What comes after Vegetables? FRUITS

Fruits are delicious and colorful items. As stated in my last blog post, the difference between a fruit and a vegetable is simple: "a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves and stems."

Fruits have a different way of being healthy for you then vegetables do. While vegetables are low in fat,contain vitamins and minerals, protect your body from diseases and boost your immunity, fruits only contain 3 percent of calories and raise fiber intake, and decrease the risk of over 21 different health problems. Fruit is also good for people with acne, fertility issues, mood, weight management, and sexual problems. For the entire list, click here.

There is almost no limit for what you can do with fruits. You can mix them in a bowl of yogurt and granola for a delicious parfait snack or breakfast. You can grind them up with milk, water, or yogurt for a delicious fruit smoothie. You can make yummy detox water that is great for your body and weight loss. You can coat them in chocolate for an extra kick or party appetizer. You can dip them in peanut butter for a creative and protein-filled kids snack. The list goes on and on. Which is why I LOVE fruits!

Here is a video and article filled with detox water recipes (some of which I will be trying at home.)
http://tiphero.com/fruit-infused-water/
Detox water is known for flushing out toxins from your system. It also naturally helps your body release fat cells for water weight loss. It is a good idea to drink some detox water before eating a large meal, because it fills you up so you don't eat as much. If you want to improve your immunity, you should drink small amounts throughout the day. Detox water also helps you stay hydrated!

Vegetables....also known as VEGGIE-TABLES

First of all, I want to clear up the difference between fruits and vegetables. Livescience.com say the difference between a fruit and a vegetable is "a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves and stems." So THIS must be why a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable! I totally get it now, and I hope you do too.

Now let's get to the important topic on hand. Vegetables!

Vegetables are good for you, because they are low in fat and contain vitamins and minerals. They also protect your body from diseases and boost your immunity. But maybe you already knew that.

Did you also know that the color of your vegetables means something? Blue and purple vegetables contain different nutritional values then green, red, white, or orange vegetables. Orange vegetables contain different nutritional values than red vegetables. Green vegetables contain different nutritional values than white vegetables. You get the point. If you want to know the specifics, visit this website.

A Harvard-based study found that people who ate eight or more servings or fruits and vegetables each day had a lower rate of heart attack or stroke. Of course, this doesn't mean that you HAVE to eat eight or more servings of vegetables per day. Anything is good for you! Whether it's one corn cob or a few green beans, it's still good for you.
Source: http://www.thehealthyeatingguide.com/vegetable-nutrition-facts/

How to prepare a WEEK'S worth of healthy meals in one day!

I had to do quite a bit of research to write this blog post, because I have been wondering how I can make healthy meals for the entire week. I only have one day a week where I know I can cook or prepare meals, otherwise I just end up eating either fast food or snacks the entire week. I normally make a crock pot meal, but it does not last my husband and I the entire week. So in an effort to make your week easier (and healthier) here is how you make an entire week's worth of healthy meals in one day! I know this is a lot of videos, but it is the easiest way to get information across to you guys.

I have videos for everyone!

This one is for parents who have to pack their kids lunch for school (or themselves at work) Click here.

Check out these 5 healthy meal prep ideas! Click here.

Who else is a busy college student like me?? There's a video for you too!  Click here.

On a budget? A Full week of meal prep for only $20.00! Click here.

A crockpot is a wonderful invention. Crockpot freezer meals! Click here.

If you need any more inspiration or ideas, youtube is a GREAT resource and has lots of videos about meal prep.

I hope this was helpful for you guys, because I know it was helpful for me!

What is YOUR favorite healthy food?

This post we are going to take a break from educational information. I want YOU to tell me what your favorite healthy food is. You can tell me a favorite recipe, favorite fruit, favorite vegetable, favorite dessert favorite meal, or something else. I want to see your response!

Some people (me included) struggle to find healthy meals to eat. So take this time to share your personal favorites with me and other readers.

I'll start. My favorite fruit is strawberries! Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants! And they also may have health benefits heart health and blood sugar control, according to healthline.com. I also love eating celery dipped in peanut butter. This snack is very filling and gives me sources of protein and fiber.

Let's see what healthy food you like!

COFFEE...the drink that some of us need to survive.

If you are like me, you have to have at least one cup of coffee in the morning to get through the day. I have a 3 month-old son and I am also a college student, so needless to say I do not get much sleep. Coffee is what gets me through the day. But the question that I am wondering (and some of you might be too) is how do I drink coffee but make sure it's healthy?

