Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 190 • Fat: 3 g • Carb: 32 g • Fiber: 8 g • Protein: 9 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 483 mg • Cholest: 0 mg
Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
• 32 oz container reduced sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh black pepper
• 1 medium 8 oz zucchini, diced
• 2 cups chopped fresh (or frozen defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Crock Pot Version:

Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to the crock pot along with the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Stove Top Directions:

 
Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low 40 minutes. Add the zucchini and spinach, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. 

5 Ways to Eat Healthier Even When You've Failed Before

We would all love to consistently have a perfectly healthy diet, but life often seems to get in the way and we are quick to forget our commitment to improving our diet.

Maybe you've set ambitious healthy eating goals in the past and you know how overwhelming it can be. But eating healthy is certainly not about being perfect. Most people tend to get much better results when they start small and make incremental changes to their current diet.

Here are five ways you can start eating healthier even when you've failed before.

1. Start with the drinks

Sodas and processed fruit juices are loaded with sugar, and numerous studies have shown that they promote weight gain. Lattes and other comforting beverages also contain sugar and are often high in calories. So, the first step is to stop drinking all those calories that your body doesn't need.

To wean yourself off high calorie drinks and smoothly transition to drinking more water, you can buy natural fruit juice (with no added sugars) and gradually add water to it. You may start with half of each, and work your way up by adding more water every day.

You can also make your own drinks by adding fruit slices to water, preparing herbal teas in advance, and making your own lattes with healthy ingredients.

2. Decide that you deserve to eat real food

In our busy lives, we often sacrifice our health to convenience. There can be an underlying belief that taking time to cook and eat real food, and thus caring for our health, comes at the expense of being a good parent, getting more work done, or having social activities.

But self-care is really important and can also help us take care of others better. And it starts with making the decision that you deserve to eat real food, instead of low-quality fast food items or processed foods.

If you've failed at sticking to a healthy diet before, decide that you deserve something better, and that you're worth it. Make it a real priority in your life.

3. Eat a nutritious breakfast

Taking the time to cook and eat a healthy breakfast can be challenging in our fast paced world. And about 31 million Americans do skip breakfast every day. Yet a study conducted among preschool children found that eating breakfast consistently contributes to a healthy body weight.

Oatmeal, eggs, real yogurt with berries, a smoothie, or an avocado toast are simple breakfast options that all take less than ten minutes to prepare and will often prevent you from reaching out for an unhealthy snack bar at 10am.

4. Take 30 minutes to plan your meals for the week

Thirty minutes a week might be all it takes to finally enjoy healthy meals. It's as simple as sitting down with a pen and paper and making a list of your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner meals.

If those meals already feature vegetables, protein, and healthy fats, go ahead and add them to your weekly meal plan. If they don't, make a list of ten different vegetables you like and put them on the menu.

When planning your meals, don't forget snacks and meals on the go. Here is a list of healthy items you'll want to keep around: fresh fruit, chopped fresh vegetables, whole-grain bread, cheese, boiled eggs, nuts and seeds.

Planning your meals in advance will free up your mind as you won't have to always worry about what to make for dinner. It can also reduce your food budget, as you will probably be eating out less often.

5. Make the right choices when you're eating out

Let's face it, we can't all be cooking healthy meals every single day. But when it's time to order at the restaurant, we often end up sabotaging our efforts despite our best intentions.

In fact, it can be easier to eat healthy at the restaurant because there are always healthy options on the menu, and you're not the one who has to prepare the dishes.

When you place your order, be picky, and do your best to be a "classy eater": only choose dishes that contain non-fried meat or fish, and pick salads and vegetables. It will taste great, be much healthier, and it will make you feel good about yourself.

So, here is what to do now: start by picking one of these five ways, and take action. Stick to it until it becomes a habit. Then, you can move on and add another healthy eating habit. This is how you will ultimately succeed.

Courtesy of:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-ricci/5-ways-to-eat-healthier-even-when-youve-failed-before_b_6660476.html?utm_hp_ref=diet-and-nutrition

Skinny Guacamole

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8  Serving Size: 1/4 cup 
Calories: 112 • Fat: 10 g • Protein: 1.4 g • Carb: 6.5 g • Fiber: 4.5 g • Sugar: 0.3 g
Sodium: 5.6 mg (without salt)


Ingredients:

• 3 medium hass avocados, halved
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 1 small clove garlic, mashed
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place the pulp from the avocados in a medium bowl and slightly mash with a fork or a potato masher leaving some large chunks. Add lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, red onion, garlic and mix thoroughly.

