Get Out of Your Cooking Lull - Healthy Recipe Ideas

Often times one of the hardest parts of healthy cooking is continuously finding new recipe ideas that are easy to cook, and follow your DPP diet. The Lark DPP mission on "Shop and Cook" has focused on doing your own cooking to lose weight. As you may know, cooking at home can lead to lower-calorie, more nutritious meals - just what the doctor ordered for lowering diabetes risk. Here are some healthy recipe ideas to keep you on-track with fresh ideas.

Oatmeal Pancakes

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rolled or quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

• Let the oats soak in the milk for 20 minutes
• Blend in the other ingredients
• Pour in spoonfuls onto a heated griddle with cooking spray
• Turn over when edges bubble
• Serve warm

Quinoa Salad

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa cooked in low-sodium broth
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup low-sodium canned black or kidney beans
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 4 ounces of cheddar or jack cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup of mango or kiwi in pieces

Directions: Combine all ingredients and let sit together until time to serve

Spinach Cheddar Frittata

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 10 oz. frozen cooked or fresh spinach
• 8 oz. sliced zucchini
• 4 eggs plus 8 egg whites
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cook the vegetables in a hot pan with oil
• Mix with the eggs and cheese
• Pour into a greased pan
• Bake at 400 degrees until the eggs are set, or about 25 minutes

Cauliflower Turkey Hash

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cooked fresh or frozen cauliflower, chopped
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• A tablespoon of olive oil
• An onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 eggs

Directions

• Heat the oil in a pan
• Add the onion and ground turkey
• Stir until the turkey is browned
• Add the spices and cauliflower
• Add the eggs and stir until the eggs are cooked

Full Recognized Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)

A Diabetes Prevention Program, such as Lark DPP, is designed to help people with prediabetes prevent or delay progression to type 2 diabetes. A DPP has a specially-designed curriculum to help you learn about weight loss, increasing physical activity, and lifestyle tips to help you stay as healthy as possible.

Lark DPP is a health coach available 24/7 via your smartphone. Lark DPP is fully recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the National Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program. The personalized program includes help with weight loss, nutrition, and increasing physical activity through small behavior changes and establishing habits. In addition to offering the CDC curriculum, features of Lark include real-time feedback when you log meals or snacks, tracking of weight, physical activity, and food intake, and insights around diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.