Chicken Marinara

Hello everyone! My name is Whitney Bonnema and I made this dish because I am big pasta lover.
My mom and I decided to go shopping and find the cheapest ingredients to substitute as a healthier version of the pasta we love, Chicken Marinara. This meal is quick and delicious.

Ingredients: 
- Angel Hair Pasta
- 1 Fresh Garden diced tomato 
- Precooked 1/2 Chopped grilled chicken breast
- Italian Seasoning

I love this dish because anything can be substituted and the amounts do not have to be exact. Because chicken can be expensive, it does not need to be added and it will still turn out delicious!

This meal took me a total of 15 minutes to make. 
This process is quite simple!

Directions:
1. Boil angel hair pasta until desired softness
2. Rinse noodles, Strain water, Place to cool
3. While noodles cool- chop tomatoes and heat chicken
4. Chop chicken into desired slice size
5. Place noodles on plate followed by chicken and tomatoes
6. Sprinkle desired amount of Italian seasoning (or my personal favorite, Balsamic Vinegar)

Nutrition facts:

Angel Haired pasta-
calories: 200
calories from fat: 10
total fat: 1g
saturated fat: 0
trans fat: 0
cholesterol: 0
sodium: 0mg
total carb: 42g
dietary fiber: 2g
protein: 7g
sugar: 2g
-Contain a lot of carbohydrates, which provide energy for your body.

Tomato
calorie: 27
water: 141g
total fat: 0 
cholesterol: 0
-Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C.

Grilled Chicken
calories: 150
calories from fat: 35
total fat: 4g
cholesterol: 60mg
sodium: 630mg
carb: 3g
protein: 25g
-Contains a lot of protein, which is a building block to many functions in the body


The food group that is missing from this recipe are dairy and fruits. These can be provided with a fruit cup and some milk or grapes and cheese sprinkled on noodles. 

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Hey everyone! My dish is a super delicious creamy avocado pasta. I love this recipe because it's something my mom has always made since I was a little kid and it's a much healthier option than creamy pastas that use butter, cream, and flour. It honestly tastes like a pasta made from the creamy buttery stuff, but it's made from a fruit (or veggie, however you view an avocado) which makes it way more nutritious. Another plus is it makes the best leftovers ever. It's super easy to make and takes me about 15 minutes tops and very minimal cleanup. The recipe and nutrition of the pasta are the following:

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces (255 g) uncooked pasta 
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ripe medium avocado, pitted
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (1 to 2 mL) fine-grain sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. For a lighter option, serve the avocado sauce with zucchini noodles.
2. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce: In a food processor, combine the garlic and basil and pulse to mince.
3. Add the lemon juice, oil, avocado flesh, and 1 tablespoon water and process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Drain the pasta and place it back in the pot. Add the avocado sauce and stir until combined. 
5. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutrition (without cheese)

Calories: 448.7
Total Fat: 28.1 g
-Saturated fat: 4.0 g
-Monounsaturated Fat: 18.6 g
-Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 12.2 mg
Potassium: 556.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 47.3 g
-Dietary fiber: 15.5 g
-Sugars: 0.6 g
Protein: 9.6 g

Vitamin A: 62.3%
Vitamin B-6: 21.2%
Vitamin C: 39.5%
Vitamin E: 6.2%

Some substitutions/additions I did in order to make this pasta even healthier is I made sure I used whole grain pasta instead of regular spaghetti noodles. I also added in some spinach to bring in an extra vegetable. This dish is very nutrient rich because of the avocado, whole grain pasta, and spinach. Avocados provide heart healthy fats, fiber, and potassium, and monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are good for you because they help reduce the bad cholesterol in your body.  Whole grain pasta is a great source of fiber which helps with the digestive system. Spinach is known as a "super food" so it's health benefits are pretty self explanatory, one of the most important benefits are it's abundance of vitamin A and C. The dish overall is low in sodium and cholesterol, can be gluten free (substitute the noodles), vegan (without cheese) and can be paired with any kind of protein and almost any vegetable can be added in. The only thing that could make this dish unhealthy is the amount of parmesan cheese that is put on top. Even then, parmesean cheese still has it's benefits. In 1/4 of a cup, it provides 10 grams of protein, but it does make the cholesterol and sodium rise a bit. I made sure to only put about 1/4 of a cup of cheese on the entire dish. I hope you guys enjoy!

