**note — this is REPOSTED from GrowingBolder.com, an awesome place to find blogs, videos, radio interviews and much more … yes, it’s a shameless plug for my company, now go and check it out!!
Today, Jason, Marc and I headed over to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando, for a very special exhibit – an inflatable colon. Go ahead and laugh (we did, especially when someone directed us to the display by saying “your colon is outside and to the right) but it’s for a very good cause. Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable, beatable diseases that doctors see, but so many people don’t get screenings in time to catch it before it spreads. More on that story coming up in a future Insider …
… but while we were there, I got to talking with a group of doctors and hospital 
workers about preventing colon cancer, and one of the best things you can do is get enough fiber in your diet. Fiber? YUCK! But there are actually some easy, and delicious ways to incorporate it into your foods. Not only will fiber prevent cancer and other diseases, it can be one of the more effective ways at weight loss (I won’t preach too much here, but it helped me lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off for the last 2 years!)
When I told the doctors that I use Fiber One cereal almost every day, they didn’t believe me. So I promised to share some of my favorite recipes.
To be TOTALLY transparent (especially in light of the recent Cindy McCain stolen recipes scandal) I should tell you that I am not a very inventive cook – I get all my recipes online. One of my favorite Web sites is hungry-girl.com, and most of these recipes come from that Web site. Here is a link: http://www.hungry-girl.com. I also go directly to Fiber One’s Web site, http://www.cookinglight.com, or I just search for “fiber recipe” in Google or Yahoo.
(note: many of these recipes include the Weight Watchers points – I have taken those OFF when copying them for GrowingBolder.com, but you can easily find the points if you follow the WW plan like I do)
So here are some of my picks for yummy recipes using Fiber One (or any other fiber cereal – Fiber One is just my fave):
Krispymallow Treats (Hungry Girl)
A fiber-y new spin on an old childhood fave!
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. Smart Balance 37% Light Buttery Spread
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2 cups Fiber One cereal
5 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs or puffed wheat cereal
Directions:
Melt butter spread in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add both cereals. Stir until well coated. Using a spatula, press mixture evenly into a baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Allow to cool. Cut into 25 squares.
(2 Crunchers: approx. 60 calories, <1g fat, 60mg sodium, 14g carbs, 4g fiber, 3g sugars, 1g protein)
Pumpkin, crunch and cream all in one bite…Mmmmmmm!
Ingredients:
7.5 oz. pure pumpkin (1/2 of a 15 oz. can)
1/2 container Cool Whip Free
2 Sugar Free Jell-O Pudding Snacks; Vanilla
3/4 cup Fiber One cereal
Cinnamon; to taste
Directions:
Combine pumpkin, Cool Whip and Jell-O in a bowl. Stir in Fiber One. Spoon into nonstick mini muffin tins and freeze. Makes 15 yummy “nuggets.”
(1 muffin: 131 calories, <1g fat, 123mg sodium, 35g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 24g sugars, 2.5g protein)
Chewy, chocolatey, cherry goodness in every bite!
Ingredients:
No Pudge! Original Fudge Brownie Mix or other fat-free brownie mix
2/3 cup Comstock’s Original Light Cherry Pie Filling or other light cherry pie filling
1 cup Fiber One cereal
1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Place batter into muffin tins lined with paper or sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large egg whites)
1 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original); ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in the blender
1 cup canned tomato sauce w/ Italian flavoring (such as Hunt’s Tomatoes Sauce with Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup reduced-fat grated parmesan-style topping
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Optional: dried Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice ends off of eggplant, and cut it lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips. Use a paper towel to blot eggplant slices on both sides (to remove excess moisture). Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray. Season crumbs with garlic powder, salt, pepper and, if you like, additional seasonings. Coat eggplant slices on both sides — first with egg whites, and then with Fiber One crumbs. Place slices flat on the baking pan, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, flip slices over and bake until browned on both sides (about 10 minutes longer). Remove pan from oven, but leave oven on. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce over the bottom of an 8″ X 8″ baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Arrange half of the baked eggplant slices evenly over the sauce. Continue to layer ingredients evenly in this order: sauce (1/4 cup), mozzarella and parm topping (half of each), sauce (1/4 cup), eggplant (remaining slices), sauce (1/4 cup), and cheeses (remaining amounts). Cover dish with foil and return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until heated throughout. Allow to cool slightly
, and then cut into quarters. Enjoy! MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Serving Size: 1 generous portion (1/4th of recipe)
Calories: 170
Fat: 2.5g
Sodium: 872mg
Carbs: 29g
Fiber: 13g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 15g
Try a new twist on baked chicken breasts! Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic and high-fiber cereal create the tasty wow.
Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:40 min
Makes:4 servings
3/4 cup Fiber One® original bran cereal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet (or finely crush in food processor).
2. In shallow bowl, mix cereal, cheese, basil, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, mix egg white and mustard until blended.
3. Dip chicken pieces into egg white mixture, then coat well with cereal mixture; place in pan. Drizzle oil over chicken.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
NUTRITION INFO:
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 430mg; Total Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 0g); Protein 34g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 10%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
