From Hungry Girl – watch those nutritional labels

Howdy, HG!

I have been hearing a lot lately that the nutritional facts on many food labels at the supermarket are OFF by around 15% and that it's totally LEGAL. I am so upset and feel betrayed (and defeated). How can we trust the labels of anything we eat? What do we do, Hungry Girl?

Gloomy in Gainesville   
Dear Gloomy,

As long-time HG subscribers know (I have been writing about this for ages), the stats on food labels can LEGALLY be off by as much as 20%. It's not great news, but it's not HORRIBLE news either. While some foods have more calories, fat, etc., than the labels say, some have less. Plus, we're way better off knowing this information than NOT knowing it. Think about it... Now that you're aware that packaged foods could have more calories than the labels say, you can make adjustments to account for it. Here are a few tips:

1. If you count calories, pad your numbers a bit. What I mean by "pad your numbers" is that you can round up -- if something says it has 280 calories, count it as 300. Small changes totally make a difference.

2. If something tastes too good to be true (especially if it's from a small mom-and-pop company), it may very well be -- so don't kid yourself. If you start eating some new treat regularly, and then you notice extra pounds creeping on when they shouldn't be, you might wanna ditch that snack or count extra calories for it.

3. The nutritional stats for all types of food -- even fruit and lean protein -- vary due to size and weight. So weigh your food once in a while to see if the actual weight matches the given or assumed amount.

The bottom line is that no matter how hard we try to pin numbers down, they're always going to be a little off. It won't help to become outraged. Just keep those tips in mind, and you should be fine!

Hungry Girl’s Egg in a Mug – INCREDIBLE….

Okay ladies, I have a fantastic, easy recipe for you this morning.  It’s from Hungry Girl, one of her most requested, and now I know why.  This is only 95 calories, 2 measly little WW points, and it tastes awesome.  Even picky hubby requests it.  And SO easy, too – if you like eggs, you have to try this…

~ jan

1/2 cup eggbeaters, or if you don’t have them 1/2 cup eggwhites (about 3 eggs) works great

pinch of salt and pepper

1 wedge Laughing Cow Lite Cheese – I used the Herb one, it’s SO good…

Spray an oversized coffee mug with Pam, put in the eggbeaters, and cut up the wedge of cheese and put it in, add the salt and pepper, nuke it in the wave on high for 1 minute, take it out, scramble it with a fork, back into the wave for another 30 seconds – that’s it – you will be shocked at how good this is.

Try it, you won’t be disappointed…

Here are some variations of it on her website

Chicken Cordon Bleu from Hungry Girl

Warm chicken wrapped around melted cheese and juicy ham that won't break the calorie bank!? Sign us up...

Ingredients:
One 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlet
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature
1 oz. (about 3 slices) 97 - 98% fat-free ham slices
salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put chicken in a large sealable plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal. Using a meat tenderizer or a can, carefully pound chicken through the bag until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove chicken from the bag, and season to taste with salt and pepper on both sides.
Lay the chicken flat and spread the cheese wedge over it. Evenly layer the ham slices on top of the cheese. Starting with one of the longer sides (or any side, if it's square), tightly roll up the chicken breast cutlet, and secure with toothpicks.
Place chicken roll in a baking dish lined with foil and/or sprayed with nonstick spray, and then cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil covering the dish. Continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 1 chicken cordon bleu (entire recipe)
Calories: 222
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 692mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 0g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 40g
POINTS® value 5*

So-Good Sausage Gravy 'n Biscuits

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 235 calories, 5.5g fat, 752mg sodium, 34g carbs, 9g fiber, 1g sugars, 17g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

Go hog wild with this fat-slashed, vegetarian-friendly version of a classic!

