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Hosting or attending a Super Bowl party on Sunday? 

How fun. Game Day has always been an unspoken holiday in the United States--and another opportunity for friends and family to celebrate. However, Game Day could also ruin your clean eating diet, with junk food and alcohol appearing everywhere, tempting you to splurge on calories and fat.

To continue your weight loss journey with clean eating and still enjoy food at Super Bowl parties, consider trying the easy healthy appetizers below.

Theyre quick, tasty and crowd-pleasing, but most of all, theyre healthy. From creamy dip to crunchy veggies, these clean eating ideas and weight loss foods help you stay on track of a clean eating diet without feeling deprived during the fun-filled American "holiday."

1. Veggies and Hummus Dip

Crunchy veggies in creamy hummus? Yes please!

2. All Natural Corn Chips and Greek Yogurt Guacamole

Have you tried Trader Joes Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole?

Its delicious! Made with nonfat Greek yogurt, this lighter guacamole contains only 30 calories and two grams of fat per serving. Yet it tastes just as good, if not better, than traditional guacamole. Im in LOVE with it! Hope you give it a try.

For chips I used Way Better Snacks Simply Beyond Black Bean Tortilla Chips.

Oh my god! They are delicious! Theyre sprouted tortilla chips, which means the grains are sprouted to increase nutrients and better digestion. The black beans also reduce cholesterol. Plus, and again, theyre delicious.

Get them at Way Better Snacks Black Bean Chips.

3. Apple Banana and All Natural Peanut Butter Stack

Just stack all-natural peanut butter, Apple slices and banana together, and enjoy!

4. 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fruit Dip (by Cooking Classy)

What a creative idea by Cooking Classy! This fruit dip is easy-to-do and protein-rich. To make it even cleaner, I recommend using all-natural, freshly-ground peanut butter, raw honey and nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Still, this is a wonderful and creative idea, and heres the original recipe: Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

Photo credit goes to Cooking Classy.

5. Cucumber and All-Natural Turkey Sandwich Bites

Simple and protein-rich, these bite-sized sandwiches are great for low-carb diet. I eat these often as snack and saw them fitting to be served at Super Bowl parties.

6. Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (by Gal on a Mission)

Cauliflower fans are in luck because these buffalo-flavored snacks are crunchy, tasteful and nutritious. Rich in vitamin C, folate and fiber, cauliflower is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables in the world. Due to its thick texture, it can be cooked in various ways, including being used as pizza crust. 

This clean eating recipe transformed cauliflower into a classic Super Bowl appetizer, with saucy, finger-licking buffalo spices and creamy dip on the side. I absolutely adore this idea, and hope you like it too.

Find recipe at Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.

Photo credit goes to Gal on a Mission

7. Tuna Salad on Roasted Seaweed

Many consider seaweed as super food because its abundant in iodine, which keeps thyroids healthy and therefore regulates hormones. Seaweed also reduces inflammation and is rich in antioxidants.

Seaweed, especially roasted seaweed in this clean eating appetizer, is also tasty. Its slightly salty, crunchy and wholesomely delicious. Add tuna salad on top and these make the perfect bite-sized snack.

Interested in the recipe? Find it at Healthy Appetizer - Tuna Salad on Roasted Seaweed.

8. Crunchy Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Stack (recipe from Clean Eating Recipes Blog)

Not sure about you but I feel that pesto makes everything tastier. The combination of crunchy cucumber and soft tomato also works well. Overall, this was a wonderful, delicious appetizer to both serve and enjoy.

You can find recipe at Clean Eating Appetizer - Crunchy Tomato Mozzarella and Pesto Stack.

9. Paleo and Low Carb Deviled Eggs (by Ripped Recipes)

These low carb treats are made tastier with avocado. Deviled eggs are already crowd-pleasers--and Ive a feeling that these avocado-filled deviled eggs will please even more.

Find recipe at Paleo and Low Carb Deviled Eggs.

