Summer’s Perfect Side Dish

Memorial Day is here, which in my opinion is the official start of the summer barbeque season!  In fact, my friend is hosting one this weekend and I was asked to bring a side dish.  Not wanting to do the traditional mayonnaise-based potato or pasta salad, which are super high in saturated fat and lacking any real nutritional value, I racked my brain thinking of a better option.  The hostess is already providing fresh fruit and a caprese salad (yum!), so those were out.  Then I remembered this beauty of a recipe that my sister-in-law makes – a bean salad with cilantro dressing!  Perfect!

The heart of this dish is the 4 different varieties of beans – kidney, black, garbanzo and black eyes peas.  All beans are a good source of protein, fiber, iron and zinc and the phytocehmicals they contain are thought to be protective of cancer. 

The beans are great and all, but the dressing is what really shines in this recipe.  Garlic, a root vegetable, and also part of the aromatics family brings flavor to any dish.  It is believed that eating garlic regularly may reduce atherosclerosis as well as some cancers.  The jalapeno adds a “kick” of vitamins A and C along with the chemical capsaicin, which may improve overall digestion.  With its distinct flavor and scent, cilantro provides both vitamins A and K, phytochemicals and may help lower cholesterol levels.  Lastly, there’s the olive oil.  Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, which without getting too technical means it has only one double bond and is liquid at room temperature.  Olive oil may help protect your heart by lowering cholesterol levels, aiding in blood clotting and regulating blood glucose levels.

Four Bean Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:

Cilantro, garlic and jalapeno

1 15oz can each, drained, of:
    black eyed peas
    garbanzo beans
   kidney beans

    black beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed & seeded

1 small bunch cilantro

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp ground cumin (I usually do 1 ½)

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1)  Place beans in a large colander; rinse well under cold running water.  Drain thoroughly; transfer

to a large bowl.

2)  Pulse garlic and jalapeno in a food processor; add cilantro, oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, cumin,

and salt.  Process until well combined. 

Dressing should look like this!

3)  Pour dressing over beans; toss.  Stir well.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note:  This salad always tastes better after a day of marinating, so I prepare it 24-48 hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge!

Final product...yum!

So, not only is this side dish good for you, but it also tastes good….seriously good!  I promise this salad will be the hit of any summer barbeque or picnic (oh…Ravinia!).  Plus, its vegan and nut and gluten free, so all can enjoy!

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

National Salad Month: Iceberg Will be Green With Envy!

With the warmer weather upon us and everything looking greener, it only makes sense that May is National Salad Month!  What better way to take advantage of your garden or local farmer’s market than with a great, refreshing salad?!

Salads are a such an easy way to get a serving or two of veggies in, but don’t get stuck in a rut by limiting yourself to the same-old boring chef’s salad.  Did you know that iceberg lettuce, a staple in the chef salad, is almost all water and basically void of any nutrients?  Shockingly, iceberg lettuce is one of the most commonly consumed vegetables right up there with the potato (i.e. french fry)!

Freshening up your salad routine can be as easy as swapping out your greens.  Choosing one of these darker, leafier greens over iceberg will provide you with vitamins A, C and K as well as potassium, calcium, iron and fiber!  Not to mention, these greens each have a distinct flavor and can add a little more depth to your salad. 

Not sure where to begin?  Here are a few of my favorite salad greens with links to some delicious recipes:

Kale

1.       Kale – This “superfood” has gained extreme popularity over the last few years amongst foodies and dietitians alike!  The taste is mild although slightly bitter and has some hints of cabbage.  The leaves are broad and ruffled and can range in color from deep green to purple.  Here is an easy kale salad starter recipe that you can add your favorite ingredients to.



Cabbage

2.       Cabbage – Although most known for its use in coleslaw, cabbage is also a great green for a traditional salad.  Varieties include green and red (purple) and have a slightly bitter or sharp taste.  The leaves should be crisp and crunchy.  Explore cabbage with this beautiful salad recipe.

