7 Recipes for Healthy Bones

Posted on 20. Jun, 2010 by Fitness Guru in Women's Fitness

Calcium is your bones’ best friend. So is vitamin D. Here are 7 tasty recipes with at least 15% of the recommended daily value of these skeleton-building minerals…

Baked Mac & Cheese
Mac & cheese is a true comfort on a gloomy day. Our healthy update uses extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and a layer of spinach in the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 55 minutes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
16- or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1-3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne

Preparation
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.

3. Heat 1-1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
576 calories
22 g fat (11 g sat, 2 g mono)
69 mg cholesterol
63 g carbohydrate
37 g protein
9 g fiber
403 mg potassium
917 mg sodium

Nutrition Bonus: calcium (70% Daily Value), vitamin A (290% DV), folate (37% DV), iron (15% DV)

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