Turkey Minestrone

Low-fat, low-cal, and fast, this meal is perfect for those days when you're too busy to spend hours in the kitchen.

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Number of Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

You Will Need
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2-ounces) no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup cooked small pasta shells
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

What to Do
Combine chicken broth, tomatoes, water, pasta, peas, and turkey in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 5 minutes to heat through. Divide among 4 serving bowls and sprinkle each with Parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 220, fat 5 g, saturated fat 1.5 g, cholesterol 45 mg, sodium 440 mg, carbohydrate 21 g, fiber 4 g, protein 23 g.

Tips:

Nutritional power of turkey

The leanest of all meats, turkey breast has a mild flavor that makes it a versatile cooking ingredient. It supplies a lot of high-quality protein and B vitamins.

• If you've been advised to watch your intake of saturated fat (everyone should, but it's especially important for people with high cholesterol), skinless turkey breast should be on your table frequently. It contains less saturated fat than any other meat.


• Skinless turkey breast has about the same amount of protein, vitamin B-6, and niacin as beef top round, but only about one-sixth the fat.


• Turkey breast can be substituted for veal in many recipes.

When buying turkey you can choose from whole, bone-in turkey breasts; whole boneless breasts (halves and quarters too); turkey breast "tenderloins" (steak-like cuts); and cutlets. Make sure that the meat appears moist and pink. When buying cooked turkey breast at the deli counter, try to get fresh roasted turkey rather than packaged turkey products, which may have added broth or water, starch, sugar, oil, and preservatives.

When cooking whole turkey breast, cook to an internal temperature of 170°F. Don't overcook or the meat will be dry.

Nutritional power of pasta

• Pasta is a low-fat protein source and the inspiration for countless quick, healthful meals. And most dried pastas are enriched with B vitamins and iron.



• Pasta with tomato sauce is not just a tradition, it's a smart nutritional choice. The tomatoes' vitamin C helps your body absorb the pasta's iron.



• People used to think that pasta was fattening, but only the sauce can make it a high-fat dish. A cup of plain cooked pasta contains less than 1 gram of fat.

From ChangeOne.com

 

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