Not Your Average Side Dish

I've been away for a while dealing with some life craziness but I promise to make more posts more consistently when we get into our new house! Meanwhile, here's one I thought you would enjoy for the 4th of July weekend.

Instead of just bringing a standard fruit salad as your side dish to pass, how about wowing them with some extra pop that will leave people wondering, "wow, what made that so good?"

This salad can be used as a side dish or dessert for any meal, but it also makes FABULOUS leftovers to use for breakfast. The best part is that if you use local, season fruit (besides the honeydew) it will cost you almost nothing to make! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups, papaya, chopped
2 cups, cantaloupe, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 banana, sliced

For the dressing:

1 cup honeydew, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon, lime or any citrus you like (I LOVE blood orange juice in this)
1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 to 3 dates, pitted (use local honey or agave here if you don't dig dates!)
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger (don't skimp on this, it is soooo worth it and yummy)

Method

Chop all the fruit for fruit salad and put in a large serving bowl.

In a blender, add the dressing ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour over fruit and toss gentley. Serve. Can also be chilled for added flavor and then served.

***KID TIP***

This can also be made into a fun family friendly dish! Instead of putting the fruit in a bowl, ask your kids to put it on wooden skewers. Then they can dip the fruit in the dressing.

Just as fun as chicken nuggets without the grossness.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

The Truth About Sports Drinks and Your Family's Health

I'm not trying to make Gatorade the enemy here, however I wanted to explain something I've been saying for the past two years, that was just written about and covered by MSNBC, among other news stations. If you check out the article here, you will notice that the reporter, in the limited time he or she had to writeup the story, didn't really explain why sports drinks are bad for most of us. Energy drinks-it's kind of obvious-there is caffeine in them and your kids shouldn't have them. Sport drinks...do you know why they're contributing to our childhood obesity epidemic? No. Didn't think so and that's ok, I'll break it down for you and then you can choose what's best for you and your child.

First, a little background and science. Sports drinks were designed to QUICKLY replenish valuable energy depleted by vigorous exercise (Gatorade was formulated for the Florida Gators football team to enhance practices and speed up recovery time between them). This is important because when you run a marathon, workout in extreme temps or participate in other energy-draining activities you use up your glycogen store (your stored energy in the body). You need to fuel up again quickly to repair muscles and fuel your body for recovery and normal function. More science ahead, but you get where the need comes from?

So the science. How sports drinks are supposed to work is that when you exercise vigorously (I keep stressing vigorously because taking a walk around the block doesn't cut it) your body uses the glucose already available in your body. It is a naturally occurring sugar that is formed from carbohydrates (which is why I always stress getting the right carbs is key to a healthy diet) in your food. Then it is further broken down to give you energy. (Almost done with the science stuff.) If you are eating a healthy diet you will have a healthy store of glucose in your body so you will need to replenish quickly. If you overeat and/or eat a poor diet, you will have excess glucose in your body that will be stored in your liver, muscles, etc. as fat. Obviously not good.

So here's the problem.

More and more people and their kids are gulping down these sports drinks instead of water for hydration. Yet, exercise has fallen by the wayside and TV and video games are the mainstay. So if you are putting all these sugar and carbs in your body and not utilizing them for exercise they will turn to fat. SIMPLE.

Let's analyze the Nutrition Facts from one 32fl oz. bottle of Gatorade Glacier Ice. At first glance you might think the stats are not that bad. Only 50 calories, 100mg of sodium, 14g of sugars. BUT, THERE ARE 4 SERVINGS PER BOTTLE!! That means there are actually 200 calories, 440 mg of sodium (1/3 of your daily intake in just one drink) and 54g of sugars. WOW.

Again, sugar, salt and carbs are needed for endurance athletes. But you can see why this drink will pose a problem for a kid who's popping chicken nuggets and playing grand theft auto all day.

Let's go into another issue-the ingredients.

Initially when Gatorade was made for the football players, it was pretty much straight glucose and water-pure natural sugars that were readily absorbed by the body to refuel. It tasted gross but did the trick. Then Pepsi bought the drink and changed it for the masses. Now here's a look at what this "sports drink" is filled with:

Water, Sucrose Syrup, Glucose Fructose Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Ester Gum, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Blue 1.

Ok let's ignore the glaring offenses of the ambiguous "natural flavors" and sodium citrate and focus in on the insanely unhealthy ingredients listed above. HYDROGENATED OILS!! I know you know these and that you should avoid them because they are TRANS FATS. Yes, in gatorade, aertery-clogging, carcenogenic trans fats. Oh but if those don't get you how about some blue dye. I hear that's good for the kidneys and liver.

By now I hope you're seeing why it's not just about ragging on a sugary drink. It is in fact all about fueling our inactive kids with drinks filled with sub-standard ingredients that are built to make them fat (purposefully or not-you decide).

The alternative. Good, old WATER! Lots of it. And a healthy diet. You can also use Vita-Coco Coconut Water for a natural hydrating drink that replenishes 3 more electrolytes than Gatorade and has only one ingredient: Coconut water.

Oh and PS-this will save you a whole lot of money...:)

The "Dirty Dozen," a reminder!

Hey all-as our favorite fruits and vegetables start coming into season, I wanted to send out a clear message on the "Dirty Dozen." For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a list provided by various sources (like foodnews.org, msnbc, etc.) that details which top 12 fruits and vegetables you should avoid if you can NOT find organic.

