A simple & eclectic meal worthy of the Tasty25 Magazine Hall of Fame! Check out this unique Grape, Avocado & Cherries Salad recipe submitted by Kathy Focca of Toronto in Ontario, Canada; it’s a healthy & delicious creation that’s only 263 calories per serving, and packed with wholesome carbohydrates & fiber! This makes for a perfect summertime snack or quick post-workout meal for any & all ages. Give this recipe a try, share your thoughts by leaving a rating & comment below, and we hope you enjoy! Happy Cooking! – Tasty25 Staff
CALORIE COUNT:263 Calories Per Serving; SERVING SIZE:1 Adult
Cut your grapes and cherries into halves, and then slice your avocado into small cubes.
In a medium sized bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until evenly mixed; Serve immediately, or if ingredients are room temperature, place in the freezer for 5 minutes before serving.
Eat & enjoy!
Thanks Kathy for sending in this wonderful arrangement to Tasty25 Magazine! What’s your Tasty25 creation? Send in your recipe, and be featured on Tasty25 by going to the “Submit Your Tasty25 Creation” page.
Salt is definitely one of our favorite seasonings to use, and the most common salt we use in our cooking is sodium chloride. Salt makes our food taste good, it preserves our food and we just can’t live without it; literally! Our bodies depend on sodium and chloride; Sodium regulates fluid and blood volume, helps our nerves send signals to each other, and chloride also maintains fluid and electrolyte balance*.
Photo Credit: polarbearmitens.blogspot.com
It is very rare that a person is sodium chloride deficient, but it is very common that there is excess intake of the beloved duo. The largest source of sodium chloride is from foods during processing. An adverse effect of high sodium chloride in our diets is high blood pressure. Consistently maintaining high blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular complications, kidney disease, and stroke; high sodium chloride concentration can exacerbate diabetes and other metabolic diseases. The Institute of Medicine recommends 1.5g/day is the adequate intake for healthy adults. This amount is equivalent to only ONE teaspoon of sodium chloride per day!
Tasty25 Magazine has 6 helpful tips on how to daily maintain healthy salt intake:
Eat foods, cooked or raw, in their natural state. The natural taste of the food shines better if there is little to no salt added!
Use other spices and herbs to enhance the food’s flavor instead of salt.
If buying canned vegetables that are preserved in salt (look in the ingredients label), rinse the vegetables with water to get rid of the excess salt.
Drink a lot of water!
Exercise for at least 25-30 minutes a day to sweat.
Be sure to use iodized salt to help ward of iodine deficiency.
*Dietary Reference Intakes 2005
Thy Ho-Pham is Tasty25 Magazine’s nutrition expert & nutritional advisor. Thy has a Masters Degree in Nutrition from the prestigious Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.
Is there such a thing as great tasting pizza that’s good for your body? Yes! Check out this Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage & Veggie Pizza submitted by Becky West of Leander, Texas; it’s low fat, balanced nutritionally, and is only 211 guilt-free calories per slice! Try out this recipe for a family lunch or dinner, or a get together with friends. Let us know your thoughts about this awesome recipe by leaving a rating & comment, and we hope you enjoy! Happy Cooking! – Tasty25 Staff
Every recipe has a story! Becky shared hers with us: “This year has been a life changing time for me. I have been morbidly obese for a majority of my life, and I have decided to change that. I am a Texas/southern girl, so it’s in my blood to love food. The problem was, I never ate the right food. Since deciding to lose weight, I have been on a mission to have everything that goes in my body be COMPLETELY natural, cleanly cooked, and functional. And by functional, I mean that every bite of food that goes into my body goes to work in making it healthier. Eating the way I do, I have lost almost 40 pounds in 6 months so far, and my energy has gone through the roof!” –Becky
CALORIE COUNT:211 Calories Per Serving; SERVING SIZE:1 Slice
What you need:
1 15oz. Can organic pizza sauce
1 14oz. Organic pizza crust
8oz. Sweet italian chicken & turkey sausage, sliced
Pour pizza sauce into a food processor, adding your basil, grape tomatoes, garlic, italian seasoning & salt; Blend thoroughly until mixed evenly.
