Add some healthy color to your diet with this Vegan Carrot Ginger Apple Soup :)

On days when I feel like I need to “clean up” my diet, I like to eat only whole, fresh foods.  Here is a creative way to add fruit and veggies together and at 123 calories per serving, you can even have a second helping guilt-free!  I made this in my Vitamix, but I have used a hand immersion blender before.  The blend of these flavors is so amazing and fresh.

Carrot Ginger Apple Soup

adapted from Vitamix recipe book

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh organic carrots, chopped into 2 inch rounds

1 TBS coconut oil

1 inch fresh grated ginger

1 organic apple, cored and sliced (peel on)

2 cups of organic vegetable broth

Directions:

1.  Place carrots, sliced ginger and coconut oil and sautee’ until soft.

2.  Add 2 cups of vegetable broth into sauce pan and let simmer until carrots are tender.

3.  Place cooked carrots and broth into Vitamix with sliced apples, secure lid. Select Variable 1 , then quickly turn to 10. Blend for 30-45 seconds slowly adding remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth to desired creaminess.  For those using a blender or hand immersion blender, follow steps 1 and 2, then add in the blender and blend, or place in a large bowl and use the hand immersion blender.

And look how pretty this is….

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 bowl (4 servings in total) 3 Weight Watchers Plus Points

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 41

Total Fat 4.5g

Saturated Fat 3.2g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 461mg

Total Carbohydrates 18.5g

Dietary Fiber 4.4g

Sugars 10.5g

Protein 3.7g

* Nutritional information calculated from http://www.caloriecount.com, not guaranteed 100% accurate

For people that want to add protein to their diets (especially at breakfast)…Crustless Veggie Quiche

This is one of my favorite go-to breakfasts.  It is so easy and I love the fact that you can make it on a Sunday and have breakfast ready for the week.  I made this with organic spinach, organic grape tomatoes and mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand.  Protein packed breakfasts help keep you full longer, and you are also getting 2 servings of veggies! BONUS!

Spinach, Tomato and Mushroom Crustless Quiche

adapted from http://www.allrecipes.om

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs, beaten

6 egg whites, beaten

1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

1 cup fresh organic spinach

1 cup fresh organic grape tomatoes (sliced in half)

1 container fresh mushrooms, chopped small (I used shiitake)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 TB canola oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon sweet basil

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 9 inch pie pan or 12 count muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray ( I like to use cupcake liners).
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes and continue cooking until veggies have wilted.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, thyme, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan or muffin tins.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.* I do not like wet eggs and so I prefer to cook and an extra 5 minutes or so until light brown around edges and top.

And here is a picture of the mini quiche made from the muffin tin….delicious!

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1 mini quiche or 1/12 of large quiche

Calories:  58

Calories from Fat:  32

Total Fat:  3.6g

Saturated Fat:  1.4g

Cholesterol:  38mg

Sodium:  151mg

Total Carbohydrates:  1.5g

Sugars:  0.9g

Protein:  5.9g

* Nutritional information provided by http://www.caloriecount.com, not guaranteed 100% accurate.

Turn the Superbowl into a fiesta with these empanadas!

Ok, I am starting off by warning you, these are ADDICTIVE!! I love these so much and they are perfect as a main dish with a side salad, or as an appetizer (think Superbowl everyone!!)  Now before I get criticized, these are NOT one of the lowest calorie recipes I have made, but they are loaded with protein and fiber! I don’t make these often, but with the Superbowl coming up, I thought this would be the perfect game time appetizer.  I also love have versatile empanadas are, you make them with whatever you like.  This is how we like them here in the Kelly house…

First off, I use these…GOYA empanada discs.  You can make your own lower calorie dough or use pastry puff, but I like these for the convenience and ease…

They are so easy to use and are the perfect size to stuff your empanadas.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of Goya empanada discs (10 in each bag so 20)
• 1 lb of lean ground beef, turkey or chicken (I use turkey)
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 10 oz package of organic frozen corn
• 6 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/3 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 reduced fat mexican blend finely shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place olive oil in skillet with onion.  Sautee’ 1-2 minutes over medium heat until translucent.
• Add ground turkey and sautee’ until no longer pink.  Add 1/2 cup water, cumin, coriander, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Stir until well mixed and put it to low heat.
• Add frozen corn, beans and tomatoes.  Make sure it is completely mixed and let sit for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
• Take out your Goya Discs and two baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Next, lay the discs flat and spread 2 spoonfuls of the meat mixture on the bottom half of the disc (as shown in picture below) sprinkle some cheese on top.

