Friday Fast Food to Forget - Totino's Pizza Rolls

Are we all so desperate that we have to rely on frozen processed food to feed our kids and ourselves? There are many products I can (and most likely will) speak on for being unhealthy snack options for anyone, but today is just Totino's.

Totino's is owned by General Mills, which, to me, is better than Kellogg's, but still a brand I don't care for.  I do like the Corn and Rice Chex though, but why the sugar and not enough whole grain? Anyway, have you seen the Totino's commercial with a mom on the phone with her hungry kids?

The kids are looking for something in the freezer and are saying there's nothing to eat, but of course Totino's is right in front of their face. Apparently her kids are too dumb to see the bright yellow packaging until she tell them the exact location.  Then they are all happy and the kids go off to make their crap stuffed crap pizza rolls.

Here is the nutrition info for their basic cheese party pizza...

....and that's the one with the least ingredients!

The seemingly most popular pepperoni pizza rolls look even worse....

....and you know being little bites that most people unknowingly eat more of them.

So, kids, parents, childless adults, and well, everyone.....avoid these pizzas and pizza rolls for your life; literally.

You can quickly make your own pizza or pizza rolls that can be frozen or cooked as needed with simple ingredients. Here are a few easy and healthy recipes to try with whole grain tortillas:

Tortilla Pizza

No-Bake Spinach Pizza Rolls

Another Easy Pizza Roll for the Road

I want to start making quick posts like this where I focus on unhealthy processed food and better options.  The key is to make it a quick, but informative post.  I will usually get an idea from some ridiculous commercial or ad.

What do you think?  Do you like quick posts like this?  Please let me know since I like to make my readers happy and give good info.

Happy Friday!!

How to Order a Healthy(er) Pizza

Today, we started things off by heading up to the Breckenridge Nordic Center to go snowshoeing.  Kelley and I had been two years ago and loved the sites and peaceful surrounding of tall Evergreens covered in blankets of snow.  We tried cross-country skiing last year (when I had MRSA) and decided it wasn't for us.  Maybe with actual training, but snowshoeing works for us.

What a great couple!

This time we went with Steve and Kathy to snowshoe on the fresh snow covered trails surrounded by blistering wind.  After Steve and Kathy turned around, Kelley and I trekked on until we wore ourselves out.  It ended up taking us two hours total by the time we returned; this was approximately four miles.  It sounds slow, but anyone who has snowshoed before understands how several feet of snow can slow you down.

Our winter view of Breck.

Me attempting to do a snowshoe handstand, and....

....me 1 second after handstand attempt.

After our journey, Kelley had pizza from Giampietro Pizzeria on the mind and I couldn't argue.  Last year we went there and finished a big 16 inch pizza between the two of us.  This year was no different; another pizza met it's maker orderer by the way of our stomachs.

This is pretty unusual since any frequent reader of my posts or if you just know me, knows that I despise eating at places where I can't control how my food is prepared.  Luckily, Giampietro's was accommodating to our requests on how we wanted our pizza.

First off, New York style is the thin crust pizza and will save several hundred calories compared to a deep dish Chicago style pizza.  Plus, most pizzas are just dough with white flour and Chicago's extra dough hides the wonderful flavors of the sauce and toppings.  For our thin crust (I asked for whole wheat but is wasn't an option here) we ordered sliced garlic cloves and extra sauce for our topping choices.  In addition, we asked for very Very little cheese and a well done crust.

Here is the end result....delicious! We each had four of the eight slices and loved each garlicky bite. I admit, I removed some of the little cheese we got just because I wasn't a fan of it.

Kelley couldn't wait for me to take a picture..... 

If you are faced with having to go out or take out pizza, here are several ideas to help make it a little better for you without sacrificing taste.

Poor pizza never saw it coming....

- Ask for little or no cheese; make sure you let it be known you do not want a lot.

- Order extra sauce; this is healthier than being covered in cheese and still tastes great; make sure you request the basic tomato sauce and nothing creamy and white

- Order thin crust; you can save approximately 100 calories per slice when ordering thin crust over deep dish and 60 calories over "hand-tossed"

- Avoid processed meats or meat altogether; pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, etc all have a high fat percentage, opt for Canadian bacon or grilled chicken if you need to have meat.

