Nutritional Recipes

This is a dairy-free, low fat, naturally sweet alternative to ice cream. The frozen bananas create a texture very similar to ice cream. You won’t believe how great it tastes! The recipe below makes one serving with 150 calories and 2 grams of fat.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup plain almond or soy milk (just to thin out a bit)
• 1 tablespoon good quality cocoa powder
• Optional sweetener (e.g., honey, stevia) to taste, but note that the banana already adds sweetness

Directions:

Blend cocoa powder and almond milk in food processor or blender. Add frozen banana and pulse on low. Stir down any mixture on sides of jar and keep pulsing until well incorporated. Pour into a dish and enjoy immediately.

*You may cut banana into slices before freezing; store in a Ziploc bag.

Submitted by Nancy Oliveira, Nutrition Prescriptions.

This hearty nutritious soup is perfect for fall. It’s delicious, inexpensive and easy to prepare. It is also gluten-free (if made with gluten-free broth), dairy-free and vegan (without the additional garnishes of sour cream and cheese). The soup is low in fat and moderate in sodium and is packed with fiber and protein-rich beans. If you’re a meat lover you can add lean ground beef or turkey. The soup tastes even better the next few days and freezes/reheats wonderfully.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bag frozen corn kernels
• 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (fire-roasted or regular), in juice
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high setting for 4 to 6 hours or low for 10 hours. Garnish with a little sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado slices, a squeeze of lime or chopped cilantro. It pairs well with tortilla chips, brown rice or a piece of cornbread. Serves 6.

Recipe adapted from Peas and Thank You.

Traditional sour cream-based vegetable dips usually contain about 60 calories and 5 grams of fat in a 2-tablespoon portion. By substituting Greek yogurt and adding vegetables to this tasty dip, we cut the calories and fat by about 40 percent without compromising taste!

Ingredients:

• 2 6-oz. containers 0 percent fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped and squeezed dry in paper towels
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight. Serve with carrot and celery sticks.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
Per serving: 22 calories, 2 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 0.7 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 64 mg sodium

Recipe by Shannon Vukosa RD, LDN, Clinical Nutrition Manager, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.

Pasta Primavera is a pasta dish incorporating many vegetables. Meats may be added but the main focus is colorful nutrient-packed vegetables! This recipe is easy to prepare, inexpensive and freezes well. It makes a large batch, which you can portion into Tupperware containers to freeze and reheat at work or home for a fast nutritious lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 summer squash and 1 zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2-4 cups baby spinach
• One 16 oz package whole wheat pasta
• 2-4 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage, cut into coins
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Spices (choose your favorites)
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.

Wash and chop all vegetables (except for the spinach) and put them into the pan. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add any spices you like (e.g., salt, pepper, rosemary, basil). Toss well and place in oven. Roast for about 40 minutes and flip vegetables about every 15 minutes.

When there is 20 minutes of roasting time remaining, boil the water for the pasta and prepare according to package directions.

If using meat, add sausage to the roast pan for the last 15 minutes.

When there is 1 minute left of cooking time for the pasta, add the spinach into the boiling water. When pasta is done, drain the pasta and spinach and immediately toss with the vegetables and sausage. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top; serve and enjoy!

Tips:

• This dish can be made with any assortment of firm, crisp vegetables you choose. Use vegetables you already have in your refrigerator.
• Use pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage to save time, which is lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional sausage. However you can also use leftover chicken or turkey, or just leave out entirely for a vegetarian meal.
• For a light summer taste, try citrus-infused olive oil, add a squeeze of lemon juice into the roast pan or grate a little lemon rind onto the completed dish.

Traditional Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil, washed and patted dry, lightly packed
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Cover, and slowly pour in the oil while pulsing the processor. Pulse until you reach the desired consistency.

Arugula Pesto

Use same ingredients and instructions as the Traditional Basil Pesto, but swap 4 cups of arugula for the 3 cups of basil. This makes for a peppery and delicious alternative!

Tips:

• Pesto keeps for a week in the refrigerator, or months in the freezer.
• Many pesto recipes call for pine nuts instead of walnuts. However, walnuts are less expensive and a better nutritional choice. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and may help lower LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of some cancers.
• For a creamier texture, add up to ¼ cup more olive oil to the batch.
• Try your pestos on pasta or pizza, layered with mozzarella and tomatoes, as a sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise and even mixed into mashed potatoes!

Quinoa is a delicious grain that has been making appearances on restaurant menus and food blogs everywhere. Though quinoa is considered a grain, it is technically a relative of leafy green vegetables. It looks and tastes like a cross between rice and couscous, but with a slight nutty flavor. This whole grain is inexpensive, easy to prepare and is a great source of many nutrients including fiber, protein, iron and calcium. Quinoa is a complete protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids. Many varieties of quinoa exist. The most common is white, but red and black varieties are also available. Quinoa is gluten-free, so it is safe for those with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Quinoa is very versatile and can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Before a busy week, make a big pot of it so you can quickly incorporate other ingredients for fast and healthful meals. To cook quinoa, simply rinse the grains well with water and then measure a 2:1 ratio of liquid (water or chicken broth) to quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover the pot; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and you’re done!

Quick Quinoa Ideas:

Breakfast Bowl

Place one cup of cooked quinoa in a bowl with 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and top with almond slivers, raspberries, a drizzle of agave syrup and a splash of skim milk. Other toppings may include berries, nuts, ground flaxseed, fruit (chopped figs or banana slices are delicious), brown sugar and maple syrup.

Garden Salad

Simply add it to a garden salad. You can also add flaked tuna or sliced chicken for extra protein. The addition of quinoa gives your salad a different texture and boosts the nutritional content by incorporating whole grains, iron, protein and fiber.

Other Ideas

• Add rinsed, uncooked quinoa to soups, stews and casseroles
• Use as an alternative to rice or pasta and top with stir-fry sauce or other favorite sauce
• Make stuffed peppers with a mixture of cooked quinoa, cheese and vegetables
• Make a burrito stuffed with canned black beans or low-fat refried beans and cooked quinoa
• Add toasted chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to cooked quinoa for a colorful side dish