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By Rachel Cassano
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and some of you may want to continue eating clean this week. Below are some healthy recipes Julia Ladewski and Jason Adams use for Thanksgiving – or for any day of the week.
Sweet Potato Strips
4 sweet potatoes/yams
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
Take four sweet potatoes or yams and cut into long strips, about 1/2" wide. Toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Lay on baking sheet and bake at 400° for 12 minutes. Flip and toss potatoes around and bake for another 12-15 minutes depending on how tender you want them. Take pan out of oven and sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp of brown sugar over the potatoes. Return to pan for 3-5 more minutes. Eat and enjoy!
Lean Meatloaf
1 pound 96% Lean Beef
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8oz reduced sodium tomato sauce
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix meat, vegetables, eggs, garlic powder, oatmeal and half of the tomato sauce together in medium sized bowl. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 square baking pan or bread loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top loaf with remaining tomato sauce and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Makes 4 large slices.
Chicken Salad
10oz can of chicken breast meat
2 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise or Smart Balance Mayo for extra fat
1.5 tsp Dijon or regular mustard
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
6 cups dark leafy greens.
Mix all ingredients except lettuce together in small bowl. Serve mixture over lettuce greens or inside a whole wheat pita or low carb tortilla.
Chocolate Cheesecake
250g fat free cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat chocolate milk
4 scoops chocolate protein powder.
5 heaping tbsp natural stir-free peanut butter.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a blender, combine cottage cheese and low fat chocolate and blend until creamy and smooth. Remove from the blender and place into a mixing bowl. Next, add protein powder and mix thoroughly. Finally, add in the peanut butter,
one scoop at a time, blending until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a small 4” ramekin. Fill a deep oven pan half-full with hot water and place the ramekin inside the oven pan so the water comes approximately halfway up the outside of the ramekin. Place the oven pan containing the ramekin into the oven and bake for 40-60 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch.
When finished, pull from the oven and allow to cool for several hours. When cool to the touch, place in the fridge and cool overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
337 calories per serving
41g protein
14g carbs
13g fat
Cream of Pumpkin Soup topped with Pecans
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pecans
1 cup skim milk
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp of the curry powder and the pumpkin puree, then whisk in the broth until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar free maple syrup
and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavor to develop, stirring occasionally.
2. While the soup is simmering, make the curried pecans. In a small bowl, combine the pecan pieces with the remaining maple syrup and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining curry powder, tossing to coat. Place the pecans in small baking dish and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Otherwise, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir back into the pot. Return the soup to the stovetop, turning the heat to low. Whisk the coconut milk and taste to adjust seasonings. Heat until hot, but do not boil. Serve the soup garnished with pecans.
Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (be sure to use canned pumpkin, not canned pie filling)
2 scoops vanilla protein
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 -3/4 cup water depending on how thick or thin you want it.
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
For all of those turkey leftovers: Turkey Fajitas
1 pound turkey breast filet, cut into small strips
1 jar salsa
1 tbsp Mexican blend spices
1 package of low carb tortillas
Garnish options:
Lettuce, chopped
Tomato, chopped
Onions, chopped
2 tbsp pitted black olives, sliced
1/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese or nonfat plain yogurt
In a large saucepan, cover turkey with water and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to medium low.
Cover and cook until turkey turns white, then drain. Add salsa and Mexican spice to the turkey and simmer on medium low for approximately 15-20 minutes. Place desired amount of meat sauce in a heated low carb tortilla.
Top with your choice of garnishes, roll up and chow down.
If you aren’t a chef, here are some easy Thanksgiving Day dinner tips to follow from Matt Kroczaleski:
- Try to focus on the turkey and eat as much white meat as possible. This is going to be the best high protein low fat source there and will always be available at any Thanksgiving Day dinner. After filling up on this, the temptation to go for junk will be less.
- Look for baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Seek out a salad without lots of cheese, croutons, or fatty meat and dressings. Make sure it’s filled with low calorie veggies such as celery, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.
- As far as drinking goes, look to skim milk for more fat-free protein or water. Stay away from calorie-laden pop and beer.
