Fat2Fit in the Kitchen - Recipes, Tips, and More!
jessicakrall8
Posts: 5,458 Member
Please share healthy delicious recipes, tips, and cooking ideas!
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Replies
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I ran across the following article which gives tips on cutting calories from ALL recipes. I know we all have our own individual methods, but thought it was interesting and a few of them, I hadn't used before, so I thought I'd share the article. Here's the link:
caloriesecrets.net/10-easy-ways-to-cut-calories-from-any-recipe/
I'll share a few tips:- When making green beans in a crockpot, instead of using ham hocks or "fattier" meats, use a smoked turkey leg. It gives the same terrific smoked flavor, but cuts the calories and once it has cooked for a few hours on low, you can also remove the leg, break up the meat (removing the skin) and add back to the beans. Works REALLY well...
- When baking sweets, cut the sugar a big or use Splenda for baking and reduce that as well, as to me it tends to be a little "extra" sweet anyway. You can also substitute the oil in most baking recipes for canned pumpkin, apple sauce or in some cases a fruit flavor of baby food...such as prunes, apples, pears, etc.
- Switch out ground beef in casseroles for ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Cut salt by using Mrs. Dash spices (there are MANY to choose from) for whatever flavor you're wanting to emphasize...Italian, etc.
- If you're making a casserole calling for ground beef, remove the meat and add in extra veggies, legumes, etc. and make it a meatless meal.
- When making a casserole calling for shredded cheese, switch to the 2% cheese and that usually cuts the calories.
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@ewilhelm2487 - Here’s a recipe for making ‘ricotta cheese’ from tofu. It’s a great substitute when making manicotti or stuffed pasta shells.
https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/quick-vegan-tofu-ricotta/
I also use meatless crumbles to make meatballs sometimes.3 -
This is one of my favorites during the warm weather seasons — or anytime, really
Orzo Salad:
https://www.loveandlemons.com/orzo-salad/2 -
This is my our favorite salmon recipe. I make it at least once per month. It is low carb and high protein.
https://www.skinnytaste.com/parmesan-salmon/#recipe-video
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The best tomato soup I have ever made:
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/vegan-roasted-tomato-basil-soup/
I use all fresh tomatoes instead of the recipe combination fresh roasted + canned crushed tomatoes. Just cut up some Roma tomatoes instead of the canned - skinning and seeding not necessary! I do NOT add any water until the end when I blend it up and see how thick it is, but if you use the crushed tomatoes, some water would be a good idea. I'm not sure you need as much as in the recipe, though.
It is also really good with a dollop of cream if you want to make it slightly less perfectly healthy, but I find it tastes so amazing it doesn't cry out for help.3 -
https://www.skinnytaste.com/greek-pasta-salad/
Skinnytaste's Greek Pasta Salad
This is the one I make quite often, I garden, volunteer at the food bank farm, and go to farmer's markets once a week so these are things I have a lot of during summer.2 -
One thing I've learned is to meal plan for about 3 days at a time. All 3 meals and snacks. When I start planning I can work the recipes to fit my low sodium diet.4
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Pre-logging a day or two ahead really helps me too.
Lately I’ve been eating avocados every day! I have several more servings of Avocado Bean Salad left, and tonight I just made a delicious Bell Pepper Avocado Salsa.
Avocado Bean Salad: mash together a large avocado, can of whatever beans (drained), 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 3-5 tbsp dried cranberries, salt & pepper to taste. Credit goes to @vegan4lyfe2012 I believe, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Bell Pepper Avocado Salsa:
1 large avocado, mashed
1 red & 1 yellow bell pepper, small diced
1/4 large onion, small diced
1 cup cooked great northern beans
1 cup chopped tomato
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
Dash cayenne pepper
Mix it all. Per the amounts I used, made 1,080 grams, serving = 2 tbsp /40g = 27 calories.
The tomatoes I used were from my potted plant! Only getting 5 tomatoes this year, and this used 3 of them. The other 2 are still on the vine. They all look really sad but taste fine.
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I am following a LCHF diet plan so I have been experimenting a LOT with food. Here is one of my new go-to's! Keep in mind this is a low carb recipe, but can definitely be adapted if one is needing less fat and such!
