It's a New Year: Get Back in the Kitchen

By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N.

If your goal for the New Year is to shape up and lose weight in 2007, make it a priority to get back in the kitchen and prepare your own meals instead of eating out all the time.

If you prepare your own foods, you can control what goes in the recipe to ensure it's safely prepared. In addition, you can control your portion sizes. Table service restaurants are out of control in terms of serving large portion sizes. You don't have to use plates the size of a meat platter at home. Simply put the bigger the plate, the more you eat.

Sweet Potato Apple Stew with Turkey

Per Serving: 232 calories, 17 grams protein, 4 grams of fat, 32 grams of CHO, 5 grams of fiber, 98 mg sodium.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooke time: 1 hour.

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, cut in 3/4 –inch thick slices
• 1 rib celery, cut in 3/4 –inch slices
• 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ cups fat-free, reduced sodium-chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Crispin or Red Delicious apples, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch half-moon slices
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey breast
• ½ cup fresh, frozen or dried cranberries
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)

Instructions

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

In a small Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion. Sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery and rutabaga. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low meat 10 minutes. Add broth and bay leave; cover.

Transfer stew to over. Bake 10 minutes. Add apples and sweet potatoes, turkey, cranberries and thyme. Cover and bake until vegetables are tender and turkey is heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Serve over brown rice or noodles.

Shopping List

• canola oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1 celery
• 1 small rutabaga
• fat-free, reduced sodium-chicken broth
• bay leaf
• 2 Crispin or Red Delicious apples
• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey breast
• fresh, frozen or dried cranberries
• dried thyme
• chopped toasted almonds (optional)

From American Institute for Cancer Research www.aicr.org , with permission.

3-Bean Chili

Per Serving: 480 calories, 35 grams protein, 14 grams of fat, 52 grams of CHO, 16 grams of fiber, 1000 mg sodium.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: Ten 1 – ½ cup servings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 2 cans (16 oz each) dark red kidney beans, undrained
• 2 cans (16 oz each) pinto beans, undrained
• 2 cans (16 oz each) black beans, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 2 enveloped chili seasoning mix
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ cups sour cream

Instructions

Brown meat in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and green pepper; cook until tender, stirring frequently. Add all remaining ingredients except sour cream; mix well. Bring to boil; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into soup bowls; top with sour cream.

Note: May substitute ground turkey for less calories and fat. May also use reduced fat or fat free sour cream for less calories and fat.

From: www.kraftfoods.com

Tossed Salad Pita

Per Serving: 166 calories, 7 grams protein, 5 grams of fat, 22 grams of CHO, 2 grams of fiber, 622 mg sodium.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: Four ½ stuffed pita

Ingredients

• 2 pita bread, cut in half
• 1 cup chopped lettuce, iceberg, romaine, spinach or a combination
• ¼ cup peppers, red, green or yellow, chopped
• ½ cup cucumber, chopped
• ¼ cup carrots, shredded
• ¼ cup chickpeas
• ¼ cup cheese, cheddar or mozzarella, shredded
• ½ cup low-fat salad dressing of your choice

Instructions

Cut pita bread in half. Set aside. Combine all salad ingredients in small bowl. Toss thoroughly. Fill each pita pocket with salad. Sprinkle with salad dressing.

Shopping List

• pita bread
• lettuce, iceberg, romaine, spinach or a combination
• pepper, red, green or yellow
• cucumber
• carrots
• chickpeas
• cheese, cheddar or mozzarella
• low-fat salad dressing of your choice

* With permission Recipes from Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents by Sandra K. Nissenberg, M.S., R.D., Margaret L. Bogle, Ph.D, R.D., and Audrey C. Wright, M.S., R.D. ISBN 1-56561-064-1.

Nutty Toasted Snack Mix

Per Serving: 160 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams of fat, 13 grams of CHO, 2 grams of fiber, 207 mg sodium.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Bake time: 10 minutes

Serves: 13 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole natural almonds
• 2 cups wheat, rice or corn squares cereal
• 1 ½ cups small pretzels
• 1 cup toasted oat cereal
• 1 cup sesame sticks, optional
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• ½ cup butter, melted

Instructions

Spread almonds in a single layer in shallow pan. Place in cold over; toast at 350 degrees, 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Remove from pan to cool. Toss together all ingredients except butter. Drizzle with butter and toss to coat evenly. Spread mixture in a shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Cool. Store in airtight containers.

Shopping List

• whole natural almonds
• wheat, rice or corn squares cereal
• small pretzels
• toasted oat cereal
• sesame sticks, optional
• garlic powder
• butter

With permission from www.almondsarein.com

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is a nutritionist with a master's degree in clinical nutrition. She is also registered dietitian and has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy active lifestyles to consumers.