Tips getting fit: one bite, one choice at a time

While there may be a fantasy afloat that a person who is overweight (obese?) can lose a bunch of weight quickly, reality proves that it is the steady and slow (painfully slow?) weight loss that can be maintained.

In fact, modifying how you eat is simple: it’s one choice at a time and one bite at a time.

No one became overweight overnight.

No one gets slim instantly, either.

So, what about those choices? For most of us with goals of being healthy, fit, a proper weight, strong and flexible (although we do not attempt to leap tall buildings in a single bound) it is a daily struggle until routine and discipline kick in. Then, we eat more or less on autopilot.

The result is fewer binges, fewer meals that are unbalanced, less “cheating” and voilà! Success builds more success.

So, this week’s recipes are about healthy, nutritious menu choices… choices of moderation to assist you in developing an intuitive sense of what to eat, how much and how to cause your body to submit to your mind. It is quite scriptural, you know… the body being the temple of the spirit and all. So, battling food temptations is something God knew could happen. The tough news is most of us never thought it could or would happen to us.

A delicious case in point is to PLAN for snacks ever so intelligently as for meals. There are two primary reasons: first, if you plan for snacks you won’t feel deprived, and secondly, if you plan what it is you are much less likely to do a “hit and run” of anything that is handy… regardless of its less-than-good-for-you status.

For me, a good snack is a healthy cookie or a sliced of what I call “enhanced” banana bread.

The cookie here is a chewy cinnamon oat cookie recipe developed by Nancy Hughes on behalf of canola oil manufacturers (www.canolainfo.org). The recipe makes a good batch so there is plenty to have in the freezer to be doled out according to your own dietary boundaries. You may liberally substitute dried fruits in the cookie dough: golden raisins and dried cherries are in the original recipe. Regular raisins, dates, cranberries… all would work as alternatives.

Chewy Cinnamon Oat Cookies

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ¼ cups regular rolled oats

1/3 cup flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

2/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and canola oil. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until well blended, about 30 seconds. (The mixture will have a grainy texture at this stage.) Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and beat until blended. Add golden raisins, cherries and coconut and beat until blended.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a teaspoon measure, spoon dough onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 5 minutes or until puffy and slightly golden on the edges. Do not bake longer; they will not look done when removed from the oven.

Place cookie sheet on a wire rack and let stand 3 minutes. Carefully remove paper and cookies from the cookie sheet and set aside to cool completely on parchment paper. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store completely cooked cookies in an airtight containers at room temperature (or freeze). Makes about 52 cookies.

Whenever I have questions about baking I go first to Betty… that is Betty as in Betty Crocker. My personal and professional ties to General Mills go back to my high school days. And, through the years I’ve always found Betty Crocker recipes, books and instructions at the optimum level. In my opinion: few equal and none best the quality of Betty Crocker.

So, when I wanted to make Banana Bread I visited http://www.bettycrocker.com and was given quite a choice. From those choices, I made a blueberry banana bread, noting the raspberry variation. Then, I added a bit of wheat germ for extra nutrition and a bit of almond flavoring. This has become my favorite good-for-me snack. I double the recipe so I have one to give away or stash in the freezer.

Betty Crocker’s Fruity Banana Bread (adapted)

4 cups original Bisquick mix

1 cup quick-cooking oats

½ cup wheat germ

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium)

½ cup milk

4 eggs

½ tsp. almond flavoring

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of two loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 3 inches.

Stir Bisquick, oats, sugar, bananas, eggs and almond flavoring in a large bowl until moistened. Beat vigorously 30-45 seconds. Gently stir in blueberries and raspberries.

Divide between two prepared loaf pans.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen loaf from sides of pan; remove from pan and place top side up on a wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days. (Or freeze, sliced or unsliced.)

Choices! Getting fit is so much about choices. And few choices are easier, and more filling, than a good soup. With the right flavors, a good soup satisfies as nothing else and leaves no room for that dieting thief: hunger.

My sister Carol passed along this recipe she says was a surefire hit at a recent gathering at her home. It also makes 12 servings… portion it out and freeze what wouldn’t be eaten in a few days.

Carol’s Delicious Taco Soup

1 lb. ground turkey (or lean ground beef)

2 cans (14-oz. each) chicken broth

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can green beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can (28 oz.) stewed tomatoes

1 can Rotel “milder” diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 can (28-oz.) baked beans

1 packet mild taco mix

1 package original ranch dressing

Sauté ground turkey or beef. Drain off excess fat. Add ingredients, one at a time, stirring. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes. 12 servings.

It won’t be too long until fresh peaches come into season. For a reasonable facsimile to peach pie, try this country peach tart created by the folks from Equal. It can also be prepared from frozen thawed peaches often on sale just before the fresh fruit comes into season. A little bit of fresh grated orange rind adds a special flavor note.

The single crust and “fake” sugar keeps this a dessert choice within the realm of reality for the weight-conscious diner. There are lots of recipes printed inside the boxes as well as many more available on the Web site, http://www.equal.com.

County Peach Tart

Pastry for a single crust 9-inch pie

4 cups sliced pitted peeled fresh peaches or frozen peaches, thawed

12 packets Equal sweetener or ½ cup Equal Spoonful

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. almond flavoring

1 tsp. fresh grated orange rind

Roll pastry on floured surface to 12-inch circle; transfer to ungreased baking sheet.

Combine peaches, Equal, flour, cinnamon, almond extract and orange rind; toss gently until peaches are evenly coated with the mixture.

Arrange peach mixture on pastry, leaving 2-inch border around edge of pastry. Bring pastry edge toward center, overlapping as necessary.

Bake in a 425-degree oven 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and peaches are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.