Living Healthy College Style
I'm a 20 year old junior in college, trying to promote a healthy life style for myself and others, which can definitely be hard to do in college. In this blog, I'll experiment with recipes, blog about my own progress towards body wellness inside-and-out, and hopefully help some of you out along the way! Last summer, with a month of exercise and eating right, I lost my freshman 15. Over the past year, I have been maintaining my weight and continuing to hone my healthy cooking skills!
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A little Plain Greek Yogurt and some flavored almonds make a very filling breakfast or snack! 6oz of Yogurt and 10 almonds is only about 160 calories, 20g of protein, and some healthy fats that will help the proteins digest slowly, keeping you fuller, longer. Not to mention, it’s a super sweet treat—creamy and crunchy all at once. I like to mix my yogurt with a little sugar-free syrup to make it even sweeter, and top it with cocoa almonds. Yum!
What’s great about this dip? It’s fast, easy, delicious, and very good for you! While the average store-bought spinach dip has about 110-120 calories PER 2 TABLESPOONS and only 1g of protein, with this dip you get 6x the volume and 15x the protein for fewer calories! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
So, impress your friends with this delicious, creamy homemade spinach dip. Impress them even FURTHER when you share the nutrition facts. ;)
[This recipe was adapted from the spinach dip recipe in the June/July 2011 issue of Seventeen Magazine, which called for nonfat sour cream. By replacing the sour cream with nonfat plain Greek yogurt, you save 80 calories and gain 12g of filling protein!]
Makes two 3/4 cup servings at 105 calories each. :)
INGREDIENTS:
- 6oz-10oz bag of baby spinach (40 cals, 4g protein)
- 6oz Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (100 cals, 18g protein)
- 1/4 Cup Nonfat Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (70 cals, 8g protein)
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1) Tear up spinach by hand into smaller leaves and put it in a large, microwavable bowl.
2) Add yogurt, mozzarella, onion, powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix WELL with a spoon or spatula. [It may seem daunting at first, but it’s really not hard! Check out the picture at the end of the post to see what it should look like before popping it in the microwave.]
3) Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, and stir again. If you want it hotter, just microwave a little more! Enjoy :)
Makes for a great late-night snack, party dip, or even part of a healthy lunch! Also goes great with veggies or some low-calorie homemade tortilla chips!
Below is a picture of the dip, pre-microwave. See! The mixing can be done!
My delicious healthy lunch! Celery (30 cals), Carrots (35 cals), homemade tortilla chips (100 cals), and homemade spinach dip (105 cals and 15 grams of protein for a 3/4 cup serving!)
Now, if this doesn’t satisfy the new food pyramid I don’t know what does—1/2 plate veggies, 1/4 plate carbs, 1/4 plate protein. :) Yesss sir! Recipe for both the tortilla chips and the spinach dip on the way soon!
TORTILLA CHIPS RECIPE HERE!
Want to eat something creamy, salty, crunchy, carb-y, and FUN? Try this hummus-and-veggie “Pizza.” What a great way to get in a serving of vegetables!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Slice 100% Whole Wheat Sara Lee Delightful Bread [45 cals]
- 2 Tablespoons Hummus [50 cals]
- Chopped veggies! [As many as you can pile on!] (I used cherry tomatos, celery, carrots, zucchini, and pepers)
DIRECTIONS:
- Toast bread in toaster to make it a little crispy
- Spread on hummus
- Place veggies on “pizza” (make ‘em pretty!) and munch munch munch!
Part of my healthy, balanced lunch, this tasty 110-cal hummus-and-veggie “pizza” was a super fun way to get in a serving of veggies ;)
Recipe HERE!
![After my pasta today, I think I introduced a slight craving for cheesy italian goodness. So for my mid-day snack, I made this delectable “Loaded” Vegetarian Pizza. Only 135 calories! And…also probably the greatest pizza I’ve ever tasted—super fresh, and I know I won’t have that “ugh” feeling from grease later!
INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 Alternative Bagel (I used the onion flavor!) [55 cals]
-1/4 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese [70 cals]
-1 teaspoon pizza sauce (4 cals)
-chopped veggies :) [I used spinach, cherry tomatos, peppers, and onions!
DIRECTIONS:
-Toast bagel half till lightly browned/slightly crunchy.
-Spread on sauce and layer veggies and cheese (I put spinach on as the bottom layer.)
-Microwave 30 seconds and enjoy the healthy cheesey goodness <33
Stack ‘em high! This is what my pizza looked like before I microwaved it. It’s like…a leaning toward of Pizza! (HAHA! PUNNY CULTURE REFERENCE!)](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpiwh3MznA1r0e2n7o1_250.png)
After my pasta today, I think I introduced a slight craving for cheesy italian goodness. So for my mid-day snack, I made this delectable “Loaded” Vegetarian Pizza. Only 135 calories! And…also probably the greatest pizza I’ve ever tasted—super fresh, and I know I won’t have that “ugh” feeling from grease later!
INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 Alternative Bagel (I used the onion flavor!) [55 cals]
-1/4 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese [70 cals]
-1 teaspoon pizza sauce (4 cals)
-chopped veggies :) [I used spinach, cherry tomatos, peppers, and onions!
DIRECTIONS:
-Toast bagel half till lightly browned/slightly crunchy.
-Spread on sauce and layer veggies and cheese (I put spinach on as the bottom layer.)
-Microwave 30 seconds and enjoy the healthy cheesey goodness <33
Stack ‘em high! This is what my pizza looked like before I microwaved it. It’s like…a leaning toward of Pizza! (HAHA! PUNNY CULTURE REFERENCE!)