LOW CARB PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Makes 4 servings:
3 Cups (720mL) Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 oz. (30mL) Heavy Cream
A heaping ⅓ Cup (95g) Pure Pumpkin Purée
Just less than a ½ Cup (60-70g)Sweetener of choice (I use Whole Earth Erythritol & Monk Fruit)
1 Tsp. (4g) Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Tsp. Pumpkin Spice
Pinch of Salt
4 Shots (120mL) Brewed Espresso or Coffee
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all of the ingredients - except for the espresso - to a blender, and blend until well combined.
Once combined, add the pumpkin mixture to a small pot, and bring to a boil - whisking the mixture occasionally as it heats.
Reduce the heat to low, and brew the espresso.
Add 6 oz. (170mL) of the pumpkin spice mixture to a coffee cup & use a frother to create a good amount of foam in the cup
Pour 1 shot of espresso, and mix.
Top with whipped cream, and more pumpkin spice, and serve.
Store leftovers in a sealable jar in the fridge for several weeks.5 -
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious. I added about 4 ounces of chopped cooked chicken breast and subbed chicken broth for the water, tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes, and left out the chipotle since my husband can't eat anything too spicy.
It's actually a vegetarian recipe and I'm sure it would be great made just as written.
https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250222/sweet-potato-black-bean-chili/?utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-recipe&utm_content=20220313&utm_term=250222
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If you have a sweet tooth like I do you might be interested in these. I found them at BJ's Wholesale Club in the dairy section next to the yogurt. They taste very rich, similar to cheesecake.
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Hello guys i want to share a recipe of Dahi vada .It is north indian cuisine.They consist of homemade fried lentil dumpling fritters, dunked in creamy whipped yogurt and topped with both spicy and sweet chutneys
we make it on festivals but I can eat it anytime so I request my mom to make it every week .It is very tasty vegetarian recipe and very less in calorie (only 44 calories per serving)
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/dahi-vada-recipe/2 -
Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole:
https://www.giverecipe.com/unstuffed-cabbage-casserole/
I can never have enough of it.
I tried it with beef, turkey, and pork.
I tried it with white rice, brown rice, and steel-cut oats.
With and without garlic.4 -
Crockpot Brown sugar garlic chicken
1/3c brown sugar 2 tbsp minced garlic and salt pepper to taste. 5 chicken thighs but you can use any if the chicken pieces. High 4 hours or low for 8 hours1 -
turkey or chicken taco soup (basically chili) from Skinnytaste
https://recipele.com/skinnytaste-turkey-chili-taco-soup/
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@MotylekOkruchy, the unstuffed cabbage sounds really good!
I'm going to try it since I have half a head of cabbage leftover and have been thinking about how to use it up.2 -
I've made these stuffed peppers a few times over the summer, using green bell peppers from my garden. I usually make them when I have cooked rice leftover that I want to use up.
My peppers are always half the size of the ones you find in the grocery stores so I used 6.
I wait until they are almost done to add the cheese.
https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-stuffed-peppers-45-pts/1 -
Now that autumn is coming, here’s a soup recipe that is easy and very tasty
https://lmld.org/slow-cooker-chicken-enchilada-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-863211 -
Today I want to share a recipe of radish salad.it could be eaten alone or with some other dishes. I love to eat them with yellow peas and adzuki beans. Adzuki beans is similar to red bean but it is smaller in size.
Ingredients
1 cup thickly grated radish
1/4 cup thickly grated ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
Some Chopped coriander leaves
1 green chilly finely chopped
Black salt as per your taste. If you dont have black salt you can use common salt.
Process-just mix all the ingredients in a bowl .you can add any other item if you want and can skip any ingredients. I dont add green chilly because i have acidity problem. You can reduce the quantity of ginger too as per your taste.1 -
I made a great big Polenta Pie tonight - a never fail crowd (and family) pleaser. I have adapted this recipe over a long time from the Moosewood Cookbook.
