Fresh juice recipes packed with fruits and vegetables.
Several studies show that adding more produce to your diet can improve your mental health and sense of well-being, yet most of us don’t get enough. Our fruit juice recipes and vegetable juice recipes are loaded with leafy greens and red, orange and purple fruits and veggies. These juicing recipes are a delicious and easy way to drink about a quarter of your daily recommended produce intake per glass—particularly varieties you might not otherwise eat. Cheers!
Healthy Salad Recipes and Cooking Tips
Salads and diets have always had a delicious partnership. But salads are healthful and satisfying even if you’re not watching your waistline. With vegetables at their core, salads are great sources of vitamin C, and the leafiest among them supply plenty of that “foliage” vitamin, folate. The most colorful combinations—spiked with tomatoes, carrots, cabbages or bell peppers—also deliver vitamin A (as beta carotene), lycopene and other key phytonutrients. A great salad deserves a great dressing, of course, so we've also created plenty to use interchangeably. This collection of delicious salad recipes includes hearty main-dish salads that help you feel full and satisfied, as well as lighter salads to serve as a side dish or appetizer. Dig into one tonight, and you’re well on your way to starting your own salad habit.
Makes:4 servings
Active Time:
Total Time:
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 cups mixed salad greens
2 cups sliced cooked chicken breast, (see Tip)
2 cups chopped melon, such as cantaloupe and/or honeydew
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
PREPARATION
Whisk sour cream, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing in a small bowl. Add the mixed greens to the large bowl and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates and top with chicken, melon, walnuts and feta. Drizzle each portion with 1 tablespoon of the reserved dressing.
TIPS & NOTES
Tips: To poach chicken breast: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.
To toast chopped or sliced nuts, heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 248 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 55 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 21 g protein;4 g fiber; 346 mg sodium; 371 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (140% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv).
Everybody knows salads are healthy, right? People who are on a diet often opt for entrée salads, whether they're eating out or at home. But the truth is that a salad is not always your best calorie bet.
Consider: A chicken Caesar salad at Chili’s (loaded with salad dressing, croutons, cheese, and chicken) will set you back 1,010 calories and 76 grams of fat. On the other hand, a Chick-fil-A chargrilled chicken garden salad with fat-free honey mustard dressing has only 230 calories and 6 grams fat.
It's the fixings that make the difference when it comes to salad calories. If you're going to pile on the croutons, creamy dressing, cheese, bacon, avocado, mayonnaise-rich prepared salads (like coleslaw), meat, nuts, fried chicken strips, and wonton strips, you might as well order a double bacon cheeseburger and fries.
So what makes a diet-friendly salad? For a healthy salad, start with a variety of colorful veggies, fruits, beans, and mixed greens. When possible, opt for dark, leafy greens like arugula, spinach, and fresh herbs. (The darker the leaf, the more nutritional goodness it has.) Then, pile on grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, cabbage, broccoli, jicama, scallions, mushrooms, red bell peppers, roasted vegetables, or your other favorite vegetables.
For a filling entree salad, add small amounts of low-fat cheese or lean protein like grilled chicken, shrimp, or hard-cooked egg. Top off your salad with a small amount of avocado or chopped nuts to add some healthy fat. (Keep in mind that you need to control portions of healthful but high-calorie items like dried fruits, nuts, cheese, olives, and avocado).
But we're not done yet: Salad dressing can spell disaster if you use too much of the wrong kind. For a lower-calorie salad, dress with a tablespoon or two of light vinaigrette or salsa, or a flavorful vinegar (like balsamic) along with a little heart-healthy olive oil. If you love creamy dressing, try diluting it with a little water or vinegar -- or simply use less of it. A tried-and-true dieter’s trick is to order salad dressing on the side, then just dip the tines of your fork into the dressing before you grab each forkful of salad.
Follow these tips to create or order a delicious salad that is satisfying, low in calories, high in fiber, and full of nutrients. If you frequent a chain restaurant, check the web site to see which of their salads and salad dressings is healthier.
Tomatoes are a very popular vegetable. They are tasty, versatile, affordable, and provide a variety of health benefits. Tomatoes are featured in a variety of recipes and can be used in a number of different ways. One of the most popular options for consuming tomatoes is in tomato juice. The juice is rich, tasty, and filled with health benefits. It is always best to squeeze your own tomato juice from fresh tomatoes, if you choose pre-made juice, be sure the sodium level is within a healthy range for your daily intake.
For many of us, gaining muscle may conjure up images of countless hours in the gym, but diet doesn't come to mind. Your body needs calories and nourishment to feed growing muscle mass and to adjust to varying amounts of activity. Before making sudden changes in your lifestyle, though, you may want to consult with a physician, personal trainer, and dietitian.
Method 1 of 3: Learning What to Eat
1
Eat sufficient amounts of protein. The rule of thumb is that you need between 1 and 1.5 times your body weight in grams of protein. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should eat between 150 and 225 grams of protein per day if you want to consistently gain muscle. Full time bodybuilders can eat two to three times their body weight in grams of protein, and sometimes more, but for most of us that would be overkill. If you're overweight, substitute your ideal body weight and calculate in grams. Proteins that are great for building muscle include:
Red meat like beef, pork, lamb, venison, bison, etc.
