Couscous Salad Recipes

These recipes are great to take to a holiday party to as an on-the-go lunch. They are fairly easy to prepare and are served cold. They can all be made with either couscous or quinoa.

Garden Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium cucumber, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup cut balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Cook couscous according to the directions on the package; fluff with fork.
2. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, chives and parsley in a large bowl. Fold in couscous.
3. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over couscous and vegetables and toss to coat.
4. Chill up to 24 hours and garnish with feta cheese before serving.

Southwest Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup corn

Directions:

Cook couscous according to package directions; fluff with a fork. Toss couscous with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Cranberry Pecan Couscous Salad

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces plain couscous
• 1  cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• juice of one lemon
• pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Prepare couscous according to package directions. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest, and lemon juice; set aside. Pour prepare couscous into a large bowl and fluff with fork. Add dried cranberries, scallions, and pecans; stir well. Add dressing and mix until salad is completely coated. add a pinch of salt, or more, to taste. Chill overnight. Fold in blue cheese before serving.

Have a Healthy Thanksgiving

Planning ahead of time can help you from overindulging during your Thanksgiving feast. Here's a few tips to help you make better choices this Thanksgiving and start the holiday season off on the right path!

Don't skip meals before the main event
Some people skip breakfast and lunch to "save room" for Thanksgiving dinner. Skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do. By skipping meals, especially breakfast, your metabolism will not get going for the day making it slower all day. You can still save room for dinner and dessert by eating light for breakfast and lunch. Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and a piece of fruit as the fiber will allow you to feel full for many hours. If your Thanksgiving feast is in the evening, eat a cold quinoa or couscous salad is a great option for lunch. This can be prepared the day before so that it doesn't interfere with any of the cooking for dinner. I'll post a couple different cold salad recipes for you all. If lunch is late in the afternoon. Eat a veggie-filled salad for lunch.

Make time for activity
There are many ways to incorporate physical activity into Thanksgiving. Find a Thanksgiving day walk/run in your area and get the whole family involved. They are often early in the morning to give you plenty of time to cook and socialize later. Instead of watching football all day, grab a football and have a family game. Charades is also a great game to get the family moving and it can be enjoyed by everyone. Or you could opt for a walk around the neighborhood. A little activity is better than nothing!

Socialize away from the appetizers
If you're not careful you can consume an entire meals worth of calories just from appetizers alone! Instead of catching up with family and friends right beside the appetizer table, avoid the temptation by taking your conversation to a different room. If you can't resist, choose a small plate and take one small servings of your favorite appetizer to satisfy your craving.

Make smart food swaps
If you're the one preparing dishes for the meal, choose healthier options that will allow you to cut calories and fat for everyone. Make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, add extra vegetables to the stuffing, make casseroles with low-sodium, low-fat versions of condensed soups, use milk instead of cream, and butter replacements (such as Smart Balance) in place of butter. Also use frozen or fresh vegetables whenever possible instead of canned.

Drink water
Over the course of Thanksgiving day, sip on water instead of calorie filled beverages. If alcoholic beverages are part of your family's Thanksgiving festivities, alternate between alcoholic beverages and water. Also, drink a glass of water before eating dinner to help decrease your appetite. Drinking water between every several bites of food will also make you feel full sooner.

Bring a healthy dish
If your Thanksgiving feast is more of a pot luck, bring a healthier option. This food is being served to people you love so why not help them make healthier choices too. Bring a tray of raw vegetables with a greek yogurt dip for an appetizer, or serve roasted vegetables as a side dish. Instead of a calorie-filled dessert, bring fresh fruit. Your waistline will thank you for at least choosing one healthy dish.

Use a smaller plate
At a buffet style meal most people will fill their entire plate almost until the point that it is pouring over the sides. By choosing a smaller plate you can still fill the plate but you will be able to fit less food, which equates to less calories. If you must use a larger plate, only fill it within the plate's inner rim instead of the whole way to the edges.

Be picky about your food choices
There's no sense in eating foods that you don't love. Pick the few items that you want to consume and know that you'll enjoy. If there's one food that you know is something you only get to eat on Thanksgiving, don't feel bad about eating it! Pick white meat turkey instead of ham, and be sure to remove all of the skin before eating.

Be smart about dessert
You can eat dessert on Thanksgiving, just be smart about the amount you eat and the dessert you choose. If there are several desserts you would like to try, put just enough for one bite on your plate. /this way you can try them all and still only eat one total portion size. Avoid desserts high in sugar and fat like pecan pie, and opt for pumpkin pie instead.

Don't leave with leftovers
At the end of the night, kindly decline any high-calorie leftovers. If you cannot avoid taking leftovers home choose the healthy foods like white meat turkey and vegetables. If you're hosting, try to send all the high-calorie leftover home with your guests. It's one thing to overindulge for one day, but it's another thing to keep it up for the next week. Get back into your healthy habits the next day not the next week.

The main thing to remember is that it is not the end of the world if you overeat on Thanksgiving. Don't let overeating put you into the mindset that you've ruined your healthy lifestyle for the week and you'll start over again on Monday. Wake up Friday morning with a positive attitude, head to the gym (or the mall) and burn off some calories. The sooner you get back on track, the sooner you'll feel great again.

Soup Recipes for a Fall Day

Who doesn't love a bowl of hot soup on a cold fall day? These recipes are easy to make and will leave you with leftovers for the upcoming week. You can even freeze your leftover soup to have a quick meal ready to go in a couple of weeks.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound of chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 20 ounces cream of chicken soup (I use campbell's healthy request)
• 8 ounces water
• 2 cups salsa
• 16 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil over low-medium heat. Add the chicken and cayenne pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook 2 more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with a pinch of cheddar cheese if desired.

