Bean Burrito

Super basic...not the most healthy recipe on this blog but I've found a way to not feel too guilty about it. Bean burritos are sort of a staple for me while I'm pregnant so I HAD to find a healthy-ish way to make them happen!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 C. Black beans (canned or homemade)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/8 c. cheddar cheese
Salsa
1T light sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Place beans and cheese inside tortilla.
Microwave until cheese has melted.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Zucchini Pizza

I'm sure everyone's seen these type of recipes floating around on Pinterest. I actually got this one from my sister-in-law. It's so easy and a great snack or lunch!

INGREDIENTS:
1 large zucchini
1/4 C pasta sauce (try to choose one with low calories and the least amount of ingredients)
1 cheese stick (grated)
6 slices turkey pepperoni
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Slice zucchini lengthwise so you have long thin strips (like dill pickle stackers)
Place strips on cookie sheet and spread with pasta sauce. Add cheese and pepperoni.
Cook about 15 mins. or until heated through

Note: If you're a zucchini lover, you can use thicker slices of zucchini (like maybe even half a zucchini?). But for those of us who haven't quite converted to vegetarianism yet, the slices are enough!

Taco Lettuce Wrap

I got the idea for this recipe here. My version follows it pretty closely, although I do use ground beef instead of turkey. I'm not terrified of red meat and eat it at least once a week. I thought this was a great recipe to go ahead and use it, since you're saving calories on the tortillas anyway.

So, here it is:

INGREDIENTS:
6oz ground beef
Taco seasoning to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 C cheddar cheese
2 romaine lettuce leaves
Chopped tomato
1T Macayo's Taco Sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Make beef into patties, season and pan fry or grill.
Place inside lettuce leaf (like a taco shell).
Top with cheese, tomatoes and taco sauce

Salads!

I never realized how GOOD salads are until I started trying to lose weight. They're REALLY good and there are SO many possibilities!  If you're not a salad person, try just making a side salad with most of your meals.  It will make them more filling, and possibly make you try different kinds until you find one you really like, and hopefully turn you into a salad person.

I have to brag here...while I'm not that great of a cook, I've never made a salad that didn't get compliments. SO, here are some salad options, along with a few secrets that I think make a salad top notch:

Tuna-red leaf lettuce, thick tomato slices (or cherry tomatoes),celery, boiled egg, red onion, cheese and tuna. Pickle on the side.

Southwest-chopped grilled chicken, tomato (or pico de gallo), grilled or fresh bell pepper and onion, corn, black beans, avocado, salsa, cheese and light Hidden Valley ranch.

House-Chopped lean lunch meat, tomato, cheese, cucumber, carrots, celery, peas, cheese and light Hidden Valley Ranch.

Olive Garden- green leaf lettuce, thick tomato chunks, olives, red onion slices and mozzarella cheese and light italian dressing mixed with light Hidden Valley Ranch.

I know there are ENDLESS options for salads but those are the ones I've tried and stick to. I've really been wanting to master a fruity or Asian type salad but haven't found one that's stuck. Probably mostly because I can't give up my ranch! Does anyone have any good salads to share?

Now for my "What Makes a Good Salad Great" spiel:

First, I always use crisp lettuce. I may be wasteful, but I will throw my lettuce out once it starts to wilt or brown. Lettuce is not the food to try to stretch the expiration date...eeew! Use that for motivation to eat more salads before the lettuce goes bad!

Second, I always chop my lettuce. Whenever I see a "chopped salad" on a menu, it always speaks to me. Something about it just seems crisper, fresher and more...I don't know...crunchy?

Third, use real lettuce! Iceberg is an imposter and steals away all the nutrients you could be getting with real lettuce! If I can only afford one lettuce, or am making a small salad, I almost always use red leaf lettuce. I like the flavor and you get some color and nutrition without the rougher texture of some other lettuces. Ideally, when I make a big salad, I use a mix of red leaf, green leaf and romaine. If you're new to lettuce options, these three are usually right next to each other in the grocery store and tend to cost about the same.

Fourth, evenly distribute your ingredients. Most people tend to be more in favor of ingredients like tomatoes, avocado, olives and cheese; and those are ingredients I usually let overpower the salad a little more. It seems like beets, celery and radishes rarely make the "favorites list" but I still feel like they're a key to a healthy salad so I still use them, just more sparingly. Although I really like veggies like bell pepper and red onion, they carry a lot of flavor on their own so I try to be sparing with those as well. Usually, I try to have the "un-favorite" veggies be about 1/2 the size of the "favorites". Does that make sense?  Have you ever eaten a salad and afterward, your plate is left with a bunch of one or two ingredients, even though you tried to choke down as much as possible?  That was probably an unevenly porportioned salad.

And last, but certainly not least, season your salad! I've gotten to the point where I can not eat a salad without at least peppering it first! Usually I will use garlic salt, Mrs. Dash and pepper before tossing a salad. And, if I really want to make it good and have the time, I'll individually season some of the more wet ingredients like tomatoes and avocado.

Sandwiches!

I LOVE sandwiches! (I think I've said I LOVE every food I've made a recipe for so far! It's true, I have a problem, but I'm trying to control it with a love for healthy food!)

If you're not a sandwich person (as I've heard some people are, WHAT??), try putting any of these ingredients into a pita pocket (see post here) or a wrap (post here)

If you are, let me share some of my favorites!

Turkey on whole wheat bread with light mayo or mashed avocado, red onion, bell pepper, tomato, lettuce and spinach. I usually eat it with a pickle, cheese stick and apple or grapes on the side.

Tuna or canned chicken with light mayo, red onion, tomato, lettuce and grated cheese. I really love to spice my tuna well and usually use pepper, garlic salt or Mrs. Dash and a little Stevia. I eat this with a pickle spear and fruit on the side as well.

BLT with light mayo or avocado, turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato. I always toast my bread first with a BLT. Is that universal? Usually, I'll have a salad on the side with my BLT and Crystal Lite. It reminds me of my Grandma Slade, who would eat a BLT and Iced Tea every day for lunch.

Pita Sandwich

One of my favorite lunches! For whatever reason, sometimes it just tastes a lot better than a sandwich!

Ingredients:
1 Pita pocket
3-4 slices lean lunchmeat
2-3 tomato slices
1 lettuce leaf or spinach
1T light Hidden Valley ranch
1 Cheese stick (grated)
1 Dill Pickle spear
1 small apple

DIRECTIONS:
Gently open pita pocket and layer all ingredients inside.
Serve with pickle spear and apple on the side.

Personal Pizza

This is a great option when you get a craving for pizza! Again, add whatever veggies you like. Here's what I usually do:



INGREDIENTS:
1 Sandwich round or Pita Pocket
1/4 C. homemade or healthy pasta sauce (look for something with low calories and a small amount of ingredients)ss
1 Cheese stick (grated)
6 turkey pepperoni slices
Squash and/or zucchini slices
Bell pepper slices (any color)
Red onion slices

DIRECTIONS:
Toast sandwich round or pita pocket.
Spread each side with pasta sauce.
Add cheese, followed by veggies and pepperoni.
Microwave until cheese is melted (usually about a minute)