Pasta with clam

This healthy variation of clam pasta is a delicious, quick, and easy way to have highly nutritious clams in your diet. It is lighter than some pasta recipes and the abundance of basil adds extra healthy benefits and flavor.

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
¼ lb whole wheat spiral pasta
1 medium sized onion, minced
1 TBS + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
10 oz can whole clams with juice
1 TBS tomato paste
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
pinch red chili flakes
½ cup chopped fresh basil
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
*optional ½ cup shredded parmesan


Directions:

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
While water is coming to a boil and pasta is cooking, heat 1 TBS broth over medium heat in a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth for about 4 minutes stirring frequently.
Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes on high heat to reduce and intensify sauce. Add clams and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add pressed garlic, chopped basil, olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Remove from heat immediately and toss with cooked, drained pasta.
Serves 4

Serving suggestions: Serve with

Great Antipasto Salad or
Creamy Romaine Salad
Healthy Cooking Tips:

Make sure your clams cook just long enough to heat through. If you purchase chopped clams they will take less time than whole. If they cook too long they will get tough and rubbery. Even though the recipe calls for reducing the sauce 10 minutes, temperature varies in stoves so test the sauce for flavor. If it still tastes a little weak, simmer a little longer before adding clams. Keep in mind the added garlic, olive oil and basil at the end will certainly increase the flavor. To keep the sauce from getting too salty, add at the end. Salt intensifies as it cooks. This way you can control the saltiness. Check pasta often while cooking to make sure it doesn't overcook. If it is done before the sauce, rinse it with very hot water and drain well to freshen it and keep it from sticking right before tossing with the sauce. This is a healthier method than tossing it with a lot of oil to keep it from sticking together.

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Sweet tooth substitutes

Remember that the snack choices that you make for your kids tend to stay with them for life. If you familiarize them with healthier options while they are young, they’ll be more likely to stick to these choices and live longer, healthier lives.

It has been said that fruits like bananas and oranges are nature’s original snack—they come pre-wrapped and ready to eat. Get your kids used to fruits to sate their craving for sweets. Berries, in particular, are a powerhouse of nutrition—packed with vitamins and minerals, and also one of the best sources of antioxidants. You can freeze some strawberries or grapes overnight in a plastic bag, and they’ll be a perfect treat to send your kids off with in the morning.

Granola bars are a great alternative to a gooey candy bar. Sweet, crunchy granola bars have more fiber, and far less fat and sugar.

If your kids can’t do without a bar of chocolate, then go ahead and indulge them—not all chocolates are bad. Just make sure to avoid the super-sweet varieties that come with caramel or nougat. Choose dark chocolate—containing at least 70% cocoa solids—which is a good source of antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, the type found in green tea and red wine

Smart snacking

Choosing healthy snacks means shopping smart. Be cautious of the health claims on food packages. Here are some things to watch out for.

Just because something is "all natural" or "pure" doesn't necessarily mean that it's nutritious. For example, "all natural" juice drinks or sodas can be filled with sugar (which is, after all, a natural ingredient) but all that sugar means they'll be high in calories and give you little nutrition.

A granola bar is a good example of a snack that people think is healthy. Although granola bars can be a good source of certain vitamins and nutrients, many also contain a great deal of fat, including a particularly harmful type of fat called trans fat. On average, about 35% of the calories in a regular granola bar come from fat. And there can be a lot of sugar in granola cereals and bars. Check the Nutrition Facts label on the package to be sure.

Be skeptical of low-fat food claims, too. If the fat has been eliminated or cut back, the amount of sugar in the food may have increased to keep that food tasting good. Many low-fat foods have nearly as many calories as their full-fat versions.

Whatever claims a food's manufacturer writes on the front of the package, you can judge whether a food is healthy for you by reading the ingredients and the nutrition information on the food label.

Burning Calories

New research tells us that exercising after a meal ignites the food's thermic effect-the food's natural ability to boost metabolism and more calories.

When men take a twenty-minute walk following a meal their metabolic rate rises 29 percent. A brisk walk speeds up the calorie burning effect of the food and burns calories from the exercise also.

Just make sure that when you exercise after eating it's something not too strenuous. A nice brisk walk can actually speed up digestion, but anything more might actually interfere with digestion of your meal

Yogurt with fruit

This recipe is great for breakfast and as a dessert.

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 apple, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 cup seedless grapes
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup berries, whatever is in season
2 cups plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt


Directions:

Mix all the fruit together. Either top with yogurt or mix yogurt and fruit together.

Tuna salad surprise

You will love this unique way of preparing a tuna salad with no mayonnaise. It's perfect for a light dinner or lunch and provides an excellent—106% of the daily value—for those hard to find omega-3 fatty acids. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 6 ½ oz cans of light tuna, drained
1/4 cup finely diced celery
3 TBS chopped walnuts
3 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely minced onion
salt and black pepper to taste
1 medium head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped, seeds and excess pulp removed

Dressing
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBS prepared Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
4 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 oz silken tofu
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
a little water to thin if necessary


Directions:
Mince onions and press garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to bring out their health-promoting benefits.
Blend dressing ingredients in blender adding oil a little at a time at end (to incorporate). Blend well to make sure sunflower seeds are ground.
Mix tuna, celery, walnuts, parsley, onion, salt, and pepper.
Mix desired amount of dressing with tuna mixture.
Serve on bed of chopped romaine lettuce with chopped tomato.
Serves 2

Healthy Cooking Tips:

Blend the dressing long enough to completely grind the sunflower seeds for a smooth texture.

Energizing Oatmeal

This is a delicious complete breakfast and a perfect way to start your day!Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups water
sea salt to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 sliced almonds
1 cup soymilk or skim milk
1 TBS blackstrap molasses
Directions:

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan, then turn the heat to low and add the oats.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so that the oatmeal will not clump together. Add cinnamon, raisins and almonds, stir, cover the pan and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with milk and sweetener.
Serves 2
Healthy Cooking Tips:

If you are using prepackaged oats, it is best to follow the directions on the package.