Fall recipe substitutions for flavorful and healthful fall foods

Recipes for Fall: Flavorful and Healthful

In the fall, nothing seems more comforting than sitting down to a nice, warm meal with your loved ones. But wait, you are trying to eat healthfully! Not to worry—you still can enjoy the enticing richness of autumn’s harvest, while meeting your health goals. These recipe tips will help.

Sweet potato casserole

• Use egg whites or Egg Beaters® in place of the whole eggs
• Reduce the amount of margarine or use lite margarine
• Add some applesauce to the sweet potato mixture
• Replace canned sweet potatoes with fresh sweet potatoes
• Choose pineapple packed in its own juice, instead of the kind in heavy syrup
• Add a cut up apple to the streusel topping and cut down on the amount of pecans
• Substitute orange juice for some of the melted margarine in the streusel topping

Stuffing

• Make with low-fat margarine
• Replace whole eggs with egg whites or Egg Beaters
• Substitute chicken or turkey sausage for pork sausage
• Use fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• Choose whole-grain bread

Mashed potatoes

• Make with low-fat cream cheese or lite butter
• Replace some of the potato with steamed cauliflower (it sounds odd, but it works)
• Use 2% milk or low-fat buttermilk in place of the heavy cream

Chili

• Make with extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey, turkey sausage, or trimmed pork tenderloin
• Select low-sodium, well-drained beans
• Replace salt with a salt substitute
• Use lite beer, if beer is called for in your favorite recipe

Corn bread

• Use low-fat buttermilk
• Substitute egg whites or Egg Beaters for whole eggs
• Cut down on the oil, and add an extra splash of milk or some applesauce

Creamed spinach

• Make with lite margarine
• Replace sour cream with low-fat sour cream
• Substitute Neufchâtel cheese for cream cheese
• Add half the amount of Parmesan cheese called for in the recipe
• Use no-salt seasoning

Squash or pumpkin soup

• Make with lite margarine
• Use low-sodium, low-salt chicken broth or stock
• Choose lite whipping cream or low-fat half-and-half
• Substitute Neufchâtel for cream cheese, if your recipe calls for it

Macaroni and cheese

• Make with lite margarine
• Use low-fat cheese
• Choose low-fat half-and-half, evaporated milk, or skim milk
• Substitute Egg Beaters for whole eggs
• Replace sour cream with low-fat sour cream, if your recipe calls for it
• Select whole-grain, lite bread for the topping

Resource: RD411.com 

5 ways with Spaghetti squash

PUT DOWN THE HAMBURGER HELPER!

Why eat squash?

• Healthy and low calorie! Its a veggie that can be used to replace starches in many recipes. Different colored squashes are high in different vitamins and minerals. Many are great sources of vitamins A and C.
• 1 cup squash averages 40-50 calories (thats almost half the calories of a potato)
• Squash will store at room temp for up to 3 months prior to cooking it. 
• You can cook and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
• Its CHEAP!!! Schnucks is offering squash for $0.50 per lb! How can you honestly tell me that hamburger helper was the better option at that price? You can't. 

If you have never cooked spaghetti squash its really easy, here is how you do it.

1. Cut the squash in half length wise; be careful not to cut yourself. All types of squash are hard to cut before they are cooked.  
•  Tip: If you are finding the squash hard to cut, you can pierce the skin with a fork a few times and cook it for about 3 minutes in the microwave.
2.  Scrape out the seeds
3.  Microwave method: Cook both halves of squash insides down, skin side up, on a plate for about 10 minutes. 

Other Spaghetti Suggestions:

1. Spaghetti traditional style
• 1 Spaghetti squash
• Newman's Own Garden Pepper pasta sauce 
• Lean (90%) ground turkey 
• Cook the squash, scrape the insides. You can heat and cook all ingredients separately.  
• I like to cook the squash, cook the turkey, then layer the 3 ingredients in a baking dish, like lasagna, and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes. Then remove the dish and top with Parmesan cheese and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. 
2.  Sloppy squash
• Sloppy Joe Sauce 
• Ground turkey (90% lean or more)
• Cook squash in microwave. Cook turkey and add sloppy joe sauce, simmer 5 minutes until sauce is warm. 
• Top spaghetti with sloppy Joe mixture. 
• Complement with a side of green veggies.
3. Replace noodles in soup with spaghetti squash
4. Stir fry and Pad Thai
5. Easy Cheesy Style
• 1 bag/ box Green Giant Broccoli with Cheese Sauce Steamer
• Cook squash. Cook steamer according to package directions. Combine the 2 ingredients. 

