Because cravings mostly go away after a time, some of my clients find it helpful to set a timer for 10 minutes and by that time the cravings have usually subsided. Others list the reason why they want to lose weight or why they want to eat less sugar on a 3 x 5 card and put it in a prevalent place to remind them that they are in the process of making different choices to be leaner and healthier.

So much of what we eat is a product of our pre-planning what we will eat and having the ingredients or the meal or snack ready to eat so that we are well-nourished. It takes a little work and focus to eat well but it is very well worth it!

There are some great recipes that can help you prepare your healthy meals and snacks quickly in my cookbooks: “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s” and “Quick and Healthy Meals from Trader Joe’s”. Check out my home page to order.

Here is a good and practical article on sugar cravings from Sparkpeople.com: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1663

Sweet Potato Dip

1 pound sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled or use TJ’s Sweet Potato Spears and cook according to package    directions

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons TJ’s Satay Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons TJ’s Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

Dash cayenne pepper or more to taste

Combine sweet potatoes, satay sauce and peanut vinaigrette in a food processor and blend  until smooth. Use as a dip for vegetables or crackers.

Makes about 2 cups

Per 2 tablespoons: 66 calories, 2.5 g fat, 135 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 0.9 g fiber, 2.7 g protein

To lower the calories, lower the amount of Satay Peanut Sauce to 1/4 cup and add more cayenne

One had decided she would only drink wine one evening a week and one had used loseit.com to keep food and exercise records. Both have been very successful with making changes are very happy with the results.

So many of us decide we will behave differently in order to lose weight, lower our cholesterol, get in better shape, etc. and then we fail to follow through.

I found a slip of paper last week on which I had written down, “ Success comes from doing a few behaviors  consistently.  Failure comes from a lack of discipline practiced over and over.”

Think about something you do well without even thinking about it. You got good at it by practicing that behavior over and over. Like typing or texting, for instance.

I often tell my private weight management clients that great exercise and eating choices add up and that each one matters. Every time we make a great exercise, eating, drinking or even thinking choice, it adds to our success and conversely, every “bad” choice we make concerning exercise, eating, drinking and thinking leads us away from our goals.

What did my two hiking companions have that many who are trying to make a change don’t have (yet)?

My hiking companions had:

• A decision that came from awareness and of discontent of their body weight/shape
• A reasonable, doable plan of actions they would take
• Tools to practice (they each knew what actions would bring results)
• Supportive environments (they made sure that they had what they needed to be successful in their environments, whether that be home, work or otherwise)
• A means to measure their success (a scale, the way their clothes fit, measurements, etc.)
• A sense of accomplishment and pride at the results of the changes they made- success builds success so they want to continue with those behaviors that worked

Having great recipes and ideas for quick and healthy meals makes choosing healthy foods much easier! Check out my “Quick and Healthy Meals from Trader Joe’s” and “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s” cookbooks available here and anywhere books are sold as well as many gift stores.

Kumquats are in season!

 
You can halve or double this recipe. Some recipes also add jalapeno peppers. For a photo of a similar recipe, go to www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kumquat_salsa

You can purchase all of the ingredients from Trader Joe’s when kumquats are in season.

Kumquat Salsa

• 3 cups chopped, remove seeds and thinly sliced kumquat
• 1 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add red pepper and cayenne to make it a little spicy.
2. Wait for least an hour and let the flavors blend.
3. Serve with baked or low-fat tortilla chips or over ahi tuna, mahi mahi or chicken. Or use to top fish tacos.

Find other quick, healthy and delicious recipes in my two popular Trader Joe’s cookbooks, “Quick and Healthy Meals from Trader Joe’s” and “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s”, available wherever books are sold and this website.

I was at my local Trader Joe’s today and found lots of people shopping from a list and judging from the amount of food in their carts, they were shopping for at least a few days worth of meals. They (we) have a better chance of serving healthy meals (if that was their intention) than those who might rush in at 5, 6 or even 7 o’clock looking for something quick to put on the table.  They (we)  might taste what the demo person is serving and choose to purchase those items or wander around until they are inspired,  not caring about the nutritional value of the food because they are in a hurry and most likely, hungry! (Not to say that the demo food is unhealthy; just that the nutritional value of the food is not their main concern.)

When I had two small children,  I would scan cookbooks and magazines on Sunday evening to plan for the weekly grocery shopping trip on Monday. One day while I was out walking with one son riding his bicycle with training wheels and the other in the stroller thinking about how much I had to do that day, it occurred to me that my mother had a weekly rotation of foods that she served.  She was from England so we always had roast beef on Sunday, roast beef sandwiches on Monday, maybe spaghetti on Tuesday and so on. No one noticed that we didn’t have a huge variety of meals and my mother’s grocery shopping experience was pretty simple. (Not easy, but simple compared with what many families expect of themselves these days.)

