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10 Delicious Vegetarian Entrées

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:30:49 PST

If you're not trying to eat more meat-free meals, I highly recommend you start now. A diet that's filled with fruits and vegetables is not just better for our bodies, it's also better for the environment. Whether it's a resolution to eat vegetarian or an ongoing commitment to a cause like meat-free Mondays, we should all find a reason to eat more plants. To help you get started, I've rounded up 10 of our best vegetarian entrées. Click on for flavorful and satisfying inspiration!

Dutch Baby Pancakes Two Ways - Sweet and Savory

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:50:46 PDT

If you're hosting a crowd and can't decide whether your guests would rather eat sweet or savory brunch, here's an idea: make it easy to serve both! Take an unconventional approach by serving Dutch baby pancakes - the famously puffy hotcakes baked in the pan - with toppings both sweet and savory.

Those looking for a sugar high will always appreciate the original, enjoyed with little more than sugar, butter, and a squeeze of lemon. For a heftier option, dot the eggy batter with slices of sautéed onion and crumbles of soft goat cheese, along with a balsamic vinegar reduction for drizzling. Very grown-up, indeed. For the breakfast dish that offers something for everyone, read more.

For a Quick Bite, Roll Your Own Spring Rolls

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:59 PDT

This past weekend, San Francisco experienced a couple of the hottest days of the year. After a blistering morning walk around the city with out-of-town visitors, I invited my friends over for lunch. To keep things appropriately light, I served wine spritzers and made fresh Vietnamese-style Spring rolls.

Although they may look and sound labor-intensive, non-fried Spring rolls - or Summer rolls, as they're sometimes called - can make for an incredibly speedy meal. While this recipe calls for deli roast beef (an unusual filling for Spring rolls), you can use any protein you like; I later made rolls with roasted turkey, which tasted great as well. The versatility of the filling is part of the beauty of the dish. Learn how to roll your own when you read more

Salty Series: Entrées

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:30:00 PDT

When it comes to restaurant fare and processed food it seems sodium lurks in unexpected places and unexpected quantities. The theory is that salt makes everything taste better, so more salt means tastier food, right? Not really, but you wouldn’t know that after seeing the amounts of sodium used in some of the entrées at some popular food chains. Take a look and see what meals you should avoid, especially if high blood pressure is a health concern of yours. Just to remind you that the upper limit of daily sodium is 2,300 mg a day, which is equal to about one teaspoon. Here's a list of the top saltiest dinners you can order.

Saltiest Burger: Hardee's 2/3 pound Monster Thickburger - 2,770 mg. Most of the sodium comes from the bun and the three slices of processed cheese which make up for 780 mg.
Saltiest Pasta: Fazoli's Rigatoni Romano - 3,180 mg. This dish is made with Italian sausage, meat sauce, and cheese, all of which have high amounts of sodium. Put them together and bada-boom, baba-bing, you've got one salty dish.
Saltiest Beef Entrée: Bob Evans Steak Tips and Noodles - 4,131 mg. Think beef stroganoff soaked in gravy. The steak on its own has 638 mg of sodium. That's some salty gravy.
Saltiest Frozen Dinner: Swanson Hungry-Man XXL Roasted Carved Turkey - 4,480 mg. The label on the box says that the meal is actually two servings, but what kind of hungry man is going to share?

To see the rest of this atrocious list

Saltiest Comfort Food: Denny's Meat Loaf Dinner (with Mashed Potatoes and Corn) - 5,080 mg. It's best to make your own.
Saltiest Mexican Entrée: Chili's Buffalo Chicken Fajitas - 5,690 mg. Where does it all come from? Fried chicken, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, smoked bacon, ranch dressing, and sour cream.
Saltiest Dish in America: Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Portobello - 7,300 mg. This is well beyond your three day limit of salt. That's so bad.

Source

Kashi Entrées: Black Bean Mango

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:15:00 PDT

I recently tried a new flavor of the frozen entrées from Kashi (they're the company that makes those TLC Chewy Granola Bars I love). I loved the Pesto Pasta Primavera so much, and was excited to try another vegetarian option - Black Bean Mango.

