Tag: healthy

Don’t Be Chicken To Make This Staple More Exciting!

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Chicken with Spinach and Goat Cheese Topping

This dish is a cinch to make and tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours! Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein and the vegetables top this dish off with a ton of nutrients! Spinach offers folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and many other vitamins and minerals to fuel your body right! Tomatoes not only add color to this dish – the pigment that supplies the red color also gives your body a healthy dose of vitamin A! Goat cheese offers a creamy, satiating feeling to this dish, plus delivers calcium! Don’t let chicken seem like the boring dinner – spice things up and enjoy this dressed up staple!

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Ingredients (serves 2):

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approximately 4 oz each)

3 C spinach, raw

1 small onion

1.5 C cherry tomatoes

1.5 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

dash salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:IMG_0521

*Note: This recipe uses a skillet to cook the chicken. If you would like, you can also bake the chicken in an oven. Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over chicken and add spice rub. Bake at 350 degrees (F), until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (F). Then proceed to step #4.

1. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to medium skillet and warm over medium heat.

2. Rub chicken with spices (cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder)

3. Cook chicken in skillet until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (F). You will need to flip the chicken when the sides begin turning white.

IMG_05204. Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to a different medium skillet. Warm over medium heat. Chop onion and add to skillet, stirring occasionally. Cook approximately 5-7 minutes.

5. Chop tomatoes in halves or quarters and add tomatoes to skillet with onions. Cook another 5 minutes.

6. Add spinach to skillet and allow to wilt, approximately 3 minutes. Add goat cheese and cook 1 minute.

7. Remove chicken from skillet. Place on plate over paper towel to allow excess oil to drain. Transfer to plate. Pour contents of skillet (spinach, onions, tomatoes, goat cheese) over chicken. Serve hot.

The Goods: What’s Inside?IMG_0522

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 358 calories, Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 76 mg, Carbohydrate 13 g, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 6 g, Protein 33 g, Sodium 278 mg, Calcium 113 mg. 

Roasted Potatoes and Onions

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Roasted Potatoes and Onions

This healthier twist on home fries is simple to make and tastes every bit like comfort food! Potatoes are a great source of fiber, potassium and the skin contains a ton of nutrients! Enjoy this side dish as a snack, or paired with a lean protein (I love eating this with grilled chicken) to round out dinner! The best part? Leftovers taste amazing with eggs the next morning!

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Ingredients (serves 3)

5 small (2″ diameter) yukon gold potatoes (red potatoes also work!)

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

dash salt (to taste)

dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

IMG_0512Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash potatoes. Dry thoroughly with paper towel. Chop into eighths.

3. Spray casserole dish with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray. Add potatoes.

4. Add chopped onions and olive oil. Mix.

5. Add spices. Mix.

6. Bake in oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour, mixing every 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 301 calories, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 49 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 5 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 70 mg, Calcium 38 mg

Get Excited About Your Lunchtime Salad!

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Beet and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad

Salad can sometimes sound like a snooze – shake things up with this plate of greens! Using spinach instead of lettuce pumps up the nutrient content of this salad, since spinach supplies vitamins A,K,C,E and many of the B vitamins, including folate. Also, spinach is a great source of iron and calcium! The sweet taste of beets with goat cheese and the filling protein in the soybeans make this salad extra satisfying! Also, walnuts offer way more than a satisfying crunch to this salad – walnuts are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation. Eat this salad to fuel your body with tons of nutritional goodness!

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Ingredients (serves 1):

2 C spinach

2 medium ready-to-serve beets (skinned, pre-cooked, refrigerated)

1 Tbsp walnuts

2 Tbsp edamame (out of pods, unsalted)

.5 oz chevre (goat cheese), crumbled

1 small cucumber, sliced

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Place spinach on plate. Add edamame, cucumber slices, walnuts and goat cheese.

2. Dice beets. Add to salad.

3. Combine olive oil and vinegar in small cup. Pour over salad. Serve.

*Bringing this salad to work? No problem! Prevent soggyness by investing in a container that has a separate compartment for salad dressing. Just remember to store your lunch in the fridge!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

Calories 259 calories, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Sodium 155 mg, Carbohydrates 21 g, Fiber 6 g, Sugar 11 g, Protein 12 g, Calcium 189 mg. 

Squash Those Pasta Cravings!

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Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Olive Oil

Craving pasta, but wishing you didn’t love the starchy stuff? While whole wheat pasta is fine in moderation, it is understandable to wish you were craving something a little healthier. This is where spaghetti squash comes in- tastes like pasta, looks like pasta, but is actually a winter squash that packs in a ton of nutrition with every bite! Spaghetti squash is rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. The healthy fat in the olive oil aids in the absorption of this fat-soluble vitamin. Also, spaghetti squash is a rich source or vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium! Make enough for seconds – you’re going to want them!

