Healthy Lunch Ideas For Work

The work week can get motonous. This is especially true in what lunches we bring to work . It is usually the same choices or leftovers week after week. Now is the time for change. Yes , you can change your routine and add healthy flavorful meals to your workplace. These meals can make you feel good during the day and give you that extra burst of energy when needed.

Turkey-Boursin Wrap Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cupsshredded cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix
• 3 ouncesarugula leaves, stems discarded
• 3/4 cupalfalfa sprouts
• 1 tablespoonextra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoonsalt
• 1/8 teaspoonblack pepper
• 6 (8-inch) spinach, tomato-basil, or plain flour tortillas
• 6 tablespoonslight Boursin cheese, about 2/3 package
• 36 (1/8-inch-thick) slices cucumber, about half a large cucumber
• 18 (1/8-inch-thick) slices plum tomatoes, about 3 tomatoes
• 12 ouncesthinly sliced cooked smoked turkey breast

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat.
Spread 1 tablespoon Boursin cheese over each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 6 slices cucumber, 3 slices tomato, and approximately 2 ounces turkey. Divide slaw mixture evenly among tortillas; spread on each and roll up. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally. Wrap each tortilla in plastic wrap.

Salman Salad with Dill Viniagrette

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoonschopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoonhoney
• 1/4 cupfresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoonsalt
• 1/8 teaspoonblack pepper
• 1 tablespoonolive oil
• 2 (6 ounce) cans boneless skinless pink salmon
• 1 cupchopped red bell pepper
• 1 cupchopped cucumber
• 1/2 cupchopped red onion
• 1/4 cupchopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 teaspoonsalt
• 1/4 teaspoonblack pepper
• 4 (1-ounce) slices French bread

Preparation

1. For the vinaigrette, combine first 5 vinaigrette ingredients (through black pepper) in a medium bowl. Add oil and stir well with a whisk. Set aside.
2. For the salad, flake salmon with a fork into a large bowl. Add the next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) and stir gently to combine.
Toss salad with the vinaigrette immediately before serving. Use a slotted spoon to serve.

Barley and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cupuncooked quick-cooking pearl barley
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cupfinely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup(2 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/3 cuplemon juice
• 2 tablespoonsolive oil
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 3/4 cupfresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoonground red pepper (optional)

Preparation

Cook barley according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain barley in a colander, and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.
Combine black beans, next 6 ingredients, and, if desired, cilantro and red pepper in a medium bowl. Add barley to black bean mixture; toss gently.

Mediteranian Shrimp and Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoonsolive oil
• Cooking spray
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 poundmedium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cupschopped plum tomato
• 1/4 cupthinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/3 cupchopped pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoonscapers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
• 4 cupshot cooked angel hair pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 1/4 cup(2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato and basil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until tomato is tender. Stir in kalamata olives, capers, and black pepper.
Combine shrimp mixture and pasta in a large bowl; toss well. Top with cheese.


Hoisin-Mango Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

• 8 slices pumpernickel bread
• Hoisin sauce
• 1 whole roasted chicken, skin removed
• 2 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 bunch watercress sprigs, stemmed
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation

Arrange the bread on a work surface. Spread each slice with 1 to 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce. Top half the slices with thinly sliced roasted chicken, mango, a few watercress sprigs, and a little red onion. Place remaining bread on top, and press together gently. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally.


These recipes will have you not only enjoying your lunches better but feeling better because of their nutritional value. Thank you to health.com for finding such amazing food creations.If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting !

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team

Healthy Summer Foods and Recipes

Doesn't that look good ? Summer food always looks good and surprisingly many summer foods are good for you. So, we looked for real flavorful summer foods that are good for you and found some great recipes from  food network.com that you can use this summer. Here is the recipes including the one in the picture.

Sausage and Peppers Skewers

Ingredients
1 cup couscous
2 bell peppers (red and yellow), cut into chunks
1 (12-ounce) package chicken sausage (preferably garlic-flavored), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 scallions, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions
Soak eight 8-inch skewers in water, at least 15 minutes. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Prepare the couscous as the label directs.

Meanwhile, toss the bell peppers, sausage, onion and tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Thread onto the skewers, alternating the sausage and vegetables. Grill, turning, until the vegetables are slightly softened and the sausage begins to brown, 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree the parsley, cilantro and scallions in a blender with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Brush the skewers with some of the pesto and continue to cook, turning, until the tomatoes are tender and the sausage is charred, 6 to 7 more minutes.

