Migas - Fit Foodie Style

One of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Louisville, KY is the North End Cafe. They make the BEST pancakes ever! But if I'm in the mood for eggs I almost always go for the Migas.
Apparently Migas means crumbs in English and there are several different versions. The one at North End is 3 scrambled eggs, blue corn tortilla chips, jalapenos & cheddar cheese served with salsa and home fries. Here is my Fit Foodie version:

MIGAS

3 egg whites - scrambled

2 pieces center cut bacon (Vegetarians - omit or use veggie bacon)

2 tbsp. diced onion

2 tbsp. diced red pepper

2 tbsp. diced green pepper

2 tbsp. diced yellow pepper

1 broken up hard taco shell corn tortilla (or crushed tortilla chips totaling 55 calories)

1/2 oz. shredded Cabot Light Pepper Jack cheese (or any cheese totaling 35 calories)

4-5 pickled jalapeno rings

Cook your bacon and drain well. If you are using pork bacon leave a little bacon grease (just enough to coat the pan) and add peppers and onions. Cook until onions are translucent. Tear the bacon into chunks and add back into pan. Scramble 3 egg whites and season with salt and pepper. Add crushed tortilla and jalapeno to pan with bacon, peppers and onions. Cook for one minute. Add in eggs and scramble into mixture. When eggs are almost done add in shredded cheese, remove from heat and place a lid on to melt the cheese.

One hefty serving - 200 calories!

You may serve with salsa, guacamole or sour cream!

Sweet Potato Carrot Ginger Soup...

One of my very first entries when I started this blog (almost 2 years ago!) was this soup. Today I made it a little differently and I think it's my best batch yet. So I decided to re-share one of my most favorite recipes with you. I hope it warms your bellies!

SWEET POTATO CARROT GINGER SOUP

11 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 - 5" long)

10 oz. baby carrots (or whatever kind you have on hand, just make sure they are cut)

3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks

1/2 yellow or sweet onion, sliced

4-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

5 discs of fresh ginger, peeled about 1/16" thick (grated works too - about 1 tbsp.)

4 1/2 cups of water 

2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or 4 1/2 cups of veggie stock and omit the water & bouillon)

2 tbsp. peanut butter (chunky or crunchy is fine)

2 tsp. cumin

1-2 tsp. parsley flakes

1-2 tsp. red pepper flake (depending how spicy you like it)

salt to taste

Now, here's the easy part. Take all the ingredients EXCEPT the peanut butter and throw it in a large pot:

Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes until everything is cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit 20 minutes or so to cool down. You will need either a) blender or b) an immersion blender. If you have an immersion blender you can skip the cooling step. If you're tossing it in the blender you use to make Margaritas you might want to wait until it cools some. Blend the pieces in batches until smooth. Pour back into the soup pot. At this point if the soup is too cold reheat it before adding the final ingredient. 

Once it's warm enough add in your peanut butter, using a whisk to mix it in. This soup is hearty, spicy and a little Thai inspired. I find it best served with extra red pepper flakes and a little chopped peanut for texture. 

This batch makes 7 - 1 cup servings at 112 calories each!

Holiday Survival 101

There's something about big family/friend gatherings and lots of extremely yummy (but terribly fattening) food that brings us comfort. It's tradition to see how many plates we can eat. It's often the time of year when not only the turkey is stuffed. But how do we enjoy it without feeling deprived or like we immediately wish instead of dressing up we wore our fat pants? It can be tricky... but it can also be accomplished.

Holiday Survival 101:

1. You're not a kid anymore, you don't HAVE to finish every morsel of food on your plate. I'm not promoting wastefulness here, just saying, try to put small portions on your plate.

2. Yes! You can have some pumpkin pie! Just try not to eat the whole thing. If it's already sliced, cut one of those slices in half (that half slice is probably the actual serving of pie the recipe was talking about - we're constantly doubling and tripling portion sizes!)

3. Fill up two thirds of your plate with vegetables and lean proteins. Now, depending on your traditional Thanksgiving dinner this may be difficult. I grew up in a Southern household where the veggies were glossy with bacon grease or smothered in gravy.

4. If you're having the traditional turkey, don't eat the skin. It's just a lot of excess fat and calories. It's 60 calories for 1 ounce of meat with skin, 50 calories for 1 ounce of dark meat without skin and 30 calories for 1 ounce of breast meat without skin.

5. Usually holiday dinners come with lots of appetizers and everyone stands around the kitchen or dining room for a few hours before dinner while chatting with friends and family. This is the time where we mindlessly munch on chips, dips, cookies, etc. Try to socialize away from this area, it will keep you from grazing.

6. Chew gum or eat a mint. If you are trying not to indulge in the appetizers or desserts at all you can chew a piece of gum or eat a mint and then you will not want to eat anything.

7. Buddy up. If you are going to a holiday dinner with a friend or partner and you know your self control could be in question have them keep an eye on you and vice versa. Sometimes we don't feel strong enough to say no to the second round of stuffing and mashed potatoes and we need someone to keep us in check!

8. Don't get too overwhelmed and beat yourself up about it. Make sure you enjoy yourself! After all, the holidays aren't about the food (well, not entirely!) ... they're about spending quality time with people you may not get to see all the time. The food is just a bonus!

Armed with those survival tips you should be able to get through those food temptations without throwing healthy eating out the window.

Happy Holidays dear readers!

Pumpkin Bran Muffins!

I've been craving everything pumpkin flavored. Blame it on the time of year. But instead of buying cookies or muffins or cakes I decided to make my own. I figured I could probably make them lighter and healthier than buying them. So as usual I took a recipe I found on the net and "fit foodi-fied" it! Here it is!

PUMPKIN BRAN MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups King Arthur 100% whole wheat, unbleached, flour1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup Splenda granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups Bran Flakes

1 cup solid pack pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/3 cup Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend

2 egg whites

1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened

1/3 cup raisins, packed

1 1/2 tbsp. semi sweet chocolate chips

vegetable cooking spray

Makes 12 Muffins - 100 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 4g protein per muffin

1) Stir together flour, Splenda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

2) Put Bran Flakes in a Ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin or pulse in a food processor, mix into dry ingredients bowl.

3) In large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, egg whites and applesauce. Beat well with hand mixer. Add raisins and semi sweet chocolate chips. Stir well. Mix in flour mixture, stirring only until combined (batter will be stiff). Portion batter evenly into 12 2/1/2 inch muffin pan coated with cooking or baking spray.

4) Bake at 400F about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Roasted Veggies...

It's that time of year again. Where we all want to hibernate in our caves and eat warm comfort food. This is your gentle reminder of the pure yumminess of roasted vegetables.

Here is a recipe from last January. 