As with all of Kashi's products, I was impressed that I could pronounce every ingredient on the list, and they were all things I've heard of like canola oil, ginger, cilantro, and garlic.

I wasn't expecting this entrée to be so deliciously flavorful. It was a combination of sweet from the mangos, and spicy from the jalapeño peppers. The texture was really satisfying too. There were many tender veggies like carrots and red peppers.

There were soft and sweet mangos, and another amazing thing - you could actually see the grill lines on the roasted green peppers and onions. I thought that was a nice touch.

The protein-filled black beans were surrounded not only by rice like you usually see, but also by other chewy whole grains like oats, rye, hard red winter wheat, buckwheat, barley, and sesame seeds.

For a frozen vegan meal, this was very tasty. It only has only 340 calories, 430mg sodium, and no cholesterol (obviously). It also has 430mg of potassium, 8g of protein, 7g of fiber, 150% of your daily vitamin A needs, and 100% of your daily vitamin C needs.

Want to see what it looks like when you heat it up? Then

I recommend this 100%. Kashi does such an amazing job of incorporating pure, all natural ingredients, that are full of protein, fiber, and other nourishment. They prepare their products in such a way that respects the food's natural flavors and textures. I love that the grains and veggies are all intact, not overcooked or overly processed. The ingredients look and taste just as if you prepared them yourself.

Fit's Tips: Try heating this up and wrapping it in a flour tortilla with some cheese and you'll have an instant burrito. Or your can heat it up and use it as a delicious dip for tortilla chips.

Kashi Entrées: Pesto Pasta Primavera

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:34:17 PDT

I've just recently tried a new product from Kashi (the company who makes those chewy granola bars I love). They are broadening their scope and have just introduced some frozen entrées to their Kashi brand, look for them in the freezer at your local health food or grocery store.

I was very excited to try one because I already have the utmost respect for anything with the Kashi name. When I looked at the back of the Pesto Pasta Primavera package, the ingredients were just what I would use if I were to make it myself: whole wheat pasta, basil, Parmesan cheese, peas, yellow carrots (yup), sweet red peppers and garlic. There wasn't anything on that list I didn't recognize, and that made me feel good.

The serving size was very filling, but because there were so many veggies, it was only 330 calories for the entire meal. Speaking of the veggies - they were actually very fresh tasting and even had a little crisp to them, so I know they weren't overcooked.

For a pasta dish, I was surprised to find out it has 12 grams of protein. It also has 7g of fiber. Out of the 11g of fat, only 2g are saturated, and there are NO trans fats. The sodium level was a little high - 790mg - but not over the top high considering you can have 2,300mg a day.

Another great thing? Since it has as many veggies as noodles, I felt energized after eating it, not exhausted like you can get with most pasta dishes.

Want to see what it really looks like? Then

It's very creamy and flavorful. The penne pasta was cooked well (some people may prefer it to be a little bit more firm) with actual cheese sprinkled on top.

It only took about 4 minutes to warm up, and couldn't have been easier to do. I would definitely recommend Kashi's Pesto Pasta Primavera for a great lunch idea. I have yet to try the other frozen entrées, but I'll let you know when I do.

9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight

Wise Bread — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:51:58 PDT

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money.

Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money.

Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, "10 Ways to Make Money Without a Job." After reviewing the latter post, I thought it was time to revisit the topic and let you in on a few more ways to get paid.

The ideas that Zaarly presents are perfect for the unemployed or those who just want to pad their pockets a little more. In addition, there are moonlighting jobs that I do that I thought you should know about. Thus, if you're without a steady paycheck or you just want to build up a rainy-day stash, here are some of your options.

