Search Results for: blog chinese buffets nutritional no nos

Save Money—-Make Your Own Chinese Restaurant-Style Dishes

I love getting Chinese take-out, especially on Friday nights. Unfortunately, with the economy (and my family budget) in flux, Chinese food has tumbled to the bottom of the priority list. The fact that it cost nearly $40 to feed a family a four (two main dishes and two sides) means I probably won’t be visiting my favorite Chinese eatery for a while. If you love Chinese food as much as I do, but you don’t have the cash to feed your habit, consider making your own. There are dozens of Chinese dishes that can be made in less than an … Continue reading →

How to Eat Chinese Food Without Feeling Guilty

How many times have you ordered Chinese food since the kick off of the Summer Olympics in Beijing? I’m guilty or indulging in more than my share over the last 16 days. It’s hard not to, after all, Chinese dishes are among the most popular in the world and with all eyes on China for the last two weeks it’s no surprise that requests for regional recipes are at an all time high. Unfortunately, not all Chinese food is prepared the same and the cuisine sometimes gets a bad rap for offering unhealthy choices–many of which are loaded with sodium. … Continue reading →

What Do You Mean Pop-Tarts Are NOT Healthy?

Okay, I’m not completely nutritional challenged. I know that the popular toaster pastry isn’t exactly packed with vitamins and nutrients. However, I didn’t realize that you are better off skipping breakfast altogether than downing one as you dash out the door. It was news to me. A nutritional update I got directly from someone who knows a thing or two about the health benefits of food. Last week I drove to the TV station I used to work for to drop off a birthday present for a friend/former colleague. (I was out of town and missed her party.) As I … Continue reading →

Go Asian Tonight

With the economy tanking my family (like many across the country) has been forced to cut back on the number of meals we eat out. In fact, these days, save for the occasional Happy Meal (which is purchased only in dire situations), we really don’t frequent restaurants at all. However, this doesn’t mean that we’ve completely eliminated restaurant-type foods; it just means that I’ve had to get more creative in the kitchen. Being from Hawaii (and of Japanese descent) it stands to reason that I crave Asian food more than any other type of cuisine. Consequently, I have a collected … Continue reading →

Spicing Up the Holidays with Healthy Spices

My daughter and I spent the better part of last week in the kitchen trying to get our holiday baking done. We’ve got a few more batches of cookies to go before I can collapse under the Christmas tree and start enjoying the fruits of our labor. It’s been hectic, but there’s nothing better than having your home smell like the inside of a spice factory. The mouth-watering aroma of warm spices got me thinking about the nutritional value of some of the ingredients we’ve been adding to our recipes—-namely the spices. Obviously spices make a dish taste good, but … Continue reading →

Making Healthy Choices at the Thanksgiving Dinner Table

For many people who watch what they eat on a daily basis Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that they throw caution to the wind and devour whatever their stomachs desire. Not my sister-in-law. In fact, she won’t eat a bite of turkey (or ham) today. Rather, she’ll fill her plate with samples of all of the fabulous side dishes that surround the sliced up bird. It’s not because she’s a vegetarian; rather she believes that she’s doing her body good by skipping the meat dishes and eating the lower calorie menu options. (To each her own I … Continue reading →

Is Pasta Really Healthy?

This Sunday more than 35,000 runners will take to the streets of the Big Apple for the 2007 New York City Marathon. Prior to making their way along the 26.2-mile route runners have the opportunity to participate in the traditional night-before pasta dinner. Carb loading before a big race is part of the training process. At least it was for me. I pigged out on pasta before I ran the Chicago Marathon. I gorged on ziti at the Olive Garden before I ran the Madison Marathon and I had two plates of spaghetti plus four pieces of garlic bread the … Continue reading →

An Apple A Day Keeps Cancer Away

In a previous blog I recounted our recent trip to a local apple orchard. Despite my concerns about the farm’s pricing structure, we had a great time and left with more apples than we could possibly consume. In fact, if the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is really true I should be able to keep my daughter out of the pediatrician’s office until next summer. Kidding aside, the health benefits associated with apples are serious business. Studies show eating apples can reduce a number of diseases. And with apple harvest season in full swing there’s no … Continue reading →

Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Did you know September is National Mushroom Month? I didn’t either until I saw a sign in the supermarket yesterday encouraging shoppers to “Celebrate the Mushroom.” At first I thought it was a ploy to get customers to buy mushrooms. But when I got home I did some research and learned that this month is indeed National Mushroom Month. I also discovered that the formidable fungi offer many health benefits. In fact, several Eastern cultures have long revered mushrooms as both food and medicine. But it wasn’t until just recently that researchers have been able to back up those claims … Continue reading →

Eating Healthy At The State Fair—It Can Be Done

I know what you are thinking… Is it possible to eat healthy at a place where just about everything is deep-fried and impaled with a stick? Moreover, does anyone try to eat healthy at a local fair? I know I don’t. But then there are people like my friend (and running partner) Kim who do. Recently I detailed my adventures at our local fair and listed all of the tantalizing on-a-stick-creations my daughter and I gorged on during our time there. Kim attended the same State Fair with her kids and she left without ever wrapping her lips around a … Continue reading →