking to eat less, order two appetizers

or an appetizer and a salad as your meal.

- If you get a choice of side dishes, get a baked

potato or steamed vegetables instead of french

fries.

- Always look for food on the menu that's baked,

grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed. These types

of cooking use less fat in the cooking process and

are usually much lower in calories.

- Plain bread or rolls are low in both fat and

calories. When you add the butter and oil, you

increase the fat and calorie intake.

- As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes

with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and

vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as

well as many vitamins and minerals.

- Choose foods made with whole grains, such as

whole wheat bread and dishes made with brown rice.

- If you crave dessert, look for something with

low fat, such as berries or fruit.

- Always remember not to deprive yourself of the

foods you truly love. All types of foods can fit

into a well balanced diet.

Facts About Nutrition Labels

The nutrition label located on each and every food item,

will tell you all the information about that food. For

some however, this information isn't exactly that reader

friendly. Fear not, as it's actually easier than you

think.

Serving Size

This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar

food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making

it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category.

% Daily Value

This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie

diet. This will help you to understand if the food

has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients.

The middle section

The nutrients you'll find listed in the middle section

are the ones that are most important to your health.

This information can help you to calculate your daily

limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients.

Vitamins & minerals

The percent daily value found here is the exact same

as the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins

and minerals.

Now that you know what the nutrition label actually

means, it'll be a lot easy to eat healthy. Eating

healthy is a great thing - especially when you use the

nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.

Fight Stress With Healthy Eating

Whenever we get too busy or stressed, we all tend

to make poor food choices that will actually

increase stress and cause other problems. To get

the most of your healthy eating and avoid stress,

follow these simple tips.

Always eat breakfast

Even though you may think you aren't hungry,

you need to eat something. Skipping breakfast

makes it harder to maintain the proper blood and

sugar levels during the day, so you should always

eat something.

Carry a snack

Keeping some protein rich snacks in your car,

office, or pocket book will help you avoid blood

sugar level dips, the accompanying mood swings, and

the fatigue. Trail mix, granola bars, and energy

bars all have the nutrients you need.

Healthy munchies

If you like to munch when you're stressed out,

you can replace chips or other non healthy foods

with carrot sticks, celery sticks, or even

sunflower seeds.

Bring your lunch

Although a lot of people prefer to eat fast food

for lunch, you can save a lot of money and actually

eat healthier if you take a few minutes and pack

a lunch at home. Even if you only do this a few

times a week, you'll see a much better improvement

over eating out.

Stock your home

As important as it is to get the bad food out of

your house, it's even more important to get the good

food in! The best way to do this is to plan a menu

of healthy meals at snacks at the beginning of the

week, list the ingedients you need, then go shop

for it. This way, you'll know what you want when

you need it and you won't have to stress over what

FRUIT COCKTAILS.

Cocktails made of a combination of fruits are often served as the first course of a meal, usually a luncheon or a dinner, to precede the soup course. In warm weather, they are an excellent substitute for heavy cocktails made of lobster or crab, and they may even be used to replace the soup course. The fruits used for this purpose should be the more acid ones, for the acids and flavors are intended to serve as an appetizer, or the same purpose for which the hot and highly seasoned soups are taken. Fruit cocktails should always be served ice cold.

Grapefruit cocktail.

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The cocktail here explained may be served in stemmed glasses or in the shells of the grapefruit. If the fruit shells are to be used, the grapefruit should be cut into two parts, half way between the blossom and the stem ends, the fruit removed, and the edges of the shell then notched. This plan of serving a cocktail should be adopted only when small grapefruits are used, for if the shells are large more fruit will have to be used than is agreeable for a cocktail.

2 grapefruits 2 oranges 1 c. diced pineapple, fresh or canned Powdered sugar

Remove the pulp from the grapefruits and oranges. However, if the grapefruit shells are to be used for serving the cocktail, the grapefruit should be cut in half and the pulp then taken out of the skin with a sharp knife. With the sections of pulp removed, cut each one into several pieces. Add the diced pineapple to the other fruits, mix together well and set on ice until thoroughly chilled. Put in cocktail glasses or grapefruit shells, pour a spoonful or two of orange juice over each serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, garnish with a cherry, and serve ice cold.