Here are my thoughts. The "Dirty Dozen" is an important list and makes an equally important point. There is no need to buy all organic, especially if you can't afford it, and especially if you can find a great local farm that produces great crops without the use of pesticides but just didn't have the money to get certified. Just know your source. BUT, if you do find yourself wanting the plants listed below, pay the extra $.10 (sometimes they may actually be cheaper) to get organic because you will be keeping yourself and your family away from the highest levels of pesticide residue. Here are the foods that have high amounts when not organic:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Grapes
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes

So there you have it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't use this as an excuse not to eat these wonderful foods. Because at the end of the day the goal is not to give up foods or deprive yourself, but to EAT MORE PLANTS. However you can. eat. more. plants.

A Healthy Drink for Body and Mind

Thanks to the blogger meltdown this week, it took me a little while to post this but wanted to make sure you all got the recipe because it's amazing!

This drink is a non-alcoholic, vegan, gluten-free, refreshing summer "spritzer." being pregnant, it not only quenches my thirst and gives me something other than water to drink (because I don't drink juices unless I make them at home), but it also soothes my unstable stomach and puts my mind at ease!

It will literally take you 2 minutes to make. Here you go:

Ingredients:

ginger, a piece fresh from the root
1 lime
1 bottle of sparkling water
ice

Method:

Peel a piece of fresh ginger that is the size of a penny or nickel. It is easiest and least wasteful to peel ginger while holding it in your handing and using a spoon to remove the skin. Once the ginger is peeled, use a microplane or small grater to grate it into a glass. Use a little at first, because you can taste it and add more if necessary.

Then cut the lime in half and slice one round off and put it in the glass. Squeeze the lime juice into the glass. Add ice. Pour in sparkling water and you are good to go!

***Note: I like to also add a little sweetness to this. You could add a dash of coconut water or milk to add a sweetness or even peach nectar!***

Alternative drink

Another great non-alcoholic, vegan, gluten-free summer drink that I just learned how to make is a homemade pina colada! All you have to do is blend coconut milk (from the can, unsweetened) with pineapple and ice. AMAZING!!

Enjoy these yummy, refreshing summer drinks. Hopefully they will inspire mother nature to bring us summer weather!

For Those Craving Chocolate!

Here is the recipe for my VEGAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE. Yes, you read correctly. It is chocolate mousse that is healthy (and not the pretend kind of healthy where they make it "fat free" and there's all sorts of crap in it), inexpensive and easy. Here you go!

Ingredients

2 ripe (we're talking very soft) avocados (just trust me)

2 to 3 tablespoons of raw cacao or cocoa powder

vegan chocolate chips if you dare!

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 dash of honey (you can leave this out if you wish)

some sliced strawberries for topping

shredded coconut for topping

Method

Peel and pit avocados and put in blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the toppings, and process until smooth and chocolatey. Top with strawberries or other fresh fruit and shredded coconut. Serve.

OMG it's amazing! You'd never believe it! And the whole time you are getting the healthy fats your body needs from the avocado without the cholesterol-packed, fattening dairy products. Yay for you!

Healthy Dessert? Yup.

...and I'm back!

It's been a while since my last post, reason being, I recently found out I am pregnant!! About 8 weeks at this point and feeling great. It's amazing what the body can do when it's healthy. We weren't even trying!

So the cool thing is, as I've said before, I won't become a garbage disposal just because I'm pregnant. I value my healthy diet even more now than before. I also want to instill healthy habits in my future child! One thing that has always helped me to do this is to have dessert after every meal.

Yes, that's right, dessert after every meal. I'm not talking about sugary, processed stuff that will send your blood sugar into a tizzy, pack on the pounds and keep you wanting more. I'm talking about nature's dessert-FRUIT! There are tastey, quick and inexpensive ways to curb your sweet tooth after a meal. Here's the first recipe of many on fruity desserts:

Sweet Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup (ish) frozen strawberries

1 banana

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 cup (ish) of almond milk (or any milk substitute you like)

Blend and enjoy! You will need to add ice if you use fresh strawberries.

And note, there is no cholesterol, very little fat and tons of calcium (from the almonds), omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in this dessert. Can your ice cream, cake or cookies do the same? I think not!!

Just give it a try! :)

Quick Quinoa Tacos!

First, what is Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) and why should you eat it?

Contrary to popular belief-you can get all your protein from plant sources, including this complete source, found in the grain family, although it is a seed. A complete protein means the food contains the 9 essential amino acids we can't make in our bodies, in proper proportion for easy absorption. Most people think you need to get all your amino acids from one source and that that source should be meat. However, quinoa has a similar amino acid profile-meaning it is a complete protein packed with what you need to build muscle, etc. Also, on a side note, you don't need to get all your amino acids (the building blocks of protein) from one source. Our body is built to put varying aminos together to build things-so diversifying the sources in your diet is no less nutritious than getting them all from one food.

Quinoa was eaten by the Incans back in the day before battle. Yes, men, warriors ate it. So you can feel manly without the meat. This food will give you long-lasting energy throughout the day, stable blood sugar and protein to build muscle without saturated fat, casein (a known cancer-causing animal protein), excess sodium or sugar. It is also GLUTEN-FREE!!

And guess what-it's cheap, easy and yummy!! It only took me 1 hour to prep, cook, eat and cleanup after this meal. Doesn't get any easier.

Here's how I prepared it:

Quick Quinoa Tacos

Ingredients Serves 2 to 4

1/2 cup red quinoa (uncooked)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

pinch of cayenne

pinch of cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

your favorite guacamole (or make your own by just smashing up some avocados)

your favorite salsa

1 can low-sodium black beans

1 lime

1 package whole wheat flour tortillas

Method

Saute the onion, pepper, garlic and spices in a sauce pan until translucent and cooked. About 3 to 5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the 1/2 cup of quinoa and toast, while stirring constantly for about a minute. Then add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes stirring occassionally.

