Showing posts with label yogurt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yogurt. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Perfect Parfait

I eat oatmeal for breakfast year round, no matter the temperature outside. But for a lot of people, when the warm weather rolls around, they look for a cooler start to the day. This solution that I have to offer is a healthy yogurt parfait. It is very quick and easy to make, plus it has plenty of protein and fiber. While I use greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream and mayonnaise in cooking, I love the thick, creamy texture on its own as well. The only other ingredients are Fiber One cereal, Truvia sweetener, and cinnamon. The crunch of the cereal reminds me of granola and is the perfect compliment to the slightly sweet yogurt. I prefer to eat my fruit on the side but you could also add fresh berries. I learned about this delicious combination while interning last summer for Tanya Zuckerbrot in NYC. She is an amazing dietitian a founder/author of The F-Factor Diet. The F-Factor Diet is a healthy diet that is very easy to follow. It promotes whole-grains, high fiber, and protein which helps to keep you feeling full and avoid sabotaging your weight loss plan. Tanya has also created her own line of high fiber products which can be found at Kroger stores or can be ordered on her website. I would go in to detail about the different products, but I'll save that for another post. This yogurt parfait tastes indulgent but weighs in with a mere 160 calories. It is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Yogurt Parfait
serves 1

Ingredients
1 (6 oz) container Fage 0% plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup Fiber One original cereal
1 packet Truvia sweetener
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Add Truvia and cinnamon to yogurt container. Mix well. Stir in Cereal.

Nutrition: 160 calories, 32g carbohydrate, 20g protein, 1g fat, 14g fiber
Weight Watchers points: 4
Weight Watchers Plus points: 6
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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Cut Calories with Cauliflower

If you love the flavor of a loaded baked potato, but aren't a fan of the associated carbs, this recipe is for you. In my cauliflower casserole, I use the same ingredients that you would add to a twice baked potato or potato casserole. Although the texture is slightly different, the flavor is very similar. Plus this alternative saves quite a few calories. The casserole is creamy and cheesy and everything that typically contradicts a healthy food. It is the perfect side item to add a bit of southern comfort. For a complete meal, I paired the casserole with baked chicken tenders and steamed green beans.

Cauliflower Casserole
serves 6

Ingredients
10 oz. frozen cauliflower
3 tbsp fat free butter
2 tbsp diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp egg whites
1 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Steam cauliflower until softened. Transfer to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
  3. Add butter, onion, garlic, greek yogurt, egg whites, and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well.
  4. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer cauliflower mixture to dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Nutrition: 55 calories, 3g carbohydrate, 8g protein, 0g fat
Weight Watchers points: 1
Weight Watchers Plus points: 2


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Monday, June 28, 2010

Totally Trim Taquitoes




This is not only my first recipe post, but also my first blog post ever. Although I read other food blogs daily, I am just now finding the time to create one of my own. I have a monstrosity of a recipe binder that is so unorganized that I rarely bother to open it when planning to cook a meal. But when somebody asks for one of my recipes, I become overwhelmed with loose sheets of paper that have been marked through, highlighted, and written (if you can even call it writing) on every side and every space available. As much as I love creating healthy recipes, it is an equal satisfaction to provide my recipes for others who seek a healthy diet and lifestyle. In all efforts to be able to do so, I have planned this blog as a way to help me organize my recipes and also to help you find them. I will be posting recipes mostly as I cook them in order to provide you with a bit of eye candy aka pictures to accompany each post. The pictures for this post are credited to Jennifer Oetting, one of my best friends and an amazingly talented photographer/artist. That is the plan for now but I would love any requests for specific types of recipes that anyone might want posted sooner. Most of my recipes are healthy, low calorie alternatives to typically unhealthy cuisines. I will post the nutrition information for each recipe to help anybody who may be dieting or just curious. In addition I have created recipes that are more diet-specific, including high-fiber, low-carb, and sugar-free. I also enjoy searching for healthy food products and I will relay those, as well as where you can find them. I would greatly appreciate comments or suggestions to any post or to the blog in general to help me in my beginning stages as a blogger.

This chicken recipe originated from a food blog that I frequent called Our Best Bites and is known on the site as "Baked Chicken Taquitoes". Following my healthy make-over, the recipe was transformed to be called "Totally Trim Taquitoes". This dish consists of whole grain flour tortillas stuffed with a chicken, cream cheese,and verde salsa mixture. The taquitoes provide a summery flare with the addition of fresh lime, chopped cilantro, and a hint of garlic. The addition of pepper-jack cheese adds just enough heat to provide a contrast for the addition of a creamy yogurt dipping sauce.

The tortillas that I used are made by La Banderita and are the Xtreme Fiber variety. They are high in fiber and protein and low in carbs and fat. Each tortilla has 72 calories, 5g carbohydrate, 8g protein, and 2g fat. They also contain a whopping 12g of fiber which is 47% of the daily recommended value. I have spotted this brand at Wal-Mart and Publix but if you cannot locate these, there are others available with similar stats.

Totally Trim Taquitoes
serves 6

Ingredients
1/3 cup fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup green verde salsa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
6 slices 2% Kraft Pepperjack cheese slices
6 low-carb flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
  2. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 20 seconds to soften.
  3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Add cilantro and green onions and then chicken and cheese. (After this step, you can refrigerate the mixture for later cooking)
  4. Lay out the tortillas and divide the the mixture evenly among them.
  5. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down on baking sheet.
  6. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
  8. Dip them in salsa, fat free sour cream, or yogurt dipping sauce (recipe below).
Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
1 pack Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dressing mix
1 cup 0% Fage Greek Yogurt
juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup green verde salsa
hot sauce to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and add hot sauce to taste. Make ahead of time and refrigerate for several hours. Pour into individual ramekins to serve.

Nutrition Information: 205 calories per serving (one serving- one taquito with dipping sauce, using La Banderita Xtreme Fiber tortillas)

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About Lauren

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Nutrition student with a passion for giving yummy recipes a healthy make-over. Future RD on a constant search for the best food finds. And new blogger trying to relay my tasty ideas to everyone else.

Contact Me

Please feel free to email me with any questions, suggestions, or comments at lamandle88@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

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