I always try to get my family and clients to eat more sweet potatoes - they are easy and nutritious (and very versatile).  You can eat a very filling, medium-sized sweet potato and only eat 100 calories.  And these calories are not empty -for those 100 calories, you get no fat, almost 4 g fiber, and satisfy 38% of your daily needs for vitamin C, 730% for vitamin A (yes, that is supposed to say 730%), and a lot of beta carotene ( there is no set recommended daily intake for this provitamin A carotenoid).  So, eat your sweet potatoes!  Other than just heating and eating - you can get fancy and try other ways of preparing.  We like to make a sauce (some might consider this a soup) to add to our chicken or pasta (we like it with whole wheat orzo).  Try this and get creative –

Saucy Sweet Potatoes serves 4

Ingredients

3-4 medium sweet potatoes

3-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1minced garlic clove

onion powder to taste

(kosher salt if you need it)

Directions

heat 3-4 sweet potatoes in microwave until soft and remove skins

Place in sauce pan and add stock

blend using hand held blender (or put in counter top blender before sauce pan if you do not have one) — if you do not have one, you should get one - they are great

bring to simmer and add garlic and onion powder

cook for about 3 minutes and add to chicken, pasta, etc. (use your imagination)

Let us know what you think!

Tags: baby fat diet, healthy eating, healthy recipes, recipes, sweet potatoes, weight loss

I am constantly trying to create and find healthy and quick recipes that my kids will eat between baseball games and gymnastics and basketball and dance…you get me.  Well, last night before baseball we created another winner that I want to share with you –

Turkey and Sweet Potato Tacos

Pre-cooked white turkey breast (or if you have the time, cook it yourself)

Sweet potatoes

Whole wheat/low fat tortillas

Start the sweet potatoes in the microwave — cook for 10 minutes or until they are soft.  Meanwhile, cut turkey into strips and heat (stick in microwave with the sweet potatoes for the last 3 minutes of cooking).  Put tortillas between two humid paper towels and heat for about 20 seconds, depending on your microwave.  Once everything is heated, cut open sweet potatoes and mash the insides with a fork (no skins). Then put the mashed sweet potato and cooked turkey in the tortilla.  Add a glass of low-fat or non-fat milk and you have a great meal.  My family loved it.

Tags: baby fat diet, health, healthy recipes, nutrition, weight loss

For one of my healthy cooking classes in Houston, TX, I am covering the topic of how to eat healthfully at your favorite restaurants and am helping attendees prepare a quick, healthful and yummy recipe for dinner. I want to share some of what we cover in class with you.  So, below are some smart and healthy alternatives for eating at Mexican restaurants (adapted from our book, The Baby Fat Diet) as well the sweet potato chicken recipe.

It’s easy to eat too many calories, fat and salt when you dine out.  Most restaurants want to provide great value with big portions and tasty food, and so, end up adding a lot of extra fat and salt.  Here are some easy ways to save calories when eating out at a Mexican restaurant.

Instead of chips eat three corn tortillas and dip in salsa

Stay away from cream and cheese sauces and stick with pico de gallo and salsa - you can also add extra flavor to your food with Ranchero beans or black beans.

Eat whole beans instead of re-fried

drink water

Example meal -

1 Chicken Fajita (load with veggies)

1/2 cup Mexican rice

1/2 cup black beans

510 calories, 11 g fat, 4 g sat fat

Sweet Potato Chicken Nuggets (or strips) Recipe

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips or chunks

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic salt

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp olive oil

non-stick cooking spray

Start by making holes in sweet potatoes with fork and cook in microwave until tender (depending on your microwave about 10-15 minutes, check after 10 minutes).  While sweet potatoes are cooking, cut chicken and place to the side.  Next, mix bread crumbs, wheat germ, onion powder, paprika, and garlic salt in large zip lock bag.  Once sweet potatoes are done cooking, take off skin and mash flesh in bowl and add egg, stir together.  Dip chicken pieces in sweet potato and egg mixture then put chicken pieces into zip lock bag, close and shake until pieces are covered with ingredients.  Spray nonstick skillet, add olive oil and when hot add coated chicken pieces.  Cook until golden (about 4-5 minutes) and then turn pieces and cook until cooked all the way through.  Optional - serve with ketchup for the little ones and make a side of black beans and salad.

Tags: baby fat diet, eating out, healthy cooking, healthy recipes, losing weight