Tips:
- Veg out: Fall veggies such as squash and green beans are great side dishes that can add color and variety to the meal with limited calories.
- Go fruity! Baked apples or poached pears are light ways to end any autumn meal.
Recipes:
Oven-Fried Okra (Makes six ½-cup servings)
Canola oil cooking spray
1 20-ounce bag frozen sliced okra, thawed
1 half-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups yellow corn meal (only a half cup actually adheres to the okra)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil generously with cooking spray. Set aside. Spray the inside of a gallon-sized food storage bag with cooking spray. Add the okra, a half teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Close the bag and shake to blend everything well. Let the okra rest for ten minutes to extract juice from the okra. Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake vigorously to coat the okra.
Let the bag sit for ten minutes; then shake it up again. Using a wide mesh strainer or a colander over a large bowl, remove the okra in batches and shake off excess cornmeal into the bowl, discarding the leftover meal.
Place the coated okra on the sheet pan and continue the process until all the okra is on the pan and the pieces are not touching each other. Spray the okra well with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the okra, trying to turn over as many pieces as possible. Lightly spray them again. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly spray the pieces again.
Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
Calories 70
Total Fat 0.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Trans Fat 0.0
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 197 mg
Carbohydrates 16 g
Fiber 3 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 3 g
Dietary Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable
This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face The Fats program. Recipe copyright © 2007 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere.
Pear and Cherry Crumble (Serves 8)
Note: This is a good way to “sneak” heart-healthy whole grains and nuts into the diet via an irresistible dessert. Make sure the pear or apple juice is natural and not made with high-fructose corn syrup.
For the fruit:
Cooking spray
Juice of one lemon
5-6 fresh pears, the riper the better
1 cup dried cherries
Zest of one lemon
½ cup pear juice (may substitute apple juice)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
For the topping:
1 cup organic vanilla granola (I used Aurora Brand Vanilla Crunch)
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sliced almonds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ cup trans-fat-free margarine spread
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and the juice of one lemon. Cut the stems off the pears and peel them, placing each one in the acidulated water as you do so. Then halve, core and seed the pears and cut them into inch-thick lengthwise slices or chunks, returning each sliced pear to the lemon water until the job is completed.
Drain the cut pears in a colander and return them to the mixing bowl. Add the cherries, lemon zest, pear or apple juice, honey, flavorings, spices, and one tablespoon of flour to the fruit and stir to mix everything well. Let the fruit macerate for 15 minutes; then place it in the prepared baking dish.
Make the topping. Place the granola, flour, brown sugar, almonds and spices in a large mixing bowl and toss them together lightly. Add the margarine spread and use your hands to work the spread into the dry ingredients until blended but crumbly. Spread the topping over the pears. Place the dish on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake the crumble for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling and translucent. Serve warm.
Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
Calories 289
Total Fat 4.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Trans Fat 0.0
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 69 mg
Carbohydrates 62 g
Fiber 6 g
Sugars 41 g
Protein 3 g
Dietary Exchanges: 2 fruit, 2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat
This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Face the Fats program. Recipe copyright © 2007 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere.
For even more tips for going healthy over the holidays, visit the AHA Parents section [https://www.healthiergeneration.org/]. While you’re there, check out the free Kids’ Sticker charts for tracking healthy eating and activity.
