I used to live on the east coast, and I really miss bagels.  I’m not talking about that fake, round rubbery thing we usually see at the grocery.  I mean a bagel that has all kinds of onion and poppy seeds, and good stuff!  I was figuring, heck, it’s a bagel, how bad can it be for you?  Yikes!  The typical bagel from places like Panera or Einstein’s run around 7 Weight Watchers points with some (like that evil cinnamon sugar one) up to 12 points!  So what’s a person to do when she wants a bagel that won’t cost her half her daily points?  Is there a healthy bagel option? 

The answer is yes!  A woman who lost 212 (!) pounds on Weight Watchers had the same issue, so she opened  her own bagel bakery.  She sells Kim’s Light Bagels.  Now if you are lucky enough to live on the east coast, many grocers there carry her brand.  If not, you, like me, can order them and use Paypal to pay for them.  What could be better?  She only has six flavors, but her bagels are high in fiber with four grams per bagel and only 110 calories (read 2 points!).  She even sells an “everything” bagel.  If you like your fruity bagels, you’ll be happy to know she also has blueberry bagels.  Of course she has plain and wheat if you like to decorate yours with something like lox that really won’t go with blueberry or cinnamon. 

She ships to you, and her bagels will freeze just fine, so order in quantity to make the shipping worth your time.  Here’s to a return to a real bagel that happens to be a healthy food option.  Cheers!

Weekends are a great chance to relax and catch up on errands and household chores.  Sometimes that means grabbing a bite to eat at a local restaurant.  Although I live in a large city, there are no vegetarian or vegan restaurants currently, so we do not eat out much. 

Fortunately, when we do get the urge for someone else to cook our meal for us, a trip to Flat Top Grill is perfect.  You choose exactly which ingredients go into your stir fry, and they offer several mock-meat options, as well as tofu upon request. 

If you have never been, I encourage you to find one near you and go tonight!  You start off with rice or noodles.  Then you pile on the veggies of your choice.  I like spinach, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, edamame, and mushrooms.   This is also where you will find the mock-meats (seitan, veat, tempeh, etc.). 

Add a few spoonfuls of a sauce (Vegan options are clearly labeled).  Lastly, add garlic, cilantro, chopped peanuts, or other extras to your bowl.  Add a special stick for tofu, or roti prata bread, and a white (vegetarian/allergy) stick as well to have your dish cooked on a separate grill surface (to avoid cross-contamination from other people's stir fries). 

A few minutes later, your stir fry is brought to your table, piping hot and exactly as you wanted it!  (With no hidden ingredients.)

* As you can see, I didn't do much cooking this weekend (veggie burgers on Friday, and bean burritos on Sunday...).  We are planning to try a new dish or two this week, if life allows me the time to get to the grocery store!

There’s lots of talk about the Academy Awards and great films these days.  Additionally, the Sundance Film Festival is well underway generating lots of buzz about hot new films.  As part of the swag (read: “stuff that people who could afford to buy it get at no cost”) at the festival, celebrities are receiving wine from Barefoot Wine.  So why not drink what they are drinking?  The price is right with bottles running from about $8 to about $15 per bottle.  You can shop their site to see if they have a retailer near you.  If not, and if you live in a state that permits shipping wine, you can buy it direct from Barefoot.

They offer a full array of wines including:  Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and White Zinfandel.  They even make a bubbly to help you celebrate for only $9!  To be honest, I have not sampled these wines, but at this price, it’s worth buying a bottle to try.  They have won gold medals in wine tastings when comparing other wines in this same price category.  Based on some research, I’d steer toward the reds which seem to have done better in competition.  It looks like a good everyday “drinkable” wine.  Even the Chicago Tribune’s William Rice said of the Merlot, “It’s good wine, full bodied and easy drinking.”

Cheers!

The new edition of Vegan Lunch Box that was supposed to be out in March is being pushed back by the publishers to have a July/August release date. 

I was really looking forward to actually owning a copy of this book, as the self-published edition sold out several months ago before I could purchase it.  Jennifer McCann has such interesting ideas for kids snacks and lunches!  Oh well, if we must wait, we must wait.