Ingredients:
1 meatless sausage-style breakfast patty (like one by Morningstar Farms or Boca, or two of Yves' small patties)
1 light english muffi n
1/2 cup Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze
4 tsp. whole-wheat flour
dash salt
dash pepper
dash onion powder
To taste: additional salt, pepper and onion powder, garlic powder, minced dried onions

Directions:
Prepare breakfast patty according to package directions (either in a pan with nonstick spray, or in the microwave). Once cool enough to handle, cut patty into small, crumble-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the gravy, combine Almond Breeze, flour, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix well. Place gravy and sausage crumbles in a small pot, and heat stovetop over a medium-high flame. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking and stirring for 1 - 2 minutes (until gravy thickens). Remove from heat. Season gravy generously with additional spices (to taste). Se parate the english muffin into halves and warm in the microwave. Then pour the sausage gravy over the open-faced halves. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Source: HungryGirl Newsletter

Faux-Fried Green Tomatoes from HungryGirl Newsletter

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 699mg sodium, 34g carbs, 12g fiber, 7g sugars, 8g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

HG Tip! Although you'll only use the amounts called for, it may be helpful to dole out a little extra egg substitute and milk. And if you don't see green tomatoes out there with the ripe red ones, ask a friendly stock boy (that's what we did!).





Update:  I'm not a fan of Fiber One, I think I could find a better product to dredge these in

Tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency
1 1/2 tbsp. cornmeal
2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Original Egg Beaters)
2 tbsp. low-fat milk (light soymilk or Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze will also work)
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
dash salt
dash pepper
Optional: additional spices, ketchup (for dipping)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the ground cereal, cornmeal and spices in a sealable container or plastic bag. (For a more flavorful coating, add extra spices.) Pour the egg substitute into a small dish.

Pour the milk into another small dish. Dip a tomato slice in the milk, and place it in the cereal/cornmeal mixture. Seal the container or bag, and shake until the slice is coated. Remove the slice and set aside, and then repeat with the remaining slices. Next, repeat this entire process using the egg substitute in place of the milk, coating your tomato slices with the crumb mixture a second time. (Before coating the slices in crumbs again, give 'em a shake so they're not dripping with excess egg substitute.)

Place the double-coated slices on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Pop 'em in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through cooking. Tomatoes are done when the outsides are nice and crispy. Enjoy! These are great by themselves, but they're also excellent dipped in ketchup!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Cheesy Muffins from HungryGirl

Cheesy-Good Cornbread Muffins

PER SERVING (1 muffin): 85 calories, 1.5g fat, 240mg sodium, 14g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 4g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

Cheesy cornbread muffins for only 85 calories each?! How can it be???

Ingredients:
1 cup canned cream-style corn
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Optional: 1/4 tsp. hot sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, cornmeal, Splenda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together all other ingredients -- then add the contents of the small bowl to the large one, and stir until well mixed.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line it with baking cups. Evenly distribute muffin batter among the cups. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes (until muffins are firm and a light golden brown). Allow to cool and then enjoy!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Crazy-Creamy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

(Entire recipe: 135 calories, 3g fat, 975mg sodium, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugars, 16g protein = 3 Points)

These make both an awesome appetizer and a hot 'n cheesy snack!

Ingredients:
12 small-to-medium-sized (1 - 2" wide) brown mushroom caps (stems removed)

2 oz. drained white crabmeat - can substitute canned or use Louis Kemp fake crabmeat

2 tbsp. celery; minced

2 tbsp. red pepper; minced

1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Cheese (any Light flavor)

1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese

2 tsp. fat-free cheese flavor sprinkles (like the ones by Molly McButter)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel and then dry them. Place with the rounded sides down on a baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Combine all other ingredients and stir until well mixed. Evenly distribute crab mixture among the mushroom caps. Place in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until hot. Enjoy the creamy, crab-tastic goodness! Makes 12.

Blueberry Pancakes

Blue Ribbon Batter!
	It's no secret that HG LOVES breakfast (it IS the most important meal of the day -- that's NOT a rumor). But don't think for one second we're gonna be satisfied with some lame-o boring b-fast. Nuh-uh. We want pancakes. With blueberries! STAT! Check out our simple recipe... An oat-y take on p-cakes makes 'em hearty, filling, and delicious! Ingredients: 1/3 cup regular oats (not instant or steel cut) 1/4 cup blueberries 3 tbsp. egg whites 1 tbsp. nonfat milk 1 tbsp. fat-free cottage cheese 1 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. water pinch salt Directions: Combine all ingredients except for the blueberries and stir until well mixed. Gently fold in blueberries. In a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, drop batter into pan to form 3 pancakes (or 1 big pancake). Once pancakes begin to look solid (about 3 minutes), gently flip (if possible, re-spritz the pan with nonstick spray as you flip 'em to prevent sticking). Cook for approximately 3 additional minutes, or until both sides are lightly browned and insides are cooked through. Now plate those suckers and enjoy. Serves 1. (Pssst...we like 'em drizzled with sugar-free maple syrup!)
	Serving Size: Entire recipe Calories: 195 Fat: 2g Sodium: 295mg Carbs: 32g Fiber: 4g Sugars: 6g Protein: 13g *3 Points

Subway Tuna Salad, a nono...