Healthified Pumpkin Pie Filling

You can use a regular pie crust or make a pie crust out of Fiber One Original bread crumbs. The nutrition facts for these crusts are not factored into the below recipe. I made this last night and it turned out beautifully, ENJOY!

Makes 8 servings...

1 can (2 cups) pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond milk
1/2 Cup egg beaters (or 4 egg whites)
3 TBSP Truvia natural sweetener (not splenda) 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Optional: You can also add a small 6 ounce container of 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt for extra protein, flavor, and texture. If doing this, add during step 3. Bake the same way. It adds 100 calories to the entire recipe (or about 12 calories per serving).

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.) In a small bowl mix Stevia and spices (last 4 ingredients)
3.) In a large bowl beat eggs (hand whisk) then mix in pumpkin and milk until combined. (and Greek yogurt if using it)
4.) Add Stevia and spice mixture to pumkin mixture, just stir until combined.
5.) Pour in pie crust or cooking sprayed pie pan (if making crust-less version, like I did)
6.) Bake at 400 for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of pie comes out clean.
7.) MUST DO THIS STEP before cutting and serving: Let pie sit and cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If you skip this you will have pumpkin mush!

Let me know how it goes!!!

Easy Creamy Chicken Masala

I made this up last night and it was REALLY GOOD! 

Serves 2 people and only 225 calories per serving.

Loaded with flavor and not with fat. This is a healthy dish that is simple enough to make any day. I was surprised how low calorie this dish was since it seamed to make a lot of food!
Suggest serving with a side of creamed spinach (to save time I buy the green giant steamers) and basmati rice. You can also choose to mix in peas. Calories from sides not included.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes


Ingredients

•     1 (8 ounce can) 2 cups diced tomatoes in juice, No Salt Added (do not drain juice)
•     1/2 cup Tomatoes Sauce No Salt Added
•     1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Spice (find in bulk food dispenser or ethnic foods isle)
•     1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning
•     1/2 lb (8 oz) Chicken Breast Tenders, cubed
•     1/2 cup Fat-Free Plain Yogurt (optional)
•     1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or So Deliscuous unsweetened coconut milk

Directions

1.) Cube and cook the chicken in a large skillet/pan that can hold a lot of liquid and has a lid (you will need to cover)

2.) Add all ingredients except milk and yogurt

3.) Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not skimp on this step! Check halfway though to make sure nothing is burning, stir if necessary.

4.) Add milk and yogurt, continue to cook uncovered until sauce is thick. Stir so that sauce doesn't burn. You can be creative and add extra almond milk if you like. Also, SoDelicsious makes a low calorie (50 calories per cup) version of coconut milk that would work in this dish.
- serve with creamed spinach, rice, and/ or peas

 http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/leah-newmark-rds-creamy-tomato-chicken-masala/

Creamy Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal- only 100 calories!

Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: (Using water, no raisins)
Serving Size: 1 bowl, Calories 97, Calories from Fat 11, Total Fat 1.23g, Saturated Fat 0.13g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 124.83mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.79g, Dietary Fiber 5.1g, Sugars 2.8g, Protein 3.44g

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT Pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 packet) plain oatmeal (old fashioned oats can also be used)
• 1/2 cup water or unsweetened almond milk (1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk is about 20 calories)
• 2 tsp Splenda or other no calorie sweetener
• 2 TBSP Sugar free pancake syrup (about 20 calories per serving like Mrs. Butterworths) 
• 1 tsp Pumpkin pie spice (or to taste)
• I also like to add 1 TBSP raisins, yummmmm.

Directions: 

1. Cook oatmeal. 
• If using instant oatmeal and microwave, cook in intervals no longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds as the oatmeal might boil over. I suggest even putting a plate under your bowl just in case. Typically shouldn't take longer than 3 minutes depending on amount of liquid used. 
• Old fashioned oats take longer, about 15 minutes, since you need to use your cook top)
2. Once water or almond milk is fully absorbed add pumpkin and syrup. Mix and continue to cook until warm. (prob 20-30 seconds in microwave; 1 minute on stove top)
3. Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir. 
4. Enjoy! You can even make this ahead of time to eat cold.