After that revelation I stopped trying to serve such a diverse menu and created a 3-week rotation for our family of15 or so meals that everyone liked or at least could tolerate. I created a master grocery list and had the menu on the side where I could write in the names of the recipes and the source of the recipes in case I needed to look them up in my cookbooks. (There was no  internet at that point-at least that I was aware of.)  It really simplified the menu planning and grocery shopping and left moretime for me to focus on all the other things I was responsible for as well as gave us more time to play in the parks. After about a year it morphed into about 10 meals that we rotated through.  We got our variety or novelty in our foodchoices from going out on the weekends or entertaining guests with different recipes than those in our rotation.

I have created a two-week menu plan AND shopping list for those of you who shop at Trader Joe’s and want to follow a 1400-calorie or higher meal plan in my new cookbook, “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s”.  Weight Watcher PointPlus points for all of the recipes are on this site as well as a vegetarian weekly plan and more on the way.  It may help you to simplify the organizing and shopping job so that you can be successful with having the foods that are good for you when you are hungry as well  as give you more time to do something fun! Check it out and let me know if this blog was  helpful to you/

If you like crunchy salads, this one is a winner. My friend, Hester, brought this to a  book club meeting and we all asked for the recipe. After checking online, I see that it is from Cooking Light and I have made some adaptations. I lowered the amount of sugar from 2 1/2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon for a carbohydrate reduction of almost 3 grams of carbs. To lower even further, use stevia extract (available at Trader Joe’s in a little bottle with a tiny spoon.) Each spoon is equivalent in sweetness to about 1 teaspoon of sugar. If you are going to use it in this dish, add a couple of tiny spoonfuls and then add more depending on desired sweetness.

You could serve this in little bowls or ramekins as nests and add a yellow marshmallow peep on the top of each salad “nest”.  Quick, get to the store before they are sold out! It would get the kids’ attention anyway! Be sure to make this several hours ahead of time to benefit from the enhanced flavor.

Broccoli and Apple Salad

Serves 8

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil or light olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 2/3 packages TJ’s Broccoli Florets or (1 1/4-pound) head of broccoli
• 1 1/4 cups chopped Braeburn or Fuji apple (about 1/2 pound)
• 1/4 cup minced Walla Walla or other sweet onion (If you don’t have, use a regular yellow onion)

Whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl.
If not using TJ’s Broccoli Florets, coarsely chop broccoli into 1 1/2-inch pieces, and place in the bowl with vinegar mixture. Add chopped apple and minced onion, tossing to coat.

Prepare this salad up to 8 hours in advance for best flavor.

Per 3/4 cup serving: 63 calories, 2.4 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9.2 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 196 mg sodium, 2.8 g protein

For a variation, add some TJ’s Broccoli Slaw, shredded cabbage, chopped cauliflower or chopped celery in place of broccoli.

For another great salad using broccoli,  check out Broccoli Salad with Grapes and Raisins on page 83 of “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s”

If you try this, let me know how you liked it.

while giving out samples from “Livin’ Lean with Trader Joe’s” and signing copies

from 1-3 PM this coming Sunday, April 1.

Come by and say “hello” if you are in the area or come to Benicia

to check out all the fun!

Benicia  Bay Company

714 First  St.,  Benicia

Sounds like lots of fun!

For more information on Benicia in Bloom go to:

http://beniciamainstreet.org/ms_events/in-bloom.html

And for info on one of the cutest gift stores around go to:

http://beniciabay.com/

Hope to see you there!

Jamie

and it contains soy sauce so I put together a recipe that is similar without the wheat.

It’s very easy and delicious! I spoon it over cooked vegetables or dip slightly cooked

vegetables into it for a snack.  Or spoon it on rice cakes.  I have been cooking Northern

White beans to use in the hummus.  I soak them all night in water, rinse  and then

place them in a slow-cooker with water covering them, cover and cook on HIGH

for about 4 to 5 hours. I use whatever beans I have left after making the hummus

to add to soups or I add water to cover and freeze them.

White Bean and Basil Hummus

1 15-ounce can Great Northern White beans, drained,  or 2 cups cooked Northern White beans

2 tablespoons tahini

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2/3 teaspoon TJ’s Crushed Garlic or 2 cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil

1 cup fresh basil, chopped or 2 tablespoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional (do add if you cooked the beans yourself without  salt)

1/2 teaspoon tamari, or more to taste

1/16 teaspoon white pepper

dash cayenne pepper

water as needed

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until

smooth. Add a tablespoon or two or water to thin mixture as desired.

Makes 1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons)