Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes

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Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes. All of these recipes and menus are great choices for healthy weight control and weight loss over the long term. Best of all, you won't have to sacrifice flavor for lowered calories! See our complete nutrition guidelines.

Asian Chicken Salad

Crunchy vegetables and tender chicken breasts tossed in a tangy vinaigrette make a refreshing main-dish salad. If you poach the chicken yourself, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid to make the dressing. Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes.

Makes: 6 servings, 2 cups each
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
Dressing

• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, (see Ingredient notes)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tahini paste
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or reserved chicken-poaching liquid

Salad

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 8 cups shredded napa cabbage, (1 small head; see Ingredient notes)
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrots, (2-3 medium)
• 5 radishes, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 3 1/2 cups shredded skinless cooked chicken, (about 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast) (see Tip)

Directions

1. To prepare dressing: Combine soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chile-garlic sauce in a glass measuring cup; stir to blend. Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan; bring to a simmer. Whisk in tahini and broth (or poaching liquid); cook until reduced slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.
2. To prepare salad: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small plate to cool.
3. Combine cabbage, carrots, radishes, scallions and chicken in a large shallow bowl. Stir dressing to recombine and drizzle over the salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: 

Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 2 days.

Ingredient Notes: 

Chile-garlic sauce is a spicy blend of chiles, garlic and other seasonings; it is found in the Asian section of the market.

Napa cabbage has an elongated head and is pale green in color with tender, tapered white ribs. Its tightly packed, crinkled leaves have a crisp texture. Discard the cone-shaped core. One small head yields about 8 cups shredded.

Tip: 

To poach chicken: Combine two 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth, 2 chopped scallions, 2 slivers fresh ginger and 2 cloves garlic in a large skillet; bring to a simmer. Add 11/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast and cook over medium heat until no longer pink inside, 10 to 15 minutes. The flavorful poaching liquid will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Per serving: 289 calories; 14 g fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 28 g protein; 3 g fiber; 518 mg sodium; 355 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

Chicken, Charred Tomato & Broccoli Salad

This simple but substantial main-course salad gets its goodness from smoky skillet-blackened tomatoes and a dressing prepared right in the pan—maximizing all the flavor from the tomatoes. Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes.

Makes: 6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (skip Step 1)
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 pounds medium tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. Place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred with two forks into bite-size pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add broccoli and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
3. Meanwhile, core tomatoes and cut in half crosswise. Gently squeeze out seeds and discard. Set the tomatoes cut-side down on paper towels to drain for about 5 minutes.
4. Place a large heavy skillet, such as cast-iron, over high heat until very hot. Brush the cut sides of the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon oil and place cut-side down in the pan. Cook until charred and beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops lightly with another 1 teaspoon oil, turn and cook until the skin is charred, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate to cool. Do not clean the pan.
5. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Stir in salt, pepper and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Slowly pour in lemon juice (it may splatter), then remove the pan from the heat. Stir to scrape up any browned bits.
6. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and combine them in a large bowl with the shredded chicken, broccoli and the pan dressing; toss to coat.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add more lemon and salt, if needed, just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 231 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 3 g fiber; 460 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (110% daily value), Vitamin A (50% dv), Selenium (30% dv), Potassium (18% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 3 very lean meat, 2 fat

Chopped Salad al Tonno

Why have the same mayonnaise-laden tuna when you can make a light, fresh salad that won't hold you back while you chase the kids around the yard? Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes.

Makes: 4 servings, generous 2 cups each

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 cups chopped hearts of romaine
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 2 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna, drained (see Note)

Directions

Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add romaine, tomatoes and olives; toss to coat. Add tuna and toss again.

Tips & Notes

Note: Chunk light tuna, which comes from the smaller skipjack or yellowfin, has less mercury than canned white albacore tuna. The FDA/EPA advises that women who are or might become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children consume no more than 6 ounces of albacore a week; up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna is considered safe.

Nutrition

Per serving: 258 calories; 13 g fat (2 g sat, 9 g mono); 53 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 3 g fiber; 428 mg sodium; 406 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (32% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 very lean meat, 2 1/2 fat

Cream Cheese-&-Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The hard part of making this elegant dish is choosing the filling. Making a pocket in the chicken breast to hold the stuffing is easy, particularly if you use a good, sharp, thin-bladed knife. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color. Finishing it in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout. Health Tips for Today - Healthy Diet Recipes.

Makes: 4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Cream Cheese & Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• Filling of your choice, (see below)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cream Cheese Pesto Filling

• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchatel)
• 1 tablespoon basil pesto, (store-bought or homemade)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Goat Cheese Olive Filling

• 2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped black olives
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Ham & Cheese Filling

• 1/4 cup grated Swiss, Monterey Jack or part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped ham
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine cream cheese, pesto and pepper in a small bowl with a fork.
3. Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up each breast and place one-fourth of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
4. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in the egg white, then dredge in the breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Cream cheese-pesto stuffed chicken per serving: 233 calories; 9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 81 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 379 mg sodium; 351 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate Serving, Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

Nutrition Note: Goat cheese-olive stuffed chicken per serving: 235 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium. Ham-&-cheese stuffed chicken per serving: 236 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono.

Please read our previous post Health Tips for Today - Health Promotion Definition

Also some of our related post Health Tips for Today

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