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With that spooky time of year just around the corner, everyone is getting ready for Halloween. Are you planning a huge party for friends and family? You may end up a guest at someone else’s party. Either way, the face of the season is changing and people are looking for unique ways to celebrate. This year, join others in one of the latest party trends – put a healthy spin on some of the classics.

Party Food

One of the best ways to trip up a healthy lifestyle is to attend a party. There is food in every corner of the room, everyone is eating, and the menu consists of sweet, salty, and savory items that you have tried to avoid. But you don’t have to starve while everyone else revels in their food. Create a menu with healthy choices for your guests. If you are going to be a guest, look up some Halloween cupcake recipes that include unique and healthy ingredients. You don’t have to tell anyone you made the switch.

Making Less and Inviting More

How many times have you put together a party and made too much food. Then you spend the next few days attempting to eat all the leftovers so you don’t waste anything. Today people aren’t laying out an entire feast. Consider just doing finger foods or putting out a few deserts. You don’t have to feed an army to have a good time.

The Candy

Just don’t purchase any. Halloween can still be about treats and fun without making candy the center of attention. While you may not want to be the host that hands out toothbrushes as the kids (or adults) walk out the door, there are unique alternatives. Consider things like Play-Doh, temporary tattoos, or silly rings as a way to fill up their bags this year.

Grilling is one of the healthiest ways to cook meat.  Because the meat’s fat drips through the rack on the grill, cooking it this way reduces cholesterol and saturated fat content in the food itself.  People can enjoy an excellent straight-from-the-fire taste while keeping unnecessary calories at bay.

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Although many consumers enjoy pan-fried or deep fried meat, broiling is another figure-friendly way to cook the most delicious meals.  Again, fat is kept away from the cooked product and reduces calories and additional fat.  Clearly, by deep or pan frying any foods, people are actually adding fat via oils and other ingredients.

Keeping meat clear of breads and other crumb-coating ingredients is important.  These items add calories and keep fat from leaving the meat as it cooks.  For those who want great taste without all the fat and cholesterol, it is crucial to let the meat’s juices flow.  Instead of adding breading, cooks can glaze meats with light dressings, garlic, or other spices to add flavor.

Overall, meat can provide protein and important nutrients for the body.  As with all foods, consuming it in moderation is the key.  Too much meat can heighten cholesterol levels and increase body fat significantly.

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Nutritionists and dietary experts recommend if you are trying to eat right and healthy you should avoid eating out. While you might try to avoid fast food and restaurants at all costs, there are sometimes when you can’t avoid eating out. Luckily, there are things you can do to make your dining experience a healthy and fun one without having to result to only eating a salad.

Here are some tips you can use when you have to dine out that will make your dining experience a healthy and fun one.

Customize Your Meal

Just because the menu says something comes with fried onions and all the condiments found in the kitchen on it, doesn’t mean you have to order it that way. You can ask the waitress or restaurant to customize your order so that it’s healthier for you. Most restaurants will accommodate you as long as you are substituting similar items.

Salad Dressing on the Side

Most restaurants have started to serve the salad dressing on the side but some have not. If you are getting a side salad or salad as a meal, ask to have the dressing on the side. This allows you to control how many calories you are consuming by having you put your own dressing on.

Side Substitution

Many restaurant entrees include a side item that is loaded in carbs such as french fries or a potato. Instead of being stuck with this carb heavy choice, ask if you can substitute the item for a healthier alternative such as vegetables or a salad.

Use this tips and your dining experience can be a healthy one.

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Prior to the 1900s everyone ate seasonally. Without refrigeration and rapid transportation, there was simply no other choice.  Today, we are overwhelmed with choices; our supermarkets are filled with produce from around the world. If we are willing to pay the price, we can eat watermelon, cherries and asparagus all year long.

Eating seasonally has a number of benefits.  First, seasonal fruits and vegetables are less expensive. Second, it challenges us to vary our menus.  And third, we can support our local farmers.

With family farms struggling to compete with agricultural corporations, eating locally grown produce is one way to ensure that produce will be grown in this country in the future. CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are one way to accomplish this.  By becoming a member of a CSA, you receive a weekly box of locally-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables. Your membership fees give the farmer a predictable income.

Typically you receive weekly boxes in the spring and summer and bi-weekly boxes in the fall. Spring vegetables include:  lettuce, mushrooms, asparagus, peas, strawberries and other early produce.  Summer boxes will be the most abundant with selections of squash, beets, various berries, tomatoes, peppers, etc.  Fall boxes include the late vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, along with the autumn fruits like apples and pears.  This is usually the time that your local farmer will include some root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and rutabagas.

