What to Eat at the Summer Barbeque

The 4th of July is coming which means you will be eating hamburgers and hot dogs off the grill sometime soon.  Picnics and barbeques are wonderful ways to celebrate America’s birthday, but they are not the greatest for your losing weight after baby eating plan! 

Here are a few things you can do to minimize your calories and still have a good time:

1.  Bring a healthy snack to munch on like vegetable kabobs (try peppers, onions, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, brushed with olive oil).

2.  Have an open faced hamburger or wrap your burger in lettuce instead of a bun.

3.  Look for healthier options to eat like hummus and pita chips, fruit salad, or veggies and dip. 

4.  After your meal, get up and play some games with your family and friends.  Throw a frisbee around, kick a ball, jump in a pool, do something active and get away from food table (or else you’ll keep snacking while you’re talking). 

How do you keep your summer BBQ’s fun and healthy?

Salmon Rosemary Burgers

Fire up the grill and put on some salmon!  This recipe from allrecipes.com says these burgers hold up well on the grill.  Serve on a whole wheat roll or better yet, between two big pieces of romaine lettuce. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds king salmon fillet, skinned and de-boned

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Prepare the salmon by cutting into strips, cutting the strips crosswise, and chopping the fish until well minced. Be sure to remove any remaining bones.

In a large bowl, mix the minced salmon with bread crumbs, red onion, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and eggs. Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Chill at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Form the salmon mixture into 8 burger patties. Lightly coat each patty with olive oil.

Place salmon patties on the grill, and cook 4 or 5 minutes on each side.

Have Patience

I needed to run to Target and my sweet hubby offered to watch the kids.  Wahoo – a trip to Target ALONE!  I haven’t done that for a long time!  I left the house at about 7:15 pm and I was tired, so I wanted to zip to Target, grab a few needed items, and then zip back home. 

But I took a right onto the main road and didn’t zip anywhere.  There apparently was an accident because all the cars were bumper to bumper.  It was too late to back up and choose another route.  Iwas stuck.  My evening of speed shopping without the kids was starting off very s-l-o-w-l-y.  Oh well.  There was nothing I could do so I just crawled along like all the other cars and sang along with my Chris Tomlin CD. 

After just one song, the traffic opened up and we were on our way, chugging along at 50 MPH like normal.  I learned a lesson in that moment.  Sometimes, it seems like we’re waiting forever for something but in reality, it’s just one song!  It was probably 4 minutes of delay – nothing to get excited or agitated over. 

How many times do we want to race through our to-do list or race through this whole “losing weight after baby” thing?  Yet reality says, “Be patient and hang in there!  It may take you longer than you thought to meet your goals, but don’t give up.  The answer is around the corner!”   

So if you get stuck in traffic any time soon, crank up the tunes and enjoy the ride!

Boost Your Fat Burn By Doing…

I read a very simple strategy to burn more fat:  If you lift weights and do cardio in the same session, start with the weights.  In a study from the University of Tokyo, participants who did a total body strength workout 20 minutes before cycling burned 10 percent more fat than those who just cycled without weight training.  Lifting taps those hormones which help burn fat.  The reverse – doing cardio and then weights – is not as effective in burning fat.

In the past, I have done cardio first (riding a bike, walking on a treadmill, etc) and then moved on to weight machines.  From now on, I will try the opposite!  Lift first, get that heart pumping and sweat later! 

Also, women who spent 20 minutes mixing sprints with jogging lost three times the fat in 15 weeks than those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes according to a study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney.  I’ll all for that – wouldn’t you rather work out for 20 minutes than 40?  Just ramp up the intensity!

Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto Chicken Wrap

Wraps are easy, delicious, nutritious and great for the summertime!  I love this combination of flavors in this recipe from allrecipes.com.   Of course you can use whole wheat wraps too!