In the meantime, if you need a quick and healthy snack for the kids in your life, whip up a fresh batch of guacamole!   Store bought guacamole often doesn't even contain much avocado (Kraft's version, for example), and it can contain gelatin as well (Gross!  Gelatin comes from the bones, skins, hoofs, and tendons of cows, pigs, and fish.).

Organic avocados are a terrific source of fiber, as well as potassium, Vitamin E, and more!

Guacamole

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 avocados
2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder  (I use a bit more than this for an extra kick!)

* Squeeze juice into bowl.  Add avocado chunks.  Mash with a fork. Stir in the garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder.

How easy was that?!  Serve with chips as a healthy, organic snack, or spread on a tortilla with refried beans and leftover rice for a simple burrito lunch.  

* To answer some questions that were posed to me:  I buy a lot of the more unusual ingredients at the local health food shop or our local food co-op.  Traditional grocery stores often have a small selection of vegetarian foods, but you won't find vegan cheeses or miso there usually. 

In larger cities you can likely find things like SoyBoy ravioli and Vitasoy soy milk at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  (I wouldn't know for sure, our city doesn't have either of those!) 

And I have no preference between rice cheese or soy cheese.  They are both great on a veggie burger or on a bun beneath sloppy joes!  I have yet to make a grilled cheese sandwich with either one, though.  I suppose that will be the TRUE TEST!  ha ha

It’s snack time, and you want something that will fill you up without expanding your waistline.  If you need bulk, microwave popcorn can really do the trick.  You’ll need to choose carefully, however.  Look for mini bags of popcorn.  They come with butter flavor, and it’s enough popcorn to take the edge off of your hunger with a Weight Watchers point value of 1 or 2. 

If you’re like me, plain popcorn doesn’t quite cut it.  That’s why I spray mine with spray butter and sprinkle it with a popcorn topping.  I order mine from Spice Barn.  They have some great (!) flavors like barbeque (my favorite!), cheese and spice, and sour cream and onion.  If you can’t decide, they even have a sampler of their 12 most popular flavors at a great price. 

If you are going to the movie, take your own, pre-popped and spiced popcorn.  If you do, you’ll have the exact calorie count before you go, and you don’t have to worry about over doing it. 

Did you know that researchers found that if you are watching a sad movie, you are likely to eat more than if you are watching a silly or action packed film?  That makes that movie theater popcorn even worse!  Did you know that a large popcorn from the theater normally has 1500 calories (and 130 grams of fat!)?  That’s a full day’s worth of points on Weight Watchers.  YIKES!  Oh, sure, you think you’ll just order a small.  OK, that’s only 500 calories and 25 grams of fat.  Like I said, pop your own, spray it with butter spray and sprinkle it with a yummy topping.  You’ll be making a low fat, healthy snack choice.  Your pants will thank you.

Cheers!

This is a great, hearty and healthy stew.  The standard recipe is from Cooking Light magazine, a great source for healthy eating ideas.  If you use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth, you have a great vegetarian stew.  If you prefer, you can always add some cooked chicken breast or tofu to add some protein to the mix.

As another note, I have added other dried fruits in addition to the raisins.  I recommend about 1/8 -1/4 c. of Craisins.  Dried apricots are also a nice touch.  I also recommend simmering this with a cinnamon stick if you have some handy.  OK, enough for the modifications!  Here's a yummy winter low-fat stew to help you eat well without giving up great taste.  Cheers!

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew: 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons raisins
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous

Preparation

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in broth and the next 9 ingredients (broth through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

While the chickpea mixture simmers, prepare couscous. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve the stew over couscous.
Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stew and 1/2 cup couscous)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 344(14% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.5g,poly 2.4g); PROTEIN 15g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 95mg; SODIUM 487mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 62.3g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2000

You thought you had heard it all, but you haven’t!  Today’s lead on healthy eating is for powdered peanut butter.  What?!?  Did she say, “powdered peanut butter”?  Even the idea is sticking to the roof of your mouth.  But wait!  This product, PB2, is a real find if you love the taste of peanut butter but hate the calories and fat grams of the real thing.  So what is the deal on this stuff?  It is real peanuts, ground, but with the oil removed!  You can eat 2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) of this for only 54 calories.  That’s one point for those of you following the Weight Watchers plan.  One serving has less than 3 grams of fat, less than half a gram of saturated fat, but 4 grams of protein!

