Category: Nutritional Wellness

Nutritional wellness is the ability to take in and utilize any food material to get the proper nourishment that a person needs. This involves a person’s ability to adequately study the different food groups and assess the different portions that are required for an individual. Overall, having nutritional wellness is the starting point that needs to be achieved in order to succeed in other areas of wellness.

Breakfast on the Run!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons apple butter
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 3 whole-wheat English muffins, split and lightly toasted
  • 6 1/2-ounce slices low-fat, cracked black pepper ham, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons minced green onion (scallion) tops
  • 3 ounces low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

In a small bowl, combine apple butter and mustard. Spread 1 tablespoon mixtureon each muffin half. In another small bowl, combine ham, onion, and cheese. Spread each muffin half with this mixture. Broil until topping is bubbly. (Both mixtures may be prepared in advance and stored separately for a quickbreakfast.)english muffin

Serves 6

Each serving contains about 137 calories, 10 g protein, 3 g fat (20% calories from fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 19 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber, and 400 mg sodium.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Pitcher-Perfect Iced Tea

Ingredients

  • 4 tea bags:Iced Tea regular, decaffeinated, or herbal
  • 4 cups water

Directions

Bring water to a rolling boil. Pour water over tea bags in a teapot, pitcher, or other one-quart container. Let steep 5 to 7 minutes. Remove tea bags. Chill. Serve in glasses over ice.

Serves 4

Instead of adding sugar or artificial sweetener, try adding fruit juice for a new flavor. Mixing 1 cup of tea with 1/2 cup orange juice adds about 56 calories, 1 g protein, less than 1 g fat, 13 g carbohydrates, less than 1 g fiber, and 1 mg sodium.

To make this recipe gluten-free, use only tea that is gluten-free. Read food labels carefully and contact the company if you have any questions.

 

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Southern Chicken and Dumpling Soup

This is a lighter variation on a Southern classic, chicken and dumplings, which are a type of homemade noodle.

The trick is to use a light, fresh noodle that doesn’t have to be pre-boiled.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken brothsoup
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 can condensed low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
  • 1 10-ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas, and corn), or
  • 3 cups fresh vegetables
  • 6 sheets of refrigerated egg roll wrappers
  • 1 tbsp. parsley

Directions

Put chicken broth into a large soup pot and add onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add condensed mushroom soup and chicken. Heat thoroughly and add vegetables.

Slice each egg roll wrapper into three “wide noodles.” Add noodles three at a time to simmering soup. Stir gently so they don’t stick, and continue adding until all are in the pot.

Continue simmering for about 2 minutes. Ladle into 4 bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Each serving contains about 353 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat, no trans fat), 58 mg cholesterol, 664 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugars, and 29 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Barley Pilaf

This is a lovely side dish for chicken or fish.Spinach and mushroom barley pilaf served on a blue plate with a spoon on the side

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes cut into strips
    • (if you use tomatoes that come in oil, add them first to the pan and omit the tablespoon of olive oil)
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 cups cooked barley
  • 2 tbsp. parsley

Directions

  • Heat oil in large frying panSauté onions until translucent and add tomatoes, spinach, and almonds.
    • Stir in barley.
    • When spinach is wilted and barley is hot, sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Each serving contains about 219 calories, 8 g fat (less than 1 g saturated fat, no trans fat, and no cholesterol), 102 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, and 6 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

 

Crunchy Chicken Salad

IngredientsP1140059

  • 2 cups chunked cooked chicken
  • ½ cup celery
  • ¼ cup green pepper
  • ¼ onion
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 small diced apple (leave the peel on)
  • ½ cup grapes
  • ¼ cup yogurt, plain

Directions

  1. Use leftover cooked chicken, or cook enough chicken to make 2 cups of chicken pieces.
  2. Chop the celery and green pepper. Peel and chop ¼ of an onion. Peel and chop half of a cucumber.
  3. Chop the apple into pieces. It’s OK to leave the peel on the apple. Cut the grapes in half.
  4. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together.
  5. Serve on lettuce, crackers, or bread.

