Say Bye to the Two Bs at Meals: Boring and Bland!

Written by Taylor Horne
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Without question there is a wide range of attitudes toward a healthy diet in our society. At times thinking of eating well can have negativity associated with it – those bland vegetables that are pressured upon us, or the lean meats and starches that can seem to be lacking flavor. So what’s there to be done to change the approach to a healthy diet to make it more exciting? One of the easiest ways to spice up a nutritious diet is literally that simple, incorporating spices! What could be better than enriching the taste of the foods you consume while avoiding excess calories and getting added health benefits as well? Mixing spices with staple foods like pastas, eggs, vegetable dishes, and other starches and proteins will make a significant increase in the excitement of your mealtimes. Try these quick ideas:

-          Add cinnamon or nutmeg when making ground coffee

-          Replace the salt in your shaker on the dinner table with a new spice every week

These will allow you to occasionally skip on the flavored coffee and espresso drinks you love the flavor of that can be packed with calories and fat and also decrease the salt intake during meals at home. It also allows a chance to become familiar with and incorporate new spices into your everyday life! What are some spice and food combinations you’ve found to be particularly appealing? Have any of them been surprising?

You have complete control over the richness and tastes of the foods in your diet. Why settle for monotony when you could be giving your taste buds something to celebrate? Give some of these spices a try today! 

Image by Taylor Horne

Talk about an endless array to choose from...

Some articles for further reading:

Fox News

US News

References

Dhingra, D., Sharma, A. (2006). Antidepressant-like activity of n-hexane extract of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds in mice. Journal of Medicinal Food, 9(1), 84-89.

Martell, C. (2009, December 4). Spice Up Your Diet; Herbs, Spices Offer Health Benefits. Wisconsin State Journal, pp. C1. 

O’Neil, C. (2009, October 21). Spices boost health benefits, too. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. pg. 2D.

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Putting a Spin on a Classic Dish

Written by Shane Himes
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Growing up, spaghetti and meatballs were a staple meal in our home. We would eat this classic dish at least once a week. I say at least once a week because I love left over spaghetti! Next time you have leftovers try my personal favorite, a spaghetti sandwich. My grandmother used regular white flour pasta noodles, ground beef for the meatballs, and an amazing homemade tomato sauce.

A few months back, I decided to make a healthier and tastier alternative to this classic dish. 

·         I used brown rice pasta instead of white flour noodles. Switching to whole grain products instead of white flour products (such as the noodles most Americans use to make spaghetti) offers numerous healthy benefits. Some of these benefits include: lowering the risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and can help maintain a healthy weight.

·          Instead of ground beef I used a 99% lean ground turkey breast for the meatballs, which cuts down on the fat content of the meal. I based my meatballs on a recipe I found on food.com.

·         I used store bought sauce because of time constraints, but I did add fresh chopped garlic to it.

·          I added fresh roasted vegetables to make the dish more nutrient dense and more filling. I roasted the vegetables al dente to add some texture to this meal. To add flavor to the vegetables I use cayenne pepper and cumin, but pick your favorite spices and get creative.

·         As a final twist to this dish I added slices of avocado which adds a touch of coolness to the warm spaghetti.

·         Making a big pot will guarantee you left overs for several days which is wonderful for college students.

Image by Shane Himes

Recipes :

Vegetable: For the veggies I started by lightly drizzling olive oil onto the chopped vegetables that are on a cookie sheet. Season and place in oven at 375 degree F for 15-20 minutes. Use any veggies you like, get creative and let me know what you come up with.

Turkey Meatballs: 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1lb 99% lean ground turkey, 1 egg, ½ cup bread crumbs. Mix ingredients, roll meatballs about 1 inch in diameter, using vegetable oil and a fry pan cook meat balls for 5-6 minutes.

Pasta: Boil to preference.

Sauce: Heat in sauce pan.

References

Katcher, H. (2004) Summary of Recent Research on Whole Grains and Health. Retrieved from http://wholegrainscouncil.org/files/WGResearchSummary_WGCJan09.pdf 

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Spaghetti or Squash?

Written by Catelyn Hill
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Spaghetti is a food that many people enjoy eating; however, have you ever wanted to enjoy the taste of spaghetti without the extra carbohydrates and calories?  Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to choose,
and contains fewer calories and carbohydrates compared to normal spaghetti.  Spaghetti contains on average about 200 calories and 42 grams of carbohydrates per serving (2 ounces).  However, spaghetti squash contains only 70 calories and around 17 carbohydrates per serving.  A serving of spaghetti squash is about 4 ounces, and one spaghetti squash serves four people.  Why wouldn't you choose the option that combines the delicious taste of spaghetti with a third of the calories?

