Add a healthy twist to your favorite foods

If you are like most Americans, you might have lapsed a little on your New Year’s resolution to eat healthier. Getting back on track is easy and guilt-free, and can be done with just a few steps.

Celebrity chef and registered dietitian Diane Henderiks offers three simple ways to help you get back on the right track and make sure you are eating the right foods:

• Eliminate sugary drinks, like soda, as they don’t offer any nutritional value.

• Identify ways to reduce the amount of food you eat, as we all tend to eat more than we need to.

• Most importantly, limit the amount of carbohydrates you eat – this means trying to reduce the amounts of pastas, breads and sugars you are consuming – and focus on eating more fiber-rich vegetables, healthy fats and optimal protein.

“It’s easy to transform your favorite meals into healthy, low-carb meals that are rich in flavors and will satisfy you,” Henderiks said.

Henderiks has transformed some of her favorite meals into low-carb deliciousness for each meal of the day, including dessert, because you can still enjoy your favorite sweets and all of their great flavors with a few twists that make them healthier.

Living a low-carb lifestyle can also be effective in helping you lose and keep off unwanted weight – just in time for spring.

Find more recipes that make it easy to eat low-carb all year long at Atkins.com.

Waldorf Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups
Serves: 2

1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked, skinless chicken breast, coarsely chopped
1 rib of celery, diced
1/4 English cucumber, diced
1/4 apple, washed, peeled and diced
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
4 large Boston lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

In medium mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper.

Fold in chicken, celery, cucumber, apple and walnuts.

Place 2 lettuce leaves on each plate and spoon 1/4 of chicken salad into each cup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Mexican Stuffed Breakfast Portobello Mushroom
Serves: 2

2 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 teaspoon olive oil
10 ounces (about 3 links) sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1/2 cup salsa (jarred or Quick Tomato Salsa recipe)
2 eggs
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 400 F.

Place mushrooms, smooth side up, on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place mushroom caps smooth side up on platter lined with paper towels to drain some of the water.

In medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Brown sausage and break into small pieces with back of wooden spoon while cooking. Stir in spinach and salsa. Transfer mixture to mixing bowl to cool slightly.

Carefully separate egg yolks then place whites in one bowl and yolks in 2 separate small bowls. Beat egg whites with fork.

On baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place mushrooms smooth side down. Place half of avocado slices under mushrooms.

Add egg whites and cheddar cheese to sausage mixture and combine well. Divide mixture in half and stuff into Portobello caps on top of avocado.

For each mushroom, make well in center of sausage mixture large enough for egg yolk.

Bake 10 minutes and carefully pour yolk into each well. Bake until yolks are set, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Quick Tomato Salsa

1 tomato, cored and diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
sprinkle of ground cumin
sprinkle of garlic powder
1 lime wedge, juice only
salt and pepper, to taste

In mixing bowl, combine tomato, onion and cilantro. Season with cumin, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste.

Luscious Lemon Squares
Serves: 16

Crust:
1/2 cup almond or hazelnut meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon natural sugar replacement
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons natural sugar replacement
4 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.

To make crust, in large bowl, combine almond meal, coconut flour, cinnamon, salt and sweetener. Add melted butter and vanilla extract. Combine all ingredients together and press dough evenly into bottom of baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden around edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make filling, stir coconut flour and sweetener together. Whisk in eggs and lemon juice.

Pour filling into crust and bake 10-15 minutes, until golden around edges.

Let cool at room temperature then refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours before cutting into squares.

(Family Features)

Photos courtesy of Getty Images