Friday, July 8, 2011 at 07:07 AM
My family is now on Week 11 of our New Food Challenge and we’re still going strong. How did we get started on this anyway? Well, I guess it was about 11 weeks ago when I was thinking of a couple of new directions I wanted to take with A Better Bag of Groceries. One was Wordless Wednesdays. The other was to spend some time exploring new products in the grocery store. The average American family tries only 5 new products per year. Only five! Yup, most American families stick with the same tried-and-true favorites shopping trip after shopping trip. So, I thought it would be fun to scour a NuVal grocery store, choose some high-scoring products that my family has never tried before and taste test them.
This time it was Price Chopper in Shrewsbury, MA and I found this gluten free penne with a NuVal score of 87.
Fortunately, we do not have a need to buy gluten free products in our house, but many, many people do have conditions (celiac disease, for example) that require them to do so. And from what I’ve seen, there are gluten free products with high NuVal scores, and gluten free products with low NuVal scores. So this pasta was a great find!
I had a mid-week business trip coming up, so I thought I would make a casserole that could be easily re-heated for leftovers. It would make things a little easier for my husband who would be juggling everything solo.
Even though it is summer, I still find that I will make a casserole now and then because re-heat nights are simple and easy. I also still use my slow-cooker!
This recipe is from Cooking Light. I ♥ Cooking Light! One of the best things about this recipe is that you skip the whole “browning the meat” thing. That is a nice perk in summer!
Ingredients
6 ounces uncooked ziti
2 cups marinara sauce (you can make Cooking Light’s Basic Marinara or substitute a jarred sauce, which is what I did)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Asiago cheese, divided
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
6 ounces ground turkey breast
Cooking Spray
NOTE: I double this recipe! The recipe you see here only serves four. And if I am going to spend time cooking in the summer, there are definitely going to be leftovers from the effort!
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
- Drain.
- Combine pasta, Basic Marinara, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Asiago, salt, pepper sauce, and turkey in a large bowl.
- Note: I used a high-scoring jarred sauce that I found at Price Chopper.
Really, any sauce will do. This Price Chopper brand sauce gets a NuVal score of 74 and it was on sale for $2 a jar. If you double this recipe, you’ll need 2 jars.
- Spoon into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Asiago. (Note: If you double this recipe, use a 13 X 9 inch pan instead).
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. (Note: Baking time for the Doubled Recipe is 35 minutes).
The Verdict
As part of the New Food Challenge, all four of us in the house (my husband, my son, my daughter and I) need to taste test the new food. So, we all had this casserole for dinner. It got an overwhelming thumbs up around the table.
In fact, while I had hoped that this casserole would do double-duty as the Wednesday night dinner while I was away on business, it did not last that long in our fridge. Everyone kept choosing the leftovers for lunch. It was very popular.
So, I would say that I learned three things from this week’s food challenge:
- Schar Gluten Free Penne tastes great and gets a fabulous NuVal score
- Price Chopper’s Peppers & Onions Sauce costs less than most national brand spaghetti sauces and it gets a fantastic NuVal score (and it tastes great too).
- I love this recipe! You can use it with a gluten free penne, a whole wheat ziti, a Dreamfields pasta, whatever you prefer. Your family will love it.
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Dinner Recipes, New Food Challenge
Tags: Gluten Free
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 06:57 AM
Hello Blog Friends! Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday, everyone’s favorite day here at A Better Bag of Groceries because I blog about a trade-up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free. Today’s giveaway is not really about a trade I’ve made, but rather it is a trade-up I would make if I found that I had to go Gluten Free.
You see, last week, while I was at Big Y, I was checking out the fabulous Gluten Free section that they have there. What a great resource for people who have to go gluten-free! I’m always intrigued by the different products that I find there, and sometimes I find something new that I love. Remember Mary’s Gone Crackers? Yum!
What I noticed is that Gluten-Free does not necessarily equal nutritious! Check out some of these very low-scoring gluten-free products. Glutino Gluten Free Crackers score a 2 on the NuVal scale.
Glutino Gluten Free Pizza Flavored Breadsticks score a 1 on the NuVal scale.
Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten Free Cheeseburger Mac scores a 2 on the NuVal scale.
Wow, those scores are pretty low. But there are also some very high scoring gluten free products, like quinoa and some of the Gluten Free pastas.
