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Healthy Recipe: Easy Bruschetta

FitSugar — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Now that we have the OK to eat tomatoes again, I can joyfully make my famous tomato bruschetta. I actually got the recipe from a chef friend, but since I've made it so many times people think it's mine. I add fresh red peppers to this recipe to give it a snappier texture. It makes a wonderful appetizer or a light healthy meal.

To see the recipe just read more.

Easy Bruschetta
Chef Lindzey Chaffin's recipe

Ingredients

8 Roma tomatoes
1/2 a red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Fresh mozzarella
Whole wheat baguette
More olive oil for brushing

Directions

Wash the Roma tomatoes, cut them in half and then remove the seeds. Then dice them into small pieces and place them in a bowl.

Then dice the red pepper, place them in the bowl and add 1 clove of the minced garlic (save the other clove for the bread).

Sprinkle salt on top, mix it up and move the bowl to the refrigerator for one hour. This allows the salt to pull the juices out of the veggies.

Now preheat the oven to 350° and chop the basil.

Take the bowl out of the fridge and add the basil, balsamic vinegar and the oil. Mix it all up and add pepper.

If you like cheese, add pieces of diced mozzarella to the mixture.

Place the bowl back in the fridge.
Slice the whole wheat baguette and brush each piece with olive oil and sprinkle with a little garlic. Place on a cookie sheet and bake until the tops are slightly brown.

Remove from the oven and place each piece of bread on a platter. Take the tomato and pepper mixture out of the fridge, give it a good stir and serve with the bread.

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Do you have a healthy snack or recipe to share? Then share it in the Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group and I might just post it on FitSugar.

Host a Name Game Healthy Potluck

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Eating healthy has become my full-time job, and I'm not going to lie to you - I'm lacking in the creativity department. I mean, how many times a week can I make pasta primavera, tacos, and grilled chicken? If you're desperate for some healthy new meal ideas, why not tap into your friend's brains?

Invite your buddies over for a Name Game Healthy Potluck dinner. Everyone has to bring a healthy food or dish that begins with the first letter of their names. So Susi could bring grilled summer squash and salmon, Brian would bring tomato and basil bruschetta, and Jenny would bring juice smoothies for dessert. Make sure they know each dish needs to be made from scratch with real ingredients. It should be low fat, low in cholesterol, low in sodium, or low in sugar. Have people make copies of their healthy recipes, and not only will you leave with a tummy full of nutritious food, but you'll also have a stack of new ideas to add to you repertoire.

Romano's Macaroni Grill Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:30:00 -0800

Romano's Macaroni Grill can be found at or around almost every mall and strip mall in the USA. Many years ago I ate there once, and after taking a look at their nutritional menu today, I am shocked I didn't have a heart attack on the spot (exaggeration, I know). I know it's convenient and there are those of you that love this place, so before you go, be sure to check out this breakdown of many of the popular Italian items served.

Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
Calamari Fritti	1210	78	13	66	4170
Tomato Bruschetta	1000	70	11	75	1810
House Salad (w/o dressing)	130	5	2	15	460
Insalata Blue (w/ chicken)	570	38	12	9	1020
Mozzarella alla Caprese (half order)	260	21	7	5	410
Grilled Asparagus (side order)	30	1	0	4	590
Lobster Ravioli	1090	78	54	55	1910
Pollo Magro "Skinny Chicken"	330	5	1	29	770
Simple Salmon	590	40	6	5	1390
Chicken Parmesan	1490	68	35	129	3510
Veal Marsala	1270	64	44	116	2660
Fettuccine Alfrredo (w/ chicken)	1370	97	56	68	1300
Spaghetti & Meatballs (w/ meat sauce)	2430	128	57	207	5290
Traditional Lasagna	1040	54	30	65	2800

Before you go saying I've only pointed out the things that are bad for you, the only dinner items (aside from salads) that had less than 830 calories are listed ("Skinny Chicken," Chicken Cannelloni, and Simple Salmon)-almost every item had 1,000 plus calories.

For deserts and kids items, just read more

Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
Lemon Passion	1150	56	29	149	910
Tiramisu	1000	64	36	89	160 (typo?)
Kids Double Mac 'n' Cheese	1210	62	40	107	3450
Kids Grilled Chicken & Broccoli	390	5	2	51	560
Kids Spaghetti & Meatballs (w/ tomato sauce)	500	20	8	58	1520

Are you as shocked as I am at the numbers above? Don't even get me started on the kids mac 'n' cheese.

