Please note, the giveaway has ended and Blogher has chosen a random winner. Congratulations to Comment #7.
I was excited to see so much interest in my last giveaway. With double the prize money this time, hopefully people will enjoy this one as well. This giveaway will be hosted by Blogher and Del Monte, but you have the same chance of winning because they will be choosing one winner from my blog. Details are at the end of this post.
DH and I spend most of the weekend indulging on unhealthy foods. We’re trying new restaurants, snacking on sweets I baked, getting drinks with friends, etc. When Sunday rolls around, I end up feeling quite guilty from everything we’ve consumed. Whenever possible, I try to set Sunday dinner aside for a little bit of cleansing. Nothing too drastic, but I like to cook a healthier dinner, load up on greens, and start the detox from our weekend of indulging. 
Recently I was chosen to participate in Del Monte’s “Enjoy Life More” program which focuses on healthy living and little things you can do to enjoy life more in a nutritious way. I’ve always enjoyed Del Monte products and since I’m always trying to find ways to eat healthier, I signed up to participate. 
Of course, I prefer using fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible. But due to seasons and time constraints I will use canned ones as well. I’ve always favored Del Monte canned vegetable products because I think they taste better (i.e., the corn is sweeter than other brands I’ve tried), but it was only after participating in this program that I learned that their fruits and vegetables are packed at the peak of ripeness, which probably explains why they taste better. I also learned that Del Monte canned fruits and vegetables contain similar nutrients to fresh and have no artificial colors or flavors. This information makes me feel far less guilty about using canned vegetables or fruit. 
I immediately knew what my healthier Sunday dinner was going to be for this program. DH loves Italian, so I decided to make use Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano to make a healthier pasta sauce than what we would normally consume when dining out. I also really wanted to add some greens, so I added a tossed salad of red leaf lettuce, endives, and Del Monte Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn for some added natural sweetness. Using the ready diced canned tomatoes cut down on the time make my marinara sauce, a definite plus because if it was too time-consuming, I’d be too lazy and just decide to eat out instead. 
DH really enjoyed the pasta and the salad as well. We had a nice dinner together, and we were able to unwind Sunday evening with this meal. He was quite crushed that I had only made enough for two servings, as he had hoped for leftovers for the rest of the week. Honestly, though, this was so easy to put together, I might have enough energy to make it again for him later this week. 
Healthier Marinara Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes with Basil Garlic & Oregano (unsalted version)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- cooked pasta of your choice I used a medley of vegetable infused and whole wheat pasta
Instructions
- In one pot, bring your pasta to a boil and cook to desired doneness.
- At the same time, take a medium saucepan and make your sauce. Add in the canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and seasoning and bring to a low simmer. Cook with lid for 10-15 minutes. Remove lid from pot to reduce the sauce, but keep it nearby as you stir as the tomato sauce tends to spray.
- Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. When the sauce is finished, add in pepper, then toss pasta in the sauce. Then serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Now onto the giveaway!
One lucky reader from my blog will win a $100 Visa gift card. The giveaway is from Del Monte and will be administered by BlogHer
BlogHer will choose the winner and then let me know so that I can get the winner’s contact information. The giveaway details are below:
To be entered for a chance to win, tell us about meals that make you feel good & are good for you.
Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “”#SweepstakesEntry””; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post” c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 11/19/2012 – 12/21/2012.
Be sure to visit Del Monte’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Like Del Monte on Facebook to learn about their products and additional prize opportunities!
Nothing’s more tasty and comforting than homemade vegan veggie soup!
Grilled chicken, steamed veggies, and rice.
tweet
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/282217023717642240
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I enjoy homemade chicken noodle soup and chicken pot pie
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/282200354307862528
FOR MY 2ND ENTRY, I CHOOSE TO TWEET (https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/282113050717327360)
I’LL USUALLY COOK UP SOME BEEF STEW WITH VEGGIES & POTATOES WHEN I’M LOOKING TO SERVE THAT SPECIAL MEAL THAT TASTES GOOD & IS GOOD FOR THE FAMILY!
I love to use chicken for so many meals. Diced in salads, strips for stir fry and chunks for our favorite chicken soup.
Wrong time of year, but in the summer we LOVE to eat salads. Grill some chicken and toss with yellow squash, romaine, a bit of Parmesan and a dash of Ranch dressing (if we toss ahead of time, we use less dressing)
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/281911761991499776
I like to make chicken soup with veggies it always makes me feel better.
rounder9834 @yahoo.com
Healthy is a relative term. Almost everything is “healthy” or toxic to you depending on the concentration and amount that you are ingesting/being metabolized.