While the quinoa is cooking, open the black beans, drain and rinse. Heat if you prefer. Chop tomatoes and heat your tortillas if you want as well. I also used this time to steam some broccoli for the side to this dish. (To do that just buy some broccoli, break off the little stems into a colander, put the colander in a sauce pan that you can fill with about an inch of water without having it touch, cover and steam for about 12 minutes).

Then, once the quinoa mixture is done, build your tacos! Put the quinoa, beans, guacamole, salsa, lime and tomatoes on your tortilla and enjoy!

Random Recipe to Love!

I thought you might need another vegan, gluten-free soup to try this week so I wanted to share this one from the Vegetarian Times. It's super easy to make, cheap and only gets better overnight. It also is PACKED with protein, calcium, beta carotene and so many other yummy vitamins and minerals. Let me know what you think or if you added any of your own twists!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (or if you are eliminating oil from your diet, just use water)

1 white onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 cups kale, chopped (I used a whole head of lacinato or dino kale)

1 yam, diced (I left the skin on for added nutrients)

1 tablespoon smoked paprika (or just use regular if that's what you have)

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 bay leaf

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 15.5oz cans of no-salt-added Northern or Navy Beans

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method

First, heat the oil or water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook on medium high heat for 8 minutes, or until lightly caramelized, stirring often.

Then add the kale and cook for about 4 minutes or until it's wilted. Stir in yam, paprika, curry powder and bay leaf, cooking for 1 minute more.

Add broth, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes or until kale and yam are tender. Puree 1 cup of the beans with 3/4 cup of beans in a blender or food processor. Add puree and the rest of the beans to the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add the vinegar and serve!

Yum! This soup has:

165 calories, 9g protein, 2.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium (it says more on the veggie times website bkz they use regular beans!), 10g fiber

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday-What's for Dinner?

Meatless Monday is a great tradition to adopt if you are looking to improve your family's health. It is potentially the one-and-only day all week where you don't eat meat. The goal on this day is to pack your body with nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, beans, whole grains and fruit, while leaving out the artery-clogging cholesterol, high-blood-pressure-making sodium, and obesity-causing saturated fats that are in meats, cheeses and processed foods. Don't get me wrong though, only one day of eating vegetables a week is not nearly enough to see the cholesterol-lowering, pound-shedding effects this eating style can provide you BUT, it is a great start and is worth every mouth-watering moment!

The key here is to make good choices for dinner on this night. Choosing fake meats or processed foods as an alternative to meat is not beneficial because they still have the fat, sodium and then sugar that you should avoid. Instead, try easy recipes using real ingredients to wow your tastebuds and fill you up. Try this recipe below-it's one of my favorites because it's quick, tasty and stays in the fridge for a few days for lunches! It's also inexpensive and you can totally multitask while it's cooking! Enjoy!

Veggie Paella

Ingredients (Vegan, Serves 6)

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 cups quinoa (uncooked, use red quinoa for a nuttier, more savory flavor)

1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed (this is what makes any paella great!)

2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

dash cayenne

1 14oz can of diced tomatoes (no-salt added, very important)

1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 14oz can of red kidney beans (no-salt added), rinsed and drained

2 3/4 to 3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters

Method

Put the quinoa into a large bowl and cover with water, stirring well to wash the grain. Pour off the water (through a seive) and repeat. Leave the drained quinoa to the side for a second.

Saute the onion and garlic in a deep non-stick pan with a little water (in lieu of olive oil) until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the quinoa and saffron, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans and 2 3/4 cups of vegetable broth to the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook covered for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, check to see if more broth is needed. You'll know because the mixture will look dry instead of vibrant and moist. If dry add 1/4 cup broth. Now place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 minutes more until the quinoa is done. You'll know because it will turn translucent-ish and will have little spiral-like tails coming from each seed. When done, remove the cover, stir in the peas and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the top and serve!

Nutrition Facts PER SERVING: 288 calories, 3g total fat, 13g protein, 0mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 10g fiber

Soups at Home Save on SODIUM and on Your Wallet

This soup looks familiar right? Amy's Organic soups can be found in Whole Foods Market, Wegmans (in the Nature's Market section) and all across the country in health food stores.

So why should you care about Amy's soups?

Because if you want to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle you need to keep your sodium intake to 1500mg or less a day, as regulated by the USDA. (I would suggest keeping it to even less) And considering

ONE TEASPOON OF SALT=2200mg of sodium

you might want to watch how much sodium is in your food.

And please don't say to me "Well, I'm good-I NEVER add salt to any of my foods." PLEASE. Even if you don't, you're not off the hook. So please, please, please read on to see how you can make simple changes that can have dramatic effects on your health.

Also, I also want to clear up confusion about Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt and other types of salts that are supposedly healthy. Salt is salt folks. If you are getting too much sodium in your diet, using a salt that has nutrients in it won't make a difference. Instead, get your low amounts of daily sodium from nuts, seeds and other plant sources that will offer you way more nutrients with each bite.

Ok so processed foods are jam-packed with sodium. After all, salt is what was first used to cure meats and preserve them for a while back in the day right? What do you think is happening now? Salt, chemicals and other things are being used as preservatives and we are feeling the effects. But the reality is, we are all busy and often need to have certain processed items in our pantry. Let's now check out one that is presumably healthy.

1. First, take a look at the nutrition label on this can of Amy's Fat Free Chunky Vegetable Soup. Check out the "servings per container," there are 2!!! That means if you eat that whole can (which most of us would) you need to double all of the information on the label. Sneaky...