- Stay away from the desserts! But I’m sure you already knew that…
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and some of you may want to continue eating clean this week. Below are some healthy recipes Julia Ladewski and Jason Adams use for Thanksgiving – or for any day of the week.
Sweet Potato Strips
4 sweet potatoes/yams
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
Take four sweet potatoes or yams and cut into long strips, about 1/2" wide. Toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Lay on baking sheet and bake at 400° for 12 minutes. Flip and toss potatoes around and bake for another 12-15 minutes depending on how tender you want them. Take pan out of oven and sprinkle 2-3 Tbsp of brown sugar over the potatoes. Return to pan for 3-5 more minutes. Eat and enjoy!
Lean Meatloaf
1 pound 96% Lean Beef
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 large green pepper, diced
2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8oz reduced sodium tomato sauce
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix meat, vegetables, eggs, garlic powder, oatmeal and half of the tomato sauce together in medium sized bowl. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 square baking pan or bread loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top loaf with remaining tomato sauce and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Makes 4 large slices.
Chicken Salad
10oz can of chicken breast meat
2 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise or Smart Balance Mayo for extra fat
1.5 tsp Dijon or regular mustard
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
6 cups dark leafy greens.
Mix all ingredients except lettuce together in small bowl. Serve mixture over lettuce greens or inside a whole wheat pita or low carb tortilla.
Chocolate Cheesecake
250g fat free cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat chocolate milk
4 scoops chocolate protein powder.
5 heaping tbsp natural stir-free peanut butter.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a blender, combine cottage cheese and low fat chocolate and blend until creamy and smooth. Remove from the blender and place into a mixing bowl. Next, add protein powder and mix thoroughly. Finally, add in the peanut butter,
one scoop at a time, blending until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a small 4” ramekin. Fill a deep oven pan half-full with hot water and place the ramekin inside the oven pan so the water comes approximately halfway up the outside of the ramekin. Place the oven pan containing the ramekin into the oven and bake for 40-60 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch.
When finished, pull from the oven and allow to cool for several hours. When cool to the touch, place in the fridge and cool overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
337 calories per serving
41g protein
14g carbs
13g fat
Cream of Pumpkin Soup topped with Pecans
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons sugar free maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 pecans
1 cup skim milk
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp of the curry powder and the pumpkin puree, then whisk in the broth until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar free maple syrup
and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavor to develop, stirring occasionally.
2. While the soup is simmering, make the curried pecans. In a small bowl, combine the pecan pieces with the remaining maple syrup and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining curry powder, tossing to coat. Place the pecans in small baking dish and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Otherwise, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir back into the pot. Return the soup to the stovetop, turning the heat to low. Whisk the coconut milk and taste to adjust seasonings. Heat until hot, but do not boil. Serve the soup garnished with pecans.
Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (be sure to use canned pumpkin, not canned pie filling)
2 scoops vanilla protein
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 -3/4 cup water depending on how thick or thin you want it.
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
For all of those turkey leftovers: Turkey Fajitas
1 pound turkey breast filet, cut into small strips
1 jar salsa
1 tbsp Mexican blend spices
1 package of low carb tortillas
Garnish options:
Lettuce, chopped
Tomato, chopped
Onions, chopped
2 tbsp pitted black olives, sliced
1/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese or nonfat plain yogurt
In a large saucepan, cover turkey with water and bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to medium low.
Cover and cook until turkey turns white, then drain. Add salsa and Mexican spice to the turkey and simmer on medium low for approximately 15-20 minutes. Place desired amount of meat sauce in a heated low carb tortilla.
Top with your choice of garnishes, roll up and chow down.
If you aren’t a chef, here are some easy Thanksgiving Day dinner tips to follow from Matt Kroczaleski:
- Try to focus on the turkey and eat as much white meat as possible. This is going to be the best high protein low fat source there and will always be available at any Thanksgiving Day dinner. After filling up on this, the temptation to go for junk will be less.
- Look for baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Seek out a salad without lots of cheese, croutons, or fatty meat and dressings. Make sure it’s filled with low calorie veggies such as celery, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.
- As far as drinking goes, look to skim milk for more fat-free protein or water. Stay away from calorie-laden pop and beer.
- Stay away from the desserts! But I’m sure you already knew that…