Toss the couscous with half of the remaining pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the skewers and the remaining pesto, for dipping.

Per serving: Calories 396; Fat 13 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 56 mg; Sodium 356 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 24 g

Grilled Steak and Papaya Salad

Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Thai bird chile, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Place garlic, chile, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and oil in a mini food processor and process until smooth. Place beef in a small baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remove the beef from the marinade and season it with salt and pepper. Grill meat until charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Papaya Dressing:
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 Thai bird chiles, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 large red romaine lettuce leaves, cut into strips
1 bunch watercress
1 large green papaya, peeled and thinly shredded
2 carrots, peeled and thinly shredded
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, chiles, mint, vinegar, sugar, and fish sauce. Set aside. In another bowl, toss the lettuce leaves and watercress together and then arrange the mixture on a platter.

Combine the papaya and carrots in a medium bowl. Evenly distribute the papaya mixture over the lettuce. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the steak on top and drizzle steak with some more dressing. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients
Shortcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold (salted) butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon sliced almonds

Filling
4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar (depending on the ripeness of the berries)
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoons 0 percent or 2 percent fat Greek Yogurt per serving, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Shortcakes: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse meal.

Whisk together 1/2 cup buttermilk, the egg, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and lightly mix with your hands just until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 7-inch round about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into 8 equal sized wedges. Space the shortcakes evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Filling: Combine the strawberries, sugar, zest, and juice in a large bowl. Let stand until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy, about 15 minutes.

Split the shortcakes. Place the bottom halves of the shortcakes on plates and top evenly with the strawberry mixture and the yogurt. Cover with tops of the shortcakes. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if using.Copyright 2009 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Nutritonal analysis per serving: 1 shortcake with 1/2 cup filling and 1 tablespoon topping.Calories 215; Total Fat 6 g; (Sat Fat 3 g, Mono Fat 2 g, Poly Fat 0.5g) ; Protein 6 g; Carb 35 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 39 mg; Sodium 270 mg

Citrus Trout Almondine

Directions
Drizzle 2 sheets of foil with olive oil; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3/4 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds. Brush four 6-ounce trout fillets with more olive oil; season with saltand pepper. Place each fillet, skin-side down, on top of the nuts. Top with a few orange slices (leave the peel on), then add another fillet, skin-side up, to form a trout sandwich. Sprinkle with more almonds and coriander seeds. Fold up the foil sheets and grill over high heat until the fish is just cooked through and the almonds are toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully loosen the almond crust from the bottom of the foil with a spatula.

Grilled Vegetable Panini

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small Japanese eggplants or 1 medium to large regular eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 baguettes (each about 2 feet long)
1/2 cup Basil Pesto, recipe follows
8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella cheese, drained, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
8 large basil leaves, optional

Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil over the eggplant, zucchini, and onion slices, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and onions until they are tender and grill marks appear, about 4 minutes per side. Cool completely.

Cut each baguette into 6 pieces. Working with one baguette piece at a time, slice in half and spread both sides with the pesto. Working with the bottom slice of the baguette, stack 2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices zucchini, 1 slice onion, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice mozzarella, and 1 slice of roasted pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place top half of baguette on top and continue with remaining baguette. (The sandwiches can be made 4 hours ahead. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Basil Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The pesto can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Yield: 1 cup Prep Time: 10 minutes

Food Network did a great job in assembling the recipes from different chefs. Hope you enjoy the recipes over the next few summer months.If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting !

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team 

A Practical Guide To Eating Healthy During The Holidays

            Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas parties,and New Years Eve are some of the holidays that are upon us. We want to eat healthy and also want to enjoy those special holiday meals with loved ones. How do we enjoy the holidays and keep balance in our nutritional diet? Well, CPMC Sutter Health and Dr Greta Macaire with Community Health Resource Center has come up with great eating suggestions that are both healthy and practical to enjoy those special holiday meals.

