Lentils - Miracle Diet Food!

Lentils are my new miracle diet food. They are quick and easy to prepare compared to other legumes and contain many health benefits. They are so versatile, serve them as a side dish, add to soup, add cooked meat for a meal, or serve cold over a salad. 

Did you know? One cup of cooked lentils:

• contain (percentage of Recommended Daily Allowance) 89% folate, 62% fiber, 36% iron, 35% protein,  and only 220 calories.
• contain six important minerals plus two B-Vitamines
• have been shown to  reduce cholesterol levels
• help maintain blood sugar levels so you don’t crash and you feel full longer.
• can reduce your risk of Heart disease.
• prevent constipation
• help the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body

Reference: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52

Cooking Lentils are as easy as 1,2,3     1. Rinse Lentils
    2. Add to a pot of water (1 cup lentils to 2 cups water) Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook     

        for 20-30 minutes until plump and tender. 
    3. Enjoy. 

One of my favorite meals as a kid was franks and beans.  While beans are good for you, traditional franks and beans are full of fat and calories.  I love this alternative recipe from Biggest Loser.  I often make a giant batch and freeze for later. These are good with some turkey sausage, as a meal, or make a great side dish. 

BBQ Lentils - Inspired by Biggest Loser.  

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cup chopped red onion (aprox 1 whole red onion)

4 celery stalks chopped
4 carrots chopped 

2 tablespoon minced garlic 

4 teaspoons chili powder 

2 teaspoon mustard powder 

4 cups fat-free vegetable or chicken broth 

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 

4 tablespoons agave nectar  or honey **If you can't find this, you could try pure maple syrup 

3 cups dried (uncooked) brown lentils, rinsed 

2 cans 14oz tomato sauce 

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent (about 3 minutes.  Add celery, carrots, garlic, chili powder, and mustard powder and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute); do not brown the garlic.

Add the broth, vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, and lentils; stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, but intact (about 30 minutes). If necessary, add 1/4 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes longer if lentils are not tender.  Stir in tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves: 8 (1/2 cup) servings:  187 calories 12 gm protein 31 gm carb 2 gm fat 9 gm fiber 161 mg sodium

Add turkey sausage or hot dogs, serve on bread as a sloppy joe, Enjoy! 

Seasoned Steak Ragout

I wanted to share with you this quick, easy, delicious, and healthy meal that Hubby and I cooked tonight (well I cooked and he ate) It is from Eat Healthy, Lose Weight from Better Homes and Gardens. 

The cookbook is full of quick and easy meals, we primarily used this cookbook to create our healthy meal plan for the month.

This was a quick recipe that was prepped and cooked in under 30 minutes.The recipe was so simple even my hubby can make it.  I was full after one bowl, Hubby thought it was good but tasted like a healthy version of  franks and beans. It made about 4 servings.

Seasoned Steak Ragout 

• 2 tsp Olive Oil 
• 12 oz packaged beef stir-fry strips
• 1 16 oz package frozen (yellow, green, and red) peppers and onion stir-fry vegetables
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups roasted garlic and herb pasta sauce (or your favorite flavor)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add beef strips and cook 3-4 minutes until done. 
2. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and heat through. 
3. Add spinach, stir and serve. 

Nutrition Information per 1 1/4 cup serving

Calories 273, Fat 7gm, Cholesterol 52mg, Protein 27gm, Carb 30gm, Fiber 7 gm, Sodium 601mg 

That is the original recipe, here is what I did. 

• The meat at the store looked very fatty so I cut up a thin 12 oz  steak that was on sale. 
• I couldn't find the sitr-fry vegetables so I just used frozen peppers, You could easily use fresh it just takes a few minutes to slice and prep the peppers. 
• I don't know if I used cannellini beans, all I could find was something labeled "white beans" that looked like small kidney beans. 
• I omitted the water since I wanted something thicker. 
• I omitted the spinach since I don't like cooked spinach and we already had a nice side salad made. 

I thought this was really good, next time I might add another can of beans to add some extra fiber in the meal. Beans are a great source of protein and complex carbs which helps regulate insulin and energy levels. They also help you feel full longer so you eat less. Some chopped tomatoes might also be good mixed in. 

Definitely a keeper! 

Meal Planning Part 3 - Daily Lunches

One of my biggest weaknesses for eating healthy is remembering to bring a healthy lunch every day. I am always running late and it is so much easier to run out and pick up fast food for lunch than to spend time in the morning trying to remember to pack one.  One of our resolutions was to give up all fast food and to limit eating out in general so I had to come up with a plan.

I decided to use some Ziploc containers that I had in my cupboard. I love these containers because they come in 1 cup, 2 cup, and 4 cup sizes which greatly helps with portion control. I also love that the 2 and 4 cup use the same size lid so I don't have to go hunting for the right lid. They come in several other sizes but these work well for me.

Here is what I made
Five 1 cup containers of plain cottage cheese.
Four 1 cup containers of 0% fat Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of walnuts and dried fruit. (I didn't have enough for 5 cups)
Five Containers of spinach salad with hearts of palm and salsa for dressing.
Five 2 cup containers of BBQ Lentils (Stored in the freezer)
Five 2 cup containers of 15 Bean soup (Stored in the freezer)
I will supplement my lunches with spiced almonds and fruit.

I made enough of the yogurt and cottage cheese so I could use one as a snack or I could mix up my breakfast.  I will also mix up lunches with the lentils, soup, and left overs from dinner so I am not eating the same thing every day.

Another diet tip is that I will eat my salad first before my entree, and drink a 12oz glass of water or tea with each meal.

I love this idea of having pre-made lunches, it is one less thing for me to worry about in the morning and I just might be on time for work more often now!