Thursday, January 08, 2009

Sneaky Nutrition - Hot Dogs and Spaghetti


Yep, we're having a very humble meal tonight, and we all better be thankful for it. Actually, this is a favorite at this house--I have a couple of hot dog lovers here. I like the combo too. Well, even though they are not considered to be one of the healthiest foods around, I still decided to make this a sneaky nutrition post. Where's the nutrition you say? I know, I'm pushing it a bit, but at least I use turkey franks to cut down on the fat. But there's plenty of nutrition in the pasta. I've been using the whole grain of late and the brand depends on whatever I have coupons for and/or is on sale. This time I have Barilla thin spaghetti, but there are others to choose from. In one serving, you get six grams of fiber, along with significant percentages of iron, phosphorus and magnesium. That's not bad, right? And listen to this: someone at a cooking demo said to put a couple of carrots in your sauce to sweeten the taste a bit. So, if you happen to eat a couple of chunks, a little bit of Vitamin A won't hurt matters either.

So that's our dinner and I'm getting quite hungry. If you ever decide to have this meal, don't forget to serve with spinach or broccoli for the Vitamin C and other good stuff. Now, THAT's rather healthy after all.

If you have any healthy, humble meal combos you'd like to pass on, please do!

17 comments:

Susan said...

Sounds like a winner to me.
Susan

Brenda said...

I'm actually using that brand spiral pasta for my Tuna Noodle Casserole tonight.
I've never heard about the 'carrot' idea. I'll have to try that one.

Anonymous said...

Soba noodles have 1/3 calories of regular pasta.


A lot making nutritious yet tasty meals is seasoning. Chicken with lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper (marinated overnight). And the things you can do with different flavored jams and jellies mixed with savory seasonings like mustard powder and rosemary. It's really simple but tastes like a million bucks!!

Oh I have two book giveaways on my blog.

Theresa's Notes said...

I like hot dogs, I like spaghetti but I have never heard of them put together. That's a new idea to me :)

I just made a post on my weight loss blog if you want to take a peek.

Maxine said...

Thanks for the tips, Brooke! My daughter makes great dishes with marinated chicken and good seasoning. Thanks also for the Soba tip!

Debra said...

I love chicken and spegetti! I'm a hotdog lover too!

Cathy said...

Sounds pretty healthy to me, Maxine. I made some vegetable soup tonight, for a change. I really don't cook too much. But the soup will be good for the cold weather.

Patti said...

Maxine, I must admit that I DETEST hot dogs. And so does my daughter. But my husband and son love them. And as far as my son is concerned, the best hotdog in the world is called a Fenway Frank, obtainable only at Fenway Park in Boston (home of the Red Sox). He actually wants me to find out if I can order them online. (Yeah, right!! And spend $30 for having them shipped in dry ice!) I don't think so.

We do eat lots of pasta, though. However, my family isn't as fond of the whole wheat variety. Although they will eat it, it's not their favorite, so I often use the less healthy white noodles.

Blessings,
Patti

Denise said...

Don't forget the zest of lemon... it makes things sooooooooooooo good...... I will try this one...... sounds good.......... I love hot dogs!

Maxine said...

That's really funny, Patti. About your son I mean. I must admit that hot dogs do seem to taste better at a baseball game.
Okay, Denise, I'll have to remember that zest of lemon.
Oh, and Cathy: There is nothing better than soup in cold and/or rainy weather. I'm due to make some!

kris said...

I haven't ever heard of hot dogs and spaghetti together. But when I was growing up we had spaghetti and barbecued ribs. And just yesterday I was looking at a recipe for Italian Hamburgers that are served over spaghetti. (from the Spring 2009 Cooking for 2 Magazine.) We've been eating the wheat pasta for a couple of years and I can't hardly eat the roginal kind anymore. Have a good day!

Betty said...

Maxine,
Thank you for visiting with me...it was a pleasure and hope you will drop by often...

My husband is a lover of hot dogs...always has been....

God bless...Betty

Susan Skitt said...

I'll have to try that carrot trick, but I'll need to puree it. My youngest will detect carrots a mile away - lol!

Happy New Year and stop on by, I'm having a book give away contest ending Jan. 14th. Feel free to invite friends to enter too :)

Hugs,
Susan

kris said...

Hi Maxine-
Here is my recipe - I posted it on my blog. It was really good!

http://kristenbalvin.blogspot.com/2009/01/great-new-recipe-italian-hamburgers.html

Have a good day!
Kris

Betty said...

Maxine,
May I share an award with you....please come by...Betty

Denise said...

Just stopping by to see if you have anything else good to eat.........

Have a blessed day

sparrow's song said...

You always have good ideas in the food department. I cut my hot dogs in half and use two buns. That way I've convinced myself into thinking there's more.

I can't help but think of you when I get out the peanut butter. I've been having peanut butter and blackberry jelly sandwiches with the crust cut off for lunch...and Maxine memories for desert. *grin*