Healthy Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs
High Protein feast for athletes!

For the sausage, you can use either Isernio’s chicken links removed from the casing, or save a step and use our Chicken Sausage Rolls, either Hot or Mild Italian. Congratulations Diane, and thanks for the recipe!


Chicken Meatballs

½ pound of ground turkey breast (or try Isernio’s Ground Chicken)
2-3 links of Isernios ground sweet Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing
1 beaten egg
½ tsp Italian seasoning
10 or so leaves Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
Minced garlic to taste
2 tablespoons minced sweet Walla Walla onion
3 tablespoons shredded cheese (provolone or asiago)

Add dried bread crumbs until you get good consistency. Form balls and cook in skillet with olive oil or bake in oven on parchement paper. Great for Italian Meatball soup!

Quick Tips for Eating Fast Food Before and After Your Performance For Optimal Performance

Pre-activity - Three hours before
Freeman says the pre-activity meal should have enough carbohydrates to maintain your blood sugar levels so you don’t work out feeling drained. She recommends one gram of carbs for each kilogram of bodyweight.

You don’t need to supersize your meal to match your appetite or meet your carb requirements. According to Freeman, a 400- calorie meal is sufficient—unless those calories come from a fast food salad, which has too much fiber for a pre-activity meal, not to mention the large number of calories and fat in the dressing. Don’t believe it? A packet of Caesar dressing dishes 18 grams of fat and 190 calories, almost as many as two slices of bread.

“You’re always better off [eating a] sandwich,” Freeman says. Just avoid any high-fat options, which affect the digestive and hydration processes.

“If you have [high fat] food in your gut, you need more fluids to help with the digestive process,” Freeman explains. You want your fuel to be used for working muscle, not aiding the digestive process.

Freeman also suggests forgoing the works, opting instead for a “skinny burger,” like a Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger or a McDonald’s Hamburger, which have 230 and 250 calories, respectively, and only about nine grams of fat each.

Another menu item that slows fluid absorption: carbonated beverages. “Soda is never a good choice,” Freeman says. “The sugar gives you a buzz, along with the caffeine, which gives you a high. But you really can’t control that buzz and high, and [then] there’s a low. If that happens when your performance needs to be at its best, your body is being compromised by that physiological drop in sugar and caffeine.”

Freeman recommends substituting soda with 16 ounces—a typical medium-sized cup—of apple or orange juice. Just make sure you have one to three hours to digest the meal before you get set for action.

Post-activity - Within one hour after
“The purpose of the post-activity meal is to take your body from the catabolic state of sport and provide the fuel you need for an anabolic state—replenishing the carbohydrates and protein,” Freeman explains.

Since liquids are absorbed within an hour, Freeman says a milkshake is a good option. A McDonald’s small Vanilla Triple Thick Shake delivers 420 calories and nine grams of protein, while a Wendy’s small Chocolate Frosty has 320 calories and nine grams of protein, a few less than an Arby’s regular shake, which packs 13 grams.

If you prefer solid food, Freeman suggests two to three regular-sized burgers without any special sauces or cheese. They provide carbs from the bun and protein from the meat. “This is [also] a great time for a salad,” Freeman says, “if you watch the dressing.” Just make sure to add some carbs to the meal.

She suggests avoiding options with fried items, because the breading sops up the oil it’s cooked in and therefore can hold more fat than some burgers. For example: you could down three Wendy’s Jr. Hamburgers and get 100 calories and 29 grams of fat less than what you’d get from the same joint’s Chicken BLT Salad with Homestyle Chicken Fillet [780 calories, 53 fat grams]. A better Wendy’s salad option is the Mandarin Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Fillet, and a low fat dressing of your choice. It’ll provide 370 calories, 30 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat.

Another great salad choice is McDonald’s Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken and low fat Italian dressing, which has 430 calories, 31 grams of protein and 11.5 grams of fat.

Freeman says the post-activity period affords slightly more wiggle room to eat higher fat foods. So if you are eyeing some fries, “go for it, [but] you want the small [order]— [not] the large.”

She adds, “Athletes work really hard. They earn the right to choose the foods they really like on top of the foods they really need.”

Nutrition Totals*:

PRE-WORKOUT
Calories 430
Protein 15g
Carbohydrates 73g
Fat 9g
*For a McDonald’s hamburger and a medium Minute Maid orange juice

POST-WORKOUT
Calories 760
Protein 34g
Carbohydrates 103g
Fat 24g
*For two Jr. Hamburgers and a small chocolate Frosty

Information Courtesy of STACK Magazine and San Diego Charger's Nutrition Consultant,
Karen Freeman.
http://magazine.stack.com

Healthy Eating On The Run

Increasingly, consumers want fast, easy and good-tasting foods to fit a busy lifestyle. Whether it’s fast food, take out or a sit down restaurant, eating out has become part of the American lifestyle.

Food is available everywhere we go—schools, businesses, drugstores, convenience stores, bookstores, supermarkets, vending machines, sports and cultural events and recreation centers.