Some good vegetables to roast are:

Root vegetables - sweet and white potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabaga.

Winter squashes - acorn, spaghetti, butternut

Summer squashes - yellow and green (zucchini)

Brussels sprouts

Mushrooms of all kinds are also great to toss in for the last 20 minutes or so.

Most vegetables roast well at 375 or 400 degrees and for 40-45 minutes, flipping half way through.

Here is what I had for dinner tonight...

Olive oil and herb couscous topped with zima tomatoes.

Brussels sprouts, petite green beans and baby carrots.

Pumpkin and Broccoli - the tastes of Fall.

As you know, I enjoy buying new products and giving them a shot. My two recent purchases were no disappointment!

They have pumpkin flavored everything from yogurt, to cream cheese, to bagels, to granola, to English muffins, to beer, to donuts, etc. You either love pumpkin or you hate it. I am one of those that love it! Therefore I had to test these out. And they are super yummy!

110 calories

1g fat

5g fiber

3g sugar

5g protein

AMAZING!

topping suggestion: 2 tbsp. whipped cream cheese! (only 60 calories!)

Next up! Veggies!

Green Giant has come out with seasoned steamers. I looked at some of the stats on all of them and these seemed to be the most reasonable. 

Of course you can season broccoli yourself and come up with even better calorie stats but most of us are busy and need something quick. This broccoli has a delicious Tuscan inspired flavor with Parmesan cheese, garlic, peppers and onion. 

60 calories, 2g protein, 2g fiber, 2g sugar and 4g fat per serving

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Arrabiata Sauce

I've been hearing for months about this spaghetti squash and how amazing it works as a swap for spaghetti. After being ultra intrigued by all the hype I finally gave in and bought one. For a week it's been sitting on my counter, staring longingly in my direction and tonight I put it to good use.

First, you have to cut it in half lengthwise but it's a bit more tricky than you might expect. The only issue I have with hard winter squash is just that... they are hard! So, what you can do is poke a few holes in it with a fork or a knife and put the whole squash in the microwave for 2-4 minutes. This will cause it to soften up enough to cut it in half. Before baking scoop out all the extra seeds and strings. Place both halves with the skin side up on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until done (depending on size). Let cool then easily shred with a fork. Take shredded squash and place in a colander while cooking the rest of the dish. The squash will have quite a bit of water in it so you might also pat it with a clean tea towel or paper towels.

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Arrabiata Sauce

4 cups cooked, shredded spaghetti squash

2 - 6 oz. chicken breasts*

1/2 pkg. sliced baby bella mushrooms

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 c. Arrabiata sauce (or sauce of your choice 70 cal or less per serving)

Serves 2 - 345 calories each

In a large nonstick skillet cook chicken breast, mushrooms, garlic, onions and peppers until done. You can either add your sauce to the chicken and veggies in the skillet or heat it up and add it on your plate. Top with shredded Parmesan or pecorino romano. *If you're a vegetarian you can easily omit the chicken and add garbanzo beans or a  faux meat product. Enjoy!

Workout Music!

I'm a big, big, BIG, fan of music. All kinds. And I've searched all over for great workout mixes... even tried to make a few of my own. While looking for a streaming radio app for my Android I stumbled upon this FITRadio app... it sounded promising - music to keep you motivated... even listing the BPM (beats per minute) in the mixes... so I thought, hey, it's FREE, why not?!

The results? I FREAKIN' LOVE IT!

So... go ahead. Download it. Choose a Genre. And get your body movin'!

FITRadio

Cabbage & Cannellini Bean Soup

My family was in town visiting from Kentucky and naturally we went on a few food related adventures. Had some amazing seafood. Went to a brewery in Salem. Went to a winery in Amherst. And of course, had to go to a large farmer's market. :)

We we're incredibly impressed by the ridiculously huge cabbages at Atkin's Farm. And... did I mention they we're only $1.49 a head!? So of course we had to buy one...

What exactly does one do with a massive cabbage? Well... make soup of course! Here's what happened... I Googled a bunch of soup recipes and then did my own variation... you know, what I normally do. It turned out delicious! Here's what fell together:

CABBAGE AND CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

4-5 cups of chopped cabbage (1/2" strips essentially)

1 medium yellow sweet onion, diced

7 oz. carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

3 garlic cloves, grated or minced (you can use less if you like)

1 - 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 5.5 oz. can V8

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 1/2 c. rinsed cannellini beans

6 c. water (or vegetable stock)

2 bouillon cubes (if not using stock) (use veggie, chicken or beef)

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Makes 12 - 1 cup servings - 50 calories each

In a Dutch oven or soup pot bring water or stock to a boil. Add in cabbage, carrots, onion, and garlic, bring to rolling boil and continue to cook on high for 10 minutes. Next bring to medium heat and add in remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer (but not boil) for another 45-60 minutes. You could certainly cook low and slow for longer and have a deeper flavor. Or you could cook for less time and have your veggies more al dente. Depends on what you prefer. However you prepare it this soup will be satisfying, hearty and warm on a cold fall night. Perfect with grilled cheese!

"Fried" ready made chicken and fish...

Even healthy people crave fried things. I'm from the South... we fry EVERYTHING. But as you know... that is not a fit food. But these are! I'm a coupon printer/finder/hunter and I stumbled upon coupons for these Gorton's Skillet Crisp Tilapia. One filet of the Classic Seasonings type is 190 calories, 9g fat and 13g protein. The best part is (especially since most people don't seem to really enjoy cooking fish) you just heat it up in the pan and it crunches up to a "fried" consistency. Bonus, it's tasty!! Serve over salad or with your favorite steamed or roasted veggies!

Another product I stumbled upon in the grocery was Perdue Whole Grain Chicken Breast Cutlets. Now, generally I make my own "fried" chicken coating but we are all busy people and often, time is not on our side. These cutlets are 180 calories, 10g fat, and 13g protein. They are perfect to put over salad, make a fitter chicken cordon bleu, or any other veggie pairings! 

Just thought I'd share some new grocery findings for folks on the go!

Chicken Enchilada "Pie"

So last night I made my first attempt ever at making enchiladas... I know that sounds weird and sad at the same time! Who doesn't love a good enchilada?! So anyhow here's what I did and what I learned.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PIE

10 oz. chicken breast

1 can of Medium or Mild Enchilada sauce (I think I used Old El Paso)

1/2 large green pepper, diced small

1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced small

2 cloves of garlic

4 corn tortillas (60 calories each)

1 1/2 oz. reduced fat cheddar cheese (I used Cabot - 70 calories per oz.)

2 large servings - 370 each.

