Looking for the best body measurement tools for weight loss? Ideally, you would use a scale and some sort of tape measure. A tape measure is helpful for when the scale is not budging but it should be. Measuring waist and hips will show progress when the scale does not. A scale is helpful as a body measurement tool for weight loss because research shows that those who step on a scale on a daily basis have their goal in their mind for the rest of day. Out of sight out of mind? When it comes to body weight, yes!

Here are a few recommendations for the best body measurement tools for weight loss:

I found The Magical Loaf Studio by Jennifer McCann of The Vegan Lunchbox Blog fame. She  created this nifty online form where you can pick the beans, grains, vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices and flavorings and create a recipe for a veggie loaf! I picked some ingredients I had on hand and the form gave me this recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
2 TB water or broth for steam-frying
One onion, diced
One large garlic clove, minced
One large carrot, peeled and grated
Two celery ribs, diced
One cup mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
One jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup cooked millet
1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable broth, as needed
1 heaping TB flaxseed meal
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
2 TB ketchup
2 tsp. Spike or other low sodium seasoning blend

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a loaf pan or 8×8 square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside (an 8×8 pan makes a crisper loaf).

Grind the pumpkin seeds into a coarse meal using a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Sauté any vegetables you’ve chosen in the water or broth for steam-frying until soft.

Add to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much liquid as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny (you may not need to add any liquid if the grains and protein are very moist). Add more binder/carbohydrate as needed if the loaf seems too wet.

Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or platter and slice. Serve with potatoes, vegetables, and vegetarian gravy, if desired.

Cold leftover slices  make a great sandwich filling.

My substitutions/changes

• I subbed the mushrooms with cup of chopped kale. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more vegetable options in the form. The kale in here turned out great.
• I didn’t have cooked millet so I used other starchy foods:  1/2 cup mashed chestnuts and 1/2 cup mashed acorn squash



• I added a beaten egg to help with the binding since I had those in the fridge.
• I didn’t mix in the ketchup. Instead I spread it across the top (this was how my mother would do her meatloaf).
  Here it is before spreading the ketchup and baking.

The result was delicious. There was a good amount of sage in my Italian seasoning so the loaf has a “thanksgiving” flavor to it. It firmed up nice after chilling in the fridge so leftovers are great in sandwiches.

Makes 8 servings (or 4 really hearty servings)

Calories: 140

Fat: 2 g

Saturated fat: 0.5 g

Cholesterol: 23 mg

Sodium: 89 mg

Carbohydrate: 23 g

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 8 g

Nutritional powerhouse for a host of nutrients packed into only 140 calories (Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Magnesium, Selenium, Isothiocyanates, Carotenoids, etc).

I had my third wonderful meal at Dynamic Dish in Edgewood.  The vegetable-inspired cuisine of this restaurant makes the perfect connection between good nutrition and good eating. David, the owner, told me after my delicious organic pizza, that good nutrition is the reason he got into the restaurant business. You mean it is possible for a restaurateur/chef to be as concerned with nutrition as with the taste of his entrees? In an unhealthy modern era where the addition of addictive fat, salt, sugar and other highly-processed ingredients are the top priority of most restaurant industry executives, Dynamic Dish is a trail blazer.

Saturday is pizza night at the Dynamic Dish. The crust is whole grain, thin and crisp. The toppings delicious little vegetable morsels with a just harvested flavor. The roasted sweet potato soup was spicy and sweet with fresh ginger (not to mention loaded with cancer-fighting carotenoids). Superfood dandelion greens were dressed with vinaigrette and highly nutritious sunflower seeds and apples. Flavors, textures and nutrition should be the new “bliss point” that restaurant executives aim to achieve rather than the unholy triangle of fat, sugar, and salt which currently permeates most restaurant menus.

Chinese broccoli will rock your broccoli-loving world! I have never made Chinese broccoli or Kai-Lan. I have had it in Chinese restaurants covered in salt and oil. I never knew it was so delicious! This vegetable is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Broaden your broccoli-tastes. Try this recipe:
Chinese Broccoli (healthier than the Chinese restaurant)
1/2 pound Chinese broccoli, chopped (include all the stems and leaves)
1/2 tbl ground sun-dried tomatoes (can be ground in coffee mill or blender)
1/2 tbl ground toasted sesame seeds
seasoned rice vinegar (to taste – but go easy this has added sugar and salt)
1 small garlic clove, minced

More sesame seeds or a smidge of toasted sesame oil (optional)

Steam Chinese broccoli in steamer basket for 10 minutes. The stems should be tender crisp. Transfer to serving bowl. Mix ground sun-dried tomatoes with ground sesame seeds. Sprinkle on greens. Toss greens with with minced garlic. Sprinkle on some rice vinegar and more sesame seeds.

I  enjoy grocery shopping. I especially enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s. There are so many different products to choose from for the gourmet-minded and health-conscious consumer. With all those options, however, making a decision can be difficult.