5 Ways to Have a Better Relationship With Food

We'd bet you spend quite a bit of time and effort nourishing your relationships, whether it's with your significant other, your pals, your parents, your kids, or all of the above. Relationships take work and the more work you put in, the more it becomes clear that your efforts are rewarded with strengthened bonds.

But what about your relationship with food? This relationship impacts not only nutrient intake, but for many it's closely tied to -- and impacts -- other relationships (including that with our own body.) Because our relationship with food is so important to health, wellness, and happiness, we wanted to share our top tips for making your relationship with food a positive one.

1. Make something:

Get into the kitchen, tap into your inner artist, and create something. Or harness the power of your inner mathematician and craft something with elaborately measured ingredients. Or play mad scientist and put Alton Brown's food science recipes to work. Or, just lovingly slice up some veggies, toss some olives in a pretty dish, and serve yourself a nice hummus tray. You don't have to fire up the oven, but you can if you want to.

And you certainly don't need to be Bobby Flay (but hey, if he wants to join in, we won't argue). Our point is that getting into the kitchen to prepare something made with care, for yourself, with the intention of nourishing your body but also enjoying the experience of preparation and eating is really important in sparking a positive relationship with food.

2. Watch your language:

Can we just ban the term "guilt-free" right now? Saying something is guilt-free implies that food holds the power to make you guilty or that a food itself can be guilty. It doesn't make any sense, takes the pleasure out of eating, and puts a negative spin on many delicious foods. We'd also like to ban the food-related usage of the terms good/bad. If you're saying "Wow, I like that food. It's really good," or "Yuck, that milk has gone bad," that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about relating being good or bad to eating or not eating a certain food or calling a food good or bad based on its perceived diet-y-ness (made-up word).

Moving forward, try to accept foods for what they are -- food. If you like the way a food tastes, it makes you feel good, and you are in the mood for it, then that sounds like a great choice... no matter how much fat or calories it contains. If you don't enjoy the taste of a food, aren't in the mood for it, or it doesn't make you feel very good then it probably isn't a stellar choice for you no matter how many celebrities you've seen eating/drinking it.

3. Accept enjoyment/pleasure from food:

Food is awesome and it's ok to enjoy it. In fact, oftentimes if you eat foods that you genuinely enjoy, you end up eating less overall because you're not left pining after the food you really wanted. And again, there's no guilt in eating stuff you love -- just make sure that you're in the mood for food (as opposed to seeking emotional solace) and the food makes you feel good in the short term and long term.

4. Focus on feeling great:

One test that we use with our clients (and that we use ourselves) is to ask if what we're eating makes us feel good now? In two hours? Tomorrow? If the answer is yes to all three of these questions, then go for it. If the answer is no to any of these, then it's time to have an honest, supportive conversation with yourself about your relationship with that food, why you want it, what emotions are circulating currently, etc. Put the focus on feeling great and allow food to be a part of that.

5. Skip the "diet foods" (unless you love the taste):

There is a really cool study that found that subjects had increases in hormonal hunger markers after eating a food labeled "diet." But we probably don't need to tell you this -- most of us know that we'd likely feel more satisfied with the real deal. The truth is that there isn't any need for fake sugars, fake fats, etc. in a healthy diet. You can eat the real stuff, in appropriate amounts, and stay healthy and feel good. If you're struggling with the appropriate amounts, start using our three-question test above to tap into intuitive eating strategies.

Courtesy:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/willow-jarosh-ms-rd/5-ways-to-have-a-better-relationship-with-food_b_6615230.html?utm_hp_ref=diet-and-nutrition

Fruit Pizza

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 30 • Size: 1 bar
Calories: 140 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 24 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 17 g
Sodium: 72 mg • Cholesterol: 10 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose unbleached flour (Gold Medal)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

For the Frosting:

• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

To Assemble:

• 1 large mango, diced
• 3 diced kiwis
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup raspberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Lightly spray a 9 x 13 x 1.375 inch non-stick baking pan (quarter sheet pan) with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend.

In another bowl, whisk the sugars with the butter, egg whites, applesauce and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more “crumbly” than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (ONLY if needed) until it smooths out. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Spread the batter onto the baking pan using the back of a measuring cup to smooth evenly.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't over-bake or your bars will be dry. Let it cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting; in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well-blended.