 You can also see this recipe on livestrong.com

Turnip fries, my new obsession!

Its super easy and super tasty...

Although I have only attempted this once, i was so excited about the yummy-ness I had to post about it!

Ingredients:

• 1 turnip (100g raw= ~28 calories, SUPER LOW compared to potatoes) 
• Cajun seasoning or another seasoning of your choosing
• Cooking spray (olive oil or butter flavor)
• Paper towels

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 450 degrees.
2. Cut up your turnip into shoe string sized fries (thin)
3. Season them and let them sit (about 15 minutes) on a paper towel to help remove the excess moisture (this is helpful to create crispyness, the salt in the seasoning helps to draw out the moisture so you may need to use 1/8th teaspoon of salt if using Mrs.Dash or other salt free herbs). Dab the fries with a dry paper towel if needed prior to placing them on a cookie sheet.  
4. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray then spread out the fries. 
5. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, flip the fries half way through. 
6. Enjoy! I didn't even need ketchup

Nutrition facts: 100g raw= ~28 calories, SUPER LOW compared to potatoes which are 75 calories per 100g

Yellow Squash Ribbons with Red Onion and Parmesan

Spicy black bean and portobello mushroom toastadas

Ingredients:

• Two 50 calorie La Tortilla factory tortillas
• Two slices of 2% milk cheddar cheese slices
• 2 TBSP 2% milk cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Morning Star Spicy Black Bean veggie burger
• optional: Salsa, fat free plain yogurt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Cook 1 portabello mushroom in microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave.
2. Add veggie burger patty to plate with mushroom and continue to cook mushroom and veggie burger for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Toast tortillas in oven for 5-7 minutes or until lightly brown on top
4. Cut up mushroom and veggie patty, mix together.
5. Divide the mushroom mixture and place half on each tortilla. Tear cheese slices and spread around top of the mushroom mixture. Add 1 TBSP shredded cheese to each tortilla.
6 Put back in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
7. Let cook and enjoy. Try serving with fat free yogurt (replaces sour cream) and salsa




Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/leah-newmark-rds-spicy-black-bean-mushroom-toastadas/#ixzz1KUKaB7sJ

Steamed chicken and vegetable sandwich with hummus on whole wheat bun

The easy way....
Last night I ordered Chinese food (Steamed chicken and vegetables with sauce on the side) and I wasn't in the mood for more Chinese food today. So I used the left over steamed chicken and veggies for my hummus sandwich today by simply using hummus and a 80 calorie Sara Lee hamburger bun.

Other tips:
- Make sure you measure your hummus, calories from condiments add up.
- Feel free to add different types of vegetables like tomatoes or cucumbers.

My favorite hummus is Wild Garden. Its less calories than many other types of hummus. It can be found at HyVee in the health food section

Cooking your own steamed chicken and vegetables:
You can easily make your own steamed chicken and vegetables in about 20 minutes by cutting up chicken breast and vegetables and using your cook top, a large pot filled with a shallow amount of steaming water, and a steamer basket (inside the pot, water should be below the tray). Cook time is usually only 10-15 minutes. Make sure there is no pink remaining in the chicken before you eat it.

Steamer Basket

Sugar cookies... dietitian style

Ingredients:

• 1 stick Smart Balance Butter (softened)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar (or half white sugar and half powdered sugar)
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup Fiber One Original Cereal bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup flour 

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Combine all ingredients and gently mix until just combined. (Dont over mix because Splenda doesnt respond well to over stirring and flour will become tougher)
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cookies are brown around edges.

Crab stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 Crab sticks
• 1/4 cup Red onion (or less, to taste) 
• Fresh sage or basil to taste
• 2 wedges laughing cow cheese (swiss or garlic herb) 
• 2 Portabello mushrooms (or white mushrooms with stems removed) 
• Optional- add 1/8 to 1/4 cup fiber one cereal to enhance the fiber

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut crab sticks, red onion, and sage (or basil) into large chunks and place in blender. Pulse blender about 5-10 times or until shredded and blended. 
3. Place mixture in a bowl and stir in cheese wedges until combined. 
4. Place the 2 Portabello mushrooms, tops down, on cookie sheet. Fill each with half of the mixture. Cook for 30 minutes. 
5. Enjoy!!!

