Quinoa Bean Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Photo: Stephen Hamilton

The Guilt-Free Burger
Quinoa salad can be a wonderful meal—and there's a way for salad-wary eaters to enjoy this ancient grain, too. Art Smith, who is working with the diabetes education program Taking Diabetes to Heart, likes to form quinoa into patties, along with eggs, Parmesan, herbs, scallions, hot sauce, mashed white beans and whole grain bread crumbs. Then he fries them in a little bit of olive oil and serves the cakes—which have a crunchy outside and soft interior—with a quick roasted-red-pepper sauce. You can easily reheat them in the microwave.

Calories: 329
Fat: 12 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Protein: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: 456 mg
Cholesterol: 94 mg

Get the recipe: Quinoa Bean Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Stewed White Beans and Greens with Tomato and Roasted Garlic

Photo: Stephen Hamilton

A Stunning Transformation for Canned White Beans
Turning a pot of dried beans into a flavorful dish isn't difficult, but finding two or three hours to do so can be. On the other hand, quick-cooking canned beans can taste bland. Smith makes a dish that encapsulates the best of both worlds by gently simmering two cans of white beans with roasted garlic, onion, celery, herbs, tomato and chicken or vegetable stock. It cooks in half an hour, and together with hearty greens such as chard, kale or escarole, it's a filling and delicious vegetarian meal you can enjoy hot or cold.

Calories: 288
Fat: 10 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Protein: 15 g
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sodium: 362 mg
Cholesterol: 5 mg

Get the recipe: Stewed White Beans and Greens with Tomato and Roasted Garlic
Edamame Hummus with Cucumber Slices

Photo: Thinkstock

The Unexpected Hummus
Smith's brighter version of the Middle Eastern spread is made with edamame instead of chickpeas. A generous amount of lemon juice, plus cumin and coriander, give it zesty flavor, and the dip is a light alternative to mayo on a sandwich, great with sliced cucumber or delicious with veggies on a whole wheat pita.

Calories: 289
Fat: 25 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Protein: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sodium: 10 mg
Sugar: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium: 79 mg

Get the recipe: Edamame Hummus with Cucumber Slices
Huevos Rancheros

Photo: Stephen Hamilton

A Lighter Weekend Lunch
Enjoying a big, breakfast-y, middle-of-the-day meal doesn't also have to mean taking in an enormous amount of calories. Smith's lightened-up take on traditional Mexican huevos rancheros uses egg whites instead of whole eggs and toasted tortillas instead of fried (and also includes avocado, tomato and green onion).

Calories: 261
Fat: 10 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Protein: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fiber: 6 g
Sodium: 478 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Get the recipe: Huevos Rancheros

Next: The ultimate guide to packing a midday meal
Published 01/09/2014