FitSugar

Healthy Recipe: Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:00:10 -0700

I was surfing the FitSugar community page, checking out the recipes in the Healthy Recipes Group and I saw this amazing salad delorganic added to the page.
It looks really tasty and is a great way to incorporate nutritious and colorful beets into your meal. Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Join the my recipe group, since healthy food is a cornerstone to living the fit life. To check out the recipe and possibly learn a new technique for roasting beets, just read more.

Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Sweet Pecan Salad
Original Recipe

The sweet-salty contrast of the roasted beets, the tang of the goat cheese and crunch of the pecans is a delicious combination and the colors are absolutely beautiful.

Ingredients

2 beets, green cuts off, and skins trimmed
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled
3 cups mixed greens
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice the beets (about 1/4-inch thick slices) and toss with coconut oil and season with sea salt. Place on baking sheet in single layer, roast for 15 minutes, Remove pan from oven and turn beets over using a spatula. Return beets to oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

After beets are out of the oven, lower temperature to 250 degrees. Toss pecans with the maple syrup and spread out on a cooking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and then bake another 15 minutes until pecans are dried and crispy. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. In a large bowl toss mixed greens with 3/4 of the salad dressing. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and add more dressing if needed. To assemble, divide salad greens on four plates. Divide the beets evenly and place on top of greens. Sprinkle with maple pecans and goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Print recipe with images | without images

If you would like to read up about coconut oil, my pals at Nutrition Data have some great information on the subject.

5 Ingredients For a Healthier Salad

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:30:30 -0700

A salad has got to be the world's perfect meal since it's low in calories, extremely filling because of all the fiber, and so nutritious because of the variety of veggies. Since there are endless ingredients you can add to change up the flavor, you can have a different salad every day of the week and your taste buds will never get bored. Here are some ingredients to make this healthy meal even better. Find more tips in our Healthy Recipes group.

View Slideshow ›

Learn to Love: Spinach

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:30:26 -0700

When it comes to stereotypical foods that kids hate, spinach tops the list, along with brussels sprouts and broccoli, all of which I've learned to love. Seriously, when it comes to bang for your buck nutrition-wise, it's hard to beat spinach.

Spinach is an awesome vegetarian source of iron. Consider that an adult woman needs 18 mg of iron per day, and one cup of cooked spinach provides 6.4 mg of that!

Eat this leafy green raw, and one cup packs in 56 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin A; cook it and eat a cup, and you've got a whopping 377 percent of your daily value.

It's also very high in Vitamin C and lutein, which is good for your eyes and lowers your risk of cataracts. No wonder it's one of the foods women should eat every day.

Try serving fish or meat on a bed of cooked spinach, use it to make a light Mediterranean salad, or saute it with onions and spices for a yummy side dish.

Build a Better Salad: Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:30:04 -0700

Leafy greens are one of the best foods for you, but we often overload these nutritious leaves with tasty bits that are high in calories. When it comes to making a salad, what would you choose? Take this quiz and see if you know how to build a healthy salad. Along with meeting some daily nutritional requirements, also keep in mind the final calorie count.

Question 1 of 6

Let's start with the most basic ingredient of a salad, the greens. If you want to maximize your intake of fiber, which of the following greens should you choose?

Healthy Eating Tip: Add Tofu to Your Salad

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Salads are one of my favorite meals because they're low in calories, full of vitamins, nutrients, and fiber, and they taste so fresh. Veggies aren't terribly high in protein though, so I like to add tofu to mine. A half a block of tofu contains 22.5 grams of protein. Plus it's so easy to cook up, you can make a bunch and store it in the fridge for the week.

To see my simple recipe continue reading

Fast Food Salad Breakdown

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:37:50 -0700

Chances are, you're doing some traveling this Summer and toting along healthy on-the-go snacks. But there's always a chance you'll find yourself hungry on the road with no choice but fast food.

Thankfully, many fast food chains are selling surprisingly healthy salads, but beware: fat and calorie bombs also abound. Of course, you're best off avoiding creamy salad dressing and opting for vinaigrettes: one pack of McDonald's Newman's Own Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette has 40 calories and 3 grams of fat, while the brand's creamy Southwest dressing has 100 calories and 6 grams of fat per packet. If you opt for the creamy kind, try cutting the portion in half. Find out which salads have the most health appeal and which ones to avoid when you read more.