Ingredients:

4 Mission® Sundried Tomato Basil Wraps

4 (6 ounce) chicken breasts, boneless skinless

iodized salt to taste

coarse ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package spring mix lettuce

pesto (add to taste)

1 cup walnut halves

1 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1 Granny Smith apple, thin slices

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Broil or saute in olive oil until done, approximately 10 minutes. Slice diagonally.

Heat Mission Wraps in a hot skillet 15 seconds on each side. Keep warm.

On each wrap, place a portion of spring mix in center. Arrange chicken slices on top of lettuce. Add pesto, walnuts, cheese and apples.

Fold bottom edge and roll from left to right, to leave one end open. Serve

Thank You Erma Bombeck

“Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.” – Erma Bombeck

I’m so glad I read this quote from bestselling author Erma Bombeck about her reflections on life.  Some days of my pregnancy, when the heartburn is kicking in and the lower back starts to ache, I can’t wait til my baby inside is outside!  But I love these words which remind me that pregnancy is a sacred and special time.  It’s to be savored and enjoyed as much as possible! 

I’m sure when in my 60s and my kids are all grown, I will look back on these days with much fondness.  So, since tomorrow’s not promised to me, I might as well look at these days with fondness now! 

Don’t forget to cherish the stages with your kids…whether pregnancy or the first year or the second…each year is a wonderful gift!

Lemon Chicken Tenders

You can eat them plain.  Your kids can dip ‘em.  Lemon Chicken Tenders!  Enjoy this Monday’s Meal recipe from allrecipes.com.  These will be much healthier than chicken nuggets from the drive thru! 

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a bowl, stir together paprika, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle seasoning over chicken pieces. Dip pieces in egg, then dredge in bread crumbs. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined 15×10-inch jelly roll pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning once.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, lemon juice, and curry powder, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Drizzle lemon sauce over chicken, return to oven, and bake 5 minutes more

Don’t Forget to Laugh!

Losing weight can be discouraging, tiring, boring and just plain hard.  That’s why you have to LAUGH a lot along the way! 

In the June 2009 issue of the Costco Connection, there’s an article titled Peals That Heal: Laughter as Medicine.  We all know it feels good to laugh – it’s a great stress reducer.  When you laugh, even when you fake a laugh, you release endorphins, boost your immune system, and relax muscles throughout your body.  It’s like jogging on the inside.

The Costco article talks about Laughter Clubs.  What would you do in a Laughter Club?  You might greet each person in the club with a giant belly laugh.  At first, it would seem unnatural but give it a few seconds, and you’d be laughing for real.  So maybe you can form your own Laughter Club at home and laugh at your spouse when he enters the room (although you might want to tell him about the Laughter Club first!). 

When your kids laugh about silly things, chime in.  Laughter is good medicine and it’s good for losing weight after baby.

How to Look Great in a Bathing Suit

It’s summer which means it’s time to pull out that bathing suit.  This thought can strike terror into our hearts!  Why didn’t we get to the gym sooner?

Pictured is my 2 year old daughter who looks fabulous in her bathing suit.  Me?  Not so much with my growing thighs and pregnancy belly, but that’s what sarong wraps are for! 

So my daughter is happy, enjoying the beach, and believe me, she is not one bit self conscious about her body.  Take a lesson from your child and just have fun when you’re at the pool or beach.  Don’t think that everyone is staring at you because they are probably too self conscious about their own bodies to stare at yours. 

You can look great in a bathing suit by choosing one that flatters your figure best, and then don’t worry about it.  Smile and have fun!  If you’re not happy with how you look in your suit, use that as extra motivation to squeeze in an extra workout or skip dessert today. 

For more bathing suit tips, check out my article, Surviving Swimsuits.

Zesty Tuna Salad

Okay, I have to admit.  I don’t like today’s Monday meal recipe because I don’t like tuna.  But…I know lots of people do including my dear husband, so here’s a recipe to add a little zip to a tuna sandwich that you can pack on a summer picnic from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained

1 teaspoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Mash tuna in a small bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard, celery, onion, and black pepper; stir to combine. Chill and serve.