Healthy Meals in a Hurry Cholesterol Awareness Month. Top Five Tips to Lower Cholesterol

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1 Plan ahead! Plan a weekly menu o Get input from family members o Keep it Simple Make a shopping list based off menu Prepare meals in advance o Avoid unhealthy food choices by having quick and healthy options available. o Healthy Meals in a Hurry Cholesterol Awareness Month Prepare meals in bulk and store them for quick access during the week o Slice extra vegetables to store in the refrigerator for easy use Keep food staples stocked to make meal planning quick and easy o Aim to have food items from each food group stocked at home to meet recommendations Add legumes to any meal to make a meatless Monday Have a fun meal once Top Five Tips to Lower Cholesterol 1. Eat a Heart Healthy Diet! Reduce saturated fats while adding more foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, herring, walnuts and flaxseeds. Increase soluble fiber found in foods like oatmeal, kidney beans, brussels sprouts, apples and pears. 2. Exercise Regularly! Adding physical activity, even in short intervals serval times a day, can help you. Try taking a brisk daily walk during your lunch hour or riding your bike to work. To stay motivated, consider finding an exercise buddy or group. 3. Lose weight if you are overweight! Carrying even a few extra pounds contributes to high cholesterol. Small changes add up. If you drink sugary beverages, switch to tap water. Snack on air-popped popcorn or pretzels. If you crave something sweet, try sherbet or candies with little or no fat. 4. If you smoke, try quitting. Quitting smoking improves your HDL cholesterol level. The benefits occur quickly. Within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate recover from the cigarette-induced spike. Within three months of quitting, your blood circulation and lung function begin to improve. Within a year of quitting, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker 5. Drink alcohol only in moderation If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. Too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and strokes.

2 Sample Menu with Prep List Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Steak Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries V: Use Lentils, black beans or chickpeas as protein -Prepare vegetables for tomorrows salad -Thaw Shrimp if frozen Lemon Tahini Crunch Bowl Optional: Add lemon chicken or shrimp - Prep for taco night -Thaw Chicken if frozen Build your own taco salad night -Cut vegetables for fried rice Shrimp Fried Rice V: Vegetable Fried Rice -Prep vegetables for pasta salad dish -Cook pasta and chill if you want a cold pasta salad Mediterranean Chicken Pasta V: Mediterranean Tofu Pasta Leftovers may be used at lunch or dinner for the next day! Menu can be changed depending on likes/dislikes. Leftovers Turkey French Bread Pizza V: Use meatless meat or add a little extra cheese -Prepare dinner prior to cooking -While pizza is in oven, plan next week menu, prep list and shopping list Look for this symbol on the Lemon Tahini Crunch Bowl in the cold section at the cafeteria and Bistro!

3 Shopping List ***Tip! Some of these should be staples! Meaning they should be kept in the house at all times. You determine which staples you d want! Shop on your days off from work! *** Vegetarian Version: Tofu, legumes (black, chickpea or lentils), meatless chicken or turkey for pizza (optional) Meat Version: turkey breast, 8oz sirloin steak, 8oz shrimp, chicken, Optional Meat: chicken or shrimp Onion x 2, garlic, mushrooms, diced or whole butternut squash, shallot, large pack baby spinach, ginger, string snap peas, carrots x 3, red bell pepper x3, yellow bell pepper, lemon, cherry tomatoes, Brussel sprouts x 6, scallion s x 4, cucumber, asparagus. Fresh Rosemary and Fresh Basil Sun dried tomatoes Dried no-sugar added cranberries 1/4c hazelnuts (buy in bulk section) 1/4c roasted unsalted cashews (buy in bulk section) 1 can water-packed artichoke hearts Taco Salad fixings (grab whatever you want to put on your salad!) 1 can pizza sauce 2 loaves French bread Brown rice Farro Tri Color spiral pasta Tahini Oil or Paste Hoisin sauce Soy sauce Sesame oil Eggs Mozzarella cheese, small container blue cheese, feta cheese, shaved parmesan cheese (optional) Olive Oil White wine vinegar and rice vinegar Reduced Sodium chicken broth x 2 (32oz) Spices: salt, pepper, dried basil, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Spices to always have on hand: cumin, chili powder, basil, oregano cinnamon, bay leaves, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, nutmeg powder, red pepper flakes, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves and anything else you find you frequently want to add to recipes.

4 Recipes Turkey French Bread Pizza Serves Calories, 37g Carbs, 30g Protein, 8g fat 1 1/2lbs Raw Turkey Breast 1 1/2c sliced fresh mushrooms 3/4c onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 (15-ounce) can pizza sauce 2 (8-ounce) loaves French Bread 1 1/2c (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey and next 3 ingredients. Cook until turkey is browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary. Stir in pizza sauce and cook until thoroughly heated. Cut each loaf in half horizontally cut each horizontal piece in half crosswise. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, cut sides up. Broil 5 ½ inches from heat one minute or until lightly toasted. Spoon turkey mixture over French bread pieces sprinkle with cheese. Broil 5 ½ inches from heat until cheese melts. Steak Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries Serving Size 1 ½ cups Serves Calories, 20g Carbs, 24g Fat, 16g Protein 1 (11-oz.) pkg. peeled diced butternut squash Cooking spray 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 (8-oz.) sirloin steak Preheat over 425 F Arrange butternut squash in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes or until browned, stirring once halfway through cooking. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary 1 (5-oz.) pkg. baby spinach 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1-ounce blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cups pepper. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, olive oil, vinegar, and rosemary in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Arrange spinach on a platter; top with butternut squash,

5 cranberries, and steak. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and shallot. Drizzle vinegar mixture over top. Sprinkle with chees Shrimp Fried Rice Serving Size 1 cup Serves Calories, 34g Carbs, 11g Fat, 20g Pro 2 cups water 1 cup brown rice 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 8 ounces peeled and deveined raw small shrimp (51-60 per pound; see Tips) 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 4 cups string less snap peas (12 ounces) 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 4 scallions, chopped Cook rice according to package. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring to help break into smaller pieces, until just set, about 45 seconds. Transfer the egg to a bowl. Add another 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, 1 1 /2 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in snap peas, bell pepper, carrots and scallions; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and the reserved egg and shrimp; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the sauce mixture. Vegetable Fried Rice Serving Size 1 cup Serves Calories, 46g Carbs, 14g Protein, 14g Fat 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil Hot red pepper sauce, to taste 1 cup brown rice 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 6 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1- inch pieces (about ½ bunch) Combine rice and broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce

6 heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes. Spread the rice out on a large plate and let stand for 5 minutes. While the rice is cooling, coat a large nonstick wok or skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour in eggs and cook, stirring gently, until just set, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl. Heat canola oil in the pan over medium-high; add asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, scallions, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice, soy sauce and vinegar to the pan; cook until the liquid is absorbed, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Fold in the cooked eggs. Remove from the heat; stir in sesame oil and hot sauce. 1 package (12 ounces) uncooked tricolor spiral pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 large sweet red pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup julienned soft sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese Mediterranean Chicken Pasta Serving Size 1 1/2 cups Serves Calories, 42g Carbs, 23g Protein, 8g Fat Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese, optional Cook pasta according to package directions. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from pot. In same pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add red pepper and onion; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, sun-dried tomatoes and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pot. Add broth and artichoke hearts; return to a boil. Stir in spinach and chicken; cook just until spinach is wilted. Drain pasta; stir into chicken mixture. Stir in feta cheese. If desired, top servings with basil and Parmesan cheese.