By Staff
America's favorites get a meatless makeover
Omelet and sausage for breakfast. Lasagna for dinner. If these meals sound like your favorites, you're not alone. A recent survey by Boca Foods found that these meals are American's favorite breakfast and dinner choices. But if you're like three out of four Americans who want to eat healthier, and another 70 percent trying to avoid fats to maintain a balanced diet, you may think that you have to forgo these favorites, right? Wrong. With a meatless makeover, these high-fat dishes are now lower in fat and saturated fat, without sacrificing great flavor.
Compare a breakfast with an omelet and sausage to a "smart" meatless breakfast including reduced-fat cheese and meatless sausage. By replacing your regular sausage patty with a Boca meatless sausage patty, you'll cut total fat by more than 8 grams and trim 80 calories from your meal. And, what about lasagna? Traditionally, meat lasagna can have a lot of fat and calories. But, lasagna made with meatless crumbles like Boca Ground Burger as opposed to ground beef reduces total fat by 9.5 grams and cuts 40 grams of cholesterol, while still delivering the great taste.
It's clear that the carb-counting craze is on the rise, but nearly 75 percent of Americans would be more likely to adopt such a diet if it were not so high in fat and cholesterol. A simple meatless makeover is the answer, offering high-protein, carb-conscious options with substantially less fat and cholesterol.
Whether you're looking to cut carbs, increase protein, watch your cholesterol or reduce fat or calories, Boca meatless products – from burgers to breakfast sausage to chicken – can fit into any plan. For delicious recipes, visit www.bocafoods.com.
Breakfast Sausage and Veggie Strata
6 slices wheat bread
1 (8-ounce) package frozen Boca Meatless
Breakfast Patties
1-1/2 cups chopped fresh vegetables, such as zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onion
or bell pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups cholesterol-free egg product or 8 eggs, beaten
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400¡F. Place bread slices in single layer in 9 x 13-inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top each slice with 1 sausage patty; sprinkle with vegetables and Italian seasoning. Mix egg product and milk with wire whisk until well blended; pour evenly over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until puffed and browned.
Lazy Lasagna
1 (68-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce or chunky garden-style spaghetti sauce
2 (8-ounce) pouches frozen Boca Meatless
Ground Burger
1 (24-ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg product or
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim
mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
Preheat oven to 350¡F. Mix spaghetti sauce and ground burger; set aside. Mix cottage cheese, egg product and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in separate bowl.
Spray 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of sauce mixture into prepared pan; cover with layers of uncooked pasta and half of cottage cheese mixture.
Top with layers of remaining sauce and cottage cheese mixtures; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes.
Remove foil; continue baking 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.
Makes 8 servings
California Burger
1 Boca Meatless Original Burger
1 whole-wheat bun, split, toasted
1 lettuce leaf
4 roasted or grilled red or green pepper strips
5 cucumber slices
3 onion rings
1 avocado, diced
Reduced-fat ranch dressing (optional)
Grill frozen burger as directed on package. Place on whole wheat toasted bun, with lettuce. Top burger with grilled or roasted peppers, cucumber and onion slices and fresh avocado. Drizzle with reduced-fat ranch dressing or any favorite salad dressing, if desired.
Makes 1 serving
Shaping Up for Summer
With summer just around the corner, getting in shape and staying healthy is top of mind. Tipping the scales in your favor is all about small, manageable steps. Ellie Krieger, RD, shares three simple steps to get in shape for swimsuit season:
Go meatless one day a week. While many people turn to high-protein diets to lose weight, those diets are often too high in fat and saturated fat. A better approach is substituting great-tasting meatless products that are packed with nutritious soy protein and are lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than traditional meat-based counterparts.
Shave off 100 calories a day. Trimming 100 calories a day from your diet can make a big difference. Using low-fat or fat-free products and meatless substitutes are easy ways to cut calories and enjoy your favorite meals.
Build in variety. People often give up on dieting because they can't have the foods they love. Variety is important to help avoid diet burnout, so keep your refrigerator, freezer and cupboard stocked with nutritious and delicious foods.