Summer cocktail.

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As strawberries and pineapples can be obtained fresh at the same time during the summer, they are often used together in a cocktail. When sweetened slightly with powdered sugar and allowed to become ice cold, these fruits make a delicious combination.

2 c. diced fresh pineapple 2 c. sliced strawberries Powdered sugar

Prepare a fresh pineapple, and cut each slice into small pieces or dice. Wash and hull the strawberries and slice them into small slices. Mix the two fruits and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Place in cocktail glasses and allow to stand on ice a short time before serving.

Fruit cocktail.

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A fruit cocktail proper is made by combining a number of different kinds of fruit, such as bananas, pineapple, oranges, and maraschino cherries. Such a cocktail is served in a stemmed glass set on a small plate. Nothing more delicious than this can be prepared for the first course of a dinner or a luncheon that is to be served daintily. Its advantage is that it can be made at almost any season of the year with these particular fruits.

2 bananas 1 c. canned pineapple 2 oranges 1 doz. maraschino cherries Lemon juice Powdered sugar

Peel the bananas and dice them. Dice the pineapple. Remove the pulp from the oranges in the manner, and cut each section into several pieces. Mix these three fruits. Cut the cherries in half and add to the mixture. Set on ice until thoroughly chilled. To serve, put into cocktail glasses and add to each glass 1 tablespoonful of maraschino juice from the cherries and 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Healthy Fat Intake

This information is aimed at helping you to

reduce your fat intake. The average individual

eats too much fat, a factor that's linked to

a variety of health problems, including cancer.

Diets that are high in fat are associated with

breast and colon cancer, with some studies

linking high fat to prostate cancer as well.

A majority of people can bring their fat intakes

down to a healthy range by making a few adjustments

in the way they shop, cook, and prepare the foods

they eat.

Now days, it's getting easier and easier to control

the amount of fat you consume. The fat content of

foods are now available through the nutrition label

and through brochures distributed by food companies

and even fast food restaurants.

You can use this information on nutrition to choose

lower fat foods by comparing products and food

brands. Once you have a rough idea of what a healthy

intake of fat is, you'll know what you can and what

you can't have.

From day to day, the amount of fat you eat will

vary. Some meals and some days will be higher in

fat than others. Even high fat meals can be kept

in line with healthy eating as long as you balance

those days accordingly. The average fat intake over

the course of weeks and months is important, not the

fat intake of every meal and food you consume.

Younger adults and high active adults who have

higher calorie needs can probably eat a little more

fat. Older adults and those that aren't very active

should aim for a lower fat intake. This way, you

can control your fat intake and avoid the many

problems that fat is associated with.

HYGIENE OF DIGESTION.

With the stomach and other digestive organs in a state of perfect health, one is entirely unconscious of their existence, save when of feeling of hunger calls attention to the fact that food is required, or satiety warns us that a sufficient amount or too much has been eaten. Perfect digestion can only be maintained by careful observance of the rules of health in regard to habits of eating.

On the subject of Hygiene of Digestion, we quote a few paragraphs from Dr. Kellogg's work on Physiology, in which is given a concise summary of the more important points relating to this:

"The hygiene of digestion has to do with the quality and quantity of food eaten, in the manner of eating it.

If the food is eaten too rapidly, it will not be properly divided, and when swallowed in coarse lumps, the digestive fluids cannot readily act upon it. On account of the insufficient mastication, the saliva will be deficient in quantity, and, as a consequence, the starch will not be well digested, and the stomach will not secrete a sufficient amount of gastric juice. It is not well to eat only soft or liquid food, as we are likely to swallow it without proper chewing. A considerable proportion of hard food, which requires thorough mastication, should be eaten at every meal.

Drinking Freely at Meals is harmful, as it not only encourages hasty eating, but dilutes the gastric juice, and thus lessens its activity. The food should be chewed until sufficiently moistened by saliva to allow it to be swallowed. When large quantities of fluid are taken into the stomach, digestion does not begin until a considerable portion of the fluid has been absorbed. If cold foods or drinks are taken with the meal, such as ice-cream, ice-water, iced milk or tea, the stomach is chilled, and a long delay in the digestive process is occasioned.