Food	Serving Size	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Sugar (g)	Carbs (g)	Protein (g)
Arby's Market Fresh Santa Fe Salad With Popcorn Chicken, No Dressing or Tortilla Strip	12.1 oz	415	17	5	806	6	37	25
*Arby's Market Fresh Martha's Vineyard Salad, No Dressing or Almonds	11.6 oz	273	9	4	609	17	25	22
*Burger King TenderGrill Chicken Garden Salad, No Dressing or Croutons	10.3 oz	240	9	3.5	720	3	8	33
McDonald's Bacon Ranch With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11.3 oz.	260	9	4	1,010	5	12	33
*McDonald's Caesar Salad With Grilled Chicken, No Dressing	11 oz.	220	6	3	890	5	12	30
Quiznos Flatbread Chopped Salad With Roasted Chicken Honey Mustard and Dressing	1 salad	1,070	71	13.5	1,770	15	69	37
Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad, No Shell	1 lb 0.8 oz	460	23	9	1,520	9	41	23
*Wendy's Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken, No Almonds, Noodles, or Dressing	11 oz.	180	2	0.5	630	12	16	24
Wendy's Garden Sensations Homestyle Chicken BLT With Croutons and Dressing	14.7 oz.	780	53	14	1,740	14	42	37

* FitSugar pick

How Many Calories Are in These Restaurant Salads?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Estimating the number of calories for menu items is a challenging task, even for eaters who think they have an eye for making healthy restaurant choices. One person's 400-calorie estimate could be another person's 700-calorie guess.

These dressed up greens aren't necessarily the worst salads in America, but some of their nutritional stats are pretty surprising. Can you guess how many calories are in these salads? Take the quiz!

Take the quiz

Build a Healthier Salad

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

In late Spring, I find a crisp salad to be the perfect lunch. When it comes to watching your waistline, all salads are not created equal. Here are a few guidelines to help navigate the salad bar and keep your salad healthy and not a vehicle for unknown calories.

Do make your own salad whenever possible.
Don't think that the pre-made salads are always going to be healthy.
Do get the darker leafy greens, like spinach, romaine, or arugula.
Don't fill your bowl with iceberg lettuce - it offers little to nothing nutritionally.
Do load up on fresh veggies.
Don't load up on roasted veggies - salad bar roasted veggies are often coated with butter and oil.

I've got more tips for building a healthier salad, so read more.

Do get a simple olive oil and balsamic dressing on the side.
Don't drench your salad in a creamy dressing - even lowfat creamy dressings are loaded with sodium.
Do toss a handful raw nuts on top of your greens.
Don't throw a salad on top of your salad - tuna, egg, and chicken salads are loaded with mayonnaise.
Do add a protein like ahi tuna, hard boiled eggs, or baked chicken breast.
Don't add bacon bits rationalizing they're providing protein.

Source

How Many Calories Are in America's Worst Salads?

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:22:23 -0700

When you're trying to eat healthy, it seems logical to order an entree with vegetables as the main ingredient. Salads are scrumptious, veggie filled meals, but too many fatty extras and creamy salad dressings can ruin a salad's bill of health. Men's Health researched popular chain restaurants and discovered the six worst salads in the US. Can you estimate how many calories are in these menu items?

Source

Take the quiz

Healthy Eating Tip: Use Salsa as Salad Dressing

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:00:25 -0800

If you're looking to cut calories at lunchtime (or anytime really), ditch the fatty salad dressings and try topping your veggies with salsa instead. This south of the border condiment is incredibly low in calories; two tablespoons contains just eight calories. The tangy tomato concoction offers a spicy kick with plenty of flavor to go around, making salads anything but dull.

If you're not into spicy salsas, try a milder roasted corn or bean salsa to dress a green salad. I find that sweet corn salsa goes great with smoked salmon and cucumber. Or, mix a chunky tomato salsa into a combination of black beans and corn for a lettuce-less salad. You won't even miss the dressing.