Baked Eggs in Avocado Halves

In honor of National Cholesterol Education Month, I wanted to post a great egg recipe. Unfortunately, eggs have a bad rep due to their cholesterol content. What people often forget is that eggs contain over 40 different proteins, vitamins and minerals, and increases LDL cholesterol (the healthy kind you want to have). Eggs are a staple ingredient in baking, quiches, omelets, and are great by themselves boiled or sunny side up. (I'll be posting how to make the perfect boiled egg at a later date.)  Here is a super simple recipe that is low sugar and fiber filled! Not to mention has nearly 40 mg of Omega-3's per serving!

Baked Eggs in Avocado Halves 

Nutrients:
Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 370
Fat per serving: 29 grams
Sodium per serving: 450 mg

Ingredients:
2 Avocados
4 Eggs
Pepper to taste
Chives to taste
4 Tablespoons Salsa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice avocados in half and take out the pit.  Scoop out just enough avocado to ensure the egg will sit snugly. Place the avocado in a small baking dish.
Crack an egg and place in the scooped out avocado.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the egg whites have set.
Remove from oven, season with pepper, chives, and a tablespoon of your favorite salsa.

Greek Yogurt & Strawberry Short Cake

Nutrition:
Servings: 1
Calories per serving: 195 kcal
Fat per serving: 5 grams
Sodium per serving: 220 mg

Ingredients:
1 slice of angel food cake or pound cake
1 container of Greek Yoplait Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries

Directions:
Combine ingredients in bowl and enjoy!

*Optional: Top off with Light Reddi-Wip or Light Chocolate Syrup

Watermelon Donuts

Nutrition: 

Serving: 1 donut

Calories per serving: 100 kcal

Fat per serving: 2 g

Sodium per serving: 20 mg

Ingredients:

Seedless watermelon

1 serving sour cream (see back of container)

pinch of sugar to taste

dash of vanilla to taste

9 almonds (slivered)

Directions:

Cut out donut shapes from 1.5 inch thick slices of seedless watermelon.  Sweeten sour cream with sugar and a touch of vanilla to taste.  Frost half of the watermelon donut slices and sprinkle with almonds.  Add another layer of watermelon slices and top with sweetened sour cream.  Sprinkle toasted almonds over top and serve.

*Watermelon slices shaped like donuts.  A fun breakfast treat for kids! 

This recipes was found at www.whataboutwatermelon.com! 

Swirly Apples

Servings: 4

Calories per serving: 220 kcal

Fat per serving: 12 g

Sodium per serving: 10 mg

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup light-brown sugar

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 medium apples, skin peeled in a spiral

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together unsweetened applesauce, butter, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Scoop out the core of each apple with a melon baller, being careful not to go through the bottom.  Discard cores.  Fill each apple with oat mixture.  Transfer apples to a 9-inch square non-reactive baking dish.  Add 1 cup water to the dish to cover bottoms of apples by about 1/2 inch.  Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Bake until apples are soft (40-45 minutes).  Serve warm. 

Oven-Baked Pumpkin

Nutrition: 

Servings: 4

Calories per serving: 110 kcal

Fat per serving: 2.5 g

Sodium per serving: 1.5 mg

Ingredients:

1 medium sugar pumpkin (4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks

4 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves

salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Divide pumpkin, shallots, oil, and sage between two large rimmed baking sheets; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Roast until pumpkin is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once and rotating sheets halfway through. 

100 Calorie Snacks

Here is a great list of <100 calorie snacks. Use these snacks before, during, or after work/school as a way to stay energized throughout your day. 

Fruit:

1 cup sliced strawberries with 3 tablespoons cool whip

Medium Banana

28 frozen grapes

Watermelon

Pineapple slices

Medium Apple

Baked apple dusted with cinnamon and a little brown sugar

1 cup blueberries

Dairy:

Yoplait Light Yogurt

String Cheese Snacks

1/2 cup Fro-Yo

1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup cantaloupe

Beverages:

Starbucks Tall Skinny Latte

Chocolate Milk (1 cup skim milk with 1 tablespoon light chocolate syrup)

1 cup Whey Protein with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Small latte with skim milk

5 animal crackers with 1/2 cup skim milk

Grains:

3 cups Air-Popped Popcorn

Quaker Instant Oatmeal

90 Calorie Granola Bar

2 egg whites with 1 slice whole wheat toast

Small Bag of Pretzels

1 Nutter Butter Granola Bar

Any 100 Calorie Snack Pack

1/2 cup Special K cereal

1 cup Cheerios

Veggies:

1 cup baby carrots with 2 tablespoons Hummus

1 tablespoon peanuts with 2 tablespoons Craisins

5 stalks celery with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 bell pepper with 1 tablespoon light ranch

Protein:

1 hard-boiled egg

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

20 pistachios nuts

1 packet ready to eat tuna salad

Sweets:

5 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses (Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants)

1 Light Snack Pack Pudding

14 chocolate covered almonds

2 graham crackers with a light layer of Nutella or peanut butter and a slice of banana

2 oz of Angel Food Cake

Simply Sylvia Homemade Granola Bars

Early morning is my favorite part of the day.  It's when I workout, sip on a cup of coffee, and just reflect. Like everyone, I have mornings where I'm super rushed and know I'll have to take breakfast on the go. That's when I love this recipe.  It makes 12 healthy alternatives to grocery store breakfast bars and they taste yummy too! 

Nutrition:

Servings: 12

Calories per serving: 200 kcal

Fat per serving: 1.3 g

Sodium per serving: 26 mg

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3 egg whites 

*2 cups raisins or your choice 

1/4 cup light maple syrup

1/4 cup honey with 2 tablespoons water

**1/2 cup PB2

Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a cooking pan with Pam. Mix together the PB2 and syrup until well blended.  Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl, once mixed, stir together the wet and dry ingredients.  Spread evenly into a 9X12 baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool and cut into bars.  Wrap individual bars in plastic bags or place in an air-tight container.  Store in fridge. 

*Optional: sprinkle a light layer of PB2 or peanut butter on top of the bars with a smidge of the raisins or your choice ingredient

*Be creative! I like raisins because they give me the energy I need to power through the morning.  You can substitute for chocolate chips, dried cherries, sunflower seeds, almonds, coconut, etc.  

**I use PB2 because it has 85% less fat and calories than traditional peanut butter.  It comes as powder and you just mix it with water to the desired consistency.  Not a fan of PB2? Substitute in for peanut butter.