Not always healthy, quiche could be a diet downfall! Prepared with heavy cream and cheeses and baked in a piecrust, there can be excessive calories and fat. With the University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Program, it is easy to adapt quiche to a healthy and delicious dish to share with family and friends!
Primarily made of eggs, quiche is a one-dish meal made of protein, calcium, essential vitamins, and minerals. Quiche can be a healthy dish when prepared with a few ingredient swaps. Susan Glassman, Nutrition & Wellness Educator with University of Illinois Extension suggests, "cut calories and fat in quiche by choosing low-fat cheese and replacing heavy cream with fat-free evaporated milk." Adding extra vegetables to quiche is an additional suggestion; enjoy the flavors of the season. The dietary guidelines recommend eating more vegetables! For adults, try to eat between two and three cups of vegetables a day; a serving is one cup of raw or cooked or 2 cups of raw leafy greens. Vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. A cholesterol-free food, vegetables offer many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Glassman emphasized, "adding extra vegetables to recipes, like quiche, helps to reduce the risk for heart disease, certain types of cancers, obesity, and type 2 diabetes." Along with more vegetables, try fresh chopped herbs and spices for flavor, like fresh dill and cracked black pepper, instead of salt. Glassman suggests, "decreasing salt provides health benefits like a reduced risk for heart disease. Salt remains a leading risk factor for high blood pressure, which can cause heart disease, heart attack, and stroke according to the American Heart Association." For an even lighter dish, go crustless! Serve quiche with a crisp green salad or sliced cucumbers and fresh fruit for dessert.
Can you freeze quiche? Glassman discussed how to freeze quiche to preserve leftovers. "To freeze, wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil and slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to two months. Bake or microwave until heated through, the quiche is cooked to safe temperature when a food thermometer reads 165 degrees."
Enjoy quiche anytime! Be creative; the combinations are endless. The Crustless Spinach Quiche from University of Illinois Extension Recipes for Diabetes website is a delicious addition to a recipe box. Capture the taste of summer by adding fresh slices of garden tomatoes and chopped basil for a savory new twist on a delicious dish.
Enjoy a healthy and delicious meal, try making quiche tonight!
Recipes for Diabetes, Crustless Spinach Quiche
Serves 8
Ingredients
5 large eggs, beaten
6 ounces low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
4 ounces feta cheese
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons margarine
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 box (10-ounce) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Cooking spray
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Spray a quiche or 10-inch pie pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except spinach.
- Stir in spinach. Pour into a pie pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until slightly browned on top.
Nutrition Facts per serving, serves 8; calories 146, total fat 10g, cholesterol 149mg, sodium 382mg, carbohydrate 3g, dietary fiber 1g, protein 11g
Total time: 50 minutes. Prep time: 10 minutes
This and other recipes available at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/diabetesrecipes