When we look at our week ahead—-planning, organizing, scheduling—-we often think about our day’s work, parental responsibilities, time for traveling from one place to the next, our workouts for the week, and of course, the meals that will keep us fuelling through each day!  Yes, many more obstacles will be thrown into our “equation”, but those just keep us on our toes, helping to improve our “multi-tasking skills”!

When we look at the months ahead: cold days, longer car drives, and less sun to give us that extra energy lift, one thing that tends to be neglected are our meals.  So, what is the perfect idea for making multiple meals at one time, fuelling our bodies, being able to prepare lunch for the following day, and one pot to clean up? ‘One Pot Wonders’!

Soups, Stews and Casseroles are easy to prepare, can give us dinner one night, and be frozen in individual batches for the coming weeks when that car ride home took a little longer than expected, and we still want a warm, hearty dinner.  They are filled with essential nutrients (protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats), powerful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and of course, flavour!

Over the years, my list of favourites has grown, from coming across some amazing recipes, to just being creative in the kitchen!! I hope you will all enjoy these recipes as much as I do! More importantly, loving the fact that there’s dinner and lunch in one pot, and many more meals kept in the freezer for the weeks to come!

Turkey and Bean Chili

Ingredients:

• 500 g               lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp              vegetable oil
• 2                      cloves, garlic, minced
• 1                      small onion, diced
• 1 C                  celery, diced
• 2 C                  frozen mixed vegetables of choice
• 2 C                  low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1                      large can, tomatoes
• 1 can             white kidney beans, drained and rinsed well                   
• Fresh or dried herbs of choice
• Black pepper

Directions:

1. Add vegetable oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey, and cook, breaking apart the turkey into small pieces.
2. Once cooked, add the garlic, onion and celery, sautéing for a few minutes until onion is slightly transparent.
3. Add the frozen vegetables, broth and tomatoes, bringing to a boil.  Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Add herbs and pepper.
6. Top with light shredded cheese if desired.

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa (Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp              Extra virgin olive oil
• 2                      medium carrots, peed, cut into ½ -inch dice
• ½                     fennel, cut into ½-inch dice
• 1                      red onion
• 2                      large cloves garlic, minced
• 2                      bay leaves
• 3 tsp                dried thyme
• 3 C                  water
• 3 C                  low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1-19 oz can     red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
• 2 C                  fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 C               uncooked quinoa
• 1 tsp                fresh black pepper
• 2 C                  fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp              fresh basil (optional)
• 2 oz                 fresh Parmigiano cheese

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, and cook, stirring often until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add water and broth, beans, tomatoes and quinoa.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer gently until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir spinach and basil into soup just before serving.
4. Garnish each with 1 tbsp of cheese is desired.

Ginger Carrot Soup (Adapted from Oxygen Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp                margarine
• 1                      onion, chopped
• 1                      stalk celery, chopped (add leaves for extra flavour)
• 2”                     fresh gingerroot, diced
• ½ tsp               fresh ground pepper
• ¼ tsp               salt
• 4 C                  low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 C                  water
• 1 Lb                 carrots, chopped
• ½ C                 fresh curly parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large non-stick pot over medium high heat, add margarine, onion, celery, gingerroot, sautéing for about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, carrots, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Use a food processor, or hand blender to blend soup until smooth and creamy.

**based on the desired consistency, a food processor will make the soup more smooth, while a hand blender will leave some larger pieces of carrots and vegetables.

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Leek Soup (Adapted from Oxygen Magazine)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp                Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 C                  onion, chopped
• 1 C                  celery, diced
• 2                      garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp                ground black pepper
• 8 C                  low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 C                  water
• 1 tsp                dried oregano
• 4 C                  sweet potato, chopped
• 3 C                  leeks, thinly chopped (use the stalk, not the leaves)
• 1 C                  brussel sprouts, halved (heaping cup)
• 2 tbsp              flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. On medium-high heat in a large non-stick pot, pour oil and sauté onions, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes.  Avoid browning of ingredients.
2. Add broth, water, oregano, sweet potatoes and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiled, add brussel sprouts and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are very tender. 
4. If desired, blend slightly with a hand blender to partially mash vegetables and potatoes.

• 1 19-oz can chick peas, drained and rinsed well
• ¼ C flat leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine the chick peas, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend.  Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil to continue blending the ingredients.  Add a small amount of water if a thinner consistency is desired.  Enjoy with fresh vegetables or baked whole wheat pita wedges.

**If you like added heat to any dish, add a small amount of chili powder/pepper or a jalapeno pepper!

Just another way to enjoy one of your daily fruit servings!  Mix in a small amount of a high fibre cereal (such as All Bran Buds) to add to the fibre profile that pear’s bring to our diet!

• 12 pears, cored and diced (option to peel)
• ½ C water
• ¼ C brown sugar
• 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Allow to slightly cool and mix through food processor until desired consistency is reached.
4. Place in small containers for a quick easy-to-grab snack or share the batch amongst family and friends!

Comfort food doesn’t need to be filled with calories and fat!  Make this quick high-protein chilli which is sure to satisfy your palate any night of the week! 

