It may come as a surprise, but there are times when I’m completely satisfied with plain, un-exciting food. Think frozen chicken burgers with frozen green beans. A little horseradish mustard and maybe a pickle on the side and Tuesday night dinner is served.

The Taster on the other hand thinks a meal like that is simply horrifying! (Which is why those meals happen on Tuesday nights when he’s playing BBall) Where is the bun? What are the toppings? He just will not stand for such a minimalist dinner. So I gave him the task of jazzing up those plain old chicken burgers and oh he did just that.

I present – Italian Burgers. Ciabatta bread, fresh mozzarella, fire roasted tomatoes and basil. It was deliciously fresh and so filling. I’m putting him in charge of dinner more often. But not shopping. He’s expensive.

Italian Chicken Burgers – 2 servings

• 1/2 loaf ciabatta bread
• 2 chicken burger patties
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1/3 cup fire roasted antipasto tomatoes (from Whole Foods) or use fresh
• 4 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Prepare the chicken burgers as directed.

Meanwhile warm bread in hot oven until golden brown.

Layer the chicken burger with mozzarella slices, tomato and basil.

Do you like my heart health picture?!

One thing I’ve always disliked about diets and “healthy living” is that much of the focus tends to be on what you CAN’T have. I think this can be daunting, especially when someone is in the process of just changing their dietary ways.

I like to focus on what you CAN and SHOULD have. Today’s post is about just that.

Eating for Cholesterol Health

Quick Info:

• HDL cholesterol is the “good” cholesterol which essentially works to remove the dangerous cholesterol out of your body for disposal – levels should be over 60.
• LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol which can eventually cause plaque buildup in the arteries – levels should be below 200.
• Cholesterol levels have an affect on heart health in that high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol are a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

What to Eat:

• Monounsaturated Fats (olive oil, avocado) can help lower LDL cholesterol
• Fiber (especially soluble fiber) helps lower cholesterol (foods like oatmeal, pinto beans, red kidney beans, brusssels sprouts and sweet potatoes are high in soluble fiber)
• Omega 3’s help to lower triglycerides which in turn help raise HDL cholesterol levels
• Nuts (especially almonds), Coconut Oil, Wine, Milk (Calcium and Phosphorus), Soy and Garlic can also all help
• Exercise (I know this isn’t something you eat, but exercise seems to help everything, doesn’t it?)

Quaker and SUPERVALU (Cub is the local Minnesota SUPERVALU store) have teamed up to offer cholesterol screening with the purchase of three Quaker Heart Healthy Products (Instant Oatmeal, Quick or Old Fashioned Oats, Oatmeal Squares).  What a great local resource. I know I put off getting my cholesterol checked for a long time but there really is no excuse now. Everyone needs to eat breakfast, right?  The Power in Numbers program has a great page on understanding your numbers so that you can interpret what your levels really mean once you get them.

Go head to your local Cub* (store finder) and get your cholesterol checked! Have any questions? Email me: emily@anutritionisteats.com

*Or other SUPERVALU store in your area

Disclosure statement: This post is part of a sponsored partnership between myself and Quaker Oats.  I was compensated for my time and writing but my opinions are my own.