Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

Recipe

Healthier Holiday Dips!

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup smooth peanut butter (or crunchy!)
½ cup sugar (or use Splenda or Stevia to lower sugar count)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Blend! Serve with sliced apples and celery!

Greek Yogurt Vegetable Dip

• 18-ounce container 2% Greek yogurt- Plain flavor
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

What To Do
1. Mix and store in fridge. Serve with chopped veggies.
2. Sprinkle some green onions on top to add some pop!

Holiday Cheese ball
Ingredients:
8 oz light cream cheese
8 oz reduced fat Kaukauna cheese spread
2 Tablespoon green pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons red pepper, diced
2 Tablespoon onion, diced
1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ -1 cup Grapenut nuggets

Directions:
-Mix all ingredients (except Grapenuts) and form into a ball. Roll cheese ball in Grapenuts. Chill before serving. Serve with whole grain crackers. (I like Kashi).

Nutrition: (1 tablespoon): 32 calories, 2 gm fat, 2 gm carbs, 1 gm fiber, 2
gm protein, 87 mg sodium. Recipe yields 32 tablespoons.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cucumber, Mango & Banana Smoothie

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Ingredients
1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 cup Frozen Banana
1/2 cup Frozen Mango
1/4 Cucumber (medium, chopped)
1 cup Baby Spinach
2 tbsp Almond Butter
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder

Directions
1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and
enjoy!

Notes
Leftovers: Best enjoyed immediately or freeze into popsicles 
Additional Toppings
Add chia seeds or hemp seeds.
Protein Powder
This recipe was tested using plant-based vanilla protein powder.

Nutrition
Calories 477
Fat 21g
Sodium 228mg
Carbs 51g 
Fiber 11g
Calcium 743mg
Protein 30g

Spinach Pesto Penne

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Ingredients
3 cups Brown Rice Penne (dry)
1 1/2 cups Baby Spinach
1 Garlic (clove, small, chopped)
1/4 Lemon (juiced)
1 1/2 tbsps Hemp Seeds
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

  1. Cook the penne according to package directions. Set aside.
  2. In a blender, combine the baby spinach, garlic, lemon juice, hemp seeds, and salt. While
    the blender is running, slowly add the oil through the top of the lid until fully emulsified.
  3. Toss the penne with the pesto and enjoy!
    Notes
    Leftovers
    Refrigerate in an airtight container for three days.
    Serving Size
    One serving is approximately two cups.
  4. Optional: Add a baked chicken breast or meatballs and add a small side salad

Memorial Weekend Recipes!

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Try these yummy (and healthy!) recipes this weekend! Have a great long weekend!

~Kelly

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh/frozen or no salt added canned corn, drained.
1 tomato, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ small red onion chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

Combine black beans, corn, tomato, pepper, onion and jalapeno in a bowl. Then in a separate small bowl mix together the lime juice, oil, and cumin and pour over the veggie and bean mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with cilantro.

Makes about 8 servings (Nutrition facts per serving): 125kcals, 2.5g fat, 20g carbohydrate, 7g dietary fiber, 6g protein

Red, White and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip

This recipe is indulgent yet healthy. A little cake and a little fruit served in a unique way; the kids will love it too! It keeps the fat and “added sugar” in check all while festively celebrating Memorial Day! Another plus, is it is easy and fast to make!

Ingredients:

For cheesecake dipping sauce:

4oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup raw sugar
For skewers:

14oz angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
72-84 medium strawberries (about 3.5lbs stems removed)
1 pint of blueberries
24-48 skewers
Directions: Combine the softened cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Use 3 strawberries and 2 cubes of cake on a skewer. Thread on the skewer alternating the strawberries with the cake cubes, finish each skewer with 3 blueberries. Place on platter and refrigerate until ready to serve!

1 skewer with 1 Tbsp dip: 105kcals, 2.5g fat, 18.5g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 7g sugar

Recipe Source: https://www.skinnytaste.com/red-white-and-blue-fruit-skewers-with/

Chicken Kabobs

Cut chicken breast into chunks. Cut up 1 red pepper, green pepper, red onion and a small pineapple (Pineapple cut to use for two recipes, 1) in chunks for kabobs and 2) in slices to grill for chicken sandwiches) String veggies, pineapple and chicken chunks on soaked bamboo skewers. Marinate lightly with a sweet teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Grill for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Pair with some quinoa or wild rice.

Dinner at home.. tips and benefits!

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The age old question…. what’s for dinner?

In the last 14 years as a Registered Dietitian, I have noticed that the one meal a day people struggle with the most is dinner.
Here are some of the common reasons people give me for not eating dinner at home
– no time
– rushing around with work and kids
– don’t want to just cook for 1 or 2 people
– don’t know how to cook
– too many picky eaters at home… and many more.

But the fact is, it is MUCH LESS expensive and MORE healthy to eat at home than anywhere else. If you sit down once a week and plan your dinner meals you are more likely to stick to your menu, decreasing any chance of you ordering last-minute take out food.

Not only is it less expensive to eat at home but it also has some other great benefits as well!
– You consume less sodium, fat, sugar and overall calories when eating at home.
– Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children.
– Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs in preteens and teens ages 11 to 18.
– Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals and a positive atmosphere during those meals are less likely to develop eating disorders.
– Children who eat most often with their parents are 40 percent more likely to say they get mainly As and Bs in school than children who have two or fewer family dinners a week.
– Dinner with family can be a stress reliever. Believe it or not, if you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed.

Tips for dinner meal planning:

  1. Sit down once a week with your calendar to see what nights you will be at home to make dinner and what evenings you need to have something quick and easy to go (grilled chicken wraps with fruit)!
  2. Shop the sale ads on the weekends to plan which protein’s you will have that week with dinner.
  3. Start with your protein first, then figure out your sides (add a whole grain starch and some veggies to each dinner).

Pasta with Zucchini and Roasted Garlic


Ingredients
• 1 pound Rotini, Twists or Spirals, uncooked, whole grain
• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 5-6 cups)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450.  Place your garlic on a 12-inch square piece of foil on the counter.  Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary.  Pour the oil over the garlic and herbs.  Draw up the edges of the foil and make a sealed packet. Bake 20 minutes.
2. While the garlic is baking, cook pasta according to package directions.  Two minutes before pasta is done, add the zucchini to the pasta cooking water. Cook two minutes. Drain zucchini and pasta.
3. Open the foil and mash the garlic lightly with a spoon. Toss with the pasta and zucchini, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sides: Serve with a side salad and whole-wheat dinner roll.

Happy planning!

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN LDN
Registered Dietitian/Wellness Coordinator

Fall Snack Ideas

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Try some of my fall favorites this November! Great for snacks!

* Pumpkin peanut butter dip for apples
Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and add a layer of pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a dash of sea salt, and then roast them at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until toasted.

– Popcorn: Place kernels in paper lunch bag, spray with olive oil cooking spray, fold down top of bag two times and microwave on popcorn setting. Add some fall spices to spruce your popcorn up! (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger or I love garlic powder with some Italian seasonings).

– Honey Crisp apple and slice of cheese

– Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffins with natural almond butter or peanut butter. Try to limit the topping to one tablespoon.

For nutrition/exercise questions or for more tip ideas, email Kelly at
Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RDN, LDN,