Next, lightly brush grapeseed oil on crust, and place on pizza pan/tray.
Spread the sauce onto the crust generously, and add sausage & veggies.
Next, turn the oven down to 425 degrees F, and place pizza in oven; Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove pizza from the oven when crust becomes golden brown; Serve immediately.
Eat & enjoy!
Thanks Becky for sending in this wonderful arrangement to Tasty25 Magazine! What’s your Tasty25 creation? Send in your recipe, and be featured on Tasty25 by going to the “Submit Your Tasty25 Creation” page.
Here’s an opinion article from Tasty25 guest contributor & third year law student at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Michael Finkelstein titled “Obamacare On Your Plate: How the Affordable Care Act Can Bring About Healthier Living in America.”
Written by: Michael Finkelstein
“On Facebook, Twitter, and in the office, Americans have been very vocal about the recent Affordable Care Act decision announced recently by the Supreme Court. Whether you agree with the Court’s ruling or not, the opinion, and the substantive law it regards, will bring about a fundamental transformation in American society.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was drafted and passed in a response to the high costs of healthcare, in an effort to ensure universal access to healthcare in America. As the ACA, or “Obamacare,” is implemented, it will notably result in drastic changes across our healthcare system. While some will advocate for amending or repealing the ACA, changes to our infrastructure will persist. These changes will be most visible in America’s doctor’s offices and hospitals, where most of our citizens go for treatment.
In America, many of the issues driving up healthcare costs and thus, issues requiring treatment under the Affordable Care Act, are those related to obesity and problems stemming from poor diets, overindulgence, and lack of exercise. These issues will necessitate treatment under the ACA, which, like an insurance company, acts to spread costs around a larger pool of contributors.
Following the Court’s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, Americans will now have an unprecedented interest in each other’s medical costs, and thus, health. As Americans begin paying into the country’s pool to be allocated towards medical expenses, they will seek ways to drive down healthcare costs, in an effort to drive down how much of the health “tax” they are paying.
One of the easiest ways to do this will be in reducing the tremendous expense borne by our nation’s hospitals in treating disease and other problems resulting from obesity. This will bring Obamacare home to the kitchen as Americans begin clamoring for their fellow citizens to change their diets and eating habits, as well as exercising more.
Whether you agree or disagree with the law and its constitutionality, we can jumpstart the healthy living trend now by ensuring that our citizens develop and maintain healthy lifestyles! This starts right at home, in the kitchen, with something as simple as the foods you eat. If we can change the way that people eat, regulate their diet, and exercise more, we can help increase the lifestyles that people are living while decreasing health costs and thus, health-related expenditures. Food awareness is a crucial component to making healthier choices. Tasty25 Magazine has shown how individuals can cook delicious, cheap, and healthy food regularly for themselves and their families.
Also, a changing landscape will play out across the country at our nations schools, as better foods & exercise infiltrate the cafeteria and playground. As the government also has an interest in lowering health-related expenditures, we will begin seeing more healthy menu options and more fresh food. Our educational system is a tremendous infrastructure in our nation and a powerful avenue to reach out to our nation’s youth to begin educating them about living healthy lifestyles. Tasty25 has taken the initiative to begin working with local communities to teach our students about planning for a healthier lifestyle. With your help, we can bring our message and our goals to your community as we promote our food conscious network.
Tasty25 is committed to providing information about healthy lifestyles through better eating, living, and exercising in the coming months and years ahead, and will be here to provide you with tasty, delicious, and HEALTHY meals, along with tips on how to live a more active and healthy lifestyle.
Now, more than ever, we hope that you will help us grow and spread our message of food consciousness in your community, the rest of the country, and the world. Encourage your friends and family to visit our website, cook our recipes, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, send us smoke signals, or follow us on Twitter. Most importantly, engage with us somehow as we promote our message of food consciousness, one person at a time. We wish you all a sincere thank you, and Happy Cooking!”
Michael Finkelstein is a third year law student at LSU, Paul M. Hebert Law Center. You can visit his website, blog, and subscribe to his email newsletter at http://michaelfinkelstein.weebly.com/
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