by Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
Author of Eat Your Way to Happiness

1. Wrap It: Fill a Mission Life Balance flour tortilla with 2 ounces of turkey breast meat, 1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce, 2 tablespoons grated carrot and 1 tablespoon low-fat Caesar salad dressing. Serve with a glass of 1% milk and a piece of fruit.

2. Salad Fixings: Top 3 cups of baby spinach and/or romaine lettuce with 1/2 cup berries, 1 tablespoon pecans, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, 1/3 cup kidney or black beans and 2 tablespoons low-fat dressing. Serve with 100% whole-grain bread and a slice of low-fat cheese.

3. Pocket It: Fill a 100% whole-wheat pita with 1/2 cup black beans, 1/4 cup grated carrot, 1/4 cup chopped cucumber, 1/4 cup diced red peppers and 2 tablespoons light Italian salad dressing. Serve with Rachel’s yogurt and a glass of 100% juice.

Spelt is very wholesome whole grain that you can use in place of rice and wheat. It contains a little bit of gluten (being a form of wheat) but may not trigger a wheat allergy in the way normal wheat might. Here is a quick easy meal you can make with spelt (provided you cook the spelt beforehand):

Ingredients:

Spelt berries
Canned stewed tomatoes
Fresh spinach
Garlic (a few cloves)
Optional: Cooked chicken** or other meat, or tofu for vegetarian version
Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian Parmesan substitute)

*You can purchase canned stewed tomatoes with Italian spices; otherwise spice to taste using oregano and other Italian herbs.

**Canned chicken will cut down on preparation time.

Instructions:

All portions are approximate: Eyeball the amount of spelt, spinach, and meat you want according to how much food you want to make.