2. Second, let's check out the sodium. It is 680mg for only ONE SERVING. If you were to only eat half the can of soup, you would be ingesting HALF of your daily allotment of sodium. Better hope you don't eat much else that day. But who wants to starve for half a can of soup? Ew. Now imagine if you eat the whole can of soup, 1360mg of sodium in only one can. That is all you can have ALL DAY. Bummer. Or make a better choice. Do the math and limit your sodium intake to 500mg per meal per day OR just eat lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and grains and you won't have to worry.

3. Third, check nutrition labels on all processed foods. You'll be surprised what's hiding. Today we focused on sodium, in the future we will go over other things!

Right now you may be asking-what's the big deal about eating salt or taking in too much sodium anyway?!

Well, if you don't think hypertension (high blood pressure), weight gain, obesity, increased risk of heart disease and stroke, among other things, are a big deal, then you don't have to worry. Otherwise, just be conscious of what's going in your belly.

To help get your soup fix and save on both salt and money, try making soups at home, then freezing them! Here's a recipe that I love from Whole Foods Market with only 190mg per serving and lots of flavor!

Ingredients

1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms or other dried wild mushrooms

3/4 cup unsalted cashews

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

3 rutabagas, peeled and finely chopped (or just use potatoes)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Method

Put mushrooms in a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup boiling water and set aside to let soak 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews and 2 cups of broth and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour cashew mixture into a large saucepan and add rutabagas (or potatoes), onion and remaining 4 cups broth. Remove mushrooms from the bowl with a slotted spoon, cut them into bite-size pieces and add them to the pot; carefully pour in the liquid the mushrooms soaked in, being sure to leave behind any grit that has settled in the bottom of the bowl.

Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, lower heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Add bell pepper and lemon juice and simmer 3 minutes longer. Serve garnished with chives and lemon zest. Enjoy!

Per Request-What to Eat! Lose Weight and Lower Your Cholesterol in the Process

We get and give a ton of information on what NOT to eat but that then begs the question:

WHAT DO YOU EAT?!

Good question and if you haven't read Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma," I highly recommend it because he explores just that question. In the meantime, I can help steer you onto a healthier path because, after all, eating for me is about all the things I CAN enjoy, never about the things I can't. That's where fad diets fail! How about finding a happy, healthy way to live your life without the stress, expense and roller coaster rides in between diet binges? Yes.

Let's plan a week of breakfasts first. Please deviate as you see fit or as you need to but this will give you a good idea of how to eat healthy without breaking the bank! I'll explain a little bit as to why I've chosen the foods I'm about to list, but for more detailed information please see "The Basics" section of my blog. I detail all the good stuff there!

Monday-oatmeal with berries (either frozen or fresh), ground flaxseed and raw walnut pieces

How to:

All you need to do is measure out 1/2 cup of oats to 1 cup of boiling water. Mix well, add the other stuff and let sit until the water is absorbed. Done! Try not to add milk (unless it's dairy-free) or sugar to this. By keeping those things out, you will save on calories, potienially harmful animal proteins and refined ingredients that will leaving you feeling hungry and tired.

The reasons:

• Oats (no matter how they are cut, as long as you don't buy them in a bag prepackaged with seasonings) are a whole grain that stabilizes blood sugar and provides long lasting energy throughout the day. It's packed with fiber so you feel full fast and it helps you to absorb all the great nutrients.
• By adding fruit to your oatmeal you are adding powerful antioxidants that will help get rid of all the bad stuff (or "free radicals") floating around in your system. They will also provide you with vitamins, minerals and natural sugars to curb your sweet tooth!
• The flaxseed and walnuts are key to providing you with essential omega-3 fatty acids that we don't make in our bodies (that's why they're called essential). We need these to keep things moving in our body, to help with brain function and cell repair, among other things. Many people get these from supplements and/or fish oil. In my opinion, this a better, healthier, tastier, cheaper way.
• This breakfast will cost you about $.50 to $1 to make. It's fast too!

Tuesday-Vegan French Toast with Fruit

How to:

Get your favorite Whole Wheat Bread (hint, check the ingredient label because there are a lot of breads out there that pretend to be whole wheat and are in fact not. The first ingredient should say "Whole Wheat Flour" and no other variation.). Then in a bowl mix one ripe banana with some almond milk (or whatever milk alternative you like), tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Preheat a griddle or non-stick pan. Spray with cooking spray. Dip bread into banana mixture and put on hot griddle at medium-high heat. Cook for about 4 minutes and flip. Do the same on this side. Serve! I usually just cut up a bunch of fruit to pour over it. It's easiest to make a nice fruit salad on shopping day to use throughout the week. Again, no sugars, syrups or butters to keep it light and healthy.

The reasons:

Same as above! Also, by omitting eggs you save on cholesterol! The amount of cholesterol in our body is directly depending on how much cholesterol we take in. Cholesterol only exists in animals and animal products. Therefore, if you cut these things out or minimize them-you can drop your cholesterol fast and healthfully. Simple!

Wednesday-Whole Wheat Bagel with Hummus and Veggies

How to:

Just get a great Whole Wheat Bagel and toast it. Then get your favorite hummus (oil-free if you can because this will save you on calories and fat) and spread it on top. Next add some of your favorite veggies. I find sliced tomatoes, sprouts and fresh ground black pepper work well here. Enjoy!

The reasons:

Again same as above. Notice there is no cholesterol (as long as you have vegan bagels), very little fat, good calories and carbs (we need carbs-that a whole different blog post, stay tuned!), and veggies! Talk about nutrient dense! Beans are your best friend too because like whole grains they stabilize blood sugar, provide long-lasting energy AND also, beans are packed with protein, calcium and other nutrients. Enjoy these a bunch! (About two weeks after you amp up your bean intake your ahem, side effects should subside).

