Main Course Soups

Pork Posole

Serves 6

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

0.75 pounds pork tenderloin

1 medium onion

two garlic cloves

1 medium chipotle chile canned in adobo

2 cans chicken broth (reduced-sodium)

2 cans beans (black, red, etc.)

1 can chopped tomatoes in juice

chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

In 1 tablespoon of oil (preferable grapeseed or canola) in a large saucepan or stockpot, brown a pork tenderloin (about 0.75~1 pound) that has been trimmed of fat and halved crosswise. Brown on all sides and set aside on a plate.

In the remaining oil over medium heat, saute 1 chopped medium onion and 2 cloves of garlic that has been minced or pushed through a garlic press. Cook until onion is softened. Add 1 medium chopped chipotle chile (from canned, in adobo sauce), and cook a few minutes longer.

Add 2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth, 2 cans beans (any type), and 1 can of chopped tomatoes with their juice. Add pork, and then water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer 5-10 minutes until pork is cooked through (if using thermometer, 145 deg F).

Remove soup from heat. Remove pork from soup and chop or shred, then add back to soup along with any accumulated juices.

Serve soup with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

648 calories, 11.3% fat (8.2 g), 33.5% protein (54.27 g), 56.7% carbs (92 g with 22 g fiber)

This soup is on the high side, but the ratios are right, and it's very nutritious. To cut back on the calories you could have half a bowl and have a salad.

Italian Wedding Soup

Serves 6

1 pounds ground turkey (dark meat)

2 cloves garlic

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 medium onion

2 cans chicken broth (reduced-sodium)

2 cans tomatoes, chopped in juice

1 can black beans

2 heads escarole, coarsely chopped

Make meatballs by combining 1 pound of ground turkey, 2 cloves of garlic pressed or minced, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a bowl. Mix, and form into 1 or 2 tablespoon balls.

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil (grapeseed or canola). Saute 1 medium onion that has been halved and thinly sliced until softened. Add 2 cans chicken broth (reduced sodium), and 2 cans diced tomatoes with their juice. Add the raw meatballs and water to cover. Cook until meatballs float.

Add 2 heads of chopped escarole a little at a time until completely added. Cook until escarole is wilted and meatballs are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.

578 calories, 23 % fat (15 g), 32% protein (47 g), 45% carbs (65 g with 18.5 g fiber)

Another super nutritious soup! I love the extra yummy factor of the meatballs hiding away in the soup.

Brownies

Hallelujah, I have found a light brownie recipe. Now, these are not comparable to "real" brownies, so bare with me. But, when faced with no brownies or these brownies, the choice is easy. We made them last night, and you do need to make it with everything including the frozen yogurt and the chocolate on the top in order for it to reach it's full potential.

This is from Every Day Food Magazine. You can find the original recipe here.
Makes 8.

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for ramekins
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 pint vanilla frozen yogurt
  

1. Preheat oven to 350. Brush eight 8-ounce ramekins with oil; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce, and oil until smooth. Whisk in egg white and vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened. Divide batter among ramekins; smooth tops. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until a toothpick inserted in center of a brownie comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer sheet to a rack to cool completely. (To store, cover ramekins with plastic wrap, and keep at room temperature, up to 2 days.)
3. Assemble sundaes: Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring, until almost completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Top brownies with frozen yogurt and chocolate.

267 calories, 42% (12.5 g) fat, 9% (6 g) protein, 49% (34.9 g) carbs with 2.3 g fiber

Milk

It occurred to me that I don't really know how the different milks compare to each other. You've got whole, 2%, 1% and "nonfat" and then there's rice and soy milk, which I have always assumed are healthier then your typical cow's milk just because they sound healthy. So, here's a break down and my recommendation on what to put on your cereal or in your coffee:

1 cup of whole (homogenized) cow's milk (too FATTY):
146 calories, 49% fat (7.9 g), 21% protein (7.9 g), 30% carbs (11 g with 0 fiber)

1 cup of 2% cow's milk (a little better):
122 calories, 36% fat (4.8 g), 27% protein (8.1 g), 38% carbs (11.4 g with 0 fiber)

1 cup of 1% cow's milk (can you see where this is going?):
102 calories, 20% fat (2.4 g), 34% protein (8.2 g), 46% carbs (12.2 g with 0 fiber)

1 cup of nonfat (skim) cow's milk (much better!):
83 calories, 2% fat (0.2 g), 42% protein (8.3 g), 56% carbs (12.2 g with 0 fiber)

So, as far as cow's milk, I vote for non-fat. The variations of cow's milk all have about the same amount of carbs and protein, but without the extra fat the percentage that carbs make up is much higher in the lower fat version. If you are doing a low-carb diet you might want to compromise with 2% because it's got almost the same amount of carbs, but a lot less fat than whole milk.

So what about those "healthy" milk alternatives? How much healthier are they?

1 cup of Rice Milk (where did all that nice protein go?):
120 calories, 15% fat (2 g), 1% protein (0.4 g), 84% carbs (24.8 g with 0 fiber)

1 cup of Soy Milk (niiiice):
127 calories, 31% fat (4.7 g), 30% protein (11 g), 39% carbs (12.1 g with 3.2 g fiber)

Rice milk has about as many calories as 2% milk but much less fat and protein. All those calories are coming from carbs with NO FIBER. You might as well just go drink a can of coke!