• Fold over and pinch the ends closed with your fingers. Make sure the ends are completely closed.  You can also take a fork and make slit marks along the edges
• Continue to make all of the empanadas.  Place in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.  I always have leftover meat so I usually make a taco salad the next day with fresh cilantro or make them into wraps (kids love those!) You will be guaranteed to score points with your family with these! ENJOY : O )

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 empanada

Amount Per Serving

Calories 259

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.8g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 39mg 13%

Sodium 220mg 17%

Total Carbohydrates 29.4g

Dietary Fiber 13.1g 105%

Sugars 4.7g

Protein 21.9g

* Nutrition information provided by http://www.caloriecount.com.  May not be 100% accurate

Hold on to your seat…Blueberry Zucchini Bread…yes it’s as amazing as it sounds!

Now if this isn’t proof that healthy food CAN taste delicious, then I don’t know what is!

The blend of flavors in this bread is to die for! I practically puree the zucchini because every time I shred the zucchini in breads, my kids don’t like it.  So the option is yours, I personally like it better shredded. I use mini loaf pans but you can you a 9 x 11 loaf pan or muffin tins.  Hold your applause….this will not only make a great compliment to your morning cup of joe, but your kids will love it for dessert! And at 169 calories per slice, go ahead, enjoy it!!

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Makes 12 servings

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (I use organic, fine)
• 1/2 cup white sugar (I use organic, fine)
• 2 cups shredded zucchini ( I pureed it in my Vita-Mix)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oat flour (you can just grind down your own oats if you don’t have oat flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pint fresh organic blueberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray 4 mini-loaf pans with non-stick baking spray.
• In a large bowl, beat together the applesauce, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.
• Bake 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 100 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 169 Calories from Fat 48

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5.3g 8%

Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 225mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 28.3g 9%

Dietary Fiber 2.5g 10%

Sugars 12.5g

Protein 2.6g

*Nutritional information calculated from http://www.caloriecount.com, may not be 100% accurate

** I updated the cooking time to 60 minutes due to the denseness of the bread (from the applesauce).  Make sure you do the toothpick test to make sure it’s cooked through!

I am so excited to have our first guest recipe blogger!

Every Friday I will have a guest blogger sharing one of their favorite recipes with us.  Today, Heather from Eat Well. Be Well. Live Well is sharing her recipe for Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Tilapia.  Not only is this low in fat, high in fiber and high in protein, but it’s also loaded with Vitamin A and Vitamin C! THANK YOU HEATHER 🙂

Hi! I’m Heather Miskerik, the face behind “Eat Well. Live Well. Be Well”.  I’m not a certified nutritionist, nor do I carry high level (or any) credentials to provide true credibility to the information that I share with my followers. I am simply someone who has taken great strides to become healthier and better educated in terms of better nutrition, going “green”, and overall well-being.  I love to share what I learn along the way to hopefully better educate and motivate others.  I give credit and kudos to my nutritionist, the book “Skinny Bitch” and the “Food, Inc.” documentary for helping me open my eyes up WIDE and pushed me to change my lifestyle.

This recipe I’m sharing with you is a delicious dish one of my very dear friends made for me one night. It was love at first bite and I find myself craving it often!!  This recipe can be modified to your liking. I don’t actually follow a recipe I just feel my way through it.

Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Tilapia

1 lb Tilapia

1-2 T Minced Garlic

1 ½ c chopped Sun Dried Tomato

1 bag of Fresh Organic Spinach

Lemon Pepper for seasoning

 I TBS Olive Oil

Water

1)     In a small pan, sauté garlic with olive oil and set aside.

2)     Season Tilapia on both sides with Lemon Pepper seasoning and set aside

3)     In a large skillet add sun dried tomatoes and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and cover with lid. Cook until sun dried tomatoes soften. Add Tilapia and sautéed garlic that you sat aside. You may need to continue to add water so there is at least a half inch in the pan as it will evaporate during cooking. Once you flip the tilapia add the bag of spinach to the pan and cover. Again you may need to add a little bit of water again. Cook until Spinach steams and is cooked through. You may need a slotted spoon to removed Tilapia and Spinach mix – depending on how much water remains in the pain. Don’t worry if the Tilapia breaks apart! Chop it up into small pieces and mix the entire dish together!  ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 209 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 168 Calories from Fat 19

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.1g 3%

Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 55mg 18%

Sodium 539mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 14.7g 5%

Dietary Fiber 4.2g 17%

Sugars 7.9g

Protein 26.1g

Vitamin A 137% • Vitamin C 48% Calcium 12% • Iron 28%

Nutritional information from http://www.caloriecount.com and may not be 100% accurate.

