My Plate

Just wanted to share with you all that the USDA has replaced the Food Pyramid with a new image. I think it is much clearer than the Food Pyramid and will make meal planning easier.

Here are their recommendations:

Balancing Calories
● Enjoy your food, but eat less.
● Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
● Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
● Make at least half your grains whole grains.
● Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
● Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
● Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

And here are my own recommendations to keep in mind:

• Use a smaller plate to keep portions in check. And eat only until you’re 80% full.

• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eat what is in season and grown locally.

• Vary your protein sources. Whether you eat meat and dairy or not, try to get a variety of protein sources in your diet. If you do eat meat, don’t forget beans, peas, nuts and seeds. The USDA states that in general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Protein Foods Group. The amount of protein you need is dependent on your sex, age, weight and physical activity.

• Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Avoid foods with hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, artificial sweetener and additives. And keep in mind that most packaged foods will have higher sodium content.

• Move! Get some sort of exercise every day.

At www.choosemyplate.gov there are many more tips and resources for choosing healthy options. They also have tips for pregnant/breastfeeding mothers, preschoolers, kids, and weight loss.

Bob's Red Mill

Today, Joy and I picked up my mom from work and went to lunch at Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store. They have a small store which sells grains, breads, baked goods, dried fruit, and a variety of organic and all-natural items from local companies. They also have a restaurant where they use these products. They have a great selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals. Joy ate whole grain pancakes that were served with real maple syrup and a fruit cup (they serve breakfast until 3 pm). I had a really good garden burger sandwich, and my mom had a grilled tomato and cheese sandwich with a cup of broccoli cheddar soup. We were all very satisfied. Everything was made with whole grains and was all natural. No artificial ingredients or additives. And reasonably priced! So if you're in the Milwaukie, Oregon area, I highly recommend checking it out for a casual meal or to pick up a couple grocery items. And if not, their products are sold at most major grocery stores all over the country. And if you're out of the country, you can order their products online. I've had to order stuff that my local store didn't carry, too. They have over 400 products, including a whole line of gluten free items. We bought a package of the Vegi Soup Mix, which has green split peas, yellow split peas, barley, lentils and vegetable pasta. I will post a recipe later if it turns out well!

Now, not only was it a great experience at the restaurant and store, but we actually met Bob! Bob, the founder and owner of Bob's Red Mill! Now that might not seem too exciting to the average American, but to a health fanatic like me, he's famous. He was eating lunch two tables away, and when he got up, he stopped and talked to Joy and gave her a token for a free cookie. We talked for a few minutes and he told us we should do a mill tour one day. He was very friendly and personable. He has actually turned the company over to be employee owned. He teaches cooking classes, too, along with other chefs. Good guy. So that was kind of exciting!

You can look up information on the company, products, classes, recipes and menus online.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/
Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store, 5000 SE International Way, Milwaukie , OR 97222

Garden Burger Sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread, toasted
1 garden burger patty
guacamole or avocado
sauteed mushrooms
1 slice Swiss cheese
lettuce
tomato

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Crisps

I’m usually a chewy, doughy kind of cookie eater, but lately I am loving crispy, light cookies. These are perfect for curbing my craving. Now I know this is a health and nutrition blog so here’s my rationale: If you are going to indulge in a sweet craving, it is so much better to make your own home-made treats using whole, organic foods than to buy something highly processed and full of artificial stuff. And I know I don’t have time to be baking treats all the time, so we’re not eating them constantly. And sometimes it’s better for your overall health (maybe the mental part more than the physical) to give in to those cravings. And I don’t feel guilty because I went to the gym today and plan to tomorrow too! I’m sure you can all come up with your own excuses to make these cookies once in a while! If not, borrow some of mine. So now I’m going to sit down with my tea and cookie and watch an episode or two of The Office.

Besides being delicious, I do like that these cookies don’t call for flour-you put part of the oatmeal called for into a food processor until it’s about the consistency of whole wheat flour. But, if you are on a strict gluten free diet, be careful because even though oats that are grown completely isolated from wheat should be free of gluten, most oats are grown in close proximity to and processed on shared equipment with wheat. I think that Bob’s Red Mill produces a gluten free oatmeal if that is something you’re looking for.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – I use Smart Balance sticks – slightly softened
1 ½ cups organic light brown sugar
2 large organic eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Put 2 cups of the oatmeal in a food processor and process it until finely ground and floury.

Cream the butter until soft and smooth. Mix in the brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the ground and whole oatmeal, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until blended. Add the chocolate chips and mix just until blended.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the pan. I made smaller cookies, so I don’t over-indulge; I know I can’t eat just one! Leave 2-3 inches between them, as they will spread. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on the pan, then store in an airtight container. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Source: I got this recipe off the back of my Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Light Brown Sugar package. It is from Executive Pastry Chef Gale Gand, author, host of Food Network’s Sweet Dreams and co-owner of Tru in Chicago.

Sustainable Living

I've compiled a list of things you can do to make your lifestyle a little more sustainable. These will not only benefit the earth, but your pocketbook as well. They might seem simple and the savings might not pay the mortgage, but taking little steps will make a difference over time. One key to sustainable living is to simplify. The more we simplify, the less money we are spending on unnecessary items. And it's good for the Earth, so nobody loses!

