Recipe: Black Bean Lettuce Bundles

When fresh corn is at its peak, cut the kernels from one ear of cooked corn for this recipe. Otherwise, canned or thawed frozen corn will do.

Ingredients
1 cup(s) canned black beans
1/2 cup(s) cooked corn kernels
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), seeded and chopped
4 medium scallion(s), sliced
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 medium garlic clove(s), chopped
1/2 tsp table salt
1 head(s) Boston lettuce, washed and seperated into leaves

Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix the black beans, corn, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cumin, garlic and salt. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

Place a lettuce leaf on a work surface and fill with about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture; fold up burrito-style. Repeat, using all the bean mixture (save any extra lettuce for a salad).

POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 0 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Works with Simply Filling

Recipe Source

10 Easy Ways to Eat More Lean Protein

By Theresa Stahl, RD, LDN
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

Proteins are important parts of muscles, blood, skin, and most body structures. They act as antibodies, enzymes, and hormones. They carry nutrients and other molecules and provide calories. Protein foods require more calories to be metabolized then carbohydrates or fats, therefore, they burn more calories to be processed and used by the body.Protein-rich foods include fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy products, beans, and nuts. Grains and vegetables contain some protein, but in lesser amounts.

Foods that are rich in protein contain various amounts of fat, with lean protein containing less fat. There are many good reasons to include lean protein into your meals. Here are a few:

Lean protein is lower in calories than higher fat protein sources. Lean protein provides the same essential amino acids that protein foods provide without the fat and calories, especially the saturated fat that may increase the risk for heart disease and cancer. Protein helps you to feel full so you won't get hungry again as quickly.

10 ways to load up on lean protein:

1. Eat whole grain cereals with non-fat or 1% milk for breakfast or for an afternoon or evening snack. Who says cereal is just for breakfast anyway?

2. Eat fresh fruit with low-fat yogurt topping as a snack or dessert. Add some crunchy whole grain cereal and 5 to 10 nuts for a complete meal.

3. Add non-fat cottage cheese with fruit at a salad bar.

4. Top your salad with beans such as kidney or garbanzo beans.

5. Substitute two egg whites for one whole egg in recipes. The protein of the egg is in the white and the fat and cholesterol is mostly found in the yolk. Egg beaters or other egg substitutes are made from egg whites.

6. Make three bean salad for a light salad. Add a variety of beans to traditional three bean salad recipes, such as lima or black beans.

7. Try edamame (young green soybeans), which is served as an appetizer in most Japanese restaurants. Frozen edamame is available in grocery stores and makes a quick, protein-rich, high fiber snack.

8. Choose lean protein sources such as fish (although salmon is higher in fat, it is the healthy fat called omega-3 fatty acids), skinless poultry (white meat has less fat than dark meat), and lean beef or pork, such as pork tenderloin.

9. Make bean dips to eat with whole grain pita bread or baked tortilla chips.

10. For a refreshing snack, try smoothies made with skim milk, non or low-fat yogurt or low-fat soy milk and fresh or frozen fruit.

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Break for Breakfast

I'm sure you’re already aware of all the perks a healthy breakfast can offer. So there's probably no need to for me to go on and on about how a morning meal can get your metabolism going, how it gives you an energy-boost or how breakfast eaters are often slimmer than breakfast skippers.

Instead, I'd like to share a few of my favorite breakfast options with you.

Pour a bowl. If you’re still eating the low fiber cereals you ate as a kid, it’s time to graduate to whole grain, high fiber types. Many are great-tasting, or, you can use my trick of mixing cereals to give my bowl a variety of tastes and textures. Want to add even more flavor? Try topping your bowl with fruit and/or a tablespoon or two of nuts.

Get cooking. Whip up some oatmeal made with skim or one percent milk or calcium-rich soy milk. I love McCann's Irish oatmeal; it has a rougher texture and takes longer to cook than standard oatmeal, but it's worth it.

