- Vegetarian chili - beans and fresh vegetables provide protein and fiber. Top with low-fat cheese for an extra serving of calcium.
- Salmon salad and whole grain crackers - canned salmon is a cost-effective way to get omega-3 fatty acids into your diet: simply mix with some lemon juice, pepper and fresh herbs and spread on fiber-rich crackers.
- Hummus and vegetables - easy to pack, and the chickpeas in the hummus provide protein and fiber, while the vegetables offer up antioxidants. Bring a variety of organic, colorful vegetables for interesting taste and texture.
- Miso soup and edamame - miso is full of antioxidants and protective fatty acids, and edamame contains isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and may help lower cancer risk.
- Barley salad - barley is a satisfying, nutty low-glycemic-load grain. Start with barley and add whatever you prefer - grilled vegetables, tofu, beans - for a customized salad that can be eaten warm or cold.
- Lentil soup - a good source of fiber and magnesium, lentils cook quickly, are filling and on cold fall days will help keep you warm.
Showing posts with label Dr. Weil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Weil. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
6 Healthy, Affordable Lunch Ideas
Your noon meal will be one that costs less, tastes better, and is healthier than most dining out options! (For the chili and soup options, invest in a wide-mouth vacuum container, preferably lined with stainless steel.)
Lentil Soup
Description
Lentils are a staple in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking and make a thick, rich and delicious soup. They're also a good source of fiber and magnesium and the quickest legume to cook. With bread and a salad, this soup makes a whole meal. On a cold night, a filling soup like this is perfect nourishment for warming body and soul.
Ingredients
1 pound lentils
1 bay leaf
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Vinegar (red wine, cider or balsamic, optional)
Instructions
1. Pick over lentils to remove any stones, dirt, or other foreign objects. Rinse them well in cold water and place in a large pot with enough cold water to cover lentils by 6 inches. Add the bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, lower heat, and boil gently, partially covered, until lentils are just tooth-tender, 20-30 minutes.
3. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the lentils. Cook partially covered till carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils become very creamy and soft. Stir occasionally and add boiling water if necessary to prevent sticking.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving. If you like, stir in a little vinegar just before serving.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Lentils are a staple in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking and make a thick, rich and delicious soup. They're also a good source of fiber and magnesium and the quickest legume to cook. With bread and a salad, this soup makes a whole meal. On a cold night, a filling soup like this is perfect nourishment for warming body and soul.
Ingredients
1 pound lentils
1 bay leaf
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Vinegar (red wine, cider or balsamic, optional)
Instructions
1. Pick over lentils to remove any stones, dirt, or other foreign objects. Rinse them well in cold water and place in a large pot with enough cold water to cover lentils by 6 inches. Add the bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil, skim off foam, lower heat, and boil gently, partially covered, until lentils are just tooth-tender, 20-30 minutes.
3. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the lentils. Cook partially covered till carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Add crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils become very creamy and soft. Stir occasionally and add boiling water if necessary to prevent sticking.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving. If you like, stir in a little vinegar just before serving.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Barley Salad
DescriptionThis summer salad combines barley, a satisfying, nutty grain, with fresh vegetables. Flavored with mint, parsley, garlic and lemon, it might remind you of tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with bulghur wheat. Barley has one of the lowest glycemic loads of any grain, and parsley has carminative (intestinal gas-relieving) and diuretic properties, making it an excellent tonic ingredient. Look for the flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, which has a more pronounced flavor than the curly leaf variety. This dish makes a healthy alternative to the usual picnic or potluck potato salad. Try it as a light meal all on its own, or as a wonderful accompaniment to other dishes.
Food as Medicine
Barley's fiber is a rich source of beta glucan, a substance that helps control cholesterol by binding to bile acids.
Ingredients
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup pearl barley
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 1/4 cup dried mint)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt to taste
Instructions
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Food as Medicine
Barley's fiber is a rich source of beta glucan, a substance that helps control cholesterol by binding to bile acids.
Ingredients
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup pearl barley
Salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 1/4 cup dried mint)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Bring to a boil the vegetable stock (or water). Add barley and salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Drain well and place in a medium bowl.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over barley.
3. Allow barley to cool, then add the parsley, scallions, radishes, cucumber, red pepper and mint.
4. Mix well and chill for several hours before serving.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over barley.
3. Allow barley to cool, then add the parsley, scallions, radishes, cucumber, red pepper and mint.
4. Mix well and chill for several hours before serving.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Miso Soup
Description
Miso soup is the Japanese version of chicken soup - a combination soul food and comfort food. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast in Japan as a daily staple. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, and is full of antioxidants like vitamin E, as well as protective fatty acids. It's healthful and delicious, and the Japanese say that the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft skin. The soybeans miso is made from also contain isoflavones and other elements that provide protection against some forms of cancer. To preserve these properties, miso should not be boiled. Add it to a soup after it has been removed from direct heat.
