Fruits~~Vegetables

Broccoli and Cheddar Skinny Potato Skins



Servings: 2 • Serving Size: 2 halves • Points: 3 ww ptsCalories: 192.7 • Fat: 2.9 g • Protein: 13.1 g • Carb: 30.0 g • Fiber: 4.3 g
2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed clean and dry
Spray oil
salt and pepper
2 oz shredded cheese
1 cup cooked broccoli florets, chopped Pierce potato with a fork a few times all around. Place in microwave and cook about 5 minutes per potato. When finished, allow to cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes in half horizontally. Scoop out potatoes leaving about 1/4 inch thick wall. Save scooped out potatoes for tomorrow's skinny mashed potatoes.To Make On the Grill: Preheat grill on medium flame to 450°. Lightly spray potato skins on both sides with oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill flesh side down about 4 minutes. Turn and fill with cheese and broccoli and grill an additional 4-5 minutes. To Make In the Oven: Heat oven to 450°. Lightly spray potato skins on both sides with oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Fill with cheese and broccoli, place on a broiler pan and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted


Fruits and vegetables, which are higher in water and fiber and lower in calories than other foods, are less likely to cause weight gain or prevent weight loss, as you would have to eat much larger portions to consume too many calories. However, fruit has almost three times the calories per serving as nonstarchy vegetables, so it is easier to consume too many fruit calories, which can interfere with weight loss. People think of fruit as a "free food" and are unknowingly consuming up to 250 extra calories a day, which could prevent them from losing one pound of fat every two weeks! Fruit is healthy and you should be eating some every day, but they have points and some of them (bananas, pineapple) have quite a few points. You cannot eat an infinite amount of fruit and lose weight. The same goes for carrots, if you are going to be munching handfuls of carrot sticks, make sure you count the points.


Getting Creative with Vegetables
If your garden is overflowing with produce, or you just brought home yet another big basket of vegetables from the farmers’ market, eating another tired salad is the last thing you want to do. By now, you’re probably getting sick of the same old sauté. But vegetables don’t have to be a boring side dish. When you think you’ve had more than enough zucchini, peppers or other produce, try one of the ideas below to add a little variety to your dinner plate.

Mix it up with marinades. Marinating vegetables for a couple of hours before cooking can be an easy (and low calorie) way to kick things up a notch. Wisk some olive oil, your favorite vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, and your favorite fresh herbs in a bowl. (We recommend you use about 1 tsp oil and 1 TBSP vinegar per cup of cut vegetables.) Put your sliced vegetables (any mixture of veggies works) in a bowl with a cover or a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over them. Shake or stir to cover all the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours, mixing a few times to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Cook as you like, eat raw or toss in a salad.

Fire up the grill. That great summer cooking appliance isn’t just for meat. Instead of sticking to the usual sauté, why not get that grill going and cook your veggies there. Put cut, seasoned or marinated veggies on skewers or in a foil pack and set them on a pre-heated grill. Cook until slightly tender. Voila! Your veggies will have that great grilled flavor and you’ll have something new to nosh.

Get creative with salads. Lettuce doesn’t have to be basis for every salad you eat. Why not dice up some zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers, or whatever veggies you love (or have) and toss them with cooked pasta, barley or couscous. Drizzle with your favorite low-fat dressing and you’ll have a simple, crisp and cool meal for those hot summer nights.

Eating all of those vegetables doesn’t seem quite so tough now, does it?

How do you like to eat your vegetables? Share your ideas in the comments.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well. !!!!!!!!
Strawberry Pie

1 small package (1.1 oz) sugar-free Cook and Serve vanilla pudding
2 cups water
1 small package (0.3 oz) sugar-free strawberry Jell-O
4 cups sliced strawberries

In a medium saucepan, stir together water and pudding mix. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add the Jell-O. Stir until dissolved. Set the pan aside and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Place strawberries in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate. Pour cooled pudding mixture over the
strawberries. Refrigerate until chilled. Let it set well before slicing.

6 points for the entire pie