Please stop by Facebook an “like” Heather at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eat-Well-Live-Well-Be-Well/205460952822194?sk=wall

If you are sharing my contest on your blog or Facebook page….

please tag me or send me a link so I know that you have done so.  Otherwise there will be no way of me knowing that you have entered the contest.  If it is on Facebook, you can tag me by putting the @ symbol in front of my name… i.e. @Lauren Kelly, Certified Nutritionist and it should tag me!

 

Thanks everyone!!

I have some exciting news to share!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be having a giveaway contest starting today, January 25 and ending February 1.  The winner (picked randomly) will receive a box of goodies from Nature’s Path (one of my FAVORITE organic breakfast food companies!)   You will find Nature’s Path organic cereals in all supermarkets across the country (and in my house! I adore their pumpkin granola!) I love Nature’s Path hot and cold cereals and granola bars not only because they are organic, but they use whole, natural ingredients and are low in sugar.  Their mission: To be a trusted name for quality organic foods in every home; socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and financially viable.  Um, what could be better than that?

Three Ways to Enter my Giveaway:

1. Like me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LaurenKellyCertifiedNutritionist and post on my wall.
2. Subscribe to my blog and leave a comment here.
3. Post about this contest on your blog or Facebook page to share with others.

The winner will be chosen randomly via random.org on February 1.  The contest will end January 31, 12:00 am.  Thanks so much for participating everyone!!  Thank you Nature’s Path for sharing your goodies with my fans 🙂

http://www.naturespath.com

Worried you aren’t getting enough fiber?

We should all aim for 25-30 grams a day. Most people don’t even get HALF that amount daily. Fiber helps keep you full and aids in weight control. It helps control blood sugar and reduce cholesterol levels. Fiber also shows to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and promotes regularity. Whole what bread, multigrain wraps, whole grain pasta,vegetables, oatmeal, flax seed, legumes and beans are a few ways to get healthy fiber in your diet. Read your labels and check to see how much dietary fiber is in your food.

The picture isn’t great but here is a delicious smoothie that has over 30% your daily recommended allowance for fiber! It’s super easy to make and really delicious.  The greek yogurt also adds protein too which helps keep you full.  It’s a perfect breakfast (even if it’s freezing outside!!)

RECIPE:

1 cup Nonfat Greek Strained Yogurt (I use Fage 0% plain, but you can also use vanilla)
1/2 cup frozen berries (I used raspberries as you can tell by the pretty pink color)
1/2 cup skim milk (Almond, soy or whatever milk you choose)
1/2 banana
2 TBSP Flaxseed, ground

Place all of the ingredients in blender and VOILA….You have a yummy, healthy, fiber filled smoothie!!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 516 g (1 smoothie)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 350  Calories from Fat 58
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6.5g  10%
Saturated Fat 0.6g  3%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 2mg  1%
Sodium 141mg  6%
Total Carbohydrates 41.4g  14%
Dietary Fiber 7.9g  32%
Sugars 27.9g
Protein 30.8g
Vitamin A 7% • Vitamin C 34%
Calcium 45% • Iron 7%
(*Nutrition Facts from http://www.caloriecount.com)

Does being snowed in make you crave a cocktail?

You are NOT alone (trust me! 🙂 )

Enjoy your libations, but be smart about preventing a hangover.  Make sure you eat a combination of whole grain carbohydrates and fats (cheese and whole grain crackers, turkey burger on a whole grain bun, nuts and raisins). You are less likely to get too tipsy on a full stomach.   Also, make sure your HYDRATE! Drink at least one glass of water for every cocktail you have.  You will thank me tomorrow 🙂

Pumpkin pancakes are delicious any time of year :)

   Yes it is snowing here in New Jersey, but we love pumpkin pancakes ANY time of the year!  These were my kids’ request but they are definitely a Kelly Family favorite.  The best part is that they have no idea all the healthy stuff that’s in them 🙂 And with the added sweetness of the pumpkin, they really don’t even need syrup (but if you do want syrup, please use 100% maple 🙂 )

• 1 eggs, 1 egg white lightly beaten
• 2 cups low fat buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 can pumpkin (must be 100% pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 3/4 finely ground flax seed
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (optional, you can use any protein you want or leave it out)
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla ( I like this to make the protein flavor)

1. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin and buttermilk. Stir in baking soda, flax seed, protein, salt, flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla; mix until blended.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides, turning once. Makes 10 pancakes.

ENJOY!!! 

Lauren 🙂

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 112 g, 1 pancake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 158 Calories from Fat 40

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.4g 7%

Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 25mg 8%

Sodium 432mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 22.5g 8%

Dietary Fiber 4.4g 18%

Sugars 3.3g

Protein 8.2g

Vitamin A 77% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 10% • Iron 8%