Fish like tuna, salmon, swordfish, bass, trout, mackerel, etc.
Poultry breast, from chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
Eggs, especially egg whites. The yolk is high in cholesterol, but one or two a day isn't unhealthy.[1]
Dairy like milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.
2
Learn the difference between complete and incomplete proteins. In order tobuild muscle, you need to consume complete proteins found in eggs, meat, fish, cheese, milk and most other animal products. Rule of thumb: If it bleeds or breathes, it's a complete protein. There are lots of non-animal complete proteins available, as well, meaning that you can still build muscle as a vegetarian.[2] Complete vegetarian proteins include:
Soy
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Chia
Hempseed
Beans or legumes with rice
3
Eat foods with a high Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). This is a measure of how well different proteins are digested by the body, based on the solubility of the amino acids in the protein. Think of PDCAAS as grading the quality of protein, with 1 being the highest score and 0 the lowest.[3] Here's a breakdown common proteins by their rounded PDCAAS score:
1.00: egg white, whey, casein, soy protein
0.9: beef, soybeans
0.7: chickpeas, fruits, black beans, vegetables, other legumes
0.5: cereals and derivatives, peanuts
0.4: whole wheat
4
Include carbohydrates in your diet. It is important to have carbohydrates so that your body can tap into glycogen (energy) stores within your muscles while you are working out. If you do not eat enough carbohydrates your body will not have energy reserves and will break down your muscles instead! To build muscle, your diet should consist of somewhere between 40% and 60% carbohydrates, or about 1500 calories per day.[4]
Carbs get an unfairly bad reputation from dieting guides. Because complex carbs are broken down slowly and have a low-glycemic index (not as much sugar), they are acceptable to eat after a workout, and especially in the morning at breakfast. Try to select carbohydrates low on the Glycemic Index, which are healthier and release their energy more slowly [5]. Good examples are:
Brown Basmati Rice
Quinoa
Rolled Oats
Sweet Potato
Wholemeal Rye Bread
Wholemeal Spaghetti
5
Eat healthy fats. Not all fats are created equal. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that eating healthy fats is actually good for you.[6] You should get about 20% to 35% of your calories from fats. Eat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are the "good" fats. They include:
Olive, peanut, sunflower, canola, and avocado oils.
Fish.
Nuts.
Flaxseed and pumpkin seeds.
Soy products such as tofu or soymilk.
6
Stay away from saturated and trans fats. These are the "bad" fats. Make sure saturated fats make up no more than 10% of your caloric intake, and that trans fats make up no more than 1% of your caloric intake.[6] Bad fats include:
Ice cream, candy bars, and packaged snack foods.
High-fat cuts of meat.
Lard, stick margarine, and vegetable shortening.
Fried foods.
7
Consume plenty of fiber. Remember it is important to include green vegetables in your diet such as spinach or broccoli to ensure that you receive an adequate amount of vitamins. As well, green leafy vegetables are high in fiber which is essential for removing waste from the body.
8
Monitor your salt intake. It may be true that excessive consumption of salt can lead to hypertension but you lose tremendous amounts of sodium when you sweat. Also, sodium (a key electrolyte) aids in muscle contraction, which is one reason why it is found in many sports drinks.
Method 2 of 3: Learning How to Eat
1
Eat when you're hungry. Sounds obvious right? Many muscle-builders get fooled into thinking muscle-building diets need to be more elaborate and complicated than they really do. Eating what you like, within the parameters mentioned in the previous section, is the key to gaining muscle mass consistently. If you're not eating what you like in a regular pattern, it'll be harder to consistently follow through with your diet. Here's asample diet to give you a better idea of what someone might eat throughout the day:
Breakfast: egg-white omelet with turkey; whole grain toast; banana.
Pre-lunch snack: mixed nuts; apple.
Lunch: tuna salad with olive oil, onions and capers; sauteed kale.
Pre-workout snack: cottage cheese with blueberries.
Post-workout snack: protein shake; sauteed spinach.
Dinner: orange-soy chicken breast with quinoa; stir-fry with carrots, onions, peas, and peppers.
2
Create a calorie surplus. For many muscle-builders, it's important to combine an increase in protein with an increase in calories, so all your hard work at the gym won't work against you. You've got to build up enough fuel to burn as a way of building up your muscles, but not eat so many calories that they'll be transferred into fat. There's an ideal surplus of calories that you can find by calculating your maintenance calorie count, and your surplus.[7]
Your maintenance calorie count is the number of calories you need to consume in an average day, with an average amount of energy output, to maintain your current body-weight. For most people with a healthy body-weight, this is around 2000 calories.
Men should surplus about 250 calories a day (bringing the total to 2250), while women should surplus about 150 calories a day (bringing the total to 2125). Over the course of a given week of muscle-building exercise and proper nutrition, this calorie increase should translate into roughly .25-.5 pounds of muscle gained per week.
