The O2 Diet Green Tea Walnut Loaf
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cups whole grain pastry flour
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup steeped green tea, cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 cup safflower or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites, yogurt, green tea, oil, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until just combined.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg white mixture. Mix until well combined, then evenly fold in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes on the middle rack in the oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve with 1 teaspoon nut butter.
Makes 8 (1-inch-thick) servings
Why we love this recipe:
Ring in the new year with my antioxidant-rich eating plan that will keep you feeling energized, add a youthful glow to your skin, and help you slim down, all while enjoying delicious foods! Not only is this Green Tea Loaf from The O2 Diet super yummy, but it’s loaded with body-boosting ingredients!
You’ll get major health benefits from green tea, an O2 Diet powerfood, which helps mop up nasty little free radicals that can cause oxidative damage to the body, and has been proven to help melt away abdominal fat when incorporated into an exercise routine. Green tea may also decrease the risk of skin and lung cancer as well as help prevent strokes.
Plus, low-fat yogurt not only lends its naturally tangy taste to this quick bread, but it’s packed with bone-building calcium, satisfying protein, and probiotics to keep digestion efficient.
Finally, walnuts are superstars! These tasty nuts contain alpha-linolenic acid–an essential omega-3 fatty acid–and antioxidant polyphenols that have been shown to be protective against memory loss. In fact, researchers at Tufts University found that walnuts may even reverse some signs of brain aging.
To your health in 2011!
New Year’s Eve Party Punch
Ingredients:
- 6 cups steeped green tea, cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup sparkling wine or champagne
- 1 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 2 limes
- 1 red grapefruit
- 2 navel oranges
Directions:
- Mix tea, wine, and cranberry juice in a large pitcher or punch bowl.
- Slice limes, grapefruit, and oranges into thin wedges.
- Reserve one sliced orange for garnishing glasses.
- Toss remaining fruit into tea mixture and stir.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings
Why we love this recipe:
There’s nothing better than mingling with friends and sipping on a delicious cocktail–especially when it’s packed with nutrients! Fresh orange and grapefruit provides a healthy dose of vitamin C to help ward off sniffles during the busy holiday season. These citrus superstars also contain a large amount of water to keep you hydrated and counteract the dehydrating effects of alcohol. Bonus: ORAC-packed green tea kicks your metabolism into gear and may help you ring in the New Year by speeding up weight loss.
Go ahead and raise your glass to a healthy New Year, and a healthy new you!
Cheers!
These festive snacks are great for sharing with guests at your next holiday party–and double as a gift! Just add them to a jar, decorate with a ribbon and you’ve got a go-to present that you can feel good about giving this season. Plus, they’re super-easy to make (and enjoy!)
Rosemary Spiced Nuts
Ingredients:
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Whisk egg white and water until foamy in a medium bowl.
- Add walnuts and mix gently until coated.
- Combine rosemary and sea salt in another bowl.
- Stir the rosemary and sea salt mixture into the bowl with nuts until evenly coated.
- Spread onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 2 cups
Why we love this recipe:
Not only is this a great idea for a homemade gift, but nuts are a perfect snack that you can keep just about anywhere! In general, walnuts are a great source of vitamin E, an important antioxidant that keeps our cells strong and healthy. They’re also packed with protein, heart-healthy fats and linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help keep you sharp by protecting against memory loss. Plus, a little bit of rosemary goes a long way–adding a delicious and fragrant twist that boosts the ORAC content of this snack even higher!
Ginger-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
Warm up with this homemade recipe in honor of National Cocoa Day. It’s much better for you than powdered mixes that use artificial ingredients and sweeteners!
Ginger-Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
- 4 cups fat-free milk
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 7 squares)
- Combine milk, ginger and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-low heat until almost boiling.
- Add chocolate, stirring until fully melted.
- Whisk until frothy and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Why we love this recipe:
Ginger kicks up the sweet cinnamon flavor–and the antioxidant content in each cup! Plus, bittersweet chocolate contains a type of antioxidant called flavonoids, which have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, stroke and heart disease.
Sweet Potato Latkes
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup grated onion
- 1 ½ lb peeled & shredded sweet potato
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2 lightly beaten eggs
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Coat bottom of baking pan with oil.
- Combine grated onion and potatoes in a colander and use paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture.
- Sift flour and baking powder into onion-potato mixture.
- Add eggs, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss with hands to mix thoroughly.
- Shape into 8 evenly divided 1/4-inch thick pancakes, squeezing out excess liquid.
- Lightly coat top sides of pancakes with cooking spray and bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Use spatula to flip pancakes over and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes 8 latkes
*Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Why we love this recipe:
Sweet potatoes are a nutritionally-sweet deal! These tasty tubers are higher in fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamin C than white potatoes, and they’re a great source complex carbohydrates! By baking these puppies instead of frying them, you’re cutting down on unnecessary fat. Amping up the volume with the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg makes these latkes super tasty, and provides an antioxidant boost! For a delicious complement to these little treats, try adding a dollop of reduced-fat sour cream and unsweetened applesauce.
