Tag: Diet

My last recipe roundup is from SparkPeople. It’s an online community for healthy living that I was hip on a few years ago. I thought now was a good time to jump back in a peruse their offerings.

Paula’s Ranch Style Pork Chops & Potatoes

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 8 small red potatoes, cut into bit sized chunks
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• 1 tbsp paprika

• Brown pork chops and remove from skillet
• Add soup, milk, dressing, and potatoes to skillet, mix well, cover and cook for 15 mins
• Add pork chops and paprika, cover and cook for 15 mins

I really love this recipe. It’s simple and only calls for one pan which makes for easy clean up.

Healthy Chicken Vegetable Casserole

• 12 oz cooked chicken breast, diced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 10 oz skim milk
• 1 tbsp Parmesan
• 7 oz whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
• 2 orange bell peppers, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 head broccoli, chopped, cooked
• 1/3 cup Monterrey jack cheese

• Make a roux with the flour and butter, add milk, parmesan, and spices to taste
• Mix pasta, vegetables, and cheese mixture in a bowl, place in a baking dish and sprinkle cheese
• Bake at 350 covered with foil for 20 minutes

This make a lot of casserole. I liked it at first, but the portion size seemed huge. It got me to eat some vegetables I don’t normally eat, but I probably won’t make it again.

Grilled Cheese Pizza Sandwich

• 2 slices of bread
• 2 tbsp marinara
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp parmesan

• Bread, marinara, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara, and bread
• Grill until cheese is melted

This was something that seemed appetizing in the picture, but just did not turn out that well. I won’t be making this again and would not recommend it.

I did not have much luck with the SparkPeople recipes. I think part of the problem is that fewer ingredients are better when trying to eat healthy and follow the 8WW meal plans. I’m glad I tried to branch out, but I might stick with simpler meals and less carbs.

Have you have better luck on SparkPeople? Please share your favorite recipe in the comments!

I am finally getting back into the swing of things after being sick all week, so please forgive the delay in this recipe roundup. Better late than never. The recipes we have tried from the 8WW Program Manual are listed below in order of preference.

Classic Fired Egg & Toast

• 2 fried eggs
• 1 slice whole wheat toast
• 1/2 tbl Smart Balance Buttery Spread Lite

I love fried eggs, so we’ve eaten this breakfast many times while building this habit. I’ve also adapted it by using one egg and adding a slice of Canadian bacon or using sourdough toast instead. It’s tasty, quick, and filling.

Quick & Easy Finger Food Lunch

• 1 mozzarella cheese stick
• 3 pieces thinly sliced, low-fat lunch meat
• 1 small apple

Another quick and easy meal that has helped us stay on track even on the busiest week night. Also surprisingly filling.

Healthy Chili

• 1 lb ground turkey meat
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 diced onion
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 28 oz can low sodium tomato puree
• 1 cup water
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 4 tsps low sodium beef bouillon
• 1 tbl chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 15.5 oz can kidney beans (drained)

• Brown ground turkey in a large pot, drain
• Add garlic, onion, and pepper and cook over low heat until vegetables are soft
• Add remaining ingredients, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 mins until lentils and beans are soft
• Makes 6 servings

This wasn’t a successful recipe in my opinion, which is unfortunate because it requires a lot of ingredients. Clayton didn’t really like it either, so it wasn’t just my finicky palette.

Overall the manual gives you a lot of great recipes to start you on the 8WW path. I’m sure we’ll try more recipes while we build this habit.

We have tried a number of new recipes as we build this healthy eating habit. This roundup will focus on the healthy recipes we have tried from the Mayo Clinic site (listed in order of preference).

Chicken Quesadilla (adapted)

• 2 oz chicken
• 1 whole wheat tortilla
• spoonful of cheddar cheese
• onion
• green peppers

Slice chicken breasts, onions, and green peppers and saute of medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Spread chicken and cheese over half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and heat on a skillet over medium-high heat until cheese is melted. Cut and serve.

I LOVE flour tortillas! Seriously, it’s a problem. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the whole wheat tortillas we bought. I have made this recipe twice already.

Beef Fajitas (adapted)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces beef sirloin, select grade, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas, about 8 inches in diameter, warmed in the microwave
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup salsa

In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dredge the sirloin pieces in the seasonings, coating completely. We grilled the steak and veggies and then sliced them prior to serving.

I served this by putting the individual components on a plate like normal fajitas. We had cheese, guacamole, and salsa on the side. It was excellent.

Chicken and Spinach Calzones 

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (grilled and cubed)
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg whites, divided
• Frozen whole-wheat bread rolls (16 ounces), thawed, not risen (separated into 6 equal pieces)

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta cheese, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese and 1 of the egg whites. Mix until well blended. Set aside.

In another bowl, use a wire whisk or fork to lightly beat the remaining egg white.

On a floured surface, press each piece into a circle. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into ovals 8 inches long and 6 inches wide. Brush the edges of the dough ovals with the lightly beaten egg white. Place 1/6 of the chicken cubes in the center of each oval. Add 1/6 of the spinach mixture to each. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges together. Crimp with a fork and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until browned and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe is very tasty, but not perfect. If I make it again I will season the cheese mixture with salt and pepper. I would also flip the calzones halfway through baking because it seemed like the bottom got soggy.

There are a number of fantastic recipes on the Mayo Clinic site. I am excited to attempt more recipes as we continue to build on this habit.

Are you convinced? Please share share the Mayo Clinic recipe you plan on trying in the comments!