Focusing on the Health Quotient

I can’t sample all these options, I end up relying on my nutrition knowledge to make a decision between the options. I have already made a decision before entering the store to place a priority on the nutrient density or health quotient of the meal. Then, after I make a decision, I hope it tastes good!

Pursuit of a nutritious, delicious, and convenient dressing

I am always on the lookout for good salad dressings given how many raw vegetables/salads I should consume. I prefer to make them myself with seeds, nuts, vinegars, fruits, etc. But I don’t want to use my laziness to justify not eating raw vegetables because I don’t have a dressing ready-made. Hence my pursuit of a nutritious, delicious, convenient dressing.

Dressings in the refrigerated section

I found a few good options for dressings in the refrigerated section. I could narrow my selection down to the refrigerated section since I knew that the products are likely to taste fresher and have better quality ingredients than bottled shelf dressings.

I narrowed it down to two options: Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing and Trader Joe’s Champagne Pear Vinaigrette with Gorgonzola.
Cilantro Dressing:
Calories: 45 per 2 Tbl
Fat: 3.5 g
Sat Fat: 0.5g
Sodium: 120 mg
Sugars: 1 g
Protein: 1 g
Pear Vinaigrette
Calories: 45 per 2 Tbl
Fat: 2.5 g
Sat fat: 0.5 g
Sodium 200 mg
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 1 g

1. Criteria #1: Low Calories My first criteria was that it be low in calories. Ideally, under 50 calories for 2 tablespoons. Typically a full-fat dressing will have at least 200 calories per 2 tablespoons. Unfortunately, many people end up eating at least 4 tablespoons (400 calories) over a few cups of greens (15 calories). This means most of that meal’s calories/nutrition is coming from the dressing or oil. Not good for nutrient stores or a slim waistline.
2. Criteria #2: If calories are equal, go with the higher fat. While both of these dressings would be great options given their low calorie content, my budget would only allow for one option. Since both contain the same calories, saturated fat, and protein, I looked at the difference in total fat, sodium, and sugar. I would prefer to have more fat than carbohydrate in a dressing since fat is needed to absorb many of the carotenoids and other fat-soluble nutrients found in salad greens and vegetables.
3. Criteria #3: Choose the lower sodium content. It is always a good idea to choose a lower sodium product (and given taste is not sacrificed that much). So I went with the Cilantro Dressing. I also thought I could use this dressing in more recipes than just salads making it more versatile.
4. Criteria #4: Make sure the fat comes from a healthy source. If there were a difference in the source of fat in these two dressings, I would have gone with the healthier fat. The Cilantro dressing uses canola oil as it’s predominant oil. This is a healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oil. If the saturated fat were higher in the pear vinaigrette with gorgonzola I could safely assume that more of the fat content in the dressing came from the gorgonzola since cheese has a high saturated fat content. This would be another reason to choose another dressing. It’s ok if the fat is higher as long as it comes from a healthy source like canola oil or olive oil (rather than dairy fat, animal fat, cottonseed oil, or hydrogenated oils).

I am pleased with my purchase. The Cilantro Dressing is delicious. But, next time I am at Trader Joe’s I will definitely try the Pear Vinaigrette!

Try these great bars as a snack.

I am frequently asked to recommend some products for snacking. While on the whole I am mostly discouraged by what the food industry makes for “snack food,” there are a few products that come up that get my seal of approval.

1. Mary’s Gone Crackers. These come in 5 flavors Original, Caraway, Herb, Black Pepper, and Onion. I like them nutritionally because they are high in fiber, gluten free and contain high nutrient seeds flax and sesame as a source of fat rather than processed oil found in most crackers. And they taste good!

2. Larabar. These are very simple raw fruit and nut bars in different flavors. That is a big reason they are so great. They have no sugars other than what is naturally occurring in the fruit and the nuts are raw which means the naturally occurring fats have not been altered in an unhealthful way (which can occur when nuts are roasted at high temperatures). Because they are made with dried fruits rather than sugar for sweeteners, their antioxidant capacity is much higher than for energy bars with syrups and sugars for sweetener so their nutrient profile is very high. Of course, I also recommend them because they are delicious and come in MANY flavors like chocolate coconut, key lime pie, lemon bar, and cinnamon roll.

3. Aunt Trudy’s Fillo Pocket Sandwich. While these are still too high in fat, I think they are a better choice for occasional convenience than other brands of pocket sandwiches which are much higher in sodium. The best choices to pick are the 3 Bean Veggie Chili and Zucchini and Tomato. These are both non dairy which means the fat and sodium is lower than those that include cheese. Also, I like these because I think they put a good amount of filling unlike other brands that tend to give you mostly a crust and very little filling. They use a special technology packaging that lets you microwave the pockets yet still have get a crisp flaky crust that usually is found in fillo baked in an oven.

While I still recommend fresh fruits and veggies and healthy leftovers as the best snack foods, it is helpful to know there are a few other choices.