Soy milk has about as much as many calories and as much fat as 2% cow's milk, but it's got waaaay more fiber and a good amount more protein. Because of this, soy milk is my vote for putting in my coffee. The extra fat helps the coffee from tasting watered down, but I'm getting a little more fiber and protein than I would if I used milk or half and half. Here are the status for half and half. I know you'd never drink a cup, but for comparison I'm keeping the amounts consistent:

1 cup of Half and Half (don't do it!):
315 calories, 78% fat (27.8 g), 10% protein (7.2 g), 13% carbs (10.4 g with 0 fiber)

Compared to whole milk even, half and half clearly doesn't cut it--Less protein, and only a few less carbs! And exponentially more fat! I've heard stories of people on the Atkins diet switching to half and half because it's got a few less carbs. This makes no sense to me, since you get a very few extra carbs with whole or even 2%, and so much less fat and more protein.

Bottom line for me is, use nonfat milk when you're going to consume more than a couple of tablespoons in order to keep the calories low, and use soy milk with you want something a little extra. Soy milk isn't as delicious as half and half, but for the great nutitional deal you get I think you can learn to like it!

Breakfast

I have really been enjoying getting back to eating a healthy breakfast now that I'm back in my regular routine after the holidays. At my job we have a Cafe that serves breakfast. Most people get homefried potatoes, bacon, and eggs with cheese. Yum! But waaaay too many calories, fat and simple carbs to eat every day if you don't run marathons! And, if you do, you probably prefer food that gives you more energy!

My goal with all my meals is to get them high in protein and low in fat, and if there are carbs there must be fiber. They also must be at least bareably tasty. I'm not talking gourmet, but if it tastes like cardboard I'm not going to be able to eat it day after day! Here's some of the breakfasts that I've been enjoying for the past month:

Egg white omelet and oatmeal: I get this at the Cafe at work. Approx. 1/2 cup of raw egg whites cooked in a small pan sprayed with vegetable oil, stuffed with equal amounts of spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms that have been lightly steamed. I eat this with a packet of dijon mustard. In addition I've been getting a 1/2 cup of regular oatmeal sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of sweetened dried shredded coconut and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, with 1/4 cup of nonfat milk. Note: DON'T ADD SUGAR to your oatmeal...you'll ruin a perfectly good breakfast. I add the coconut 'cause it's sweetened but there's not as much extra carbs as adding sugar. Plus coconut has some good nutrients in it!
This breakfast is about 225 calories, 29% fat (7.4 g), 28% protein (15.8 g) and 43% carbs (24.4) with 4.3 g fiber.

Bacon Scramble: One of my favorite breakfasts to cook up at home (the Cafe doesn't serve turkey bacon...bummer) is 2 chopped thin slices of turkey bacon in a small pan, then, when crispy, pour in the whites of four eggs and toss in a handful of baby spinach and scramble it all together. Note that this does not need any extra fat salt!
This is only 140 calories. 35% fat (5 g), 57% protein (19.7), and only 6% (2 g) carbs with .5 g of fiber. A great breakfast for low-carbers who don't want to overload on fat.

Egg over Oatmeal: Another home breakfast that's yummy and quick is a half a cup of steel cut oatmeal that's been cooked up and refrigerated the night before, in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and an egg cracked over the top. I cover and microwave this until the white is just set, which often requires that I leave the bowl in the microwave with the door shut for a minute or two after the timer goes off. I like runny yolks, and with this I add a sprinkle of salt and break the egg up into the oatmeal. Egg whites would lower the fat content, but the yolk is what makes this good.
This is about 156 calories, 42% fat (7.3 g), 23% protein (9.2 g) and 35% carbs (13.3 g with 2 g of fiber).

Yummier Cottage Cheese: The all-time quickest breakfast is 1 cup of nonfat cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of low sugar jam (I like apricot) and 2 tablespoons of Kellog's bran buds. You can also sprinkle on a little cinnamon to make it extra yummy and healthy (cinnamon is really good for you!). This is also great for snacking since it doesn't require cooking anything.
This is about 215 calories, 1% fat (0.3 g), 53% protein (28.8 g) and 46% carbs (25.2 g with 5 g fiber)

Starbucks Spinach Feta Wrap: When I'm really in a hurry and don't have time to wait in line at the Cafe, or if I go for breakfast after 10 when the Cafe closes, I get one of these.
This is 240 calories, 35% fat (10 g), 20% protein (13 g), and 45% carbs (29 g with 7 g fiber). Not bad for a pre-made breakfast item!

I've also been substituting a quarter cup of soy milk in my 16 oz drip coffee each morning. I love half and half in my coffee, but the extra fat on my food log every day was really bugging me. I like the soy cause I can use a lot of it and it cools my coffee down quickly so I can drink it right away.

The calorie counts and nutrition for these meals were estimated using fitday.com

Post your comments and share your favorite healthy breakfasts!