Put your chicken, enchilada sauce, garlic, pepper and onion in a crock pot. Cook on high for about an hour then cook on low for another hour or so until chicken is tender and all white. Remove chicken breast from slow cooker and shred using two forks, then place back in slow cooker to absorb more sauce. Let sit for a few minutes while you prepare your oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" cake pan with cooking spray. Take out 4 corn tortillas and cut two of them in half. Dip the tortillas into the sauce in the slow cooker and place 1 and two (of the cut four) halves along the bottom of the pan as best as you can to cover. Using a slotted spoon take out the chicken and place it over top of the bottom "crust" tortillas. If you want it to be a little saucier you can add more of the sauce. Repeat the dipping steps for the remaining tortillas to create the top crust. Shred your cheese (or if you can find that type already shredded!) and sprinkle over the top layer of tortillas. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Now, some notes. I bought Chi Chi's brand tortillas and they were too thick to roll, hence the "pie" instead. Also, you don't have to cook the chicken in the slow cooker but it did make it very tender. I'm sure you would get a similar result from baking the chicken or cooking it low and slow on the stove top. Lastly, it may not look that pretty once you tried to cut it of the pan and plate it but it sure is tasty!

Top with salsa and fat free or light sour cream. 

Supermarket List - Sharing from Hungry-Girl!

I'm a big fan of the Hungry-Girl (Lisa Lillien). She takes a lot of recipes and lightens them up. I look forward to her daily emails that include tips, recalls, recipes and new products. Recently, she emailed a Supermarket Survival List and I thought I'd share it with you.

If you haven't signed up for these emails, you should.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/home

Click here to download the PDF file of this list. 

Hungry Girl’s Fall 2012 Supermarket List

Abbreviations: FF = fat-free, RF = reduced-fat, LF = low-fat, SF = sugar-free, NSA = no-sugar-added

DAIRY

Cheese

‰‰ FF & RF shredded cheese
Kraft, Sargento, Weight Watchers
‰‰ FF & RF slices
Kraft, Sargento, Weight Watchers
‰‰ FF & RF block-style cheese
Lifetime, Cabot Light, Kraft
‰‰ RF cheese snacks with 100 calories or less
Mini Babybel, Weight Watchers, Cabot Serious
Snacking
‰‰ Light string cheese
Frigo, Sargento, Weight Watchers (Smoked
flavor!)
‰‰ FF & RF crumbled feta cheese
Athenos, President
‰‰ The Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges
‰‰ The Laughing Cow 1/3 Less Fat Smooth
Sensations Cream Cheese Spreads
‰‰ FF cream cheese in a tub
Philadelphia
‰‰ FF, LF & light (not part-skim)
ricotta cheese
Frigo, Precious
‰‰ FF & LF cottage cheese (with & without
fruit)
Knudsen/Breakstone’s On the Go!/Snack Size &
Doubles, Fiber One, Friendship Fit to Go 1%
‰‰ Almond cheese & soy cheese (low in fat)
Lisanatti Foods The Original Almond Cheese
Alternative, Galaxy Veggie/GO Veggie!
‰‰ RF Parmesan-style grated topping
(pasta aisle)
Kraft

Yogurt

‰‰ FF yogurt
Yoplait Light, Yoplait Light with Fiber (50-cal
Fiber One yogurt with a new name!), Dannon
Light & Fit
‰‰ FF & RF Greek yogurt (with & without
fruit)
Fage Total 0% and 2%, Chobani 0% and 2%,
Athenos 0%, Oikos 0% and 1 1/2%, Yoplait
Greek 100
‰‰ Yogurt with crunchy toppings
YoCrunch (Greek, Pie Parfaits, Breakfast Blends
& more!), Yoplait Light with Granola

Pudding, Desserts & Dessert Toppings
‰‰
SF pudding snack cups
Jell-O, Snack Pack
‰‰ Mousse Temptations by Jell-O
‰‰ NSA rice & tapioca pudding
Kozy Shack
‰‰ Kozy Shack Lactose Free Pudding
(tapioca, rice & chocolate)
‰‰ SF gelatin snack cups
Jell-O
‰‰ FF Reddi-wip
‰‰ Cool Whip Free (freezer aisle)

Egg Products

‰‰ FF liquid egg substitute
Egg Beaters Original, Better’n Eggs,
Nulaid ReddiEgg
‰‰ Liquid egg whites
AllWhites, Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites
‰‰ Eggs (for hard-boiled whites)

Milk, Milk Swaps & Creamers

‰‰ Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla
Almond Breeze (refrigerated &
shelf-stable)
‰‰ Light vanilla soymilk (refrigerated)
8th Continent, Silk
‰‰ Unsweetened coconut milk beverage
So Delicious (refrigerated & shelf-stable)
‰‰ Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla
Almond Coconut Breeze (shelf-stable)
‰‰ Good Karma Flax Milk (refrigerated)
‰‰ FF non-dairy liquid creamer
Coffee-mate, So Delicious Original Coconut
Milk Creamer
Sour Cream & Butter
‰‰ FF sour cream
‰‰ Light buttery spread & light whipped
butter in a tub
Brummel & Brown, Land O’Lakes, Smart
Balance
‰‰ I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spray

CEREAL

Cold Cereal

‰‰ Fiber One Original bran cereal
‰‰ Puffed rice, wheat & corn
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs, Kix
‰‰ Other cereals with about 150 calories
& 4 grams of fiber per 1-cup serving
Kashi Squares Honey Sunshine, Kashi
Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat
Cereal, Kashi Simply Maize, Fiber One
(all varieties), Barbara’s Bakery Puffins,
Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Dulce de Leche
Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut
Butter, Chocolate Cheerios, Kellogg’s Krave

Hot Cereal

‰‰ Old-fashioned oats
Quaker
‰‰ Instant oatmeal packets
Quaker, Kashi, Nature’s Path Organic,
BetterOats
‰‰ Earnest Eats Hot & Fit Cereal (Mayan
Blend ROCKS)

MEAT & SEAFOOD

Poultry

Jimmy Dean, Jennie-O, Butterball, Foster
Farms, Perdue, Tyson (Grilled & Ready!)
‰‰ Boneless skinless chicken breast & turkey
breast (raw breasts, tenders & cutlets;
precooked cutlets, strips & chopped)
‰‰ Applegate Naturals Chicken Nuggets
(frozen)
‰‰ Lean ground turkey
‰‰ Lean turkey burger patties (refrigerated &
frozen)
‰‰ Weight Watchers Chicken Burgers
(frozen)
‰‰ Al Fresco Chicken Burgers (pre-seasoned
raw patties, refrigerated)
‰‰ Al Fresco Chicken Sausages (refrigerated)
‰‰ Turkey pepperoni
Hormel