'Un' Candied Fiber One Clusters

These are great in yogurt instead of granola or for a quick sweet snack on the go.


Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Cinnamon to taste 
• 3/4 cup Splenda (try the kind with Fiber)
• 3/4 cup Fiber One Original Cereal
• Pam

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.
• In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites, water, and vanilla 
• In a separate bowl mix cinnamon and Splenda together
• Add Fiber One to egg mixture and coat
• Add Splenda mixture to Fiber One and coat completely
• Spread Fiber One on the cookie sheet. Cook for 1 hour. Flip and stir cereal every 15 minutes. 

Healthy chocolate chips... you read correctly!

What you need

• Chocolate PB2
• Wax papper
• Plastic bags
• Cocoa powder (not hot chocolate)
• Water

Directions:

Roll out a sheet of wax paper onto a plate. 

Make PB2 according to instructions. If you want a more chocolaty taste add a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is only 30 calories per tablespoon! Make sure the PB2 is not runny.

Drop small amounts of PB2 onto wax paper using a spoon. Dont try to hard to get the shape of chocolate chips because thats probably pretty hard. 

Put plate with wax paper and PB2 in the freezer for about 4 hours or until PB2 hardens. 

Enjoy!

What did I just have for lunch?

Today I had a bean and cheese burrito with peppers and salsa

Even though I only eat chicken and fish, Im trying to cut back on meat consumption because its expensive and there are many benefits to a diet rich in plants.

A diet rich in plant foods may help prevent cancer and is proven to lower the risk of heart disease.

If you have diabetes, a plant rich diet is often high in fiber which helps control blood glucose levels.

Nutrition facts and benefits of this meal: Calories are around 250 per serving, dish is a really great source of fiber, good source of protein, contains calcium and a serving of vegetables.


Ingredients: 

• 1 large La Tortilla Factory Wrap
• 1 Wedge queso flavored Laughing Cow Cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free refried beans
• 1 cup peppers (frozen mixed pepper blend)
• 1/4 cup salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on wrap followed by beans and salsa. Close the wrap and put in a shallow oven safe cooking dish. Pour 1 cup peppers (frozen or fresh) next to the wrap in the oven safe dish.  Cook for 20 minutes. Flip the wrap half way through cooking to help crisp all sides of the tortilla. 

Variations to this recipe include:

• Substituting the Laughing Cow Cheese wedge with 1/4 cup blenderized (pureed) fat free cottage cheese
• Adding salsa to the top of the tortilla to make it more like a bean and cheese enchilada
• Cook the peppers first then add them to the inside of the tortilla.

Healthy Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Creating this recipe took some trial and error. You may want to do a test run before you really need them.

This recipe adds heart healthy fiber and removes tons of calories and fat!


Ingredients:

• 4 mozzarella cheese sticks (as in string cheese) or cut sticks out of a block of mozzarella cheese. 
• You may be able to make more than just 4 sticks with the same amount of ingredients. 
• about 1/4 cup Fiber One Original cereal crumbs, a mix of fine and chunky crumbs will give a texture more similar to traditional cheese sticks (use 1/2 cup cereal and a blender to make crumbs)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Cooking spray
• Italian seasoning and garlic powder to taste
• Marinara sauce for dipping
• 2 chilled plates and 1-2 chilled cookie sheets

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use cooking spray to oil cookie sheet. Put 2 medium to large plates in the freezer. Put cookie sheets in the freezer or fridge. 
2. Mix seasoning and garlic powder with bread crumbs
3. Spread crumbs out on cookie sheet, lightly spray crumbs with cooking spray, and bake for 10-15 minutes. Stir crumbs halfway through. Meanwhile mix milk and egg white together. Unwrap string cheese from packages and set aside.
4. Once crumbs look toasted, remove from oven and let cool on a cooled plate for about 10 minutes.
5. Once crumbs are cool to touch, dunk cheese stick in egg mixture then coat cheese stick with crumbs and repeat for all cheese sticks. Place sticks on chilled cookie sheet. Bake cheese sticks for 3-5 minutes. (keep an eye on them to make sure they don't melt). 
6. Remove from cookie sheet and let them cool for about 5 minutes on chilled plate.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 (with second chilled cookie sheet) at least 1 more time. 

Serve with warm marinara sauce. Let me know how it goes!

Are you getting fiber at Breakfast?

