Eating Healthy on The Road

Guest blogger: Karissa Martin

Summer’s coming to a close, so it’s time to go on that vacation you promised yourself you would take. It’s time to get bronzed and fit on your trip and come back ready to face the fall. There’s only one problem: healthy eating isn’t always on the menu on vacation―it seems like the perfect time to take a break from your usual healthy eating habits. To prevent yourself from gaining those extra pounds while having fun in the sun, try some of the following tips to return home feeling refreshed and thin!



Be aware of what you are eating! This is very important because sometimes foods have a lot more calories than you think. Go for vegetables and fish and skip fried or greasy foods. If you want to count your calories, there are a lot of websites that have the calories of various restaurants and their foods. Websites such as CalorieKing, DietFacts, and Calorie Count can be useful, and there are applications for smartphones to help you keep track of your calories. Some restaurants even have the nutritional values of their foods available on their menus.



Don’t be afraid to share your food. Share a meal with a friend or family member, or share an appetizer and get a side salad. Some meals are available in half or lunch-sized portions. If you want to get your own meal, you don’t have to finish it. If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room or wherever you’re staying, take the leftovers and eat them the next day. If you are drooling over the desserts, it’s okay to splurge a little, but eat a light meal. Go for a side salad, soup, or an appetizer instead of a heavy, large entrée. You can always share the dessert with your fellow vacationers or get a children’s sized or smaller dessert if they’re available.



Check out the local grocery store and get a picnic lunch to enjoy a low calorie meal on vacation without going out to eat. Whether you’re on the beach, on a boat, or in a park, a picnic lunch is the perfect way to share a healthy meal with your family and friends without breaking the bank―or packing on the pounds.


For healthy recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking and/or The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

Summer's Here-Eat Healthy Tuscan style

Now that summer is officially here and fresh veggies are aplenty, here is a health yand delicious recipe, easy too. A great way to eat healthy and delicious, it also uses the Tuscan Picnic spice product I developed in Tuscany, it has been sold in limited markets in the US but has developed quite a following..will soon be in your local market.

Vegetable Ragu-Tuscan style

*6 medium eggplants
*1 red onion
*2 carrots
*3 potatoes
*4 ounces fresh string beans
*4 red ripe tomatoes
*1-2 tsps Tuscan Picnic
*4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Clean and cut all vegetables into chunks, except for string beans. Clean and cut string beans in half.
Place olive oil in bottom of large soup pot with a clove of garlic. Heat for 1 minute, then place in vegetables and Tuscan picnic. Stir. Pour in 1 cup water. Cover. Cook mixture for 45 minutes, uncover every 10-15m inutes, stir and pour in more liquid if necessary. This can also be cooked in crock pot.
This can be served as a Vegetarian second course or as a side dish.


Hope to see you on June 4th at Foster's Gourmet store in Philadelphia for The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Tuscan Picnic class. Email events@marialiberati.com to register or for more info.

ALso I wil be onstage at the Horsham Days event in Deep Meadow Park in Horsham PA. Look forward to seeing you all. Email events@marialiberati.com for info

Get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

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Maria
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