Beef

Laura’s Lean Beef
‰‰ Extra-lean ground beef
‰‰ Extra-lean & lean steak (top round,
top sirloin, strip, tenderloin, t-bone &
shoulder)

Pork

‰‰ Extra-lean & lean pork (tenderloin, top
loin chops, top loin roast, center loin
chops, center rib chops & sirloin roast)
Bacon
Oscar Mayer, Hormel, Jennie-O, Applegate
Naturals
‰‰ Center-cut bacon
‰‰ Turkey bacon (look for Jennie-O’s
improved version!)
‰‰ Precooked real crumbled bacon
‰‰ Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Bits
Packaged & Deli Meats
‰‰ Extra-lean (96 - 99%) turkey breast,
chicken breast, ham & roast beef slices
Boar’s Head (lower-sodium options, jerk
turkey, chipotle chicken & more), Oscar Mayer
(new Selects without artificial preservatives),
Applegate, Butterball, Healthy Ones, Sara Lee
Page 1 of 4
‰‰ 97% to 100% FF hot dogs
Hoffy Extra Lean, Hebrew National 97%
FF, Ball Park FF, Ball Park Smoked White
Turkey

Seafood (fresh & frozen)

‰‰ Tilapia, tuna & other lean fish fillets
‰‰ Shrimp
‰‰ Crab
Chicken of the Sea Lump Crabmeat, Trade
Winds, MeTompkin
‰‰ Imitation crabmeat

Shelf-Stable Seafood & Other
Proteins

‰‰ Canned & pouched albacore tuna
(packed in water)
‰‰ Canned & pouched boneless & skinless
pink salmon (packed in water)
‰‰ Pouched seasoned tuna
StarKist Tuna Creations
‰‰ Canned 98% FF chunk white chicken
breast (packed in water)

MEAT SUBSTITUTES

‰‰ Frozen meatless hamburger-style patties
Boca Original Vegan, Amy’s Bistro,
MorningStar Farms Grillers Vegan Veggie
‰‰ Frozen meatless veggie-burger patties
Gardenburger, Boca, Amy’s (new Black Bean
Veggie Burger!), MorningStar Farms, Dr.
Praeger’s, Veggie Patch
‰‰ Frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles
Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles,
MorningStar Farms Meal Starters Grillers
Recipe Crumbles
‰‰ Meatless meatballs (frozen &
refrigerated)
Veggie Patch, Nate’s, MorningStar Farms
‰‰ Frozen meatless sausage-style breakfast
patties and links
MorningStar Farms
‰‰ Faux grilled chicken patties, cutlets &
strips (frozen & refrigerated)
MorningStar Farms, Lightlife
‰‰ Frozen breaded-chicken-style soy
patties
Boca, MorningStar Farms
‰‰ Frozen meatless hot dogs
MorningStar Farms Veggie Dogs, Veggie
Patch Veggie Dogs
‰‰ Frozen meatless corn dogs
MorningStar Farms
‰‰ Meatless Buffalo wings (frozen &
refrigerated)
MorningStar Farms, Lightlife
‰‰ Frozen meatless chicken nuggets
MorningStar Farms
‰‰ Meatless BBQ Riblets (frozen &
refrigerated)
MorningStar Farms, Gardein

PRODUCE

Fall Seasonal Produce
‰‰ Broccoli
‰‰ Butternut squash (Bake-tastic Fries!)
‰‰ Cranberries
‰‰ Pears
‰‰ Turnips (MORE fries!)
Fresh Vegetables
‰‰ Bell peppers
‰‰ Carrots
‰‰ Cauliflower
‰‰ Cucumbers
‰‰ Eggplant
‰‰ Jicama
‰‰ Kale (for HG’s kale chips!)
‰‰ Lettuce
‰‰ Mushrooms (portabellas ROCK)
‰‰ Onions (for Lord of the Onion Rings!)
‰‰ Snow peas & sugar snap peas
‰‰ Spaghetti squash
‰‰ Spinach
‰‰ Tomatoes
Bagged Produce
‰‰ Lettuce mixes
‰‰ Broccoli cole slaw
‰‰ Classic coleslaw mix
‰‰ Bean sprouts
Frozen Vegetables
‰‰ Stir-fry veggies
‰‰ Cauliflower & broccoli florets
‰‰ Chopped spinach
‰‰ Seasoned veggies & veggies in LF sauce
Green Giant Just for One, Green Giant Health
Blends, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers
‰‰ Steam-in-the-bag veggies
Birds Eye, Green Giant, Veg-All
Fresh Fruit
‰‰ Apples
‰‰ Bananas
‰‰ Grapefruits
‰‰ Oranges
Frozen Fruit (NSA)
‰‰ Strawberries
‰‰ Dark sweet cherries
‰‰ Mango chunks
‰‰ Peach slices
‰‰ Dole Frozen Fruit Single-Serve Cups
And any other fruits and veggies!

CANNED FOODS

Fruit & Veggies
‰‰ Pineapple packed in juice (chunks,
crushed & slices/rings)
‰‰ Mandarin orange segments packed in
juice
‰‰ Peach slices packed in juice
‰‰ NSA applesauce
‰‰ Pure pumpkin
Libby’s 100%
‰‰ Tomatoes (crushed, diced & stewed)
‰‰ Early/young peas (for HG’s guacamole!)
‰‰ Sweet corn kernels
Green Giant Mexicorn
‰‰ Jarred roasted red peppers (in water)
‰‰ Pickles (refrigerated & shelf-stable)
Soup
‰‰ Low-calorie soups
Amy’s Organic (Chunky Tomato Bisque!),
Amy’s Organic Light in Sodium, Progresso
99% FF, Progresso Light (new Chicken Pot
Pie Style and Creamy Potato with Bacon &
Cheese), Progresso High Fiber, Tabatchnick
(frozen), Campbell’s V8 Soups, Campbell’s
Soup at Hand (check stats)
‰‰ Instant soup
Mishima (Miso! Edamame!)
‰‰ LF turkey & veggie chili
Amy’s, Hormel, Tabatchnick (frozen), Health
Valley
‰‰ FF chicken, beef & vegetable broth (look
for low-sodium)
‰‰ 98% FF cream of celery, chicken &
mushroom condensed soups
Campbell’s
Beans
‰‰ Black beans
‰‰ Red kidney beans
‰‰ Cannellini (white kidney) beans
‰‰ Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
‰‰ FF & LF refried beans