Image by Catelyn Hill

Not only is spaghetti squash full of vitamins and minerals that our body needs, it is also an excellent side to pair with meatballs or any other dish that you would normally eat with some type of pasta.  Vitamin C and vitamin B6 are two important vitamins found in spaghetti squash, and as many of you know, vitamin C is a good antioxidant, and vitamin B6 is important for energy metabolism.  Calcium is also found in spaghetti squash, and helps maintain healthy bones.

With all the added nutritional advantages of spaghetti squash, why wouldn't you choose the option that has fewer calories, and will help you get in a serving of vegetables?  Not only is spaghetti squash a tasty vegetable, it only takes 30 minutes to make!  Here's a quick and easy recipe to try at home!

• Place spaghetti squash in microwave for 30 seconds (this will help soften the squash before you cut it)
• Preheat oven to 375 F, cut spaghetti squash in half
• Place squash on cookie sheet, upside down (with flat side facing down)
• Cook in oven for 30-35 minutes, until tender

After squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and use a fork to rake out the squash inside.  I like to add parmesan cheese and tomato sauce to my spaghetti squash to add a little flavor.  You could also add some garlic to make it more flavorful.  Let me know how it is after you give this a try?  It looks just like spagehtti, and tastes good, too!

References

Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture. (2014).  Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3243fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=spaghetti+squash 

Learn to cook spaghetti squash.  (2014).  Retrieved February 20, 2014, from https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/learn-­‐cook-­‐spaghetti-­‐squash 

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Don't Doubt Dark Chocolate

Written by Nicole Guyette
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Many people think chocolate is sinful, but what if this isn’t true? Chocolate actually has some great qualities. What? Sounds crazy, right? Except, it’s not. Chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, has a ton of health benefits found in its delicious taste. Don’t believe me? Well, you’re in for a treat.

Image by Nicole Guyette

Choose DARK options!

Dark chocolate has high levels of cocoa with little added sugar. When eaten in moderation, dark chocolate has a lot of benefits. What are those benefits? I thought you’d never ask. Dark chocolate can have positive effect on cholesterol levels by lowering LDL cholesterol. The antioxidants in dark chocolate can decrease blood clots, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure. Did I debunk the myth? Are you convinced that chocolate isn’t always bad for you? It’s okay, there’s more. Dark chocolate can increase levels of serotonin and endorphin in the brain, increasing your mood while eating it. When eaten regularly, it has even been shown to help cognitive function in older populations. On top of all that, it contains important minerals such as calcium and potassium. Keep in mind, this is only true for dark chocolate. Milk, white, and other forms of chocolate don’t have these benefits!

Now, this doesn’t mean you should run to the store, buy the biggest bag of dark chocolate and eat it all in one sitting. Dark chocolate is only good in moderation. In fact, 7 oz a week (1 oz a day) is the recommended intake. That’s about a business card’s worth of chocolate a day!

So go ahead and eat some guilt free dark chocolate. Remember to always look for DARK on labels! How are you going to enjoy yours? A mug of dark hot chocolate? Dark chocolate covered fruit? Always remember, you can enjoy the taste of eating right!

References

University of Michigan Integrative Medicine. (n.d.). Dark chocolate. Retrieved from http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/dark_chocolate.htm

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Your "Apple a Day" Made Fun

Written by Kelli George
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

We have all heard that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, right?  But who really feels like eating a plain apple EVERY SINGLE DAY?  Apples are delicious, but I know that I am not the only one who gets tired of eating the same foods all the time.  I am always looking for new ways to switch up the way I fix my healthy fruits and vegetables to make them even more appealing.  

Image by Kelli George

One of my favorite healthy snacks is a play on the typical apple and peanut butter combination.  Instead of just an apple with peanut butter spread on it, you also top the apple slices with some granola and dark chocolate chips!  (Because who doesn’t love an excuse to eat more chocolate?)  Eating the whole apple with the peanut butter, granola, and chocolate chips provides nearly ½ of the recommended daily protein intake for most adults (0.8-1 gram per kilogram of body weight) (CDC, 2012).  That’s half of your protein needs in one snack!  I personally use dry oatmeal as my granola choice, but you can always have fun with it and add some flavored granola, mixed nuts, or any other topping that appeals to you.

