The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded “R” word — it’s stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about high-calorie and high-fat comfort foods? Well, while food can offer comfort during economic and emotional uncertainty, most experts recommend controlling your internal environment despite the fact that external factors remain unstable. During stressful times, it's important to feel that you have some level of control over your life. Therefore, when your external environment is unbalanced, being able to look inward and feel good about your nutrition and health is critical. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie recipes.
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Squash-Tastic Shepherd’s Pie
Healthy Recipe by: Lisa Lillien, founder of Hungry Girl (www.Hungry-Girl.com) and author of Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, April 29, 2008)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
3½ cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
½ cup chopped onions
1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
½ teaspoon minced garlic
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion powder
Dash of black pepper
¾ cup fat-free gravy
1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 tablespoon light whipped butter or light buttery spread
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash in a large microwave-safe dish with ½ cup of water. Cover bowl and cook squash in the microwave for 12 to 14 minutes, until squash is soft. Meanwhile, in a medium pan over medium heat, cook onions until slightly browned (2 to 3 minutes).
Add the turkey, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper to the pan. Stir well. Cook until meat is browned.
Drain any excess liquid from the pan. Place meat/onion mixture in a casserole dish. Pour gravy evenly over the mixture. Spread the mixed veggies on top and then set dish aside.
Once squash is cooked, drain excess water and mash well. Add butter and salt to the squash and mix thoroughly. Layer the mashed squash on top of the veggie layer. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes (until crust looks slightly crispy).
Nutritional Information Per Serving (¼ pie): 232 calories, 2.5g fat, 552mg sodium, 25g carbs, 4g fiber, 5g sugars, 28g protein
Kickin’ Chicken Pot Pie
Healthy Recipe by: Lisa Lillien, author of Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World (St. Martin's Griffin, April 29, 2008)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
One (10.75-ounce) can Campbell’s 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pan spritzed with nonstick spray, cook chicken pieces for several minutes until light brown (cooked but still tender). Set aside.
Heat frozen veggies in the microwave according to package instructions.
Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together, and place in a 9-inch round baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Place dish in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until mixture is hot and bubbly, stirring halfway through.
While pie filling is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Use your hands to combine pieces into one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out (super-thin) into a circle just large enough to fit atop the dish (a little less than 9 inches in diameter).
Place dough on top of filling and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (¼ pie): 235 calories, 6g fat, 723mg sodium, 26g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 18g protein
½ cup finely chopped red, green or yellow bell pepper
½ cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari (tamari is excellent for anyone on a gluten-free diet)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Place in a loaf pan sprayed with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Healthy Recipe by: Executive Chef Dean Rucker of the Golden Door, Escondido, Calif. (www.goldendoor.com)
Makes 30 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour, sifted
1 cup blanched slivered almonds, ground into a course meal
1 cup oats, ground into a course meal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Apricot jam or your favorite kind of fruit spread or jam
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable spray and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sifted whole-wheat flour, ground almonds, ground oats and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine the canola oil, maple syrup, orange juice and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. For each cookie, scoop 1 tablespoon of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a well in the center of the cookie and fill it with 1 teaspoon of fruit spread or jam. Repeat the process with the remaining batter and jam. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: (1 cookie) 100 calories, 4g fat, 1mg sodium, 14g carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 2g protein
Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Bulgur-Laced Meatballs
Healthy Recipe by: Judith Finlayson, author of The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook (Robert Rose, 2008)
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
3/4 cup bulgur
3/4 cup skim milk
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine or stock
2 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomatoes with juice, coarsely chopped
1 (16-ounce) package whole-wheat, spelt or Kamut spaghetti
Finely chopped parsley, optional
Instructions:
Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine bulgur and milk, stirring until combined. Let stand until milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add ground beef, basil pesto, Parmesan, garlic, egg, lemon zest, salt, pepper to taste. Shape into meatballs about 1-inch in diameter. Roll in flour and shake off excess.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add meatballs in batches and cook, turning them, until evenly browned. Transfer to a plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.
Tomato Sauce: Add onion, celery and carrot to pan in which meatballs were cooked, and cook, stirring, until carrot is softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add white wine and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Return meatballs and any accumulated juices to pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until sauce thickens and meatballs are no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until tender to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large deep platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange sauce and meatballs on top. Sprinkle with parsley, if using.
Tips: Chicken, beef or vegetable stock works well in this recipe in place of the wine.
If you prefer a thicker tomato sauce, add 2 tablespoons (25 milliliters) of tomato paste along with the tomatoes.
Nutritional InformationPer Serving (2 ounces pasta, and one large meatball): 546 calories, 15.3 g fat, 716mg sodium, 75g carbs, 11.7g fiber, 28.5g protein
Excellent source of vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and selenium. Good source of vitamins C and E (alpha-tocopherol), folacin, pantothenic acid and calcium. Contains a very high amount of dietary fiber.
Quick Chicken Soup
Healthy Recipe by: Lara Rondinelli, R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E., the Diabetes Center Coordinator at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and Jennifer Bucko, a Chicago area chef, both authors of The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook (American Diabetes Association, 2008)
Heat margarine in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions, celery, and sauté until vegetables are beginning to brown.
