Beat winter weight gain! 3 ways to avoid holiday pounds—and even lose weight - Holiday-Proof Your Diet!

Shape, Nov, 2003 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

Shrimp Scampi With Snap Peas

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Nutrient note Shrimp contains loads of
zinc, a mineral that is a component of
insulin, which helps scoop up glucose
from the bloodstream so it can be used
for energy or stored; zinc also helps bolster
the immune system, keeping us
healthy all winter long.

Note: To make a thinner sauce to serve
over linguine instead of rice, increase
chicken broth to 3/4 cup.

  1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  1 pound uncooked medium shrimp,
    peeled and deveined
  1 cup shelled fresh or frozen sugar
    snap peas (do not defrost if
    frozen)
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
  1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup reduced-sodium
    chicken broth
  2 cups cooked instant brown rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute
2 minutes, until soft. Add shrimp and
peas and saute 1 minute. Toss in
oregano, salt and pepper and stir to coat.
Add vermouth or dry white wine and
simmer 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch
into chicken broth until smooth; add mixture
to skillet. Simmer 2 minutes, stirring
frequently until sauce thickens and
shrimp are bright pink and cooked
through. Serve scampi over rice.

Nutrition Score per serving (1 cup scampi
and 1/2 cup rice): 244 calories, 19% fat (5 g; <1 g
saturated), 45% carbs (27 g), 36% protein
(22 g), 2 g fiber, 61 mg calcium, 3.7 mg iron,
637 mg sodium.

Mozzarella-Stuffed
Turkey Meatloaf

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Nutrient note Ground turkey breast is a
good source of lean protein. It's also
loaded with vitamin B12, which helps the
body use fats and carbohydrates, is vital
to cell development--especially red
blood cells--and helps the nervous system
function properly.

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
    1 10-ounce package frozen chopped
      spinach, thawed and squeezed
      well to remove any excess water
  1/2 cup minced onion
      cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
  1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
    1 teaspoon dried oregano
    2 egg whites
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    4 ounces grated part-skim
      mozzarella cheese (1 cup)
    2 tablespoons ketchup
    2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375[degrees] F. In a large bowl,
combine turkey, spinach, onion, bread
crumbs, parsley, oregano, egg whites,
salt and pepper. Mix well with a wooden
spoon (or your clean hands).

Press half of mixture into an 8-inch
loaf pan. Top bottom half with grated
mozzarella cheese. Press remaining
turkey mixture over top and flatten to
make an even layer. Whisk together
ketchup and mustard and spread mixture
over prepared meatloaf.

Bake 1 hour, until top is golden and
loaf has pulled slightly away from sides
of pan. Let stand 10 minutes, then slice
into 6 equal pieces and serve.

Nutrition Score per serving (1 slice or 1/6 of
loaf): 208 calories, 21% fat (5 g; 2.4 g saturated),
25% carbs (13 g), 54% protein (28
g), 2 g fiber, 206 mg calcium, 15 mg iron, 746
mg sodium.

Roasted Chicken With
Apples and Onions

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2-2 1/2 hours

Nutrient note Chicken is full of high-quality,
lowfat protein to repair bone,
muscles, skin, blood and internal organs.
It also contains cysteine, a compound
that closely resembles acetylcysteine, a
drug that doctors prescribe for bronchitis
and respiratory infections. This may be
one reason lots of chicken soup helps
when you have a cold or the flu.

   1 6- to 7-pound roasting chicken,
     giblets removed and discarded
   2 tablespoons chopped fresh
     rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
   2 tablespoons chopped fresh
     thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
   4 McIntosh or winesap apples,
     cored and cut into thick slices
     but not peeled
   2 small red onions, cut into 2-inch
     pieces
 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken
     broth or water

Preheat oven to 450[degrees] F. Rinse chicken
inside and out and pat dry. Coat with
rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
Transfer to a shallow roasting pan and
surround with apples and onions, covering
the bottom of the pan. Pour broth
over apples and onions. Insert a meat
thermometer deep into the thickest part
of the thigh next to the body, not touching
the bone.

Place chicken in oven and immediately
reduce temperature to 325[degrees] F.
Roast 20 minutes per pound, or until
thermometer reads 180[degrees]-185[degrees] F, basting
every 30 minutes after the first 30
minutes of cooking. Let chicken stand
10 minutes before carving. Serve
carved chicken with apples and onions
on the side.

Nutrition Score per serving (3 ounces
chicken, 1 slice apple and 1/2 sliced onion): 247
calories, 19% fat (5 g; 1.4 g saturated), 38%
carbs (23 g), 43% protein (26 g), 5 g fiber, 51
mg calcium, 23 mg iron, 267 mg sodium.

Sweet Potato Pie
With Whipped Topping

Serves 8

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Nutrient note Orange-fleshed sweet
potatoes are brimming with beta
carotene, which significantly reduces
the risk of heart attack by lowering LDL
cholesterol levels. It also helps reduce
cancer risk by acting as a powerful anti-oxidant
(fighting free radicals before
they can do damage to cells).

    2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
      and cut into 1-inch chunks
    1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
  3/4 cup sugar
    1 cup evaporated skim milk
    1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  1/8 teaspoon salt
    1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust,
      or make your own
    2 cups fat-free prepared
      whipped topping (refrigerated
      or defrosted from frozen)

Preheat oven to 400[degrees] F. Place potatoes
in a large saucepan and pour
enough water over them to cover. Set
saucepan over high heat and bring to a
boil. Cook 8-10 minutes or until potatoes
are fork-tender. Drain and transfer
to a food processor. Puree just until
smooth (or press through a fine mesh
strainer). Measure 1 1/3 cups of the
puree and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine egg substitute
and sugar. Whisk in next 6 ingredients.
Press pie crust into bottom and
up sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Pinch
around rim to make a decorative edge.
Pour mixture into prepared pie pan
and bake 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350[degrees] F
and bake 30 more minutes, until center
is set but still slightly quivery. Cool on a
wire rack, slice into 8 pieces and top with
nonfat whipped topping.

Nutrition Score per serving size (1 slice or
of pie and 1/4 cup whipped topping): 303
calories, 25% fat (8 g; 4 g saturated), 66%
carbs (50 g), 9% protein (7 g), 1 g fiber, 118
mg calcium, I mg iron, 283 mg sodium.