PACKAGED SNACKS

Crackers, Chips & Other
Crunchy Snacks
‰‰ High-fiber crackers (especially
flatbread-style)
Wheat Thins Fiber Selects, Ryvita, Wasa,
Doctor Kracker
‰‰ RF baked & popped potato chips
Popchips, Kettle Brand Baked, Baked!
Lay’s, Pringles Light, Cape Cod 40%
RF/Less Fat, Michael Season’s Baked
(single-serving snacks), Special K Popcorn
Chips
‰‰ LF baked & popped tortilla chips
Guiltless Gourmet, Baked! Tostitos Scoops!,
Popchips Tortilla Chips
‰‰ Lentil & hummus chips
Mediterranean Snacks, Plentils, Simply 7
‰‰ Pretzels
Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps
‰‰ Rice snacks & soy crisps
Quaker, Genisoy, Glenny’s
‰‰ Rice cakes
Quaker
‰‰ 94% FF microwave popcorn bags
Jolly Time Healthy Pop, Orville
Redenbacher’s SmartPop!, Pop Secret 100
Calorie Pop
‰‰ Freeze-dried fruit
Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits, Just
Tomatoes, Etc.!, Funky Monkey, Crispy
Green, Sensible Foods
‰‰ 100-calories-or-less snack packs
Nabisco 100 Cal, Kellogg’s 100 Calorie Right
Bites, Chex 100 Calorie, 100 Calorie Doritos,
Pringles Stix
Portion-Savvy Candy, Cookies &
Sweets
‰‰ Chocolate candy
Skinny Cow Dreamy Clusters & Heavenly
Crisps, Hershey’s Simple Pleasures, Hershey’s
100 Calorie Bars
‰‰ Lollipops & hard candy
Dum Dums, Tootsie Pops, Jolly Rancher
‰‰ Cookies
Nabisco 100 Cal, Quaker Soft Baked Oatmeal
Cookies & Crunchy Oat Granola Cookies,
Nonni’s Biscotti (Salted Caramel!)
‰‰ Other sweet treats
Entenmann’s Little Bites, Weight Watchers
Snack Cakes, Sara Lee Pound Cake Slices
(frozen), Rice Krispies Treats The Original
Bars, Special K Pastry Crisps (new flavors!),
Newtons Fruit Crisps
Snack Bars
‰‰ Cereal bars & chewy granola bars
Quaker (Smashbars!), Fiber One, Special K,
Kashi, Soyjoy, Kraft MilkBite (refrigerated,
near the yogurt), Rickland Orchards All
Natural Greek Yogurt Bars
‰‰ Crunchy granola bars
Nature Valley, Kashi Crunchy Granola, Clif
Crunch
‰‰ Decadent snack bars
Fiber One (new Chewy varieties), Special K,
Chex Mix, Nimble by Balance Bar, Balance
Mini Energy Bars
‰‰ “Mini-meal” bars
Kashi GoLean, Kind, Luna (and Luna
Fiber!), Larabar, Perfect Foods Bar Lite
(refrigerated), Corazonas Oatmeal Squares
Nuts and Seeds
‰‰ Pistachios in the shell
Everybody’s Nuts! (seasoned), Wonderful
Pistachios
‰‰ Almonds (whole & sliced)
All Natural Almond Accents, Blue Diamond
100-calorie packs, Emerald 100-calorie
packs, Wonderful Almonds
‰‰ Peanuts in the shell
‰‰ Sunflower seeds in the shell
Jerky
‰‰ Beef, chicken, turkey, pork &
meatless jerky
Jack Link’s, Tillamook Country Smoker, Oh
Boy! Oberto, Krave, Primal Spirit Foods

BREAD

‰‰ Light bread slices
Weight Watchers, Nature’s Own 40 Calorie,
Nature’s Own Double Fiber, Arnold Bakery/
Oroweat, Sara Lee Delightful, Pepperidge
Farm (Light Style, Very Thin & Whole Grain),
Fiber One
‰‰ Light & high-fiber hamburger & hot dog
buns
Wonder 80 Calorie Wheat, Sara Lee
Delightful, Pepperidge Farm Classic
‰‰ 100-calorie flat sandwich buns
Arnold Select/Brownberry/Oroweat Sandwich
Thins, Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats, Nature’s
Own Sandwich Rounds, Weight Watchers Rye
Flat Rolls
‰‰ Light English muffins
Thomas’, Western Bagel Alternative, Weight
Watchers, Fiber One
‰‰ High-fiber pitas
Western Bagel Alternative, Weight Watchers
‰‰ Large high-fiber flour tortillas with
about 110 calories each
La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low
Carb High Fiber (Large), La Tortilla Factory
100 Calorie, Mission Carb Balance, Tumaro’s
8-Inch Healthy, Tumaro’s 8-Inch Low in
Carbs
‰‰ Light high-fiber flatbreads
Flatout Light, Flatout Foldit Flatbreads,
Flatout Pinwheel Lavash Flatbread, Flatout
Thin Crust Artisan Pizza Flatbreads
‰‰ 6-inch corn tortillas
‰‰ Corn taco shells (flat-bottomed!)
‰‰ Light & thin bagels
Western Bagel Alternative 2.0 (reformulated!),
Weight Watchers, Thomas’ Bagel Thins (and
Breakfast Thins!), Kim’s Light, Pepperidge
Farm Bagel Flats, Nature’s Own Thin Sliced
Bagels
‰‰ Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
Seamless Dough Sheet (refrigerated)
‰‰ Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust dough
(refrigerated)
‰‰ Pillsbury RF Crescent Rolls dough
(refrigerated)
‰‰ Lavash bread (bakery or
ethnic-food aisle)

FROZEN MEALS &
MEAL STARTERS

‰‰ LF waffles
Eggo LF, Van’s Lite
‰‰ Breakfast sandwiches, bowls & wraps
Kraft Bagel-fuls, Weight Watchers Smart Ones
Smart Beginnings, Jimmy Dean Delights
Breakfast Sandwiches & Bowls, Cedarlane Egg
White Omelettes & Breakfast Burritos, Amy’s
Hot Cereal Bowls
‰‰ Flatbreads, panini &
pocket sandwiches
Amy’s Pocket Sandwiches, Lean Pockets, Lean
Cuisine (Flatbread Melts & Panini), Weight
Watchers Smart Ones Flatbreads
‰‰ Burritos & wraps
Amy’s, Cedarlane
‰‰ Pizzas (multi-serving & single-serving)
Kashi, Amy’s (Light & Lean!), Lean Cuisine,
Weight Watchers Smart Ones, VitaPizza
(request it!), Naked Pizza (Superbiotic one
ROCKS)
‰‰ Classic entrées
Kashi, Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine,
Cedarlane, Amy’s (Light & Lean!),
MorningStar Farms, Lightlife
‰‰ Steam-ready meals
Lean Cuisine Market Collection, Healthy
Choice Cafe Steamers, Kashi Steam Meals
‰‰ Amy’s Cheese Pizza Toaster Pops
‰‰ Contessa Stir-Fry Meals
‰‰ Garden Lites Souffles (Pizza flavor!)
‰‰ Applegate Naturals Wheat-Free Beef Corn
Dogs