Thursday-Oatmeal again or if you are feeling up to it a Breakfast Burrito

How to:

You already know the deal with oatmeal. A breakfast burrito is just as easy, well almost. Get frozen hash browns at the store, ones that just have potatoes, a lil salt and citric acid in the ingredients. Then follow the directions on how to cook them. Usually you just throw them in the oven for a few. As that's happening, pull out some black beans, a tomato, an avocado, some hummus or salsa and a lime. Throw all ingredients in a tortilla and enjoy!

The reasons:

This burrito offers a hearty breakfast and a nice alternative to your routine. It also is super flavorful without the unhealthy fats and cholesterol. A huge win!

Friday-Super Smoothie with Whole Wheat Toast

How to:

Smoothies are actually super easy, nutritious and a great way to use up your ingredients in the fridge. If you're a person who doesn't like salads I suggest you try a green smoothie in the morning. Just blend 1/2 cup fresh spinach, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and ground flaxseed. It sounds gross but you can't taste the spinach! Or if you want a fruitier smoothie just blend 1 orange, 1 banana, some almond milk and some berries. Yum! For your Whole Wheat Toast-just toast it and add some jelly without high fructose corn syrup or spread some dates that you've soaked overnight and smushed. Either is great.

The reasons:

Same as above. You get the drift. Green smoothies are a must for folks who don't eat salads or veggies regularly and are also great for folks who get sick of the afternoon salad. Try various fruits and veggies for added flavors and impactful nutrient punches!

Saturday-Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich with Fruit Salad

How to:

Spread some peanut butter (without oil or added sugar) on your favorite Whole Wheat bread, then add sliced banana. Add some cinnamon for added flavor. Serve with a side of fruit salad. Yum!

The reasons:

Same as above. Nuts also are packed with fiber, calcium, protein and other nutrients to fill you up, give you energy and help you fight disease. Get in the habit of eating nuts everyday.

Sunday-Oatmeal, Burrito or any other options you can think of

How to:

Sundays are a great day to experiment with your own recipes, try new things or stick to an easy plan. Have fun here!

The reasons:

You had a great week of healthy breakfasts. Celebrate your success and commend yourself. Enjoy how you feel. Keep working at it and if you cheat or have a setback, recognize it and move on. We are not perfect. Instead of trying to be with your diet-foster a healthy relationship with food. It makes things a lot more enjoyable and a heck of a lot easier!

Stay tuned for future healthy lunches, snacks and dinners!

Much Ado About Coconut Oil

As many folks struggle with their weight, diet and health, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the vast amounts of food/health information out there. One day an egg is good for you, the next it's bad. And so on and so forth...right? This week the spotlight is on coconut oil-as evidenced by a recent New York Times piece on the product. (Read it by clicking here.) Is it good or bad for us?

Well, after my nutrition work at Whole Foods Market, and with my own personal experience as a fast food junkie turned healthy runner, I can tell you the answer is simple...and complex.

It's simple in that it really boils down to this:

That's the simple way to think about it. Whole versus parts. Do you want to eat a real coconut with all the fiber, phytochemicals, nutrients and minerals it has to offer, OR do you want to eat the oil that has come from a factory where they took the coconut and extracted stuff from it to make the oil? The extracted oil is then left with only a fraction of the nutrition (and I'm being generous here) offered by the real, whole coconut. I mean it comes in a jar folks!

Ok that was the simple. Now to the complex. I'm not saying we should give up on coconut oil altoghether-I find American eaters for the most part tend to think in extremes, all or nothing. That part, is not that simple. Nutritionally-coconut oil does have saturated fat in it, which we know is bad. There are somewhat "healthier" saturated fats that are called mono-or-polyunsaturated fats, but at the end of the day coconut oil still has saturated fat in it (as does an actual coconut but I'll get to that in a minute). And it also has 120 calories ALL from fat per TABLESPOON. So this is where the complex answer comes in.

Is it bad for us? Well sorta. If you are focusing on getting the most bang for each bite you take in, coconut oil will pretty much give you empty calories without fiber (to fill you up) and with potentially fattening effects. AND if you are already getting too many calories each day as it is, without lots of fruits and veggies-this will do you no good. So avoid it AS YOU WOULD ANYTHING WITH EMPTY CALORIES AND SATURATED FAT.

Please don't go bash coconut oil as you eat your cheeseburger-that's just ridiculous. Apply these rules across the board. Catching the drift?

Now-that said. If you read my "Moderation" blog post from earlier this week you know what I'll say next. People who have healthy diets across the board-meaning they eat lots of plants and omit lots of processed foods-would probably use this in a veggie stir fry or to make vegan cupcakes. That is ok and in fact healthy. They are getting a great diet as it is, they are not overdosing on chips and fat and can stand a little fat and/or variation here.

Almost done...so back to simple. If you don't want to worry about all the stuff I just wrote, it is as simple as eating whole, real foods-stuff that is not in a jar, and/or that does not have a label. A coconut. Yes, an actual coconut has saturated fat (as we talked about above), but it also has fiber, nutrients, minerals and other things that will really contribute to a healthy diet. So again, get rid of the extreme here-I'm not saying eat coconuts all day everyday, but if you want one, eat one. A real one.

Plants are easy folks. They are built to nourish us in ways we don't even know possible yet. Eat them whole and often. Keep that simple mentality in your head everytime you see the latest spin on a food and you will be golden. Hope it helps!

