Tues Tip.

by

Subtitle: it’s random tip day up in herre!

Ive got a few to start us off (and yes. then it is your turn. in the comments. so get ready.)
1. line your steamer with lettuce leaves as it makes for faster clean-up. this is such an obvious one yet took me ages to figure out.

Back in the day when I competed, I steamed a crapload lot of chicken & hated every minute of it. For me it wasnt the eating o’the steamed which I detested (with some veggies & a few spritzes of Brags Liquid Aminos I love it!) but the cleaning of the chickengoop from the steamer basket.

lettuce leaf layers? MizFit salutes you.

b. Fennel prevents bloating. Oh, and so does ginger if you like the taste of that (Im not a big fan—except of the snaps. I heart the snaps). Fennel (brace yourselves) helps regulate contractions of the small intestine and aids gas expulsion & ginger is packed with powerful digestive enzymes which lessens (finger quote) the bloat (unFQ) as well.

Do with this tip what you will.

3. Here’s a new(ish) magazine which has some great information between its covers: Clean Eating magazine. seen it yet?

c. This next tip was passed along to me & Ive yet to find it locally. Anyone try the Chia Bars?

Im already a fan given that there is NO processed sugar, salt, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, synthetic sweeteners, preservatives or genetically-modified foods of any kind in the bar. I dont even care how it tastes–IM IN (but we’ve already established Im quirky that way).

4. snackwise.org found & listed the top ten healthiest vending machine snacks. We (the royal. the bumbling band.) hope never to be caught unprepared but, if we are, at least now we know:

Top Ten Healthiest Vending Machine Snacks:

  1. Clif Organic Z Bar (these are in v-machines? not the ones I ever pass!)
  2. NutriPals Snack Bars, PediaSure, Peanut Butter Chocolate or Strawberry Yogurt (the PediaSure made me laugh. Im a child.)
  3. Oatmeal To Go, Apple Cinnamon for Kids
  4. Pria Complete Nutrition Bar, Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisp
  5. Solo Low Glycemic Nutrition Bar, Chocolate Charger or Mint Mania (please to see my Z Bar remark)
  6. Fig Newtons, 100% Whole Grain
  7. Fruit Crisp Bites, Apple Crisp or Strawberry
  8. Instant Quaker Oatmeal Express Cups, Cinnamon Roll, Golden Brown Sugar, Vanilla Cinnamon
  9. Life Cereal, Single Serve Cup

X. Summer is upon us (especially where the MizFit resides) and this one is for those less than clean eating days: drop a mini-marshmallow in the bottom of your ice cream cones (you know, the pointy kinds. cake? sugar? who the hell can ever remember!) & they shall leak no more.

198412098. Finally, an oldie but a goodie: store your medicines in the kitchen and not your medicine cabinet. No room in the house fluctuates more wildly with regards to both temperature and humidity than does the room of the bath. Your medicine does not appreciate this variety.

These are the MizFit Random Tips O’the Day.

Got any good ones to share? I know that you do. Please to hit us up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. these are great tips… im out to buy me some fennel 😉

    i’ve sadly never seen any of those snacks in the vending machines at work however!!!!!

    during the dreaded time o the month, i drink a cup of dandelion tea which also helps reduce bloating!

  2. Awesome bunch of tips!

    For some reason I feel compelled to check out the mini-marshmallow one before the fennel or the chia bars… shocking I know.

  3. “store your medicines in the kitchen and not your medicine cabinet”

    Wow! I got something right for once, possibly by accident because there is not enough storage space in my bathroom … and I had a few cupboards going spare in my kitchen!

    Also I have just managed to watch the Monday Facetime video clip — hoorah! It’s great being off sick from work — now I get to see all the things that are blocked on their computers !!!

  4. Ok. Number 1. KEEP YOUR DAMN CHIA OUTTA MY CHOCOLATE!

    I use carrots and celery as a roasting/braising rack. Probably not as helpful now as the heat is upon us.

