Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme!

In college my apartment was 87 steps from Taco Bell, and yes we counted. So as you can imagine it was frequently visited, especially on the weekends at 2 am or when we only had 5 dollars in our bank account and needed dinner! One of our favorite menu items was the crunchwrap supreme. A few weeks ago on Pinterest I found a recipe for a homemade crunchwrap supreme and last night I decided to try it out…it was fantastic and so easy to make! It’s a fun meal because you can make it your own, use chicken, beef, ground pork, ground turkey, add guacamole add tomatoes, etc, you get the idea. It is also way healthier than the popular drive thru item!

The other good thing about these is you can make as many as you need. Besides the meat being cooked and ready everything else is individual, so if you only need 2 you can make 2 and save the meat for another meal.

What you need:

• Chicken or ground meat
• 1 packet of Taco seasoning
• Large flour tortillas
• Corn tortillas
• Reduced fat sour cream
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded mexican blend cheese
• Queso
• Any veggies you want!

 Then:

• Cook meat on stove top and add taco seasoning, following directions on packet.
•  Meanwhile bake the corn tortilla(s) for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees to get it crispy.
• Microwave the flour tortilla(s) as directed on package.
• Next microwave the queso according to its directions.
• Spread sour cream (and guac if you are using it) on the corn tortilla to cover the whole surface.
•  Put the lettuce, and any other veggies, in the center of the large tortilla, and then flip the corn tortilla on top, so that the sour cream is face down to the lettuce.
• Then use the flat surface of the corn tortilla and spread the queso and then add the meat. The queso just helps the meat stay in place.
• Add the shredded cheese and fold the edges of the flour tortilla around the corn tortilla and flip in a pan (seam side down) on medium heat until the cheese is crispy. This is what will hold the tortilla together.
• Once this side is done, flip the crunchwrap in the pan and let the other side get slightly golden.

Then hold and eat….no need for a fork!

Condiments: The Good, The Bad, The Yummy!

Whether it’s mayo, ketchup, mustard or peanut butter we all use condiments and usually without thinking twice about it, but how much is it really adding to the nutritional value of our meal?

If you love condiments as much as me then you use them daily! Whether its salsa on my eggs mayonnaise on my sandwich, mustard on my burger or olive oil while I’m cooking I don’t think I could live without condiments!

Through my own love for studying nutrition and counting my calories for the past few years I have learned a lot about condiments on my own, I also had the help of www.livestrong.com and www.doctoroz.com to provide me with some more fun and interesting facts about those condiments we all use on a regular basis.

Ketchup – an American classic! When you think of burgers and hot dogs you think of ketchup; however it is pretty high up on the not-so-good-for-you scale! Ketchup is loaded with sugar and sodium, not to mention more calories and carbs than many other condiments. Just 1 tablespoon of ketchup has 15 calories, 4 carbs, 4 grams of sugar and 167 mg of sodium… and chances are you are using way more than 1 tablespoon. So next time you reach for that classic red bottle with HEINZ written in big letters, think about what you are consuming. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to give up your favorite red condiment…there are alternatives such as Reduced Sugar Ketchup which contains only 5 calories, 1 carb and 1 gram of sugar.

Mayonnaise – the fatty condiment. Mayo is an essential, not just on sandwiches and wraps but it a main ingredient for deviled eggs, potato salad, chicken salad, etc. Mayo is very high in bad fat and cholesterol and can almost double the fat and calorie content of your meal. In 1 tablespoon of regular mayonnaise you are consuming 90 calories (90 calories from fat) and 10 g of fat. Your alternative, watch your portion size or grab the Mayonnaise with Olive Oil bottle which has 60 calories (50 calories from fat) and 6 g of fat. Watch out for the Non Fat Mayonnaise and Low Fat Mayonnaise though because they have higher sodium than your regular mayonnaise.

Olive oil – good for you fat. Olive oil is excellent for cooking and making salad dressing, it is also a great alternative for butter or margarine. All of the calories in olive oil are made up of fat, the majority being monounsaturated fat, or the healthy fat. It is also full of antioxidants and is said to be a fighter against high cholesterol, heart problems and reducing rates of cancer….Not to mention it’s good for your skin! So don’t be afraid to add some more olive oil to your dish, or just slather it on your face as a nice face wash!

Hot sauce – add some spice! If you love spicy things like I do, it’s not a bad thing! Hot sauce has no fats and no sugar and is a great metabolism booster. It also helps to curb your appetite, so not only will you not want to eat as much, but your metabolism will be burning up those calories even faster!

Peanut butter – it’s a sticky situation!…and here’s why. It is full of protein, good fat and so delicious, but be careful in how much you consume because it is very dense in calories, meaning you are consuming a lot of calories in only a small amount of peanut butter. Regular peanut butter has both hydrogenated oil and added sugar where as natural peanut butter has no added sugar and is also lower in salt. You’re alternative is to try natural peanut butter, but because it has no hydrogenated oil you will have to mix it up or stir it before using because all the oil from the peanuts will be at the top of the jar. However, the overall key to eating peanut butter is moderation! Although the natural peanut butter is better for you in a couple of ways it still contains basically the same amount of calories.

Honey – the natural sweetener! Honey is a great natural sweetener whether you use it in your tea, coffee, smoothies or oatmeal. It is a great antiseptic and antioxidant that contains organic enzymes and is great for your health, not to mention it helps with beauty and it often used in homemade face masks to improve skin conditions!

 So next time you go to slather ketchup on your burger on coat your bread with peanut butter remember what you are consuming. A lot of times moderation is the key and often times there are some healthier alternatives out there, so now that you know about them, pick them!

Healthy Breaded Shrimp

Surprise, surprise, another great recipe that I took from Pinterest! (www.skinnytaste.com) We eat a lot of shrimp in our house, mostly grilled in pasta or a quesadilla, so this Healthy Breaded Shrimp recipe was a great change of pace and tasty too! However, I will be completely honest, I did not find this recipe that easy and I had a hard time getting the ingredients to stick to the shrimp. After I dipped the shrimp once and laid it on the baking sheet I went back through and dipped every shrimp a second time. This technique really helped all of the ingredients stick and fully cover each shrimp, in the end making the meal more flavorful and crispy.

 

What you need:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ cup egg whites
• 4 oz whole wheat Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 oz Panko
• 2 oz grated parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray
• Salt and pepper

 Then:

• Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Wash and dry the shrimp with a paper towel.
• Put the egg whites in one bowl, and the breadcrumbs, Panko and parmesan cheese together in another bowl.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper, then put a couple at a time in the bowl with the egg beaters to coat.
• Then place the shrimp in the bowl with the breadcrumb mixture, turning over and coating evenly. *Remember, don’t worry if it doesn’t all stick to the shrimp because we are going to re-dip.*
• Place the shrimp on the baking sheet and follow these steps with all of the shrimp.
• Now go back and re-dip the shrimp in the egg whites and then the breadcrumb mixture. (You should have enough left over to do this, but if not just add what you need to the bowls.)
• Place the shrimp back on the baking sheet and spray generously with baking spray.
• Bake in the middle rack for about 6-7 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 3-4 minutes.

I served mine with a mixed green salad.

The important stuff (per serving):

Makes 4-5 servings

• Calories: 134.6
• Fat: 2.1 g
• Carbs: 9.5 g
• Sodium: 424 mg
• Protein: 18.2 g