The Indians of Brazil carefully abstain from drinking when eating, and the same custom prevails among many other savage tribes.

Eating between Meals.

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The habit of eating apples, nuts, fruits, confectionery, etc., between meals is exceedingly harmful, and certain to produce loss of appetite and indigestion. The stomach as well as the muscles and other organs of the body requires rest. The frequency with which meals should be taken depends somewhat upon the age and occupation of an individual. Infants take their food at short intervals, and owing to its simple character, are able to digest it very quickly. Adults should not take food oftener than three times a day; and persons whose employment is sedentary say, in many cases at least, adopt with advantage the plan of the ancient Greeks, who ate but twice a day.

Simplicity in Diet.

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Taking too many kinds of food at a meal is a common fault which is often a cause of disease of the digestive-organs. Those nations are the most hardy and enduring whose dietary is most simple. The Scotch peasantry live chiefly upon oatmeal, the Irish upon potatoes, milk, and oatmeal, the Italian upon peas, beans, macaroni, and chestnuts; yet all these are noted for remarkable health and endurance. The natives of the Canary Islands, an exceedingly well-developed and vigorous race, subsist almost chiefly upon a food which they call gofio, consisting of parched grain, coarsely ground in a mortar and mixed with water.

Eating when Tired.

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It is not well to eat when exhausted by violent exercise, as the system is not prepared to do the work of digestion well. Sleeping immediately after eating is also a harmful practice. The process of digestion cannot well be performed during sleep, and sleep is disturbed by the ineffective efforts of the digestive organs. Hence the well-known evil effects of late suppers.

Eating too Much.

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Hasty eating is the greatest cause of over-eating. When one eats too rapidly, the food is crowded into the stomach so fast that nature has no time to cry, 'Enough,' by taking away the appetite before too much has been eaten. When an excess of food is taken, it is likely to ferment or sour before it can be digested. One who eats too much usually feels dull after eating."

Healthy Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is something we all have to do, even

though choosing the right foods can be very hard

indeed. To assist you with your healthy grocery

shopping, the tips below can indeed help make things

easier than ever before:

1. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

2. Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in

water, not oil or syrup.

3. Look at the labels for the words "hydrogenated"

or "partially hydrogenated". The earlier you see

them appear on the list, the higher the amount of

unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4. Don't buy turkey with the skin on it, and if

you plan to buy chicken - buy a chicken breast

meal.

5. When you select frozen dinners, select those

that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium

and cholesterol as well.

6. If you aren't consuming enough dairy products,

go with calcium fortified orange juice instead.

7. Go for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls.

8. Give cantaloupe a try. With just 95 calories,

half of the melon will provide more than a day's

supply of Vitamin C and beta carotene.

9. Don't be tricked into buying yogurt covered

by nuts or raisins, as the coating is normally

made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

10. Get some of the low fat treats, such as

pretzels, ginger snaps, and angel food cake.

By following the above tips when grocery shopping,

you'll avoid the bad foods and get those that you

need. There are many different healthy foods at

the grocery store, all it takes is the will power

to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

Healthy Food Choices

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do,

although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you

must first make the right food choices. Eating healthy

is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very

crucial to your results.

Grains

You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this,

you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,

crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in

a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables

These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of

them each day. You should start eating more of the dark

vegetables, such as broccili and spinach. Carrots and

sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat

more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney

beans.

Fruits

Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups

of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as

fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can

drink fruit juices as well, although you should use

moderation when doing so.

Milk

Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups

is the ideal goal. For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you

want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you

should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who

don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose

free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified

foods and beverages.

Meat and beans

Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go

lean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it,

grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from

adding to the equation. You should vary your protein

as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats

such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These

foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can

also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you

should try to add these foods and any foods that happen

to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low,

you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can

be found on the food package and will tell you all the

information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,

you'll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as

well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating

lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy

will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and

years - even help you and your health in the long run

Kids Eating Healthy

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days,

making it very hard to teach a child how he or she

should eat healthy. The cheapest and easiest foods

are those that are normally the least healthy. If

you give your child the choice between healthy food

and junk food, you normally won't like the results.

