Throw-Together Salads and Sides As adults, we all know that we should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is not only filling, low in calories, and high in fiber, it also offers a wide range of health benefits, including vitamins and minerals that promote cardiovascular health, decrease the risk of developing diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes, and boost our immune function.
That"s a lot of upside for simply eating your fruits and veggies. So how many servings do you eat a day?
If you"re like most Americans, not many at all. In 2010 the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults by state. Researchers found that 32.5 percent of American adults, on average, consumed fruit two or more times a day (with Oklahoma winning the unfortunate t.i.tle of the lowest fruit-consuming population). The percentage of adults who consumed vegetables three or more times a day was even lower: a measly 26.3 percent (with South Dakota earning the infamous distinction of lowest veggie-consuming population).
On The Biggest Loser eating plan, you should aim for a minimum of 4 cups daily of a variety of fruits and nonstarchy vegetables. If fresh fruits and vegetables aren"t available, are out of season, or are too expensive, it"s fine to subst.i.tute frozen fruits and veggies to meet your daily requirements. As long as they don"t contain any added sugar or sodium, they can be just as nutritious as fresh.
"Stock up on frozen veggies. They"re quick and easy if you don"t have fresh vegetables on hand for a particular recipe," advises Bob Harper. "We keep them in the Biggest Loser kitchen on the Ranch." Season 12"s Bonnie Griffin says she buys extra fruit when it"s in season and then cuts it up and freezes it so that she can make delicious fruit smoothies any time of the year.
One great strategy for fitting fruits and veggies into your day is to have a salad for one meal, either lunch or dinner. And if you"re one of those people who thinks that salads are bland, boring, or just not filling, we have a feeling that after you try Chef Devin"s tasty Pomegranate Spinach Salad (page 140) or her satisfying Chinese Dumpling Salad (page 134), you"ll reconsider.
Another great strategy for getting your daily dose is to make sure that vegetables occupy significant real estate on your dinner plate. And no, that doesn"t mean you have to eat steamed broccoli every day-and it also doesn"t mean that french fries count as a vegetable. Many contestants arrive at the Ranch self-proclaimed veggie haters, but once they try out a variety of vegetables, they find new favorite foods.
Season 9"s Darrell Hough admits, "I"d never eaten an eggplant before coming to the Ranch. I thought it would be purple inside! Now I grill them and put them on sandwiches. I love it. They have an earthy, delicious flavor."
With mouthwatering options like "Fried" Mushroom Parmesan Bake (page 150), Sesame Roasted Asparagus (page 153), and Gazpacho Quinoa (page 142), there"s no excuse to skip your veggies!
Mo DeWalt SEASON 8 One day, you"re not going to feel like going to the gym, but don"t find excuses. Find reasons to do it. The reason to exercise is you want to be healthy. You want to live longer. Your loved ones need to see you around a lot longer than they"re going to if you skip your workout.
LOBSTER SLAW SALAD.
If you"ve ever had lobster tacos, this recipe may seem familiar. Lobster tacos often contain a creamy lemon sauce, cabbage, and plenty of fresh salsa. Here, I combined those ingredients, minus the tortillas, into a yummy throw-together salad.
If you"re not familiar with them, langostinos are small rock lobsters. Look for them in the freezer section of your grocery store. They"re generally precooked, so all you have to do is defrost them, making this a super-easy weeknight dinner.
3 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup drained fresh (refrigerated) salsa 1 tablespoon all-natural light lemon-mayonnaise (no more than 40 calories and 4 grams of fat per tablespoon; I used The Ojai Cook Lemonaise Light) 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice teaspoon salt-free fajita or Southwest seasoning 4 ounces langostinos,* thawed In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, salsa, lemon-mayonnaise, lemon juice, and seasoning until well combined. Top it with the langostinos. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving Per serving: 234 calories, 26 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates (7 g sugar), 5 g fat, <1 g="" saturated="" fat,="" 110="" mg="" cholesterol,="" 8="" g="" fiber,="" 506="" mg="" sodium="" *if="" you="" can"t="" find="" langostinos,="" you="" can="" always="" subst.i.tute="" an="" equal="" amount="" of="" steamed="" and="" chilled="" shrimp="">
Amanda Arlauskas SEASON 8 When I used to watch TV, I would snack way too much on horrible foods. I would take a box of cereal and a gallon of milk, and keep refilling my bowl until I was full. Now, I love munching on baby carrots and hummus as a healthier alternative.
CHINESE DUMPLING SALAD.
Here"s a new take on a Chinese chicken salad. It allows you to enjoy chilled steamed pot stickers as part of the salad, to give it a hearty feel. Though there are a number of ingredients in this salad, it"s still very simple to a.s.semble and comes together in minutes.
3 preservative-free, low-fat whole wheat chicken pot stickers (about 190 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per 5-piece serving)*
2 cups loosely packed mixed baby greens 2 cups shredded cla.s.sic coleslaw mix 2 whole small scallions, trimmed and finely chopped 3 tablespoons sh.e.l.led edamame (soybeans), thawed if frozen cup mung bean sprouts 2 tablespoons agave-sweetened or honey-sweetened all-natural Chinese dressing (make sure it"s relatively low in fat, calories, and sodium; I used Follow Your Heart Organics Miso Ginger Salad Dressing) 3 ounces sliced Essential Grilled Chicken (page xxii), or other preservative-free lean grilled chicken Place a steamer rack in a large pan or pot with a lid. Add water until it reaches just below the rack. Place the pan or pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the pot stickers and steam, covered, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until they are hot through.
Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, toss the greens, coleslaw mix, scallions, edamame, sprouts, and dressing. Mound the mixture on a serving plate and top it with the pot stickers and chicken.