Makes 5 servings

Each serving is about ¾ cup each and provides: 140 calories, 4.5 g fat, 65 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g protein.

 

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Eat Spinach for a Better Night Sleep

If you toss and turn at night or struggle with a sleep disorder like insomnia, you could have a magnesium deficiency. But even if you sleep like a baby, it’s a smart idea to eat foods high in this mineral. Every organ in the body needs magnesium. It contributes to energy production, helps regulate levels of nutrients in your body, and affects sensors in the brain that promote sleep.

Spinach

Luckily, you can find magnesium in lots of foods, but many Americans don’t get enough. For maximum magnesium, look to spinach, other leafy greens, almonds, pinto beans, nuts, and legumes. It’s simple to incorporate them into your diet, too. Try cooking up some spinach with olive oil and pine nuts as a savory side dish, or make a spinach salad that includes chickpeas and almond slivers. Research a new recipe today to try out! You knew that spinach makes you strong—now you know it may also help you sleep.

 

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Panini for One

The Italians have it right when it comes to grown-up grilled sandwiches. You don’t need a Panini maker—you can use a frying pan and a heavy plate to press the sandwich.

IngredientsPanini for One

  • 1 4-inch-square Panini roll
  • 1 slice (1 oz.) low-sodium Swiss cheese
  • 2 oz. cooked pork tenderloin
  • 1/4 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1 Roma tomato, cut into thin slices
  • 1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • Olive oil spray

Directions

Slice roll and remove some of the interior bread to make for a crisper sandwich.

Put half the cheese on bottom of roll. Layer meat, zucchini, tomato, and onion. Cover with rest of cheese and top of roll.

Heat a sandwich grill. Spray grill plates lightly with olive oil. Bake sandwich until cheese melts and meat is hot, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 1 sandwich

Each sandwich contains about 479 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat, no trans fat, 66 mg cholesterol), 539 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, and 31 g protein.

 

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Treat Yourself Today!

Treat yourself to tea and bookcoffee or tea and a good book today. You read emails. You read text messages. You read the news. But have you read a good book lately? Reading for pleasure can be an escape from the stresses of everyday life, help keep your mind sharp, and even make you more likely to empathize with others.

So set aside a half-hour to curl up with a book. Grab a comforting cup of coffee or tea, too. Drinking black, green, or oolong tea can boost the body’s defense against disease, research says. Tea has also been linked to lower risk for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and allergy symptoms. And coffee has been associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. We’ll toast to that!

 

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Lime-Mango Whip

Serves 2

*(Gluten-free)

Each serving contains about 38 calories, less than 1 g protein, 1 g fat (24% calories from fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, and 5 mg sodium.

IngredientstmImU

  • 1/2 cup fresh mango flesh
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whip.

 

Mini Greek Chicken Kabobs recipe

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1½ Tbsp canola oil
½ tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp dried oregano leavesTeriyaki-Chicken-Kabobs-GI-365-22
½ tsp dried dill
1 medium garlic clove, minced
⅛ tsp dried pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt

For the kabobs:
Canola oil cooking spray
4 chicken tenders (8 oz total), rinsed and patted dry, cut crosswise into small chunks
½ small green bell pepper, cut into 16 cubes
16 grape cherry tomatoes
1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 16 pieces
16 bamboo skewers (6-in each)

Directions

  1. Combine marinade ingredients in a quart-sized resealable plastic bag, seal tightly, and toss back and forth until well blended. Remove 2 tablespoons mixture, place in a small bowl, and set aside. Add chicken pieces to bag with the remaining marinade, seal tightly, and toss back and forth to coat completely. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning occasionally.
  2. Coat grill rack with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat.
  3. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Thread piece of chicken and each vegetable per skewer in this order: pepper, chicken, tomato, and squash. Repeat with remaining skewers.
  4. Place skewers on a grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear, turning frequently and being careful not to overcook. Remove from grill, place on a serving platter, and brush reserved 2 tablespoons marinade evenly over all. Serve warm.

Serves 8

Serving size: 2 kabobs. Each serving provides: 60 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 6 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar

 

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.