I shall give you an example. My all-time favorite coffee drink is a Tall Mocha from Starbucks. I recently discovered that my mocha was setting me back two-hundred and ninety calories! I was upset because mochas are the one only coffee drink that I like. So I started doing some research about how to make my coffee healthier. Here's what I came up with.

I discovered this wonderful little article called Starbucks Survival Guide that showed me I can get the skinny version of the mocha and save a TON of calories. While a tall hot mocha is two-hundred and ninety calories, a grande skinny hot mocha is only one-hundred a sixty calories. WOW! That is a BIG difference. This article also has other clever ways to save calories on your Starbucks drinks (if you are a Starbucks lover like me).

These tips are NOT just for Starbucks lovers. They can also be helpful if you like to make your own coffee at home.

Yummy Yummy...SMOOTHIES.

Who loves smoothies? I DO!

Sometimes we can use smoothies as a substitute for a meal, especially if we are in a hurry or don't have time to eat. I personally do this on days that I have class and don't have time to eat lunch. Smoothies are known for being delicious and nutritious. You can make them at home or buy them from places like Smoothie King. Smoothies are healthy, but there are things you can put in them that can either make them more healthy or less healthy.

For example, according to nutritonfacts.org, you need to make sure you use fresh fruits and vegetables in smoothies and not solely their juice. If you only use their juice, you loose the nutrients and fiber that come in the fruits and veggies. Also elements like flaxseed and spinach can maximize the health benefits in your smoothie. I personally don't like "green" smoothies with veggies in them, but I can still add a green or two to make my smoothie more healthy. And the best part is, I won't even taste it! I will only taste all of the delicious fruits in my smoothie, but will increase the nutritional value.
Click here for some superfoods to add to your smoothies.

Salads...are they really good for you?

The first thing people do when they want to start eating healthy is eat a salad. Greens like lettuce and spinach are healthy, but when we pile on the toppings we are adding TONS of calories to our otherwise healthy meal. Today I am going to tell you what to skip and what to add on top of your salad, and also share with you what type of greens are the healthiest.

Most of the time, we have iceberg lettuce in our salad. But that is not the healthiest choice. Kale is actually the healthiest choice of green for your salad. That is not to say iceberg lettuce is unhealthy, because it absolutely is healthy. Everydayhealth.com ranked greens on a list from one being the most nurtitious to nine being the least nutritious. While kale ranked number one, iceberg lettuce ranked number nine.  (click the link to see why)

The article "7 Ways Your Salad is Making You Fat" by Men's Fitness tells you what items you SHOULDN'T put on your salad and why. There are certain items that just add calories you should avoid if you are trying to eat healthy.
Technically shredded cheese adds calories, but if used in moderation is okay.
Of course if you are getting a salad with chicken opt for grilled chicken instead of fried.
Remember the conversation we had about sugar? Well dried fruit adds more sugar then you need.
Dressings such as Italian and Caesar are packed with calories. Instead opt for Balsamic Vinaigrette. 
(Click on the link to read the full list of items)

Other items you should skip on your salad are croutons, salted nuts, and bacon bits. Instead, add cucumbers, carrots, feta cheese, bell pepper, and tomatoes.

For a step-by-step guide to making your own healthy salad, read "Build a Better Salad."

Even though it's unhealthy, we all crave it....SUGAR

Cakes, cookies, icecream, lollipops, cotton candy, chocolate....am I making you hungry yet?
Sugar is in just about everything we consume, from yogurt to milk to fruit to dessert foods. But how do we know what kind of sugar is healthy and what is not? Believe it or not, there are different types of sugar, and they both have different effects on our body. For example, fruits and milk have naturally occuring sugar, which means it is not artificial sugar and is better for your body. Artificial or added sugar is found in most of the products we consume, like that Hershey bar you ate last night.

If a sugar is artificial or added, you can tell by these phrases on the nutrition facts label:
- malt sugar
- invert sugar
- raw sugar
- molasses
- brown sugar
- high- fructose corn syrup
- fruit juice concentrates
- honey
- corn sweetener
- sugar molecules ending in "ose"
- syrup
 - sugar

According to the American Heart Association, Men should consume no more than nine teaspoons (or 150 calories) of sugar per day and women should consume no more than six teaspoons (or 100 calories) of sugar per day.

So what should you do to avoid eating so much sugar? Here are some tips from health.com on how to cut down on sugar.