- Pile on the veggies; any produce topping offered is a great way to boost nutrition on your pie.  After roasting in a pizza oven, most veggies will have their natural sugars caramelize and add loads of healthy flavor

- Ask for the pizza well-done if you like it crispy; most places will have no problem with this

- If you can, ask how the dough is made and request whole wheat whenever available; some places

might just order their dough which could mean a lot of additives and hydrogenated oils

- Add fruit for flavor; I only know of pineapple as a common topping, but I love having pineapple with Canadian bacon, tomato sauce, and no cheese

- Skip the dip; dipping sauces offered along with some pizzas don't offer much in nutrition and usually aren't needed.  A standard garlic dipping cup a Domino's is 200 calories and a ranch cup is 250 calories.  If needed, Tabasco sauces add extra flavor with little to no added calories.

If you are making pizza at home, try a crust less pizza by using the pizza sauce, a little cheese, and other toppings to put on top of a salad or a healthy tortilla.  Beware, most tortillas at the grocery store have shortening or hydrogentated oils in the ingredients.  The best tortilla is a corn tortilla as it should only contain ground corn (corn flour), water, lime, and salt.  Make it a Mexican pizza!

Tasty Mexican Pizza idea!

Do you have any unique ways to order pizza or any other menu item to make it healthier?

Super Dip for the Super Bowl

I’m not sure, but I think something is going on this Sunday, 02/05/2012. Anyone have a clue? Oh yeah, the AFC and NFC champs are battling each other to see who will be number one in the NFL.

In the United States, Super Bowl Sunday has the second largest food consumption in a day; Thanksgiving is the first. Here are some stats found on Yummly.com for the average Super Bowl viewer:

- 1,200 calories: Amount the average Super Bowl watcher will consume while snacking.

- Football fans are expected to eat an estimated 69.6 million pounds of avocados during this year’s Super Bowl (mostly in guacamole).

- The most popular take-out and delivery items on Super Bowl Sunday are pizza, chicken wings, and sandwiches.

- It is estimated that Americans will eat 90 million pounds of chicken wings, which breaks down to 450 million individual wings!

- An astounding 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

- Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest winter grilling day of the year.

- According to 7-Eleven stores, there is a 20% increase in the sale of antacids on the day after Super Bowl.

Do you feel like you fit into one or all of these stats? Try preparing your own snacks instead of ordering out for the game this weekend. You will save money and be healthier than most options available from pizza or other fast food joints. Since dips are a popular food choice to have while sitting in front of the TV, make a big batch of slow cooker dip or stew that is easily customized to your liking. Use frozen veggies, lentils, and/or beans along with plenty herbs and spices to create a flavorful stew that is great as is or blended to make a big batch of homemade dip.

As with most slow cooker meals, you don’t have to follow a strict recipe to get things right, just add what you think tastes good and it’s usually a guaranteed hit! I love using mostly veggies for the bulk of the dip as they are healthy, tasty, and filling without cause for concern on calories. So get out your Crock Pot and standing or immersion blender to create a dip that’s heart healthy and might score some points with your friends and family.

 

Not sure how to get started? Here’s a rundown of what I normally make for any occasion:

Ingredients

1 bag of frozen bell pepper blend

1 bag of frozen onion, green pepper, and celery blend

1 bag of frozen chopped spinach or collard greens

1 bag of frozen broccoli or broccoli and cauliflower mix

1/2 cup dry black beans soaked for 24 hours; you can use canned if needed, just drain and rinse first

1/2 cup dry white beans soaked for 24 hours; you can use canned if needed, just drain and rinse first

4 – 6 fresh crushed garlic cloves; chop them if you are not blending/pureeing everything

1 teaspoon (or more) of cayenne powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin, paprika, unsweetened cocoa powder, and chili powder

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter; trust me, it’s awesome

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons dried cilantro and oregano

Low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

The easy part; add all ingredients to slow cooker, using the broth, fill only 3/4 of the way full, stir and cook on low heat for 8 - 10 hours or high heat for 4 - 6 hours. Once cooked, either ladle the contents into your blender (only filling halfway to allow for the expansion from heat) and blend until smooth, repeating until everything is blended, or use an immersion blender to puree everything in the cooker. Immersion blending is my top choice and I love having this tool. Serve with raw carrots, broccoli, celery, and whole grain crackers. Try to avoid fried corn tortilla chips if you can, there are plenty of other baked varieties or raw veggies that make great dipping utensils.

I like to be liberal with my herbs, spices, and garlic!!

