If you are living a busy life, have a family, and/or are always press for time, making home cooked meals everyday may be a challenging task. In those situations, going to the grocery store or even cooking a meal after a long day at work, can be very draining. Although meal planning is a great way to make sure you make your delicious and healthy meals at home, they may also require a lot of time for grocery shopping, preparing and cooking. But now there is a solution for that!
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Asparagus is a nutrient packed spring vegetable that is showing up again on our grocery shelves. They are high in folic acid and are a good source of Vitamin A, B6, C, Thiamin (B1) potassium, and fiber!
If you’ve been following the recent nutrition trends, you might have seen an increase in gluten-free products and the promotion of their use. With the increasing number of published books, articles and many celebrities promoting a gluten-free lifestyle, you might be wondering whether gluten is bad for you.
The start of a new year is the perfect time to make changes in our lives. Many of us wait for this moment to start some sort of behavioral change as a New Year’s resolution. When deciding on a goal, one way to ensure that you’re going to be successful is to make them into S.M.A.R.T goals.
Do you love cooking? Are you running out of space for all your kitchen appliances? Are you tired of washing too many pots?
If you are looking for that one tool that can do it all (well, almost!), we have a solution for you.
It’s Pomegranate season!
Pomegranate is a beautiful and delicious fruit that has many uses and health benefits. Pomegranates are unusually used in baking, cooking, juice blends, garnishes, and smoothies. They are a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, C, and E, as well as folic acid and also contain antioxidant, antiviral, and antitumor properties.
There is not a clear answer for this; however, intermittent fasting should not be treated as an effective weight loss strategy. Many do experience weight loss, but intermittent fasting is difficult to sustain long-term and weight gain will most likely follow after one resumes a regular diet.
It’s getting close to the holiday season, a time for heart-warming sweets and holiday parties. Shortly after this festive time comes New Year’s Resolutions of losing that holiday weight gain and eating healthier. Instead of feeling guilty, let’s talk about healthier recipes and how to mindfully indulge to enjoy yourself without missing out on pumpkin pie and other delicious treats.
You probably spend a lot of time buying quality ingredients and putting a lot of effort into preparing healthy and safe meals for your loved ones and yourselves. However, all these efforts can be wasted if you are using certain types of cookware.
If you’ve watched or heard about the new Netflix documentary”What the health” by Kip Andersen, you might be tempted to throw out all animal products you have in your fridge and adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet. But before embarking on an animal product free diet, here are a few points to consider.
Let’s BEET the Heat!
It is summer time and beets are in abundance! Time to add some beautiful colors to our meals and try new recipes.
After an eight-year hiatus, the United States nutrition facts label is receiving a makeover! The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a set of new requirements for food manufacturers. The goal is to make it easier for customers to know what exactly is in their foods and to assist these customers in making healthier choices.
An average medium sized banana contains about 14 grams of sugar, which is about 53% of its total 105 calories.
It’s a new season, which means new produce and new recipes to try! This month’s post features the parsnip, a root vegetable that is related to the carrot. Parsnips look like a white version of carrots and can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
Summer is just around the corner and the majority of us are looking forward to warmer temperatures and more time outdoors. This also means an increase in fun food opportunities like barbeques and picnics with friends and family.
As we get ready to put our winter clothes away, and prepare for spring, its always exciting to learn about the seasons freshest produce. There are many delicious fruits and vegetables that are “spring friendly”, but one that is both tastes and looks good is beets.
One of the newest nutrition trends on the rise has been the conception of alternative pastas. This newest trend has become particularly popular due to the increased interest in low carb, paleo and gluten free diets causing many people to gravitate toward swapping out their big bowl of wheat pasta for a substitute that has a similar taste and flavor without the high carbohydrate load.
Seasonal Recipe: Clementines
Written by Kelli Baker | Reviewed by Adiana Castro MS, RDN, CDN, CLT
During the month of March Clementines can give us a refreshing break from some of the more heavier dishes we were enjoying during the winter months. A citrus fruit somewhere between an orange and a tangerine, Clementines are juicy, sweet, and less acidic than an orange. They are typically easy to peel and divide into 7-14 segments. Clementines are high in vitamin C and folate and are not only are they great to throw in your bag for a quick snack but can also be incorporated into some lovely dishes such as the ones below.
Roasted Chicken With Clementines
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 55 Mins.
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
6 ½ tablespoons Arak (or Ouzo or Pernod)
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed clementine juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
3 tablespoons light brown sugar or honey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 bone-in chicken pieces (a mix of thighs and drumsticks is nice)
4 clementines, unpeeled, sliced thin
A few sprigs of thyme
2-3 medium onions cut lengthwise then into quarters
2 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together arak, oil, clementine and lemon juices, mustard, brown sugar and salt. Season with pepper to taste.
