by admin | Sep 23, 2015 | Grown Up, Recipes
We love any food that combines fresh tomatoes and cheese – pizza, grilled cheese with tomato, pasta – these are just a few of our favorites! To get a little more creative, we made a Greek tomato dip with feta for calcium, extra-virgin olive oil for good fats, and added some green bell peppers for more vitamin A. The salty feta cheese and the sweet, fresh tomatoes (a September Foods of the Month) are a winning combination in our books. Serve this dip with whole grain pita chips or whole grain baguette slices (whole grains are the other September Foods of the Month!).
Greek Tomato Dip
Ingredients
1 cup vine ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup plain, reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Combine the tomato, feta cheese and green bell peppers in a bowl.
- Pour on the extra-virgin olive oil then mix thoroughly.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again.
- Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.
- Serve and enjoy!
by Maria | Sep 18, 2015 | Grown Up, Recipes
Whole grains, an OrganWise Guys Foods of the Month, are a great food to incorporate when wanting to make small tweaks in your diet towards a healthier lifestyle. It’s not such a drastic change, but switching to whole grains will provide you with that all-important fiber, which is essential for healthy digestion.
Here are some interesting facts about whole grains:
- Whole grains are unprocessed grains such as wheat, corn , rice, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, and rye.
- The word “whole” in front of a particular grain means that the grain is in its “whole” form and thus has not been refined, which is the process that removes the bran and germ from the grain.
- Refining a grain makes it less healthy because it removes dietary fiber, iron, and many vitamins.
- Eating whole grains has been shown to reduce risks associated with obesity, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
- When reading a food label, be sure to read the ingredient list on the package to make sure the word “whole” is listed with the first ingredient (example: whole grain flour).
Try some of our favorite ways to eat more whole grains:
What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate whole grains into your diet?
by admin | Sep 16, 2015 | Grown Up, Recipes
Do you have a tomato garden? If you do, you are probably wondering what to do with all of your fresh, vine ripe tomatoes (a September Foods of the Month). We suggest making homemade tomato salsa! You can use garden tomatoes, or easily purchase some from your grocery store. Serve this homemade tomato salsa recipe with whole grain tortilla chips and healthy guacamole. This will provide your body with a winning combination of lots of antioxidants from the salsa, fiber from the chips and good fats from the guacamole.
Homemade Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp. cilantro
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. jalapeno, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Blend all ingredients using a food processor, until desired consistency.
- Serve or store in the refrigerator for up to two days.
by admin | Sep 4, 2015 | Grown Up
This long Labor Day weekend has an added bonus in that football is also starting! Whether you are an avid football fan or not, you can still enjoy the opportunities to gather with friends and family to bond over the games or better yet, the food. We’ve compiled some of our favorite healthy recipes for football gatherings whether you are doing appetizers or bigger entrees. You can start making menu plans now to be ready for the weekend fun!
Try out some of our favorite healthy recipes for football gatherings:
- Healthy (But Tasty) Appetizers – Start out with some figure-friendly appetizers including healthy hummus, a lighter spinach dip, or some simple corn salsa.
- “Fit”-tastic Finger Foods – Here are some more ideas for starters with some great dip ideas including fresh fruit and cinnamon yogurt dip, tropical fruit kabobs with yogurt dip, a butternut squash dip and an easy recipe for baked pita chips to use for your healthy dips.
- Game Day Go-To Meals – If you are looking for a more substantial meal, try these healthy options including whole gain English muffin pizzas, corn and black bean quesadillas, southwestern pepper cups, or whole grain calzones.
Who else is excited for some football? Which team is your favorite?
by admin | Sep 2, 2015 | Grown Up, Recipes
Although it’s hard to choose, September is probably one of our favorite Foods of the Month food combinations – tomatoes and whole grains! There are so many different dishes that can be made with these two foods. One of the first things that comes to mind is pizza. We got a little more creative with our pizza-making this month and made a variation of margherita pizza. Instead of cooking the pizza flat, we rolled up the dough and made these tasty pizza “sticks!” Best of all, they are healthy, too. Try these for a fun Friday night dinner this week.
Margherita Pizza Sticks
Ingredients
1 lb. whole wheat pizza dough (you can buy this prepared in the deli section of the supermarket)
1 14 oz. can diced San Marzano tomatoes, drained (in the canned tomato aisle)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
5 basil leaves, cut into strips
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle shape using a nonstick baking sheet.
- Spread the San Marzano tomatoes onto the pizza dough. Next, add the sliced mozzarella, then add the sliced tomatoes. Finally, add the basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
- Next, using the long end of the pizza dough, carefully roll your pizza up, so it creates a log shape. Be careful not to let the dough tear.
- Transfer your pizza roll on the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the dough is crisp.
- Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes until cooled. Cut the roll shape into slices and serve your pizza sticks sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
