My sister is trying to quit smoking for good. I know it's really hard for her to kick the habit, so when I found out we were doing this piece in EatingWell Magazine that certain foods can help-or hurt-your chances of quitting, I knew I had to pass it on. Here's the scoop:
According to a study out of Duke University, these 4 foods make cigarettes taste terrible:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Dairy Products
• Noncarbonated beverages, such as water and fruit juice
These three foods make cigarettes taste better (avoid!):
• Meat
• Coffee
• Alcoholic beverages
Researchers can't explain why, but they think that foods may alter saliva production and temporarily change taste buds in a way that makes cigarettes more or less palatable.
Puff up your diet with more of the foods that can give you a leg up on quitting with these healthy recipes:
Fruit: Sweet fruit desserts ready in 15 minutes or less
Vegetables: Delicious recipes for cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and more vegetables
Yogurt: Pina Colada Yogurt Parfaits, Citrus Berry Smoothie and more recipes with yogurt
Cheese: Veggie-loaded Garden Pizza (see recipe below), Caramelized Onion Lasagna and more recipes with cheese
Garden Pizza
Ingredients
• 4 whole baby or 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Yellow cornmeal, for dusting
• 1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough or other prepared dough
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat grill to medium-high. (For charcoal grilling or an oven variation, see below.)
2. Grill zucchini until marked and softened, about 4 minutes. Thinly slice. Reduce heat to low.
3. Process tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Roll out the dough (see Tip, below) and transfer it to the prepared peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the dough is completely coated with cornmeal.
5. Slide the crust onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread the tomato mixture on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly top with mozzarella, bell pepper and the zucchini. Sprinkle on Parmesan.
7. Close the lid again and grill until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the crust has browned, about 8 minutes.
Tips & Notes
• Tip: To roll out pizza dough: When you're ready to get your pizzas on the grill, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour; dimple with your fingertips to shape into a thick, flattened circle-don't worry if it's not perfectly symmetrical. Then use a rolling pin to roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.
Variations
• Pizza on a charcoal grill: Light 6 quarts (about 1 large chimney starter full) of charcoal and burn until the coals are mostly white, about 20 minutes. Spread the coals in an even layer. Place a grate over the coals. Let the coals burn until they are about medium-low. (Grill any toppings for the pizza while the coals are burning down.) To test the heat, hold your palm about 5 inches above the grill rack; if you can hold it there for about 8 seconds before you need to move it away, the fire is medium-low. Transfer the crust to the grill rack, cover the grill and cook the crust, checking once or twice, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the crust, quickly add the toppings, cover the grill and cook until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust has browned, 5 to 8 minutes. If your crust browns faster than your toppings are cooking, slide a baking sheet under the pizza to keep the crust from burning while the toppings finish.
• Pizza in the oven: Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack; preheat oven to 450°F for at least 20 minutes. Roll out the dough and place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or inverted baking sheet, using enough cornmeal so that the dough slides easily. Slide the dough onto the preheated stone and cook until the bottom begins to crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven using a large spatula and place it uncooked-side down on the peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the crust is completely coated with cornmeal. Quickly add the toppings and slide the pizza back onto the stone. Continue baking until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust has browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving: 375 calories; 9 g fat (5 g sat, 1 g mono); 26 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrates; 17 g protein; 8 g fiber; 531 mg sodium; 566 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Calcium (32% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (20% dv).
By Michelle Edelbaum
Michelle is the associate editor of interactive for EatingWell Media Group. In between editing and writing, she enjoys sampling the tasty results of the easy, healthy recipes that the EatingWell Test Kitchen cooks are working on.
Related Links from EatingWell:
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- Have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less with our Quick Healthy Dinner Recipes.
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