While many of you are preparing for all of the candy and going door to door, being mindful of those treats could be the trick to a healthy Halloween.
Halloween is a fun time of year, but the sugar and the calories can sneak up on you fast. When we kick off Halloween, we're kicking off the season of weight gain.
With the holidays fast approaching, you can be active on Halloween. Walk around the neighborhood for a couple of laps. Mom and dad, go with your kids and get some exercise with them when trick-or-treating and that way you guys can burn off that Halloween candy.
Kids keep to one to two pieces a day. I know it will be hard, but it will last longer.
Always eat a good supper before you go trick or treating with a good source of protein. Whether it's chili or some of the super foods you can buy at the farmers market.
While you're eating all of this extra candy, cut back on your soft drinks, sweet tea, juice, and other sugary drinks.
Whether you're trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, or attending a church or fall festival, remember to move those feet and go easy on the treats.
Meatless Monday Recipe:
Squash Sunchoke Mac & Cheese (From Lisa of Cold Cereal and Toast)
Butternut squash is roasted and mashed with sunchokes in this root vegetable crowd pleaser. A Dijon mustard roux serves as the base for a luscious sauce in this hearty mac and cheese, finished perfectly with crunchy whole-wheat breadcrumbs. Serves 10.- 1/2 small butternut squash, seeded
- 2 medium sunchokes*, peeled
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 3/4 cups nonfat milk
- 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable stock
- 4 ounces Muenster cheese, grated
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
*Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes can be found at farmer’s markets or in the gourd section of vegetable aisle in some grocery stores.Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of aluminum foil. Lay the squash, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Add the peeled sunchokes to the sheet, place it in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a butter knife.Scoop the squash’s flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash it using a fork. Add the roasted sunchokes, mashing to incorporate them with the butternut squash. For the smoothest consistency, add the squash sunchoke mash to a food processor or blender and puree if desired.Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente, drain, return to the pot, remove from heat and set aside to cool.Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the saucepan, then whisk in the flour and mustard. Continue whisking over medium heat for about 1 minute, then slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and keep simmering, whisking frequently, for 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream.Season the sauce with the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the squash sunchoke mash, Muenster and cheddar, stirring with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted.Pour the cheese sauce into the cooked macaroni, stirring to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Preheat your broiler.Pour the macaroni into a medium baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Broil for about 10 minutes, or until the bubbly with brown edges. Enjoy!Monday Motivator: Scare Up Some Active FunHalloween can be a sweet holiday or a caloric nightmare. Balance the good with the bad today by thinking before you bite and enjoying outdoor activities. Try building a scarecrow with your kids, picking apples or attending local Halloween activities like parades or haunted houses.Enjoy a Happy, Safe and Healthy Halloween!Be well and have a great week,LisaLQ WELLNESSlisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com973-383-0955
Butternut squash is roasted and mashed with sunchokes in this root vegetable crowd pleaser. A Dijon mustard roux serves as the base for a luscious sauce in this hearty mac and cheese, finished perfectly with crunchy whole-wheat breadcrumbs. Serves 10.
- 1/2 small butternut squash, seeded
- 2 medium sunchokes*, peeled
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- salt, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 3/4 cups nonfat milk
- 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable stock
- 4 ounces Muenster cheese, grated
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
*Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes can be found at farmer’s markets or in the gourd section of vegetable aisle in some grocery stores.
Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of aluminum foil. Lay the squash, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Add the peeled sunchokes to the sheet, place it in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a butter knife.
Scoop the squash’s flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash it using a fork. Add the roasted sunchokes, mashing to incorporate them with the butternut squash. For the smoothest consistency, add the squash sunchoke mash to a food processor or blender and puree if desired.
Place a large pot of salted water over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions, or until al dente, drain, return to the pot, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the saucepan, then whisk in the flour and mustard. Continue whisking over medium heat for about 1 minute, then slowly add in the milk, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and keep simmering, whisking frequently, for 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream.
Season the sauce with the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the squash sunchoke mash, Muenster and cheddar, stirring with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted.
Pour the cheese sauce into the cooked macaroni, stirring to ensure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Preheat your broiler.
Pour the macaroni into a medium baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs. Broil for about 10 minutes, or until the bubbly with brown edges. Enjoy!
Monday Motivator: Scare Up Some Active Fun
Halloween can be a sweet holiday or a caloric nightmare. Balance the good with the bad today by thinking before you bite and enjoying outdoor activities. Try building a scarecrow with your kids, picking apples or attending local Halloween activities like parades or haunted houses.
Enjoy a Happy, Safe and Healthy Halloween!
Be well and have a great week,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
973-383-0955
Although Einstein uttered the statement more than half a century ago, the truth of his words is evident now more than ever. A close look at the facts shows that the world's biggest problems — disease, hunger, and environmental destruction — are closely linked to the practice of raising animals for food. With obesity rates at an all-time high and our natural resources dwindling away, the arguments for plant-based eating are getting harder to ignore.