Wanda Holmes

(NC)-Pantry staples like canned beans and pasta sauce are combined with fresh shredded veggies to create a delicious and nutritious baked burrito that kids and adults will love.
 

Shopping Tip: Look for "no fat" and "no added oil" when shopping for healthier pasta sauce options. Plus, stock up on spices; cayenne pepper adds the Mexican flare without adding sodium!
 

Healthy Cooking tip: Want to quickly add more protein to your Burritos without the extra sodium? Use downtime to roast a whole chicken. Remove meat and store in your fridge. Freeze the bones for when you have spare time to make your own, low-sodium chicken broth.
 

Prep time: 10 minutes
 

Cook time: 20 minutes
 

Serves: 2
 

Serving size: 1 burrito
 

Calories per serving: 248
 

Ingredients:
 

• 1 ¼ cup (300 mL) Healthy Choice Traditional pasta sauce, divided (see below)
 

• 2 small 6-inch (15 cm) low sodium multigrain flour tortillas
 

• ½ cup (125 mL) low sodium refried beans
 

• ½ cup (125 mL) each: shredded carrots and zucchini
 

• ½ cup (125 mL) diced cooked chicken
 

• 4 tbsp. shredded cheese (about 1/2 cup/ 125 mL)
 

• ¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) cayenne pepper (optional)
 

• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) finely chopped cilantro, for garnish
 

• ¼ cup (50 mL) guacamole (optional)
 

Directions:
 

• Preheat oven to 375F/190C; place tortillas on working surface.
 

• On each tortilla, evenly spread ¼ cup (50 mL) beans; top with ¼ cup (50 mL) each: shredded carrots, zucchini and diced chicken. Top with 1/8 cup (30 mL) Healthy Choice Traditional pasta sauce: roll each tortilla around ingredients and place seam-side down in oven proof baking dish.
 

• Top with 1 cup (250 mL) Healthy Choice Traditional pasta sauce and shredded cheese and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. (.6 mL) cayenne pepper (optional); bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly browned.
 

• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with an optional side of guacamole.
 

Visit Facebook.com/HealthyChoiceCanada for more recipes and cooking tips.
 

www.newscanada.com

(NC) Buying your first house can be exciting and nerve-wracking, especially with so many factors to consider. Even now in this low-interest rate climate, going out and buying the first place you see is very tempting. But will you end up living beyond your means? What if interest rates go up? Are you really ready to make this huge financial commitment for the next 12 to 15 years, or longer? Before you sign the dotted line, the financial experts from Desjardins Group have some tips to help get you started.
 

• Purchasing a home is very attractive if you've grown weary of renting. But when you own property, there's more to worry about than just the mortgage. For example, there's property tax, utilities, maintenance and insurance. Sometimes buying a place isn't a good idea if you like to live independently with lots of traveling and entertainment. Maybe you're actually ready to settle down. If so, have you made a budget to see if you can manage your new home? Your financial advisor will likely suggest that you borrowing less to give yourself a financial buffer. Also make sure that you speak to your financial advisor about the relationship between interest rates and current economic conditions. Repaying a mortgage loan can take 25 years or more, which is a long time during which many things can happen. So it's important to understand these financial cycles and how they could affect your cash flow.

Securing a down payment for your mortgage
 

• Experts advise that prospective home owners should have a down payment of up to 20 per cent of the house's value. One option is to borrow against your RRSP. The allowable amount is $25,000 per person or $50,000 per couple. If you haven't enough in your account, it's possible to take a top-up RRSP loan to reach the right amount. After the purchase, you'll have 15 years to repay the amount to your RRSP. Another option is to put down 10 per cent and to accept a higher mortgage loan insurance payment. Next question: is it better to choose a fixed or variable rate? A fixed interest rate offers stability and predictability, but you lose out on lower interest rates should they become available. The payments with variable interest rates also remain constant but there is the risk that interest rates may go up. This means more goes to your interest payment and less to your principal.

For more information about buying your first home, speak to your financial advisor. Or for immediate answers and mortgage calculators, visit Desjardins Group at www.desjardins.com/co-opme.