Arugula

3.       Arugula – Often used in a mix of greens (mesculin), arugula adds texture and flavor to any salad.  Its leaves are dark green and tender and taste spicy or mustard-like.  Check out this recipe for a simple, refreshing arugula salad.



Spinach



4.       Spinach – Most commonly eaten cooked, spinach is also great raw.  I love using baby spinach leaves as the starter green for my salads.  The leaves are usually smooth, green and tender and taste slightly bitter.  Because of its bitterness its often paired with sweet strawberries as in this yummy salad.

Remember to keep your salad healthy by avoiding large amounts of dairy, croutons or cream-based dressings. Instead, dress your salads with nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruits and berries and lean protein. And choosing an olive-oil or vinegar based dressing will help you save on saturated fat and calories!

So whether you find them at the grocery store, the farmer’s market or even your own backyard, I hope this guide inspires you to try and boost your salad with some of these nutritious greens!   

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

Building a Better Breakfast

I’ve heard all the excuses for skipping breakfast in the morning.  “I don’t have enough time.”  “I can’t eat first thing after waking up.”  “All I need is a cup of coffee to get me going.”  Make all the excuses you want, but when 3:00 pm rolls around those same people are lined up at the vending machine because they are starving!  If this seems familiar, you're not alone!

But here's the deal, as cliché as it may sound, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Research continues to show that skipping breakfast causes us to be tired and irritable.  What is even more alarming is that skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity!  Multiple studies show that overweight and obese adults and children are less likely to eat breakfast than their thinner peers.  When we skip breakfast, we are more likely to eat more food than usual at our next meal or munch on high-calorie snacks to fend off the hunger!

Ok, so I’ve convinced you to start eating breakfast – hooray!  But now you’re probably wondering what to eat.  I suggest foods that are high in protein and fiber because those nutrients tend to keep us satiated, or feeling fuller, longer.  Sorry, but cinnamon rolls, muffins and fruit loops won’t cut it!  You’ll most likely end up crashing mid-morning and be more likely to over-indulge at lunch.  This does not mean however, that you need to exclude carbohydrates from breakfast completely, but just make sure they are 100% whole grains, high in fiber and accompanied by a good protein source.

Here are a few examples of my go-to breakfasts that are high in protein and fiber and take less than 5 minutes to make!



1.       A two egg veggie omelet with one slice of 100% whole wheat toast.  I like to use mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach in mine.

2.       One serving of old-fashioned oatmeal.  Add 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter, 1 apple chopped, 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

3.       A smoothie made of 6 oz of Greek yogurt, 6 oz of milk (I use soy milk), 1 banana, ½ cup of blueberries and 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed.

4.       Dinner leftovers also can be used for breakfast, a concept my friend and fellow RD, Tera Naset, introduced me to.  Who says you can’t have chicken and broccoli for breakfast, right?  Or, add those leftover proteins to your omelet!

Try it out for yourself and take my breakfast challenge!  Eat a low-protein, high carbohydrate breakfast, such as pancakes every morning for a week.  At the end of each day, record how you felt (tired, happy, hungry) and what you ate for the rest of the day.  The next week, eat one of my packed breakfast suggestions above, or one of your own high-protein recipes and record the same.   Let me know your results!

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

Celebrating Food 365 Days a Year!

As my wedding day quickly approaches (12 days away), things have become a little hectic around here!  Between working full time, planning, the wedding itself and then honeymooning (woo-whoo!) time is going to be little short.   I don’t think I’ll have another chance after today to write for about three weeks, but I wanted to give you all something to look forward to while the blog is on hiatus.  And that, is Food Holidays!! 

All you have to do is google “food holidays” to see that there is something delicious to celebrate 365 days a year!  Some of my personal favorites include National Chocolate Cake Day (February 27^th), National Cheese Day (June 4^th) and National Coffee Day (Sept. 29^th)! 

So below is a list of some great ones for you to rejoice in over the next few weeks.   And did you know, today is National Waffle Day?!?  I found out too late to enjoy it this morning but now, I’m thinking “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) is in order!