Food as Medicine
Miso is a particularly valuable food for vegans. The bacteria in miso synthesize vitamin B12, a difficult nutrient to obtain from diets that contain no animal products.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 slices fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
5 cups water
4 tablespoons miso (dark or light, available at natural-food stores)
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Instructions
1. Heat canola oil in large pot. Add ginger and onion. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes and add carrots, celery and cabbage. Stir well.
2. Add water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer covered till carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Place miso in a bowl, add a little of the broth from the soup, and stir into a smooth paste. Add more broth to thin the mixture, then add the miso to the soup. Let rest for a few minutes.
4. Serve in bowls with chopped raw scallions and a few drops of roasted sesame oil. You may wish to remove the sliced ginger before serving.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Miso soup is the Japanese version of chicken soup - a combination soul food and comfort food. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast in Japan as a daily staple. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, and is full of antioxidants like vitamin E, as well as protective fatty acids. It's healthful and delicious, and the Japanese say that the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft skin. The soybeans miso is made from also contain isoflavones and other elements that provide protection against some forms of cancer. To preserve these properties, miso should not be boiled. Add it to a soup after it has been removed from direct heat.
Food as Medicine
Miso is a particularly valuable food for vegans. The bacteria in miso synthesize vitamin B12, a difficult nutrient to obtain from diets that contain no animal products.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 slices fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
5 cups water
4 tablespoons miso (dark or light, available at natural-food stores)
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Instructions
1. Heat canola oil in large pot. Add ginger and onion. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes and add carrots, celery and cabbage. Stir well.
2. Add water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer covered till carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Place miso in a bowl, add a little of the broth from the soup, and stir into a smooth paste. Add more broth to thin the mixture, then add the miso to the soup. Let rest for a few minutes.
4. Serve in bowls with chopped raw scallions and a few drops of roasted sesame oil. You may wish to remove the sliced ginger before serving.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Vegetarian Chili
In the culture and cuisine of the Southwest, chili is serious business. But contrary to what many believe, good chili doesn't require "carne" (meat). The key to great chili is knowing how to harness the fiery flavor of a wide range of available chile peppers to make the dish exciting yet palatable. ("Chili" commonly refers to the dish made with "chile" peppers.) Red New Mexican chile peppers are traditionally tied in strings called ristras or are available as ground powder, and chipotles are ripe (red) jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. Experiment with different amounts until you find a level of heat intensity that you're comfortable with. Be aware that capsaicin, the active component in chile peppers that gives them their heat, is concentrated in the white tissue attached to the seeds. If you're using whole chiles, you may want to remove that white tissue if you don't want your chili too hot.
Food as Medicine
Some studies indicate that capsaicin may enhance the metabolism of fat.
Ingredients
7 1/2 cups cooked beans, like pintos, anasazi, adzuki or kidney (roughly four 15-ounce cans or 1 pound dried beans, cooked)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 dried or canned chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon mild red New Mexican chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried whole oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
5 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnishes:
Chopped raw onion
Chopped tomato
Shredded lettuce
Tortillas
Instructions
1. Drain beans in a colander.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until they are soft and golden.
3. Crush the chipotle pepper if using dried, or mince if using canned.
4. Add the chipotle pepper, red chile powder, oregano, cumin and allspice to the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding liquid if the mixture gets too dry.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more chile if you want a hotter dish.
7. Serve in bowls with warm tortillas. Garnish with chopped raw onion, chopped tomato and shredded lettuce.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
Food as Medicine
Some studies indicate that capsaicin may enhance the metabolism of fat.
Ingredients
7 1/2 cups cooked beans, like pintos, anasazi, adzuki or kidney (roughly four 15-ounce cans or 1 pound dried beans, cooked)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 dried or canned chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon mild red New Mexican chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried whole oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
5 cloves garlic, mashed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnishes:
Chopped raw onion
Chopped tomato
Shredded lettuce
Tortillas
Instructions
1. Drain beans in a colander.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until they are soft and golden.
3. Crush the chipotle pepper if using dried, or mince if using canned.
4. Add the chipotle pepper, red chile powder, oregano, cumin and allspice to the onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding liquid if the mixture gets too dry.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and more chile if you want a hotter dish.
7. Serve in bowls with warm tortillas. Garnish with chopped raw onion, chopped tomato and shredded lettuce.
Source: Dr. Weil's Common Recipes
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