So you’re feeling pretty health conscious with the holidays behind you. No more meals out with friends and family for a while. No more fattening appetizers and excessive cheese platters. But just when you think you’re in the clear: BAM! It’s football playoff season, and you’re right back to where you were in December. Don’t let the playoffs pull you off of your diet this year. Try these tasty substitutes for your favorite football foods: Instead of salty Buffalo Chicken dip and chips… Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks Replace those salty chips with celery for an instant upgrade. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/126804545738840293/ Instead of unhealthy Banana Bread… Baked Oatmeal cups With these easy-to-freeze bite-sized 202 calorie cups, they are an easy, healthy substitution for sugary banana bread. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/462252349232895152/ Instead of antibiotic-pumped buffalo chicken wings… Cauliflower Buffalo Bites It’s the flavor you crave. Put it on something healthier and you’ll never miss the meat.…
Quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has come a long way. It was banished to the back of the health food store for decades only to be featured up front on national supermarket aisles the past few years. It’s high protein content and versatile texture have made quinoa a popular everyday grain. At the dinner table, it’s often substituted in place of former starchy favorites like pasta or white rice. But quinoa isn’t a new fad. Sure, it has recently picked up popularity in the United States and Europe, but it has been cultivated and eaten in the Andes for more than 5,000 years. It was known as “the mother grain” and “the gold of the Incas”, a testament to the importance of this grain to the Andean cultures. Today, it’s considered a superfood. It’s a complete protein source that’s also high in iron, magnesium and fiber, while also being extremely versatile and easy to cook with. Some estimates state…
Spinach buckwheat pancakes made in the blender, perfect for Saturday mornings
Buckwheat pancakes are the perfect balance between delicate and hearty. They have more texture than the traditional buttermilk blend, and they don’t skimp on flavor either. Adding a cup of spinach to the mix makes it a balance between decadent and healthy, as well. And buckwheat is actually a great gluten-free alternative to the classically carb-heavy Saturday morning stack. Pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts. I tell myself I can eat them more often if I improve upon their nutritional content, so when I first started to see green pancakes pop up on Pinterest, I had to investigate. The most photogenic stacks had used a white flour base, so the spinach color could shine through. This buckwheat version takes much of the color pop away, but leaves the health benefits in tact — and that’s more important than a photo, of course. While buckwheat is known as a healthy, nutty-flavored grain,…