Q2 Collins Food Project

Posted by Bailey Collins in Science and Society - Best - E on

Zucchini Lasagna Recipe: 
  • 3 zucchinis sliced long
  • 1 jar of tomato sauce
  • 1 pound of ground turkey or beef (optional)
  • 1 can of tomatoes
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 12oz container of ricotta cheese
  • 16oz various shredded cheeses
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 pinch of nutmeg

 

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Sauté onions until golden over medium heat. 
  3. Then brown ground beef or turkey in the sautéed onions. 
  4. Then add the sauce and tomatoes and let that simmer. 
  5. Mix the ricotta, the beaten egg, nutmeg, 4oz mozzarella and parmesan cheese together.
  6. Grab dish for lasagna.
  7. Place the sauce at the bottom for first layer
  8. Begin layering the zucchini layer (salting slices to draw out moisture if wanted), then ricotta mixture layer, sauce again, then the shredded cheese. 
  9. Repeat this process until you have completed 3-4 full layers. 
  10. Place basil on top.
  11. Cover the dish with foil and bake for half an hour then let rest for 15 minutes and serve!
​
Analysis:

This meal is a healthy choice. There are a lot of vegetables and natural fiber and nutritional values in these ingredients. The tomatoes and tomato sauce were canned. Hunts and Barilla products are processed but most families don't have the option to make or buy fresh tomatoes to make the sauce. These products have a lot of sodium in them. The diced tomatoes don't have many calories and there isn't any cholesterol so this balances out with the nutritional value of the dairy products, they also have a lot of Vitamin C.
These ingredients weren't very expensive so this meal is a wonderful idea for a family that doesn't have much. The lasagna also has a lot of leftovers since there are so many servings, so this quick meal goes a long way.
We substituted lasagna noodles for sliced zucchini which made this dish much healthier. This cut down the level of carbs in the dish. 
The mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese are both dairy products obviously. They have saturated fats which are not great for cholesterol levels when eaten in excess, but the presence in this lasagne aren't so extreme. Cheeses have a lot of calories also, and the average person is only supposed to consume around 2,000 calories in an entire day. Ricotta cheese also has a lot of protein which contributes to energy levels, and it doesn't have many carbohydrates. Dairy products have calcium which is an important part of keeping healthy bones.
We went to Whole foods to buy our ground turkey. It was organic meat so it wasn't packed with artificial enhancers. Using ground turkey was a better option than if we had used ground beef because turkey has less fat and calories, also not everybody likes to eat red meat, so this was a healthier option.
This dish is really tasty, and healthy.


Food Rule Slide:

​For my food rule, I chose to focus on how even though diets are supposed to help you lose weight, the best diet is no diet. The best way to live is to eat healthy and things will happen naturally. Diets are very unhealthy for the body even though it makes people lose weight.
Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 5.50.49 AM
Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 5.50.49 AM

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