So how do you use this stuff?  You add one tablespoon of water to the two tablespoons of PB2 and mix.  Then it’s a paste texture you can spread.  Honestly, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about this approach.  When I have an English muffin, I use spray butter and sprinkle the PB2 on top.  It works well if you blend it with preserves and then spread as well.  The best use of all, however, is in recipes.  You can use this in smoothies.  You can use this as a dip for fruit.  It has tons of healthy uses.  Only your imagination limits you!  

Some stores carry PB2, but Bell Plantation is happy to take your order on-line and ship it to you.  They also have recipes at their site.  It has a shelf life of a year, so you don’t have to worry about it going to waste (or waist!).

So what will they think of next?  There is a sugar free version of PB2 in development, so stay tuned!

Cheers!

I am a full time college student.  Although I love to cook from scratch, I really don't have the time every single night.  This recipe is tasty - but quick and easy as well!  The original recipe called for a cheese tortellini, but for a healthier, vegan, version, use SoyBoy ravioli.


Adapted from Very Best Baby:

Ravioli Stew

Ingredients:
1 package (10 ounces) SoyBoy ravioli (any flavor!), prepared according to package directions
1 container (15 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Marinara Sauce
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no-chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 package (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (my family doesn't care for frozen veggies, so I use a can of DelMonte Summer Crisp corn and a can of cut green beans, use whatever veggies your family prefers!)

*Combine sauce and broth in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add vegetables; return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover.


* Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in pasta; heat through. (SoyBoy Verde Ravioli shown here)


(Makes 4 servings)

And the final product looks something like this:

Just because I am not a vegetarian doesn't mean I don't eat healthy. I am a carnivore, and I love it. Lean is the way to go, in moderation. I love pork. My favorite cut is the tenderloin. I usually roast this with vegetables. Pork is very nutritious. Some studies even show that pork aided in weight loss because of the protein in the diet.



My favorite recipe for Roasted Pork Tenderloin:
I usually make this in a Reynolds Oven Bag, keeps it moist.

• 2 or 3 Pork tenderloins
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of apple juice
• 3 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 4 tablespoons of chopped garlic (I use Polaner, in a jar.)
• 1/3 cup of Dijon mustard (if you like)

Combine all Ingredients in the Reynolds oven bag, let marinate in refrigerator for a few hours. Then place in oven to cook for about 1 hour at 350F.

I like to serve this with Italian seasoned roasted red potatoes, and steamed carrots. Here is a quick and easy recipe for the potatoes;

5lb bag of Red Potatoes, washed and diced
A little olive oil to coat potatoes
2 packets of Good Season Italian Dressing mix
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients and bake on cookie sheet for about 45 minutes.

It is really delicious and filling, make it with any sides that you like. If you want to go a little more low carb, remove the potatoes and add a salad.  Enjoy!

While searching the web for information regarding healthy eating, I came across this web site, MyPyramid.gov. It is from the United States Department of Agriculture. It is very helpful and full of information. It even has a kids version with a game. There are tips for families, and information about how much exercise you should have. If you click on the "My Pyramid Plan", you can put in your information, and it will show you what you should eat, according to your weight.

Take a moment and give it a try. I found it very resourceful. I will be using this site while I am planning my meals for the day. Enjoy!

The NFL playoffs are well underway, and the Superbowl is coming soon.  Most parties have all kinds of unhealthy food and drink options.  If your team is in the mix, you’ll want to celebrate, and if your team is out, you may need to drown your sorrows.  In any event, a Diet Coke doesn’t do the trick.  You are tired of beer.  You want a real drink that is relatively healthy.  Light beer seems too close to water for you to want to drink it.  Yes, I know that no alcohol is going to be healthy, but if you can get a “real” drink at a lower calorie count, it’s a good compromise.

