Food + Drink | Spa Week Daily

Kale and Portobello Lasagne Recipe

January 16, 2013 | By Marissa Gold

Courtesy of Food Network Kitchens

Good news: Lasagne doesn’t have to be unhealthy!

Instead of preparing it with mostly noodles and cheese, stuff it full of healthy vegetables like kale and portobello mushrooms. By simply changing the ratio of ingredients, you can dramatically impact the fat and calories of traditional lasagne.

Experiment with low-fat ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, or even goat cheese and feta. Veggies like spinach and sundried tomatoes taste delicious, too.

Ready to try it? We love this recipe from Food Network Kitchens.

Per Serving:

Calories: 290

Fat: 11 grams

Saturated Fat: 4 grams

Protein: 19 grams

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Healthy Cooking, Nutrition Tagged With: food network, food network kitchen, healthy, healthy lasagne, Kale, Kale and Portobello Lasagne, mushroom, Recipe

National Spaghetti Day – Healthy Tricks

January 4, 2013 | By Marissa Gold

Courtesy of Men’s Health

It’s National Spaghetti Day (January 4) and we’re betting a lot of you would love to sink your teeth into a big bowl of pasta right now.

We don’t blame you. But (there’s always a but, right?) you might blame yourself when you realize how many calories you’re actually taking in.

The recommended serving size for spaghetti is about 4 ounces, which has about 422 calories according to Men’s Health. And that’s before all the butter, olive oil, cheese, and sauce.

Here’s the bad news: You’re probably eating a lot more than 4 ounces. After all, according to the handy portion size image above, a 4-ounce stalk of dry spaghetti would only cover the surface of a quarter.

But you don’t have to scrap your plans for an al dente dinner tonight. We recommend filling up on a big salad (dressed with balsamic vinegar and no more than 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil) before digging into a bowl of pasta. That will help make a 4 ounce portion more palatable. You can also opt for lower-carb and lower-calorie pastas made from quinoa and other healthier grains. Or, ditch the carbs completely and try a spaghetti squash recipe.

Whatever you choose to make, we hope you thoroughly enjoy National Spaghetti Day. We know we will.

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Nutrition Tagged With: National Spaghetti Day, portion size, spaghetti, spaghetti portion size

Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal Recipe

December 21, 2012 | By Marissa Gold

Keri Glassman, our Spa Week Expert on nutrition and diet, has a new book, The New You (and Improved!) Diet. It’s chock full of advice, recipes, and meal ideas, including a cleanse, a full 8-week meal plan, and the 8 rules that Keri shares with her private clients to help make weight loss easy.

There’s also priceless advice from Keri, a top nutritionist who’s seen it all and knows what really causes diets to fail. “Stress derails more diets than anything else I know,” she shares. “This book will teach you how a very simple meditation, one that’s been proved to lower stress.”

So hurry and order your copy of the book, which hits shelves on Monday December 24th. In the meantime, we asked Keri to share a healthy recipe that you and your family will love. With no further ado, here’s Keri’s Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal:

Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal

1⁄2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3⁄4 cup low-fat milk
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons dark chocolate chips

1. Combine the oats and milk in a small bowl with a dash of salt. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through and again after the oats are cooked through.
2. Stir the peanut butter into the oats mixture until well combined.
3. Top with dark chocolate chips.

Filed Under: Food + Drink, Nutrition Tagged With: healthy recipes, Keri Glassman, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal, Recipe, The New You (and Improved!) Diet

National Oatmeal Muffin Day Recipes

December 18, 2012 | By Arielle Sidrane

December 19 is National Oatmeal Muffin Day – yum! Not only are oats delicious, but they are chock full of heart-health benefits (oats help lower cholesterol), contain phytochemicals (which are thought to help reduce the risk of cancer) and are high in fiber (which keeps you full longer).

And here’s the best thing we could ask for this time of year: Beta-gluten in oats even helps boost your immune system! Sounds like we should be eating oats every day from now until February to beat cold and flu season. And we can, because these low-fat muffin recipes won’t give you a dreaded muffin-top:

Infuse some blueberries for a little fruity flavor: Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins from Joy the Baker. Perfectly moist muffins without using a hint of butter – mission accomplished!

A healthy treat for your sweet tooth – Banana Oatmeal Muffins with Dark Chocolate Chips from Fit and Healthy with Debbie. This easy recipe will leave you with a delightful yet nutritious muffin in under 30 minutes – yes please!

Savor the last few days of fall when you enjoy the spice of the season: Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins from Food & Fitness 4 Real. Pumpkin muffins with a crunch! Bonus: this recipe calls for NO flour!

Already committed to a daily breakfast routine? It’s still easy to squeeze some oats in with these savory muffins perfect for any meal: Sausage, Cheese and Oat Muffins from All Recipes. This hearty muffin is sure to fill you up, AND satisfy your “breakfast anytime” cravings.