Weight Watchers Chicken & Spinach Lasagna

As most of you know (or those who follow me on Twitter…wink, wink), I am doing Weight Watchers Online again to lose weight. I say again because I have seriously done Weight Watchers since 2002. I started WW in August 2002- right at the beginning of my senior year of high school. I did it for a boy. A silly boy. Yeah.

By the time prom rolled along, I had lost 60 pounds. So from August to May, I dropped 60 pounds AND 4 dress sizes. Can you imagine how amazing that is to a girl who was a massive chunkster? It was amazing. Plus, it was great to lose all that weight, have said boy give me a smidge of attention only to realize I didn’t like him anymore in that way.

And then I met Daniel (my husband) and I gained back about 15. Usually the whole “freshman 15” happens, but no, I managed to only gain 15 pounds the entire 3 years I was in college. <insert applause and standing ovation>

Then I gained ANOTHER 15 pounds in like 3 months. Yes, it’s horrible. I use food to cope when I’m sad. Isn’t that sad? It is. I realize it only makes me feel worse, but yet it feels great at the time.

So, after gaining back 30 of my 60 pounds, I lost 15. And now I’ve gained back 8, and now I am trying to lose the 8 again, plus another 20 or so to finally be at my freakin’ goal weight. Did I lose you yet?

I promise there is a point to this post, and the point is that you can lose weight. Really, if I can do it, you can, too. I want to share my favorite products, tips, and recipes with you so that maybe you’ll feel inspired to join me on the journey to getting healthy. I used to stay journey to being skinny, but truly being healthy is way better than being skinny. Slightly.

And if you’re already at your goal weight and don’t have an ounce to lose, these recipes are still yummy and satisfying!

Chicken & Spinach Lasagna:

Ingredients:

1 spray(s) cooking spray

52 oz marinara sauce, store-bought

1 medium onion(s), chopped

1 pound(s) uncooked ground chicken breast

30 oz fat-free ricotta cheese

2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

9 item(s) dry lasagna noodles

20 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

12 oz Kraft Natural Cheese Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, or other brand, 1 1/2 cup shredded

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large, deep lasagna pan with cooking spray. Measure 2 cups of marinara sauce; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until almost tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken; cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add remaining marinara sauce to skillet and stir until well combined; set aside.
  Mix together ricotta cheese, egg whites, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a large bowl until well combined.
  To assemble lasagna, place 2 cups of reserved marinara sauce on bottom of dish. Layer with 3 noodles, 1/3 of ricotta mixture, 1/3 of spinach, 1/3 of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of chicken-sauce mixture; repeat layers ending with chicken-sauce mixture. (Make sure to spread ingredients to edge of noodles.)
  Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.
• 11 points per serving

I made this on Sunday night, and Daniel and I each had a piece. Then for lunch, we each had a piece. Then for dinner, we each had a piece. Point being, if there’s only 2 of you in the household, this creates 4 meals! Perfect for lunch or a quick dinner later on in the week. Pair it with some salad and some sparkling water, and you have yourself a great meal!

Enjoy!