Souper Stew

Posted on by
Reply

I just made a delicious batch of lentil stew that was inspired by a recipe that I found in the New York Times. I have to admit that I didn’t exactly follow the recipe, but when it comes to soups and stews that isn’t always necessary! I love homemade soups and stews for several reasons.

  1. They are delicious, especially on a chilly New England February day like this one.
  2. They can be a quick fix when you find yourself hungry and at a loss for what to eat.
  3. They can be a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your day.
  4. They can be helpful in weight loss (if you have the right soup!).
  5. They have much less sodium than what you’ll find in canned soups!
Making your own might seem like a time consuming task, but keep in mind all that you are gaining and the fact that you can make one batch for many future meals. I like to keep small takeout containers on hand to freeze soups in single servings; when I want one, I just pop it out of the container and heat it up. Research has shown that eating broth based soups before a meal can help reduce the total amount of calories consumed. This can be compounded when you choose a soup that contains protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber (like this lentil stew). These components also make it a great snack in the middle of the day. When you make your own (anything) you can control just what goes into it. This can mean lowering the sodium and upping the vegetable ante while adjusting the seasonings specifically to suit your taste. When’s the last time Campbell’s did that for you?

A big pot of stew!

Packaged up in single serve containers, ready to go!

Build a Better Snack

Posted on by
2

Does this sound familiar? It’s 4:30, you’re hungry and dinner is hours away plus you just found out you need to go into a meeting for the next hour (or you have to drive the kids to their practice, or one of a million other things!)… what do you do? Do you hit the vending machine and grab a bag of chips? Do you have yet another cup of coffee to tide you over? OR do you grab a healthy snack so that you can make it through the next few hours with a clear head? I know that most of you are probably thinking I’m too busy and I can’t possibly manage that, but having a healthy option with you every day is both smart and doable! Of course there is some planning involved, but once you get in the habit, it will be like second nature!

To start at the beginning let’s define “Healthy Snack”. Depending upon your own calorie needs, a snack could be anywhere between 150-350 calories and ideally it would have a good mix of protein and carbohydrates plus fiber. This combination will not only give you energy, but will also help to keep you feeling full much longer than those vending machine chips! In addition to the snack have a glass of water (or tea or other low/no calorie beverage) to make sure the problem isn’t one of hydration. Make a plan at the beginning of each week so that you can make sure that you will be sufficiently stocked when hunger strikes.

Some snacks ideas include:

  • A pear and a handful of almonds
  • An apple with a Tablespoon of peanut butter
  • Trail mix (fiber cereal with dried fruit)
  • Turkey and lettuce rolled up in a whole wheat pita
  • Greek yogurt with some ground flax seed mixed in
  • Some grapes and a low-fat string cheese
  • Cottage cheese with cucumber slices and a whole grain pita
  • Hummus with carrot sticks and red pepper strips

These are just a few examples and some of them do require refrigeration or an ice pack, but you get the idea. You can even use some non-traditional ideas like soup, oatmeal or bean salad. Get creative and happy snacking!

Three snack ideas - no refrigeration required.