For a moment, I put myself in the place of a person newly diagnosed with a health condition requiring a gluten free diet. What would I want to buy in Big Y’s Gluten Free section? Chocolate. Yes, I would want to know what could I still eat that was chocolate (my all-time favorite food). And lo and behold, I looked around the Gluten Free section at Big Y and I found that there are some chocolate treats that score pretty well in their respective categories.
Take Pamela’s Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, for example (in the purple box). They score a 24 on the NuVal scale. That is a great score for a cookie, when you consider that cookies score from 1 – 40 and the average score for a cookies is a 7. So, people on a Gluten Free diet have a great cookie option there. And they have chocolate in them. Yum!
Also, I found Enjoy Life Eat Freely (great brand name) Soft Baked Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.
And they get a great score of 27.
And I also found these Enjoy Life Eat Freely Chewy Cocoa Bars.
These very chocolaty bars score a 25, which is a great score when you consider that the average NuVal score for a snack bar is a 21.
Well, luckily for me, I do not have a health condition that requires me limit my food choices to Gluten Free, but many, many people do. So, I like to keep on top of what is going on in the Gluten Free arena. It’s good to know that there are some tasty – and chocolatey – treats out there that still get great NuVal scores.
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky commenter will win all three Gluten Free Chocolate treats. Just leave a comment below telling me what food you just couldn’t live without. You can leave a second comment (and be entered twice) if you know a NuVal score for that item. You can find Nuval scores on the NuVal website (www.nuval.com) or by searching this blog or Tina Haupert’s NuVal blog (www.tradingupdowntown.com). I’ll choose one winner at 9 am ET on Wednesday (I’m giving myself extra time – we’re expecting a big snowstorm here in Massachusetts!). Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Gluten Free, Trade-Up Tuesday
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 06:53 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal scores and I give away something for free. Today, I’m giving away some fantastic crackers that I first sampled at – of all places – my hair salon!
OK – full disclosure here – you can take the girl out of Rhode Island, but you can’t take the Rhode Island out of her hair. By that I mean that I did grow up in Rhode Island (a little state sort of known for Big Hair). I now live in Massachusetts. But every six weeks, like clockwork, I make the trek down to North Providence to go see Karen at Avanti Dezigns. I love her! And I love Avanti! One of the things that I love most about Avanti is that it is staffed by a bunch of hairstylists who love food and cooking almost as much as they love good hair. So the conversation is always interesting. And that is how I came to try Mary’s Gone Crackers – on a visit to Avanti. They were delicious!
Fast forward a few weeks, and I find myself in the aisles at the Walpole, MA Big Y, shopping the NuVal scores in the aisles. They have a great Gluten Free section at Big Y and I’m always curious to see what’s new there. That’s were I spied the Mary’s Gone Crackers.
There’s the Original with a NuVal Score of 37…
The Black Pepper with a NuVal Score of 37….
and the Herb with a NuVal score of, you guessed it, a 37!
Now although I had sampled these crackers (in my hair salon, with foil on my head), I was unaware of the scores until I saw them at Big Y, so the 37s were a nice surprise. Cracker scores range from a 1 to a 91 and the average score is a 16. Honestly, the crackers that score a 91 are 100% whole wheat unsalted matzos (not really a cracker that I would serve at my next cocktail party). I usually use my beloved Original Triscuits (which score a 32) as a good benchmark when it comes to high-scoring crackers. So, I was thrilled to see that Mary’s Gone received a 37 – because I loved them and I could eat them every day!
Today’s Giveaway
One very, very lucky winner will win these gluten-free, wheat-free Mary’s Gone crackers – all three boxes! All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me what you would like to eat your crackers with. Bonus: You can enter TWICE by leaving a second comment telling me the NuVal score of that item. You can find scores for items on the NuVal website, or by searching this blog or Tina’s blog, Trading Up Downtown. Don’t delay. I’ll select one winner at random at 8 am on Wednesday Eastern time. Good Luck
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Crackers
Tags: Crackers, Gluten Free, Mary's Gone
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 07:11 AM
Welcome to Trade Up Tuesday, a weekly feature here on A Better Bag of Groceries, where I tell you about a trade up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and I give away something for free. Full disclosure here – today’s giveaway is not a personal trade-up of mine. While I’ve started to delve into the Gluten-Free world (I’m so into quinoa), I haven’t actually tried these three products. However, when I was out at NuVal’s Latest Retailer-Partner (a.k.a., the Mystery Market), the large Gluten-Free section that they have caught my eye. So did the high NuVal scores on a few of the items.
