The family dinner is a tradition as old as our country itself, but many of the traditional foods we serve our family are fat and calorie filled. With a few alterations and substitutions, old family favorites can be healthy and satisfying.
Mini Turkey Meatloaves
Buy one pound of ground turkey. In a large mixing bowl, add one egg white, 1/2 cup of cooked white rice, one shake of salt, one shake of pepper and 2 tablespoons of paprika and blend completely. Divide the mixture into four equal parts, pat into thick patty shapes and place on a baking sheet with no-stick spray applied. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a medium tomato into thick slices and a medium onion into thin slices. Place one slice of tomato and one slice of onion on each patty. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with mashed cauliflower or potatoes. This recipe has approximately 1/2 the fat and calories of traditional meatloaf.
Healthy Chicken and Rice Bake
Purchase 4 split and boned chicken breasts, white rice, one can of lowered sodium onion soup, one large can of mushrooms. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized glass casserole dish, place two cups of uncooked rice. Pour onion soup over the rice and fill the soup can 2 times with water and add. Stir lightly. Place chicken breasts on top and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place drained mushrooms on top of chicken. Cover tightly with available lid or aluminum foil. Bake one hour without removing the lid. Serve with broccoli or other green vegetable. This alternative takes the cream out of the traditional dish and eliminates approximately 1/2 the calories.
Lower Calorie Easy Gumbo
Buy two large cans of stewed tomatoes with no salt added, two chopped chicken breasts, one bag of cooked frozen okra, one green pepper, one medium onion, one package of turkey smoked sausage and Cajun seasoning. In a large pot, mix the frozen okra and two cans of stewed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add two tablespoons of Cajun seasoning and reduce heat to simmer. Dice your green pepper and onion and add to the pot and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes. Chop your turkey sausage into bite size pieces and slowly add along with the chopped chicken breast. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Serve over steamed rice. Eliminating the oil, flower and pork from this dish gives it approximately 1/4 the calories of traditional gumbo and less than 1/2 the fat.
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