Skip navigation

Oprah’s personal trainer shares tips, recipes

Fitness expert Bob Greene shares his nutritious and delicious dishes

Video
  Eating away bad habits
June 3: Health and fitness guru Bob Greene shares simple steps to help people take control of their bad eating habits.

Today show

  Recipes from TODAY
Search for recipes featured on TODAY
Slideshow
Image: Chef Rocco DiSpirito
  Appetite for perfection
From Rachael Ray to Rocco DiSpirito, these celebrity chefs know how to turn up the heat in the kitchen.

more photos

TODAY
  12-year-old girl can’t stop sneezing
Nov. 11: Lauren Johnson, a 12-year-old from Virginia, has been unable to stop sneezing for more than two weeks. TODAY’s Ann Curry talks to Lauren, her mom, Lynn Johnson, and NBC’s chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, about the condition.

TODAY recipes
updated 3:15 p.m. ET June 2, 2009

Need a kick to get back on the nutritious track? Has the economy made you turn to fatty comfort foods? Fitness expert and “Best Life Diet” creator Bob Greene — also known as Oprah’s personal trainer — shares his top recipes and simple steps to help people take control of unhealthy emotional eating: 

Add variety to your meal and snack options
Create delicious and easy-to-prepare food combinations that provide fiber, whole grains, crunch and variety to keep you motivated to eat healthy.  

Stock your “stress areas” with healthy snacks
Is the office where you feel the most stress?  Fill your desk with healthy snacks and skip the trip to the vending machine.

Exercise more  
Daily exercise can help to alleviate stress, curb cravings and leave you feeling (and looking) better!

Choose nutritious, filling foods that crunch
Nutrient-dense, high-fiber, crunchy foods can actually provide great mental and physical satisfaction, aid in satiety and help you get some of your stress out.  

Beef with tomatoes and olives over pasta
Bob Greene

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Per serving: Calories: 370, Protein: 24 g Carbohydrate: 45 g Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 9 g Total Fat: 9 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 38 mg Calcium: 92 mg Sodium: 318 mg

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, sliced
Vegetable oil cooking spray
8 ounces beef top round, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄4 cup dry white wine
1 1⁄2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1⁄3 cup pitted olives
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1⁄4 teaspoon salt (1⁄8 for beef, 1⁄8 for pasta)
1⁄4 cup nonfat yogurt
7 ounces Barilla Whole Grain Rotini
1 tablespoon olive oil

Recipe continues below ↓
advertisement


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

2. Heat an ovenproof heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.

3. Spray the onion with cooking spray and cook the onion in the skillet for 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 10 minutes, stirring.

4. Add the wine, water, tomatoes, and olives to the skillet. Bring to a boil and cover. Put in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir in the basil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and yogurt.

5. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Toss with the oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

6. Mix the pasta with the beef and serve.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Margherita pizza
Bob Greene

Serves 1

Calories: 114, Protein: 5 g, Carbohydrate: 10 g,  Dietary Fiber: 2 g,  Sugars: 1 g,  Total Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 9 mg, Calcium: 113 mg, Sodium:  134 mg

INGREDIENTS

1 slice WASA Sourdough crispbread
2 small slices (1/2 ounce total) part-skim mozzarella
2 slices of a small tomato
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 - 2 basil leaves, roughly torn into small pieces
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

At one end of the crispbread, place a slice of mozzarella; top it with a tomato slice so it’s slightly overlapping the cheese. 

Place another slice of cheese so it’s overlapping the tomato and finish with the final slice of tomato so it overlaps the cheese. Microwave for about 20 seconds or place under the broiler for about one minute. 

Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with pepper and garnish with basil. 

Serve immediately. 

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Zucchini muffins
Bob Greene

Makes 12 muffins

Here’s a great way to use this often over-abundant summer veggie. You can make the batter the night before, put it in muffin cups, cover with plastic wrap, and store the pan in the refrigerator overnight. If you’re putting the muffins directly in the oven from the refrigerator, add 5 minutes to the baking time.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes total
Calories: 158,  Protein: 4 g Carbohydrate: 23 g Dietary Fiber: 4 g Sugars: 11 g Total Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Calcium: 71 mg Sodium: 302 mg

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup liquid eggs or 1 egg
1⁄2 cup fat-free milk
1⁄4 cup honey
1⁄4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 cups shredded zucchini (using a grater)
1⁄2 cup walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. With a standing or hand mixer, combine the eggs, milk, honey, sugar, and oil until completely incorporated, about 1 minute. (You can also do this in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.) Once completely mixed, add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds in a mixer or 1 to 2 minutes by hand.

3. Divide the batter into muffin tins, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES





© 2009 MSNBC Interactive

Sponsored links

Resource guide