Eating Right with Color: Meal Makeover #1

For a long time, the average American has had a skewed perception of what a healthy diet really looks like. When you ask someone to describe a balanced meal, the response is often something a little like this:

 What's wrong with this you might ask? There is a meat and two vegetables, right? Isn't that the recipe for health?  Well, let's break it down. Red meat isn't bad for you, but it does have the highest amount of saturated fat (bad fat) of any of the meats. This particular slab of meat is also rather large - taking up about half of the dinner plate. Look at your palm....ok, now look at the size (proportionally) of that piece of meat. See the difference? The palm is a good indicator of a serving of meat - it usually equals about 3 ounces. I'd wager that this steak is upwards of 12-16 ounces - wowzers!  Now lets take a look at the vegetables. Both are starches. There is nothing wrong with a starch, but they don't offer the same nutrient packed punch that some other veggies do - also, they will have the same effect on your blood glucose {blood sugar} that regular sugar will - they are carbohydrates. This is especially important if you  or someone you are cooking for has diabetes.

Now look at this plate. This is more of a "transitional" plate.

As you can see, the green starchy vegetable has been replaced with a green non-starchy vegetable and the mashed potatoes have been switched out for fiber packed whole grain brown rice.  The steak is considerably smaller too!  It's probably only about 6 ounces at this point. But we still have some work to do...

So what is the ultimate goal? Well this is an example of the New American Plate.

This plate still contains some of that fiber packed whole grain brown rice, but it also is full of vitamin and nutrient rich vegetables - stocked full of antioxidants that can help with disease prevention!  The plate is more than half filled with veggies (3/4 as a matter of fact) and the remaining portion (1/4) is left for a "flavoring" of meat.  Just enough to provide a satisfying and protein rich addition to a diet based on whole grains and vegetables.

Today's recipe is based on this New American Plate Concept, and it's a great one that will help you Eat Right {with color} for dinner tonight!

{Read what the American Institute for Cancer Research has to say about the New American Plate}

Sirloin with Sugar Snap Pea & Pasta Salad with Gremolata Dressing

**A gremolata is made with fresh parsley, garlic and lemon peel. This fresh-tasting dressing is an outstanding accompaniment to beef and pasta**

4 Servings

Water

2 cups fresh sugar snap peas 

2 cups cooked gemelli or corkscrew pasta 

1 cup grape or teardrop tomatoes, cut in halves

Gremolata Dressing: 

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon pepper 

1 boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 3⁄4 inchthick (about 1 pound) 

Salt, as desired

Freshly grated lemon peel 

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1.Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Add peas; cook 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain; rinse under cold water. Combine peas, pasta and tomatoes in large bowl. Set aside.

2.Whisk Gremolata Dressing ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Toss 2 table- spoons dressing with pasta mixture. Set aside.

3.Combine garlic and pepper; press evenly onto beef steak. Place steak on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 9–12 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning once.

4.Carve steak into thin slices; season with salt, as desired. Add steak slices and remaining dressing to pasta mixture; toss to coat evenly. Garnish with lemon peel and parsley, if desired.

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Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 369 Monounsaturated fat: 7 g Carbohydrate: 31 g Niacin: 10.0 mg Iron: 4.4 mg

Fat: 12 g Cholesterol: 50 mg Fiber: 4.2 g Vitamin B6: 0.7 mg Selenium: 46.5 mcg

Saturated fat: 3 g Sodium: 216 mg Protein: 32 g Vitamin B12: 1.4 mcg Zinc: 5.3 mg

Recipe provided courtesy of John Wiley & Sons, From The Healthy Beef Cookbook by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association & American Dietetic Association ©2006, John Wiley & Sons.