Not only is this snack packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats, but as an added bonus it is so much more filling than simply eating a plain apple.  When it comes to eating fruits and vegetables, sometimes it can be easy to sacrifice taste for nutrition.  This snack is definitely an exception to that fact because it just tastes so good!

I think the most common theme here is finding snacks that are healthy yet tasty!  What are other ways that you like to make your fruits and vegetables fun and tasty?

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Protein. Retrieved from website:

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html

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Delicious AND Healthy Chocolate Pudding...Is It Possible?! Yes! It Is!

Written by Ashley Francis
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

If you are a picky-eater like me, trying new recipes and finding ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet is challenging. I mean it is really tough! My favorite staple-foods (sweet-treats, steak, and potatoes) offer little nutritional benefit. I also love high-fat meals because they quickly satisfy my hunger. Coincidentally, I am super passionate about nutrition and health, and as you can imagine, this sometimes presents a real challenge!

Image by Ashley Francis

If you also have this problem, TRY THIS RECIPE! It will help you enjoy the taste of eating right! Full of fiber, good fats, vitamins and minerals, this recipe is delicious and nutritious. The ingredients may make you second-guess my claims, but this chocolate pudding will please even the pickiest eater. Here’s what you’ll need:

·         2 avocados (pitted and peeled)

·         1 cup almond milk

·         ¾ cup maple syrup

·         ¾ cup cocoa powder

·         1 tsp. vanilla extract

·         ¼ tsp. cinnamon

·         A pinch of salt

Image by Ashley Francis

Simply toss everything into a blender, run for about 2-3 minutes, and voila! Yummy pudding that tastes NOTHING like the nutritious ingredients it’s made from. Skeptical? Try it out just to see if it’s really possible to make a chocolate pudding from avocados. I have a feeling your curiosity will get the best of you; and you may end up licking the bowl when you’re done because it’s so delicious! This sweet treat is high in calories because of the healthy fats in avocados and the sugar in maple syrup, so it’s not a daily indulgence. Keep your serving size to ½ cup.

Taste is such an important part of eating. This recipe proves that eating right can still taste good – even for picky eaters. What do you think? Are you willing to give chocolate avocado pudding a try?

References

Duyff, R. (2013, April).  365 Days of healthy eating from the American Dietetic Association: a to avocados. Retrieved from: http://www.eatright.org/kids/tip.aspx?id=6442462343&terms=avocados

Montminy, Z. (2013, Dec. 6). A good for you chocolate pudding you can’t resist. Retrieved from: http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Chocolate-Pudding-Recipe-Raw-Vegan-26106273

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Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Written by Erin Ford
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

Photo by Caroline Stephenson

It’s 8pm and so far you’ve stuck to your decision to live a healthier life. You woke up early and prepared a delicious breakfast, packed a colorful meal for lunch at work, and made stir-fry packed with so much zest and flavor you thought you were in Thailand.

But as you relax on the couch, enjoying your favorite TV show, you get an urge. You want anything sweet; no make that, everything sweet. In a moment of weakness you find yourself indulging in a pint of double chocolate chip ice cream. 

We’ve all experienced the magical force that makes ice cream randomly appear in our lap. I understand, you accomplished eating tasty and nutritional meals all day but you want to satisfy your sweet tooth too.

Do you have a serious love and appreciation for Pinterest like I do? If yes, then this is a great site to visit for more fun and creative ideas for healthier desserts. Before you click over to Pinterest, here are some ways you can “indulge” in the sweets without ruining your day of hard work to fit in all your veggies.

-Fruit based Frozen Yogurt or Fruit Sorbet

-Frozen yogurt and sorbet contain less calories and fat on average than ice cream. These items can be tangy, sweet, or tart and leave you feeling refreshed while ice cream leaves you feeling weighed down and thirsty.

-Chopped fruit dipped in chocolate

-Chop up any fruits you can find, melt some dark chocolate, dip, and savor the delicate balance of rich and tangy flavors.

-This allows you to get your chocolate fix while enjoying an intense and sophisticated flavor.

Remember, it’s okay to eat that square of Dove chocolate staring you down, don’t be too strict with food. These are just quick sugar fixes to satisfy you without putting a dent in your healthy day. Take these suggestions and apply them to your favorite nighttime snack. For example, turn the chocolate dip idea into a fondue fountain when you have all your friends over! How can you make your guilty pleasure a little less guilty?

References

Cunningham, E. (2013, April). Stop the cravings. Retrieved from:

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442469608 

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