Wednesday, October 14, 2009 by Becca.

There’s something about this time of year that makes baked goods taste even better than usual.  This is especially true if the baked goods are still warm from the oven. One of my favorite things to bake is a banana bread recipe handed down from my great grandmother.  I have her recipe card, in her handwriting, covered in spots and stains from it’s many years in many kitchens.

Unfortunately, my great grandmothers recipe is not exactly healthy.  Which is why I was so happy to discover Fiber One’s new Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  I found these yummy little muffins in the freezer section at my grocery store.  I stuck one in the microwave for 15 seconds tonight and was not disappointed.

I will admit that I miss my whole house smelling like my favorite banana bread, but if it did I probably could not stop at one serving.  For 190 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fiber per muffin, these muffins will be my new answer to my banana bread cravings.

I will, of course, still make my great grandmothers banana bread but I will make it for friends and for parties this winter and I will sure to leave the leftovers behind for others to enjoy.

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Sunday, September 13, 2009 by Dea.

I had lunch with Becca yesterday, and she made me a Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger.  I am not normally a fan of the veggie burgers, I will admit that!  I figured, however, that I’d give it a try.  If Becca will eat it, I will most likely like it.

These are fabulous!  To me, they tasted like a cross between a falafel and black bean dip.  We had them on the Slimwich bread, with a slice of reduced fat cheese, and they seriously needed no condiments beyond that.  I’ll be grabbing these myself for lunches or quick dinners.  Each patty has 120 calories, 4g fat, and 4g fiber.  And they’re very filling.  A nice, fast meal - that’s also surprisingly tasty!

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Saturday, August 15, 2009 by Dea.

A Mexican/South American dish, it’s typically fried tortilla pieces covered in a salsa stew.  I made this up after tasting it at a restaurant, and figured it was perfect for the crockpot.  This is a great use for leftover chicken and stale tortilla chips.  You can also use stale tortillas, which will cut down the calories/fat.

Crockpot Chicken Chilaquiles

• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed or shredded (this is approximate, I usually use leftover chicken from grilling or roasting)
• 2 - 24oz jars Salsa (I use Casa Mamita Thick and Chunky from Aldi - $1.49 a jar, can’t go wrong!)
• 24oz water (I fill the salsa jar with water)
• 5 servings stale tortilla chips (that’s about 100 chips)

Pour the salsa into your crockpot, then fill one salsa jar with water and pour into crockpot.  Stir in cubed or shredded chicken meat.  Set this to simmer on low for about 4 hours.  About 10 minutes before serving, hand-crumble the chips into the stew.  Stir, and serve.

This makes about 10 servings.  Each serving is 158 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and .5 grams of fiber, based on basic white corn tortilla chip rounds from Aldi (99 cents a bag!).  You can increase your fiber using a whole grain chip.

We top this with a sprinkle of cheddar and sour cream.  It’s also delicious as a leftover.  I love that I’m getting my Mexican flavor in such a low calorie option.  Not to mention, if you use leftover chicken and the Aldi brands I mentioned, this costs $4 total.

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Friday, August 14, 2009 by Dea.

At Aldi, they have some amazing deals.  Unfortunately, sometimes they’re limited time offers.  This summer, they’ve had a different selection of Sundae Shoppe frozen treats each week.  All of them have been delicious.  This week, they have Swirl Stix (green box on the right).  They’re Italian Ice done up on a stick, like a popsicle.  It’s a box of 12 for $1.99.  The best part, though, is that they’re only 48 calories each!  No fat, no cholesterol.  They are very yummy, making them my favorite treat right now.  For a bare blip in my daily caloric intake, I get to eat Italian ice for dessert.  SWEET.  If you find them at your Aldi, grab a few!  They are, unfortunately, a limited time thing.  If you see other Sundae Shop items - check them out.  I’ve tried most of them, and they’re all very good.  Check the calories, though, because some are more than others.

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Monday, August 10, 2009 by Becca.

Fiber One’s newest food additions are awesome.  If you don’t already eat them, you definitely should try them.  Their chocolatey chewy bars are way better than a regular granola bar and actually satisfy my candy bar cravings.  I would suggest starting off slow, though, especially if your body isn’t used to a whole lot of fiber!

Recently Fiber One introduced single serve yogurts.  I’m not usually a huge fan of yogurt since it tends to be fairly high in sugar, but these are totally worth it.  Each cup of yogurt has 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber.  As my Weight Watchers friends know, this means they are 0 points.  That’s right, 0 points.  As if this wasn’t enough, they are available in Key Lime Pie flavor.  I stuck one in the freezer on a hunch and sure enough, it was yummy!  Fiber One yogurt may be a little pricey, but I definitely recommend you pick some up next time they are on sale!

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Friday, August 7, 2009 by Dea.

These are DELICIOUS.  Becca told me about Arnold Select Sandwich Thins about a week ago.  They have 100 calories, and 5 grams of fiber, and if you follow the Weight Watchers Points system, these are around 2 points.  I bought the 100% Whole Wheat and the Multigrain to try, and Becca swears by the Whole Grain White.  I love these.  I’ve had a sandwich on one, and toasted another for breakfast so far.  Think English-Muffin-Only-Better for the toasted one.  I’m thinking of trying them with burgers, as a base for a mini pizza, and for peanut butter and jelly toast.  Unlike a lot of whole wheat, high fiber bread products, these are moist.  They have a nutty flavor and stayed moist when toasted.  If you can find these, try them.  They’re a great way to add fiber to your diet.

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