Tag Archives: salad

Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette

The horseradish really does come through in this dressing. I can see this doing equally as well on a chilled seafood salad, but I used it on greens and it really made for a zesty, spicy salad.

Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette
Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette

6 servings
129 calories per serving

2 T tomato paste
1 small lemon, juiced
2 T prepared horseradish
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 c olive oil
½ t salt
¼ t celery seed
¼ t sugar
1 t or more black pepper
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Mix all and chill for at least an hour.

Broccoli Tomato Side Salad

Simple yet special with the addition of the cheese and sunflower seeds. Serve this up and watch it disappear !

Broccoli Tomato Side Salad
Broccoli Tomato Side Salad

8 servings
108 calories per serving

6 c broccoli florets, chopped coarsely
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
1 c shredded low fat cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
2 T sunflower seeds
½ c light vinaigrette dressing
1 T Splenda
2 t Dijon mustard

Mix broccoli, tomatoes, cheese, and seeds. Mix dressing, Splenda and mustard and then mix with veggies.

Lifestyle Foods Does it Right !!

We all know how hard it can be to find prepared foods and snacks that are good for us. Well, Lifestyle Foods has some awesome products that solve that problem – all are healthy options, and all are prepared and ready to grab out of the fridge making them just as convenient as grabbing those cookies or that full of fat hot pocket from the freezer – – healthy eating just got a lot easier ! Lifestyle Foods With so many options (and all of them tasting GREAT), you could live off these little meals and snacks. And that is precisely what I’ve done for a few days as I’ve been taste testing and reviewing all the different options. My goodness, there are so many things to choose from and one tastes better than the next. They definitely get a thumbs up rating from me !

The food is available online (http://www.lifestylefoods.com) where you can mix and match and create your own personalized pack of snacks. Or if you are in the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania area, you can find the products in 7-11, Sheetz, and Royal Farms locations throughout New Jersey, in a few Hudson News locations including JFK Airport, and most Giant locations across Pennsylvania. There are soups, salads, snack packs, breakfasts, stand along snacks – more than enough choices to keep the pickiest of eaters happy.

I would love to see this product line on shelves in every food store, in every convenience store, and in all colleges across the nation – how great it would be if college students all had easy access to prepared foods that they can eat on the run or place in their dorm refrigerators for easy access to healthy snacks.

The quality is stupendous, the taste is great, the combinations are well thought out, the packaging is minimal (which is an added bonus in my mind!) and the calorie count is way low. Add a piece of fruit and some nuts as a dessert to one of the salads and you have a complete meal. Or instead of 2 slices of pizza next meal, have one slice and one of these quick salads next to it. Eating healthier is so much easier when great options are a few steps away and READY TO EAT.

Below you’ll see a list of all the products I’ve tried and some misc. comments – even if you don’t have time to read the info, please do yourself and your family a favor and grab some of these items. When they are there in the fridge ready to eat, you will find that you grab them. I have, my husband has, my teenage daughter has – and we all feel better because of it !

SOUP + SALAD

The soups are fresh and tasty and if they were packaged separately, I would be buying them up ! They do not taste like Campbells’s canned soup – they are fresh and scrumptious. The salad dressings appear to be low fat options and more than enough is provided, even for dressing hogs like me.

My favorite here is the Tomato Basil soup – oh my goodness ! Just a little chunky; actually the perfect texture. Super taste.

The only thing here is I would recommend NOT using the cardboard as the microwave stand – if it opens up after you grab the soup, you could end up with hot soup all over the place 🙁 And you certainly don’t want to waste even a spoonful of the yummy soup !

Chicken Noodle+ Caesar – 120 calories

Vegetable and Garden – 90 calories

Tomato Basil and Garden – 120 calories

SALADS

The salad dressings appear to be low fat options and more than enough is provided, even for dressing hogs like me. The dressings are very flavorful.

The chicken salad is white meat only and for only 190 calories you are FULL when you are done – the portioning is fantastic. The tuna salad is equally as fresh and quality tuna is definitely used. The chicken in the cobb salad has a nice little kick to it – this could actually use a little more lettuce for all the add ins and dressing you get.

Taco Salad – 160 calories

Caesar with Chicken – 220 calories

Garden with Italian – 80 calories

Garden with Ranch – 120 calories

BLT with Ranch – 200 calories

Tuna Salad and Romaine – 210 calories

Chicken Salad and Romaine – 190 calories

Cobb with Ranch – 220 calories

SNACKS

All the apple wedges are crisp and fresh without any flavor of the agent used to keep them from browning (ascorbic acid).

Veggies are sweet, cheese is mild and fresh, dips are zesty – great snack attack packs.

Apple Wedges – 30 calories

Shred Snack – Chicken strips and cheddar cheese cubes – 175 calories

Essential Snack – Mini bagel with cream cheese, hard boiled egg, apple wedges – 200 calories

Manhattan Snack – Hummus, pita bread, carrots, cheddar cheese – 240 calories

Hollywood Snack – Honey wheat pretzels, apple wedges, grapes, cheddar cheese – 200 calories

Glam Snack – Apple wedges, grapes, almonds – 150 calories

Mac Snack – Mac and cheese cubes, grapes – 110 calories

Obsessed Snack – Greek yogurt and honey graham sticks – 150 calories

BREAKFASTS

The oatmeal was so hearty and such a grand portion ! I might add a little honey or nuts to make it even better. But this is a great little package even as is.

