Some Of My Favorite Healthy Recipes

Hello ladies and gents! Thanks for stopping by my blog! Just want to quickly take this time out to thank all of you who follow "Confessions of a Fit Girl". I really enjoy sharing my love of fitness & nutrition with the online world, and you'll never really know how much it means to me that people are actually interested in what I have to say. I also really enjoy writing (I used to think I was going to be a writer one day) so this whole blogging experience so far has been a great way to get back to writing and hopefully sharpen my skills. So I say all that to say, whether you're reading my blog for the first time today or you've been following me for a while now, THANK YOU!!! :)

Now on to the subject of this post... A list of some of my favorite healthy recipes, courtesy of Hungry Girl, a.k.a - Lisa Lillien. Lisa Lillien, self-anointed "foodoligist", is a New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Hungry Girl brand. She is the founder of www.hungry-girl.com, a free daily email service that entertains and informs hungry people, like me, everywhere! If you've never heard of Hungry Girl, you'll have to go to the website and get hooked up, but in the mean time, check out my favorite Hungry Girl Recipes below. (Hungry Girl always likes to give the Weight Watcher points for all you Weight Watchers out there so I'll do the same. Even though I've never been on WW, I actually like seeing the point value as well, gives me an even better idea of how healthy the particular food is. WW's point value system is from 1-10, the lower the number the better.)


All of the following have been tried and proven by me (and of course the whole Hungry Girl crew) to be delicious so enjoy! :) 

Cinnamonlicious French Toast

French toast is one of those breakfasts you dream about.  It's decadent, delicious, warm, doughy, and just plain AWESOME!  It's also something you think you need to avoid if you're counting calories.  Wrong!  Hungry Girl has created a super-delicious and extremely guilt-free french toast. 

Ingredients:

3 slices Wonder Light White Bread
1/3 cup Egg Beaters, Original
1/2 oz. Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup OR 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (divided)
1 packet SPLENDA

Directions:

Combine Egg Beaters with vanilla syrup (or extract) and half of the cinnamon. Use the egg mixture as an egg wash, and dip your bread into it. Cook in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
When both sides are brown, plate those suckers and sprinkle ‘em with Splenda and the remaining cinnamon. Feel free to serve it up with sugar-free maple syrup, sugar-free jelly, some fresh berries, and/or some Fat Free Cool Whip/Reddi-wip. (Of course your nutritionals will vary accordingly, but with such low calorie and fat counts, you can afford to splurge a little.)

 

Serving Size: Entire recipe

Calories: 170

Fat: 1g

Sodium: 545mg

Carbs: 31g

Fiber: 8g

Sugars: 2.5g

Protein: 14g

3 Points


Yummilicious Veggie Burger Wrap
I literally make this meal all the time! Great for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

1 medium low-fat flour tortilla (about 110 calories with at least 6g fiber)

1 veggie burger patty (veggie-based rather than the imitation-meat kind)

1 wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese

3 tablespoons chopped onions

1 tablespoon chopped onions

Optional condiments: ketchup, mustard, fat-free mayonnaise, salsa

Directions:

Microwave tortilla until slightly warm. Lay the tortilla out and spread the cheese wedge evenly on top of it.
In a pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook the veggie patty over medium heat. (Refer to the package for exact cooking time.) Once patty is half-cooked, remove it from the pan and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place the onions and patty pieces in the pan and continue cooking for 1 minute. Then add mushrooms, stir, and cook for 2 additional minutes or until veggies are fully cooked. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Evenly spoon mixture into the center of the cheese-covered tortilla. If desired, top with guilt-free condiments.
Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll it up. Place on a microwave-safe plate, seam-side down, and heat for 30 seconds.

Serving Size: 1 Wrap
Calories: 253
Fat: 6.5g
Sodium: 941mg
Carbs: 35g
Fiber: 13g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 18g
5 Points


Lord of the Onion Rings

Who says you can't have onion rings while watching your diet? I love onion rings and this recipe is GREAT! Who would have ever thought of using Fiber One with onions?!? Well, Hungry Girl did and this lady has amazing taste buds because the combination works! You've gotta' check this one out! 

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1/2 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. onion powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice the ends off the onion and remove its outer layer. Cut onion into 1/2-inch-wide slices, and separate into rings. Set aside.
Using a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Season the crumbs with spices and transfer to a plate.
Fill a small bowl with egg substitute. Prepare a baking sheet (or two, if you have a lot of rings) by spraying with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Pop-Up Tip! For this next step, try using tongs or a fork to dip the rings into the egg substitute and cereal crumbs -- it'll keep your fingers from getting eggy & crumb-covered. (Don't pierce the rings with the fork; just balance them on it.)

One at a time, dunk each ring in egg substitute, give it a shake to remove any excess, and then coat it in the seasoned crumbs. Evenly place rings on the baking sheet(s).
Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, carefully flipping rings over about halfway through. Enjoy! 

Serving Size: Entire recipe
Calories: 155
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 515mg
Carbs: 41g
Fiber: 16g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 9g
2 Points


Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla

Another one of my favorite lunches/dinners. I can actually have Mexican food and still be in control of my diet! This simple recipe lets you make low cal quesadillas that could be easily mistaken for the fat-filled real thing. Try it out!

Ingredients:
1 La Tortilla Factory Low Carb, Low Fat Whole Wheat Tortilla
(small size)
1/4 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese (or fat-free mozzarella, fat-free american, fat-free jack
2 oz. chicken breast, grilled and sliced
1 Tbsp. green onion, diced
1 Tbsp. salsa
1 tsp. light sour cream

Directions:
In a pan lightly spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, set down your tortilla. Spread the cheese, chicken and green onion evenly on top. Let set (cheese will just be beginning to melt), then fold over. Cook on medium heat for a minute or so, flipping quesadilla halfway in between. Slide your quesadilla onto a plate and serve with the salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
Calories: 155
Fat: 4g
Sodium: 680mg
Carbs: 15.5g
Fiber: 8.5g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 22.5g


Wayne's Pumpkin Smash

With the Fall season here, I am sure to make this one: crustless, sugarless pumpkin pie! It's my substitute for the real thing. The crazy thing is, it really does taste just as good! This one actually wasn't created by Hungry Girl herself but by Wayne, an HG subscriber. 

Ingredients:One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
One 12-oz. can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Place mixture in a baking dish (8" X 8" works well) sprayed lightly with nonstick spray, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. (It will remain a little soft, like pie filling.)
Once ready to serve (it's delicious eaten hot or cold), cut into 9 pieces.
Serve and enjoy!

Makes 9 servings
Calories: 65
Fat: <0.5g
Sodium: 81mg
Carbs: 12g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 5g
1 point!


So that's it for now my friends, 5 awesome recipes for you to try. I'll be back with more but in the meantime be sure to check Hungry Girl out! What I love about her recipes are they are all quick and simple and you don't have to buy foods that you ordinarily wouldn't buy. While the recipes do call for certain brands at times, you know you can always substitute with a brand of your choice with the same nutrition values - if you are off a little just realize that will change the calories, fat, fiber... etc. and overall Weight Watchers point value, of course. These recipes prove that eating healthy and still enjoying the taste really is possible! It's all about experimenting and finding out what works!

All of these recipes came from Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World.