Polenta crust - boil 3 cups of water and a good pinch of salt, slowly add 1.5 cups of yellow cornmeal / polenta stirring constantly. Simmer gently for around 10 minutes stirring frequently until it is as thick as possible without getting too stuck on the pan. Spread into a lightly oiled (olive oil best) 13"x7" rectangular pan. Let it cool enough to be able to spread with a silicone spatula or fingers into an even crust, going up the sides almost to the top. Spread a light coating of olive oil on top of the polenta. Back at 375 F for about 40-45 minutes.
Filling - Sauté 1 large onion in olive oil until translucent. Add other vegetables to taste - it is good with carrots, or red sweet pepper, or parsnip - whatever you have on hand and enjoy. Cut them fairly small so they cook evenly. Let them cook until almost soft, covered, stirring occasionally. Add generous amounts of herbs - basil (fresh is best), rosemary, zataar, etc. And of course plenty of pepper and some salt. Then add a very large amount of swiss chard (the best) or other green vegetables (large spinach, kale, collards, etc.). I'm not kidding. Put in a lot. Cover, stir occasionally, cook until the chard is a lot smaller and still good and green. Add some cooked chickpeas, white beans, or other legumes if desired. If it is too watery, remove the cover and cook on high heat to reduce the liquid. If it is still a bit watery, use a bit of cornstarch or other thickener. Add more pepper or other seasonings if needed. Be careful with salt - the cheese will add more salt taste for sure.
Assembly - Grate a good amount of various cheeses. I use a mixture of parmesan, swiss, cheddar, and any other tasty cheeses that melt well. Not too much mozzarella if you use it. Italian cheeses are particularly good - if it is good on pasta, it is going to be good here. Put a very light layer directly on the crust. Add all the filling. If you have some and feel like it, put fresh tomato slices on top of the filling. then put more cheese on top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375F. The cheese should be browned, the filling should be bubbling. Cut serve and enjoy! Individual servings freeze well and re-heat in microwave or (preferably) toaster oven.
This beats pizza any day
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Here is another one I never seem to have enough: Sesame Curry Turnips and Carrots
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium turnips, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
curry (I use A LOT)
Directions:
1 In a skillet on medium-high heat, add oil and saute onion, turnips, carrots, and salt until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in garlic and sesame seeds and cook until vegetables begin to brown. Add curry (and any other spices you wish.) (To make it a bit thicker you may stir in some corn or potato starch mixed with half a cup of water.)
The original recipe called for honey instead of curry. It is also tasty but I prefer the curry version much more!2 -
If you like brussels sprouts this is a good recipe. Instead of boiling them as directed in the recipe I toss them with a teaspoon of olive oil and roast them in the oven at 375 until they're tender. Then I add the sauce to them. I always double the recipe.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220287/honey-dijon-brussels-sprouts/?utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-recipe&utm_content=20220601&utm_term=2202871 -
I've made a few breads lately, had to stop because I started wanting too much bread but for those of you who are better than me at moderating here's a couple from Skinnytaste (her recipes are usually good so I've tried a lot):
Skinnytaste Zucchini bread:
https://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-bread
Pumpkin Banana Bread
https://www.skinnytaste.com/pumpkin-banana-bread/3 -
One of my favorite smoothies/milkshakes:
100 grams (3.5 oz) cooked beets
100 grams (3.5 oz) greek yogurt
2 tablespoons flax meal
blueberries/aronia/other berries of your choice
.5-1 cup milk
ground cinnamon
.5 scoop vanilla protein powder2 -
I made this for the first time yesterday and DH and I both enjoyed it. The recipe is from the Skinnytaste One and Done cookbook. I made some modifications to suit our taste. It makes 6 servings and when I weighed it the servings were 12.5 oz each.
This recipe is for an electric pressure cooker. I think you could do it on top of the stove as well.
American Cheesy Goulash
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey - 93% lean (you could use beef or chicken instead)
1 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 bell pepper chopped (color of your preference, I used a green one)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth (I used beef)
1 bay leaf
8 oz elbow macaroni, whole wheat (I used Barilla protein+)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2% cheddar)
Set cooker to saute and add olive oil once it gets hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add the ground meat, paprika and salt and cook until meat has browned, breaking meat up into small pieces as it cooks. Add the bell pepper, garlic, worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened or about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Stir in the macaroni. Seal and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Quick release the steam so that the pasta stops cooking, then open once the pressure subsides. Remove bay leaf and stir in the cheese.