Despite what people think, tuna salad is typically EXTREMELY high in fat and calories. That's due to the oily condiments it's often mixed with. At Subway, the 6" Classic Tuna sub packs in a whopping 530 calories and 31g of fat (7 of them saturated!)! That's WAY more than either the 6" Steak & Cheese sub (400 cal., 12g fat) or the very low-calorie 6" Roast Beef sub (290 cal., 5g fat). So the good news is that you're right (hope you won something good)! The bad news is that tuna, which has always been considered a "diet" food, can contain shockingly high amounts of fat & calories once mixed with mayo. HG Tip: To avoid tuna salad with mystery ingredients, prepare it at home, where you can carefully monitor what's in it. And try using Best Foods/ Hellmann's Dijonnaise instead of mayo - it's totally creamy, fat-free and has just 15 calories per tablespoon!

Source: HungryGirl

No Guilt Fettuccine

In honor of National Fettuccine Alfredo Day (tomorrow…yay!), HG's whipped up yet another delicious and completely guilt-free Alfredo dish. A heaping bowl of our creamy pasta with chicken has less than one-fifth the amount of calories in Macaroni Grill's ridiculous version. And ours will also save you more than 90 fat grams. Yes, NINETY! Check it out:




Ingredients:

1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki noodles, Fettuccine Shape**
1 wedge The Laughing Cow cheese, Light Original Swiss
2 tsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
5 oz. skinless chicken breast; grilled with nonstick spray only
Optional: salt, pepper, and paprika

Directions:

Drain and rinse noodles well. Dry noodles thoroughly (use paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible) and use a knife to slice them up a bit. Next, top noodles with both cheeses and fat-free sour cream, then microwave for one minute. Stir and microwave for one additional minute. Slice up chicken breast and add to pasta. For added zing, season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika. Enjoy!

Serving Size: Entire recipe
Calories: 250
Fat: 5.5g
Sodium: 445mg
Carbs: 10g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 1g
Protein: 38g


*5 Points!

Red Hot Chili Poppers

Pop 'Til Ya Drop!

What a challenge, and coming up with a rockin' swap for this cheesy fried finger food was slightly tricky. Luckily, our favorite fiber-packed cereal saved the day (as usual). BTW, if you've never tried fake-frying by baking items covered in low-calorie cereal crumbs, DO IT NOW!!! (Sorry, got carried away there.) HG Tip: Bake up a batch (or two - they'll go fast!) this Super Bowl Sunday, and you and your poppers will be the life of the party.


Ingredients:
5 whole, fresh jalapenos
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup Galaxy Veggie Shreds, Cheddar & Pepper Jack Blend (or another shredded low-fat cheese)**
1/2 cup Fiber One cereal
1/4 cup Egg Beaters, Original
Optional: salt, pepper and/or garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Halve the jalapenos lengthwise, and remove the seeds, stems, and membranes (HG Heads Up: Be VERY careful when handling jalapenos; wash hands frequently and well, and avoid touching your face and eyes). Wash halves and dry them very well; set aside. Next, stir to combine cream cheese and cheese shreds. If desired, season cheese mixture with salt, pepper, and/or garlic powder. Using a blender, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. If you like, season crumbs with salt, pepper, and/or garlic powder. Place crumbs in one small dish and Egg Beaters in another. Stuff each pepper half with cheese mixture. Next, carefully coat both sides of each pepper half with Egg Beaters, and then with Fiber One crumbs. Place peppers on a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray, and place in oven. Cook for 25 minutes (for very spicy poppers) to 30 minutes (medium-hot poppers). Makes 10 poppers.

Serving Size: 5 poppers
Calories: 115
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 405mg
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 1.5g
Protein: 12g
*2 Points!