Q: What is one of the most popular Thanksgiving dinner side dishes?

Answer: Green Bean Casserole!

Green bean casserole has become a staple at most everyone’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the traditional version tends to be loaded with bad fat, salt and calories and is often far from a light and healthy dish. Why not lighten up this Thanksgiving classic and save your calories for the yummier desserts or sweet potato casserole? Substituting reduced fat and light versions of sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese or 0% Greek yogurt will still give you a great taste but for a fraction of the calories.

Low Carbohydrate Pasta

Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta, not only to reduce the calories and carbohydrates of a pasta meal, but also you will be adding a vegetable to your dish.

How to cook spaghetti squash?

Pre-heat oven to 350º F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half  (either cook the squash with the seeds or scoop them out). In a baking pan, place the squash halves with the flesh facing down and add 1/4 inch of water in the pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, flip halves over and let them cool for 10 minutes. Grab a fork and fork out the spaghetti!

Spaghetti Squash vs. Spaghetti Pasta Noodles

1 cup of spaghetti pasta noodles, cooked= Calories: 220 kcal, Carbohydrate: 43 g

1 cup of cooked Spaghetti Squash, cooked = Calories: 42 kcal Carbohydrate: 10 g

Experiment with spaghetti squash by making this week’s featured recipe, Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp Scampi and Edamame.

* spaghetti squash is gluten free for those that have a gluten intolerance

Sweeten Your Life with Pears!

A medium pear is a perfect 100-calorie snack with 6 g of fiber and a high content of vitamin C and vitamin K. Pears are a versatile fruit, they can be eaten raw, baked, roasted, sautéed, and grilled. If you like your pears juicy and sweet, place them in brown paper bag and check daily until the neck of the pear gives to gentle pressure. The naturally sweet pears are the perfect ingredient to candy-coat your warm breakfast oatmeal, fruit crisp, or side dish without adding sugar or honey. Try this week’s sweet vegetable and fruit side dish, Roasted Cinnamon Butternut Squash and Pear.

Power up with PUMPKIN!

‘Tis the season of eating everything Pumpkin!

Pumpkin is naturally orange in color, which contains large amounts of vitamin A to sustain sharp eyesight, the antioxidant beta-carotene to fight cancer, and vitamin C to maintain a healthy immune system, just like the orange sweet potatoes and carrots.

When you think pumpkin, it may conjure up thoughts of warm and delicious pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and many other sweet pumpkin goodies. Expand your nutrition repertoire by incorporating the versatile pumpkin superfood into savory dishes such as soups and sauces.

Winter squash --a nutrition bonanza

Fall is officially here!

If you haven’t noticed yet, the grocery stores are stocked with those oddly shaped squash, which happen to be members of the winter squash family.

Just like summer squash, there are many varieties of winter squash. The most popular winter squash are butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash. Winter squash is eaten cooked (steamed, baked, or roasted), not raw, and can be prepared as either a sweet or savory dish. Include these super nutritious vegetables in your meals over the fall and winter months to not only warm your belly, but decrease inflammation as well. Brimming with a nice amount of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, and dietary fiber, this is one food that deserves a place on your fall/winter plate.

Eat Summer Squash before it’s too late!

September 21^st is the last day of Summer, which means the Summer season is not over yet!

Summer squash is planted 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost and harvested in the Summer when they are immature unlike winter squash. There are many types of summer squash, but the most popular and familiar of the summer squash family are zucchini and yellow squash. The flesh, skin, and seeds are all soft and edible providing an abundance of beneficial nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, folate, B vitamins, and dietary fiber.

Awesome ALLIUM Veggies

You know that you should be eating vegetables every day, but did you know that you should try and get in allium vegetables on a regular basis? The allium family of veggies include onions, leeks, chives and garlic. What’s so awesome about allium veggies? Allium vegetables house a unique combination of polyphenols and sulfur-containing nutrients that have been shown to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. They also reduce inflammation and prevent loss of bone and connective tissue.   Perhaps you don’t like raw or cooked onions, but have you tried super delish candy-like caramelized onions? Caramelized onions are easy to make and can be a delicious topping to your pizza, grilled chicken, or salad, as seen in this week’s, Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stack with balsamic caramelized onions and goat cheese.

Color your Plate with Sweet Summer Produce!

Color your meal with red, orange, yellow, green, and purple foods by aiming to fill half your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables for maximum anti-oxidant power. Raw fruits and vegetables can often get boring to eat on a daily basis so next time try cooking them, even fruit!

This week's recipe features a cancer-fighting sweet summer salad with seasonal red cherries.

Beans and Broccoli - a Match made in Superfood Heaven!

Instead of bringing the go to pasta salad to a pot luck gathering, be the one to bring a super nutritious bean and broccoli salad. Pick your favorite pasta salad and substitute beans (kidney beans, black eyed beans, pinto beans, navy beans, lentils, and black beans) for the pasta, which increases the protein and fiber content in your dish. Add the broccoli and you have the ultimate cancer prevention meal!