March (National Nutrition Month, National Celery Month, National Peanut Month)

3/26       Spinach Day

3/31       Oranges and Lemons Day

April (National Garlic Month, National BLT Sandwich Month, National Soy Foods Month)

4/1         National Sourdough Bread Day

4/7         Coffee Cake Day

4/14       National Pecan Day

4/16       Day of the Mushroom

4/25       National Zucchini Bread Day

4/30       National Raisin Day

How will you celebrate these food holidays?  Feel free to share any days I may have missed or any recipes you think would be fitting to honor them!

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

Guinness-Cheers to Your Health!

Ah, St. Patrick’s Day!  A day to feast on really fatty foods, talk with a fake Irish accent, color everything green (from pancakes, to beer, to our waterways), and of course, drink a pint of Guinness.  I’m not one of those people who can drink Guinness on a regular basis, but I do like to enjoy one every St. Patrick’s Day with my corned beef and cabbage (and a shot of Jameson -sshhhh)!  It turns out however, I could maybe stand to drink a pint more often. 

You see, compared to other beers, Guinness does have some redeeming qualities.  Interestingly, those old ads, such as the one above, came about because people claimed to “feel better” after drinking a Guinness.  Go figure, right?

Those ads may not have been that far off though.  Guinness has about 125 calories per 12 oz pint, which is about 25 calories less than most other beers of the same size.  It also contains trace amounts of calcium and iron (though not enough to be considered a good source), which is where the old recommendation for pregnant women to drink it came from.    

Additionally, a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin and presented at the 2003 American Heart Association’s annual conference found that Guinness contained high amounts of the antioxidants known as flavonoids.  I would post a link to the study so you could read it for yourselves, but unfortunately it is unpublished.  Briefly, the researchers injected 8 dogs with either Guinness or Heineken and what they found was that the dogs injected with Guinness had less blood clots, making the claim that Guinness is good for your heart!

Now am I encouraging everyone to consume massive amounts of Guinness (or any alcohol for that matter)?  No, especially not pregnant women!  However, I don’t think the occasional pint of beer is going to harm you, and if you choose Guinness, it just might be good for you!

I’ll be enjoying my Guinness in this delicious looking recipe for dinner tonight.  Slainte!   

Vegetarian Guinness Stew  from www.thekitchn.com

(serves 6)

Ingredients:



picture courtesy of www.thekitchn.com

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 celery stalks
3 small onions
1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned
3 pounds russett potatoes, peeled
3 large carrots, peeled
1 tablespoon flour
One 11.2-ounce bottle of Guinness
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon vegetable base
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
4 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.       Finely chop celery, 2 of the onions and 4 mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add chopped vegetables. Cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion, potatoes and carrots into large chunks. Set aside.

3.       Add flour to the softened mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in Guinness and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until all vegetables are fork-tender, about 45 minutes.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

“May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience

and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint!”

-An Irish toast

Irish Soda Bread

National Nutrition Month continues and today, March 13^th, is National Registered Dietitian Day!  Happy RD Day to all my fellow RDs out there!

March also boasts one of my favorite holidays of the year - St. Patrick's Day!  I love that it celebrates my heritage, I love the bagpipe music and of course I love the food (and drinks)!  While the Irish may not be known for their culinary creativity (think meat and potatoes), I do appreciate the history and the recipes that are passed down generation to generation.  One such culinary delight, which I especially love is Irish Soda Bread, so I decided to delve a little into the history behind this baked treat!

What I discovered is that soda bread became an Irish tradition for three very practical reasons.  First, the climate in Ireland only allows for soft wheats.  This is significant because unlike hard wheats, soft wheats do not need yeast for leavening.  The second factor, sadly, was the widespread poverty that plagued Ireland during the 1800’s.  Traditionally, Irish Soda Bread was only made of four basic ingredients: flour, baking soda, soured milk and salt, which were common in every household, including the poor.  Third, most Irish homes did not have an oven and soda bread did not need an oven to bake.  It could be done in a cast-iron pot placed directly on burning coals.

The sweet, white, soda bread with raisins in it that most people (well, most Americans) think of today is actually what would be referred to as a tea bread or fruit soda in Ireland.  As mentioned above, traditional Irish Soda Bread contains only four basic ingredients and absolutely no fruit in it! 

