It’s fall and time to think about eating healthy!
Nicole Ranieri is a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor who works with Chapel Haven adults to teach healthy cooking. On Nov. 1, she taught a full house of students and their mentors from Best Buddies to make a smorgasborg of delicious healthy entrees.
Here are some of Nicole’s recipes and healthy eating tips:
Pumpkin soup
1 medium to large onion chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, washed and picked off
stem
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups 100% pure pumpkin puree
1 cup of light coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 orange
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, rinsed and chopped
In a large pot sauté onion and garlic over medium heat, until
onions are soft. Be sure they do not brown.
Once soft, add the pumpkin and vegetable broth.
Add the juice of the orange.
Add the zest of half of the orange by washing the outside of
the orange skin, them grating it into a bowl.
Simmer and stir until well blended, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Puree with a immersion blender or pour in batches in blender.
Add milk, blend together and top with fresh parsley.
Healthy tips:
Pumpkins are for eating…not just for carving on Halloween.
1 cup (canned) pumpkin provides approximately:
80 calories
20 grams carbohydrate
3 gram protein
1 grams total fat ( 0.1 grams saturated fat)
6 grams fiber
Pumpkin is quite nutritious and easy to add to your diet by
using canned pumpkin. It’s one of the only canned foods that
has no salt or sugar added.
Note: Canned pumpkin is different than canned pumpkin pie
filling. However, they’re usually located next to each other on
the grocery store shelf and the labels look very similar, so
make sure you read the can carefully
Pumpkins are a very good source of beta carotene/vitamin A,
Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
One cup of cooked pumpkin provides approximately:
145% daily value (DV) vitamin A
33% DV vitamin C
25% DV potassium
23% DV fiber
Eggplant Pizzas
1 large eggplant
1 can crushed tomatoes, low salt or no salt
added
1 pkg low fat mozzarella cheese
1 pkg Hormel turkey pepperoni
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 small can sliced olives
1 tomato, sliced
1 pepper, washed and cut into strips
Basil, if desired
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Parchment paper
Non stick spray
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Wash eggplant and cut into 1/2” thick rounds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add eggplant slices and spray with non stick spray
Top with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
Place carefully in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Open sauce and place in a large bowl with a spoon.
Wash and cut vegetables, put in bowls.
Put mozzarella cheese in bowl.
Once done, remove eggplant carefully from oven and turn over.
Using a spoon, add sauce to the top of the eggplant.
Add the toppings you like.
Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and fresh parmesan cheese if you
like.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Healthy Tips
• Using eggplant instead of bread gives you more flavor
along with lot less calories and carbs.
• Most of the calories from eating pizza comes from the
crust. Try to stick with thin crust pizza and limit how many
slices you have to two.
• Always have a healthy low calorie side like salad to keep
you from eating too much pizza.
Pita Pizzas
1 pkg St Joseph’s high fiber pitas, 8” size
1 can crushed tomatoes, low salt or no salt added
1 pkg low fat mozzarella cheese
1 pkg Hormel turkey pepperoni
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 small can sliced olives
1 tomato, sliced
1 pepper, washed and cut into strips
Basil, if desired
Italian seasoning
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Open sauce and place in a large bowl with a spoon.
Wash and cut vegetables, put in bowls.
Put mozzarella cheese in bowl.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place pita on the cookie tray.
Using a spoon, put 2 tablespoons of sauce on each half.
Top with a total of 1/4 cup of the toppings you like.
Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and fresh parmesan cheese if you like.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Healthy Tips
•Using the pita pockets you are getting extra fiber, which helps
keep you fuller longer and helps with digestion.
•Making pizza yourself cuts back on the extra oils they use at a
restaurant, along with full fat cheeses and meats.
nicolerainieri3@gmail.com (860) 637-7688
Healthy Cooking With Nicole
• Limit yourself to no more than two slices when out and try to have
a healthy salad or a light healthy meal before going out for a pizza
party.
•Opt for veggie toppings, light cheese, and toppings like chicken
over high fat toppings like bacon, sausage and pepperoni.
•Use fresh parmesan over the parmesan cheese you find in the
pasta isle. It does not have extra preservatives and tastes so
much better!
•Cheese should always be treated as a condiment- add it at the
end and in small amounts for flavor. A little fresh parmesan can
add a lot of flavor.