Which is why I enjoy a nice medium-rare steak. the proteins + CCK keeps me full without increasing my blood glucose levels and get some good iron and oils.
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/281428451267858432
There is nothing better for you or more tasty and comforting than homemade vegan veggie soup!! I make it several times a year in my crockpot and its always a huge hit!
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/281365496425746432
I like to eat salmon (or even herring) with vegetables.
matzoh ball soup with homemade stock made from leftover local chicken from the area co-op
Chinese stir-frys with veggies!
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/280899936692862976
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I love to make curry potato soup! its my fav comfort food especially in winter! Thanks for a super giveaway!
My email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I keep a variety of Del Monte canned products in my pantry, mostly tomato products. I love the flavors of the canned tomatoes. Simple marinara sauce (onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf) is what I make most in large batches, portion out into freezer bags and ready for use. I’ll use it with pasta, grilled eggplant (or other veggies), in seafood stews, and as pizza sauce. It’s great because the sauce is light and flavorful and doesn’t weigh me down after a meal.
When I have to eat healthy, a slice of avocado and on a bed of lettuce and diced tomatoes with a sprinkle of lemon is my go to meal. Sometimes I may have some tuna in there for some added weight but still healthy and makes me feel full in a healthy way.
Massaman tomato soup. Tomatoes are my favorite food, and the warm spices of the massaman paste give the soup so much body. I love it.
Homemade soups always make me feel good. Just a little bit of chicken with vegetables and then I’m set!
when i’m very tired, i love to go for ochazuke… tea poured over rice with crispy salmon and other veggies!
Home made soups and stews always make me feel good and are good for me.
I like Chinese Chicken Salad – veggies, fruit, lean chicken and lo cal chinese dressing. Tasty and healthy.
I love Del Monte products. We have a whole pantry full of your products. I should take a photo and send it to you. We stock up on your tomato paste, diced tomatoes, string bean, fruits, corn, cream corn. I can easily make pasta with a good spaghetti sauce made from the above mentioned canned items. Who says goodness doesn’t come out of a can is totally wrong! Our yummy, delicious, and healthy meals come out of Del Monte cans all the time!
Fried rice, so simple and delicious:D
Tweeted about this promotion: https://twitter.com/ctong2/status/279896090889818113
The meal that makes me feel good and good for me is mixed veggie, fruits, diced tomato and black bean salad.
ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
A hearty soup.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/kawaiidragon88/status/279035829043724288
I love vegetable and chicken stirfry with brown rice. I never feel bad eating it and I know it’s good for me. 🙂
I love veggie omelet. It is my go to feel good food.
I love making Caprese salads! They’re so good yummmm
Simple roasted root veggies or winter squash with some lettuces and a poached egg! so simple and healthy but tasty too!
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/277078977397547008
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
I love making soup! I can load it up with veggies and it is super comforting.
Thanks for the cool giveaway!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
I love vegetable soup this time of year.
Feel good and are good for me? My homemade Goulash! It warms you up from the inside out and all the delicious tomatoes are packed full of goodness!
I love spinach salad with baked chicken or fish!
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/276110828833480704
Curry. lots of veggies
I make a lot of soups that are broth-based (though I love creamy ones too) with lots of veggies…comforting and healthy!
wolverina401 at gmail dot com
tweeted
https://twitter.com/bdiane35/status/275784117247950848
I love a good chicken salad
I like salad with chicken or fruit.
tweet
https://twitter.com/BBirdie2/status/275523726462824448
I try to keep my meals centered around fruits & veggies. Your recipes for the salad & pasta sauce look delish. Thanks.
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/275507494724460544
amy [at] utry [dot] it
A meal that makes me feel good and good for me gotta be the warm seafood salad with a bowl of soup. I love having lots of veggies in my diet.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
I tweeted here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/275441435396952064
i like making soups and smoothies in my vitamix
A bowl of homemade soup makes me feel good and is good for me.
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/274373912702382081
I like Kale Salad with Quinoa and salmon.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
I love any meal that includes a big side of vegetables salad, roasted beets and sweet potatoes or any peppers on the grill.
