Olive | Fit and Fab Life!

Green or black, olives are great for you! Just keep in mind moderation is key with them because they are higher in fats

Some key things that olives help with that they are very rich in mineral content. (phosphorus, iron, magnesium, iodine.. to name a few)
They also oleic acid which is beneficial to helping the heart.
They provide essential amino acids and vitamins.
Cancer Fighting Properties – particularly colon, breast and skin cancer. They are higher in monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce inflammation.
Good source of fiber
They are known to act as a pain reliever, mimicking the same affect ibuprofen would have on your body. A compound called oleocanthal is what causes this, lowering any inflammation.

Things to put olives on or add with:

In a salad
In scrambles egg whites or an omelet
Add into burritos or any Mexican dish (my fav is fajitas!!)
Have plain as a snack
Cut up and put into hummus
Take a piece of toast put some guacamole or hummus on it and top with sliced olives
Put on top of a potato

Ps Olives are my favorite food, a get a case of them every Christmas! =)

SOOO Good! Made this the other night and everyone in the family liked it!!

You’ll Need:

1 box Whole Wheat or gluten free linguini.

3 large skinless chicken breasts (cut into chunks, or you can buy the already cut up kind)

1 small container of mushrooms

3 cups baby spinach

8 small cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 small can sliced black olives

3 chives (chopped)

For the sauce – You’ll need:

2 tbsp. butter ( I used Earth Balance Brand)

4 Garlic cloves (mined)

4 tbsp. Whole-wheat flour or Gluten free flour.

1 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth ( I used chicken this time) -LOOK for LOW SODIUM!!

1 1/2 cups Almond milk, or low-fat milk will work too.

3 teaspoons Parsley flakes

2/3 cup graded parmesan or mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste.

HOW TO:

In large skillet, season chicken to taste with some chicken seasoning (I like Ms. Dash) and place in skillet. Add about 1/2 cup water and cover. (My mother taught me this trick when cooking chicken so it doesn’t dry out! =) …)

Meanwhile, in another med-large skillet, put in butter and garlic cloves till butter is melted and garlic is starting to break down. Cook for around 1 min. (this will be your sauce pan)
Start noodles according to package in large pot. And drain when does cooking. Set aside.

Go back to sauce pan, add flour and cook for 1 min, stirring so all the flour is dissolved evenly. After, add broth and almond milk, stirring occasionally till sauce thickens and boils. Then add parsley, salt, pepper and cheese into sauce and cook till cheese is melted and sauce is thick. Turn to simmer-low until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, to keep from burning your chicken, you can always add a little more water to pan and let simmer covered. Cook chicken till done (no pink in middle of the chunks) And when chicken is done, place in bowl and set aside to chop up. In same pan (leaving some of the chicken juices), put in a little olive oil, add spinach, tomatoes, chives, mushrooms and olives into the pan and sauté.

Once everything is done, pile noodles on place, add as much veggie/chicken mix as desired and top with a little sauce … YUMM!!

Fit and Fab Life!