    Vegans can’t do marshmallows, so a chocolate chip or kiss works nicely in that ice cream cone, too.

    Here’s a weird one for summer. When you’re done using your cooler, wipe it out, then put in a bunch of crumpled up newspaper before you put it away. The newspaper absorbs odors (really!). Supposedly works in tennis shoes, too.

  5. But fennel has a light licorice taste, and I hate licorice. Guess I’ll just stick with ginger!

    And really, the vending machines at the *hospital* where I work/go to school are only crammed with junk. None of those healthier items is anywhere to be seen!

  6. so, are you saying that stale pop tarts are not the heathiest choice from the vending machine? 🙂

  7. Ooooh Gena.

    You shouldn’t have said that about the hospital.

    Now MizFit is mulling becoming a scofflaw.

    Becoming a Vendingmachine Vigilante if you will.

    How FUNNY would it be to deem one day a CLEANer SNACKING day and shove good treats up the metal machine’s mouth?

    (OK, or leave then nicely in the receptacle-bin. Either way.)

    I might do that here in the land of heat & humidity.

    M.

  8. great idea on the lettuce leaves! you so smart! never woulda though of that.

    Mmm love fennel, but i don’t know if I need any more help with gas expulsion…

    MALLORY – are you out there? Did my detective work and it is neither peppermint syrup nor creme de mint… it is (*drumroll*)…Mint Chocolate syrup! Ta Da! And according to all the baristas I chinese water tortured, the Mint Choc syrup leans more to the creme de mint side 😉
    Hope this helps!!!

  9. Thanks for the tips – will buy some fennel today as, well, the PMS is not being kind at ALL to me this month. Ick. Thankfully I love fennel and licorice too;) I would totally try the chia bars (as I’ve yet to get my butt in gear to buy the real deal). Wonder if my kids would eat them?

    Fitarella – I want to be in on that experiment!!

  10. I don’t have any cool tips, but I did have to say I love your numbering scheme. 🙂

    Love the lettuce leaves tip too, I’m going to have to try it.

    Oh, and I finally found chia locally! I haven’t broken down and bought it yet…but I’ve walked by and flirted with it a time or two. I am getting some odd looks from the Healthy Life Market employees though so I may have to just take the plunge.

    V.

  11. Thanks for doing all the leg work Fitarella, I may have to break down and try it but its still le sad about the creme de mint. I’m weird about my mint, like high end mint ice cream is usually white but I want my green food coloring!

    My tip for the day most people have probably heard before, but I have recently come across multiple people that didn’t know the old saying. When trying to open anything, you twist to the left. “Righty tighty, lefty loosey”

    I will def. be trying out the cooler newspaper trick!

  12. Um… the only thing off that list that I’ve ever seen in a vending machine is Fig Newtons. Where I work, it’s all chips and candy! Sigh…

  13. I’m down with the fennel and ginger. I heart the ginger, and will eat anything ginger flavored. Indian food is chock full o’ fennel and ginger, along with tons of other beneficial herbs and spices, and I could live on Indian food (my husband? Not so much.). Y’all go eat some curry!

    My mom always stored our meds in the kitchen, so that’s what I do now in my house. She said the same thing about heat and humidity from shower steam. Smart mama!

  14. The Bag Lady’s tip for today?
    NEVER play LEAP-FROG with a UNICORN!!!!!!!!!!!

    (In other words, she can’t think of any right now, but if she does, she’ll be back…..)

  15. Don’t know if this is considered a tip worthy of sharing or not, but last night it was on the news (yeah, we can trust the media, right?)…. Anyway, the study suggested that you smell Peppermint oil when you start to get hungry. Supposedly the scent gives you more of a satisfied feeling and you won’t eat as much. Haven’t tried it yet, but it’s worth buying some Peppermint oil to see if it works!

