St. Patrick's Day Green Menu: Recipe Rehab

When planning your green-themed St. Patrick's Day menu, think beyond the traditional salad greens of spinach, collards or lettuce. Try my high protein, high fiber green salad made with fiber-rich legumes, green beans, snow peas and mint. This dish is always a favorite at my house and can be made with fresh or frozen vegetables. Even though nearly every ingredient in the recipe is a shade of green, the nutritional content is full of variety. And the addition of olive oil adds just enough healthy fats to ensure that the fat soluble vitamins are absorbed to their fullest potential.

Since green has become to mean more than just the color with the slow food movement, round out the rest of this meal by swapping grass-fed sirloin steak for traditionally raised steak. Grass-fed beef has been shown to have less saturated fat and more omega-3 fatty acids than traditionally raised beef fed a diet of mostly corn. By choosing a lean cut like sirloin, preparing it with a simple seasoning recipe, and cooking it on a grill (or an electric grill if you are still snowed in!), I am able to minimize the added calories. In addition to being better for the environment, the omega-3s provide a range of health benefits, and may even boost weight loss!

So, go green for St. Patrick's Day and feel good about your health!

Shades of Green Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 ounces) Lima beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 ounces green beans
• 4 ounces snow peas
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves
• 3 scallions, chopped

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine the salad ingredients and toss to mix.

2. In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad ingredients and stir to combine.

Serves: 4

Nutrition Content (per serving):
212 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 29 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 9 g protein, 46 mg sodium

Simply Seasoned Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 pound grass-fed sirloin steak
• 1/4 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• dash of salt

Instructions:
1. Combine spices in a small dish. Rub on both sides of the raw meat.
2. Grill until desired temperature.

Serves: 4

Nutrition Content (per serving):
120 calories, 3.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 23 g protein, 45 mg sodium

For more green vegetable ideas, try my Vegetable Risotto.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya belives you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!