Tag Archives: pepperoni

Very Veggie Minestrone

You can taste the pepperoni in each and every bite and it makes this soup just a bit different from the usual minestrone. It’s a welcome change. All the veggies add up to a nice low cal soup that leaves plenty of calorie room open for adding a nice spoon of parmesan cheese ๐Ÿ™‚

Very Veggie Minestrone
Very Veggie Minestrone

6 servings
206 calories per serving

1 T oil
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c beef broth
3 c water
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
1 t thyme flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2/3 c small pasta
1 lb. frozen mixed soup vegetables (including corn, peas, carrots, celery, onion), thawed and chopped
1 c frozen baby lima beans, thawed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c diced turkey pepperoni
3 c lightly packed escarole, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (not in calorie count above)

Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute peppers 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add broth, water and spices and bring to a boil then add pasta and cook according to package instructions minus 3 minutes. Mix veggies and beans and add to soup and bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, basil and escarole and simmer 3 minutes to wilt escarole. Garnish with cheese.

Summer Squash Deluxe

Crisp summer veggies with a twist ! The lemon, pepperoni and feta cheese add a nice Greek flair to this dish. If you have garden fresh zucchini, this tastes even better ๐Ÿ™‚

Summer Squash Deluxe
Summer Squash Deluxe

4 servings
69 calories per serving

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium cucumber
ยฝ t salt
2 T sliced basil
1 T oil
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese

Peel the zucchini, cucumber and squash and then using a vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips or ribbons and place in a bowl When you get down to the seeds, discard the remainder. Sprinkle with salt and let sit. Whisk together basil, oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and then add to the zucchini. Heat a skillet and crisp up the turkey pepperoni and then garnish the zucchini with the pepperoni and cheese.

Italian Combo

This is a hearty sandwich โ€“ lots of meat, a great cheese and a nice filling roll. If you pack it for lunch, just pack the dressing separate and drizzle on last second.

Italian Combo
Italian Combo

1 serving
378 calories per serving

1 club roll (club rolls are small sub/hero rolls)
4 thin slices deli ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
15 slices turkey pepperoni
1 slice low fat provolone cheese
Chopped lettuce or a leaf of romaine lettuce
2 thin tomato slices
1 T fat free balsamic vinaigrette

Put all ingredients on roll and drizzle dressing over the top.

Homemade Hot Pockets

Even your kids wonโ€™t recognize the carrots inside so why not boost their veggie intake ?!? And for us adults, it just makes the meal more nutritious without sacrificing any of the flavor. This is definitely a great lunch paired with a side salad.

Homemade Hot Pockets
Homemade Hot Pockets

4 servings
265 calories per serving

10 oz. can refrigerated pizza dough
ยผ c pizza sauce
ยผ c finely shredded carrot
24 turkey pepperoni slices
1 T fat free grated parmesan
1 t garlic powder
1 t oregano flakes
2 slices fat free mozzarella cheese (1.5 oz), cut in half

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into a 12×12 square and then cut into 4 equal squares. Spread 1 T sauce on each square leaving about ยฝ inch border then top with carrot, pepperoni, garlic powder, oregano, and cheeses and fold each in half and press edges to seal them then bake 12-15 minutes on an ungreased sheet.

Lunch Platter

Another favorite chosen for RETREAD week – I love a platter of stuff ๐Ÿ™‚

Sometimes I just donโ€™t want a prepared meal โ€“ I want to pick like I am eating appetizers at a party. This dish is also a great snack if you have the calories left from eating a lighter lunch and dinner that day. Add more veggies (carrots, radishes, cucs) to make it larger without adding many more calories.

Lunch Platter
Lunch Platter

1 serving
330 calories per serving

15 slices turkey pepperoni
15 Triscuits Thin Crisps crackers
1 Babybel cheese
10 green pimento stuffed olives
Celery Sticks

Quick Grab Snacks

I have a set of ‘GO TO’ snacks so that when I am hungry, I don’t dig into something that will tip the calorie scale for the day. Make a list, keep them around the house, keep them front and center on your snack shelves !

Almonds – raw, unsalted – – great for also getting in your good fats for the day
Sunflower seeds – high on the calorie scale but if you eat them individually, you’ll be tired by time you come to the end of 1/4 cup ๐Ÿ™‚
Low fat string cheese – only 50-70 calories per stick and very satisfying
Turkey Pepperoni – pair it up with the string cheese !
Fiber One 50 calorie cups of yogurt
Pretzels
Celery sticks – cut them up on Sunday and keep them in a container ready to go all week (dip in Tzatziki) or eat with a Light Laughing Cow cheese
Light Laughing Cow cheese wedge – only 35 calories – WOW!
Pop Chips – these AWESOME 100 calorie chips are real potatoes, they are just popped instead of fried or baked. They come in many flavors and you can get them in single serve bags and the come out to less than a dollar a bag

Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – eaten a few at a time, a tablespoon or 2 can keep you busy for a while
Jax (cheese doodles) – lots of curls for 130 calories
Ricola chewy breath mints – very minty – and after mint, I don’t want anything else for a while
Coffee – not a snack when it is just coffee, but by the time I am done with flavorings and toppings, it is more like a low cal dessert ๐Ÿ™‚ I will get a few of these recipes up soon

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