Cut the bars into 15 large squares (5 cuts by 3 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally to create triangles. Spread the frosting in a thin, even layer over the surface of the cookie, leaving a small margin around the edges. Layer the fresh fruit over the frosting. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Healthy Snacks to Keep Your Hunger at Bay

Let's face it: Most of us don't just eat three meals a day without any snacks. Snacking can be a good practice if we make healthy choices. Snacking can be a great way to boost our intake of fruits and vegetables, and nutrients such as fiber, which so many of us fall short on. Here are a few tips for choosing a healthy snack: eat real food, keep it portion-controlled (and calorie-controlled), aim for a fruit or veggie serving, and try to get some protein or fiber in your snack to help you feel full and stabilize blood sugar.

Here are some healthy choices to eat if you get a snack attack.

1. Hummus and veggies

Hummus and vegetables makes for a great snack. Here is a good chance to get a dose of colorful vegetables including carrots, red and yellow peppers. All veggies are great choices. Hummus contains protein which will help keep you feel full. Aim for around a quarter cup serving of hummus and as many fresh veggies as you like.

2. Greek yogurt with fresh berries

Greek yogurt makes for a great snack as it is a good source calcium and protein. Choose the low-fat varieties which makes this tasty snack relatively low in calories. Top it with your favorite berries for a healthy dose of antioxidants and fiber.

3. Vegetable/bean soup

Soups make for a great snack. Eating soup is a great way to pack in several servings of vegetables. Soup is filling and takes a while to eat, and because most of us eat soup sitting down, we eat it mindfully. Great choices are veggie based soups such as minestrone, white bean, and lentil soup. One caveat: If you are eating it out, be sure to check sodium content, as many soups contain too much.

4. Part-skim cheese and whole grain crackers

Cheese and crackers can make for a healthy snack. The cheese contains protein and calcium while the whole grain crackers contain fiber which will help us stay full. A healthy portion is around an ounce of each. An ounce of cheese is one slice or if it is cubed, looks like four dice. Check the nutrition facts label on the crackers to see how many crackers constitute a one-ounce serving and be sure that the first ingredient is a whole grain (such as whole wheat, rye, or oats.)

5. Sliced apple with almond butter.

Apples make for a great snack -- high in fiber and low in calories. Add a schmear of almond butter (approximately 1 tablespoon) for a serving of good fat and fiber which will keep you full and help keep your hunger at bay.

6. Mixed nuts and (low-sodium) vegetable juice

This is a great snack if you are on the run. Low-sodium vegetable juice (such as V8) is filling and chock full of nutrients such as potassium and vitamin C. Nuts contain healthy fats along with some protein and fiber; just be sure to keep your portion to 1/4 cup serving or one layer of your palm. A quarter cup serving also looks like a golfball.

7. Frozen banana and peanut butter

This is a yummy snack to keep in your freezer if you are craving a frozen treat. Peel a banana and spread it with peanut butter (no more than 1 tablespoon), place it in a baggie, and freeze. The banana contains fiber and potassium, and the peanut butter contains a serving of heart-healthy fats.

8. Air-popped popcorn

The great news about popcorn is that it is a whole grain, and unlike pretzels and chips, where a serving is one cup or less, a serving of popcorn is 3 cups. To avoid added fat and calories, stick to air popped popcorn. And feel free to drizzle it with parmesan cheese, garlic, or your favorite spice.

Courtesy of:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-lisa-young/healthy-snacks-to-keep-yo_b_6136390.html?utm_hp_ref=diet-and-nutrition

Summer Berry Cobbler

Nutritional Info: Per serving: (1 ramekin) Calories: 223; Fat: 5.5 g; Saturated fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 7 mg; Carbohydrate: 43 g; Fiber: 5 g; Protein: 3 g; Sugars: 27 g; Sodium: 163 mg

Filling
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups strawberries, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Topping
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (I recommend King Arthur)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted whipped butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

For the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the raw sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch each of cinnamon and salt. Add the berries and gently mix to coat. Add the lemon zest and juice and divide the filling among 6 (8-ounce) ramekins.

Put the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the berries are hot and bubbling on the edges, 22 to 24 minutes.

For the topping: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, raw sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the butter pieces are the size of small pebbles. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened; do not over mix.

Carefully remove the ramekins from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of topping into each ramekin. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and return to the oven.


Bake until the berries are bubbling and the topping is golden and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.