Rather than adding a high fat dressing to your bean salad with oil and mayonnaise, create a healthier creamy dressing with low fat plain Greek yogurt, white vinegar, and various herbs and spices such as the Roasted Garlic Yogurt Dressing featured in this week’s recipe.

Watermelon—Summer Love!

No Summer is complete without a nice juicy piece of watermelon. It is not surprising that

 watermelon is composed of about 90% water, creating the crisp texture with every bite.  

Yes, watermelon is the perfect summer treat to quench our thirst on hot days and satisfy 

our sweet tooth. Watermelon also gives you a nutritious bang for your bite—it contains a 

nice amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, and the nutrient lycopene, which gives watermelon 

its red pigment and decreases inflammation. 1 cup of watermelon yields a mere 46 calories 

and counts as 1 serving of the recommended 2 servings of fruit per day.

As much as watermelon tastes amazing by itself, it also adds the perfect amount of sweetness, 

color, and texture to a salad. In fact, watermelon and feta is a match made in heaven with a

flavorful sweet and salty combination, which featured in this week’s recipe.

- See more at: http://corp.fitnesstogether.com/nutrition-together/nutrition-tips/#sthash.xHMhIrtd.dpuf

Eat Legumes—the longevity food!

Legumes (beans, peas and lentils) are plant power foods that are simply bursting with nutrition. I encourage you to embrace these small life-saving plant proteins. Lentils, for example, have been part of the culinary culture of the Mediterranean throughout the ages. These seeds may be petite, but they are nutrition giants, loaded with the heart healthiest of ingredients including fiber, antioxidants, plant protein, vitamins, minerals, and iron — and all this for just pennies on the dollar. Legumes’ complex carbohydrates provide long-lasting energy and plant protein, and unlike animal protein are rich in plaque fighting fiber and phytochemicals. What’s more, research suggests that eating a daily serving of legumes might just be the dietary secret to longevity. Chick peas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) definitely count as a legume. Chickpeas are the foundation for hummus—so versatile—this is the perfect season to use for dipping veggies at your outdoor BBQ or as a sandwich spread. - See more at: http://corp.fitnesstogether.com/nutrition-together/nutrition-tips/#sthash.vEAN8bTp.dpuf

Thank Heaven for Ripe and Luscious STRAWBERRIES!

Are you a strawberry lover? If so, you are in for a treat because it's strawberry season!

 

Did you know that citrus fruits are not the only fruit that contain a large source of vitamin C? In fact, eight strawberries contain 140% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin C! Vitamin C helps maintain a healthy immune system and is a natural anti-inflammatory--decreasing your body’s systematic inflammation.

If you are craving sweet strawberries, June and July are the best months to buy ripe and cheap strawberries. You will notice the amount of strawberries in the grocery stores (or better yet, the farmer's market) will increase greatly, as the strawberry harvest is happening now!

Try Tempeh-a perfect plant protein

Vegetable protein is a healthy alternative to animal protein because of it is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The soybean, part of the legume family, is the main ingredient of many common vegetable proteins such tofu, tempeh, and textured vegetable protein. You can eat these raw or baked, grilled, and sautéed. Edamame is the immature soybean inside the pod—a great snack on-the-go, salad topper, or even as a substitute for chickpeas in hummus.

Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger. It is low in sodium yet packed with protein, iron and calcium. Tempeh is a cholesterol-free vegan-friendly food.

Try something new this week or hop on the Meatless Monday train by incorporating one of these vegetable proteins in a meal and/or snack, if you haven’t already. 

Sun-dried tomatoes

—a superbly flavorful, nutritious and delicious way to sweeten up any dish!

Guess what? One piece of sun-dried tomato (in oil, drained) contains a mere 6 calories! Sun-dried tomatoes are just like what you might suspect… ripe tomatoes that have lost most of their water content after spending a majority of their drying time in the sun. The good news is that after this procedure, the dried tomatoes are still overflowing with nutrition—they remain packed with disease-fighting antioxidants such as lycopene and vitamin C plus are virtually fat free. Just be sure that if you buy the oil-packed variety, look for tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil—the heart healthiest kind.

How GREEN is your valley (or springtime dinner plate)?

It’s SPRINGTIME! That means time to tap into Mother Nature’s bounty of gorgeous vegetables that have finally come into season. Asparagus is one of my favorite spring veggies (March through May). The long green shoots contain a unique array of healthful plant chemicals as well as a nice amount of fiber and the vitamins K, B, A and C. At just  43 calories a cup—be sure to pile the asparagus onto your dinner plate! Cooking tips: choose firm spears, not the wrinkled ones; simply break the ends off the entire stalk where it is easiest—with two hands. Asparagus is easy to overcook so watch cooking time. Cook asparagus by simply grilling or broiling -- a great low-calorie way to let the natural flavors peek through.