3
Always eat breakfast. Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day aside from your post-workout meal. Eating breakfast packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber will get your metabolism going. It will also keep your body from cannibalizing any muscle for energy. Remember the saying: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." Because you're not on a diet, however, you don't have to be a pauper at any time.
Get protein into your breakfast. Omelets, shakes (or smoothies) and cottage cheese are great sources of protein.
Eat complex carbohydrates for breakfast. While simple carbohydrates such as sugar and donuts are broken down easily and cause a spike in your sugar levels, complex carbs (oatmeal, bran, beans, whole grains) are broken down over longer periods of time and don't cause spikes in blood sugar.
4
Eat less food more often. Eat at regular intervals to keep from getting so hungry that you splurge when you do eat. Your body will start to get hungry at the predetermined times you do eat because you've kept a consistent routine.
Try eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, before bed (at least an hour before going to sleep) and slip in two snacks in between. Snacks can include everything from nuts and seeds to sides of veggies or fruit.
If you're trying to gain muscle and lose weight, skip the before-bed meal. Eating right before you go to bed will cause the body to convert any not metabolized food into fat instead of energy or muscle. Your body's metabolism shuts down right before bedtime.
5
Drink plenty of water all throughout the day. Dehydration can mean poor muscle recovery, so make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day. Sip on water throughout your workout. The recommended daily amount of water for men is about 3 liters (0.8 US gal), and 2.2 liters (0.6 US gal) for women.[8]
Get a water filter to filter tap water. Buying a water filter is an economical way of converting your tap water into healthy, great-tasting water. Buy one and see your water consumption grow.
Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink. Keep a steady supply of water going into your body, so you won't have to gulp or binge on water when you're dehydrated, which risks upsetting your stomach during workou
THE 15 BEST LEAN-MUSCLE BUILDING FOODS
1BEEF (FROM GRASS-FED CATTLE)
Beef is important for building lean muscle due to its protein content, cholesterol, zinc, B vitamins and iron content.
Beef from grass-fed cattle have much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than conventionally raised cattle, which gives you a boost in shedding bodyfat and building lean muscle.
2BEETS
A good source of betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, this nutrient not only enhances liver and joint repair, but also has been shown in clinical research to increase muscle strength and power.
A slow-digesting whole grain that provides you longer-lasting energy throughout the day, and during workouts.Brown rice also can help boost your growth hormone (GH) levels, which are critical for encouraging lean muscle growth, fat loss and strength gains.
5CANTALOUPE
Due to it's relatively low fructose content, this melon is one of the few fruits that is actually a fast-digesting carb. That makes it a good carb to have first thing in the morning after a long night of fasting and one of the few good fruits to eat after workouts.
Casein protein is the slowest-digesting protein you can eat, meaning it prevents your muscles from being used as an energy source while you fast during the night.
7EGGS
Eggs are known as the perfect protein, but their ability to boost lean muscle and strength gains isn't due to just the protein alone. It gets a lot of help from the yolks, where the cholesterol is found.
If you're worried about your cholesterol shooting up from eating the yolks, cholesterol from eggs has been shown to decrease the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol particles associated with atherosclerosis.
A complete protein in addition to being a slow-digesting carb, quinoa has been linked with an increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels, an important factor associated with lean muscle and strength gains.
10WONKA PIXY STIX
These contain dextrose, meaning this carb doesn't even need to be digested - it literally goes straight into your bloodstream, getting those carbs straight to your muscles for the fastest recovery possible after workouts.
11SPINACH
A good source of glutamine, the amino acid that is important for lean muscle growth.
In addition to glutamine, spinach can increase muscle strength and endurance.
12APPLES
The specific polyphenols in apples help to increase muscle strength and prevent muscle fatigue, allowing you to train harder for longer.
Other research also shows that these polyphenols can increase fat burning as well. That's why it's a good idea to make apples a pre-workout carb source.
"APPLES HELP TO INCREASE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND PREVENT MUSCLE FATIGUE, ALLOWING YOU TO TRAIN HARDER FOR LONGER."
13GREEK YOGURT
Like plain yogurt, Greek yogurt starts from the same source: milk. Greek yogurt, however, has more protein (a whopping 20 g per cup) and fewer carbs (9 g per cup) than regular yogurt (16 g protein, 16 g carbs per cup).
It's also a good source of casein protein.
14EZEKIAL 4:9 BREAD
Ezekiel bread is made from organic sprouted whole grains. Because it contains grains and legumes, the bread is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the amino acids your body can't produce on its own - the ones needed for lean muscle growth.
This makes wheat germ a great source of slow-digesting carbohydrates and a quality protein that's a perfect food before workouts.
THE LEAN MUSCLE ONE-WEEK MEAL PLAN
The following plan is designed for a woman weighing 140 pounds. When trying to gain lean muscle during a rigorous exercise program, a good rule of thumb is to shoot for an intake of about 13-15 calories per pound of bodyweight.
So for a 110-pound woman, total daily calories would be between 1,430 to 1,650; for a 150-pound woman, about 1,950 to 2,250. See muscleandfitnesshers.com for your supplements on workout days.
