Recipes for Promoting Digestive Wellness

Some of these delicious recipes are beneficial because they contain probiotics – friendly bacteria (primarily from yogurt) that work to crowd out harmful bacteria and aid in proper digestion. Other recipes are high in fiber which helps to regulate the digestive process for better absorption of nutrients and ensure that waste moves through the digestive system at a regular rate.

Probiotic Recipes

Get-Going Morning Smoothie

Servings: 1 serving (10 ounces per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup Dannon® All Natural low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup brewed coffee, chilled
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 whole Chiquita® banana, peeled, in chunks

Directions

• Place all ingredients in a blender
• Process until smooth and serve immediately

Banana-Nut Winter Smoothie

Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 Chiquita® banana, frozen
1 cup Dannon® All Natural low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

• Cut the frozen banana into 3 or 4 chunks and peel
• Place in blender with yogurt, walnuts, cinnamon and honey (optional)
• Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth
• Pour into glass and top with a dusting of ground nutmeg

High-Fiber, Whole-Grain Recipes

Banana Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Kashi® Heart to Heart® cereal, crushed*
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or white whole-wheat flour)
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice crystals (or raw sugar)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed Chiquita® bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup nonfat milk (or plain soy milk)
2 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute)
1/3 cup expeller-pressed canola oil
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Combine the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients
• Add liquid mixture to dry mixture and stir until just combined
• Spoon batter evenly into lightly oiled muffin tins
• For garnish, place three hearts from the Heart to Heart cereal on top of each muffin
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, or about 20 minutes
• Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

*Place cereal in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin until it resembles coarse flour without any large chunks. To save time, you can place the cereal in a blender or food processor and pulse into coarse flour instead.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 muffin, Calories 190, Calories from Fat 60, Total Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 260mg, Total Carbohydrate 31g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 13g, Protein 4g, Vitamin A 8%, Vitamin C 15%, Calcium 8%, Iron 6%

Whole-Grain Pilaf

Recipe adapted from Harvard University Dining Services

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Kashi® whole-grain pilaf
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 dash crushed red pepper (or to taste)
Salt (optional) and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a small saucepan, slowly heat the broth
• At the same time, heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, and sauté the garlic until it is tender; do not let it get brown
• Add the pilaf and sauté until it smells toasty, about 10 minutes
• Pour in the hot broth, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the broth has been absorbed, about 10 minutes
• Fluff pilaf with a fork
• Gently stir in both chopped and sun-dried tomatoes
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, honey, canola oil, crushed red pepper, optional salt, and black pepper

Guiding Stars Recipes

Lentil Chili

Servings: 6 (1 cup per serving)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry lentils
1 cup dry bulgur wheat
3 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups canned tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin

Directions

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat
• Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes
• Add the dry lentils and bulgur wheat and stir
• Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
• Simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender

Penne with Lentils

Servings: 5

Ingredients

1 cup dry lentils
1 cup dry whole-wheat penne
26 ounces of your favorite pasta sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat
• Add the lentils and lower heat to medium
• Cook lentils for 5 minutes; then add pasta
• Cook until pasta and lentils are done, about 10 minutes
• Drain in colander
• Place the same pot back on the stove and add the pasta sauce and Italian seasoning
• Bring to a boil; then add the pasta and lentils
• Heat through; serve with Parmesan cheese on top

Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

Servings: 2 (1 cup per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat milk
1/2 teaspoon Splenda or Equal sweetener
1/2 cup orange juice with calcium
1/4 cup cooked carrots (can be frozen)
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
6 ice cubes

Directions

• Put all ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth

Diabetic Exchanges

Bread & Starch: 2.0
Milk: 1.5
Vegetable: 1.0

Smothered Cabbage

Servings: 6 (1 cup per serving)

Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper

Directions

• Wash and quarter the cabbage and pat dry
• Heat the oil in a large skillet
• Add the bell pepper and sauté until limp, about 5 minutes
• Add the cabbage, caraway seeds, salt and pepper to the bell pepper
• Cover tightly and cook over medium heat until the cabbage is just tender (cabbage becomes mushy when overcooked), about 15-20 minutes