Photo Credit by Ripped Recipes

10. Natural and Organic Chips and Snacks

Well its the Super Bowl after all, and you deserve to splurge. But if you splurge, splurge on natural and organic snacks that are non-GMO and contain little preservatives. As long as youre aware, youll find ample choices like Terra Chips (see below), vacuum-fried vegetable, Nuts and Dried Fruit Mixes and organic chocolate.

Terra Chips are awesome! They are made with real vegetables, are non-GMO and gluten- and preservatives-free. Theyre crunchy, delightful and great for snacking.

Get them at Terra Sweets and Beets.

Another awesome idea is mixed nuts and I like Kirklands Signature Extra Fancy Unsalted Mixed Nuts. The mix includes almonds, peanuts, cashews...basically, all your favorites, and are fun to nibble on and delectable to taste.

Get them at Kirkland Mixed Nuts.

Happy Super Bowl Day!

I know. Theres no such thing.

Well, I hope you enjoy the game, the gatherings and the food anyway.

See you next time on Clean Eating Weight Loss Meal Plan!

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To celebrate getting back into the habit of blogging after a whirlwind month that included moving, I am giving you a salad that is both super simple and very delicious. I dare you to not love this salad. Its a healthful easy to make salad for the lettuce phobic or just someone tired of the same old romaine routine. Technically it doesnt even need a recipe just a combination of six ingredients you probably have in your kitchen on a regular basis.

Aside from the amazing minimalism of it this is a beautiful salad. The contrast between the blueberries and carrot in color is reveled only by the juxtaposition of the crunchy and then sweet soft berries. It was outstanding with a lean steak and a microbrewed local beer. This was the perfect meal to christen my kitchen with and I fully plan on preparing many more of the salads from this article in the New York Times. My life needs more simple, light, no fuss dishes and the dwindling days of summer seems like the right time to work my way through 101 salads.

Blueberry and Carrot Salad

2 carrots, ribboned or grated
1 handful fresh blue berries
1/2 handful sunflower seeds
equal parts olive oil and lemon juice
lots of black pepper

Grate or ribbon carrots into a bowl. Toss on blueberries and sunflower seeds.

Whisk oil, lemon juice and pepper together. Pour over carrot mixture. Toss to coat.

From a recipe suggestion by Mark Bittman in the New York Times The Minimalist column.

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Among all the foods, I have decided to pick the top five super foods which have been shown to lower cholesterol and can be included in a healthy diet on a regular basis.

1.            Oat for Soluble Fiber

Oatmeal and oat bran are rich in soluble fiber, a type of fiber which lowers the bad Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol without lowering the good High Density Lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. In 1997, the FDA authorized a heart disease risk reduction health claim for beta-glucan soluble fiber from oat products. Food products containing oat bran and rolled oats, such as oatmeal, and whole oat flour can bear this health claim.

How much do you need? Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Some studies showed that this amount can lower cholesterol by as much as 23 percent. One bowl of oatmeal contains about 3 grams of soluble fiber. Include other soluble-fiber-rich foods such as psyllium, apples, kidney beans, pears and barley.

2.            Fish for Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids are noted for its triglyceride-lowering power.

How much do you need? In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring. If you have high triglyceride levels, AHA recommends 2 to 4 g of EPA and DHA (two specific types of omega 3 oil) as supplements under your doctors care.

3.            Nuts for Healthy Fats

Nuts rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have all been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol.

How much do you need? In 2003, the FDA recognized the benefits of nuts and their role in heart disease prevention by approving a health claim for seven kinds of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts). Limit your intake to ~ 1.5 ounces a day, as nuts are high in calories. The best way to reap the health benefits of nuts is to eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats such as meat products.

4.            Foods fortified with Plant Sterols

Plant sterols or stanols are powerful substances naturally found in plant to have the ability to block cholesterol absorption. Studies showed that eating two servings of sterols-fortified foods daily result in a 10 to 15 percent drop in LDL cholesterol levels.