There are two types of dietary fiber used in the labeling of food products – both are important for good health.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is found in foods like beans and other legumes, fruits, and oat products (e.g. oatmeal, Cheerios®). Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol levels, and therefore can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Insoluble fiber is considered to be the “gut-healthy fiber” because one of its roles is supporting regularity. It does not dissolve in water and can be found in whole grain products (e.g. whole wheat bread, ready to eat cereals made with whole grain, such as Fiber One cereals), and vegetables.

Why is fiber important?


Weight Management

• Getting enough fiber can also help curb your hunger and help you feel satisfied, which can help with weight management. Research suggests that people who have higher intakes of fiber tend to have healthier body weights.

Digestive Health

• The most recognized benefit of fiber is its important role in keeping the digestive system running smoothly by promoting regularity. Fiber adds bulk to help move food through the digestive tract.
• Along with regular exercise and plenty of water, fiber plays an important part in maintaining digestive health.

Heart Health

• Fiber – specifically soluble fiber – may also help lower blood cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk for heart disease. Fiber appears to lower cholesterol by interfering with its absorption in the digestive tract.

Diabetes

• Fiber may also be important for people who have diabetes. Diets high in whole grain and fiber have been shown to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Studies show that people get the majority of their daily fiber at breakfast. It is recommended that you get 25-30g of fiber per day.  Most people do not get enough fiber.

How much fiber does your breakfast have? 


Tips to get more fiber using Fiber One Original Cereal (Which has 57% of your daily recommended fiber in 1/2 cup): 

Personally, I really enjoy making oatmeal out of my Fiber One cereal and flavoring it with the below ingredients.  (Fiber One oatmeal will have only 60 calories and 14g of fiber versus regular oatmeal which has about 130 calories and only 2g of fiber)

To make oatmeal out of Fiber One Cereal: Combine about 1/3 cup water (adjust amount to your desired consistency) and 1/2 cup Fiber One Original cereal and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds...Mash the cereal with the back of your spoon until it is free of lumps.

My favorite flavoring ideas include (in order):

• Sugar free pancake syrup
• 2 Tablespoons no sugar added apple sauce and cinnamon
• Reduced sugar jelly (and PB2) 
• Cinnamon and Sugar (or splenda)
• Splenda and brown sugar blend
• Fruit
• Basically anything you would put in oatmeal or on top of waffles and pancakes.

More Tips for using Fiber One Original Cereal all day long (from Fiber One website)

• Mix in Fiber One cereal to your favorite ready-to-eat cereal, or stir into hot oatmeal.
• Garnish a fresh garden salad with Fiber One cereal as a substitute for croutons.
• Stir Fiber One cereal into your favorite fruit yogurt for a creamy, crunchy delight.
• Create a unique snack mix by combining Fiber One cereal, pretzels, cereal, and seeds.
• Sprinkle Fiber One cereal over your favorite soup for crunchy variety.
• Punch up the fiber in brownies or cookies by adding nuts and Fiber One cereal.
• Blend Fiber One cereal into dips and serve with fresh veggies for fun snacking adventures.
• Top chicken or fish with a crispy coating of crushed Fiber One cereal before baking.
• Cover casseroles or baked vegetables dishes with Fiber One cereal and melted cheese.
• Add Fiber One cereal to fruit and nut trail mixes for tasty snacking on-the-go.

If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet, do so gradually and make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. 


Sources:
http://www.fiberone.com/Benefits/Default.aspx

Leah Lunch: Fruity chicken wrap and my signature salad

The following is for 1 meal (1 serving). Adjust recipes accordingly. The salad always gets rave reviews. (Sorry, no pictures today)


Wrap ingredients:

• 1 low calorie wrap, like la tortilla factory ones (I used a small one because I was going to have salad with it)
• 6 large black grapes, sliced in half
• 1 wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Cheese (I used Swiss)
• 1/2 of a Cuttie (Clementine), pealed and segmented
• 1 Tablespoon Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette
• 1.5 ounces of deli chicken or baked chicken breast, cut into strips

Directions: Spread cheese on wrap then add other ingredients. Fold bottom of wrap up about 1/4th of the way over toppings. Holding the bottom of the wrap in place, fold one side of the wrap over the other toppings. I use some of the cheese to keep the wrap together once its finished.