Lettuce...more than just the tip of the iceberg!

Lettuce is a leafy crunchy vegetable with substantial water content, some fiber and a negligible calorie count—all factors that are beneficial for filling up your plate and pairing down your waistline.

You should know that only certain types of lettuce are loaded with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant plant chemicals, whereas others contain virtually nothing in terms of nutrition. Hence, even though all types of lettuce are low in calories, the different varieties offer different valuable sources of nutrients. For example, romaine lettuce is especially rich in vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and manganese when compared to iceberg lettuce.

When making lettuce choices, be sure to get in the power lettuces, romaine and red leaf—the darker the leaf, the greater the amount of nutrients such as vitamin A and folate. Other salad greens, such as spinach, kale, arugula and radicchio, while technically not lettuces, are among the most nutrient-dense foods available.

So when it comes to good health and weight control, be sure to pile on the dark leafy greens (an antioxidant gold mine), and leave the iceberg in the bin! 

Eat Red Beans: Ranked #1 on the Antioxidant Scale.

Who knew? Sometimes you find powerful disease-fighting antioxidant riches in foods you least expect. One of these foods is red beans. Red beans ranked number 1 out of the top 100 foods in terms of total antioxidant capacity per serving—beating out blueberries—which ranked number 2! Beans are also an incredibly heart-healthy source of fiber, complex carbs, vitamins, minerals, and plant protein, with zero cholesterol and negligible fat content. And all this amazing nutrition for just pennies on the dollar! 

Lighten up your carb meals with squash!

Reduce the calorie content in high carbohydrate dishes by replacing the hearty potato with the lighter winter squash, such as acorn squash and butternut squash. Winter squash contain a rich source of dietary fiber to help lower cholesterol levels, normalize bowel health, and control blood sugar, as well as vitamin A to build and maintain healthy eyes, skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, and mucus membranes.

Eat eggplant--the purple powerhouse!

For a mere 20 calories in an entire cup, it doesn't get any better than eggplant for “beefing up” your Italian dinner—the heart-healthy way. The rich meaty taste of eggplant is why vegetarians love this purple wonder food. Just like tomatoes and peppers, eggplant falls under the nightshade family of vegetables, which technically (botanically speaking) are really fruits because they are seed-bearing structures. Eggplants are simply perfect for whipping up simple, healthy and creative dishes. They contain loads of fiber as well as numerous vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (antioxidants helpful in warding off disease). A one-cup serving of eggplant provides 2.8 g of fiber, 189 mg of potassium and 18 mcg of folic acid to name but a few. Plus, the skin contains resveratrol—the same antioxidant found in red wine! To sum it all up, dig into eggplant whenever you can for a low-calorie fiber-boosting meal staple.

Recipe: Whole-Grain Pizza with Arugula, Eggplant, and Caramelized Onion

This recipe makes two 12-inch pizzas. One pound of store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough made with olive oil can be substituted for homemade dough if desired. If King Arthur flour is not available in your area, substitute with 1 cup whole-wheat flour mixed with 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. Food weight: 1.5

Ingredients

Dough:
2 3/4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons quick-rise yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup warm water (105° – 115°F)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey

In a food processor fitted with the plastic blade blend the flour, yeast, and salt. In a 2-cup measuring cup mix the water, olive oil, and honey. With the food processor running add the water-oil mixture and blend until the flour forms a ball of dough. Process for 1 minute to knead the dough. The dough will be a bit sticky, but if too wet, add up to 1/2 cup more flour. Spray a bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Put the dough into the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough is doubled in size about 1 hour.

Toppings:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 8-ounce eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 ounces (about 4 cups) baby arugula
2 teaspoons cornmeal, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing the crust, divided
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove to a bowl. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the eggplant and salt and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Cover and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes to soften the eggplant. Uncover and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes to remove any excess moisture. Remove to a bowl. In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add arugula and cook, tossing the arugula until the it is wilted. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

To assemble the pizzas, preheat the oven, and a baking stone if desired, to 425°F.  Punch down the dough and divide into two pieces. Set on a lightly floured surface and cover with a towel to rest for 5 minutes. For each pizza: sprinkle a baking sheet with 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch circle and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Distribute 1/2 cup caramelized onions, 1/2 cup cooked eggplant, and 1/4 cup arugula on the dough. Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Repeat with other piece of dough. Bake the pizzas for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cut each pizza into 8 slices.

Makes 16 slices


NUTRITION IN A BOX
Per slice pizza:

Food weight: 1.5 Calories: 164 Fat: 9 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, <1 g ALA) Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 1 mg Sodium: 335 mg Carbohydrate: 18 g Dietary Fiber: 4 g Sugars: 1 g Protein: 4 g