Serves: 6

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½  tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ C chicken broth
• 1½  tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 C mixed frozen vegetables of choice (carrots, peas, corn)
• 10-oz chicken or turkey breast, cubed
• 1-19 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ C Italian parsley, chopped
• ½ C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Sauté chicken in a small amount of canola or vegetable oil until lightly brown.  Remove and place on a dish lined with paper towel.
2. Meanwhile in a soup pot, sauté onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil.  Add in the jalapeno, oregano, pepper and salt (if needed to taste); sauté for another minute.
3. Stir in the chicken broth, beans, chicken and mixed frozen vegetables.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; immediately stir in parsley and cheese and serve alongside a slice of whole wheat crostini bread.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving): 193 calories; 19.8 g Protein; 15.8 g Carbohydrate; 5.7 g Fat; 4.4 g Fibre

How will you dress up your next salad?  Spinach, baby greens or arugula are a great base to any seasonal salad.  The different vegetables and fruit you can add to any salad help to heighten the nutrient profile satisfying your hunger at mealtime! 

Serves: 4

• 300 g bag baby spinach
• 12 oz chicken or flank steak, grilled, cut into strips
• ¾ C pomegranate seeds
• 3 tbsp slivered almonds
• 1 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ½ sweet onion, sliced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

• ¼ C extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients for salad in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing and pour over salad.  Enjoy!

Eating for one?  Wash and prepare your individual portion for any night of the week!

Nutritional Analysis (per serving): 472 calories; 37.1 g PRO; 17.6 g Carbohydrate; 24.3 g Fat [0 trans; 5 saturated; 16 mono-unsaturated; 3.3 poly-unsaturated]; 8.8 g Fibre

Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!  But why?  According to a study by The American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org), eating breakfast may reduce the risk of obesity by 35-50%.  When you skip a meal, your brain signals your body’s metabolism to slow down and as a result, your blood sugar drops.  What’s worse, is that skipping breakfast may cause you to overeat later on in the day.  A healthy breakfast should aim to include food items from three of the four food groups and approximately one-quarter to one-third of your daily calories.

• Eating breakfast starts your path on getting the essential nutrients your body needs each day: calcium, iron, fibre and the B-vitamins are such nutrients which we tend to not get enough of.  Most breakfast items (high fibre cereal and whole grain breads, milk, fruit, eggs and peanut butter) contain many if not all of these nutrients helping us get up to speed.
• Incorporating breakfast helps in maintaining a healthy weight: breakfast starts our metabolism up for the day and allows us to follow proper eating patterns and portioning throughout our day.
• Taking the time for breakfast allows you to perform and function better throughout the day: getting our brain ready for problem-solving tasks through work or school, or any physical work required by our jobs are reached by having breakfast.  Overall, it helps to increase our attention span, focus and productivity overall.
• Eating breakfast is one step towards a healthy heart:  studies have shown that eating breakfast helps to lower cholesterol levels by choosing healthy breakfast items such as whole grain bread, fresh fruit, high quality protein or low-fat milk and dairy product.
• Eating breakfast is a positive habit which also sets an example for your children and those around you:  Get into the habit! It will save you in more ways that one and allow those around you to set their health path in the proper direction!

Fuel your day with these nutrient-dense breakfast choices!

Cereal Medley

• 1 C High Fibre Cereal Mix such as All-Bran Buds + Fibre One + Optimum Cereal + Müslix Cereal*
• 1 C Skim or 1% milk
• ¾ C raspberries and blueberries

*choose cereals that provide more than 5 g of fibre per serving

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

• 1 C non-fat vanilla yogurt
• ½ C Granola (such as PC Blue Menu or home-made)
• ¾ C fresh fruit of choice (banana, peaches, strawberries, kiwi)
• 1 Tbsp ground flax
• 1 tsp cinnamon

In a rush in the morning?   Put all of the ingredients into a re-usable container and enjoy when you get to the office.

Prepare this salad ahead of time for that quick lunch one afternoon or to accompany a picnic meal!

• 1 can chick peas (or any other bean of choice)
• ½ each red, green and yellow bell pepper, chopped
  

  Healthy Eating Healthy You

• ½ C baby carrots, chopped
• ½ red or sweet onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate to keep cool.

Make this fresh, crisp cool salad as a side dish or lunch favourite!!

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• ¾ C baby carrots, chopped
• 1 pear, chopped
• 1 apple, chopped
• 2 mangoes, chopped
• 1 C strawberries, chopped
• ¼ C golden raisin (optional)
• ½ C mixed unsalted nuts or seeds  (peanuts, cashews, sun flower/pumpkin seeds)
• 1 tsp fruit based salad dressing (fig balsamic, raspberry vinaigrette,  mango-tangerine)

Chop all vegetables and fruit to the same size into a large bowl.  Add in raisins, nuts and dressing; mix well for dressing to coat. 

3 C soy beans (edamame), frozen
1 can corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
Fresh basil and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the soy beans and corn into a dish and microwave for 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and enjoy!