How much do you need? The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that people who have high cholesterol eat 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day. You can find plant sterols in fortified foods such as margarine spread, orange juice, salad dressings, functional cookies etc. Most sterols-fortified foods contain at least 1 gram of plant sterols per serving. Please read the portion size and usage direction on the labels for details. It is important to note that plant sterols are not for everyone. The AHA recommends it only for people with high levels of LDL cholesterol.

5.            Soy

Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. In 1999, the FDA recognized the health benefits of soy and heart disease by approving a soy health claim. However, due to conflicting results from a large-scale review performed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the AHA Nutrition Committee no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol.

Should you avoid soy then? A simple answer is No. Although soy may not lower cholesterol to the extent we previously thought it could, the US Agency review showed that it can still lower bad LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. Since soy products contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low levels of saturated fat, AHA does consider soy products a healthy replacement for meats and other foods high in saturated fat and total fat.

Written by  Gloria Tsang, RD of http://www.healthcastle.com/

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Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement your weight-loss plan. Here are creative and healthy ways to satisfy your hunger.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Your stomach is growling, but lunch is hours away. You could indulge yourself with a snack, but you think its best to grit your teeth and wait for lunch. Not so, if weight loss is your goal.

Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks arent necessarily bad. In fact, well-planned weight-loss diets, allow for snacks to help manage hunger and reduce bingeing. Eating a healthy snack of a piece of fruit or some raw veggies can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal. The key to incorporating snacks into your weight-loss plan is to keep moderation and balance in mind.

Choose healthy snacks

Select foods that satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Opt for snacks of 100 calories or less to stay within your daily calorie goal. You can eat more of foods with low energy density, such as carrots, grapes and air-popped popcorn, for your 100 calories. Choose snacks from these food groups:

§  Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with little to no fat and only a small number of calories. Fruits and vegetables also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

§  Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.

§  Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They can be high in fat, but its mostly monounsaturated, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so dont eat them in large quantities.

§  Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for low-calorie or "light" varieties.

What does a 100-calorie snack look like?

Although snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, they can also be a source of excess calories if you arent careful. For example, a small handful of almonds (about 14 nuts) contains 100 calories. But eat a cup of almonds, and the calorie count jumps to over 800 calories.

So what are some smart choices? Here are several suggestions for 100-calorie snacks:

§  1 cup sliced bananas and fresh raspberries

§  2 cups of carrots

§  3 1/2 cups air-popped popcorn

§  5 melba toast crackers, rye or pumpernickel

§  2 tablespoons of peanuts

§  2 domino-sized slices of low-fat Colby or cheddar cheese

§  1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup

When a snack fills in for a meal

With todays busy world, healthy meals often lose out to busy schedules. A grab-and-go snack could be the difference between some nourishment and none at all. Youll find it easier to choose good-for-you snacks if you stock your refrigerator and shelves with foods that are fast — not fussy. These ideas for healthy snacks minimize fat and calories and maximize whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Theyre all around 200 calories.

§  Toast one-half of a whole-wheat English muffin. Top with one slice Canadian bacon, a tomato slice and one slice low-fat American cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts.

§  Spread 1 tablespoon part-skim ricotta cheese over one-half of a small cinnamon-raisin bagel. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and top with a thinly sliced apple.

§  Top a small baked potato with 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

§  Layer a 6-inch soft corn or flour tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts. Slice into bite-sized pie shapes. Dip into some salsa if desired.

§  Mix 1/4 cup cold leftover chicken or convenience-type chunk chicken with sliced seedless grapes, 1/2 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon plain low-fat yogurt or fat-free mayonnaise, and a dash of curry powder. Stuff into half of a whole-wheat pita pocket.

Heed your hunger pangs, but forget the guilt. With planning and a little preparation, you can have healthy foods on hand so that youre ready when temptation strikes.

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Breakfast

Egg White and Onion Sandwich

Theres no reason not to like this easy and protein-rich breakfast sandwich, which you can find the recipe at Healthy Breakfast Sandwich.

Mid Morning Snack

Organic Apple Slices

Lunch

Fried Cheesy Eggs and Apple Slices

Afternoon Snack

Garden Fresh Tomato with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Dinner

Baked Chicken Breast Over Mixed Greens and Natural Colby Jack Cheese, in Dressing of Your Choice

Thank you again for your time!