Satisfy your fruit fix. Start your day with half of a grapefruit to knock off one of your daily fruit servings. Add a slice or two of whole grain toast or an English muffin topped with some peanut butter or another nut butter, or even soy butter. Round out your meal with a glass of nonfat or one percent milk.

Sip your meal. Smoothies are a great option because there are so many different ingredients you can use. And don't be afraid to experiment. Combine your favorite fruit with ½ cup skim milk or calcium-enriched soymilk, ½ cup low-fat yogurt and some wheat germ or ground flaxseed.

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Recipe: Stuffing with Sage and Chives

This stuffing is infused with the wonderful flavors of sage and chive. Whole wheat bread adds lots of healthy fiber.

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
12 slice(s) whole-wheat bread, cubed*
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp light butter
1 cup(s) onion(s), diced
3 medium stalk(s) celery, diced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth
2 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 4-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Arrange bread cubes on a large ungreased baking sheet in a single layer (use 2 baking sheets if there’s not enough room). Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bread from oven and set aside; leave oven set to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and celery; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Cook until herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add bread, broth and chives; toss to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Divide into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes
*Leave the bread bag open and somewhat uncovered for 1 to 2 days (at room temperature) before making the recipe.

Feel free to substitute your favorite bread, such as whole grain, sourdough or a light variety (could affect POINTS values).

For added flavor, you can also add about 1 cup of diced Granny Smith or McIntosh apples to the stuffing (could affect POINTS values).

You can make this stuffing in advance and bake it just before serving. The stuffing will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Source

Fast Food Allergies: A Dangerous Reality

By Lisa. D. Ellis
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

Wondering what to serve for dinner tonight? If you don't have time to cook, the convenience of visiting a fast food restaurant can be tempting, especially with the nutritious options some establishments have added to their menus.

Yet for people who suffer from fast food allergies, the dangers of eating out may be more than they can stomach. Common concerns range from uncertainty about what ingredients are contained in menu items to worry about the potential for cross contamination occurring during food preparation.

A Widespread Problem
According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), one out of every 25 Americans is diagnosed with a food allergy,. If you fall into this group, you know first-hand how the immune system reacts when exposed to your triggers, which can include milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. Food allergies can cause mild symptoms like itching, hives or a rash, or you could find yourself struggling with a more serious reaction such as wheezing, difficulty breathing, swelling of lips, tongue and throat—and even loss of consciousness. (If you experience anaphylaxis, this is a life threatening reaction that requires immediate treatment.)

Survey Results
Many people with food allergies go to great lengths to avoid putting themselves at risk. In fact, a study conducted by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York that was presented at the American Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's 2008 Annual Meeting revealed that 20 percent of respondents with food allergies steer clear of fast food chains entirely. Driving this decision for some is the fact that they have experienced restaurant reactions in the past.

Get the Facts
What the survey also found is that some respondents weren't aware that well-known fast food restaurants and other popular chain establishments provide a detailed analysis of their menus, ingredients and nutritional values. You can find the information on the restaurant's website or call the individual company directly to request a copy. These facts can help some people with food allergies to navigate convenience foods safely.

Food for Thought
The experts also point out that contrary to what you might think, there is actually some level of control when you eat at a fast food restaurant, since the food preparation is automated so you will know what to expect. This can serve as an advantage over smaller, individually-owned restaurants that might vary how they do things day to day. Therefore, if there are fast food menu items that you can tolerate, you may be able to eat in some convenience restaurants without putting yourself in harm's way.

Proceed Cautiously
If you do think it's safe to visit a fast food restaurant, the experts stress proceeding with caution much as you would anywhere else. For instance, tell servers about your fast food allergy up front and ask for special attention to be paid to your food preparation. Also always carry an epi-pen, which is a form of medication that can be used in case of a serious reaction.

Handling Your Safety
While what you eat is clearly important, there is one other area of concern for people with a fast food allergy. In rare cases, patrons with a latex allergy have experienced a reaction to the latex protein contained on the food handler's glove. This can be transferred to some foods and can pose a serious problem for people who are highly sensitive.

