Recipe: Perfectly Pumpkin Oatmeal

This recipe was inspired by a yogurt recipe I found on Fitness Magazine's website.  The yummy pumpkin pie taste mixed with the oatmeal is delicious.  It almost makes you feel like the fall is almost here!

I like to add some protein powder on some mornings to really pack in some extra protein. Just be sure to add in the protein at the end.   You can add as much of the pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon as you'd like.

Pumpkin is so good for you! It's packed with a lot of very beneficial nutrients.  Oatmeal has also been shown to lower Cholesterol, and is a great complex carb.  Walnuts are also rich with antioxidants and are a great source of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

The almond milk can be substituted with regular skim milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.  I like vanilla flavored the best. Almond milk really packs in the calcium (50% more than regular milk) which is especially good for women.

I usually count the exchanges as 1.5 carb, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 protein, 1 fat. They are probably not exact exchanges, but it's healthy so what the heck lol.

Recipe: Fried Rice

I love this easy recipe.  I almost always serve it with the Hibachi Chicken recipe.  You can also cut chicken into thin strips, pound them even thinner, and cook before adding in the rice and eggs for a complete meal in one pan. All of the measurements are approximate you can add more or less of anything (except the oil) to your taste.  Try to use a low sodium soy sauce to help keep the sodium content down.   Since it is a carb be sure to measure it out carefully.

You may also want to "deconstruct" it for yourself. What I mean is to measure out your rice, and veggies to make sure it's 2 servings of rice and 1 cup of veggies.  On your own plate.  Otherwise, I wouldn't really count the veggies in this as a veggie serving since there's so much more rice than there are veggies.

Recipe: Chicken and Rice

This Chicken and Rice is very filling and tastes like its unhealthy.  I swear it tastes just like chicken and dumplings without all the fat of the dumplings.  The recipe is approximate measurements.  Be sure to check often, if it's looking too thick then add a little water to the mix.  I didn't have any stock or broth on hand when I made it, so I decided to just make my own by boiling the chicken and vegetables for a bit before adding the rice.  If you're short on time then buy a low sodium Chicken Broth and substitute for the water.  You can also add one cube of chicken bullion to the water instead of the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  A Serving is about 1 cup.