Cooking 20 servings takes no longer than cooking one. PHOTO by Sally Squires Copyright 2012 THE WILHELM GROUP, INC. All rights reserved.

Few things taste as good on a brisk winter morning as a steaming bowl of steel cut Irish oatmeal. This whole grain is not only hearty, but it also packs fiber, complex carbohydrates (which don’t raise blood sugar as high as simple carbs) and some protein.

Trouble is that few people have the half hour or so it takes to prepare this whole grain wonder on a busy weekday morning. So here’s how you can have your oatmeal–and eat it too: Make it ahead.

The secret? It takes no longer to cook a full pot of oatmeal than it takes to cook a single serving. On Saturday mornings when I am puttering around the house, I put on a full pot of oatmeal. We eat it for breakfast.

Once it cools, I measure the oatmeal into one cup servings.Each goes into sealable bag. The bags then go into a large plastic bag, which is put into the freezer, where they can remain for up to three months–although we always eat ours before that time.

One cup portions of steel-cut oatmeal ready-to-freeze PHOTO by Sally Squires Copyright 2012 THE WILHELM GROUP, INC. All rights reserved

Ready for the freezer PHOTO by Sally Squires Copyright 2012 THE WILHELM GROUP, INC. All rights reserved

It’s easy to take out one serving or several. On hurried days, I heat up my oatmeal in the microwave at work for about two minutes on high, then top with a little skim milk, slivered almonds and golden raisins. Yum! A half cup has 150 calories; a cup, 300 calories.

Some Lean Plate Club members say that they add a teaspoon or two of peanut butter for a nutty taste and more protein.Here are other methods to cook steel cut oatmeal.  How about you? What do you do to make a tasty, nutritious breakfast easier? 

Blood oranges deliver great taste and nutrition PHOTO by Sally Squires Copyright 2012 THE WI:HELM GROUP, INC. All rights reserved

Rather than ordering takeout, we decided to make do with what was on hand.  SItting in the ‘fridge waiting to be used was a bag of blood oranges. If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating this fruit, you’re missing a lot. On the outside, they look like an orange. On the inside they are true to their name. Slice them open to find a bright red color that rivals the red of a pomegranate. Blood oranges are rich in anthocyanins–potent antioxidants also found in red wine. They also pack fiber and vitamin C.

Scientists are still sorting out the many health benefits of anthocyanins, which  may include protecting eye sight and prevention of such diseases as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Now the question was: how to incorporate blood oranges into dinner?

The answer came from the freezer. Inside were chicken thighs, chopped frozen leeks, frozen cubes of garlic and chopped cilantro (a great way to keep these ingredients on hand)  plus, containers of cooked wild rice.  Voila! The meal came together in a flash.

Step 1: Defrost the chicken thighs in the microwave.

Step 2: While they were thawing, I dropped the cubes of frozen cilantro and garlic into a nonstick pan along with a quick spray of virgin olive oil.

Frozen cubes of minced garlic and chopped cilantro

Step 3: Add the frozen leeks and let the mixture sautee on medium for about five minutes.

Leeks, cilantro and garlic Photo by Sally Squires Copyright 2012 THE WILHELM GROUP Inc. , All rights reserved

Not only do leeks and garlic taste great, but along with onions, chives and scallions, they are part of the group of allium vegetables, which research suggests may be helpful in cancer prevention. They also are low in calories and high in flavor–a great combination.

Step 4: Add the chicken thighs (about one per person) and some Greel Kalamata olives. Squeeze the juice from two blood oranges on the chicken. Simmer covered until the chicken is tender, adding more hand squeezed juice from the oranges as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer about seven to 10 minutes.

Chicken thighs sautéing with garlic, leeks, cilantro Photo by Sally Squires All rights reserved

Step 6: Defrost the frozen, cooked wild rice in the microwave. (Whenever I cook rice, I make the whole bag and then freeze cooked portions for quick use later. )

So how did this experiment turn out? As the flavors filled the house, a family member who had planned on eating dinner out, stopped by the kitchen before a workout and said, “Wow, that smells really good. Is there enough for me to eat dinner too?”

Blood Orange Chicken Thighs with Leeks, Garlic, Cilantro and Kalamata Olives PHOTO by Sally Squires All rights reserved by THE WILHELM GROUP, INC

What are you cooking these days that is healthy and great tasting? How are you being creative in the kitchen? We’d love to hear all about it.

Butternut Squash Soup copyright 2011 The Wilhelm Group, Inc. All rights reserved

Who says that you can’t eat healthfully when traveling? Wolfgang Puck offers this delicious butternut squash soup, which I savored this week at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. To round out the meal, I added a small Greek salad. Both were delicious and healthy.

Greek Salad at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant, Chicago O'Hare Airport Copyright THE WILHELM GROUP, INC. All rights reserved

“Here’s your healthy food,” the waiter said when he delivered my meal. The guy next to me took one look and declared, “I’ll cancel that out easy. Give me a pizza!”