(Article Source)

6 Staples Every Pantry Should Have

By Laurie Saloman
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board

After a long day at work, the drive-through may look mighty welcoming. But don't give in to the call of fast food just yet. With a little planning and know-how, you can have on hand all the pantry staples you need to put a healthy meal on the table. Keep these items around, and you'll never need to order take-out again:

Sweet potatoes. Baked, roasted or steamed, these are delicious on their own. And they're as healthful as they are yummy. Stuffed with Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and carotenoids, they're a nutritional powerhouse. For a special treat, slice them like French fries, spritz with cooking oil, layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake in the oven at high heat until they're crispy. Or steam and mash with a little honey and cinnamon for a sweet side dish.

Whole-grain crackers. When that hunk of low-fat cheese or jar of natural peanut butter is calling your name, you need something with a solid crunch to go with it. Go for whole-grain crackers and crispbreads that are chock full of fiber. Many of them are low-calorie and fat free as well. Eat them in place of refined carbs like white bread, bagels and rolls and you'll reap the rewards.

Brown rice. You don't need the slow-cooking kind-the instant or microwaveable version of this staple will do just fine. Brown rice is much more nutritious than white rice because it hasn't been refined and stripped of the magnesium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B-6, copper, zinc, and fiber that make it such a standout. Mix it with diced chicken or canned veggie chili and you've got a meal in minutes.

Olive oil. A dietary staple in Mediterranean countries, olive oil is lauded by nutritionists for its heart-healthy properties. Made up mostly of monounsaturated fat, olive oil lowers the level of harmful LDL in the blood and leaves the beneficial HDL intact. Drizzle it over grilled fish or pasta, or mix it with vinegar for a savory salad topping.

Almonds. Full of healthful monounsaturated fat, almonds provide a hefty dose of Vitamin E and also have more calcium than any other nut. You can grind them into flour for baking, chop them and mix with yogurt, or eat them whole with raisins or dried apricots. Tired of PB&J for lunch? Almond butter topped with banana slices makes a terrific sandwich.

Red beans. Long a staple of families who couldn't afford meat, the humble red bean provides a big bang for the buck. Offering hefty doses of protein and fiber, this legume also contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and thiamin. Try tossing them on a salad, stuffing them into your tacos, or simply mixing with brown rice for a filling yet simple meal.

[Article Source]

Supermarket Smarts

By: Liz Plosser

You walk into the grocery store with the best intentions, yet you always seem to leave with a bunch of unhealthy fare. No, it's not that you're lacking in willpower, it's that marketers' clever tactics actually work. You can sidestep the most common supermarket traps with these simple strategies.

• Have a healthy snack before you shop. Studies show that when you're hungry, everything looks and smells especially good. Nosh on a healthy snack and you'll be less vulnerable to tempting fare.

• Make a list. Take 15 minutes before you shop to plan out your meals for the week—and not just dinner, consider your snacks, breakfast and lunch dishes, too. (If you join Best Life, you get a shopping list generated for you.) Once you have a menu of meals, make a list of the food you'll need and bring it with you. Shopping from a list can help cut down on impulse buys.

• Shop the perimeter. Stick to the outer sections of the supermarket, where the healthiest food—think fruit, veggies, fish, poultry and dairy—is found. Processed foods like chips and soda usually reside in the center of the store, notes Marion Nestle, Ph.D., in her book What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating (North Point Press, 2007).

• Don't supersize to save money. When researcher Brian Wansink, Ph.D., gave people at a school cooking fundraiser a big box of pasta and large bottle of spaghetti sauce, they prepared 23 percent more food (around 150 calories more) than a separate group that was given medium-sized packages.

• Read the labels. In one of Wansink's stuides, people in a supermarket were offered samples of two snack bars—one with health claims (Reduces risk of heart disease!) and one without. The bars were exactly the same calorie- and nutrition-wise, but the ones with health claims on their wrappers were gobbled up more readily. Make sure to read the ingredient list.

Article courtesy of Bob Greene's Best Life