Like these Gluten Free Blueberry Breakfast Bars with a NuVal score of 40…
these Gluten Free Herb Crackers with a NuVal score of 37…
and this Gluten Free pasta with a fabulous NuVal score of 82!!
So many people have gone gluten-free for a variety of health reasons. It’s great to know that they can find Gluten-Free sections in their grocery stores. What a bonus when they have NuVal scores too.
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky commenter will win all three Gluten Free products. Just leave a comment below telling me who the Mystery Market is! I can’t wait to see all your responses. I will choose one winner at random at 7 am EDT on Wednesday AND I will reveal the identity of the Mystery Market! So you will want to tune in on Wednesday. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Trade-Up Tuesday
Tags: Gluten Free
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 06:55 AM
One of the benefits of working for NuValis that I get to work with several Registered Dietitians. Chief among them is Annette Maggi, MS, RD, LD, FADA. Annette lives in super-friendly Minnesota with her husband, Dan, and her 11-year-old son, Jack. As part of her job as Senior Director of Nutrition for NuVal, she shares her views on nutrition in her blog, Nutrition Outlook. She was so kind as to share one of her favorite tricks recipes for getting more veggies into Jack with all of you A Better Bag of Groceries readers today. So without further ado, I bring you Annette!
As a dietitian and a mom, I’m always looking for ways to get more vegetables into my son’s eating habits. He’ll eat a variety of fruits and will eat them willingly, but vegetables tend to be a harder sell. So I was intrigued when I ran across a recipe for “Zucchini-Ribbon Lasagna” in a recent issue of Martha Stewart Magazine. While billed as a gluten free recipe (which it is), it definitely presented a way to get in an extra serving of vegetables at dinner.
Here’s the Recipe
For the Sauce
1 can (28 ounce) whole peeled plum tomatoes, with juice (NuVal score of 50 for Tuttorosso Plum Tomatoes – see note below)
2 tbsp. olive oil (NuVal score of 11)
1 small onion, finely chopped (NuVal score of 93)
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
12-oz. ground turkey (NuVal score of 33 for 93% lean)
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. sea salt
For the Lasagna
2 medium zucchini, trimmed (NuVal score of 99)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (NuVal score of 25 for Sargento – see Note below)
¼ tsp. olive oil (NuVal score of 11)
Freshly ground pepper
Working for NuVal, I couldn’t help but trade up a few of the ingredients, which were:
- Instead of olive oil, which has a NuVal score of 11, I traded up to canola oil, which has a NuVal Score of 24.
- Instead of Tuttorosso Plum Tomatoes (NuVal score of 50), I traded up to Rienzi Whole Italian Plum Tomatoes, with a NuVal score of 82.
- Instead of Sargento Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (NuVal score of 25), I traded up to Sargento Fat Free Ricotta (NuVal score of 30).
Directions:
- Make the sauce. Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and red-pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add turkey; cook, breaking up large pieces, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduced heat; simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in oregano and salt. Let cool.
- Make the lasagna. Preheat oven to 375. Slice zucchini lengthwise into thin strips using a mandolin or a sharp knife.
Place 5-6 zucchini slices, overlapping slightly, in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 1 cup sauce. Dot with ¼ cup ricotta cheese. Repeat twice with zucchini, remaining sauce, and ½ cup ricotta, alternating direction of zucchini; brush with oil. Dot with remaining ¼ cup ricotta. Season with pepper. 
Bake uncovered until lasagna bubbles and top browns, 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
So how successful was the dish in getting more vegetables into Jack? While he did pick out some of the zucchini, he ate well over half of it, so in my book, definitely a success. Because zucchini tends to have a mild flavor, I think it worked well in this recipe where many of the ingredients have a lot of flavor. I also thought it was a good choice for Jack because lasagna is a food he’s familiar with and likes!
Melissa’s Note:
We made this at our house this past weekend, using zucchini that we bought at our local Farmer’s Market.. We served it to our kids with a few leftover ravioli on the side, figuring they would not be too into the Zucchini Lasagna. Well, guess what? They LOVED the Zucchini Lasagna. They ate it before their beloved ravioli and even asked for seconds. This recipe is a keeper!
Speaking of Registered Dietitians….
Christina, a graduate student in nutrition from Simmons College in Boston has been interning at NuVal this summer. Today, she has a great guest blog post over at Prevention RD. Check it out!
Question of the Day
What is your favorite zucchini recipe?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Dinner Recipes, Guest Bloggers
Tags: Gluten Free, Martha Stewart, Registered Dietitians, Zucchini, Zucchini Ribbon Lasagna