Awake Snack – Granola, apples, grapes, trail mix – 170 calories

Oatmeal and Apple – Whole apple, steel cut oatmeal (with turbinado sugar and raisins to add in)- 230 calories

Lifestyle Foods (http://www.lifestylefoods.com) have snacks and mini meals to satisfy your sweet tooth or your craving for savory food – they have it all. They provide nutritious, ready to eat, delicious snacks that compliment a healthy lifestyle.

Pepper and Bean Salad

A great side dish that tastes just as good cold as it does warm. This is one you will definitely make again 🙂

Pepper and Bean Salad
Pepper and Bean Salad

8 servings
60 calories per serving

2 shallots, cut into thin slices
1/2 c vinaigrette dressing
1 lb. green beans
1/4 c water
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat skillet and add half the dressing. Add the onions and cook 8 minutes or until tender. Add the beans and the water and stir well then cover the pan and cook on medium for 5 minutes. Finally add peppers and recover and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the rest of the dressing, salt and pepper.

Greek Chickpea and Potato Salad

This is a great side dish – flavorful, healthy and easy to put together. Serve beside a lunch sandwich or next to BBQ’d meats at diner.

Greek Chickpea and Potato Salad
Greek Chickpea and Potato Salad

6 servings
165 calories per serving

2 T cold vegetable broth
2 T lemon juice
1 t grated lemon zest
1 T Dijon mustard
1 lb, red new potatoes, quartered
2 scallions, sliced
15 oz. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
2 oz. black olives, chopped
3 t oregano flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing whisk the broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and mustard. Set aside. Steam potatoes 15-20 minutes or until tender. Place in bowl and pour over half the dressing. Mix well and then cool for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and the rest of the dressing and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Spinach with Ginger Dressing

This tastes as good as any ginger dressing you get at any Asian restaurant (usually served at Hibatchi places). Whip some up and if you don’t have any spinach around, place on any leafy greens.

Spinach with Ginger Dressing
Spinach with Ginger Dressing

3 servings
173 calories per serving

2 T minced onion
3 T peanut oil
2 T distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 T finely grated fresh ginger
1T ketchup
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
5 oz spinach
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until combined. Toss spinach, carrot and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated.

Tuna Antipasto Salad

Just enough tuna, just enough beans, just enough of everything to make this a great lunch. This travels well as long as you keep it refrigerated. A great, healthy lunch !

Tuna Antipasto Salad
Tuna Antipasto Salad

4 servings
320 calories per serving

15 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 cans fancy white tuna packed in water
1 large red or green bell pepper, finely diced
½ c chopped parsley
1/2 c lemon juice, divided
4 T olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
8 cups mixed salad greens

Combine beans, tuna, bell pepper, parsley, 1/4 c lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the rest of the oil and lemon and toss with greens. Plate greens and sprinkle with salt and pepper then top with the tuna mix.

Jalapeno Tomatoes

Spicy and savory side dish that is perfect next to Mexican inspired meals. The cumin really makes this a different tasting salad.

Jalapeno Tomatoes
Jalapeno Tomatoes

8 servings
58 calories per serving

4 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes (plus any other sliced garden tomatoes you have)
1/3 c sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced thinly
1/3 c white balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T oil
2 t minced ginger
1 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the tomatoes, scallions, garlic and jalapeno. Mix the rest of the ingredients to make a dressing then pour over the tomatoes and chill for at least 1 hour.

Pork and Greens

Pork with a great crunchy coating, plus a side salad with a surprisingly good dressing !

Pork and Greens
Pork and Greens

6 servings
342 calories per serving

1/4 c green salsa (salsa verde)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 c low fat mayo
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb. boneless pork chops (¼ inch thick)
35 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers, finely crushed
2 T oil, divided
7 oz. Spring Mix (or your favorite mixed leafy greens)

Mix together salsa, mustard and 1 T may0 and set aside – this is the salad dressing. Mix garlic and mayo and coat pork (put it on like you are buttering bread) then coat with the crumbs. Heat skillet and add half the oil. Cook half the chops 5 minutes per side or until done. Add the other oil and repeat with the remaining chops. Mix greens and dressing.

Veggie Pitas

It’s a salad in a pita ! And a mighty good one at that !

Veggie Pitas
Veggie Pitas

4 servings
260 calories per serving

2 T oil
1 T vinegar
1 t grated lemon zest
1 t oregano flakes
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
Salt to taste
1/8 t cayenne pepper
¾ c chopped romaine lettuce
½ c finely chopped tomato
½ c finely chopped English cucumber
¼ c chopped black olives
¼ c crumbled low fat feta cheese
4 6 inch pita pockets, sliced

Mix oil, vinegar, zest, oregano, garlic and cayenne. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and mix well then spoon mix into pita breads.

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