I started growing my own veggies for my family. I wanted to make sure that they were getting good wholesome food. Not only that but such a money saver as well. This year I grew banana peppers. I am also a canner! I pickled banana peppers and canned them. I had boneless pork chops and tossed in a jar of my pickled banana peppers and put them in the freezer. (my banana peppers are just the peppers and vinegar) Once unthawed, put them in the oven and bake…they need no salt, to other spices and come out so tender and flavor full!
I like making chicken soup from scratch as well as stir-fry cabbage with dried shrimp. I love the crunchiness of cabbage! 🙂
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/274054130396430336
songyueyu at gmail
I feel good when I eat food that I think is good for me, I like arugula salad with vinaigrette dressing and dried figs. Thanks for the recipe and giveaway.
songyueyu at gmail
Veggie quesadillas are yummy, good for me, and make me feel good
tweeted https://twitter.com/DeeGee13/status/272932910804377600
I love cooking any salmon dishes and whipping up salads. Chicken noodle soup and tomato soups are two more dishes! Always feel good after eating them! 🙂
We like vegetables in everything . My son came back from a trip to Europe and he said they put corn on pizza there. It is good…we have done it. Canned pineapple is good on pizza too. We like canned peaches to make cobbler. It is good to have a variety of canned goods in cupboard for emergency and to save trips to grocery store.
I like to make Chef Salads or Shrimp Louis Salads
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Tweet!
https://twitter.com/ScoomerBlog/status/272796610151452674
I like to make 15 bean soups in my crockpot, then make a green salad and fruit salad as side dishes. A mixture of healthy servings!
I really enjoy steaming veggies and serving them over white steamed rice. It is a filling meal that isn’t fattening or greasy. It gives me energy and makes me feel good about myself! 🙂
Salads are definitely a good meal to eat as long as it is not laden down with the bad stuff. But I love me some whole kernel corn in salads.
Homemade chicken noodle soup with lots of garlic, onion, celery, and carrots.
I love mega-salads with chickpeas, corn, tomatoes, sweet onion, black olives, green leaf lettuce, extra sharp cheddar, red bell pepper, etc., tossed with a Dijon vinaigrette.
I love to eat salmon, it makes me feel good that I am eating healthy.
family74014 at gmail dot com
I love eating homemade- homemade chicken noodle soup sounds amazing right now!
chambanachik at gmail dot com
With holidays one of our comfort foods to make are Turkey Pot pies loaded with veggies. Makes me feel good the family is eating their veggies
I learnt this from my roommates, but a really quick and delicious meal is to just mix a can of creamy corn with rice, and microwave for 2 minutes! And you can personalize with whatever you want (for me, I just use whatever leftovers are in the fridge!)
I love to make homemade tofu meatballs! The tofu makes the meatballs so soft and tender. Then throw in some canned corn for that perfect sweetness! 😀
I love guacamole dip, always looking forward to it.
https://twitter.com/sdiego1717/statuses/271088167380197376
I have found that raw vegetables are much more flavorful and interesting to eat than cooked. I include them in some type of salads every day. For comfort food, I like rice and beans or some type of bean soup.
i like putting together a vegetable soup!
Grilled green beans with togarashi and soy sauce.
Tweet!
https://twitter.com/tcrowley122/status/270907265031233537
To me, there’s nothing better than a nice big salad with grilled chicken and lots of veggies!
Vegetable soup and macaroni! Comforting, filling and healthy 🙂
I love kale salad with marinated tempeh! It’s despicably healthy.
My favorite recipe is a massaged kale salad. I basically nuke the kale for about 40 secs in the microwave because I like it a little softer, massage it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then dress it with half balsamic and half goddess dressing from TJs (SO GOOD)!. To amp up the protein and dress it a bit, i’ll sprinkle some grape tomatoes and top the bowl off with a poached egg. It’s a delicious and healthy brunch food too!
I love to make veggie lasagna. Full of good for you veggies and very filling as well.
Salads always make me feel good! My favorite one to make has romaine, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, black olives, and fresh chopped basil! Oh and some mozzarella!
I love making soups during winter time, our favorite is chicken tortilla soup, filled with lots of veggies and chicken! 🙂 Especially during winter 😛
big fresh salads served with homemade soup and homemade bread
tweet: https://twitter.com/akronugurl/status/270667282773061633 .
i love to make Homemade spaghetti sauce!
I love baking chicken with carrots and potatoes.