I actually prefer the sweet American version and received this lovely recipe from my friend Lauren a few years ago.  It belongs to her grandma, Lucille Stewart, who is an amazing baker!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Irish Soda Bread

Dry Ingredients:

¼ cup sugar

3 cups flour (unbleached)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups golden raisins (you can use regular raisins if you can’t find the golden variety)

Wet Ingredients:

3 eggs beaten

1 ¾ cup of buttermilk (I use low-fat)

2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour loaf pan or cast iron skillet.

2.     Combine all the wet ingredients and set aside.

3.     Combine all the dry ingredients, including the raisins.  Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in.  Mix by hand just until combined, but don’t overwork.

4.     Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50-60 minutes.



Slice and serve warm with a little butter!

“Rye bread will do you good,

Barley bread will do you no harm,

Wheaten bread will sweeten your blood,

Oaten bread will strengthen your arm.”

-An Irish Blessing

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan

Overcoming Veggie-Phobia!

I love the television show the Biggest Loser.  Sure, I love watching the transformations and the feel-good stories, but one of the things I appreciate the most is the trainers’ tough-love and no B.S. attitudes.  Realizing that the psyche plays a huge role in obesity, the trainers are constantly challenging the contestants to think about their feelings and emotions and how they might be affecting their eating habits and overall health.  For example, the episode two weeks ago was all about facing fears.  There was the typical “I’m afraid of being alone” and “I’m afraid of heights”, but I was absolutely floored when they revealed one of the contestants fears!  You ready for this?  Vegetables!  No, seriously.  Bingo, one of the three child contestants featured this year, was afraid of vegetables!  I mean, what did a vegetable ever do to him?

But sadly, Bingo is not alone.  Now, personally, I’ve never heard someone say they are afraid of vegetables, but I have heard a lot of people say they hate them.  According to a study published in 2004, a shocking one-third of all vegetables consumed in the United States were in the form of french fries, potato chips or iceberg lettuce!  Where are the carrots, the spinach, the broccoli and the zucchini?  How can you hate or fear something that is so good for you?  Yes, there it is, the old “vegetables are good for you” line.  We’ve heard it a million times and we all know it is true, but does anyone ever really ask why they are good for you? What is it that they do?

Vegetables are amazing because of their nutritional powers!  Just a small portion, with little calories and fat, packs a big punch of fiber, vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals.  The fiber helps keep us feeling full longer, helps our digestive system run smoothly and can help lower our blood cholesterol levels.  Vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins, such as A, C and K and are high in potassium and calcium, all of which are essential to our body’s functions.  These phytochemicals are compounds found in plant-derived foods that have biological activity in the body.  In food, they impart tastes, aromas and colors.  Once consumed, in the body they act as antioxidants, mimic hormones and suppress the development of diseases such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.  Pretty cool, right?

So if you, or someone you know, is one of those who hate or are frightened by vegetables, I come bearing a solution. Here are my three easy tips to help you incorporate these nutritional powerhouses into your diet every day.

1.       Hide them.  Now, I’m not necessarily for lying to people about what they are eating but you do what you got to do!  You can blend vegetables in the form of a smoothie or puree them in with a marinara sauce.

2.       Dip them.  This works especially well for kids, because kids love to eat with their hands and dip foods.  Dip raw veggies such as carrots, radishes, or bell peppers into hummus, guacamole, or greek yogurt for a fun and nutritious snack!

3.       Transform them.  This requires a little bit of creative thinking but can be a really fun way to get your vegetables in.  Some of my favorite veggie transformations include spaghetti squash "pasta", mashed cauliflower and kale chips.     

Realistically, I don’t expect these tips to turn everyone into vegetable lovers.  Let’s face it, there will always be those who say that they eat plenty of french fries and “potatoes are vegetables, right?” (Ugh.)  But if I can cure at least one person of their veggie-phobia and get them to trade in a sweet potato for a french frie, then I’ve done my job!

Healthfully Yours,

Meghan