Ten Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

1. Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.
2. Plan time for exercise. Exercise helps relieve holiday stress and prevent weight gain. A moderate and daily increase in exercise can help partially offset increased holiday eating. Try 10- or 15-minute brisk walks twice a day.
3. Don’t skip meals. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack like raw vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.
4. Survey party buffets before filling your plate. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables and fruits to keep your plate balanced.
5. Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite holiday treats while eating small portions. Sit down, get comfortable, and enjoy.
6. Be careful with beverages. Alcohol can lessen inhibitions and induce overeating; non-alcoholic beverages can be full of calories and sugar.
7. If you overeat at one meal go light on the next. It takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) above your normal/maintenance consumption to gain one pound. It is impossible to gain weight from one piece of pie!
8. Take the focus off food. Turn candy and cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, dough art decorations or a gingerbread house. Plan group activities with family and friends that aren’t all about food. Try serving a holiday meal to the community, playing games or going on a walking tour of decorated homes.
9. Bring your own healthy dish to a holiday gathering.
10. Practice Healthy Holiday Cooking. Preparing favorite dishes lower in fat and calories will help promote healthy holiday eating. Incorporate some of these simple-cooking tips in traditional holiday recipes to make them healthier.
• Gravy — Refrigerate the gravy to harden fat. Skim the fat off. This will save a whopping 56 gm of fat per cup.
• Dressing — Use a little less bread and add more onions, garlic, celery, and vegetables. Add fruits such as cranberries or apples. Moisten or flavor with low fat low sodium chicken or vegetable broth and applesauce.
• Turkey – Enjoy delicious, roasted turkey breast without the skin and save 11 grams of saturated fat per 3 oz serving.
• Green Bean Casserole — Cook fresh green beans with chucks of potatoes instead of cream soup. Top with almonds instead of fried onion rings.
• Mashed Potato — Use skim milk, chicken broth, garlic or garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter.
• Quick Holiday Nog — Four bananas, 1-1/2 cups skim milk or soymilk, 1-1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 teaspoon rum extract, and ground nutmeg. Blend all ingredients except nutmeg. Puree until smooth. Top with nutmeg.
• Desserts — Make a crustless pumpkin pie. Substitute two egg whites for each whole egg in baked recipes. Replace heavy cream with evaporated skim milk in cheesecakes and cream pies. Top cakes with fresh fruit, fruit sauce, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead of fattening frosting.

        Enjoy the holidays, plan a time for activity, incorporate healthy recipes into your holiday meals, and don't restrict yourself from enjoying your favorite holiday foods. In the long run, your mind and body will thank you.

       We hope this helps you to truly enjoy those holiday meals while keeping nutrition in mind. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting !

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team 

Discover the Powerful Health Benefits Found in Peaches

        Eating fruit everyday is important to ones  health. It is beneficial to eat fruits full of vitamins because your body has a higher absorbent rate of using those vitamins than  even taking daily  vitamin supplements. Fruits are unfortunately not made equal with vitamins and nutrients. As a result of this fact, the choice of which fruit to eat becomes vital.

       So that brings us to this question. Are peaches really worth eating everyday?  Yes , It is. In fact peaches have been  found to have more nutrients and health benefits than previously thought.

       

       Peaches are a good source of many different vitamins and minerals, but one that particularly prologues life is potassium. Peaches provide a high source for this mineral. If you have a shortage of potassium, you're likely to have fatigue, anxiety, muscle weakness, skin problems, poor memory, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure or heart deterioration and vibration in your ears. The laundry list of potential diseases low potassium has more potential to develop if you're on diuretics, have abdominal problems or diarrhea or simply sweat profusely.

        Another health benefit of peaches is the amount of beta-carotene it contains. The body changes beta-carotene to Vitamin A.Vitamin A is essential in so many of the body's functions. A recent study showed that people who had higher amounts of vitamin A in their diet had less risk of developing cataracts. Other studies show a derivative of vitamin A might be instrumental in curing COPD, at least in mice. There are presently no studies on humans.

        Peaches also contain lycopene and lutein. These are also carotenes, like beta-carotene and give color to the peach. There are several studies and indications that these two substances, can help prevent macular degeneration, cancer and heart disease.

        Peaches are high in fiber.There are two types of fiber. Insoluble fiber doesn't dissolve in water and soluble fiber does. Insoluble fiber is heart healthy because it collects water and increases the bulk of the stool. Your stool then acts like little scrubbers along the intestines and removes the build up of waste. This helps prevent colon cancer. Cleansing the intestinal wall also increases the amount of nutrients your body can absorb and rids the body of toxicity. Insoluble fiber also helps to lower cholesterol levels.

  
       Almost everyone knows that oranges are a good source of vitamin C. The Florida orange growers won't let you forget. However, peaches are also high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight cancer by improving the immune system and preventing cellular change.

Thanks to health food guide.com for this amazing information about peaches.

If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank You for Visiting!

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team