Monthly Archives: May 2012

Sensational Swaps: Cooking Edition

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Looking for an easy way to cut back calories and shed some weight?  Try making the following swaps in your kitchen.

Instead of …..                                 Try……                            The savings………              

1 cup cream to thicken soup Evaporated skim milk or pureed vegetables 750 calories
Basting or coating a pan with oil Fruit juice, broth, wine or Misto spray bottle 495 calories
½ cup sour cream Equal amount non-fat Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice 185 calories
1 pound 85% lean ground  meat 99% lean ground turkey, 96% lean ground beef, turkey sausage, tofu or soy crumbles 490 calories
¼ cup mayonnaise Equal amounts of low fat plain yogurt 195 calories
½ cup breadcrumbs Pulse whole grain bread or rolled oats in a food processor 140 calories
White rice Brown rice, Bulgur, Quinoa, Couscous (keep the portion in check at 1/3-1/2 cup) The calories may be the same but you are gaining the fiber filling benefits of whole grains.
1 cup pasta Spaghetti squash, shaved zucchini ribbons, whole-grain pasta 125 calories

Got Almond Milk?

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Almond milk has recently swayed into mainstream popularity and is now one trendy food item. It is no surprise that I have been receiving tons of questions from patients and clients about incorporating almond milk into their diet. So what is almond milk? Apparently, when almonds and water are ground together it forms a milky substance that can fill in for traditional animal milk. So what will you be gaining if you swap almond milk for the “real stuff”. The answer is more like what will you be losing. Almond milk contains no cholesterol, or saturated fat, and and an 8 oz glass of unsweetened almond milk contains only 45 calories! Compare that to the 150 calories in the same 8oz serving of whole milk…the switch is a no brain-er. Almond milk is often fortified with many of the vitamins and minerals that we find in animal milk, so it still serves as an excellent calcium source for vegans or those with lactose intolerance. If you are looking for ways to slowly incorporate almond milk into your diet, try blending it in with frozen fruit as a smoothie, use it to replace cow’s milk in recipes,  or as an alternative to creamer in coffee.  Not a fan at first?  No worries. The shelf life is much longer than regular milk so you can ease your way in.

If you are looking for ways to incorporate new foods or wellness into your diet, visit RDMealPlan.com

 

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I would like to share the following Mexican inspired dish.  It’s spicy, fun and low-carb…..so  feel free to pair it with a guilt-free skinny margarita.

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps

  • 1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil…..or save some fat cals and use your misto
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 16 Boston (or Bibb) lettuce leaves
  • 4 oz tortilla chips, broken up
  • 3 scallions, sliced

Per serving (serves 4-5):  400 Calories; Total Fat; 18 g; Sat Fat 2.5 g; Protein 32 g; Carbs 27 g; Fiber 3 g; Cholesterol 80 mg; Sodium 460 mg.

In a large non-stick pan, saute the chicken in the oil until browned on both sides, about three minutes per side.  The chicken will not be fully cooked, so remove it to a dedicated cutting board.  Add the garlic and chipotle to the pan and saute for 30 seconds, then stir in the orange juice and salt.  Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Cut the chicken across the width into 1/2″ slices and return them to the pan.  Toss to coat with the sauce and cook through, 2-3 minutes.

Stack the lettuce leaves on a plate.  Serve the chicken, scallions, and chips in bowls.  To assemble, spoon a small amount of the chicken, scallions, and chips into a leaf of the lettuce wrap.

Enjoy!