Thread: Healthy Recipes and Snack Ideas

I thought this would be a good way to help each other with our weight loss. If you have some good recipes, please share them with us.

This is courtesy of Mary!!

"Crustless Triple Berry Pie"

6 cups frozen triple berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) - no need to thaw
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup MINUTE Tapioca (dry)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss frozen fruit with Splenda, tapioca, lemon juice, until evenly coasted. Spoon into pie pan or casserole dish. Let stand 15 minutes.

Bake 50 minutes until juices form bubbles that burst slowly. You may want to stir after removing from the oven. Then cover with siran wrap and refrigerate.

Refrigerate, top with fat free cool whip as a dessert OR eat plain. If you like the taste of pie filling, I'm sure you will like this too.


For the crustless pie .... The recipe I posted is actually a pie filling recipe that I have used for years. I just didn't make pie crust and substituted Splenda for sugar (1 cup sugar = 1 cup Splenda). So any pie filling you like that you make from scratch, you could do this whether it is peaches or blueberries etc. I love the triple berry and can buy big bags of it from Costco and Sams Club. Be sure to use unsweetened berries. Some of the frozen ones already have sugar added and you want them plain.

The filling can be eaten hot or cold. It is thicker when cold.

This is also courtesy of Mary!!

Weight Watchers Zero Point Vegetable Soup

Garden Vegetable Soup
Makes 4 servings
(about 1 cup each)
0 points per serving

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup diced zucchini

1. In large saucepan, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute the carrot, onion, & garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano & salt; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

MEATLESS LENTIL CHILI


5 Cups boiling water
2 tsp. salt
2 1/3 Cups (1 lb) lentils - washed
Cover and simmer 30 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN


ADD:
1 16 oz. can tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 pkg. Dry Onion soup mix
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. cumin
Simmer 30 minutes more.

Serve as is or over spaghetti, rice, or corn chips (cheese on top). Use for pizza, tacos, or as a dip.

Diet Coke Chicken

4 to 6 boneless/skinless chicken breast
1 Can Diet Coke Caffeine Free
1 Cup ketchup
Dehydrated or fresh onions to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine ketchup with diet coke using whisk.
Pour over chicken that has been placed in a 9 x 13 pan.
Cover with foil.
Cook for 1 hour.

Can be used for ribs too. This is WONDERFUL and so easy to make.

SUBSTITUTIONS
Sugar Free-Fat Free


SKIM MILK: 1/3 cup powdered milk + 1/2 cup water= 1 cup skim milk.

EVAPORATED SKIM MILK: 1/3 cup powdered milk + 1/2 cup
cold water= 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk.

CONDENSED MILK: (sweet). 1-1/3 cups powderedmilk + 1/2 cup cold
water: Mix, cover & microwave until mixture is HOT but not
boiling. Remove and cool a little, then stir in 1/2 cup Sugar Twin
or Sprinkle Sweet. Let cool, cover & store in refrigerator up to
two weeks for use.

SOUR CREAM: 3/4 cup fat free yogurt + 1/3 cup powdered milk: (this
will keep whey from separating.

BUTTERMILK: 1 cup water + 2/3 cup powdered milk + 1 teaspoon
white vinegar. Mix & let set for at least 10 minutes.

WHIP CREAM: (extending) Blend 3/4 cup fat free yogurt + 1/3 cup
powdered milk. Add 2 tablespoons sugar substitute, (either 3
packets, nutra sweet OR 2 tblespoons Sugar Twin + 1 cup fat free
cool whip + 1 tsp. extract (your choice). Texture is a cross
between marshmellow cream & whip cream. Makes about 1-2/3 cup.

EGGS: You can substitute solely with egg whites using a 2 to 1
ratio. Example: When recipe calls for 2 egg, use 4 egg whites
instead (discarding the yolks).

OILS, OR SHORTENING IN BAKING: When recipe calls for 1/2
cup or less of oil or shortening, substitute with 1/2 cup apple-
sauce instead such as in Muffins, pancakes, etc. (Don't over
mix or beat when adding to dry ingredients.

EGG + OIL: Substitute 1/3 cup fat free yogurt + 1/4 cup fat free
mayonaise. Use when baking cakes, muffins, pancakes etc.

SUGAR FREE-FAT FREE INSTANT PUDDINGS: For a different
taste that is thicker and creamier, use 3/4 cup fat free Yogurt,
instead of one of the cups of milk called for, OR use 1 cup
skim milk + 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice.

GRAVY: Use 1-1/2 cups fat free broth + 1/2 cups water + 3 table-
spoons flour. Shake well in a jar and pour in a pan sprayed
with Pam Spray to coat pan. Cook until thick.