You can make healthy food choices everywhere you go, too:

* Choose fried foods only sometimes – go for grilled, broiled, or steamed foods more often.
* Order the regular or kid-size portion. Mega-sized servings are probably more then you need.
* Make milk or a low-fat shake your beverage for an extra calcium boost.
* Try a side salad instead of fries.
* Split your order. Share fries or an extra large sandwich with a friend.
* Boost the nutrients in all kinds of sandwiches by adding tomato, peppers and other vegetables.
* At the deli or sub shop, choose lean beef, ham, turkey, or chicken on whole-grain bread.
* At the salad bar, pile on the dark leafy greens, carrots, peppers and other fresh vegetables.

Information courtesy of The American Dietetic Association Public Relations Team
www.eatright.org

The Fast Food Challenge

Believe it or not, you can make healthy fast-food choices. How? Know exactly what you are ordering and plan ahead.

Keep the ground rules of good nutrition in mind. Eat a variety of foods in moderate amounts, limit the amount of fat you eat, and watch the amount of salt in food.

What you order is the key. It's easy to eat an entire day's worth of fat, salt, and calories in just one fast-food meal. But it's also possible to make wise choices and eat a fairly healthy meal.

Here are some tips to help you choose well.

*Know that an average fast-food meal can run as high as 1000 calories or more, and raise your blood sugar making you feel tired and sluggish.

*Know the nutritional value of the foods you order. Although there are some good choices, most fast-food items are high in fat and calories.

*If you're having fast-food for one meal, let your other meals that day contain healthier foods, like fruits and vegetables.

*Think about how your food will be cooked. Chicken and fish can be good choices - but not if they are breaded and deep fried.

If breakfast is your fast-food meal, choose a plain bagel, toast, or English muffin. Other muffins may be loaded with sugar and fat. Add fruit juice or low-fat or fat-free milk. Order cold cereal with fat-free milk, pancakes without butter, or plain scrambled eggs. Limit bacon and sausage because they are high in fat.
Your order, please?


The fast food we eat may stick around a lot longer than we'd like. It may linger in our bodies as excess blood fats and extra pounds.

*Watch out for words like jumbo, giant, deluxe, biggie-sized or super-sized. Larger portions mean more calories. They also mean more fat, cholesterol and salt. Order a regular or junior-sized sandwich instead.

*Choose grilled or broiled sandwiches with meats such as lean roast beef, turkey or chicken breast, or lean ham. Order items plain, without toppings, rich sauces, or mayonnaise. Add flavor with mustard, and crunch with lettuce, tomato, and onion.

*Skip the croissant or biscuit. Eat your sandwich on a bun, bread or English muffin and save calories and fat.

*Stay away from double burgers or "super" hot dogs with cheese, chili, or sauces. Cheese carries an extra 100 calories per ounce, as well as added fat and sodium.

*Go for the salad bar, but watch out for high-fat toppings like dressings, bacon bits, cheeses, and croutons. Even too much low-calorie dressing can add up. Check the calories on the packet. Also limit salad bar items that are dressed with a lot of mayo, such as potato or macaroni salad. Fill your salad with things like carrots, peppers, onion, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and etc.

*Order bean burritos, soft tacos, fajitas, and other non-fried items when eating Mexican fast foods. Choose chicken over beef. Limit refried beans. Or ask if they have beans that aren't refried. Pile on extra lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa. Go easy on cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. Watch out for deep-fried taco salad shells - a taco salad can have more than 1,000 calories!

*Pizza can be a good fast food choice. Go for thin crust pizza with vegetable toppings. Limit to 1-2 slices. Meat and extra cheese add calories, fat and sodium.

*End your meal with sugar-free, fat-free frozen yogurt or a small cone of fat-free yogurt. Better still, bring a piece of fresh fruit from home. Ices, sorbets, and sherbets have less fat and fewer calories than ice cream. But they are chock full of sugar. They can send your blood sugar too high if you don't work the extra carbohydrate into your meal plan.

*Be alert for traps. Fat-free muffins for breakfast may have plenty of sugar. Skinless fried chicken can have almost as much fat as the regular kind. Chinese food may seem like a healthy choice, but many dishes are deep fried or high in fat and sodium, especially in the sauces.

Eating out can be one of life's great pleasures. Make the right choices, ask for what you need, and balance your meals out with healthy meals at home. You can enjoy yourself and take good care of your diabetes at the same time.

Information courtesy of the American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/eatingoutguide.jsp

Healthy Dining Finder

Tired of constantly eating on the go and not knowing what in your food? Here is a great website that allows you to search for the healthiest menu options from fast food chains to upscale restaurants. Each menu option has been carefully reviewed by both a Registered Dietician and panel of nutrition professionals. Search for any of your favorite restaurants and learn how to fuel up on the road the healthy way!

http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/site/diners/nutrition-criteria.htm