Snowy Day Recipe for You AND Your Kids! (or just you)

On snowy days like today, you can fight off boredom, give your kids an interactive and fun activity AND enjoy a tasty treat that will last you days with the following recipe.

They are Homemade and Healthy Granola Bars that use only the ingredients pictured here. That's it!!! I didn't even have to run to the store! I had this all in the pantry so it cost me NOTHING! If you were to buy these ingredients, it'd probably cost you about $10, but it would give you ingredients to make several other things or several batches of granola bars!

These are way cheaper, healthier and tastier than store-bought bars. Here's how you do it. Oh and **PARENTS** please let your kids do this. They can and should get their hands dirty with this recipe! Also, this is just a base recipe-make it your own. Mix in things you love to enhance and change it to keep it interesting!

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas-use what you've got, but they need to be soft so they can be mushed

2 cups of old fashioned oats-they can be rolled or steel cut JUST NOT QUICK

shredded coconut

dates, pitted and chopped

vegan chocolate chips (or if you dig regular ones use regular)

walnuts, chopped

cinnamon

nutmeg

***Notice there is no sugar added to this recipe!! This means you and your family can enjoy the natural sugars found in the real fruits used for these bars. Refined sugars are bad because they cause blood sugar level spikes that can make you tired and hungry faster, when you actually aren't. They also offer little value nutrition-wise but cause you to pack on pounds. With fruit, you get the natural sugars packed with nutrients AND fiber which allows you to feel full, absorb the nutrients and flush out (pun intended!) the toxins in your body. Win-win here!***

The above picture is of pitted dates. You find fresh dates in the produce section of your grocery store. They are a fruit, so they come with pits. Make sure they are somewhat soft to the touch when you buy them because then they are more easily incorporated. These will be your most expensive ingredient. If you don't want to use them-simply substitute a little applesauce (with no added sugars or weird things in the ingredients) to keep the sweetness up. Dates are great for any recipe, smoothie, whatever, where you need to add sweet flavor without sugar! In my eyes, a pantry staple!

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix them up, by hand, until all the oats are coated with the banana. It should be a mushy, wet-ish mixture. See below.

Then spread into a casserole dish that you would use for something like brownies. You'll spread them in the pan as you would brownies too-flat and even and covering the bottom.

Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. The cool thing with this recipe is that there is not raw meat or dairy in it so LET YOUR KIDS LICK THEIR FINGERS! Let them eat some of the "batter" if they want. These bars only need to cook to keep them together so just when you start smelling them, check on them and they can probably come out. Mine were done today in about 20 minutes. It just depends on how thick you make them. Also note, in the picture to the right, how much cleanup work this recipe takes. WOW, washing that one bowl and spatula is going to be tough. LOL.

This is a no brainer! Once the bars come out-let them cool for about 5 minutes so they are more easily cut. But if you can't wait-go at it-they just won't be pretty. This recipe takes only 10 minutes of active work, which you can draw out with your kids if you want-but then the rest is oven time. Awesome huh?

And just for kicks-let's analyze a popular granola bar favorite that appears to be healthy shall we? Yes.


Ok so forget the Nutrition "Facts" for now because I haven't been able to chat with you about how to read that yet and let's focus on the ingredients.

The first ingredient is great-oats. Ok, then...well, sugar. Not good. Then, canola oil-a fatty, nutrient-less food. Then, corn flour-a binder perhaps? Unecessary and certainly void of nutrients because of how processed it is. Then, OH LOOK, more sugar-this time it's brown which means the white sugar was mixed with molasses.

Still no nutrients or flavor-just sugar.

At this point you can stop hoping for some type of real food ingredient because the top 3 to 5 ingredients are the ones that count-they are the ones that make up most of the food. And as we can see here, these "granola bars" are just sugar in bar form. Lovely.

Instead-how about feeding your body and your kids' bodies something nutritious that was made at home and is packed with real food like oats, bananas and dates. Worth it? Yes.

Moderation is for the Birds...

Moderation...

We hear this all the time. Someone will say to me "I just ate a cheeseburger, do you want one?" and I say something like "No thank you, I don't eat cheeseburgers but I hope you enjoy it!" I could just say "No thank you," but it is usually followed by a parade of questions so I just try to keep things simple and honest. Can you tell by my posts yet?

This type of conversation usually ends up with the person wrapping things up by saying everything in moderation...blah, blah, blah.

I have a HUGE problem with this ambiguous word. What does it mean to you? Probably something different than what it means to me. And it would be no big deal except that we seem to be killing ourselves with moderation.

Let's use an example here shall we? We shall. Say you drink 3 diet cokes a day and eat a breakfast of eggs and bacon, a turkey sandwich with chips for lunch and a dinner of steak and a baked potato with maybe a veggie. Seems like a pretty standard diet for a lot of folks, folks I know...folks who are even in my family. So moderation to them may mean cutting back to only 1 diet coke a day and having cake once every month. Ok-so where does that leave them? STILL with high cholesterol, blood pressure and an increasing waisteline. YES? Yes.

Because the bottom line is that if you have a fundamental problem with your eating habits and you only make surface level changes-you will only see surface level changes if anything at all. Eating a diet rich in sodium, cholesterol, fat and sugar is still a diet rich in all those things whether you only eat cake in moderation or not.

So I say SCREW MODERATION. Yes. screw it. Instead, if you are looking for serious change in your diet, and consequently your health-you need to make fundamental changes in what you eat...then moderate.