  16. I am entertained, but tipless at the moment…

    I have tried dandelion tea for water weight, but I drank too much and it turned into a mighty colon cleanser – use with caution!! I was off my nut for about a week because I drank too much at one time.

    So now I have this box o’ dandy tea bags just staring at me – perhaps I’ll try one bag in one quart water to promote water loss…I’m a little leary…

    The vending machine info made me snort out loud – where are those machines? Whole Foods break room?

  17. Aleta-

    Peppermint oil definitely fits into the “gas expulsion aid” category also, at least when ingested (I think also when inhaled, if I remember correctly). Gas-X actually has it as an additional ingredient with their main ingredient simethicone.

    Just FYI!

  18. Never heard of the lettuce leaves to line a steamer… I am definitely doing that one next time I steam. What a great tip:).
    As for the Clean Eating Magazine… I LOVE it!!
    Happy to know Fig Newtons made the vending machine list b/c I love em’.

    Now let’s see… a tip to share… Did you guys know that summer berries and melons have the most flavor when eaten at room temperature. If you eat them cold out of the fridge, you don’t get to enjoy the full expression of their yumminess!

    If you’re looking for a “clean” eating treat, you can stir frozen bananas and honey into a plain, no fat, Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon. Seriously…it’s to die for. Top it with a few walnuts if you really want to go to another planet:).

  19. Oh..might have to try the fennel stuff…or maybe make some ginger cookies…think that would work? 😉

    I love the Clean Eating Magazine! Delicious recipes!

  22. Oh, here’s one. Do NOT try to put spearmint extract in your coffee just because you read about mint chocolate syrup in the comments and decide you MUST have a coffee like that but don’t want to go out so try to do some lame substituting. For as good as it tastes I should just stirred in CHIA….

  23. You mean to tell me that my vending machine’s offerings of Frosted Strawberry Pop-tarts, Bugels, orange crackers with PB, and king size Whatchamcalits did not make the list?!??

    I’m *shocked* I tell you!

  27. Alright, I must go out and get me some fennel. I had no idea!

    I loved reading that list. It’s good to know that my snack size portion of Life cereal for my daughter isn’t too bad 🙂

  28. If by gas expulsion you mean fart….that would be a fun trick to play on those that claim to NEVER do that! Slackermama, are you in the same building I am? I should take a digital shot of our machine. Almost everything you named is in there, BAD!

  29. I am officially unlurked… Can the next Food Glorious Food topic be fennel? I need a begineer cook begineer fennel idea. Thanks!

  30. Excellent tips. You’re going to get me addicted to a bunch of magazines!

    Can I eat ginger snaps and gingerbread to reduce bloat? Yummy!

  32. Hey TrishT!! Get you a nice fennel bulb and peel off the outer layer and chop off the root and flippy ends. Now, slice up that bulb nice and thin. Then get some garlic (as much as you like) and slice it up, too. Now, saute these 2 in some olive oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper until the fennel is crisp tender. But, if you don’t like it crisp tender, pour in about 1/4 cup of water and slap on a lid and let it steam until it’s very tender. It will have a stronger licorice smell than taste. Enjoy!

  33. The Miz is cracking down on the lurkers and occasional commenters such as myself! Sorry MizFit.

    I WISH vending machines had Clif bars and, really, any of those other healthy snacks. I feel like I scored if they have a bag of pretzels, cause it’s usually just chips and chocolate.

  34. I swear, Marianne, you know EVERYTHING about the foodstuff. The MizFits are gonna lose their collective minds when they see what you’re giving them….

    🙂

    M.

  36. Wow! Of course, all your tips have been great but I found today’s (lettuce leaves, fennel) particularly helpful and relevant to me right now. Thanks!

  38. LOVE Clean Eating magazine!

    I’ve never seen Z-bars in vending machines either. I actually get mine via the “Subscribe & Save” option at Amazon. You can get 48 bars for $21.57 with free shipping. I (heart) auto-ship. 🙂

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