Even though it isn't possible to get a child to like

all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your

child to try and hopefully like at least a few of

them. You can be as creative as you like, as getting

kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than

you may think.

- Sneak the healthy food in. Even though it would

be great if your kid understood the importance of

fruits and vegetables, this isn't always possible.

If you can't get them to eat good food willingly,

there are ways to sneak them in, such as making

muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with

spinach on it.

- Call fruits and vegetables by funny names. You

can refer to broccoli as "trees", making them

more fun to eat. There are many different names

you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up

your own if you prefer. Most kids prefer to eat

foods that sound fun.

- Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is

great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great

topping for celery. There are several combinations

for vegetables that can make them taste much

better. You can let your child pick a topping

for a vegetable, even if it's something you wouldn't

normally like yourself.

- Dress the vegetables up. Just as much as calling

them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them

look funny also helps. You can do this by making

funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to

look like people. Although some parents don't like

their kids playing with their food, sometimes it

helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat

healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to

be fun as well. This isn't always an easy task,

because kids normally don't like foods that are

good for them. It can however, be done with a bit

of creativity. Hopefully, doing this will help

your child develop a love of healthy foods for the

MACARONI RECIPES.

Home-made macaroni.

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To four cupfuls of flour, add one egg well beaten, and enough water to make a dough that can be rolled. Roll thin on a breadboard and cut into strips. Dry in the sun. The best arrangement for this purpose is a wooden frame to which a square of cheese-cloth has been tightly tacked, upon which the macaroni may be laid in such a way as not to touch, and afterwards covered with a cheese-cloth to keep off the dust during the drying.

Boiled macaroni.

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Put a larg cup of macaroni into boiling water and cook until tender. When done, drained thoroughly, then add a pint of milk, part cream if it can be afforded, a little salt and one well-beaten egg; stir over the fire until it thickens, and serve hot.

Macaroni with cream sauce.

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Cook the macaroni as directed in the proceeding, and serve with a cream sauce prepared by heating a scant pint of rich milk to boiling, in a double boiler. When boiling, add a heaping tablespoonful of flour, rubbed smoothed in a little milk and one fourth teaspoonful of salt. If desired, the sauce may be flavored by steeping in the milk before thickening for ten or fifteen minutes, a slice of onion or a few bits of celery, and then removing with a fork.

Macaroni with tomato sauce.

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Drop a cup of macaroni into boiling milk and water, equal parts. Let it boil for an hour, or until perfectly tender. In the meantime prepare the sauce by rubbing a pint of stewed or canned tomatoes through a colander to remove all seeds and fragments. Heat to boiling, thicken with a little flour; a tablespoonful to the pint will be about the requisite proportion. Add salt and if desired, a half cup of very thin sweet cream. Dish the macaroni into individual dishes, and serve with a small quantity of the sauce poured over each dish.

Macaroni baked with granola.

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Cook a large cup of macaroni until tender in boiling milk and water. When done, drain and put a layer of the macaroni in the bottom of a pudding dish, and sprinkle over it a scant teaspoonful of granola. Add a second and third layer and sprinkle each with granola; then turn over the whole a custard sauce prepared by mixing together a pint of milk, the well beaten yolks of two eggs or one whole egg, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of salt. Care should be taken to arrange the macaroni in layers loosely, so that the sauce will readily permeate the whole. Bake for a few minutes only, until the custard has well set, and serve.

Eggs and macaroni.

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Cook a cup of macaroni in boiling water. While the macaroni is cooking, boil the yolks of four eggs until mealy. The whole egg may be used if caught so the yolks are mealy in the whites simply jellied, not hardened. When the macaroni is done, drain and put a layer of it arranged loosely in the bottom of a pudding dish. Slice the cooked egg yolks and spread a layer of them over the macaroni. Fill the dish with alternate layers of macaroni and egg, taking care to have the top layer of macaroni. Pour over the whole a cream sauce prepared as follows: Heat one and three fourths cup of rich milk to boiling, add one fourth teaspoonful of salt and one heaping spoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Cook until thickened, then turn over the macaroni. Sprinkle the top with grated bread crumbs, and brown in a hot oven for eight or ten minutes. Serve hot.