For example, if you eat a diet rich in fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and grains you have a healthy base of meals to work from and are protecting yourself against many of the chronic diseases plaguing America today (obesity, Type II diabetes, Heart Disease, etc.) on a daily basis. Therefore eating a cheeseburger, piece of cake or, in my case a chicken finger sub, once a week or so probably won't kill you. Eating that stuff daily probably will. This is healthy moderation if you want to call it that. Making sure that 23 of your last 25 meals are healthy so you can enjoy the taste of a cheeseburger on your cheat day.

Don't settle for moderation or try to justify your bad eating habits with one word. Instead, understand your self worth and try to rise above moderation's mediocrity. Pretty please?

Vegan Lentil Burgers are a Hit!

I love getting requests for blog posts, so I was super happy to oblige my friend Kate in making and posting a killer recipe for vegan burgers. The key to making vegan or veggie burgers is to make them hearty and flavorful while NOT trying to get them to taste like meat. Because most often, the yummiest part of the burger is the stuff on the meat.

This recipe cost less than $20 and feeds 8!!! Hello-I told you eating healthy could save you money! ;) It also only took me 2 hours to prep, cook, eat and cleanup after this meal. So worth it! Recipe is below and please post comments if you end up making it! Or let me know if you have questions! Enjoy this whole grain, veggie-packed, nutrient-rich dish!

Ingredients
For the burger:
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups of low sodium veggie broth (or just use water if you don't have this)
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely grated
1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats-pulsed in a food processor
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp (ish) of low sodium tamari
dash of cayenne

For the bun:
obviously whatever type of bun you want to use, just make it whole grain for added nutrition
horseradish mustard (1/2 cup dijon mustard + 1 Tbsp horseradish)
tomato slices
avocado slices
butter pickles
lettuce

Method

Put lentils and rice in a medium saucepan with 4 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes. Stir every now and then to keep the stuff from sticking to the bottom.

While that's cooking, saute the onions in a saute pan for about 3 minutes. Throw in a bowl. Then add all the other burger ingredients to the bowl. Make sure you do puree the oats beforehand in a food processor. It makes the difference between adding oatmeal versus breadcrumbs to your burger! Keep in mind you can use this "oat-technique" as a substitute for breadcrumbs for a ton of things!

Set aside.

While the lentil mixture is still cooking on the stove, I recommend you chop the tomatoes, avocado and anything else you are adding to the burger once it's finished. Set aside.

When the lentil mixture is finished, add to the bowl of burger ingredients. Mix together well so all the wet and the dry are combined. Let cool.

Once the mixture is cool enough to touch with your hands, start shaping it into burger patties. It should make about 8! Then take those "burgers" and cook them on a griddle or in a sautepan sprayed with cooking spray for about 5 minutes per side to just brown them and give them a crust that will really hold them together.

Once they are browned you are ready to build your burger. What's great is that you really don't have to worry about cooking the burger all the way through to the middle because 1) it's already sorta warm from when you cooked the lentils/rice, 2) it's not meat so you don't have to kill off nasty bacteria, etc., and, 3) it will taste just as good cold!

The key to the flavor-wow in this dish is the garnishes. The pickles and the sauce really bring it home. So on a whole wheat roll, spread the horseradish mustard. Then layer on some pickles. But not just any pickles-be careful what you buy! See below.

I'm not a fan of dyes and chemicals and pretend ingredients in my food-are you? Clearly they are not necessary to make a good pickle-so why do you think company's add them...? Let's vote with our forks!!!

Continuing with the bun-building, pile on the cooked burger, followed by the tomatoes and avocado. Serve and enjoy!!

I ate my burger with a freshly baked sweet potato that I threw in the oven right as I put the lentils on the stove. They take about the same cooking time and you don't have to think about either! Nice way to boost the nutritional value of the meal while adding a side that isn't chips!

And if you ever have any recipe requests-just let me know! Post a comment below or on anyone of my posts and I'll hopefully be able to come up with one! Happy Eating!

Don't Feel Bad Asking...

Often times I encounter people who don't know what kind of meat is in their sandwich or where it comes from.

I offer this piece of advice. If you eat meat, I would strongly encourage you to ask what the meat looks like or where it comes from before eating it. Over the weekend, I went into DiBella's Subs in Rochester to get a veggie sub. I saw they had a new sub on the menu called the "Buffalo Chicken." It is my go-to thing on cheat days so I wanted to check it out for future reference. When I asked the guy to show me the chicken he used, he pulled out something like this...

...and told me he just dumped it in buffalo chicken sauce and put it on the sub. Um ew. What's in this stuff? I wish I could tell you without going to the store, but Tyson won't post the ingredients on their website! It is, however, listed under "Chicken Products" so I'll assume there is at least some chicken in there. Think about it though-how do they get it to stay on the shelf for so long AND what does that do to your body?!!

So by taking two seconds to ask the sub guy if I "could see" the chicken he would use on the sub-I saved myself the disappointment of eating something that wouldn't taste good and also kept potentially harmful additives and preservatives from unknowingly going into my body.

It's our job to know guys-our job to know what we put in our mouth and our family's mouths. (yes i realize that you can giggle about the above statement but also please take it to heart!)

So if you are like me and one day desire a chicken finger sub, please make sure your chicken fingers come from actual chickens and are made in-house with real ingredients. They'll taste better and be healthier for you! This goes for all food! :)

Stay tuned for tonight's post! I'll give you a killer recipe on how to make vegan lentil burgers! Yum!

When You're Hungry for a Snack...

On a day where you don't feel like leaving the house (in my case because of my snow) and you are having people over, or you just plain need a healthy snack, you can still create this pretty, yummy and nutritious treat for cheap!

