WFMW: Eating Healthy (A Few Tips and a Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe)

 

Today’s Work-For-Me-Wednesday has a theme, “eating well” and “eating healthy.”   Everyone is supposed to share a recipe that fits in this category so stop by Rocks In My Dryer to find a plethora of great recipes to add to your cookbook.

Before I get to my recipe, I thought I would list a few things that help my family and I lead a healthier lifestyle.  I know we all have different body types and different metabolisms, so what might work for one person, might not work for another, but here is what helps us.  (Feel free to skip ahead to the recipe at the bottom if you don’t want to read these.)

 1.      Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.  We like to use big cups so it is easier for us to remember how much we have had.  I even go as far as having my own pitcher of water in the fridge – I drink one pitcher a day.

2.      Watch your portion size.  It is so easy to lose sight of this and unknowingly consume many extra calories.  For example, one serving of rice is ½ cup.  (I admit, this doesn’t always cut it for me, so I will normally eat ¾ – 1 cup depending on the rest of the meal.)  Calorie King is a great resource.

3.      Use brown rice and other whole grain foods.  For example, when I make enchiladas, I use multi-grain tortillas that are loaded with good fiber.

4.      Substitute healthier food items when cooking.  For example, when I need to make a cake from a box, I use applesauce instead of oil.  It actually makes it taste better.  I can’t tell you how many compliments I have gotten on cakes when I do this.  (Warning:  don’t substitute applesauce for oil when making banana bread.)

5.      If necessary, keep a record of EVERYTHING that you eat.  It might surprise you what you put in your mouth.  (When I am writing down what I eat, I tend to eat less junk because I don’t want to be accountable for it.)

6.      Avoid high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and other junk food items.  You know what these are.  If you are craving something sweet, eat it in moderation or find a more “healthy” alternative.  (I like to eat pudding cups when I get a craving.  However, I also like good chocolate, so I exercise so I can eat more of what I want .)

7.      Plan ahead and keep healthy snacks in the house.  It is easier to not slip up when you are starving when you have fruits and veggies on hand.

8.      Exercise and move more.

9.      Remove stress from your life, where possible, and get a good night’s sleep.

10. Appreciate and be kind to the body you have.  Remember it is about “optimum health, not optimum size.”  (Jeffrey Holland)

When I posted my Menu Plan Monday earlier this week, one of the meals I had listed was Sweet and Sour Chicken.   Since some people have asked me for this recipe, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and share it in this forum.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1 lb of chicken cooked and shredded (I normally use frozen chicken tenders from Costco)

1 clove garlic, finely diced

½ teaspoon salt

1 green pepper, diced

1 cup carrot strips

1 ¼ cups chicken broth

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ red wine vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup water

1 can crushed pineapple with juice

Boil chicken until tender.  (I like to add salt, onion powder and garlic powder to the water to give the chicken more flavor.  I then reserve the water to use as the chicken broth in the recipe.)  Shred the chicken.  In a skillet sprayed with PAM, on medium heat cook the carrots, green pepper and onion until tender-crisp.  Add the garlic and salt.  Then add the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and ginger.  Bring to a full boil. Thicken with cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water.  Add the shredded chicken and pineapple.  Serve over hot brown or white rice.

Bon Appetit!