Add chicken broth, making sure to scrape up any brown bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add parsley, bay leaf and rice; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add pepper and shredded chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Cooking Tip: Store-bought rotisserie chickens are delicious and can be great time savers in the kitchen. They are usually found in the deli section of your supermarket
CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder and editor of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network and author of The Diet Detective's Calorie Bargain Bible (Simon & Schuster, 2007). Copyright 2008 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com.
Can it REALLY be? A television show about a low-carb diet? YEP!
With popular weight loss reality television shows like "The Biggest Loser" in the United States, Australia, and around the world, it was only a matter of time before a television network was gonna be willing to give the low-carb lifestyle an opportunity to be featured and displayed prominently in its very own program. And now it's here for all the world to see for themselves the life-changing impact of healthy low-carb living!
Have you heard about the new Canadian show called "My Big, Fat Diet" which premiered on the CBC last month? Oh my gosh, if you are a fan of livin' la vida low-carb, then hold on to your hats folks--they're actually putting the participants on a sugar-free, no junk food, high-fat, low-carb diet. WOW doesn't even begin to express how amazing it feels to see something like this on television.
So I think I have used up my allotment of fossil fuels for at least the remainder of this year or more likely the next decade. Why? My husband surprised me with a birthday trip to Paris last weekend.
WESTCHESTER, Ill. – A study published in the May issue of the journal SLEEP is the first attempt to quantify the strength of the cross-sectional relationships between duration of sleep and obesity in both children and adults. Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity among short sleepers in children and adults, the study found.
A pioneer in the fitness industry, who has helped millions to get fit, Gilad Janklowicz, continues to inspire and lead, with his consistent message, “keep it simple”.
This year Gilad’s television show, Gilad’s Bodies in Motion, now airing on Discovery Fit TV, celebrates its 25th anniversary, making it the longest running fitness show in history. Seen in over 80 countries world wide, in a viewer’s poll conducted by Discovery, Gilad won the title of “Television Fitness Instructor of the Year” in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Recently Gilad created a new fitness show for Fit TV, Total Body Sculpt withGilad, designed to give viewers a dynamic new concept in fitness that focuses on functional exercises, dynamic strength, toning and core training. Gilad was inducted into Israel’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and into the US National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2007.
No matter the medium, the message is consistent and commanding, states Gilad, "Fitness is a journey not a destination".
Heather Bauer is a Registered Dietitian specializing in the interrelation between eating habits, metabolism, and lifestyle. Since 2001, the has offered private diet and nutrition counseling through her New York city-based nutrition practice, Nu-Train.
Ms. Bauer received her RD from the University of Wisconsian and started her career in the pre- and post-natal nutrition unit at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, and as a nutritionist at Equinox Fitness Club in New York. She is also the author of The Wall Street Diet (Hyperion, 2008).
Calorie Bargain: Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
The Why: The reality is that one in four American women dies of heart disease, and according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “most fail to make the connection between risk factors—such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol—and their personal risk of developing heart disease.” Plus It’s a 2 days away from Mother’s day – and if this is a pretty good way to say you love your mom --- recipes to help her live longer. As the recipes in this special collection show, you do not have to lose flavor to gain heart health and "keep the beat". Enjoy "Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken," "Red Hot Fusilli," "Crunchy Pumpkin Pie," and "Summer Breezes Smoothie." Contains more than 100 pages of tempting heart healthy, taste-tested recipes sure to please you and your family. Turn your meals from "ho-hum" to "yum-yum" experiences.
Calorie Bargain: Quaker Simple Harvest All Natural Dark Chocolate Chunk Chewy Granola Bars (www.quakersimpleharvest.com)
The Why: When I first heard about these bars I was skeptical. Typically these large food companies make bars like these filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce. But these bars are not that. Not only do they taste great, they’re made with decent materials – including whole grain oats Nice job Quaker.
The stock market roller coaster, the housing crisis, the dreaded “R” word — it’s stressful out there. Where can we turn? How about high-calorie and high-fat comfort foods? Well, while food can offer comfort during economic and emotional uncertainty, most experts recommend controlling your internal environment despite the fact that external factors remain unstable. During stressful times, it's important to feel that you have some level of control over your life. Therefore, when your external environment is unbalanced, being able to look inward and feel good about your nutrition and health is critical. Knowing that, we thought it would be helpful to reach out to a few foodies and chefs to find several tasty, low-calorie recipes.
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Can it REALLY be? A television show about a low-carb diet? YEP!
A pioneer in the fitness industry, who has helped millions to get fit, Gilad Janklowicz, continues to inspire and lead, with his consistent message, “keep it simple”. 
Heather Bauer is a Registered Dietitian specializing in the interrelation between eating habits, metabolism, and lifestyle. Since 2001, the has offered private diet and nutrition counseling through her New York city-based nutrition practice, Nu-Train. 
Calorie Bargain: Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Calorie Bargain: Quaker Simple Harvest All Natural Dark Chocolate Chunk Chewy Granola Bars (