10 Stars for Morningstar Farms! And a a Tip for Tuesday!

Have you ever bought a "substitute meat product" or a "healthier version" of one of your favorite things and thought why in the world did I buy that, I would have rather had the calories than have to endure that taste! I know I have in my time of changings to a healthier lifestyle and said those exact things to myself. There are always those moments while I am at the strore and I decide why not go out on a limb, it's for the sake of health right!? Well MorningStar farms was a moment for me about this time last year.  I decided as I ate a piece of my vege sausage from them this morning this was today's blog topic and a Tip for Tuesday!
My liking of Morningstar started last year when my uncle from Colorado was in town and brought up Spicy Black Bean burgers and asked if I have ever tried them. He knew I was not really eating red-meat anymore so he thought this might be a good replacement. I was automatically turned off by the idea just because in my head bugers are meat only not beans lol. Well I got gutsy and saw a box of them at Wal-Mart and went for it. Nervoulsy took them home and made them. As I cooked them, which was just in a skillet with a little cooking spray because they are already cooked just frozen, they smelled super good and like a taco lol. I was hmmm ok it spells like Taco's.....I like tacos good! I then did put it on a bun and added some green spicy no calorie salsa :o). I am happy to say I was GREATLY pleased with the taste and pumped about the calorie count as well, only 120calories, a typical frozen burger can be as high as 400 and tons of fat so this was awesome! Not only does it taste well though it is very easy and quick to make and great for when you come home starving and need something quick but more than just a sandwhich.

Above are three of my favorite that they make, the Bean Burgers, the Meatless Starters and the sausage. The meatless starters I just tried about a month ago with my friend Kelli when we made dinner. We wanted to make taco's and taco salad so we chose these instead of using eat and it was amazing! So easy to cook, again just in a skillet, we then added a little bit of low-sodium taco seasoning and boom it was amazing :o). You could use this for nachos,chili, salads, spaghetti sauces and its only 70 calories per serving! The sausage as well makes great breakfast sanwhiches with 80 calorie English Muffins and great with eggs. This company also makes frozen meals that are good as well, my favorite is the Lasanga one.

So today's tip go out on that limb and try this stuff! I am saying this from a former Fatty Meat lover haha and would eat nothing else! These are good and not something you will wonder why you bought it. I know for me they have been a good help to get my meat cravings taken care of but not filled me with fat! Hope everyone is having a good week!

~Kassandra



A Healthy Pick Me Up :)

So it's the Weekend YAY! I am enjoying mine quite a bit and hoping you all are as well :o)! I love anytime I don't have classes and work and finally some down time. I got to spend some great time with my best friend Heather and her awesome little family who were in town this wkend which was fun, they adopted me for the day and we had a great time! It included some healthy Subway for lunch, some painting at a potery place and a nice skinny latte at a local campus coffee shop MT Cup :). That being said that is where I got my topic today, the pick me up that I love OH so much, coffee and the creative drinks they have created with it, lattes, fraps, cappichino's and MORE!

I was never really a coffee drinker until college but I feel that is the story of a lot of people, you realize on late nights when you are studying or hanging out with friends that it becomes your good friend lol. I used to just be able to drink lattes and frappicinos and the big sugary forms of coffee and back then it was always the "non skinny" or just regular kinds of drinks which I had NO clue what the nutrition content in those where at all and thank goodness I didn't lol! These days though I still love a good latte and frapp but I can just drink a cup of coffee with a tiny bit of splenda and light creamer and like it just as well, and my wallet likes it better as well haha. I personal don't think many people even know what they are getting in a frapp or a regular latte. Many of my friends have been astonished at the nutrition facts in what they have been drinking when I tell them. I am not just picking on Starbucks because I am SURE it's just as bad at local places as well Starbucks is just where I can get the information from lol. Anyways one of the most popular drinks among people at least my age and of course above as well and one of my old favorites was the Java Chip Frappicino!

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 440
Fat: 18g
Carbs: 69g
Sugar: 63g
Which translates to almost 30% of your days worth of fat, and that is just for the person eating the recommended 2000 calories and then the carbs is 24% of what you are supposed to have the whole day! And this is just the Grande or the Medium and many people go for the large which is Starbucks language is venti and that's just super bad news bears lol! Then we get the worst part and that is the sugar which is not even supposed to be in our diet, but what from what I know we are supposed to have 32grams a day and in this there is TWICE that much in one little drink, no wonder non coffee people even like this, there is barely any coffee haha!

An average non-skinny or lite latte is not quite as bad as the frapps but close. For example, a seasonal favorite at the time that just came back for Christmas is the Gingerbread latte, just sounds fun and Christmasy lol! Well it is but it gives you more than a good Christmas gift should and that is 20% of your days worth of fat and 13% of your carbs and 36 grams of sugar, again over the daily amount. While the calories in this is better at 250 it still has it's downfalls and again it is just for the medium or the "grande". I hope I am not ruining any ones recent choice at Starbucks lol because it does sound amazing and I am sure one every Christmas season wouldn't be bad at all! But....many people get these daily if not more than once and have no clue once drink is almost half a meals worth of calories and fat and carbs. I know for me it's easy to think, "It's just a drink, not a meal it doesn't count and can't be that bad".....wrong!

This all being said does this mean I cut Starbucks out all together?!?!?!?! HECK NO! lol! I would probably die haha just kidding, but really.....I even got my boss to start "Frappicino Friday's" at work in the office lol, I NEED my Starbucks it's just all about being informed and making smarter choices! Some of my favorites include:

Light Blended Pumpkin Spice Frappicinos :o)! (While they last at least!)
Nutrition Info: Calories 150 and Fat only 0.5! MUCH BETTER!

Skinny Lattes(Cinnamon Dulce, Vanilla and Hazelnut are my favs!)
Nutrition Info:
Tall is only 90 calories and 0 fat! Grande is only 120 :) and SO good I might add. They make them more healthy by using skim milk which I prefer anyways and then no whip(that can add up 200 calories by the way because they use old fashion real heavy whipping cream!) and then sugar-free syrup to flavor it. I will post a disclaimer on the fact it can take time to get used to the sugar-free syrup because it is not as sweet obviously but can turn some people off quickly who were used to the regular, BUT......I will say keep trying it and you get used to it and now I prefer it and know I am making a smart choice as well and it "picks me up" and makes me feel just as happy!

So here's to a nice weekend pick me up, or a on the way to work trip, in between classes, or just because you want some coffee, HEALTHY treat ;o)!

~Kassandra