Feel free to use other veggies as you please; carrots would work really well and provide great flavor too. You could also increase the amount of bell peppers for an awesome pepper and bean dip that’s worthy for the most picky eaters in your home. Experiment with the ingredients, you should always have fun in the kitchen, and see what you can come up with. Maybe use edamame and soy/teriyaki sauce for an Asian dip, or more black beans and tomatoes for a spicy Mexican dip.

Remember, although beer or other alcohol is usually a given, keep water on hand to quench your thirst and save the alcohol for less frequent gulps.

What, if anything, do you plan on having for the Super Bowl? Or, do you not care for the game and plan on watching the Puppy Bowl instead?

Put Baaaaack the Cheddar, Choose Goat Cheese Instead

Are you a cheese lover? I enjoy a variety of cheeses, both hard types like cheddar and soft kinds like brie are great all on their own. But, when it comes to picking favorites, the creamy tanginess of soft goat cheese (know as chevre) is at the top of my list. Kelley, admittedly, has a love far greater than I do for the cheese, and she has even been upset with me b/c I took a little of hers one time.

What’s so great about chevre anyway? To start, goat cheese (the soft type found in log form) has less fat (6 g vs. an avg. of10 g) and calories (70 – 80 calories vs. 100 calories) per ounce than cow’s milk cheese. You will not lose out on protein and calcium when switching to goat cheese as the numbers are comparable for both; but with lower fat and calories, you get more for less! Another plus is for anyone with a lactose intolerance as goat cheese has been found to be more easily digestible than cow’s milk cheese.

Goat’s milk and cheese also provide a number of other vital nutrients and vitamins like:

- Tryptophan: an amino acid that occurs in proteins; is essential for growth and normal metabolism; a precursor of niacin

- Phosphorus

- Riboflavin (vitamin B2): plays important roles in the body's energy production

- Potassium: helps prevent high blood pressure and protects against arteriosclerosis

- Contains 25% more vitamin B-6 and is 47% higher in vitamin A than cow's milk

- It has three times the amount of niacin and is four times higher in copper than cow’s milk

To enjoy this wonderful cheese, all you need is a fork. Kelley enjoys relaxing with a glass of wine, a fork, and an open package of goat cheese very frequently; if I’m quick enough, I can get a few crumbles for myself! It’s nice to know that if I am ever in trouble with the wife (Kelley), a quick trip for some champagne and goat cheese will usually get me out of whatever hole I’m in at the time.

Other ways to enjoy chevre include topping a mixed salad with crumbles; spreading on carrots, apple slices, crackers, or anything really; topping on a thin crust pizza; filling celery sticks as you would peanut butter or cream cheese, or using as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. The tanginess contrasts well with the sweetness of grapes and apples, and it really stands out when mixed into salads. But, there are plenty of ways to add goat cheese to cooked meals too.

Some of my favorite ways to incorporate goat cheese into my meals is to use it in soup purees to instantly boost flavor, mixed into a tomato sauce for a new twist on pasta, and mixed into creamy mashed potatoes. The cheese even has its place in sweets like brownies; here’s a recipe similar to the one that beat Bobby Flay on his Throwdown with Bobby Flay TV show. The recipe is very rich, and if you know me, I alter the recipe to use stevia instead of sugar, 2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites, whole wheat or spelt flour, and applesauce in place of most of the butter. It takes a lot of trial and error; I’ll report back once I find the right amount for each ingredient.

If you prefer to stay on the savory side for goat cheese applications, give this simple goat cheese mashed potatoes recipe a try:

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold, Red, or Sweet Potatoes, cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup fat free, plain yogurt

1/2 low sodium chicken stock
4 ounces goat cheese (chevre), cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon Paprika

1 ½ tablespoons parsley, dried

Salt to taste

Freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste

 Preparation

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large heavy saucepan. Add water to cover and season with salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until potatoes are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. When potatoes are done, drain in a colander and return to the pan. Place pan over low heat and shake for about 1 minute to dry potatoes.

3. Mash the potatoes and garlic with a potato masher, an electric hand-held mixer, or by working through a ricer. Add milk, yogurt, and chicken stock to make a smooth puree. Stir in the goat cheese, paprika, parsley, and season with salt and pepper and serve.

This is a simple recipe for a side dish to get everyone raving. Serve with grilled asparagus and boneless, skinless chicken breast or salmon for a healthy meal everyone can enjoy.

Goat cheese has become a staple for our family of two, I recommend you try swapping out the usual block of cheddar and see if you ever want to go back.

How do you savor the texture and flavor goat cheese?