When I put this into the MFP recipe builder with my changes it came out to 340 calories per serving with 37G carbs, 10G fat, 29G protein.
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Garbanzo Beans Cookies
🍪 INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cup of cooked garbanzo beans (drained) [I use 1 can and do not bother to measure]
.5 cup of peanut butter
.25-.5 cup of agave syrup or honey (or any other “sweetener”) [I use enough to taste the batter to my liking]
.25 teaspoon of baking soda
.25 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon spoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
OPTIONAL: cocoa powder, chocolate chips, coconut flakes - whatever you feel like to use to “personalize” your cookies!
MY ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL RECIPE: oats (quick/rolled) - to “thicken” the batter.
👩🏻🍳 DIRECTIONS:
Blend everything until the batter is smooth.
Bake at 350-356 F (180 C = 356 F) for 10-15 minutes (My oven works best at 350 for 10 mins)5 -
This recipe is from a Weight Watchers cookbook that I bought about 30 years ago, modified somewhat. I've made this many times. You can substitute whole wheat pasta and/or cooked pork if you'd like.
Chinese Noodle Soup
2.50 oz Baby Spinach
6 cups No Salt Added Chicken Broth
4 oz (56g) Barilla Protein Plus Angel Hair pasta, cooked
3 tbsp Soy sauce, low-sodium
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 heads Baby Bok Choy chopped
1 inch piece of Ginger, peeled and grated
3 medium scallions, sliced
1 cup carrot strips or slices
10 oz. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt to taste (I don't add any salt)
Combine broth, scallions, ginger and soy sauce in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until scallions are tender, about 3 minutes. Add bok coy and carrots and simmer until they are barely tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in chicken and spinach and heat just until spinach is wilted, then add pasta just enough to heat it through. Add sesame oil then salt to your taste and serve.
Below are the stats from the MFP recipe builder:
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 263
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7 g 11 %
Saturated Fat 1 g 3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 53 mg 18 %
Sodium 645 mg 27 %
Potassium 673 mg 19 %
Total Carbohydrate 29 g 10 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g 23 %
Sugars 4 g
Protein 26 g 52 %
Vitamin A 481 %
Vitamin C 40 %
Calcium 11 %
Iron 16 %4 -
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a3963/butternut-squash-ravioli-recipe/
I use wonton wrappers for the ravoli's (it makes it a lot easier )3 -
Crock Pot Corny Chili
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. ea.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
3/4 cup Picante sauce
1 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic granules
~~~Garnishes~~~
Corn chips
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
In a large skillet, sauté beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Transfer to a 3 quart crock pot/slow cooker. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, picante sauce, chili powder and garlic powder.
Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or until heated through.
Serve with corn chips, sour cream and cheese if desired.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
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Oh yeah - spaghetti squash can make a great meal.
Split a spaghetti squash vertically. You might want to cut the ends off first to make it nice and flat - especially the stem.
Scoop out the seeds.
Put about a teaspoon of olive oil in each half, and spread it around with your fingers. It's good for those worn, hard-working hands.
Sprinkle each half with some nice salt and pepper, and put them cut side down on a baking sheet. If you want extra easy clean-up, use a sheet of parchment paper on the pan.
Roast at 360F for about 30-35 minutes for a small squash, up to around 45 for a really big one.
When it is soft to a poking fork, take it out of the oven.
Fluff up the squash "strings". Layer on a good amount of steamed kale or other veggies. Then some lovely tomato sauce. If you don't have home-made, any jarred pasta sauce will do! Add any extra herbs or stuff you like. In this stage, any legumes, other veggies, fresh herbs, or whatever strikes your fancy is welcome.
Grate some parmesan and put on a good coating on top. Other cheeses work well also.
Broil carefully for a few minutes until the cheese is lightly browned and the whole thing is hot and bubbly.
Eat up! One helping is one half the squash, unless it is seriously huge. In that case, part of it becomes tomorrow's lunch!1
