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!