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FITNESS TIPS : A Healthy Switch from Layered Bean Dip
The perfect picnic side dish for waist-minded people? Skip the calorie-laden layered bean dip and try a highly portable Layered Black Bean Salad instead.

Topic: Menu Planning
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It's long on bean and cheese taste but low in calories. And because it's high in fiber, too, you won't be tempted to nosh on leftovers at the end of the day. You'll be satisfied well past sunset. Here's the recipe.

Fiber Tally
Brenda Watson, author of The Fiber 35 Diet, advises eating 35 grams of fiber a day if you want to slim down and healthy up.

Here's Watson's recipe for a bean salad that's rich in fiber and great taste.

Layered Black Bean Salad
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Fresh ground pepper
12 cups baby spinach leaves, stems removed, loosely packed
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into quarters, and sliced thin
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, cut into quarters, and sliced thin
Two 15-ounce cans low-sodium or no-salt black beans (drained and rinsed)
4 ounces shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation
1. To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, mustard, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a deep, clear, glass bowl, layer the salad as follows: 6 cups spinach leaves, 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 cup beans, 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat the layers. Top the salad with avocado. To serve, pass salad around table followed by the dressing. Serves 6.

Nutrition information (per serving): Calories 324; fiber 17 g; protein 15 g; fat 11 g; saturated fat 2 g; carbohydrate 45 g; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 75 mg; sugars 3 g.

SOURCES: The Fiber35 Diet: Nature's Weight Loss Secret. Watson, B., New York: Free Press, 2007.

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