Substitutions Continued:

WHITE SAUCE: Mix 1 cup powdered milk + 1-1/2 cups water (OR
use 1-1/2 cups skimmed milk) + 3 tablespoons flour. Add salt
and pepper to taste. Cook until thick in a Pam sprayed sauce pan. You can also add mushrooms or cheese, or chicken or
beef bullion for extra flavors for soups.

CREAMED SOUPS: Use recipe above with more or less flour
for desired thickness.

MERINGUES: For pie toppings, Mix 2 tablespoons Sugar Twin +
2 egg whites + 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter + 1/2 teaspoon
extract. Whip to where peaks are standing fluffy. Spread on
pie and bake a few minutes or under broiler, watch carefully
so as to brown but not burn.

YOGURT: To stabilize fat free yogurt in cooking or baking, so that
the whey will not separate, add 1 teaspoon corn starch to each
3/4 cup of yogurt.

SALAD DRESSINGS: When using bottled Fat Free salad dressings
You can boost flavor by adding 1 tablespoon fat free mayo,
a few parsley flakes + 1 teaspoon sugar twin to each 2 table-
spoons fat free dressing being used.

TOPPINGS FOR SALADS OR BAKED POTATOES: Try 1/2 cup
chunky salsa + 1/4 cup fat free Ranch Dressing.

CROUTONS: Toast Fat Free Bread slices and spray lightly with ,
"I can't believe it's not butter SPRAY. Cut toast in cubes.
Shake in plastic bag with Fat Free Parmesan Cheese, OR
any other seasoning you like, and spread out on cookie sheet
and bake, until lightly brown.

FRUIT TOPPING: For pancakes, french toast, biscuits, muffins etc.
MIX: 1-1/2 CUPS UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS RAISINS
1/2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON
1 TEASPOONS CORN STARCH
1 TABLESPOON SUGAR TWIN or Splena
Mix well and cook in microwave until thickened.


If you are going to bake a cake, instead of using oil in the recipe substitute unsweetened applesauce. If the recipe calls for 1/3 cup oil, use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce. It changes the flavor of the cake a "tiny" bit, but you will be very pleased with the results. Hal loves it when I make a vanilla cake this way.

NOTE: Very important.

DO NOT substitue applesauce for oil in any recipe for banana bread, banana cake. For some reason the applesauce and the banana don't work well together and will make the bread or cake very rubbery and not worth eating.

Snack Ideas:

Air popped popcorn

Dry Roasted Edamame - Trader Joe's - 99 cents for a 5.5 oz package.
Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Servings per container: 5
Calories: 130
Calories from Fat: 40
Total Fat: 4gm
no trans fat
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 150 mg
Total Carbs: 10 g
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Sugar: 1 g
Protein: 14 gram
Ingredients: Edamame (Soybeans), salt.
Very similar to eating shelled peanuts. Good and filling.

You can also buy fresh Edamame in the veggie refrigerator section of some stores and also in the freezer section. Just steam and eat. Don't eat the pod tho, just the inside - it will look like lima beans. All Japanese restaurants and sushi bars have steamed Edamame. It is really good.


My absolute favorite snack is a sugar free snow cone. I buy SF syrups and put them over shaved ice. So good, filling, crunchy & no calories. Here the info on them:

Torani: Your Place for Flavors, Ideas & Inspiration (can only buy at retailers tho)
DaVinci Gourmet – Flavored Syrups, Sauces And Tea Concentrates They are in Seattle and shipped quickly

I love snow cones and make them often daily. I use the SF syrups for flavoring. So good, filling, crunch, and a GREAT way to get extra fluids in. Got my snow cone machine from:

Hawaiian Shaved Ice - Shaved Ice & Snow Cone Shavers, Flavors, Syrups and Supplies

Hawaiice Snow Cone Machine - It's a gift. I don't know which one to choose! this machine is wonderful. It uses regular ice cubes so as long as you have ice & flavoring, you can make a quick snack. Some of the snow cone machines use formed blocks of ice, which are OK but once they are used you can make more snow cones until the block ice forms again. The ice cube one is super. Easy to clean too. I've been a snow cone fan for years.

I bought a bunch of salmon today at Costco. I made a sauce of water, butter buds, garlic powder, and a little season salt. I cut them into individual servings, poured a little sauce on them, and then seal-a-mealed each piece and froze them.

All you have to do then is just pop it into the microwave frozen, for about 3 minutes on high. Do not pierce the bag because it will not steam in the sauce flavor if you do.