Good for you (and tasty) Lasagna

Traditional lasagna is loaded with saturated fat and refined noodles. This is a healthier version. It is simple and my whole family loves it. (Rare in my household.) I often put this together in the morning, keep it in the fridge and bake it at dinner time. It helps make my afternoon a little less hectic.




Brown rice lasagna noodles (I bought mine at Whole Foods), uncooked

Jarred Spaghetti Sauce with no added sugar (or make your own)

Reduced fat or f/f ricotta (or cottage) cheese

R/f or f/f mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese



Put a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a square or rectangular casserole dish. Lay one layer of uncooked noodles. Spread some ricotta over the noodles. Sprinkle on some mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Spread some sauce over the cheese. Continue layering and then top with mozzarella and a bit of parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

This is a quick and healthy meal prepared in the slow cooker or Crock-Pot.  Watch for sodium/sugar in the canned items.  It is best to get the low sodium, no salt, no sugar (or artificial sweetners) added varieties.

1 can of dark beans (I used Adzuki, but you could use kidney, black, etc)--don't drain
1 can of white beans (I used Northern, but you could use any white bean)--don't drain
1 can of corn (frozen or fresh is fine too), drained
1 jar of salsa (or you could make this fresh)
1 chipotle pepper (optional, but it adds a nice smokey flavoring)
3-4 chicken breast (frozen is fine)

Put chicken in slow cooker.  Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.  Remove chicken, shred or cube it, and mix back into mixture.  Serve with light or f/f sour cream, r/f cheese, etc.  We had ours over a baked potato with a light amount of 75% r/f cheese and light sour cream. It was great!