Super Fast, Super Easy

Today, I had a wonderful afternoon hanging out with one of my best friends. She is just as much as a health nut and food lover as I am, so of course we always end up talking about food and cooking! She asked me if I ever got in one of those moods where you just don't feel like cooking anything for an entire day, and I actually had to take a minute to think about my answer. Usually I'm always in the mood to make something, but I definitely have those meals that I wish would magically appear in front of me instead of having to stand in the kitchen for a half an hour preparing something. Unfortunately, I'm not a wizard (still waiting for my acceptance letter to Hogwarts), but I have been able to making something delicious that takes very little effort.

Pasta is that pantry staple that cooks quickly and is really hard to screw up. People on diets generally shy away from carbs like pasta, but if you're eating the suggested portion and buy whole-grain, there is no reason to fear. Adding a ton of veggies is a great way to make a small portion of macaroni healthy and filling.

Easy Spinach and Tomato Pasta

• 2 oz. Whole wheat or whole grain pasta, any shape, dry (I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest)
• 1/2 c. Hunt's Diced Tomatoes, no salt added basil, oregano, garlic
• 2 c. Spinach
• 1/4 c. Part-skim mozzarella, shredded

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. When pasta is al dente, drain, and return to pot. Add tomatoes, spinach, and two pinches of cheese. Stir until ingredients are combined. 

3. Pour pasta into a bowl and top with remaining mozzarella. 

Prep time: 0 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Nutrition: (Serves 1): Calories: 310, Total fat: 6g, Sat. fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 242mg, Total carbs: 52g, Fiber: 9g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 17g 

This is perfect for that meal you really don't want to spend a lot of time on, or if you're in a hurry. Because the tomatoes are already seasoned, you don't even have to spend the extra time and pan sautéing them. Eat this with a nice salad and you've got yourself a filling meal without the effort an guilt!