Enjoy!
A perfect fit for the holiday season, these mini pie bites are great to share with family and friends and the perfect size for portion controlled, seasonal munching!
Ingredients:
- 6 Tbsp wheat germ
- 4 tbsp ground flax seed
- 4 all natural ginger snap cookies, crushed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15 oz) can plain pumpkin puree
- 1 (2 oz) can fat -free evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a nonstick 24-cup mini muffin pan with canola oil cooking spray.
2. Mix wheat germ, flaxseed, and ginger snaps in a bowl. Add a heaping teaspoon of the mixture to each muffin cup. Set aside.
3. Whisk eggs in another bowl. Add pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
4. Pour mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until sides are sturdy and filling is set. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before using a knife to loosen and remove from pan.
6. Combine yogurt and maple syrup in bowl. Cover and chill.
7. Top each with a dollop of yogurt mixture. Enjoy!
Makes 24 mini muffins
*Recipe adapted from Prevention.com
Why we love this recipe:
Pumpkins are the star of the holiday season and rightfully so, with health benefits galore! The gorgeous orange hue comes from beta-carotene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant that also promotes healthy vision and builds immunity.
Flaxseeds give the “bites” a nice, nutty flavor, and they are a dynamite source of lignans, plant estrogens which may soothe monthly mood swings that may lead to emotional overeating.
Finally, the smoothness and versatility of Greek yogurt make it a great swap for calorie-laden whipped cream. Not only will it take on the sweetness of the syrup, but it adds a protein-packed probiotic boost to each bite!
Therese’s Spiced Cranberry Relish
Try this delicious recipe just in time for Thanksgiving, courtesy of The O2 Diet recipe developer, Therese Baran. It takes just 5 minutes to add this colorful side to your menu (no cooking involved!) Plus, you can use the leftovers for topping oatmeal or adding to yogurt! You’ll get more than 3,000 ORAC points per serving.
Therese’s Spiced Cranberry Relish
Ingredients:
- 1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
- 1 medium orange, cut into 1” pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
Directions:
1. Place half of the cranberries, orange, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon in food processor fitted with metal blade.
2. Chop remaining cranberries, orange, and cinnamon in food processor and add to bowl.
3. Add honey and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 12 (1/3-cup) servings.
Why we love this recipe:
What makes cranberries so great? For starters, they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties to support our health. The tart red gems are also noted for their ability to help prevent urinary tract infections and improve cardiovascular health by reducing oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.
Next, the orange will help keep you de-stressed during the hectic holiday season… the magic nutrient here is vitamin C! Research shows consuming this antioxidant may help normalize blood pressure and levels of cortisol (a stress hormone). Just one orange is bursting with the daily value of vitamin C.
Topping off the list of healthy ingredients is cinnamon…the smell of this heavenly spice is enough to curb fatigue, ease frustration, and increase alertness.
Enjoy!
Tera’s “Whey to Go” Smoothie
Ingredients:
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup pomegranate juice
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon Vanilla Tera’s Whey (or any flavor)
2 tablespoons chopped avocado
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Put ingredients into a blender and enjoy!
Why we love this recipe:
Whether you’re looking to pack in some high quality protein as a post-workout snack or to help with weight management, whey protein may be just the answer.
Whey protein (which comes from milk) is loaded with branched chain amino acids and leucine (an essential amino acid), both of which are essential for building and repairing muscle during the recovery from a work out.
Leucine has also been found to preserve lean muscle mass while simultaneously releasing appetite-suppressing hormones.
This smoothie recipe is the “Whey to Go,” be sure to give it a try!
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup quinoa, rinsed and dried
¼ cup chopped almonds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon agave syrup
½ cup dried cranberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the oats, quinoa, nuts, and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine the applesauce, agave syrup and vanilla extract in small saucepan over low heat until heated through.
- Pour applesauce mixture into reserved oat mixture. Stir evenly to coat.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from oven and stir in cranberries.
- Let cool completely on baking sheet. Divide and serve over 6 oz fat-free plain yogurt.
Makes 4 servings
Why we love this recipe:
This is the perfect breakfast recipe that not only tastes great; it will leave you with a sense of satiety –helping you feel full and happy all morning long!
Well, where do we begin? For starters, this yummy granola uses quinoa – one of my fave grains that’s not only high in protein, but the protein it supplies is a complete protein, meaning it includes all nine essential amino acids that are key players in the development of bone and muscle strength. Quinoa is a very good source of manganese and copper, two minerals that act as antioxidants, protecting us from free radical damage.
The recipe also calls for almonds, which are high in monounsaturated fats to help lower cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health. Additionally, the vitamin E found in almonds gives you an added antioxidant boost, to help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Topping off the list of healthy ingredients that will make your mouth water is cinnamon… Just the smell of this heavenly spice is enough to curb fatigue, ease frustration, and increase alertness. Even better, recent research shows that consumption of cinnamon may inhibit the progression of certain types of Alzheimer’s cells.
Sounds delish, doesn’t it?! Enjoy!
