Functional foods are known to provide health benefits beyond their basic nutrition through phytochemicals and antioxidants. Check out this link from Live Strong and be sure to incorporate these super foods into your nutrition plan and healthy diet!

INGREDIENTS:

-2 cups shredded boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast
-8 cups head iceburg lettuce or lettuce blend
-1 cup chopped red cabbage
-3 green onion sliced
-1 cucumber peeled and sliced into matchlike strips
-1 cup julienne carrots
-1 large red pepper sliced in strips
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
-3 TBS toasted slivered almonds
-1 cup crunchy chow mein noodles
-2 TBS toasted sesame seeds

-1/2 cup rice vinegar
-1 TBS sesame seed oil
-1 TBS light olive oil
-2 packets Truvia®
-Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook chicken breasts on the grill or under the broiler. Sprinkle garlic, pepper and soy sauce for flavor. Once cooked, shred or chop chicken into pieces and set aside.

Combine all vegetables in a large bowl. Once blended, add chicken, dressing and almonds. Toss to coat mixture. Top with chow mein noodles and sesame seeds!

This makes 4 HUGE servings. Serving has just under 300 calories, 9 grams of fat, 21 g. carbs and 5 fiber. That’s 5 POINTS if you count ‘em.
If you want to really savor every bite, try eating this meal with chopsticks. ENJOY!

Recipe source: Skinny Scoopers

May is National BBQ Month!

We’re ready for some fun backyard BBQs with friends & family! You’ve all been working so hard to get bikini-ready so we want to give you some recipes & tips so that you can enjoy the picnics and parties and still keep that svelte figure. Grilling is a very healthy & flavorful cooking option and can be done easily, even without the sugar-laden sauces and fat-dripping meat patties. Here are a few tips & some recipes to throw on the grill without the guilt:

TIPS

• Choose leaner cuts of beef, or chicken, fish & veggies
• Avoid high-fat hamburgers (& cheese!), hot dogs & sausages
• If you choose red meat, be sure to trim excess fat
• Make marinades based with olive oil or citrus juices
• Use fresh herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, thyme, oregano & sage for added flavor

Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Pesto

INGREDIENTS
-1/4 cup lime juice
-1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
-1 tablespoon canola oil
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-4 chicken breasts
-2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, (1-2 bunches)
-2 scallions, sliced
-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Whisk lime juice, soy sauce, oil and chili powder in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade in a small bowl. Add chicken to the remaining marinade; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. Preheat grill to medium-high.

Meanwhile, place cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and the reserved marinade in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade) and grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. Serve the chicken with the cilantro-sesame pesto.

Low Fat Turkey Burgers

INGREDIENTS
-1 pound lean ground turkey
-1 large carrot, peeled & coarsely grated
-2 chipotle chilies in adobo + 2 TBSP sauce from can
-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
-1 tsp ground cumin
-½ tsp salt
-4 whole wheat hamburger buns OR large butter lettuce leaves
-4 roasted red pepper halves (bottled in water), optional

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine turkey, carrot, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, cilantro, cumin and salt. Mix well to combine. Shape mixture into 4 equal patties. Grill or broil burgers (on a baking sheet for broiling) for 5 minutes per side, until browned on the outside and cooked through. Arrange the burgers on buns and top with roasted red peppers.

Grilled Vegetable Packets

INGREDIENTS
-2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
-1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
-1 lb fresh mushrooms, halved
-1 large onion, coarsely chopped
-6 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
-2 cups small broccoli florets
-2 cups small cauliflower florets

DRESSING
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup margarine, melted
-1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 teaspoons dried basil
-1 teaspoon dried oregano 
-salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Mix all vegetables together in a large bowl. Take 2 pieces of double-layered heavy duty aluminum foil and lay one on top of the other & place vegetables in the center. Mix together the dressing ingredients; drizzle over vegetables. Fold foil into packet around vegetables. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, turning once.

As always, feel free to submit your favorite grilling or summer recipes here.