Peterson, A. 

The Baked Potato

The Baked Potato

I like my mother before me survive each and every day with a baked potato. It is very cheap and filling. It also doesn't take a long time to make! It has dairy (cheese), Protein (ham), Starches ( the potato), and fats (the butter). And depending on how much you add to it the calories may vary.

In this particular recipe you will need a Potato. Potatoes normally cost about 3 dollars per ten pounds. I would wash the potato and then poke a few holes in it so that the heat moves through the potato more evenly. I throw it in the microwave for about 3-5 minute with a cup of water to keep the moisture present. Then when I take it out I mash it up and throw on about a hand full of cheese and two slices of bacon a spoonful of sour cream and little butter with salt and pepper.

IF you want some more nutrients and healthy stuff you can add steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots. Or all three if you feel inclined. Sometimes I enjoy salsa on it:)

Potato: 110 Calories, Fat 0.2, Sodium 10mg, Potassium 620mg, Carbs 26g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 1g, Protein 3g, Vitamin C 45%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%

Cheese: 28 Calories, Fat 2.2, Saturated Fat 1.5, Cholesterol 7.5mg, Sodium 45mg, Protein 1.8g, Vitamin A 1.5%, Calcium 5%

Butter: 70 Calories, Fat 7g, Saturated Fat 2.5, Polyunsaturated Fat 3, Monounsaturated Fat 2, Sodium 105mg, Vitamin A 10%

Ham: 120 Calories, Fats 4 g, Saturated Fats 1g, Cholesterol 50mg, Sodium 1,320mg, Carbs 2g, Sugars 2g, Protein 16g, Iron 4%

I love this and hope that you do too!

Hipol, C

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

My name is Sierra Vredeveld, and I have been married for two years. My husband and I are both college students, and it definitely makes money tight. We have found lots of ways to eat cheap and healthy at the same time. This recipe is one that my mother used to make because it was easy and quick to cook.
The chicken salsa tastes so good! It is so quick and easy to make. The prep time is seriously less than 5 minutes in the morning. It is easy and fairly inexpensive so it is perfect for college students! The best part is you can put it in a container in the fridge and heat it up a couple days later.

Recipe:
Place two chicken breasts in crock pot. (frozen or not)
Pour salsa over chicken, to cover it.
Cook on low 6-8 hours
Shred chicken with two forks occasionally. When fully cooked, spoon into warm tortillas. Add cheese, sour cream, etc to your liking.

This meal can be as healthy or unhealthy as you make it. I prefer a white tortilla, but you can use wheat as a healthier alternative.  I use shredded cheese and a fat-free sour cream. The chicken is healthy because I use a lean chicken breast and it provides protein. The salsa has a lot of sodium, but it's a way to get vegetables incorporated into the meal. You can also add to the mixture if you prefer to get more vegetables. The low-fat cheese and sour cream incorporates dairy. The wheat tortilla is a healthier alternative to a white tortilla while still incorporating the grains into the meal. The one thing that is missing from this meal is fruit, and I still haven't thought of a fruit to pair with this meal just quite yet. So I usually just eat fruit as a snack at some point during the day. I usually will make some Mexican rice to couple with the burritos, there is not much nutritional value to that.

Vredeveld, S.

Lemon Pepper Chicken “Spaghetti”

I like this recipe because it is fast, easy and most of all, there aren’t a ton of dishes to do afterwards.

Taste: I like spaghetti squash a lot. So I think it is delicious. For those of you who enjoy more powerful seasonings, feel free to mix it up. Here, I kept it fairly simple because I prefer to eat vegetables without too much alteration. This is a really simple meal to add to. You can throw on some marinara sauce for a more traditional “spaghetti” meal.