Farmer's Markets: I know I've said this before, but finding a farmer's market and using it on a regular basis can make a big difference. Not only will the food taste better, but you will be supporting the local economy. And why send our hard earned money elsewhere when it can stay local? My advice on shopping at a farmer's market - make a list of things you need before you go. It is easy to get carried away! You can keep it simple, maybe just eggs and a few varieties of fruits and vegetables. But be open to trying one or two new things that you find...just don't overload on things you've never tried (or heard of) before.

Bottled Water: Buy a couple reusable water bottles (or better yet, dig out the ones you already have and never use) and stop buying plastic bottled water. It is amazing the waste from these. And bottled water isn't any cleaner or purer than your own filtered tap water. So invest in a Brita and start saving money and reducing your waste.

Eliminate Wasting Food: One of my biggest annoyances is when I have to throw food away. Not only because it's wasteful, but mostly because I paid for that food. Plan to eat leftovers a couple nights a week, or take them in your lunch. When you clear the table after dinner, portion out lunch for the next day so you don't have to do it later. It also makes it easier to eat a healthy lunch, you won't be tempted to grab fast food if you have a leftover home-made meal waiting for you. Simply planning out what you will eat for the week and making a shopping list once a week will save on wasted food and wasted time. The more prepared you are the better you will eat.

Use Cloth Napkins and Rags: Cutting down on paper products might save you a lot of money. I've heard of families going through a roll of paper towels in a day. That will add up. As my dish towels and washrags get old and stained, I turn them into cleaning rags. The cost of washing these is much lower than the cost of paper towels. Investing in and using cloth napkins will lower your waste too. Plus they look nice and feel nice!

Water Conservation: This one might bring you back to first grade when you learned to turn off the water when you brush your teeth and to take shorter showers. But it's a good reminder. Fill a bowl or pot you're washing with a little soap and water and use that to rinse all your dishes. You can do this while you're cooking dinner and drop everything into the pot to soak until after you eat and are ready to wash dishes. Plus it makes clean-up much faster.

Cleaners: You can buy expensive cleaners or you can make your own "green" cleaners at home. White distilled vinegar, mixed with some lemon, will kill most mold and bacteria in your kitchen. (More cleaning "recipes" at http://www.vinegartips.com/) Try replacing one cleaning product with one you make and then go from there. Search the web, experiment and then share with me the ones you like the best!

Recycle: This is a fairly obvious one, but it doesn't take any extra time to put your paper in a recycling bin than in the trash, yet so many people don't do it. Under our sink we have our trash can and a recycle can right next to it. They are the same size, but one is black and one is white. It's so easy to recycle, there is no excuse not to. Look up what is accepted in your weekly pick-up and if there is something you use a lot of that isn't accepted, put it aside in the garage for a few weeks and take it to the local recycling center. When our boxes start piling up in the garage Matt will break them all down and take them to our local landfill, where they have a recycling center. So once every few months we have to make more of an effort than just choosing which bin to throw something in.

Reusable storage: Use your Tupperware or storage containers instead of Ziploc bags. I like the glass storage because you can stick leftovers right back in the oven or microwave to heat up and not have an extra dish to wash. You can also reuse butter tubs or glass jars from pasta sauces and applesauce. Having a variety of sizes and shapes will help, too. If you google "reusable sandwich bags" (or look on etsy.com) you can also find tons of people who make snack bags that you can use in place of plastic bags. They are good for toting around snacks for your little ones, and I know I never leave the house without a snack for Joy.

And if you're looking for a good cookbook, try Sustainably Delicious by Michael Nischan. He has more tips, plus some great recipes. OK, I'm going to get one more tip in here...get a library card! Don't spend so much money on books you'll read once or cookbooks you use once in a while. I check out so many cookbooks from the library, then either photocopy or write down the few recipes I like.

OK, so my challenge to you is to make one change this week. I do most of these things pretty well, not perfectly, but some effort is there. But my change for the week is going to be to switch out one of my cleaners for one a make myself. Hold yourself accountable. Let me know what your change is going to be. Most of these things are pretty simple, I'm not asking you to buy a new hybrid car. Change the things you can.

Grilled Pineapple-Jicama Salsa

We woke up this morning to snow on the ground. Yes, snow. On March 27th. Only about an inch and it was gone by mid-afternoon, but snow nonetheless. So, in my effort to bring in some warm grilling weather, I am posting a recipe for a delicious salsa. I made this last summer and loved it. I actually ate it as a side, but you can use it in tacos or dip chips in it. So wish some good weather my way so Matt can fire up the grill and I can post a picture of this!

Makes 4 1/2 cups

3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 cups diced grilled pineapple*
1 cup jicama julienne
3/4 cup small-dice red onion
3/4 cup small-dice red pepper
2 teaspoon minced jalapeno, or to taste (optional)

Whisk together the lime juice, oil, cilantro, salt and pepper in a salad bowl. Add the pineapple, jicama, onion and peppers and toss to combine well. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the salsa until ready to use. Store any unused salsa in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

*How to grill the pineapple:
Cut the pineapple into 1/2 inch thick rings. Grill over direct heat, turning as necessary, until both sides are well caramelized. Approximately 6-8 minutes.

