Author Archives: Kelly Daneri

Five Ingredient Friday: Broccoli Mac and Cheese

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Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort foods. Almost any recipe can be made-over with a few tweaks.  With the addition of some broccoli and the use of low-fat laughing cow cheese wedges, this recipe will satisfy your comfort food craving while keeping each serving at about 300 calories.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats–a great blog with tons of healthy recipes!

  • 8 oz. large macaroni shells
  • 3 cups small broccoli florets
  • 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional if you’re going vegetarian–consider adding some extra veggies!)
  • 6oz Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedges (Garlic & Herb or your flavor of choice)
  • 3/4 – 1 cup milk
  • salt and pepper (optional)

Cook macaroni noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Add broccoli to the pot 3 minutes before noodles are done cooking, then drain well and set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with some non-stick cooking spray, then add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove the chicken and set aside. In the same skillet, add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper, then stir until cheese is melted, and sauce is thick. Add cooked chicken, noodles, and broccoli to the skillet then stir well to combine. Serves 4.

Feel free to boost the nutritional value of this meal even more by adding more of your favorite vegetables–consider adding some tomatoes, shredded carrots, cauliflower, or even asparagus.

 

Workout Wednesday: Nike Training Club

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Tired of the same old fitness routine?  Nike Training Club is a free app with more than 60 customized workouts for beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels.

One of the best features about the Nike Training Club app is that it offers step-by-step instructions and on-demand video demonstrations for each exercise included in every workout.  So, even if you aren’t familiar with a certain exercise, or haven’t worked out in a while, the step-by-step instructions, on-demand video demonstrations, and verbal prompts from the narrator offer you a guided workout complete with modifications for every exercise.  To make working out even easier, most workouts only require a couple of dumbbells and a medicine ball and can be completed anywhere you have some free floor space.

 

Nike Training Club even lets you select what type of workout you want to complete based on your fitness goals. Each workout routine is either 30 or 45 minutes, except for the “Get Focused” workouts, which are 15 minutes.

“Get Lean” workouts focus on high interval cardio drills.

“Get Toned” workouts  include light weights and intervals to add definition.

“Get Strong” workouts include increased weights and reps to build strength.

“Get Focused” workouts are 15-minute workouts to target specific areas.

The app also tracks your workouts, unlocking rewards like fitness badges and bonus workouts from famous athletes. Although the app may be marketed towards women, men can certainly join in on the fun, too!

 

Meatless Monday: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Nothing quite welcomes fall like a hot bowl of soup!  While the usual tomato and chicken noodle soup might come to mind, how about trying something new, like a roasted butternut squash soup?

If you’ve never prepared a butternut squash before, don’t worry, the hardest part about preparing it is really just cutting it open. So, please do so with caution! Below you’ll find a very classic way to prepare butternut squash.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil or butter
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg
  • salt and pepper (optional–to taste)

(Carefully) Split the squash open lengthwise with a large butchers knife. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Split the squash halves lengthwise again so they are now in quarters. Brush the squash with 2 tbsp. of butter or drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (optional). Roast squash in a 400 degree oven until soft, about 30-35 minutes. Remove squash from oven and let cool. Scoop the flesh of the squash into a large pot. Add 3 cups of vegetable broth, 4 tbsp. of honey, and 1 tsp. of minced ginger. Blend using an immersion blender or separate into batches and use a blender. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Serves 4.

Each serving is approximately 200 calories.

Still not sure what to do?  Watch Alton Brown prepare the recipe in under 3 minutes!

Five Ingredient Friday: Mini Chicken Burgers

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Venture from your usual beef burger by using ground chicken or ground turkey instead.  This recipe makes 8 mini chicken burgers using less than 5 ingredients. How easy is that?

Mini Chicken Burgers

  • 1 lb. ground chicken (or turkey)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
  • Honey-wheat King’s Hawaiian rolls (or other mini burger bun)

In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, and garlic. Form mixture into 8 mini burgers.  Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Be sure to spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Cook burgers for about 4 minutes on each side, or until they are cooked through. Serve burgers on honey-wheat King’s Hawaiian rolls. Serves 4-6.

Each serving (1 burger) is approximately 250 calories.

Workout Wednesday: Resistance Bands

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Finding time to work out during the day can be a challenge, especially when you are confined to a desk or office for the majority of the day.

However, there are some great exercise routines that can be worked into your schedule just about anywhere.  Resistance bands are a great alternative to free weights, and they can be discreetly stored in your desk drawer for a quick, mid-day workout.

Resistance bands come in a variety of tension levels and are usually color coded. You may need to use a few different tension levels to get a full body workout.  Here is a great resistance band workout to get you started:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXFTayj4RU

Did you know that Healthy Horizons offers resistance bands as one of our prizes for the Rewards Program?  Start recording your healthy habits and you could earn yourself a free resistance band!  The Healthy Horizons Rewards Card can now be found online.

Meatless Monday

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Did you know that there is an entire movement dedicated to going vegetarian one day a week?

Meatless Mondays are a great way to limit your saturated fat intake and replace it with nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. The movement isn’t asking you to become a vegetarian forever (only if you want to!), it’s just asking you to try going vegetarian one day a week.  What a fun way to try some new foods and recipes!

 

Want to join the movement? Visit the Meatless Monday website to sign the pledge and check out some great recipes!

Here is a great, easy recipe to get you started on your quest to go meatless on Mondays!

Portobello Pizzas

Did you pledge to go meatless?  Leave a comment below letting us know and feel free to share one of your favorite meatless recipes!

 

Five Ingredient Friday: Black Bean Quesadillas

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Looking for a quick and easy recipe?  We’ll keep it simple with this recipe that only calls for…5 ingredients!

Black Bean Quesadillas

  • 8 Tortilla Shells
  • Can of black beans (rinsed)
  • Can of Red Gold diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro (drained)
  • Onion (diced)
  • Shredded Colby jack cheese
Saute the onion in a small pan over medium high heat. Once the onions are cooked, add the can of black beans and the can of tomatoes. Cook until the mixture is heated through.
Spread the black bean and tomato mixture onto one side of 4 tortilla shells. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on top of each. Cover with another tortilla shell. Heat through using a skillet or panini press–about 2-3 minutes per side. Cut each tortilla into 4 pieces. Consider topping with lettuce and tomato and using plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Serves 4.
Each serving is approximately 400 calories.
A great recipe calorie calculator can be found here: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

 

Happy October!

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As we say goodbye to summer’s bounty of fruits and vegetables, we gladly welcome fall’s harvest. Not sure what’s in season?  The Indiana Department of Agriculture has a great online harvest calendar that will tell you what’s in season this fall.

So, what’s looking good this October?

  • Apples
  • Beets
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Pumpkins
  • Winter Squash

And that’s just to name a few!

While many local farmer’s markets might be drawing to a close for the season, there are still a variety of opportunities to get your hands on local produce. Did you know there are a handful of farms and orchards just a short drive from Indianapolis?  I mean, really, what’s more fun than an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, or corn maze on a beautiful fall day?!

Happy harvest!