Ah well, what are your food warrior stories? Are you finding it easier–or harder–to get delicious, healthful food when you travel?

The first winter storm of 2012 in Washington, DC

Last night, the first wintry mix of snow and ice for 2012 hit Washington, DC and the surrounding areas. This well-behaved storm crept in on a Saturday, when most people don’t have to fight rush hour  to get to work or transport kids to school.  It also provided the perfect excuse to sit by the fire (after shoveling, of course, although my husband gets all the credit for that today) and to dust off the electric hand juicer for some fresh squeezed orange juice.

Like many, I often think that life is too busy to do things like make fresh squeezed juice. So I timed how long it took to squeeze the juice out of a couple of oranges that my father sent from Florida for a Christmas present. How long did it take, you ask? About a minute from slicing the oranges to pouring the juice into a glass. (Gives new meaning to the term “minute made,” don’t you think?)  And was it delicious–well worth the 60 seconds of effort. Will this exercise be repeated on busy weekday mornings in our household?  Maybe not every day, but I’m going to try to repeat it for as long as the gift of Florida oranges holds out.

By the way, it takes about two medium oranges to provide about three to four ounces of fresh juice. Making fresh squeezed juice is a reminder of how super-sized our so-called “standard” portions have become. Did you know that a proper serving size of fruit juice is just half a cup? Test your knowledge with this interactive portion distortion quiz by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to  see firsthand how what we eat has grown larger.

Do you ever go retro and try old-fashioned ways of cooking or eating? Love to hear all about it!

Sauteed Spinach with Almonds, Garlic, Golden Raisins and Diced Apples

and let the food take the lead. It’s creating a healthy, good tasting meal with whatever is in the ‘fridge, in the freezer or in the pantry.

Free-form Salad

How has Uncle Sam shaped our eating habits? PHOTO: Sally Squires Copyright 2011 The Wilhelm Group, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Eat less sugar. Go meatless on Mondays and provide nourishing school lunches for children.

Sound familiar?

What if I told you that was advice respectively of Uncle Sam during World War II, President Herbert Hoover and the original school lunch program launched in the 1940′s. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. If you want to know about the impact that Uncle Sam has had on what we eat, then check out the Website for What’s Cooking Uncle Sam, the wonderful exhibit at the National Archives that sadly ends today. So if you happen to be in Washington, DC, you still have today to see it. I highly recommend it.

President Herbert Hoover urged Americans to observe "Meatless Mondays" to help stretch precious food resources for US troops. Image via Wikipedifrom World War I, President Herbert Hoover and a World War II effort to ensure the health of children?

There’s a lot of debate these days about the size and role of government. What impact do you think that Uncle Sam has–or should have–on what we eat?

Christmas is behind us. New Year’s is ahead. We’re in that in between week of leftovers and pauses–a good moment to reflect and to plan.

The US Department of Agriculture has given us a present to help: The long-awaited SuperTracker, a new on-line tool that counts calories, food groups, physical activity and more for you. The USDA released the SuperTracker just before Christmas. It can also serve as your on-line personal coach to help you set goals, track your weight and keep a journal.

Need more motivation? Use your social networks to invite family and friends to participate with you on the SuperTracker. There’s also a tool to help you plan healthy meals on a budget as well as short videos with nutrition information. Check it all out at ChooseMyPlate.

Since two of every three American adults are now overweight or obese, it should come as no surprise that our dogs and cats reflect our tendencies to overeat and lead sedentary lives. The tricky question is how to find time to exercise ourselves and our four legged companions. Sure you can take your dog for a walk, but what about other ways to workout? WebMD has come to the rescue for dog (and cat) owners with a slide show and tips for new activities with your pet. My favorite: DOGA (Yes, yoga with your dog!)

How are you planning to instill healthy habits for 2012? We’d love to hear all about your tips and tricks for healthy eating and physical activity now and in the New Year. I’ve been making our daily dog walks a photo expedition which leads me to try new routes. Here are some of the sights we encountered recently in Washington, DC.

Walking the back roads of Washington, DC

Winter blossoms

The signs of the holiday season are everywhere, from Christmas wreaths, Santa Claus and Hanukkah menorahs to radiant red poinsettias and food, food and more food.

Did I mention food?

As the holiday season goes into overdrive, the number of opportunities for detours into nutritional mischief rises. Nor is it easy to track calories when you’re standing at a party, nibbling on hors d’oevres and nursing a drink.

Welcome to week five of the LEAN PLATE CLUB™ Holiday Challenge. The goal of the Challenge, which is being done in partnership with Everyday Health is  simply to maintain your weight from now until New Year’s Day 2012. This week’s good goal is to add protein–a valuable ingredient that will help you feel fuller on fewer calories. Plus, protein helps to boost metabolism a little, which means you burn a few more calories–something we can all use this holiday season. For exercise, do 14 minutes more per day than what you were doing for physical activity when you started the challenge.

