By Susan Seliger
Kiss those recession blues goodbye and start taking some simple steps in your daily life that will make you happy on three levels at once. If figuring out little ways to go green or save money makes you proud of yourself, just imagine how pumped you’ll feel if you can do both – and lose a few of those pesky pounds that have been accumulating round your middle, too.

1. Use what you’ve got in the cupboard — don’t go shopping again until the fridge is bare.

It’s amazing how much you can do with all those cans of food that you probably just keep pushing to the back when you buy new stuff. Check out Allrecipes.com where you can plug in what you’ve got, and the web site will come up with what you can cook with it. Keep some basic, nonperishable supplies in the cupboard (like cans of tuna, tomatoes, rice, pasta) and things that last for months in the fridge (like sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, olives) that will add life to your fresh ingredients. BONUS: At the end, I’ve included one of my family’s favorite, tangy, low-cal meals you can make with stuff you can always keep on hand that can’t go bad. (See Tuna –noodle pizazz, below.)

2. Use smaller plates.

The best way to lose weight is to cut down on portion size, day in and day out. The average plateful is two-to-three times a healthy-sized serving. You’d be amazed at how much more satisfying a small portion looks on a smaller plate. You don’t feel deprived – and you’ve saved calories and money as your groceries will stretch farther. To find out what a real portion size is for any food, check out this nifty tool, a Portion Calculator at Lifehacker.

3. Try a new mantra: Doggie bags are divine.

If you’re smart, you’re not going out to eat much. So when you do, you’d better stretch that one meal into two. Learn to love leftovers. Who says that little bit of your entrée and the vegetables isn’t enough for another meal? Have you forgotten so soon what we said about portion size? (See #2). Cut up the main dish into small bites, cook up some nice chewy brown rice or toss in a few more sautéed vegetables and you’ve expanded those leftovers into a full meal. filled out will

4. Don’t toss leftover tossed salad – keep it for the next day.

I know gourmands turn up their noses at day-old salad, but if you think of it as marinated vegetables instead of wilted lettuce, it tastes much better – and the nutritional value is pretty much the same. (On day three, even I give up. Toss it onto the compost heap — and while you’re out there, take a walk around the block for a little more exercise.)

5. Shun prepared foods — Slice, dice and cook it yourself

You can pay twice as much or more for ingredients that are prepped – like grated cheeses and bottled garlic. In addition, cut up foods go bad much faster than whole foods – so you can lose two ways. Prepared foods are handy – but here, too, you’re paying double, sometimes triple the costs of whipping it up yourself. Why pay twice as much for a ready-made roast chicken (rarely organic), when making your own chicken is so simple: wash and remove the innards, pat dry, then slather a little Dijon mustard all over the outside (don’t be squeamish, use your hands) and throw it in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes a pound. Cheap – low-cal, and fresh.

RECIPE: Susan’s Tuna –Noodle Pizazz — in 20 minutes flat

So easy — you can always keep these non-perishable ingredients on hand — and it takes as little as 20 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients: Serves 4

Olive oil – 1-2 TBSP.

Garlic – 2 cloves chopped

One Onion chopped or 2-4 scallions sliced — optional.

One large can of whole or crushed tomatoes – strained through slotted spoon.

One jar marinated artichokes – optional

Olives (sliced or whole) or capers – optional

One can tuna

Pasta — One-pound bag

Preparation:

Put up a large pot of water to boil for the pasta – throw in a sprinkle of salt – and cover (that speeds up the boiling and saves energy).

Pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan.

On medium heat, sauté some fresh chopped garlic (you can throw in an onion (diced) or scallions (sliced) if they’re sitting around getting moldy in your fridge

Add a large can of Italian plum tomatoes and heat through.

Add a jar of marinated artichokes – if you have it – and put it on your grocery list for next time if you don’t. If you don’t have it, throw in some olives or capers or sliced sun-dried tomatoes for a tangy touch.

Add spices – a couple of pinches of basil, oregano, salt and pepper (ground fresh is best, but whatever you’ve got works).

Now stir in a can of tuna (drained).

Turn down the heat to low, and it will heat through by the time the pasta is done.

Add pasta (whatever kind you like) to boiling water, stir with big fork to avoid clumping, and cook (most one pound boxes need 6-8 minutes for al dente). Drain pasta.

Now you’re ready to spoon the sauce on the pasta, turn down the lights, light a candle, and enjoy!

Photo credit: www.simonyounes.com