ICE CREAM, FROZEN
DESSERTS & DESSERT
INGREDIENTS

‰‰ Light and FF ice cream cartons
Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned Light (seasonal
flavors!), Breyers FF
‰‰ Portion-controlled cups of light ice cream
Skinny Cow, Weight Watchers, Dreyer’s/Edy’s
‰‰ Frozen yogurt
Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned Yogurt Blends,
Oikos Frozen Greek Yogurt, Healthy Choice
Greek Frozen Yogurt, TCBY Frozen Yogurt
‰‰ Lifeway Frozen Kefir
Page 3 of 4
‰‰ Light & LF ice cream bars
Skinny Cow (Truffle Bars!), Breyers Smooth
& Dreamy, Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom
Snack Size
‰‰ LF ice cream sandwiches
Skinny Cow, Weight Watchers, Klondike
Slim-a-Bear, Breyers Smooth & Dreamy,
Blue Bunny (Birthday Party!)
‰‰ Light & LF ice cream cones
Weight Watchers, Skinny Cow,
Nestle Lil’ Drums
‰‰ LF fudge bars
Weight Watchers Giant, Skinny Cow, Healthy
Choice Premium, NSA Fudgsicles
‰‰ Fruit bars
Blue Bunny FrozFruit, Fruitfull Juice Bars,
Dreyer’s/Edy’s Fruit Bars
‰‰ Sorbet & light ice cream bars
Weight Watchers Giant, SF Creamsicles
‰‰ SF Popsicles
‰‰ Mini fillo shells
Athens
‰‰ Cool Whip Free
‰‰ Vitalicious VitaTops
‰‰ Cake cones
‰‰ Sugar cones

SAUCES, SALAD
DRESSINGS & SHELFSTABLE
CONDIMENTS

‰‰ Light, LF & FF salad dressings
Newman’s Own Lite LF Sesame Ginger
Dressing (and others in the Lite line),
Wish-Bone Light, Kraft Free, Kraft Light,
Litehouse (check stats), Hidden Valley FF,
Girard’s FF, Bolthouse Farms
‰‰ Spray dressings
Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers
‰‰ Vinegar (balsamic, seasoned rice, etc.)
Nakano Seasoned Rice Vinegars (so many
flavors!)
‰‰ BBQ sauce (with 45 calories per
serving)
Stubb’s
‰‰ FF mayonnaise
‰‰ Hellmann’s/Best Foods Dijonnaise
‰‰ Mustard (honey, Dijon, spicy brown,
yellow)
‰‰ Vivi’s Original Sauce Carnival Mustards
(request ’em!)
‰‰ Ketchup
Heinz (No Salt Added, Reduced Sugar,
Organic Heinz, Simply Heinz)
‰‰ Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne
Pepper Sauce
‰‰ RF peanut butter
Skippy RF Creamy & RF Super Chunk
‰‰ Justin’s Nut Butters (portion-controlled
packs)
‰‰ Better’n Peanut Butter/Peanut Wonder
‰‰ SF & low-sugar fruit preserves & jam
Smucker’s SF & Low Sugar Preserves &
Jams, Polaner SF Preserves with Fiber
‰‰ Thick marinades (30 calories or fewer
per tablespoon)
Lawry’s, Newman’s Own, Mrs. Dash
‰‰ LF marinara, pasta & pizza sauce
Classico, Dei Fratelli
‰‰ Salsa
La Victoria, Wholly Salsa (refrigerated in
produce section), Pace
‰‰ Reduced-sodium/lite soy sauce
‰‰ SF pancake syrup
Cary’s SF, Mrs. Butterworth’s SF, Log Cabin
SF
‰‰ Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme
‰‰ Light & FF caramel dip (produce section!)
Marzetti Light & FF Caramel Dip, Litehouse
LF & Original
‰‰ Light & SF chocolate syrup
Hershey’s Lite & SF

BEVERAGES

‰‰ Spring water
‰‰ Flavored water (check calories and
servings per container!)
Aquafina FlavorSplash, Zero-Calorie SoBe
Lifewater, Vitaminwater Zero, Activate
Drinks, Minute Maid Fruit Falls & Just 10
Pouches
‰‰ Coconut water
Zico, O.N.E., Vita Coco, Taste Nirvana
(especially Coco Aloe), Coco Libre, Harmless
Harvest
‰‰ Low-calorie & light juice beverages
Diet V8 Splash, V8 V-Fusion Light, Trop50
(new tea blends!), Ocean Spray Diet (Cran-
Cherry!), Ocean Spray Light
‰‰ Low-calorie powdered drink mixes
Crystal Light & Crystal Light Pure, Wyler’s
Light, Lipton Iced Tea To Go (Tea & Honey
mixes!), AriZona SF, True Lemonade
‰‰ Diet soda & club soda
Coke Zero, Coke Cherry Zero, Sprite Zero,
A&W Diet Root Beer, Dr. Brown’s Diet, Blue
Sky Free Root Beer
‰‰ Diet iced tea
Diet Snapple (Trop-A-Rocka rocks!),
Diet AriZona
‰‰ Unsweetened iced tea
Tejava, Gold Peak Tea
‰‰ Tea bags
Celestial Seasonings, Tazo, Stash
‰‰ Unsweetened instant iced tea mix
Lipton
‰‰ Ready-to-brew coffee
Millstone, Dunkin’ Donuts, K-Cups, Starbucks
(Blonde Roast!)
‰‰ Instant coffee granules
Folgers, Nescafe Taster’s Choice
‰‰ Starbucks VIA Ready Brew
‰‰ Hot cocoa packets with 20 to
25 calories each
Swiss Miss Diet, Nestle FF

