Lori Borealis's Library tagged Snacks →  View Popular

Double up lettuce leaves.

Add water-packed tuna.

Top with salsa.

Wrap tightly.

Nutritional Information

129 calories

23.2 grams protein

1.4 grams carbohydrates

1.5 grams fat

Chocolate-Almond Coffee Frappe Why waste money buying expensive frozen coffee drinks from coffee bars when you can easily concoct your own version at home? This thick, delicious frappe (basically, a milk shake with ice cream, coffee and flavoring) can be made with leftover coffee—just make an extra batch of coffee in the morning and refrigerate until you’re ready. Follow this recipe as is, or change the flavors using different kinds of ice cream or syrups. Or make it really low in calories and enjoy it the way they traditionally make it in Greece: cold coffee, milk, sweetener and crushed ice mixed in the blender.










Serves 4 (approximately 6 oz. serving)


1/4 cup black coffee (room temperature)


1/4 cup milk* (plus a little more, if needed, for smooth blending)


1 cup chocolate ice cream (see Diane’s Tip below)


1 teaspoon almond extract


1 cup crushed ice (or smallest cubes possible)


2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup


Cinnamon, for dusting




Optional


*Milk options: whole milk, skim milk, soy milk, etc.


4 teaspoons of sugar or two packets of sugar substitute (to taste)


Extra scoops of ice cream, for garnish


Whipped cream, for topping




Tools


Coffee maker


Blender


Measuring cup


Ice cream scoop








Prep Time: 2 minutes


Total Time: 2 minutes






1. Place black coffee, milk, ice cream, almond extract and crushed ice in blender jar. Add sugar or sugar substitute only if desired. (The taste is quite sweet without it!)
2. With blender lid securely closed, pulse blender until mixture is smooth. If blades get stuck, add a little more milk.
3. Pour 1 Tablespoon of chocolate syrup into the bottom of each glass. (This makes the drink look and taste even more delectable.)
4. Divide the coffee frappe between your glasses and dust with cinnamon. Serve immediately!



Chef's Tip: It’s best to use precrushed ice; if using ice cubes, choose the smallest ones possible to avoid harming the blades of your blender.



Diane's Tip: I prefer to use skim milk in this recipe to reduce the calories but feel free to use whole milk. If you’re feeling indulgent, top your frappe with an additional scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, or both! Also, try vanilla ice cream with vanilla extract.

<!-- Start of Nutrition Box -->







Serving Size: 3/4 cup


Amounts Per Serving


Calories 170


Calories from Fat 70


%Daily Value*


Total Fat 8g
13%

Saturated Fat 6g
28%

Trans Fat 0g
 

Cholesterol 25mg
9%

Sodium 40mg
2%

Total Carbohydrate 19g
6%

Dietary Fiber 1g
4%

Sugars 17g
 

Protein 3g
 


Vitamin A 6%
Calcium 10%

Vitamin C 0%
Iron 4%






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



Nutrition information supplied by Compu-Food Analysis, Inc.—the complete food analysis and nutrition fact labeling source.

• Kids, inactive women and the elderly should eat roughly 1,600 calories per day and need to aim for three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily (5-A-Day).
• Teenage girls, active women and men should eat about 2,200 calories per day and need to aim for four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit daily (7-A-Day).
• Teenage boys, active men, and extremely active women should eat about 2,800 calories per day and need to aim for five servings of vegetables and four servings of fruit daily (9-A-Day).

1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds.

"It's the total calories you consume over a 24-hour period -- and more often, over a week -- that is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat those calories doesn't matter," says New York University senior clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller, RD.

That said, because you may be more tired at night, your resolve may be lower, Heller says. So you may tend to eat larger portions, or more high-calorie foods, than you would during the day. But as long as you keep an eye on calories and portion size, feel free to set your hunger alarm to the time that suits your lifestyle.

2. It's best to eat at the same times every day.

"Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's time to eat," says Somer. While it can help to keep some consistency to mealtimes, Somers says that forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry -- or forcing yourself to wait when you are -- only makes it harder to stick to your diet. If you must eat at a certain time - say, during a designated lunch hour at your workplace -- cut yourself some slack the rest of the day and eat only when your stomach says it's time.

3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier.

