Make It Quick - quick and healthy recipes

Vibrant Life, July, 2000 by Georgia Hodgkin, Tracy Granberry

Spinach Salad Supreme

2 pounds raw spinach, chopped
4 hard-cooked eggs
8 green onions
4 garlic cloves
4 ounces feta cheese
1/3 cup Bac-O-Bits, for garnish

Thoroughly wash the spinach leaves; drain. Boil eggs approximately 10 minutes; peel, cool, and mash with a fork. Chop onions and garlic. Place all ingredients in a large salad bowl, including the feta cheese. Toss with your favorite salad dressing. Serve on a plate; garnish with Bac-O-Bits. Calories per serving: 82; protein: 7 grams; carbohydrate: 5 grams; fat: 4 grams; cholesterol: 80 milligrams.

Pita Pockets

1 can (about 15 ounces) garbanzo
  beans
2 T. sesame tahini
3 cloves garlic
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 onion
4 pita breads
2 T. fresh minced parsley
4 lettuce leaves
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheese
1/4 cup sliced olives

Drain beans; reserve 3 tablespoons of the liquid. Place beans in blender with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, onion, and the reserved liquid. Blend until smooth. Add liquid until the bean mixture is smooth and spreadable. Open pita bread and spread with mixture. Sprinkle parsley over mixture. Fill pocket with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and olives. Serves: 4. Calories per serving: 395; protein: 16 grams; carbohydrate: 58 grams; fat: 13 grams; cholesterol: 15 milligrams.

Tips for Eating Out

If you find you still eat out often, try these tips for more healthful choices at your favorite restaurant.

* Choose an unsweetened beverage (preferably water).

* Go easy on the "freebies" (chips, fresh bread, crispy noodles).

* Ask for a "doggy bag" when food is served; take half of your entree home.

* Be assertive; request no sauce, light mayonnaise, salad dressing on the side, etc., where appropriate.

* Eat slowly.

* Focus on conversation, not on the food.

* Allow yourself no second helpings if your restaurant is offering a buffet.

* Enjoy the companionship of family and friends.

Got A Minute For Your Health?:60

Energy Boost

Are you feeling a bit run-down? Take a look at your diet. Perhaps you're not getting enough of the proper foods or too much of the wrong foods. If you eat a lot of sweet and fatty foods, you end up adding pounds that further zap your energy. That midmorning doughnut may give you a quick boost because it makes your blood sugar go up. But it goes down quickly too, giving you a run-down feeling.

You can increase your energy level each day by eating three light but well-balanced meals that contain a variety of complex carbohydrates. That means more fruit, whole grains, rice, and beans. These foods give you more "staying power".

And another energy tip: don't skip meals, especially breakfast.

Listen to Got a Minute for Your Health? on many local radio stations.

Jan W. Kuzma, Ph.D., is president of Sentinel Research Services director of research at the School of Public Health, Lorna University, Lorna Linda, California.

Georgia E. Hodgkin, Ed.D., R.D., F.A.D.A., is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Allied Health Professions at Loma Linda University (LLU), Loma Linda, California. Tracy Granberry is a LLU senior student dietitian who looks forward to a career in writing about nutrition.