Get out of a rut and get inspired!

We all tend to get in a rut after awhile, especially with our diet. It seems like I eat alot of the same foods, over and over again. I know that I need to include more variety in my diet, but sometimes it is easier to stick with the tried and true recipes.
Variety is an important part of healthy eating. Think about it, the more different types of foods you eat, the more different types of nutrients that you consume. According to Nancy Clark, sports dietitian, most Americans eat the same 10 to 15 foods each week. If you find yourself eating a repetitive menu, at least try to vary your meals. For instance, have different types of cereals topped with different fruits for breakfast. At lunch, try different types of breads and fillings for sandwiches. Have a salad for dinner. The possibilities are endless.
So the inspiration of this post is a recipe that I saw in the Publix weekly ad. Here is the recipe:

Scallops with Ginger Orzo Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
12 oz sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup orzo pasta
3/4 cup Asian ginger vinaigrette
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Prep
Chop pepper, onions, peas, and cilantro.

Steps
Preheat large nonstick sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place scallops in pan; cook (or sear) 1–2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan; cover to keep warm. Place water in same pan; bring to a boil.
Stir in pasta and reduce heat to medium; cook and stir 8–10 minutes or until tender and water has been absorbed.
Stir in peppers, onions, peas, cilantro, vinaigrette, and scallops; reduce heat to low and cook 1–2 minutes or just until scallops are opaque (veggies will be crisp-tender). Remove from heat; top with sesame seeds and serve.

Sounds delicious! I modified the recipe somewhat. Instead of scallops, I added shrimp. You could also add chicken, tofu or flank steak. I had orzo, but I also decided to add some quinoa and amaranth. You could also use brown rice or couscous. I added more vegetables. This is a great way to modify a recipe to add more variety. I added broccoli and edamame. Instead of using a ginger vinaigrette dressing, I made my own. This is a great tip to control the amount of sugar and sodium in a recipe. Look at the label of your salad dressings sometime. The first or second ingredient is usually sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Also, dressings are high in sodium. So here is my modified recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup broccoli
1/3 cup edamame
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
12 oz shrimp
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup orzo
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup amaranth
1 garlic clove, minced
thumb size piece of fresh ginger, diced

Asian dressing
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
1/4 orange, juiced and zested
thumb size piece of fresh ginger, diced
1/4 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Prep

Chop pepper, onions, peas, and cilantro. I used frozen broccoli and edamame so I just thawed them out. Dice ginger and garlic.

Steps
Preheat large nonstick sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Spray with cooking spray.Place shrimp in pan; cook 1–2 minutes until they turn pink.  Remove from pan; cover to keep warm. Add orzo, quinoa, amaranth, garlic and ginger. Saute for a few minutes until the grains start to turn brown (this is a great way to add flavor!) Place water in same pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir 15-20 minutes or until tender and water has been absorbed. Stir in peppers, onions, peas, broccoli, edamame, cilantro, asian dressing, and shrimp; reduce heat to low and cook 1–2 minutes. (veggies will be crisp-tender). Remove from heat; top with sesame seeds and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Enjoy!

Smooth Moves

Always on the go, athletes need a quick effortless way to get in good nutrition. After a hard workout, it might seem faster and easier to stop at your local smoothie store than make your own, but becoming a regular can hinder the benefits of your exercise routine. Not all smoothies are created equal, with some containing your entire calorie needs for the day. Smoothie King's 32-ounce Hulk Strawberry contains 1,597 calories and 53 grams of fat! To make your next smoothie experience a healthy one, make these smart, on-the-go selections:

Keep it real: Juice concentrates, fruit purees, frozen yogurt, chocolate milk and syrups increase sugar and calories. Look for whole fruit or at least 100 percent fruit juice instead. The additional benefit of fresh fruit is extra fiber, which makes your smoothie more filling.


Keep it small: Calories in smoothies can range from 300 to 1,200, and they contain as high as 95 grams of carbohydrate, depending on size. Extra ounces mean unnecessary calories. Stick with smoothies that are no more than 16 to 20 ounces.


Keep it low fat: With ingredients like ice cream and whole milk, your strawberry smoothie could compete with a McDonald’s chocolate milkshake in terms of calories and fat. Choose shakes with lower fat ingredients like skim milk, soy, cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt. Add peanut butter for protein and healthy monounsaturated fat, but do so in moderation since one spoonful contains 100 calories.

Keep it simple: Smoothies are already high in vitamins and minerals anyway, so just say no to extras such as energy and immunity "boosts". Stick with the basics -- low-fat dairy and fresh fruit -- and you'll get all the nutrition you need.


Smoothies are a great way to get in your fruit and calcium intake. But beware; they can be high in calories depending on the ingredients. Be a wise consumer and chill out with a cool nutritious smoothie.

Smoothies from Smoothie King and Tropical Smoothie:
Smoothie King- go online for their nutritional information:
http://www.smoothieking.com/
Most Trim Down varieties are good choices.
Make it with Splenda or no sugar instead of turbinado sugar.


Tropical Smoothie
http://www.tropicalsmoothie.com/
Choose Splendid Smoothies: 200 calories or less
Make it with Splenda or no sugar instead of turbinado

Make your own smoothie at home.

Tips for a yummy smoothie
Use frozen fruit- your smoothie will stay colder and thicker
Add ice cubes to thicken up your smoothie
Add tofu for a protein packed smoothie- buy the silken tofu
Make it fast- put most of the ingredients in a plastic baggie in the freezer. Add milk or yogurt and blend. Also, you can make a big batch and freeze it in cups for later.

Basic smoothie recipe
Start with 8 oz of skim milk or low fat plain yogurt
Add 1 cup of fruit: banana, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Add ¼ cup of juice: orange, etc
To boost your protein intake, add a scoop of protein powder. Other add-ins: flaxseed, wheat germ, honey or vanilla extract.
Blend until smooth


Check out these great recipes from EatingWell: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_smoothie_recipes