Today, I hopped on the treadmill for half an hour and read a chapter of the Steve Jobs book on my iPad. Baylor University psychologist John Foreyt first introduced me to the idea of exercising to books on tape, when I was at the Washington Post. Thanks to technology, this has morphed into higher tech tablets that fit nicely on the treadmill and allow me to read while I walk.

How are you avoiding nutritional detours this holiday season?

Our canine–aka “Coach” — and I are taking long walks to help counteract the added calories that seem to be everywhere. To trim the tree, my husband makes delicious eggnog. Just half a cup has 190 calories–and that’s without the alcohol. So it’s great to have these tools from Everyday Health, including a calorie counter, weight tracker, and the new My Calorie Counter iPhone app, which was just released a week ago.

One way to help stay in balance during the holidays is to eat enough lean protein. Protein is proven to be more satisfying than carbohydrates or fat, which means you may be less likely to feel the need to reach for extra helpings of holiday foods. There’s science to back this up. A team of scientists recently manipulated the percentage of protein in meals provided to a group of 22 lean subjects. They found that lowering the protein in the diet from 15 to 10 percent of food consumed resulted in a 12 percent increase in total calories.

Will this work for everyone? Scientists are still sorting that one out, but in the meantime, you might want to try boosting protein a little. Protein winners include skim milk, soy milk, nonfat cheese, soy nuts, egg whites, dried beans and tree nuts as well as very lean cuts of meat, poultry (without the skin) and fish.

What’s your favorite high protein meal or snack? How are you staying on track this holiday season? Share your tips and tricks. We’ll all looking for inspiration and great ideas. Also check for updates on Twitter @sallysquires

That’s the tiny sliver of U.S. adults who eat enough whole grains daily, according to the federal government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Or to put it another way: 90 percent of us fall short on whole grains.

So, do whole grains really matter? You bet. Among their many benefits,  whole grains help control body weight, keep blood sugar stable and cut the risk of developing high blood pressure.

For that reason, the week 4 goal of the LEAN PLATE CLUB ™  Holiday Challenge is to make half your grains whole. That works out to about three servings per day. (For exercise, increase activity to 13 minutes above what you were doing when the challenge started. If you’re just discovering this challenge, it’s never too late to start. The goal is simply to keep your weight steady from now until New Year’s Day. Find other weekly goals below.) I am delighted that Everyday Health is a partner this year. They’ve got cool tools to help you stay the course, including this calorie tracker and a weight tracker.

Adding whole grains to your daily diet has gotten easier since the federal government first issued an official definition for whole grains in 2006. Many breads, crackers, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and snacks now come in whole grain varieties. Plus, there are the go-to standards from steel cut oatmeal and brown rice to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat couscous and wild rice.

My trick for always having whole grains handy is this: I make one big batch of oatmeal or rice. Then divide into individual servings and freeze. Reheat in the microwave and voila! They’re ready to eat.

What’s your secret for adding whole grains? How are you doing not the Holiday Challenge? Tell us about your strategies for getting through the holiday season unburdened by extra pounds–without feeling like Scrooge, of course! At Twitter, follow @sallysquires as well as #everydayhealth #weight loss.

April Bloomfield's Root Vegetable Soup

The holiday season is off to a fast start here in Washington, DC. My husband and I are not really party animals, but last weekend we found ourselves at three holiday gatherings in two days, plus a coffee hour. There’s more revelry tonight and tomorrow night.  At this rate, maintaining weight for the 2011 Holiday Season could prove really, well, challenging!

Welcome to week three of the LEAN PLATE CLUB™ Holiday Challenge. Find others who are taking the challenge at Everyday Health, which is a partner this year. The challenge is not a diet, but simply a way to maintain your weight from now until we ring in the New Year. It’s also never too late to join.

To help stay on track for the week, I made Hearty Root Vegetable Soup from a recipe by Chef April Bloomfield that was featured in the Wall Street Journal. It was easy. I love the flavors of Jerusalem artichokes, fennel and rosemary. My husband thought it would be ideal with a little meat, such as lamb, but I liked just as it is. It lives up to its heartiness and also helps fulfill the week 1 goal of loading up on vegetables and fruit. I took some to work for lunch on Monday (the flavors get even better with time!) and froze the rest to eat later.

We also had to supply appetizers for one of the parties this past weekend. There was much time to prepare. So I used Trader Joe’s as my sous chef and bought olive hummus, dolmas and then fixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, whole grain crackers and baby carrots. It all seemed to be well received.

How are you making it through the holidays without adding extra pounds?Tell us here and I hope you’ll join us at Everyday Health. Also follow us on Twitter @Everydayhealth,  @weightloss and @sallysquires.

Dolmas, hummus, whole grain crackers and vegetables for a healthy holiday platter PHOTO: Sally Squires Copyright 2011 The Wilhelm Group, Inc. All rights reserved.