Q: I hear chocolate is loaded with caffeine. Is that true?

A: No. The word, “loaded,” is definitely an overstatement. Compared to coffee, soft drinks, and tea, chocolate has a lot less caffeine. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 135 milligrams, one cup of hot tea has 50 milligrams, a 12-ounce Pepsi has 37 milligrams, and a 1.5 ounce milk chocolate bar has 10 milligrams. Go ahead and enjoy your chocolate but as with any sweet treat, enjoy it in moderation.

October 2004

A Message From The Moms

By the time you get this October newsletter, we’ll be on a plane heading to Anaheim, CA for the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association. While we’re there, we’ll be conducting a culinary demonstration on easy ways to add flax appeal to family recipes. Flaxseed and flax oil are rich in healthy omega-3 fats so we decided to create a handful of new recipes using these ingredients. Try our Oatmeal Power Breakfast, Sunny Broccoli Slaw, and Flax & Easy Vinaigrette and let us know what you think. We think you’ll love them all so be sure to check them out.

We’d like to take a moment to congratulate Tania G, a mother of three from Pittsburgh, PA for winning a signed copy of The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers and five cases of bottled water, compliments of Nestlé Waters. Be sure to enter our new giveaway for free culinary and nutritional oils from Spectrum Organic Products. Visit our website to enter.

On a final note, for months now, many of you have asked us to come to your hometown to lead a Meal Makeover Meal Cooking Party. While we’d love to personally meet all of you, we can’t be everywhere. So what we’ve cooked up instead is a Do-It-Yourself Meal Makeover Mom Cooking Party feature that will debut on our website in December. Soon, you’ll be able to host your own party, featuring our recipes and mealtime tips. Stay tuned!

	Chicken Mexicali Makes 4 serviings Recently, we heard from Cathy, a mother of two from Minneapolis, who asked us for a new way to prepare chicken. Tired of the same old Chicken Parmesan, we promised to wow her with a super healthy, super tasty alternative. Using ground flaxseed (a plant food rich in health-enhancing omega-3 fats) in the breading, we met the challenge head on! 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs 1/4 cup ground flaxseed 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Four 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large omega-3 egg, beaten 2 teaspoons canola oil 1/2 cup salsa 1/2 cup preshredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Mexican cheese Combine the bread crumbs, ground flaxseed, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a shallow bowl and set aside. To bread the chicken, start by coating each chicken breast half in flour. Shake off excess. Dip in egg, then dredge generously in the bread crumb mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 4 minutes. Add the remaining oil, flip the chicken and cook until done, an additional 4 minutes. Flip the chicken one more time and reduce the heat to low. Top each chicken breast half with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Cover and cook until the salsa is heated through and the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Nutrition Information per serving: 290 Calories, 12g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 1.6g Omega-3 Fat, 500mg Sodium, 14g Carbohydrates, 2g Fiber, 32g Protein [Note: According to the National Academy of Sciences, women need 1.1 grams of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant source of omega-3, daily and men need 1.6 grams daily] * If you would like us to give one of your favorite recipes a healthy makeover, visit www.MealMakeoverMoms.com.

Visit Our Web Site:
www.MealMakeoverMoms.com

Email the Moms:
moms@mealmakeovermoms.com