BAKING PRODUCTS, PANTRY
STAPLES, SPICES & MORE

‰‰ Whole-wheat flour
‰‰ Pancake mix
Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Blend, Hungry
Jack Complete Extra Light & Fluffy, Fiber One
Complete, Bisquick Heart Smart
‰‰ Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
‰‰ Mini marshmallows
‰‰ Unsweetened cocoa powder
‰‰ Moist-style cake mixes
‰‰ Brownie mix
Betty Crocker, No Pudge!
‰‰ Betty Crocker Cereal Muffin Mixes
‰‰ LF graham crackers & chocolate graham
crackers
‰‰ SF FF instant pudding mix
Jell-O SF FF Instant
‰‰ Nonstick cooking spray
Pam (Original, Olive Oil & Butter Flavor)
‰‰ Instant potato flakes
Betty Crocker 80 Calories Per Serving
Pouch Potatoes
‰‰ High-fiber pasta
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest & Smart Taste, Barilla
Plus & Whole Grain
‰‰ House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodle
Substitute (in the refrigerated tofu section!)
‰‰ Wonton wrappers
‰‰ Egg roll wrappers
‰‰ No-calorie sweetener packets
Splenda, Equal, Truvia, Stevia Extract In The
Raw, Nectresse (new & natural!)
‰‰ Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, granulated
(comes loose, not in packets)
‰‰ SF calorie-free flavored syrups
Torani SF Syrups
‰‰ SF & FF flavored powdered creamer
Coffee-mate SF & FF French Vanilla (even
regular ones have reasonable stats!)
‰‰ FF plain powdered creamer
Coffee-mate FF The Original
‰‰ Dry taco, fajita & chili seasoning mix
‰‰ Dry onion soup/dip mix
‰‰ Dry ranch dressing/dip mix
‰‰ Jarred chopped garlic
‰‰ Sun-dried tomatoes in pouches (or packed
in oil; drain ‘em!)

this week's food obsessions...

Every single time I make myself a bowl of cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes I feel like an old lady... hand me my knitting needles and readers. But I just can't help it! When you have a winning combination it's hard to let go of... so go ahead... try it! (It's absolutely THE best with garden fresh tomatoes - or organic)

1/2 cup of 1% milkfat Cottage Cheese and 1/2 a sliced tomato is only 100 calories! Even better? Cottage cheese is packed with protein - 11g per serving! That's almost 3 times that of an egg. Great for building muscle and recovery after strength building workouts.

These little bars are fantastic! They give you the sweetness that you crave with 20% of your daily fiber requirements! Did I mention the flavor is strawberry PB&J?? Can you go wrong with this? Only 110 calories and 3.5g of fat. 

I'm always looking for a new, bold, snack cracker to have with my soups or salads. This one is PACKED with flavor. If you're looking for a zippy cracker with the bold taste of aged Parmesan and garlic you cannot go wrong here. Best part? 23 crackers are only 130 calories and 4.5g of fat. 

Speaking of Parmesan. A little of the real stuff goes a long way! I roasted a bunch of veggies at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping half way through, and then topped it off with 1/4 c. of shredded Parmesan cheese. So yummy!

My veggie mix:

2 cups fresh broccoli, cut into one inch stalks

2 cups fresh cauliflower, cut into one inch stalks,

1 small package white mushrooms, left whole

6 oz. baby carrots, cut in half

1/2 yellow sweet onion, cut into 1/2 inch strips

1 red pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Makes 2 servings - 170 calories each!

And last but not least, my new favorite English muffin!

Only 130 calories and 5g of protein per muffin! They have a very fresh taste with a slight touch of honey. Perfect with a teaspoon or two of Land O' Lakes Whipped butter (my butter of choice!).

Eat healthy my friends!!

These are a few of my favorite things....

Keeping up with my promise... here are some other things that I've eaten... and enjoyed! All under 400 calories!

Chicken and Veggie Marinara

Shitake and Soy Sauce GreeNoodles

Here's the story. I grew up on Ramen noodles (which are TERRIBLE for you...) and sometimes the little kid in me craves it. I like to call this new find Adult Ramen. It's made of Moroheiya which is considered the Egyptian spinach. It was chewy like Ramen and tasty but with only 260 calories and 8 grams of protein!

Biggest Loser Pancakes with Blueberries and Center Cut Bacon

Baked Plantain Chips

(so simple!)

Take a green to light yellow plantain, slice into 1/8" slices, spray baking sheet with Olive Oil cooking spray, season with salt or your favorite spices. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until brown on bottom side, flip and bake an additional 4 minutes or so until brown. Baking times will vary considering how ripe or thick your slices. 1 medium plantain is about 200 calories.

Hot Sauce Pretzel Chicken

This is a favorite in my house. I used to make it all the time! Just something I came up with one day!

9 oz chicken tenders

1 egg white, beaten

1 oz. crushed pretzel sticks

1/4 c. Panko bread crumbs

1/4 c. Franks Red Hot Original Sauce

Take your raw chicken tenders and poke with a fork a few times in a resealable plastic container. Pour in Franks sauce, cover. Shake around a bit and set aside.

Beat your one egg white on a plate. Set aside. 

In a Ziploc bag place pretzels, crush with the flat edge of a meat mallet or the bottom of a coffee mug until relatively fine. Pour out on a clean plate and add Panko. 

Shake off excess Franks from chicken and dip in egg batter. Roll chicken in Panko pretzel mixture and repeat. Coating twice with batter and crumb mixture works best! Do this with all tenders and set aside. Spray a skillet with Olive Oil spray and place over medium low heat. Cook until one side of chicken is brown. Do not repeatedly turn over and over, it will cause the batter to fall off! Cook each tender 4-5 minutes per side or until thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. 

Makes 2 servings - 220 calories each.

Some things I've eaten! And a recipe!

More things I ate... it's like a visual food diary... Just some images to give you an idea that you don't have to eat boring or bland... your world doesn't have to be full of rice cakes and salad. Just make smart choices!

Breakfast - 240 calories! 

2 egg whites, scrambled

2 slices SmartKids Wonder bread (who says it's just for kids!)

1 tbsp. Welch's Naturals grape jelly (less sugar and calories than traditional)

1/2 oz. crumbled feta cheese

2 slices center cut low sodium bacon

Buffalo Veggies!

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for buffalo cauliflower. They used buttermilk, butter, flour, etc. I used olive oil spray and Frank's Red Hot. I was trying to make mine a side, not a whole meal. They don't post calories on their site (which always makes me nervous!) so I just made up my own. Sure, you could probably add a little whipped light butter to the sauce and mix it together and toss the veggies in it, but I was in a hurry! Simply put, lay your veggies on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray. Toss on your fresh cut veggies (Frozen might be too watery), spray with more cooking spray, and drip Frank's over your veggies! Toss around the sheet for even coating. Frank's has 0 calories! Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (depending how done you like your vegetables). Take them out about half way through and flip them over for even cooking. All your calories will come from the veggies and not the coating! But you will still get the buffalo flavor you want!

Tuna Salad 

160 calories for salad

50 calories for half serving of pretzel sticks

Lunch - 210 calories!

Sure, tuna salad is a no brainer. Everyone knows you can toss mayo, relish, onion and tuna and voila! Tuna salad! But, did you know you can easily use Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard INSTEAD of mayo? Here's the deal... even if you buy low calorie or fat free mayo it still packs 35 calories per tablespoon. Greek yogurt has the consistency of mayo with added probiotics and protein. It's a win win. Not to mention an entire 6oz. container is only 90 calories. Therefore making it about 10 calories per tablespoon. Pair that with a little Dijon or spicy mustard and you've given your boring Tuna salad a face-lift!

three in season fruit obsessions...