If you want a cold bottle to carry around, just like all your friends, I recommend Mike’s Hard Light Lemonade, Mike’s Hard Light Cranberry Lemonade, or Mike’s Light Hard Tea.  No, you won’t get exactly the same taste as you get from the Mike’s originals, but you will get enough similarity that you can be in a party mood without having the giant calorie hangover the next day.  

To compare the originals:

1. Mike’s Original Hard Lemonade:  220 calories
2. Mike’s Original Hard Cranberry Lemonade:  222 calories
3. Mike’s Original Hard Tea:  177 calories

The lighter versions:

1. Mike’s Hard Light Lemonade:  76 calories
2. Mike’s Hard Light Cranberry Lemonade:  78 calories
3. Mike’s Hard Light Tea:  31 calories

My favorite of these is the Light Cranberry Lemonade.  It is more like the original than the others, and for the 2 Weight Watchers points instead of 4 for the original, it’s a great healthier, lower calorie option for you.  As always, if you are going to drink, even the lower calorie versions, let someone else drive.  Cheers!

OK, just wanted to let you know, kids are not liking the Special K waffles to much.
I gave them a try this week. They were on sale for 2 for $5 this week at my local grocery store. My children found them to be mushy after toasting and adding the syrup. My "skinny" boy refuses to eat them. He is as smart as a whip, and informed me that he doesn't need to be on a diet. I tried to tell in that it is for long term health and healthy eating. I am not sure if he bought it or not. I will keep you updated on my healthy breakfast quest.

This is a great recipe for those of you who like spice muffins, but want a fat-free option.  If you aren’t concerned about the fat content, you can use vegetable oil in place of the applesauce.  If you want to mix/match the applesauce and oil, you can.  For example, you could use 5 tablespoons of oil and 5 of applesauce.  You can also use Splenda for baking in place of the sugar if you want to drop the calorie (and Weight Watchers points) count.  Whatever you do, these are a healthier choice than buying a muffin from your local bakery!

These taste great and keep you on-track for a healthy 2008!

Spice Muffins

• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoon vinegar (white distilled)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 10 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Combine all dry ingredients together.  

Fold the vanilla, applesauce, vinegar, and into the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into muffin tins.  You can use paper muffin tin liners or if you have the silicone baking pans, you can skip that step.  Whichever you choose, spray with cooking spray to reduce sticking.  

Bake at 350 for 20-24 minutes (depending on your oven).  Yields a dozen or a few more, depending on how big you want your muffins to be.

These are best served warm.  I use butter spray on mine.

Cheers!

It’s time for a snack and you want something decadent, but you know you should have something healthy.  You are already sick of carrot sticks, and that candy bar is calling you.  If you like Fig Newtons and if you like chocolate, I have a great high fiber snack you can feel good about eating.  There is a dark chocolate covered fig snack called Figamajigs.  They come in regular snack bars, like a candy bar.  They also come in a bar with almonds and in “drop” form covered in either dark chocolate or orange and yellow coating.  All of these are high in fiber but taste great!  The drops are kind of like giant M&Ms, only healthy for you.

The bars run two points and the drops run three on the Weight Watchers plan, and they count as a fruit/veggie serving, so they make a great choice.  The dark chocolate will give you enough to feel like you are cheating, and the figs are naturally sweet.  They are a great treat for you or your children, and because the Figamajigs come in individual portions, you are much less likely to overeat.

I keep one of these snacks in my desk at work in case I start to get a chocolate craving, and they really do the trick.  They aren’t available in many outlets outside of California, but they are easily ordered on-line.  If you aren’t sure which of the options sounds best, you can always order the variety pack which will let you sample each of the options.  Happy snacking!

Cheers!

One of my biggest dilemmas is a healthy breakfast for my kids. Everyone is always rushed in the morning. I have 4 children to get out the door at different times for school. Hardly a chance for a family get-together. Sadly, I fill my freezer with waffles and french toast sticks. Easy, fast and the best part, mom doesn't have to get out of bed to cook. (Bad Mommy.) This is one of my major changes in this house. I am actually going to hook them up with some Special K and fruit. Low fat or non fat yogurt too.