2. Marinate chicken with mixture, clementine slices, thyme sprigs, onion pieces, and crushed fennel seeds in a large mixing bowl or zip lock back. Turn several times to coat. Marinate chicken for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. After 30 minutes, check on the chicken. If the skin is browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 400 degrees F and continue roasting until the skin is brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes longer.
4. Transfer chicken and Clementines and onion pieces with juices to a serving platter. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe by: alexandracooks.com
Effortless Clementine, Carrot and Mint Salad
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
12 clementines, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled
1 teaspoon red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 handful fresh mint leaves, torn
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Once the clementines are peeled slice them horizontally, like the equator. You should be able to get about 5-6 slices from each clementine. Arrange them on a large platter, overlapping slightly.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots directly on top of the clementine slices. They will create loose curly cues on top.
3. Sprinkle chopped red onion over the salad.
4. Pick fresh mint leaves off their stems. When you have a good handful, give them a rough tear, arrange on top of the salad anywhere that needs color.
5. Drizzle with a healthy dose of olive oil, and coarse salt.
Recipe by: Food 52.com
Clementine Granita
Prep: 30 mins.
Total Time: 3 Hours 40 mins.
Servings: 4
Yield: Makes 12
INGREDIENTS:
12 clementines, plus 12 more for juicing
½ cup sugar
1 slice (½ inch) peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Slice the top ½ inch off each clementine; reserve. Cut around flesh and scoop out into a sieve set over a bowl; reserve skins and be careful not to tear them. Press flesh to extract juice. Squeeze in juice from tops. (You’ll have about 1 cup.) Juice more clementines to yield 2 cups.
2. Moisten clementine skins with some juice or water. Roll skins in ¼ cup sugar to coat. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
3. Bring remaining ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup water, and ginger to a boil in a saucepan, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Let stand for 30 minutes; discard ginger. Stir in 2 cups juice and the lemon juice; transfer to a nonreactive 8-inch square-baking dish. Freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
4. Scrape granite with a fork to fluff. Spoon granita into clementine “cups.” Freeze for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe by: Marthastewart.com
True Or False: I have to eliminate dairy for weight loss
Written by Kelli Baker | Reviewed by Jennifer Calo MS, RDN, CDN, CDE, CLT
The idea that you need to eliminate dairy for weight loss is false. This statement has been emphasized recently in the media due to the popularity of certain diets like Paleo and “Whole 30” who claim that dairy is inflammatory, disrupts hormone balance and slows metabolism. These unsubstantiated claims often scare people away from a great source of nutrition that may be just fine for them to consume. In the past, the dairy industry touted that consumption of milk could actually promote weight loss. It is no wonder people are confused by all the mixed messages surrounding dairy intake! As usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Dairy is not a miracle food that allows the weight to just shed off nor is it the enemy for weight loss. The truth is that unless you are lactose intolerant or have a dairy allergy or sensitivity there is no reason why it can’t be part of your daily balanced diet.
There are many benefits to dairy that you could be missing by eliminating it from your diet entirely. To start, dairy is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals. For example, one cup of skim milk contains 8g of protein, 299mg calcium and only 83 calories while a 6g container of cottage cheese provides 20g of protein, 154mg of calcium and 146 calories. Similarly a 6oz container of plain nonfat greek yogurt has 18g of protein, 201mg calcium and 100 calories per serving. The combination of protein and carbohydrate in milk makes it an excellent post workout recovery meal. Additionally, dairy products like yogurt and kefir provide the body with necessary probiotics helping to stimulate healthy digestive function.
Of course we want to watch out for added sugars and saturated fat when choosing dairy products. When consuming dairy, be wary of yogurts that have added sugar. It is best to get plain yogurt and add your own fruits, nuts and/or granola for flavor. Also, be aware of the fat content of the dairy you are choosing and the portion sizes. It is okay to consume some cheese that contains a higher fat content such as 1%, 2% or full fat, but just be sure to limit the portion size to about 1 ounce daily, to keep calories in check. Additionally, it will be important to balance out the amount of saturated fat throughout your day. For example, if you choose to consume whole milk in your morning coffee and cereal or some cheese in your midday sandwich, you might choose a leaner cut of meat for lunch and dinner like chicken breast or turkey. The key is to create balance through moderation and choose the lower fat options as much as possible.
If weight loss is your goal, remember that dairy can be an important nutritional component providing an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Unless you are having difficulty digesting dairy or have an allergy towards it, there is no reason to be afraid that it will hinder your weight loss efforts!
Grapefruits are a cross between a pomelo and an orange, but their name came from the fact that they grew in clusters similar to grapes. They vary in hue from white or yellow, to pink and red, and can also range in taste of acidic, sweet, bitter, or sugary. Grapefruits are available throughout the year, but peak between the months of November and June.