Requesting healthy recipes to keep in fridge for small, quick meals/snacks?
I’m looking for healthy (whole foods, low cal) recipes that I can make and store in the fridge for a few days to have on hand to eat as snacks and quick lunches. Examples of what I make and leave on hand are quinoa with peppers and tomatoes, tuna nicoise salad, roasted turkey breast.
Any more suggestions? P.S. I don’t eat red meat.
September 30th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
When I am doing my best at eating healthy I just cut up fresh veggies and fruit and keep in the fridge. Soup is another thing I keep in the fridge for quick meals. Flylady.net has some great recipes for soup in her Food for Thought section. You could also try www. hillbillyhousewife.com she has alot of recipes for simple meals. There is a link on her page for her Healthy Hillbilly site that has recipes even more health conscious.
September 30th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Whole wheat pasta salad. I make mine with a natural viniagrette and toss in bell peppers, peas, onions, diced tomato etc.
September 30th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
The first two recipes are all-time favorite lunch grain recipes. Really excellent. The third is a grain recipe I’ve wanted to try for awhile.
Apples and peanut butter are a good quick snack choice — dribble some honey in the peanut butter for something sweeter.
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Moroccan-Spiced Bulgur and Chickpea Salad
Fresh mint gives this dish a pleasant aroma. Dried cranberries offer a hint of sweetness. Use any other dried fruit you like in their place: Try golden raisins, currants, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots.
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups boiling water
1 1/3 cups uncooked bulgur
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Combine boiling water and bulgur in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add bulgur, carrots, and remaining ingredients to juice mixture, and toss well to coat. Cover and chill.
Yield: 3 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)
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QUINOA WITH MANGO AND CURRIED YOGURT
Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/3 cups quinoa (7 1/2 oz)*
1 lb firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 fresh jalapeño chile, seeded (if desired for less heat) and minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts (2 1/2 oz), chopped
Whisk together yogurt, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
Rinse quinoa in a bowl using 5 changes of water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off water (if quinoa does not settle, drain in a large sieve after each rinsing).
Cook quinoa in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water 10 minutes. Drain in a large sieve and rinse under cold running water.
Set sieve with quinoa over a saucepan containing 1 1/2 inches boiling water (sieve should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Toss quinoa with curried yogurt and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 6 side-dish servings.
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QUINOA AND BULGUR SALAD WITH FETA
Made with crisp radishes, salty olives, and feta, and dressed with minted olive oil and lemon, this salad really sings.
1/3 cup quinoa
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup medium bulgur
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 brine-cured black olives, such as Kalamata, pitted and cut into slivers
2 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced
2 oz feta, coarsely crumbled (1/2 cup)
1 head Bibb lettuce, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 cups)
Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve between changes of water.
Stir together quinoa, 4 cups water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, and simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is just tender and germ starts to separate from grain, about 20 minutes. Drain well in sieve, then transfer to a medium bowl.
While quinoa is simmering, cover bulgur with warm water by 2 inches and soak until tender and chewy, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, then stir into drained quinoa. Cool grains completely, about 20 minutes.
While grains cool, stir together oil, lemon juice, mint, pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and let stand 15 minutes, then stir into grains along with olives, radishes, feta, and lettuce. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
September 30th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Yogurt. There are so many interesting flavors – Fruit at the bottom, key lime – – the chocolate mousse flavors are pretty good. Fresh fruit – apples, oranges, bananas — whatever is in season. Individual boxes of raisins – I add them to salads or just have them for a snack. GORP – Good Old Raisins & Peanuts — add dried fruits like apples, apricots, banana chips. Avocado – I add chunks or slices to salads – i.e., pears, nuts, strawberries, avocado, butter lettuce & a light dressing (raspberry etc.). I like tuna/chicken/salmon/shrimp salad scooped into half a cantaloupe (or w slices of honeydew).
If you’re a cottage cheese fan like me, stuff a tomato w cottage cheese (& raisins), or add to a salad w pineapple rings. I boil broad egg noodles, add s&p & mix in cottage cheese. May sound weird, but I’ve eaten it since I was a kid, when my diabetic graandma use to make it for me.
Cold pasta salads – add tuna, chicken or turkey, cherry tomatoes, shredded low fat cheese, shredded fresh basil or spinach, & lite dressing.
In a pinch, I keep canned fruit, like fruit salad, pineapple, apricots peaches & serve w a turkey or tuna salad sammich on whole wheat bread). Grapefruit is a healthy snack.
Chicken and Coleslaw Wrap
Serve with fruit of choice & yogurt, if yoiu like (strawberry etc.)
For more fiber, use whole-wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
You could use tuna, salmon or shrimp in place of chicken)
1 can (5 ounces) chunky white meat chicken in water, drained
1 cup coleslaw, without dressing
1 can (4 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat coleslaw dressing
2 flour tortillas, each 8 inches in diameter
In a small bowl, add the chicken, coleslaw, pineapple and dressing. Stir to mix evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 25 minutes. Top each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Fold both sides of each tortilla up over the filling, and then roll to close.
September 30th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I keep this in my fridge for lunches….
1 cup (about 4 ounces) small pasta shells or orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 large lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, grated
4 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions
Cook pasta in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; rinse under cold water and drain well.
Grate enough lemon peel to measure 1/2 teaspoon. Squeeze enough juice from lemon to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons. Place lemon peel and juice in medium bowl. Whisk in oil. Mix in carrot, radishes and chives, then pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes to blend flavors.
Here’s another of my favorites to keep in the fridge…
To make Ginger-Mango Sauce, place in processor and process until smooth:
1 large mango, seeded, peeled, quartered
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spoon sauce into bowl serve with sliced fresh fruit, such as:
Oranges
Cantaloupe
Kiwi
Strawberries
Bananas
honeydew mellon
apples