Posts Tagged ‘The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook’
On a diet? Or just working to stay trim n’ fit? Well, who says you can’t enjoy creamy, decadent pasta while accomplishing those goals? The recipe calls for using Whole Grain Linguine, which, like other whole grain products, offers the benefits of higher fiber and naturally occurring B vitamins and folate.
For anyone who hasn’t tried one of Today Show Nutritionist Joy Bauer’s recipes, you’re in for a treat. You’d never guess that her creations are as healthy as they are delicious. And this means you can make them for friends and family members who aren’t necessarily on a diet. Oh, and did I mention her recipes are incredibly delicious? This particular recipe is featured in Joy’s new book, The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan and Inspiration, which is chock full of delicious creations (as well as inspirational weight loss stories, menu plans and healthy diet tips from Joy, herself). I am honored Joy has allowed me to share this recipe with you. I hope you enjoy it!
Chicken with Creamy Garlic Pasta and Fresh Basil
Ingredients
Oil spray
3 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
6 ounces dry whole grain linguine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (if needed)
8 ounces assorted fresh mushrooms (such as button, cremini, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup jarred roasted red sweet peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or thyme
Instructions
1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with oil spray. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add chicken to the hot pan. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is browned, turning once halfway through cook time. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully add the water. Return to the heat and bring the water to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover the skillet. Cook for 9 to 12 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink (170˚F).
2. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Remove the chicken from the skillet, reserving any liquid in the pan. Cover the chicken and keep warm. If necessary, add enough of the chicken broth to the pan to make 1/2 cup total liquid in the pan. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the liquid in the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until mushrooms and onion are tender. Add the cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted and combined with the vegetables. Stir in the milk, roasted pepper strips, and drained linguine. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until mixture is heated through and well coated with the sauce.
4. Divide the pasta mixture among four serving plates. Thinly slice the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the pasta on the plates. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, or thyme.
Makes 4 servings
Serving Size: about 1 cup pasta mixture with 3 1/2 ounces cooked chicken and 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Prep Time (start to finish) 40 minutes
Nutrition Information
Calories: 446, Protein: 42 g, Total Fat: 13 g, Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Cholesterol: 112 mg, Sodium: 534 mg, Carbohydrate: 42 g, Fiber: 7 g
Copyright © 2012 Joy Bauer. Reprinted with permission from, The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan and Inspiration by Joy Bauer (Wiley)
Meet my fellow weight-loss superstars
Nutritionist Joy Bauer recently invited 3 of her all-time weight-loss superstars onto The Today Show to celebrate the release of her new book, The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan and Inspiration. I happen to be featured in the book — along with many other successful dieters who have appeared on The Today Show as part of the Joy Fit Club, which includes “real life” people who have each lost over 100 pounds or more (all without fads, gimmicks or surgery).
Along with motivational and inspirational stories from many Joy Fit Club members, this new book also features recipes from the successful dieters featured in the book, as well as recipes, tips and menu plans from Ms. Bauer, herself. (And no, this is not a paid endorsement — none of us Joy Fit Club members who participated in the book received any compensation and instead contributed our stories a in hopes of inspiring others who may be facing the battle of the bulge.)
Although each of us featured in the book embarked on our own individual journeys to lose the weight and keep it off, there are a few common threads that each of us share. We all had issues with our weight, we all dieted, we all embraced exercise programs and each of us also tackled our lifestyles by making significant changes in the way we live our lives on a daily basis.
Ms. Bauer, who has been a longtime champion of successful dieters, points out that dieting and losing weight is 50% attitude. And thus, she suggests a couple essential (and common) steps for anyone who wants to win at the losing game:
1) Find A Meaningful Reason To Lose The Weight
Ms. Bauer points out that this usually entails an “A-ha!” moment. She notes that most of her Joy Fit Club members had a health scare or wanted to be around for kids or grandkids — or they just finally wanted to feel more comfortable in their own skin. But whatever the reason, there was a reason. So it’s a matter with getting in touch with what might motivate you, individually.
2) Set Up A Tracking System
“There’s nothing more encouraging that watching a downward trend,” reports Ms. Bauer. She suggests setting up a computer spreadsheet or grafting your own chart on paper in order to chart your pounds-lost progress. She also advocates the use of a flexible tape measure to record the inches lost — along with keeping a record of your food, as you’re more likely to be accountable for what you eat when documenting everything on paper.
3) Make Short-Term Goals and Forgive Slip-Ups
Ms. Bauer reminds everyone she counsels that no one gains weight from a few slices of pizza or one single meal of pasta or a similarly rich food. She notes that it’s important to prevent a temporary setback from turning into an all-out binge. Instead, Ms. Bauer suggests shaking off the eating slip-up and immediately getting back on track, noting that when people forgive themselves for the slip-ups they’re not only going to finally lose their excess weight, they’re going to keep it off.
While recently appearing on The Today Show to help promote Ms. Bauer’s new book, all three of us featured “Weight-Loss Superstars” shared our own ideas for successfully losing weight and keeping it off.
Rosie Coates (who lost 107 pounds) confessed that she’d tried to diet for 18 years before she finally “got” it and lost the weight. She encourages any dieter who has tried and failed to try again. The next time just might be the time.
Jamie Francisco (who lost 105 pounds) was asked about keeping the weight off and noted that it was more difficult than actively losing the weight in the first place. Ms. Francisco said that she lost the weight by gradually removing different foods and ramping up the exercise.
As for myself (who has lost 275 pounds), I shared that you can’t lose sight of keeping off the weight and that it’s something you must think about every day. I also noted that the minute you embrace the work involved, it starts to work for you. There’s nothing wrong with being committed. No, you can’t let your guard down, but the end results are worth it.
What are your “Common Thread Tips” that you’ve achieved success with? I’d love for you to share them in comments below. Or even share some of the challenges you’re facing that might be keeping you from achieving your weight-loss goal. After all, we’re all in this together. And I know for a fact that there’s a ‘weight-loss superstar’ waiting to be discovered in you.
And for anyone who might have missed the recent show, or would like to see it again, here you go:
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