Turbo Fire Chili
Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 8oz whole kernel corn, canned
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 8oz black beans, canned
• 8oz pinto, chili, or kidney beans, canned
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pkg Lawrey's Chili seasoning
• 4 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
Brown turkey. Drain and discard any fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz. cheese, if desired. *If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook it on the stovetop at a simmer for 2 hours.*

  

Info to Share!

I wanted to share the info with you that Jill Kindy, RD gave us at the Lunch & Learn yesterday. If you're looking for healthy foods to eat on or off campus this is a great place to get some ideas!

Healthy Eating on Campus
At Campus Dining Facilities

• Deli sandwich (limit the sauce/dressing)
• Grilled chicken sandwich
• Baked or grilled chicken breast
• Baked or grilled fish
• Roast Pork
• London Broil
• International Station options
• Pasts with marinara (with or without meat)
• Salad Bar (limit dressing or use low fat variety)
• Fruits and vegetables
• Broth based soup
• Veggie Burgers

Near Campus Options

• 6" sub/pita sandwiches - turkey, grilled chicken, ham, veggie (limit the mayo/dressing), with baked chips or fruit
• Chicken or steak burrito (no cheese or sour cream)
• Pasta with Marinara or meat sauce
• Regular hamburger/cheeseburger, with apples (no fries)
• Regular roast beef sandwich
• Grilled chicken sandwich/salad (limit sauce/dressing)

What to Have in your room/apartment

• Whole grain bread, English muffins, bagels, tortillas
• Peanut butter & jelly
• Lunch meats -turkey, ham or roast beef
• Tuna fish (packed in water)
• Cheese
• Low fat yogurt
• Low fat milk
• Scrambled eggs (cook for 90 seconds in the microwave)
• Broth-based soups
• Canned fruits (packed in lite syrup/own juice)
• Microwavable potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Whole grain cereal
• Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers
• Nuts
• Whole grain crackers
• Low fat popcorn

Healthy Eats Available at Campus Convenience Stores
Breakfast

• Cereal - Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Special K, Total, Wheaties, Frosted Mini-Wheat, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Bear Naked Fit Granola
• Milk, orange juice, apple juice, V8 vegetable juice, soy milk
• Bars - Nature Valley Oats & Honey, Kashi, Fiber One
• Yogurt
• Fruit - apples, oranges, strawberries, grapes, canned peaches
• Peanut butter on 100% whole wheat bread

Lunch/Dinner (entrees and sides)

• Sandwiches - 100% whole wheat bread, deli meats and sliced cheese, peanut butter & jelly
• Tuna Fish
• Frozen Meals - Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine
• Soups - tomato, chicken noodle, chicken and rice, vegetable, vegetable beef
• Pre-made salad with grilled chicken
• Baked beans
• Vegetable - canned, frozen, or raw

Snacks

• Almonds, cashews
• Fruits
• Light popcorn
• Yogurt
• Pretzels
• Bars - Kashi, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Nutrigrain
• Wheat Thins, Triscuits
• String cheese
• Raisins
• Graham crackers
• Beef Jerky
• Trail mix
• Peanut butter crackers
• Pudding

Healthy Snacks for Eating on the Run

• Pretzels
• String Cheese
• Soft Pretzels
• Fruit Smoothies
• Cheese & Crackers
• Carrot Sticks
• Protein Bars
• Peanut Butter & Jelly
• Graham Crackers
• Raisin Toast
• Dry Whole Grain Cereal
• Half Sandwich
• Rice Cakes
• Low-fat Milk
• Applesauce
• Small Milk Shakes
• Slice of Pizza
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Fruit Juice
• Muffins
• Bagel with Cream Cheese
• Vegetable Juice
• Peanut Butter & Crackers
• Granola Bars
• Snack Bars
• Popcorn
• Three Bean Salad
• Pudding
• Fig Bars
• Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter
• Vanilla Wafers
• Gingersnaps
• English Muffin Pizza
• Snack Sized Canned Tuna
• Cereal and Milk
• Vegetable Soup
• Sunflower Seeds
• Nuts
• Instant Breakfast Drinks
• Yogurt Smoothies

Healthy Mini-Meals

• Fruit Smoothie: 1/2 cup frozen fruit, 1 cup non-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 apple, fruit juice, 4 fig bars
• 1/2 cantaloupe stuffed with cottage cheese
• Peanut butter & jelly sandwich, skim milk, banana
• Bagel, English muffin with melted cheese & tomato
• 1/2 tuna fish sandwich, carrots, skim milk
• Pita bread topped with beans and melted cheese
• Vegetable soup with whole grain roll or crackers
• 2 turkey slices, lettuce & tomato on a tortilla
• Hummus and pita bread wedges
• Cereal and low-fat milk
• Chili stuffed baked potato topped with low-fat cheese
• Bagel with cream cheese and a slice of fruit
• Pita bread stuffed with vegetables, beans or cheese, and low-fat salad dressing

Weight Loss Tips

• Eat breakfast - this helps boost your metabolism
• Exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 4-5 days per week
• Eat healthfully - balance, variety, moderation
• Limit high calorie drinks (sodas, lemonade, alcoholic beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks)
• Eat when you are hungry (not when you are bored, stressed, procrastinating, etc...)
• Stop when you are satisfied.full (not when the plate is clean or the bag is empty, etc...)
• Limit late night eating. If you are hungry, a healthy snack is okay - just don't have a 2nd dinner
• Get adequate sleep