Answer Fitness®: Practical Fitness Advice for Everyone

Mexican Cheese Dip Recipe | Healthy Recipes

Try this healthy low-fat version of Mexican Cheese Dip for an amazing high-protein, low-calorie snack. And it doubles as a healthy enchilada filling! 

Who doesn’t love a restaurant-style Mexican cheese dip? Cool, creamy and spicy all at the same time, there’s nothing quite like the combination of cheese dip, tortillas and a side of salsa to kick off Mexican fiesta.

Of course, most Mexican cheese dips - especially the restaurant variety — are loaded with sour cream and full-fat cheese. Not a great combination if you’re counting calories, trying to lose that gut or keep your summer abs nice and defined.

This version of Mexican Cheese Dip has been lightened up (it comes in at around 80 calories per 1/2 cup serving,) without losing one iota of flavor. Trust me, it’s that good.

One of the great things about Mexican food is that the predominance of highly-flavorful spices and ingredients like cumin, coriander, garlic, onion and chiles allows you to create healthy versions of most Mexican dishes without losing the flavors you’ve come to love.

Continue reading Mexican Cheese Dip Recipe | Healthy Recipes…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Steamed Asparagus with Dijon Mustard Sauce | Healthy Recipes

Let The Flavor of Springtime Asparagus Shine Through With This Simple and Healthy Dijon Mustard Sauce Recipe

Note from Matt: Today’s post is dedicated to the memory of my Grandmother, Doris Williams, who had her own asparagus patch and taught me everything I know about preparing and eating this amazing vegetable. Grandma, I just ate my first asparagus of the spring … seven beautiful stalks I plucked out from the among the weeds in the side yard at your old house.  Yes … they still come up each year. You are missed.

Nothing says “spring is here” like a bowl of fresh steamed asparagus.  We’re not talking about the bland stuff that’s shipped in from California during the winter — this is the real deal, in season, in all of it’s sublime glory.

Crisp, slightly sweet and never tough or chewy, asparagus is one of the first vegetables to make it’s way onto the table in the spring, and if you’re lucky enough to have a u-pick farm nearby, or even your own asparagus patch, once you’ve had asparagus in-season, it’s hard to ever get used to the store-bought stuff again.

The Health Benefits of Asparagus

And asparagus is wicked good for you.

It’s an extremely nutrient dense food. It’s high in folic acid and is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. It also has no cholesterol or fat, and is low in sodium and calories. 

A single 5.2 oz serving of asparagus provides 60% of your daily requirement of folicin (folic acid), which is critical for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease.

Folic acid is critical during period of rapid cell growth and division, such as infancy and pregnancy, and research indicates a link between insufficient folic acid and birth defects, like neural tube defects. Folic acid also may decrease circulating homocysteine levels. There is evidence that elevated homocysteine levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.  A recent study from the University of California - Berkeley also found that men who eat folate rich foods may also lower the risk of birth defects in offspring, since folate seems to prevent certain chromosome abnormalities in sperm.

In other words, if you’re not eating asparagus, it’s time to start.  

Why Does Eating Asparagus Make Your Pee Stink?
Asparagus contains sulfur compounds that give off the distinct “asparagus pee” odor when broken down by the body (usually within 15-30 minutes after ingestion.) Believe it or not, there is actually a raging scientific debate over what the actual compound is that’s responsible for this unique “scent.” One theory says it’s methanethiol. However, in 1975, a California chemist using gas chromatography claimed that the offending compounds are actually S-methyl thioesters.  One interesting point: while all people produce these stinky compounds, only but only about 40% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them. 

A Simple, Delicious Asparagus Recipe That’s Ready In Five Minutes

This particular recipe for preparing asparagus is so simple, that you’ll be surprised at how good it tastes based on the little time it takes to prepare and the limited ingredient list. Asparagus is almost always best served with a very simple sauce, since you want the flavor of the asparagus to take center stage — not the sauce that it’s swimming in.

Continue reading Steamed Asparagus with Dijon Mustard Sauce | Healthy Recipes…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Five Low Fat, Great Tasting, Mexican Food Toppings: Healthy Food of The Day

Try one or all of these tasty low-fat, low-calorie toppings on your next taco or burrito

So you think eating clean and healthy means you can’t enjoy Mexican food? Think again. These five toppings for Mexican food not only taste great, but they’re also excellent, nutrient-packed additions to any healthy diet.
Continue reading Five Low Fat, Great Tasting, Mexican Food Toppings: Healthy Food of The Day…

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Popularity: 4% [?]