Makes 1 serving Per serving: 398 calories, 34 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates (12 g sugar), 14 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 670 mg sodium *Look for pot stickers in the freezer section of the grocery store. And note that the front of the bag may not say "whole wheat" or "low-fat," even if they are. Be sure to read the nutrition label.
Aaron Thompkins SEASON 10 For a quick and easy supper salad, I toss together a bag of spring mix greens, a few strips of turkey bacon, boiled egg whites, and cherry tomatoes. It"s like a chef"s salad but way healthier.
WATERMELON FETA SALAD.
Last summer, I had to make dinner for a political candidate"s campaign party where the guests had paid $5,000 per plate. Needless to say, I felt a bit of pressure to serve the perfect menu. When I went to the grocery store, I noticed that watermelon was ripe and in season, so I built this salad around it (though I served a homemade champagne vinaigrette instead of the bottled balsamic, which I"ve used here to keep things quick and easy). It was a huge hit, as the combo of flavors worked so well. Just be sure to get a really fresh watermelon. The cubes should be bright hot pink, almost red, not a dull pink.
4 cups loosely packed mixed green lettuce 6 medium basil leaves, slivered, or to taste 34 ounce reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese 2 tablespoons all-natural, reduced-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I used Follow Your Heart Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing) pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, steamed, and chilled 3 ounces (about cup) cubes watermelon In a medium mixing bowl, toss the greens, basil, and about two-thirds of the feta with the dressing until well combined. Mound the salad on a plate. Top it with the shrimp and the remaining feta. Place the watermelon evenly around the edge of the plate. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving Per serving: 275 calories, 31 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates (14 g sugar), 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 179 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 733 mg sodium TAKE IT TO GO!.
Pack the dressing in a small resealable plastic container, the watermelon in a small resealable bag, and the rest of the salad (shrimp included) in a resealable plastic container or a zip-top bag. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy, then a.s.semble.
LEMON ARUGULA SALAD.
Last holiday season, I gave out "homemade" gifts: bottles of Meyer lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil with a little recipe card attached-for this recipe. I got rave reviews and thank-yous! Everyone loved that this salad was so flavorful and so simple to make.
It"s really important to use fresh lemon juice in this yummy, large salad to create fresh, bright flavor. Pair it with half a sandwich, or toss in some lean protein like grilled chicken breast or shrimp to make this a full meal.
4 cups arugula leaves 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil ounce Parmesan cheese shavings A few sprinkles of sea salt (optional) Place the arugula in a medium gla.s.s or plastic mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and oil and most of the Parmesan, reserving a few pieces for garnish, and the sea salt, if desired. Toss to combine. Place on a serving plate and garnish with the reserved Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving Per serving: 114 calories, 7 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar), 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 217 mg sodium
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 20 MINUTES.
Get in Line, Not Online These days, online grocery store sites make it a breeze to order your weekly groceries with just one click. While the convenience of having nutritious foods delivered to your door is a big bonus, think about this: You can burn up to 52 calories in 20 minutes of grocery shopping. Considering that you probably spend at least 40 minutes at the store, that"s a calorie deficit of 104 just by hoofing it around the aisles.
POMEGRANATE SPINACH SALAD.
If you have trouble finding pomegranate arils (seeds), buy a whole pomegranate. You can remove the seeds yourself. You just want to make sure that you aren"t wearing your favorite top when you do-pomegranate juice is as bad as red wine when it comes to stains.
In the Northern Hemisphere, pomegranate season is from September through February, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it"s from March through May (they"re often imported into the United States during those months). I"ve seen them at the grocery store in summer months, as well. But if you can"t find the arils or a whole pomegranate, check for them in the freezer section. I prefer the fresh ones, but frozen will certainly work in a pinch.
4 cups baby spinach leaves 3 tablespoons pomegranate arils (seeds) 18 cup slivered red onion, or more to taste 2 tablespoons oil-free pomegranate vinaigrette dressing (I used Whole Food"s Health Starts Here Low Sodium No Oil Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing)*
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 ounces sliced Essential Grilled Chicken (page xxii), or other low-sodium, lean grilled chicken breast In a medium mixing bowl, toss the spinach, arils, and red onion with the vinaigrette and oil. Mound the mixture on a serving plate and top it with the chicken.
Makes 1 serving Per serving: 287 calories, 29 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates (9 g sugar), 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 300 mg sodium *If your grocery store doesn"t carry an oil-free pomegranate dressing, you can always use a light or low-fat dressing; just skip the 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Another option is to make a quick dressing with pomegranate vinegar and oil, or even swap in your favorite light balsamic dressing.
GAZPACHO QUINOA.
This side dish is easy to throw together since all of the veggie chopping is done in a food processor. If you cook a batch of quinoa (see Basic Quinoa on page xxiii) on Sunday and keep it in your fridge, this salad will come together in no time at all on a weeknight.
4 medium cloves garlic, trimmed 2 whole scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds 2 medium tomatoes (about 8 ounces each), cored, quartered, and seeded 1 cups broccoli florets 12 pitted kalamata olives 1 cups cooked quinoa (page xxiii), chilled if necessary 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt, to taste Fresh ground black pepper, to taste To the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, add the garlic and scallions and process until minced. Add the tomatoes, broccoli, and olives and pulse until the tomatoes are chopped and the broccoli is mostly the consistency of confetti.
Pour the mixture into a large gla.s.s or plastic mixing bowl. Add the quinoa, lemon juice, and oil and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 (34-cup) servings Per serving: 140 calories, 5 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates (3 g sugar), 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 219 mg sodium
Deni Hill SEASON 11 I"d never heard of quinoa until The Biggest Loser. But now I make it and add veggies to create a wrap sandwich with it, or have it as a side salad. I love it.
MUSHROOM ARTICHOKE COUSCOUS WITH LEMON AND PARMESAN.