Salad Ingredients

• 1- 2 Tablespoons (or less) of Seasoned Rice Vinegar, a little goes a long way
• Olive oil cooking spray, just enough to coat the top of the lettuce. Do not drowned your lettuce!
• 1-2 cups Romain lettuce
• 1/4 cup Raw tomatoes, diced OR 2 tablespoons dried cranberries (Higher calorie choice, 1/3 cup is 130 calories)
• 10 grams (about 2-3 tablespoons) Fiber One Original cereal (about 20 calories) OR 1/2 ounce sliced almonds ( around 80-100 calories )
• 1 Tablespoons of red onion, finely diced. Even if you don't like onion, you really need it in this salad for the full flavor.
• 2 Tablespoons Fat Free Feta Cheese (Presidents brand is best)
• Dash garlic powder, oregano, and pepper
• Optional: 1/8th of a Slimacado (1/3 the calories of a regular avocado, at HyVee by the regular avocados)

Directions: Throw it all together!

Protein Packed Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

I have found this to be much easier than making a regular cheesecake. I love pumpkin all year round.

Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup Fiber One Cereal (original) crumbs, use a blender or food processor

2 TBSP Smart balance spread

1 TBSP Splenda brown sugar blend

Filling

• 1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 small package fat free cottage cheese, pureed using a blender or food processor
• 1/2-3/4 cup Splenda, to taste
• 1/2 cup egg beaters or egg whites (4 egg whites)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt butter in microwave (about 30 seconds)
3. Crush fiber one cereal in blender.
4. Combine crust incredients then press mixture into a pie tin.
5. Bake for 5 minutes.
6. Make cheese cake filling by combining all filling ingredients in mixing bowl, except Splenda. Mix all ingredients to combine, then add Splenda. Do not over stir mixture once Splenda is added. 
7. Pour mixture into pie crust. Lightly tap pie on counter to release air bubbles before putting it in the oven. 
8. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Leah Lunch: Turkey Tacos

These tacos are packed with protein and fiber!

Makes 4 large tacos or 5 regular sized tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Lean ground turkey (90% lean or greater)
• Tip: To cut the fat down try using lean ground chicken.
• 1/4 cup taco seasoning or 1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning
• 2/3 cup water
• Low calorie tortillas (look at "my grocery list" for examples, nutrient analysis uses 50 calorie tortillas)
• small (6 ounce) container of Non fat plain yogurt (use about 2 tablespoons per person)
• 1/3 cup (or more) onion, diced
• 1/2 cup (or more) tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup or less of 2% milk cheese per person
• 1 jar salsa (a serving is 2 tablespoons per person and only around 5 calories per serving)
• 1 package iceburg lettuce, shredded

Directions:

1. In a non stick skillet, cook the turkey completely, chopping with spatula as it cooks.
2. Add water and seasoning to turkey.
3. Fill one low calorie wrap with no more than 3-4 ounces of meat. Fill wrap with other ingredients (if you are watching your weight and don't want to count calories just be sure that you do not exceed 1 serving for each of the other ingredients, you will find the serving sizes at the top of the food labels).  
4. Feel free to add as many veggies such as tomatoes, lettuce, and onions to your taco as you wish.

Nutrition Info:

Calories 357

Calories from Fat 144.1

Total Fat 16.01g

Saturated Fat 6.01g

Cholesterol 128.75mg

Sodium 1480.37mg

Total Carbohydrate 24.99g

Dietary Fiber 8.47g

Sugars 7.13g

Protein 38.46g

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/leah-newmark-rds-turkey-tacos/#ixzz18J1EhynM

Analyzed on livestrong.com http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/leah-newmark-rds-turkey-tacos/

mashed cauliflower

Instead of mashed potatoes, try mashing cauliflower. It saves calories and gets in a serving of healthful veggies.

- This recipe courtesy of a patient, thanks for sharing!

Ingredients:

• 1 head steamed cauliflower (over cooking is a little preferable)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Buttermilk has more sodium than regular milk, but less fat than whole milk.
• If you do not have butter milk, you can make "sour milk" by adding 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar to 1/2 cup of skim milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
• salt & pepper to taste
• Chives to taste

Directions: 

 

Put the steamed cauliflower is a mixer and add olive oil. Allow the mixer to puree the cauliflower. Add buttermilk and allow the mixer to mash the cauliflower fully. Add salt & pepper to taste.