I also bring this to parties a lot because it looks a whole lot better than just bringing a plate of veggies with some hummus. The picture to the left is actually from one of my Healthy Eating Supper Clubs that I hosted at Whole Foods Market in Fort Collins, CO. I served this, to rave reviews, as an appetizer. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

1 english cucumber

1 package of oil-free roasted red pepper hummus (or if you can't find it, make it yourself with recipe below!)

1 cup of raw cashews (toasted if you are feeling ambitious!)

NO JOKE THAT'S IT! I'll tell you how to assemble below and will also give you my recipe for homemade hummus that's to die for, in case you want to keep the "homemade and healthy" thing going on. I highly encourage this because then you can make your hummus without oil.

Method

Wash the english cucumber and cut off the ends. Then peel the cucumber so the skin looks like stripes! Slice into 1/2 or 1/4 inch rounds and spread on a plate. Spoon a heap of roasted red pepper hummus on top of the cucumber slice and garnish with a cashew. Serve! This yummy dish is fresh, healthy and balanced with all the components that make a dish taste great! Try for yourself!

WHY skip the oil?

Because if you look at the label here for Spectrum Olive Oil (it will be pretty much the same label for any olive oil you get), you'll notice that the serving size is only 1 TABLESPOON, and that in that one tablespoon there are 120 calories-all from fat!!! So if you are adding, say 1/4 cup of olive oil to your hummus-that's about 4 tablespoons equalling 480 calories all from fat!!! And you don't even feel full from those calories!

People will argue back and forth about the potential health benefits of olive oil. I'm not here to talk about that. Whatever you believe-fine. HOWEVER-no one can disupte that olive oil is 100% fat and if you are trying to lose weight or be healthier, it is not ideal because again you will be getting calories that won't fill you up. Instead I recommend ditching the calories and getting your fats from whole plant sources (not the extracted ones in this case) to fill you up with nutrients, fiber and the like. You'll see a real difference once you stop cooking like Rachael Ray and Paula Deen. Really! It can be simple if you let it be.

Homemade and Healthy Hummus (no oil in this recipe!)

Ingredients

1 can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed-some of the liquid reserved

lemon juice (from a real lemon, not that funny lemon-shaped squeezie bottle)

1 tbsp horseradish (the kind from the store that doesn't have preservatives)

2 tbsp tahini (which is just crushed sesame seeds-good, healthy fat)

fresh ground pepper

dash of low sodium tamari

dash of cayenne

dash of cumin

dash of paprika

dash of coriander

(add a few roasted red peppers from a jar if you are making the hummus for the dish above)

Directions

Blend all ingredients to taste. You can used the reserved bean liquid to thin out the mixture with flavor (to replace the oil). Remember, taste along the way. Add more spice if it needs it. Enjoy!

Let's Play "Guess the Hidden Ingredient"

Can you see it? Do you look at labels and ingredient lists? I hope so! If not, it's never too late to start. As evidenced here in something as simple as a package of turkey polish sausage-ingredients are often very complicated when they don't need to be!

In this case, Hillshire Farms has added "Monosodium Glutamate" or MSG to its polish sausage to enhance flavor. That's all fine and good if you want an added salty, potentially carcinogenic, mess in your food. It's up to you whether you do or not, just please make it a choice, not a surprise. :)

How About Some Vegan Stuffed Shells?

This recipes comes from my need for comfort food! Especially on a day like today in Upstate New York where it's snowy and gray-you really want to feel the warmth in your home, belly and heart. So why should you have to sacrifice your health and waistline?!

I came up with this Vegan Stuffed Shell recipe to satisfy that particular issue. Hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think!

Ingredients

For the shells:
1 box of large whole wheat pasta shells or whole wheat lasagna noodles if you can't find the shells or brown rice lasagna noodles if you are gluten-free
2 cups macedemia nuts
2 cups cashews
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (you can find this in the bulk section of your grocery store and it is just yeast but looks and tastes like cheese when added to things!)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and diced
dried basil
dried oregano
black pepper

For the sauce (OR buy a low-sodium sauce instead):
2 or 3 cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes
red wine-something you like
onions, diced
garlic, minced
red pepper flakes
dried basil

Directions

**Do ahead**
Put macademia nuts in a bowl filled with water about an inch above the top of the nuts and let soak overnight (before you go to bed) or for 8 hours (while you are at work).

Put cashews in a separate bowl filled with water about an inch above the top of the nuts and let soak overnight or for 8 hours.

**At Supper Time**
After the nuts have been soaked, drain them and blend them in a high powered blender separately. The macademia nuts should resemble a ricotta cheese when blended. Add water or lemon juice to keep your blender from overheating and to get the right consistency. Then once complete, throw in a bowl. Do the same for the cashews and throw in the same bowl.

Now add the basil, oregano, pepper, yeast and artichokes until well mixed. I didn't put amounts for the spices because you should taste it to see what you like. Add small amounts at first, mix, then taste. If it doesn't taste flavorful yet, add more spice because it certain won't change while baking!!

Then cook the shells or noodles in a pot of water until al dente, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, separate and lay flat to cool. Stuff with the "cheese" mixture and set aside. (If you are using lasagna noodles just dollup a little "cheese" in the middle of the noodle and roll it up!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the sauce, heat your onions in a hot stainless steel skilled. You don't need oil if the pan is hot enough because the onions will release their own juices! Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, basil and other spices you might like! Saute for 1 minute and add a bit of red wine to deglaze the pan. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces.

Spread a little of the sauce to coat the bottom of a cassorole dish. Then add the stuffed shells (or the rolls) to the dish. Then coat with another layer of sauce, making sure each shell is covered. Throw in the oven for about 40 minutes and serve. YUM!