Ease of preparation: On a scale of 1-10, 10 being not even your great grandmother would spend that much time in the kitchen preparing  this and 1 being you didn’t even put the effort into warming up your pop tart, I would say this is a 3.7. So, not too bad for the average college student. Also, this is an easy meal to make a lot of at once and reheat when you’re in a pinch for time.

Ingredients
Amount	Measure	Ingredient
3	piece	Chicken Breast Cutlet
3	cup, cubes	spaghetti squash
1	dash	salt
2	teaspoon	Lemon Pepper
1	dash	black pepper
1	tablespoon	butter
1	teaspoon	olive oil
3	cup, chopped	Kale Blend
1 1/2	cup	Applesauce, canned, sweetened, without salt
1	teaspoon	cinnamon, ground

Steps
Sequence	Step
1	First, cut your spaghetti squash in half "hot dog style". You won''t need the entire thing. Place the squash middle down on a microwave safe plate. Stab in with a fork 6-7 times (this will allow the steam to escape while it is cooking). Pour a few millimeters of water onto the plate and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave for 10 minutes on high.
2	While your squash is spinning around, heat a pan on the stove, or plug in your George Forman. Oil your cooking surface with a smidgeon of olive oil. Sprinkle your lemon pepper on both sides of your chicken breast and place it in the Forman. I use the frozen chicken breasts that you can buy in the freezer section of your grocery. They are very convenient. I don''t even defrost them before cooking and they always turn out juicy and tender. Mine usually cook up in about 10 minutes using the George Forman. If you are using a pan, just turn them over when they are golden brown. Make sure you cook the chicken all the way. Nobody wants to get sick here.
3	Your spaghetti squash should be done by now. Use hot pads when you take it out and take caution not to dump the water on yourself. That would be a mistake. Remove the plastic wrap and flip your squash over. Using a fork, remove the squash from the shell, fluffing it as you do. It looks like spaghetti, right? Who would have thought? Anyway, put about a cup of this on your plate. If you are serving more than just yourself, do the same for your amigos. If not, just wrap up the wrest and store it in the fridge. This is where I add a little butter, salt, and pepper.
4	Slice your chicken, or don''t, and place it on your plate. I like green stuff. Specifically the Kale blend. So, I put a bunch of that on my plate as well. I don''t really love salad dressings, but if you do, go right ahead and dump it all over those babies. Get your fruit on by pouring some applesauce into a little dish and dust some cinnamon sugar on it.
5	That''s it. You''re done. The only thing left to do is eat it. Well, that, and do your dishes. Because no one likes ''that'' roommate. Yeah, don''t be that guy.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size (463 g) Servings Per Recipe 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories 540 Calories from Fat 252 (46%)
	% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28 g	43 %
Saturated Fat 7.4 g	37 %
Monounsaturated Fat 11.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 8.8 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 890 g	297 %
Sodium 1217 mg	51 %
Potassium 821 mg	23 %
Total Carbohydrate 49 g	16 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12 %
Sugars 21 g	NA
Protein 24 g	48 %
Vitamin A	210 %
Vitamin C	140 %
Calcium	13 %
Iron	11 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

This recipe has a decent amount of protein. Protein is the building block of your cells. It is important for cell production and repair. This is also very high in Vitamin A which is good for vision and  bone health. It also supports your immune system which is always a plus while you are in school.

There is no dairy represented here. That can be easily fixed by adding a glass of milk. Also, there are no grains.  A lot of people eat bread with their spaghetti. So, a good addition could be some whole grain bread. You can spread some butter on it and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese, then toast it in the oven for a few minutes. Then you are a little fancy. College chic, if you will.

I believe this is a healthy meal because it incorporates two servings of vegetables, a serving of fruit, and protein. You lose a little by adding butter to your squash, but you can easily omit that.

Hatch, K