My first purchase was fruit. They love apples, grapefruits, oranges, bananas, and grapes. Not very filling so I also bought some Special K. I was worried they wouldn't like it. But, much to my surprise, they love it. I brought home the Red Berries and the Fruit and Yogurt flavors. The fruit and yogurt flavored Special K has 1g of fat, while the red berries has 0g of fat, excluding the milk. So eat it with fat free milk, if you can get your kids to do that. Mine are at 2% right now. Next week I am going to switch to 1%. I will gradually get them down to skim or fat free. I don't want to put them in shock.

You can go to Special K, to start the Special K Challenge. Great link to help you get started with weight loss and healthy eating. Special K even offers waffles, snack bites, breakfast bars, protein bars, and protein water to help you feel full. I think this will benefit my children in the long run. It should keep them from getting bored with just the cereal.

I am trying to help my children understand the importance of healthy eating. I am not really mentioning the weight loss benefits to them. I don't want them to get annoyed with all the  changes  I am making.  So far, so good.  This might be easier than I thought.  Enjoy!

Baby, it’s cold outside, and it’s perfect weather for a warm bowl of oatmeal.  If you want the best tasting fat-free oatmeal, use steel-cut oats.  They are healthier because they use the whole grain.  That means they include the bran with all that fiber, the germ with all the B vitamins and iron, and the endosperm which is the energy source.  Traditional oatmeal, like Quaker instant oats, are rolled, not steel cut.  As a result, they’ve been steamed, toasted, and rolled, and as a result, they’ve lost most of their taste and some of their nutritional value.  A cup of steel cut oats has more fiber and fewer calories than a bran muffin.  They also have a bit of a nutty, crunchy texture.  If you’ve never had them, you’re in for a treat.

Yes, they take longer to cook.  If you use the microwave, it will take you 10 minutes, but you can always get dressed while they cook.  They are worth the extra time.  There are some new varieties that only take five minutes, but I haven’t tried them yet.  Because of the higher fiber content, they will fill you up and keep you from wanting to snack on those doughnuts sitting out at the office.

My personal favorite brand is McCann’s, and you can find them at many grocery stores, including Amazon’s grocery store.  I usually add some Splenda brown sugar blend or some Craisins, but feel free to add what you like or eat them plain.

Cheers!

Eating nuts is very good for you. My kids love these little snacks. They are full of so many good things. A hand full of nuts a few times a week can help reduce heart disease and some cancers. All nuts are naturally cholesterol free. They are however full of calories, but in moderation, are still good for you. Dieters tend to stay away from these little snacks. I will share with you some of the benefits of a few nuts that I love.

I found most of this information on a website called The World's Healthiest Foods. It is an awesome website, full of information on just about any type of food. I used it for the chicken soup post also. You just type in the food you are looking for and there it is. I scroll down to health benefits for my information. Again, by clicking on the nut, it will take you to more detailed information. Enjoy!

Cashews contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

Almonds contain protein and are high in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron as well as vitamin E.

Walnuts have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Pistachios contain the highest level of phytosterols, which lower cholesterol levels, and offer protection from certain types of cancer.

Pecans contain oleic acid, vitamin E, thiamin, magnesium, and copper, and are a good source of fiber.  Pecans also contain antioxidants.

As promised, I’m giving you another lead for a breakfast that will get your day off to a great start without blowing your food plan or spending all your precious Weight Watchers points.  I love the options I’ve provided so far, but what if you are an old fashioned cereal with milk kind of person?  What if you want a cold cereal that doesn’t remind you of eating tree bark, but is low in fat, high in fiber, and doesn’t have the sugar levels you find in kids’ cereals?

You absolutely cannot go wrong with any product made by Kashi.  With apologies to Will Rogers, I’ve never met a Kashi product I didn’t like.  Their slogan is “Seven Whole Grains on a Mission.”  The mission is to help you eat more healthy foods without feeling like you have sacrificed all sense of taste.  So, back to the point – they make great cereals!  Shh!  Don’t tell anyone, but they know so much about cereal because they are a division of Kellogg’s. 