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Ingredients (serves 5):

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs)

4 cloves garlic

1 medium zucchini squash

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/2 C grape tomatoes, halved

1 C reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

2 basil leaves, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise. Remove pulp. Place on baking sheet (skin facing upward) and bake for 45 mins- 1 hour.

3. After spaghetti squash has been cooking for approximately 30 minutes, dice zucchini and mince garlic.

4. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add zucchini and garlic powder. Cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add minced garlic, chopped basil leaves and halved tomatoes to skillet with zucchini. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat.

6. Remove squash from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pull squash with a fork. It should be easily removed and appear as long, thin, soft strands of spaghetti. If this is not the case, continue to cook squash and resume once squash is finished cooking. Add squash to skillet with vegetables and warm over low-medium heat.

7. Add remaining olive oil, salt and ground black pepper. Add chopped basil leaves to skillet. Cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Mix in feta cheese and cook 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 312 calories, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Sodium 578 mg, Carbohydrates 15 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 6 g, Protein 5 g, Calcium 166 mg

Warm Kale And Butternut Squash Salad

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This warm salad will make you feel like you’re eating comfort food in these dropping temperatures! This dish, which can be a snack, a side dish, or a perfectly adequate meal if you add some protein, makes use of some of fall’s best treasures. Butternut squash is a winter squash that supplies a ton of beta-carotene (A precursor form of vitamin A), along with vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and fiber. Also, kale is a nutritionally power-packed leafy green that offers up even more vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K, along with iron, calcium and a ton of other vitamins and minerals. The acidity from the lemon juice helps to break down the nutrients in kale in order to increase bioavailability, and also helps to counteract the bitter taste of this green.

Ingredients (serves 2):

4 C kale, chopped (with stems removed)

1.5 C cubed butternut squash

1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

dash salt

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.Place cubed squash on baking sheet and drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over squash. Add dash salt and dash ground black pepper. Bake in oven once preheated approximately 45 minutes, mixing every 15-20 minutes.

3. Chop kale and remove large stems.

4. Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and warm over medium heat.

5. Add kale to skillet. Cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring often.

6. Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon over kale and mix well. Add remaining black pepper to kale. Allow to cook another 5 minutes, stirring often.

7. Combine kale and squash and mix. Serve warm.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 252 cals, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 31 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 4 g, Protein 6 g, Calcium 246 mg, Sodium 142 mg

A Pasta Dish With Pumped Up Nutrition

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Craving pasta? Have no fear! This pasta dish will fill you up without weighing you down! The whole wheat pasta offers fiber and nutrients that aren’t naturally present in refined, white pasta. This will help to pump up the nutrition of this dish and may keep you fuller, longer. Also, this pasta dish isn’t loaded with fat – instead, it contains a ton of veggies, with a modest amount of healthy fat (mostly monounsaturated fat from the olive oil). The fat aids in the absorption of vitamins A and K, both present in this dish from hefty amounts of tomatoes and spinach! The best part about this dish? It can be ready in about 25 minutes! Easy dinners just got a whole lot healthier!

Ingredients (serves 6):

6 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti or angel hair

3 C spinach, raw

1.5 C grape tomatoes

1 container (3.5 oz) low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

2 large cloves garlic

1 small onion

8 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil water in large pot for pasta.

2. While pasta is boiling, chop onion, and tomatoes and mince garlic. Tomatoes should be cut into quarters.

3. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in medium skillet and heat over medium heat.

4. Place onion in skillet and heat approximately 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir occasionally.

5. Add garlic to skillet. Continue cooking 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. If the water is boiling at this point (it most likely will be) then add pasta. If you’d like, break pasta in half before adding to water. Stir pasta occasionally.

7. Add tomatoes to skillet. Continue cooking 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and black pepper. Allow spinach to wilt (about 2-3 minutes).

8. When pasta is done cooking (approximately 7-9 minutes), drain. Place remaining 6 Tbsp olive oil in pot and lower to low-medium heat.

9. Add pasta to large pot with olive oil and mix ingredients. Add veggie mixture from skillet to pasta and stir. Heat approximately 2 minutes.

10. Add feta cheese and stir. Heat approximately 2 minutes. Divide into 6 portions and serve.

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 319 calories, Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrates 26 g, Fiber 4 g, Sugars 3 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 248 mg, Calcium 83 mg