I had no idea these products are packed at the farm!
broccoli. lots of vitamins. cooked and uncooked (with dressing :] ) both taste good
https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/270648724483624960
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
A meal that is good and good for you is the chicken pot pies I make that use vegetarian “faux” chicken, organic veggies, and other organic ingredients. So good!
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
I like taco salad. It mixes healthy with spicy!
First of all, the pasta that you used is so cute!! I usually go with plain old fettucine but now I’m motivated to look for some other pasta. For our healthy/”detox” meals I usually do a cold tofu dish, like tofu with preserved duck egg. https://lauskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/tofu-with-preserved-duck-eggs-salad.html
We always had a roasted chicken on Sundays and my mom loved corn with butter melted over it! I remember that and have it myself on Sundays from time to time. Love the Del Monte corn and creamed corn!
tweet
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/270629135452356608
I love spicy grilled tilapia!
After too many weekday nights of rushed meals that I am not always proud of, I feel genuinely happy to have a weekend to first buy quality ingredients and then cook something homemade for my family. It doesn’t always turn out amazing, but I feel good knowing we are trying something healthy and fresh.
I love to make soups and chilis. Its super filling and comforting so you don’t feel like you are missing out. Plus you can load them up with leaner meats and load of veggies and even the pickiest eater will be none the wiser!
tweet
https://twitter.com/kellysaver/status/270606081988894720
A great veggie noodle soup makes me feel great & is good for me.
Caprese salad, Mmm. I also love a good veggie soup.
I like meals that are well balanced to include veggies!!! Thanks for a chance to win and have a great day!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
I like to make veggie scrambles and eat them with brown rice.
For me, it’s chili. Whether or not I add meat, I always load it up with veggies (usually canned). Nothing warms the tummy and soul like a big hot bowl on a bitterly cold day!
Rachel
How ‘Bout Some Cake
I love Chinese hot pots that you make at home. You start off with a broth and continue adding whatever vegetables and other items you like (we usually use an assortment of mushrooms, napa cabbage, watercress, seafood and thinly sliced sirloin). I love the fact that we use fresh ingredients and add no salt or other preservatives. Any leftover soup can be served with noodles as well.
I’m a big fan of hearty salads – nuts, goat cheese, eggs, all sorts of dark greens. Those are the things that make me feel like im actually eating a big meal, but a healthy one too!
I love making mac and cheese the healthy way! Sneaking in pureed veggies like carrot or butternut squash. a feel good meal that is homey and healthy!
Alright, this one is going to take a little thought. Since it is getting cold I will choose a nice winter dish, Vegetarian Lasagna. I am not a vegetarian but that doesn’t mean that i can’t enjoy a meal of veggies. Lasagna is pretty easy to make, it’s so nice on a cold day, and it isn’t too bad for you. Veggies, wheat pasta, and light cheese make for a healthy dish. I also like to make it extra cheesy. So good.
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/270578573742579712
I like to make fruit and veggies smoothies. They are healthy and delicious
I love making veggie pastas – basically a red sauce with just about anything I have thrown in: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, spinach, whatever I have!
I know someone said this already, but I also make a lot of soups with lots of veggies, lentils, and beans… they are delicious and healthy.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/270576907123302400
My new fave healthy meal is stuffed squash. I’ve been buying acorn or red kuri squashes and stuffing them with a veggie and cheese mix–whatever I have on hand. It makes a really satisfying and healthy meal, and it’s a great way to incorporate lots of veggies at one time.
I love salmon! It tastes great and I feel good about what I’m eating.
also tweeted
https://twitter.com/VinylCroc/status/270575736711168000
Love their fruit cups!
I make these delicious chicken gyros with greek yogurt sauce and high fiber tortillas!
Chicken in tomato sauce with a couple of seasonal veggies in a spicy tomato sauce, served over brown rice. Can’t beat it.
I love Del Monte product. They are the best among all the brands.
Highest qualuty you can trust.I like the Cream style corn the most, especially when I made corn fish. My kids love the dish, it is simple ans healthy, all you need is 1 pound of swai fillet and a can of cream style corn, you have a healthy meal in 5 minutes. I stock up on this item, it is always handy when you don’t have time and need to fix a healthy meal for the family.
I try to make all of our meals good for us, but one that I love seeing my 5- and 2-year old gobble up is anything with kale. I just love that they eat a wide array of fruits and veggies (:
I like to make a Chinese chicken salad.
I love making vegetable soups. They’re so filling, and I get a whole day’s worth of veggies servings in one meal!