Plums, Pluots and Keitt mangoes!

One of the great benefits of working in a food market is getting to know and taste all those foods you are afraid to try or are curious about.

Plums remind me of my childhood. I can remember eating black plums with my Grandmother when I was little. I still love them today. If you haven't given them a try, you should. They have amazing stats, only 30 calories and 1g of fiber per plum!

BLACK PLUM

The Dapple Dandy Pluot is a hybrid between a plum and an apricot, more plum than apricot. They are kind of strange looking, speckled, and often look frost kissed. They are sweet and fun to eat. Only 75 calories each and 1g of fiber. 

DAPPLE DANDY PLUMCOT (PLUOT)

I've been able to try a few different types of mangoes over the past year and my favorite is the Keitt mango. It's softer and less stringy than the Alphonso and there is more fruit on them than the Champagne mango (which is my second favorite). The calories range a bit due to size from 100-150 calories each. So good!

KEITT MANGO

Corn Chowdah

Chowder (Chowdah) is big in New England... I'm guessing because of all the cold nights. Since moving here over a year ago I've eaten a lot of clam and corn chowder and cringed at the thought of all the heavy cream and calories involved. However, we must all indulge a little... sometimes. But when we're not having "free days" and we still want to eat something warm and hearty you can make a Fit Foodie style Corn Chowder. Here's how I did it!

CORN CHOWDER

3 ears of fresh corn, husked and cut from cob (yields 2 1/3 cups of kernels)

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 c. chick peas (garbanzo beans)

1 lb. red potatoes, cubed

2 c. skim milk

7 c. water (separated*)

2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or 2 cups of veggie broth substituted for 2 cups water)

1 tbsp. corn starch

1 tbsp. parsley (fresh if available)

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. garlic powder (I like a lot!)

black pepper and salt to taste

Saute the onion and minced garlic in a large pot with cooking spray until onion becomes transparent, 2-3 minutes. Add in potatoes and 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally (add another 1/2 cup if necessary to prevent burning). In a food processor or blender puree chick peas and 1 cup of water. Add in milk and 1/2 cup of cooked potato and corn from pot to the blender or processor and blend until slightly smooth. This is partly what you will use as a thickening agent. Use another 1 cup of cold water to mix corn starch into. Use 2 cups of water to dissolve veggie bouillon into. If you prefer to use veggie broth (or chicken) instead that will work too, just subtract 2 cups of water from recipe. Add pureed mix, the remaining water (or broth) and all spices to the pot and bring to a boil. While stirring, slowly add in the corn starch/water mixture. If you would like thicker chowder you can either add another 1/2 cup of pureed chick peas or more corn starch/water until desired consistency. 

Optional: Top with either shredded 2% pepper jack or cheddar cheese.

This batch will make about 12 cups.

Only 83 calories per cup!!

Traditional Corn Chowder ranges from 200-300 calories per one cup serving. 

Breakfast!

MY BREAKFAST!

People often wonder what I eat on a daily basis. I will start posting some things I have eaten to give you an idea. Today, this was my breakfast:

1 egg white, scrambled

1/2 ounce feta cheese

sliced onion

1 light multi-grain English muffin

1 plum

Total calories: 190

Biggest Loser Pancakes

I've been a fan of Pinterest for a little while now and I love that I can find amazing recipes in just one click. Now I'm a sucker for a great pancake. The best ones I've ever had were the cornmeal buttermilk pancakes from the North End Cafe in Louisville, KY and nothing quite holds a candle to them. However, these are pretty dang good!

BIGGEST LOSER PANCAKES

1/3 c. 1% fat cottage cheese

1/3 c. old fashioned oats

2 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. Splenda (they use sugar in the original recipe)

Yields 2 pancakes: 180 calories

In a blender or food processor mix all ingredients into a smooth batter. Spray a nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat with cooking spray. Pour half the mixture into the skillet and when the edges start to bubble flip pancake over. Enjoy with sugar free syrup! 

*taken from this website.

Fiber Oat Carrot Cookies

Fiber is important. It helps you feel fuller for a longer period of time and aids in digestion. The problem is that sometimes fiber doesn't taste all that great. Luckily there is a tasty fiber campaign running through our food manufacturers these days. Fiber One makes bars, cereal and even "brownies". There are lots of other whole foods high in fiber as well; blueberries, raspberries, pears, apples, oats, whole wheat spaghetti, bran flakes, split peas, lentils, black beans, artichokes, peas, broccoli, etc.

Last night I was craving baked goods. This is normal for me but I've been trying to cut down on my snacking. Something I still struggle with even after maintaining my weight loss for over a year. Old habits die hard and just because I know this is a weakness of mine I try to keep it in check by offering other solutions. Therefore, healthy cookies!

FIBER OAT CARROT COOKIES

1 1/2 c. Fiber One Original (or the generic) Cereal

1 c. old fashioned Oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 medium banana, smashed

3 egg whites, beaten

1/2 c. shredded carrots

1/4 c. raisins

1-2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. baking Splenda

Blend all dry ingredients in a food processor until close to a corn meal texture. Mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and pulse. Batter will be extremely thick. Stir in raisins. Use a small ice cream scoop/cookie scoop to measure out each cookie (approx: 1 inch ball if forming by hand). Spray cookie sheet with baking spray. Then flatten each cookie with the back of a spatula sprayed with baking spray to prevent sticking. These cookies will not spread on their own, they are too thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Store in the refrigerator and warm in microwave or toaster oven before eating. Or just eat them straight out of the fridge! Yields about 22 cookies.

Impressive Stats per cookie:

Calories: 34 (!)

Fat: .5g

Potassium: 84g

Carbs: 10g

Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 2g

Protein: 1.5g

Chicken Vegetable Marinara

Pasta is one of those difficult foods. You can pay a high caloric price for not a lot of product but the trick is to add more "toppings" and less pasta.

CHICKEN VEGETABLE MARINARA

8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 oz. thin spaghetti

1 medium zucchini, sliced and halved

1 large carrot, sliced

1/2 medium white onion, diced

1/3 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen pepper mix (can certainly use fresh!)

1-2 tbsp. minced garlic

1- 8oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 tbsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary and dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan saute with olive oil spray all the raw vegetables: carrots, zucchini, and onion until cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. Add to pan chicken, garlic, olive oil spray and seasonings. Cook until done. Add back into pan cooked veggies and frozen veggies plus your can of tomato sauce. Stir well and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cook pasta until al dente (according to packaging). 

Makes 2 servings - 370 calories each