Seasonal eating not only supports your local farmer, but it helps the environment, and brings children closer to the source of their food.

For those who are considering going into these fields, they can start by choosing to earn a degree online in one of the following fields: food service systems management, dietetics, or other related fields. Understanding how the human body uses food is one of the biggest points that someone entering this field must understand. Designing healthy and balanced meal plans is another aspect of dietetics and nutrition.

A large number of the jobs available for dietitians are in hospitals. Doctors’ offices and nursing homes also employ a significant number of people in these fields. This is true because these facilities need people who understand how to help patients with dietary restrictions and those who simply need to manage their weight.

The average annual wage for dietitians and nutritionists in the United States is about $50,000 a year. For those who excel in their positions, or who are on the higher end of the pay scale can expect to earn up to $75,000 a year.

The trends for this field show that it should continue to increase, with more job openings available each year, at least through 2018. This means that there is a very good outlook for those considering getting into a nutrition-based career. Nutrition counseling is something that more individuals, as well as companies, are looking into for their own health and that of their employees.

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Dieting seems to be a concept that terrifies and mystifies people at the same time. Since the height of the Marilyn Monroe era in the 1950s, many of us are perplexed as to why much of our society seems to frown upon curvaceous figures. A woman’s size 12 was once considered normal, while the ideal average size since the 1970s has gradually decreased. Still, over the past few decades since then, waistlines appear to be increasing at alarming rates. Many people try to remain on a healthy diet, but weight fluctuation can be a problem. So, what exactly is normal?

Each of us have different needs concerning caloric intake, portion size and food choices. That said the plates and servings seem to be getting larger while our eyes might already be bigger than our bellies. When dining at home, try having meals using the smaller plates from the hutch. This may be helpful to increase awareness about portion control and satiation.  Adults should eat the same amount that is usually prepared for children in a single serving. With the stomach only being as big as our fist, most side dish servings should only be two or three tablespoons full per meal.

Legumes should be eaten anywhere from three to five times a day. Meats should be eaten in moderation and we should purchase leaner products as often as we can. Whatever we select, we should be eating no more than four ounces twice daily. For vegetarians beans, nuts and fish can offer an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Whether you seek weight maintenance or weight loss, watch what you eat.

This is something that many of us don’t even realize. We’ve been eating the same amount at each meal our whole lives, but we don’t even notice that what seems like one serving can actually be two or three servings. We don’t realize how much we actually eat. Most of us just eat until we’re full or until the prepared food is gone. Controlling our portions is something that is going to be important to our diet and keep us healthy.

There are many ways that we can help ourselves control our portion sizes. Eat off of a small plate. Large plates make it seem like we have less food on our plate at one time. If you are using a small plate, it will seem as if you are eating more food because your eyes play tricks on you. You should use this same philosophy with bowls, cups, and other dishes as well. Even when your cooking you should use smaller containers so you don’t make too much.

Eat slowly so your body is able to tell you when you are full. When we eat too fast our body doesn’t react fast enough and we don’t stop eating until we have already overindulged ourselves. If you eat slowly, you are more likely to eat less food because your body will tell you when you are getting full.

Do you like vegetables? Perhaps your children won’t eat their vegetables because you have a bad attitude toward them. Make it known to them that you think vegetables taste great. This may be one solution to help your child eat their vegetables because they look up to you.

Preparation makes foods taste different. You may want to prepare your vegetables different every time until you find a way that they will eat them. You may want to try cooking them once and then offering them to your children raw the next time. Your child may not like it because of the texture but preparation can change that. You may even want to season it or serve it with a sauce such as vegetable dip or for broccoli, cheese.

Try cooking the vegetables into your food. They may not even know that they’re in there. For example, you may make soup that has several vegetables in it and your child won’t even notice it’s the same thing. They may like soup when they won’t eat their vegetables. You can even put it in foods they really like so they are more likely to eat it.

They may not like vegetables one way, but they may like it a different way. You may even experiment by having your child help you prepare the vegetables so they will want to eat the finished product.

If you’re thinking about ordering a hamburger, buy the Jr. Hamburger instead of the large one. Avoid overindulging in your cravings and keep your proportions small. You should have the same philosophy with French fries or other fried or unhealthy foods. Order the smallest portion you can. Even if you do order small portions, it should hold you over until you can eat somewhere else.

There are many things you can substitute or go without. Order water instead of soda. Even diet soda isn’t good for you. Soda is loaded with sugar and calories and it shuts down your metabolism. If you have to go with soda, avoid filling it up multiple times because you will end up drinking too many calories. Some things you can go without include mayonnaise or other sauces, and salad dressing. If you really need the dressing, try to only eat half of the packet.