If I were headed to this restaurant, I would be kicking and screaming, but I would have to order the "Skinny Chicken" with a house salad (w/o dressing) and a side of asparagus. I'd skip the dessert altogether unless I were sharing it with ten (or more) people. If you're getting anything other than the "Skinny Chicken," Chicken Cannelloni, Simple Salmon, or a salad with no dressing, split your meal with someone else to cut it back.

Kashi TLC Party Crackers

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It may come as no surprise that Kashi is one of my favorite food companies. It has a reputation for making wholesome food that's healthy and full of taste. I love its cereals, waffles, chewy granola bars, yummy frozen entrees, and frozen pizzas – just to name a few!

I'm also a fan of Kashi's TLC Snack Crackers, so when I saw these new TLC Party Crackers, I had to try them.

I picked up a box of the Roasted Rosemary & Thyme flavor and they are outstanding. They have a really robust aroma and the taste to match, plus these crackers are much bigger than your average size cracker (they're 2 1/2" x 2 1/4"). I loved that they are thick and sturdy, which means you can stack a whole lot of yummy stuff on top (although they taste perfect on their own). When you open the package, the 24 crackers are in a tiny tray so they're perfectly protected, and look just like the picture on the box.

Want to see how healthy they are? Then read more

Serving Size	4 crackers
Calories	130
Total Fat	4.5g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	140mg
Carbs	18g
Fiber	3g
Sugar	2g
Protein	3g

What a delicious way to get 4g of fiber and 3g of protein with only 130 calories. These Kashi Party Crackers are made with their signature seven whole grains and sesame, but like all Kashi's products, they don't taste healthy at all. The savory herbs and spices, and crunchy texture make this cracker so unique, they're sure to be a hit at your next party.

Kashi makes two other flavors as well - Mediterranean Bruschetta and Stoneground 7 Grain. I found these in the health food section at my regular grocery store, but if you can't find them there, check your local health food store.

Italian Food Break Down: Numbers to Know Before You Mangia!

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

Who doesn't love a slice of cheese pizza, Lasagna or Anitpasto? And those Italian desserts like gelato or a cannoli - they're just so delicious, it's hard to hold back.

Each of these are based on a regular restaurant portion:

Antipasto Salad: 136 cals, 8g fat, 13g carbs
Bruschetta (1 piece with tomato and basil): 102 cals, 3g fat, 17g carbs
Chicken Cacciatore: 370 cals, 22g fat, 4g carbs
Capresse Salad: 154 cals, 11.8g fat, 4.2g carbs
Eggplant Parmigiana: 670 cals, 32g fat, 75g carbs
Fettuccine Alfredo: 780 cals, 55g fat, 53g carbs
Parmesan Garlic Bread: 259 cals, 13.4g fat, 29.2g carbs
Lasagna (meat): 400 cals, 17g fat, 36 cals
Lasagna (vegetable): 250 cals, 13g fat, 21g carbs
Manicotti (cheese and tomato): 230 cals, 14g fat, 18g carbs
Minestrone Soup: 260 cals, 6g fat, 28g carbs
Spinach and Mushroom Risotto: 219 cals, 5g fat, 37g carbs
Pizza (1 slice cheese): 222 cals, 5g fat, 35g carbs
Pizza (1 slice pepperoni): 249 cals, 7.5g fat, 35g carbs

Want to see the rest? Then read more

Ravioli: 300 cals, 12g fat, 30 carbs
Spaghetti with tomato sauce: 540 cals, 13g fat, 105g carbs
Spaghetti with meatsauce: 650 cals, 16g fat, 90g carbs
Cheese Tortellini: 530 cals, 20g fat, 74g carbs
Veal Parmigiana: 350 cals, 20g fat, 5g carbs

Dessserts:

Cannoli: 142 cals, 7.1g fat, 14.2g carbs
Almond Biscotto: 110 cals, 2.5g fat, 21g carbs
Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato: 241 cals, 16g fat, 24 carbs
Raspberry Napoleon: 243 cals, 4g fat, 34g carbs
Pasticiotti: 305 cals, 12.4g fat, 42.5g carbs
Tiramisu: 310 cals, 15g fat, 39 carbs