Light Buffalo Chicken Dip

Photo Courtesy of Food.com

This dip is addictive. It's incredibly easy to make and has a creamy and cheesy texture with a bit of a kick. I promise this dip will be gone in a matter of minutes. With only five ingredients, it's fast and cheap to make. You can't go wrong.

To help make it a little healthier, I used light cream cheese, light cheddar cheese and light Ranch dressing as compared to the original recipe. And be sure to eat with veggies!

Ingredients:
2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 oz) packages light cream cheese
2/3 cup light Ranch dressing
2/3 cup hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot works great)
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese
Celery
Carrots
Cauliflower


Heat the chicken and hot sauce in a medium pan until hot. Add cream cheese and ranch. Stir to combine until heated through. Mix in half of the cheddar cheese and transfer to a crock pot. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, then cover and cook on low until hot. Serve with celery and crackers.

Easy Quinoa Summer Salad

This salad combines the freshness of cilantro with the tang of lemon to create a summery, healthy and light salad. Perfect for a main dish or a side to fish or chicken, this salad will make you feel healthier after the first bite.

It has a limited number of ingredients, takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish, and tastes like it takes a lot longer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 cucumber,diced
1 tomato,diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 mini can corn, drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt
pepper


Put the quinoa and water into a medium pot. Turn on the heat to high. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and cool.

In a medium bowl, add the diced cucumber, tomato, red pepper, drained can of corn, and cilantro. Add cooled quinoa. Stir to combine.

Cut lemon in half. Squeeze juice from both halves into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, some salt and pepper to the bowl, then whisk to combine.

Pour dressing over quinoa and veggie mixture, stir to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Eat!!

Panchero's - Healthiest Options

Photo Courtesy of Yelp.com

Quick, tasty and fresh, Panchero's is a great place to go for a treat every few weeks. Like many restaurants, though, sometimes it's hard to pick out the healthiest options while standing in line. Here's some guidance.

Best beans to choose? Black or Pinto?
Pinto. This is a close one.  Pinto beans have about 11 calories more than black beans (152 calories vs. 141 calories per serving), but they have 2 more grams of fiber (7 grams) and 3 more grams of protein (11 grams). Definitely worth those 11 extra calories.

Best meat to choose for protein and calorie content?
Chicken. The single serving of chicken has 121 calories and 18 grams of protein. A great amount of protein for only 121 calories.

Best option for lowest calories?
Veggies.  The veggie option only has 23 calories total. If you're looking for the lowest calories possible, this is the way to go.

Best choice for lowest amount of carbs?
Burrito Bowl or Salad. Here's Why:
Cilantro Lime Rice - 196 calories, 5 grams fat, 35 grams carbs
Tortilla (Burrito) - 315 calories, 9 grams fat, 50 grams carbs
Tortilla (2 Tacos) - 134 calories, 4 grams of fat, 22 grams carbs

Load It Up With These Toppers: 
Pico De Gallo - 12 calories, 0 grams fat 
Ancho Salsa (the mild one) - 2 calories, 0 grams fat 
Tomatillo Salsa (the hot one) - 21 calories, 1 gram fat 
Cheese - 77 calories, 6 grams of fat  
Lettuce - 1 calorie, 0 fat 

What to Skip: 
Chips (1 bag) - 560 calories, 32 grams of fat 
Sour Cream - 113 calories, 9 grams of fat 
Queso Sauce - 175 calories, 14 grams of fat

Make Your Own Oatmeals-To-Go

I eat oatmeal every single day during the week. I bring it with me to work, then eat my breakfast at my desk while checking all the emails that piled up since yesterday. It's warm, easy to make, filling and healthy. Can't beat it!

Up until recently, we've been buying the Quaker Instant Oatmeal packets. Each packet contains somewhere between 12-15 grams of sugar. For reference, 13 grams of sugar is a tablespoon of sugar. In each packet. Way more than you might've thought, eh?

Below is the easiest way to save money and make your breakfast even healthier.

Ingredients (per packet):
1/2 cup Quick cooking oats
1 tsp. Truvia
1 tsp. Cinnamon, or to taste

Add ingredients to a sandwich baggie. When ready to eat, add packet to bowl. Just cover oatmeal with water. Put bowl in microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Then put back in for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching to make sure it doesn't bubble over the edge. Voila!

Then save and reuse your baggies. Brilliant!


Delicious Variations:
Add wet ingredients right before popping in the microwave

Pumpkin Pie:
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin Puree

Choco Banana:
Cocoa Powder
Sliced Banana

Peanut Butter Pie:
Vanilla Extract
Peanut Butter
Splash of Milk

Strawberry Banana:
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Bananas
Strawberry Preserves

Fall Maple Apple:
Grated Apple
Maple Syrup
Cinnamon
Chopped Walnuts



More Add-in Ideas 


Walnuts
Slivered almonds
Nutmeg
Raisins
Fruit Preserves
Craisins
Vanilla Extract
Dried Dates
Strawberries
Flax Seeds
Peanut Butter
Banana
Cocoa Powder
Grated Apple
Maple Syrup
Pumpkin Puree
Blueberries
Wheat Germ
Honey

Healthy Homemade Wheat Bread

 Have you ever looked at the ingredients on packaged bread? It's ridiculous the number of excess preservatives and additives that are thrown in to make it shelf stable. 

Bread is simple -- this recipe only has eight ingredients. It does take a little time, mostly just letting bread rise a few times, but if you're at home doing other things, it's pretty easy to mix up and let sit while you go about your weekend.

This is the first time I've ever made homemade wheat bread, and it turned out great. Beginners or pros, this recipe is for you!

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoons butter
2 1/4 cups warm water (110-120 degrees)
1 tablespoon salt
6 cups whole wheat flour, plus another possible 1/2 cup
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1) In a microwave safe medium bowl combine 4 tablespoons butter and the honey. Microwave until the butter is melted. Add melted butter and honey to a large bowl.

  

2) Add warm water to the bowl.

 

3) Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water honey mixture and mix to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

 

4) In a different large bowl combine the salt and 3 cups whole wheat flour.  

5) Add the yeast mixture to the wheat flour mixture. Stir together until the liquid is absorbed (about 2 minutes). Be sure to scrape down the sides periodically.

6) Add the egg and one cup of whole wheat flour.  Blend together until the egg is incorporated, then stir for another 2 minutes.

7) Add the oats and 2 cups whole wheat flour.  Mix until it's smooth and elastic. Use your hands toward the end. Use up to one more cup of flour if needed to prevent the dough from being sticky.  I used an additional 1/2 cup flour.  

 

8) Place 1 tablespoon of butter in a large bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Add the dough to the warm bowl.  

 

9) Cover and let the dough rise in a warm location for about 1 hour or until double in size.  Punch the dough down and turn onto a floured surface.  

 

10) Cut the dough in half and shape each into a loaf.  Place the loaves in two  greased 9x5 inch loaf pans covered with a towel and let rise in a warm place for another hour.

 

11) Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Allow to completely cool on cooling rack.