With summer farmer’s markets opening up and gardens beginning to bear their early fruits of fresh spinach, lettuce and green onions, it’s easy to combine these fresh fruits and vegetables with Mufa recommended foods to create your own unique recipes.
It’s all in how you combine them to stay within that 400 calories a meal recommendation. Think small quantities of protein, add in your Mufa ingredient for that meal and lots of vegetables or healthy fruits.
Mufa Breakfast Oatmeal
Start you day with a hot, filling bowl of whole rolled oats oatmeal, cooked with 1/2 c. skim milk, 1 T. brown sugar, 3/4 c. whole rolled oats, 1/2 c. water and 1/2 t. cinnamon. I always just microwave this in a covered microwaveable container for about 1 minutes. Take out and stir, and then microwave for a second minute. I then add 1 T. greek style yogurt and sprinkle 1/4. c. toasted almonds or walnuts and a handful of blueberries or raspberries or even one chopped banana. You can vary the taste by the fruit you add.
Have a glass of juice and you’re still under 400 calories! I love this recipe. It makes a big bowl of hearty fruit and nut oatmeal that stays with you till you eat your morning 100 calories snack of almonds.
Mufa Lunch Salads
Lunch is easy when you make a salad the base of your meal, using a olive oil and viniagrette dressing and adding in various combinations of fruits and vegies and even lowfat cheeses or croutons.
My favorite Mufa lunch salad is a strawberry, spinach and romaine with feta cheese and slivered nuts. Again, choose our favorite nut for the salad. I like pecans or almonds in this salad.
Make your dressing with 1 T. olive oil and a couple of T. vinegar, add some favorite spices and shake it up. Toss with the salad, use a good handful of sliced strawberries. Again you can add some blueberries for additional flavor. The combination of sweet fruit, tangy spinach, 1 T. strong pungent feta and the crunchiness of the nuts is just extremely satisfying.
If you feel you have to have meat, you can add 1/2 sliced cooked chicken breast. sometimes will roast or pan roast 2 or 3 chicken breasts and keep them shredded or chopped in the frig to add to salads during the week.
Favorite Mufa Snack Recipe
The afternoon time always poses a challenge for me on a diet. It’s that time when my sugar levels go kind of wacky and I get so sleepy and often hungry. So having a snack that satisfies those cravings is essential to making it through to dinner time.
I make this up by the gallon and we use it all week.
I start with a combination of mixed nuts that are whole, natural and unroasted. Almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds work well. You want about 8 c of them. I then toast them in the oven lightly for bring out their flavors. I toss the with dried cranberries, dried apricots, and raisins (totaling 2 cups of dried fruits) I add in 2 c. of dark chocolate chips. I then add in 2 c. of small pretzels. Toss all ingredients together, place in gallon jar with tight fitting lid and you have a wonderful grab a baggie and take off with it snack mix. 3/4 c. is considered a 150 calorie snack and often is almost too much to eat in one sitting. I can munch on it for several hours at my desk or while I’m out doing errands.
Favorite Mufa Dinner Menu
Grilled Salmon 4 oz, with steamed fresh asparagus, steamed baby carrots drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with fresh ground pepper and some lemon juice served over fresh jasmine or whole grain rice. For dessert. have a bowl of berries of your choice with 2 T. nonfat whipped cream.