No one doubts that companionship and common goals can pay off for dieters. But Aronowitz notes that there are some instances in which the buddy system may work against you and your buddy.

"If one buddy fails and the other doesn't, it clearly upsets the balance, and could cause tension and embarrassment," she says. Ultimately, Aronowitz says, weight loss is a personal journey. If you find it's easier with a friend, remember to compete only against yourself -- not each other.

4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less.

This was a well-accepted food rule for many years. But Somers says new research has challenged this logic. It has shown that while fat does take longer to digest, "it's actually the least satiating of any food group -- so no, it will not help you control you appetite," Somers says. The foods likely to stave off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats, she says.

5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track.

Nothing could be farther from the truth, Heller tells WebMD.

"Every meal matters, so if you ate that big old piece of birthday cake at lunch, get right back on track with your next meal," she says. "You don't have to have a full day of healthy eating in order for it to count."

6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude.

"If you had diabetes, or a severe food allergy to something, you wouldn't think twice about turning down a food you weren't sure of -- and you should feel that same sense of priority in turning down a food that you know will blow your diet," says Heller.

7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose.

"Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat," says Somer. Not only that, skipping meals can actually help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism, meaning you'll burn fewer calories, says Aronowitz.

8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening.

"It's not what you eat that contributes to weight gain," says Heller. "It's how much you eat that matters most."

Whole-wheat bread, for example, is a great source of nutrients, and it won't make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.

9. All calories are equal.

While it's true that 1,400 calories is 1,400 calories no matter how you slice the cheesecake, experts say certain foods have a greater ability to fill you up before they fill you out. These tend to be fiber-rich, water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Further, Heller says, you'll get more nutrients from, say, a 100-calorie apple than from a 100-calorie portion of white bread.

"All calories are equal if all you're doing is counting calories to lose weight," Heller says. "But if you care about how you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger, or the health of your body, then no, all calories are not of equal value."

10. If you don't clean your plate, you're wasting food (don't forget those starving children Mom told you about).

Tying emotions to eating (like when you feel guilty about leaving food on your plate) sets the stage for emotional overeating, Aronowitz says. If you've been taught that cleaning your plate is the best way to show appreciation for a meal, she says, instead show your gratitude with verbal praise, by asking for the recipe, or by sending a thank-you gift or note the next day.

"Food is simply a source of fuel for the body -- not an emotional payoff or payment," says Aronowitz. If you just don't feel right leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate, she says, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with.

There are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some
can hurt our health, while others aren’t so bad! Some
are even good for you! Here’s what you need to know:



• Monounsaturated fats (canola,
  olive and peanut oils, and avocados) and
  polyunsaturated fats (safflower, sesame, sunflower
  seeds, and many other nuts and seeds) don’t raise your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
  levels but can raise your HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it
  is best to choose foods with these fats.
• Saturated fat, trans fatty acids,
  and dietary cholesterol raise your
  LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol levels, which can lead
  to heart disease. Saturated fat is found mostly in food from animals,
  like beef, veal, lamb, pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk
  dairy products, cheeses, and from some plants, such as tropical oils. Tropical
  oils include coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils that are found in commercial
  cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods. Unlike other plant oils, these oils
  have a lot of saturated fatty acids. Some processed foods (such as frozen
  dinners and canned foods) can be quite high in saturated fat—it’ s best to
  check package labels before purchasing these types of foods.
• Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are
  formed during the process of making cooking oils,
  margarine, and shortening and are in commercially
  fried foods, baked goods, cookies, and crackers.
  Some are naturally found in small amounts in some
  animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and the
  butterfat in butter and milk. In studies, TFAs tend
  to raise our total blood cholesterol. TFAs also tend
  to raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL
  (“good”) cholesterol. One study found that the four
  main sources of trans fatty acids in women’s diets
  come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb),
  cookies, and white bread. At this time, TFAs are not
  listed on nutrition labels, but that will soon
  change. Although it might take a couple of years to
  begin seeing it, the Food and Drug Administration
  (FDA) is now asking food manufacturers to begin
  labeling TFA content. And some food manufacturers
  are announcing they are taking TFAs out of their
  food. For more, please read the
  "Trans Fat...The Deadly
  Fat" article.