1. Offer Experiences to Strangers

I recently learned about a new site called Vayable, which allows people with specialized knowledge and talents, local info, and time on their hands to create experiences that others can purchase. It's basically a touring and activity company without the company. Anyone can join the site and set up an experience. For instance, the Kan Brothers offer motorcycle tours of San Francisco - which include helmet rental, a drink at a local hot spot, and a city map - for two to four people at $75 per person. In New York City, Kim G. is offering a personalized painting lesson for groups of two to six for a flat rate of $300; the experience includes acrylic paints; canvas board and supplies; studio space; wine, cheese, and crackers; and Kim’s undivided attention. Consider this tip if you're interested in joining Vayable: Browse the site to see what other people in your area are offering. By creating a unique experience that no one else has established, you have a better chance of getting booked.

Read on for more.

How to Splurge This Weekend Without Gaining a Pound

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:49:28 PDT

For many who have stuck to their healthy ways all week long, the weekend is a time to loosen up the reigns a little, ignore weight-loss rules, and indulge in some high-calorie Cinco de Mayo goodness. If you're not careful though, an entire weekend of living it up could make you gain the pounds you've worked so hard to keep off all week. Here are some ways to splurge a little this weekend and not feel guilty on Monday morning.

Sip on this: If you're starting the Cinco de Mayo festivities a little early tonight, pass on the margaritas made with premade sugary mix and go for a glass made with real lime juice and a splash of simple syrup to save calories (opt for no salt on the rim). Or you can skip the margarita altogether and whip up a batch of this low-cal sangria-inspired cocktail made with heart-healthy red wine, unfiltered cranberry juice, and fresh strawberry puree.
Skip this calorie-loaded app: Ordering an enormous plate of nachos topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, seasoned ground beef, and avocado means devouring a huge amount of calories before your entrée even arrives. Start with a small taco salad instead made with fresh greens, peppers, tomatoes, corn, black beans, a few crushed tortilla chips, and sprinkled with an avocado vinaigrette.

Keep reading for more calorie-saving tips.

6 Dieting Rules You'll Love to Follow

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:14:17 PDT

Don't eat this, stay away from that - following a diet can seem like a total killjoy. If you're feeling depressed about how restrictive your diet is, here are some proven weight-loss rules you'll welcome with open arms.

Dig into a big breakfast: Skipping breakfast to save calories? That's a big mistake because eating breakfast actually jump-starts your metabolism. Your first meal of the day should include protein to reduce sugar cravings, and fiber to satiate your hunger. A veggie omelet, fruit smoothie with spinach, oatmeal with fruit and nuts, or Greek yogurt with fresh fruit are excellent choices.
Say yes to carbs: Before you get all excited, I'm not talking about bagels, regular pasta, and pretzels. Simple carbs made from enriched white flour offer little nutritional value and more calories than you need. Stick to complex carbs like quinoa, brown rice, and oats, as well as foods made from whole grain flour such as pasta and crackers - the least processed and as close to nature as possible. (Of course, you still need to be mindful of portion sizes.) Complex carbs are not only full of fiber that keep hunger at bay, they also contain valuable vitamins and minerals your body needs such as vitamins B6 and E and iron.

Keep reading for four more weight-loss rules you'll love following.

Where to Get Your Tax Day Food Deals

Susannah Chen — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:43:40 PDT

This year's a lucky one for American taxpayers - not only do we get two extra days to file our taxes due to a Sunday and a less-than-widely-known holiday, we also have more opportunities than ever to snag deals at some of the country's most popular restaurants. Taxing? We think not. Here, we bring you a compilation of Tax Day's best nationwide deals.

Tax Day Deals

Bruegger's: Download a Facebook coupon for a $10.40 Big Bagel Bundle (a baker's dozen of bagels and two containers of cream cheese).
Chevys: Stop by participating Chevys locations today and have two premium Herradura margaritas for $10.40 - then have the Mexican restaurant pick up the tax on your meal.
Hooters: Wing it with 20 boneless wings for $9.99.
McCormick & Schmick's: Enjoy an extended happy hour - complete with special-edition tax-themed cocktails - that lasts through 11 p.m. Bloody Mary tax code, anyone?
P.F. Chang's: Score a discount of 15 percent off everything, excluding drinks or happy hour menu items.
Sonic: Half-priced fountain drinks and slushies all day.

To see more deals - including stuff that's entirely free, no purchase required! - keep reading