In our final (I think) post about adding flavor to a bland diet I’d like to share a few ideas for drinks and desserts. I was never a hardcore soda drinker but I admit sometimes an ice cold Pepsi on a hot day sounds awfully tasty. The recommended daily allotment for sugar is about ten teaspoons. The average soda has 10 to 15 teaspoons of sugar! And the calories aren’t any better. A soda a day for 365 days equals about 25 pounds right on your back-side! Studies have shown that sugary drinks, even diet soda, trigger you to eat more than you would have had you not had that drink so it’s a double whammy. Don’t drink your calories folks. It’s not filling and you’ll just end up eating twice as much.

We know we should be drinking at least eight cups of water a day but water can get boring and feel like a lead weight in your stomach. So what are our options? I drink a lot of tea (white and green are especially good for you) and occasionally a cup of decaf coffee but there are more creative alternatives.

1. Add crushed fresh mint leaves, orange slices, lemon wedges, lime or cucumber slices to cold water for a refreshing summer drink.

2. Blend a teaspoon of extract (vanilla, orange, lemon, almond, etc), 1 cup of ice and 1 packet of Splenda in the blender for a no calorie sweet drink or add 1/2 cup of soy milk to make it creamier for only 62 calories. Substitute 1/2 a cup of orange juice (50 calories) for a fruitier drink.

3. Spice up hot tea by adding lemon or orange slices. Or for an herbal tea put a quarter teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices (or your own mix of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) in a tea ball or cloth filter.

4. Cold tea can benefit from a small splash of berry juice and a few frozen berries.

5. Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to 1 cup soy milk and a packet of Splenda for 75 calories. Want a more exotic hot chocolate drink? Add a quarter teaspoon of mint extract, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne pepper powder.

Now onto desserts! Most nights we have fat free pudding cups or low fat frozen yogurt (half a cup is about 100-150 calories) but that gets old fast.

Ice Cream
Cinnamon and a few chopped pecans over vanilla frozen yogurt helps to satisfy my Starbucks frappacino cravings. Fruit compote makes plain yogurt or frozen yogurt a summer treat. Mix a quarter teaspoon of orange extract and 1/4 a cup of shredded coconut into frozen yogurt for a tropical dessert.

Pie
When I gotta have pie, half a cup of frozen berries (cherries = 45 calories) warmed up in the microwave poured over a cup of crushed cereal (1 cup of rice Chex = 100 calories) and a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt (50 calories) hits the spot. Want apple pie? Steam a chopped apple with a half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices and top with 4 tbsp of light whipped cream for just 120 calories. Add a quarter cup of granola for some crunch at an extra 100 calories. Need your pumpkin pie fix? Steam a sweet potato (cubed pieces), add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices and top with two tbsp of light whipped cream for 195 calories.

Cake
Cake is more difficult because most gluten free cakes and cookies have even more carbs and calories than traditional wheat based items. Recently I found a pack of Gefen Double Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons in my local Safeway that taste an awful lot like cake and are only 100 calories for two. We’ve also been making our own oatmeal and corn flour granola bars that taste a lot like cake and are only 180 calories. Recipe will be posted soon!

Pudding
You can make your own pudding by melting a square of unsweetened baking chocolate (140 calories) with a tablespoon of soy milk and then slowly adding soy milk (half a cup is 65 calories) to thin it out. Just add Splenda until it’s as sweet as you like. Add different extracts, spices, nuts or fruit for variety.

Next Week: Yummy GF recipes that will keep you slim!

I’m famous again lol. This time for complaining rather than debunking. Check it out: http://www.neatorama.com/2009/04/23/blogger-writes-sensationalistic-post-title-and-was-burned-at-the-stake/

I think we’ve established at this point that eating healthy doesn’t mean bland rice cakes and water. You can eat right and still pack in the flavor. Today we’re going to learn a few simple dressing and dip recipes that make every day foods pop. Each recipe is low cal, tasty and takes only a couple minutes to make but if you’d rather avoid the kitchen all together there are lots of pre-made options available. Remember though that pre-made dressings and dips commercially available often contain a lot of salt, sugar and artificial preservatives so they can stay on the store shelves longer. In addition, they often don’t taste as good as fresh home-made dips and dressings, are expensive and may contain hidden food allergens. If you’re going to try pre-made dips and dressings make sure you check them carefully. A few good choices are organic salsa or picante sauce, organic spaghetti sauce and marinara sauce, guacamole, olive oil and herbs, etc. Below are a few of our favorite dips and sauces but there are tons of recipes (just do a Google search for healthy dip or healthy sauce).

Red Wine Vinaigrette
2 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard (do NOT substitute yellow mustard)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
Season to taste (Grind To A Salt is a good option here)
Make 2 servings, 65 calories per serving which covers 4 cups of salad/veggies. Replace the vinegar with orange juice for citrus vinaigrette.

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
In a blender (or in a bowl using a hand held blender) put:
1 Roasted Red Pepper (We use Trader Joe’s brand)
½ Cup 2% Greek Yogurt (You can substitute sour cream or cream cheese. Calories will differ.)
1 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Blend until smooth and creamy. It makes a great dressing for salads or pasta and well as a nice veggie dip. This recipe makes about 3/4 of a cup which is 100 calories or about 8.5 calories a tablespoon.

Teriyaki Sauce
Mix together:
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 tbsp Ginger Powder
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Water
4 Packets of Splenda

Mix together separately:
2 tbsp Cornstarch (or potato/tapioca starch)
1/4 cup Water

Pour the first mixture into a pot and set it to medium heat. When the sauce is heated and steaming slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture and stir briskly for 30 to 60 seconds. The sauce will thicken quickly. When it’s the consistency or gravy or chocolate sauce pour it into a heat safe bowl and let it cool. This recipe is for a glaze or marinade; it will be thick and strongly flavored. For a thinner sauce add ¼ to ½ cups of water extra to the first mix before heating it on the stove and reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon. This recipe makes about 3/4 of a cup of marinade which is 80 calories or about 6.5 calories a tablespoon.

Fruit Dip
1 Cup Greek Yogurt (has a much thicker creamier consistency)
1 tbsp Honey (Want it sweeter? Add some Splenda.)
1 tsp Vanilla
(Optional – Add 1 tsp cinnamon for apples or 2 tsp citrus zest for tropical fruits like pineapple)
This recipe makes about 1 cup of dip. It’s great on fresh fruit, frozen yogurt or mixed with granola. One cup is 210 calories or 13 calories per tablespoon.

Veggie Dip
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt
4 tbsp Light Cream Cheese
2 tbsp Sour Cream
1 tbsp Chives (fresh, chopped finely)
1 tbsp Parsley (fresh, chopped finely)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder (or 3 cloves grated finely)
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/3 tsp Salt
1/3 tsp Pepper
This recipe makes about 12 tablespoons of dip. 255 calories total, about 22 calories a tablespoons. It’s great on veggies or crackers.