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Pesto Change-o

One of America’s favorite sauces for pasta is pesto. This verdant sauce is typically made with pine nuts, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese, and a bucket of olive oil. Unfortunately, traditional pesto runs anywhere from 850 to 1,200 calories a cup, or about 65 calories for a single tablespoon. That’s enough to sink almost any day calorically. Let’s see if we can put pesto on a diet, perhaps even lowering the calories to “in the box” levels while maintaining its flavor.

 

My replacement for the pine nuts is PB2. What is PB2? It’s peanut butter powder (made from dehydrated roasted peanuts) and has 85% less fat and calories than regular peanut butter. It comes in two varieties, plain and with chocolate. It’s available at most HMR clinics where you buy your shakes and entrees. Plain PB2 would provide plenty of nutty flavor without a lot of calories. And in place of the olive oil, I used a little chicken broth instead.

I’m happy to say the end result was delicious. Plenty of fresh basil flavor, a nice touch of garlic, an underlying nutty flavor, and a nice consistency. This recipe is appropriate for the Healthy Solutions® Diet as well as Phase 2.

 

pesto

 

Pesto
4 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed (I used two 2.5 oz. packages)
3 cloves garlic (adjust to taste)
2 Tbs. PB2
Pinch salt
1-2 Tbs. chicken broth


Place the garlic, basil, PB2 and salt in a food processor. Blend 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl down. Slowly add the broth until you have the desired consistency.


5 calories per tablespoon. 70 calories per cup.



For Phase 1, try this pesto recipe over roasted vegetables or a baked potato. And if it’s a pasta dish you crave, try it over spaghetti squash! It also goes well over the following entrees: Mushroom Risotto, Lasagna, Chicken Pasta Parmesan, Pasta Fagioli, Savory Chicken, and Cheese and Basil Ravioli.

If you’re in Phase 2, try it over brown rice, whole grain pasta, fish or chicken.

If you have recipes of your own you would like to share, please post them here. Look for “Share Your Healthy Recipe”.
 

 

by KeithVanGasken on 12/06/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, Recipes, Diet Tools, nutrition

About the Author

Keith Van Gasken

Keith Van Gasken began obesity treatment in a clinic setting in 1982, and has been with HMR since 1992. Roles have included health educator & mentor, as well as program and product development, with a special affinity for product & recipe development. He has maintained a 100-lb. weight loss since 1982.

Comments (6) Post a comment
Keith, I love pesto! I'll have to try this version.. Before PB2, I used basil, garlic, chicken broth and avocado...quite tasty!
by NancyRNfit on 12/12/2011
Keith shared this recipe with me a little while ago. I liked it so much it became a staple. I added a couple of Tablespoons to my entree and veggies. Delicious!
by NancyA on 12/07/2011
Oh wow, Keith! Adding basil to my shopping list for tomorrow evening! Thanks!
by PeggyatHMC on 12/06/2011
Yum, this looks very good! thanks Keith!
by sailGirl on 12/06/2011
Try it over roasted vegetables. It's amazing!
by KeithVanGasken on 12/06/2011
Keith, this sounds amazing! I plan to give it a whirl in my Phase 2 classes. Thanks!
by pumpitup on 12/06/2011