The cereals range from the Organic Promise line for those of you looking to keep your life full of good organic stuff to Kashi Honey Puffs.  My favorites are the original Go Lean Crunch and the Mountain Melody Granola.  They both have a good, solid crunch that doesn’t get mushy with milk.  They are also sweet enough that I feel like I’m cheating while I’m munching down my whole grains.  Just to give you an idea how healthy these are, the original Go Lean Crunch has no trans fats, 3 grams of fat, and 8 (!) grams of fiber in each 1 cup serving.  Unlike many cereals, Kashi cereals actually fill you up with all that fiber so that you aren’t starving before lunch time. 

It is impossible to overstate how much I love Kashi cereals.  You can even find some of them at Sam’s Club now.  Try them all.  Even your kids will like them.  Wouldn’t it be nice to give Tony the Tiger a run for his money?

Cheers!

Remember when your mother told you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day?  She was right, of course.  It gets your metabolism going, keeps your hunger at bay, and helps you have energy to roll through your day.  I’ve got tons of healthy and tasty breakfast ideas to share, so stay tuned for more coming in the next few days!  I shared my passion for Vitalicious muffins yesterday, but what if you are having a craving for something that tastes like fast food?  I have the solution! 

Boca, the vegetarian burger folks, have a line of breakfast foods, and they have a wrap that will help you get through that craving for a fast food breakfast.  My favorite is the Southwestern Sausage, Egg White, and Cheese Wrap.  Not only does it taste great, but it’s also low in fat with only 7 grams.  It’s also high in fiber with 6 grams.  And for you point counters out there, it has 4 points on the Weight Watchers plan.  I like my food a bit spicy, so I add hot sauce to mine.

Enjoy these on a day when you want a warm, tasty, but healthy breakfast.  They are widely available in your grocer’s freezer section, so pick some up for yourself and enjoy your faux fast food without feeling guilty about ruining your resolution.  Stay tuned for even more good breakfast ideas.

Cheers!

Todays menu for healthy eating is Chicken Soup. I am no doctor or specialist but I do know how good chicken soup makes you feel when you are sick. I have been reading over lots of research on this subject. I will list my basic findings according to my recipe. My recipe varies from time to time because it is based on the size of my pot. It is hard for me to give a recipe out to someone because I mainly judge the ingredients as I go. But here goes, according to a 16 quart pot;

My Chicken Soup Recipe:

• 8 split Chicken Breasts
• 2 to 4 Chicken backs (Grandma said this makes the best soup)
• Celery, 8 stalks
• Carrots, 2lbs.
• Onion, 1 small onion
• tomatoes, 2 quartered
• Bay leaves, 3 or 4
• Parsley, lots of parsley
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Chicken bullion cubes (sometimes, when I think it needs a little more flavor)

I combine all ingredients except pepper and parsley, fill pot with water, and then let it come to a boil. I then turn it down and as it cooks I skim the top, to remove the brown stuff (blood from chicken). When this is removed I add my parsley and pepper and let cook for a good hour. It already smells delicious!

Health benefits of the ingredients: (You can click on the ingredient for more detailed information.)

Chicken contains protein, niacin, selenium, tryptophan, vitamin B6, and phosphorus. These offer help with bone loss, cancer, cardiovascular health and energy.

Celery contains many thing mainly Vitamin C.  vitamin helps the immune system. Vitamin C has been proven to be a cold-fighter.

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidants, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes. They protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision.

Onions contain many nutrients such as chromium, vitamin C, Dietary fiber, and vitamin B6 to name a few. Onions help with lowering blood sugar, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health.

Tomatoes contain many different vitamins such as C, A, K, B3, and more. It also contains Lycopene, which is known for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.

Bay Leaves are a good source of Vitamins A and C and also contain iron and manganese, as well as calcium, potassium and magnesium. In ancient times they were used for many illnesses.

Parsley contains Vitamins K, C, and A, along with folate and iron. It also contains two unusual components that provide unique health benefits, a volitale oil and flavonoids.

Black Pepper contains manganese, vitamin K, iron, and dietary fiber. This spice helps with digestion.

My kids love my chicken soup. I do believe this is a healthy dish to serve them, as long as we skim the fat from the top before serving. They don't care how good this is for them, they just love it. I hope you enjoy it also.