Weekly Healthy Recipe: White Chicken Chili

Fall is here in full force, the leaves have turned color, and are falling in droves. The winds and rain (and snow, in some places I hear) have begun. It is my favorite time of year for eating soups. Chili especially.  Here is a delicious and healthy recipe I love to make on cold, breezy, fall nights.  Its comfort food at its best.

White Chicken Chili*

"Fast, flavorful and filled with fiber! Traditional chili takes a twist with ground chicken, white beans and green chilies."

Recipe Tip

Super Chicken

Chicken contains vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine. Vitamin B6 is important for digesting proteins, plus it helps to keep hair and nerves healthy.

Special Touch

Top this light and hearty chili with a dollop of light sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Prep Time:35 min 

Start to Finish:35 min 

makes:6 servings (1 1/3 cups each)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

3 cups Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 medium zucchini, chopped (about 3 cups)

2 cans (15 oz each) Progresso® cannellini beans or 2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. In 4- or 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook ground chicken, onion and garlic over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until chicken is no longer pink.

2. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

3. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 1, cook chicken 6 to 8 minutes. In step 2, cover and simmer 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information

 1 Serving: Calories 330 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 730mg; Total Carbohydrate 37g (Dietary Fiber 9g, Sugars 3g); Protein 34g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 20%; Iron 35% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 5 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 1/2 c Vegetables

*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

* Recipe and information from: www.eatbetteramerica.com 

Exercise Challenge: Planks

Planks

Lying flat on stomach, raise yourself up so that your body weight is resting on your forearms and your toes.  Keep your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles. 

*Do not fold at waist.*

 If plank from forearms to toes is too difficult then do plank from forearm to knees.
(sorry, no picture)

If you begin the plank on your knees, after building your strength, try doing one set on knees and the next set one on toes.

If you begin on your toes and are up for a challenge, cross one leg over the other for one set, then repeat with the opposite leg for the last set!

These are similar to Pilates planks on hands…postpartum moms should use forearms to protect those wrists!

Aim for 2 sets, 20 seconds each set.

Please let me know if you have any problems doing theses, or if you have any questions regarding the planks.  And remember, you can do them with your kids around. Will often climbs on my back, giving me even more of a challenge while doing the planks! (Just be very careful if you aren't strong enough yet, you don't want to hurt yourself).  

Tell me about your planks today. Did it feel good, and were you comfortable doing them? Did you have kids trying to crawl on you, or copy you? Tell me all about it! 

Exercise Challenge: Reverse Lunges with Knee Raise

Alright Moms, I know its late, but here is Monday's fitness challenge.  You're kids are (hopefully) safely tucked into bed, and you have a moment to take a little time for exercise. Or, maybe they are crawling all over you right now (which is a bonus as it only adds an extra challenge to the exercise, and gives them a great model to follow). Bottom line: It doesn't matter where you do it, or when, or even if you are a mom, but I challenge you to take a few minutes of your time today to do:  

Reverse Lunges with Knee Raise 

First, begin the lunge by stepping back and then bending back leg slightly while allowing your front knee to bend to 90°.  It should look like this: 

When returning to start position; bring back leg into a knee lift. *Do not allow knee to extend over toes.*  Press the floor away with the ball of your back foot.

Again, bring your leg back and bend leg slightly while allowing your front knee tobend again to 90. As you bring your back leg back, bring your arms up (as shown) for added challenge. 

I challenge you to do 2 sets, 12-15 reps each leg.  


When you've completed your challenge, drop me a line. I would love to hear how you were able to fit this into your day.  Where were you (home, work, outside?), did you have a child crawling all over you for an even added challenge? Let me know!

Free Fitness for Moms (a blog for a class)

         As a mom we all know how hard it is to find motivation to stay fit and be healthy. It becomes even harder if you work full-time outside the home, as well as working full time raising a family.  Where do you fit in time for exercise and fitness? Sometimes it seems impossible.  Thats where I come in.

          I have worked hard in building a business to help motivate moms to get fit, stay active in their everyday lives, and hopefully to start (or stay) living an overall healthy lifestyle.  I know not everyone can come to my classes,  but I do know everyone can read (ok, not everyone, but if you're here, clearly you can read), and my goal is that through this blog I can help motivate you in your endeavors to stay fit,  be active with your kiddos, and live an overall healthy life.  Its what we all want for ourselves and our precious cherubs, isn't it?

       In this blog I plan to update you with 1.) Pictures or video of simple exercise moves you can do at home with your baby (or toddler, or older children) targeting a different muscle group Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 2.) A weekly general fitness tip to help maximize your exercise routine,  and 3.) A weekly healthy, yet oh-so-delicious, recipe.

       As I progress with the blog, I hope to add more fun things, such as extra challenges and give-away's, so stay tuned (that means, click the button on the right that says "Follow Me" - do it, you know you want to! Who's it going to hurt?  Thats what I thought. . .)  I want to do what I can to get you to be motivated in your healthy-lifestyle endeavors, to do what is best for you and your children. If we don't model a healthy lifestyle for our children, how can we expect them to be healthy themselves? It has to start with us, moms!

      In the meantime get outside with your kids while its still nice! Unless, of course, in your neck of the woods, its not so nice . . . in that case, just get moving with your kids. Get crazy and teach them a silly dance, or have them teach you a silly dance, and move it, move it, MOVE it!  (Clearly I've seen a little too much Madagascar lately.)