Try to avoid ordering extra. The more you order, the more fats and calories you are putting into your body. Stay away from ordering ice cream or shakes as these can have as much calories as the rest of your meal, meaning you would double your calories just by adding a shake. When you are still hungry, try not going back for more right away. Your body needs time to adjust to the food. Wait a few minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you must order something else, try to go with a healthy choice.

One of our biggest problems as a society is our portion control. We often eat too much food at a time. One of the problems is that when we eat too fast our body doesn’t have time to tell our mind we are full until we have well overindulged. Try to eat slow and keep your portions under control.

Eat a variety of food per day. There are over 40 different types of nutrients we need per day and you can’t get them all from one type of food. Make sure you are eating from each food category per day including grains, meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Each of these categories carries a different type of nutrition that you need.

Eat regularly, but not too often. Don’t eat when it is unnecessary such as having a snack here and there. Several snacks throughout the day may add up to much more than a single meal, so it may seem like, when you don’t eat much at meals, that you’re not eating that much, when really you’re having too much per day. Find a routine that works for you and fits your calorie needs.

Know your calorie needs. Everyone has different nutritious needs, so you can’t rely on what everyone around you is eating to satisfy their needs. There are many places online where you can get an estimate of your needs, but if you really want to know what you need, you may consider seeing a nutritionist.

Five ounces of grain per day is recommended for a 1600-calorie diet. Our problem as a society is portion control. Keep in mind that one “portion” of something at your meal may already equal your daily-recommended amount. Try to stick with whole grains because they are healthier for you.

The amount of fruits vegetables you should eat varies from person to person. Most people should eat about 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day. Remember to keep your portions under control. What you may think is just one serving of vegetables may actually be two servings.

As for dairy, you should have about 3 servings per day. One cup of milk usually counts as one serving size. Try to stagger your dairy throughout the day so you can get some at every meal.

Meat should not be eaten as often as the other food groups. A general rule of thumb is that you should not eat a serving size of meat bigger than a deck of cards more than twice per day. You should not go without meat either, but don’t overindulge. Sweets should hardly ever be eaten as well, but much less often than meats. You don’t need these every day, but every once in a while is fine. This is what is going to make you gain weight the fastest when you overindulge.

When you are trying to follow the food pyramid, you should not overdo your serving sizes. You may take a portion of meat and think you are having one serving size when you are having two or three at a time. Keep your portion sizes under control and don’t overdo your serving sizes.

When we cook our own meals we are able to control what goes into our food. Not only are we aware of what we are eating, but you get the benefit of choosing what goes into your food. That’s why home cooked meals can be much more healthy for you.

If you’re trying to make a healthy meal, you need to make sure you are using healthy ingredients as well. If you need a certain ingredients, you may be able to find the same ingredient, but two different brands may have completely different health benefits for you. Try to buy brands that are healthier for you such as whether or not they use chemicals while processing their food or if they use more fat than another brand.

When you cook your meal, keep in mind that the way you cook your food will affect the health of it. For example, if you are required to use butter to grease a pan before you cook, try to use the minimum amount because the butter will be cooked into your food. The more butter you use, the more fat will be in your food. Another example is cooking your food in the microwave as compared to on the stovetop. Your food will tend to be healthier and taste much better if you prepare your meal on the stove.

There is plenty you can do to make your meals healthy. The more you can cook for yourself at home, the healthier your meals will be because you can decide what goes into your food and you can make your meals as healthy as you would like.

Your first choice comes when you decide where you’re going to eat. Decide on a place that has healthier choices on their menu. Some diners may have the same amount of grease, calories, and fat in some of their foods as a fast food place would, but it is much easier to find a healthier dinner at a diner than at a fast food restaurant.

Stay away from the unhealthy choices on the menu. Many diners have specific low calorie meals. You may want to begin by looking at these ones. There are some meals that, even if not marked, may also be healthy for you. Stay away from fried foods or foods packed with sugar. You may want to lean towards the salads or sandwiches when you go out to eat.

Portion control is a problem as well. Many restaurants serve far more food than is necessary. Even if you did choose a healthy meal, you may want to only eat half of it and take the other half home to eat for later. This will keep you from overindulging when you go out to eat.

Dessert can be a big problem for some people, too. Many desserts served at restaurants aren’t very healthy for you, and it may be one thing you want to stay away from. A piece of pie you may buy at one diner may not be any better for you than an ice cream sundae you would buy at McDonald’s.

Its okay to indulge every once in a while, especially for special occasions, but when you’re trying to keep yourself healthy based on what you eat, you may want to stay in this routine even when you do eat out on special occasions.