Hope you enjoyed todays meal plan!

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 Beets are one of those things I never thought Id find myself craving.  Somewhere along the way  loving  raw beets seems to have became a side effect of being on this diet, much like random urges to ribbon vegetables or picking the most complicated recipe in a cookbook to prepare  just to have something really cool to write about.  Living sans most carbs and sugar does funny things to the brain.  Suddenly everything tastes better.  Yes, even beets.

The fella and I are the type of people that always have a bit of left over brown rice around in the fridge for eating with impromptu curries.  I also had a bag of pre-cooked and pre-shelled edamame that I found in the freezer section of an Asian grocery that I had once had big ideas for but then quickly forgot about.  So I thawed that neglected edamame, re-warmed the rice and tossed in a few other things and tada a really simple Asian tinged rice salad using things that were otherwise languishing in the fridge. 

Im always the most surprised at really simple thrown together that are this delicious.  Sometimes while cooking up a storm with really complex recipes I forget that something like raw beets and some rice can be amazing.  This was exactly what I needed to eat tonight and with some good Spanish wine things got even better. 

El Hada is a blend of Verdejo and Viura grapes making a perfect blend of tart and sweet in one delicious wine.  I dont know what it is about Spanish wines that make then so great and easy to drink but this wine has it all.  Tart fruit and a bright velvety sweetness with an intriguing nose of citrus and roses.  And who knew it would go so well with Edamame. 

 

 

 Super Easy Edamame Rice

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 small beets, diced
1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled (I used frozen already cooked and shelled edamame)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a small pan toast sesame seeds until browned, set aside.

If using left over brown rice place in microwave to warm until a bit past room temperature.  If using freshly cooked brown rice place it in a medium bowl along with the beets, edamame and toasted sesame seeds.  Toss well.

In a small bowl make a vinaigrette with the oils, lemon juice and sea salt.  Whisk or shake well to combine.  Pour over the rice mixture and combine well.

Modified from a recipe on Food52 blog.

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This recipe defies all laws of the cooking universe as I knew them before making this meal.  Its practically magic.  There are only two spices and a handful of ingredients.  The meat cooks for an hour in plain old bland water.  There is no effort involved.  And yet this is the most delicious thing Ive eaten all year.  I dont know quite why or how its possible but Im not complaining instead I plan in making this again and again and again.

Basically this is Beef Burgundy without all the esoteric cooking instructions or all the extra fat.  Except this beef stew is from a Jordanian recipe and is twice as delicious.  I didnt even bother serving it over rice or with yogurt like the original recipe called for because that would have just distracted from the flavors of the beef which didnt need anything added to it to make it tasty. 

Dont let the long cooking time deter you from wanting to make this.  Once you chop everything the food needs no attention so you wont notice how long the beef has been cooking.  Start it in the morning some day you have off and poke at it periodically, when its done let it cool and youll have something great to eat that night or later in the week.  Personally I love food that cooks itself while Im off watching a movie or playing with the dog.  This is the best kind of recipe if you ask me.

Jordanian Beef Stew
1 pound beef, cut into bite sized pieces
1 pound green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cumin

Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper, place in a large skillet, and pour water over the beef until just cover. Place lid on skillet and simmer over a medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until meat is brown.

Remove 1 cup of the broth from the beef and reserve it in the bowl of your food processor.

Put the cut up green beans in with the beef and cook until tender.

Add tomatoes and garlic to the food processor and pulse until smooth. 

Once beans are done pour off a bit of water from the simmering beef so that there is enough to mostly cover the beef but there is enough room in skillet to add the tomato mixture. 

Add pureed tomato mixture, coriander and cumin to skillet.  Salt and pepper generously.  Allow to simmer uncovered for another hour or until beef is fork tender.  Will taste even better a couple days after cooking when its had time to marinate in the refrigerator.

Original recipe from Food52 Blog.

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