This recipe was from Grilling, by The Culinary Institute of America.

Spinach Enchiladas and Strawberry Shortcake

Tonight we had a great dinner and dessert. I will give credit where it's due...Matt made the spinach enchiladas. They were delicious, and so filling! I will admit, I had my doubts when I looked at the recipe and even while he was making them, but they turned out great. We'll definitely be making these again. It is from Holly Clegg's Trim and Terrific Cookbook. Then I made a strawberry shortcake, which was, again, delicious, but not what you'd call low-calorie. But, it was made with all-natural ingredients, from scratch, so at least there were no artificial ingredients or icky additives. I even made whipped cream from scratch, for the first time! I'd seen my sister (the amazing pastry chef) do it and it tastes so much better. And it's hard to find organic whipped cream.

Here are the recipes, we used as many organic ingredients as we could. I recommend doing the same.

Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas
Makes 8 enchiladas
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed - we used a 16 ounce package, a little extra green
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
8 (6-8 inch) flour tortillas - we used whole wheat
1 (10 ounce can) enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sliced green onions (scallions)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a non-stick skillet, heat the spinach, black beans, taco seasoning mix, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream.
On each tortilla, spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce, about 1/3 cup spinach mixture, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up each tortilla placing the seam-side down in an oblong baking dish coated with non-stick spray. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled enchiladas, cover, and bake for 15-18 minutes. Uncover and garnish with the remaining cheese. Continue baking for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted. Serve with the green onion.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories 266, Protein 14g, Carbohydrate 39g, Fat 5g, Calories from Fat 18%, Saturated Fat 3g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Cholesterol 11mg, Sodium 1195mg

Strawberry Shortcake
cake:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Mix the milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to the dry mixture. Pat into 2 round 9" pans, greased. It will be very thin, but it will rise during baking. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then place on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Strawberries:
3 quarts strawberries, washed and sliced
1/4 cup sugar

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl and let soak until soft and juicy.

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups organic heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar (more or less to taste)

Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream until it has the desired consistency. Once it has the right texture, add the sugar and mix well. You can always add more sugar, so I recommend starting with a little less than 1/3 of a cup and add to taste. It's hard to find organic or all-natural whipped cream and most are made with hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, so making your own is a great alternative. It was much easier than I expected and tasted so much better than what you can get at the store.

I always try to use all-natural and organic ingredients in recipes. I will substitute whole wheat for white flour and organic evaporated cane juice for sugar. My goal for my family is to eat whole foods, avoid artificial and processed ingredients and to eat well balanced meals. We aren't necessarily always trying to eat super low-calorie, low-fat foods, we aim for real food in moderate quantities. Keep in mind, when cooking, what your goals are and alter your recipes as needed. It's OK to indulge in your cravings once in a while, just control your portions and use real food that your body can process easily. And enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Mini-Cupcakes

Makes 24 mini-cupcakes

1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, canola oil, vanilla and shredded zucchini until it's mixed well. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until moistened. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a fork comes out clean. You can also bake it in a loaf pan, but it may take 40-45 minutes to bake thoroughly. They are great alone, but extra delicious with a little whipped cream on top!

This is a great idea to bring to parties or as a special treat for the kids. The cupcakes by themselves have about 100 calories each, so you won't feel guilty for indulging.

Drink Your Veggies

Here is a great way to get more vegetables into your little one (or yourself). I make smoothies a couple times a week and I always add veggies, usually spinach. I like adding spinach because it is so nutritious and yet doesn't have an overpowering taste. And Joy loves them, it's like a treat for her. I always use bananas, too, for the texture.

Here's my favorite basic recipe:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup carrot juice
1 banana
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup frozen fruit (I buy a mix with pineapple, peach, honeydew and strawberries)

Other good add-ins or ingredients:
ground flax seed
whole carrots
celery
kale
apple
parsley
most fruits and vegetables work - be experimental!

Simple Dinner (part 2)

Tonight I made a great tasting, and very healthy, dish. And it was so easy, I'm a little angry with myself for not throwing this together on a weekly basis a long time ago. I made a stir-fry, although next time I think I'm going to steam the veggies and throw the sauce on at the end. For the base, I used a short grain brown rice. That only took about 2 minutes to get together, but it does need to cook for about an hour so you'll have to start that before everything else. Just plan on that time.
I used what I had in my vegetable drawer, so bok choy and 2 carrots. Ok, you might be wondering what bok choy is and why I had is on hand. It's a Chinese cabbage, common enough that you should be able to find it in your regular grocery store. I tried it this summer, usually just juicing it with some oranges. So I decided to give it a try in a stir-fry.
I used Braggs Liquid Aminos in place of soy sauce. It contains 16 essential and non-essential amino acids and is a "live food" meaning it's an uncooked, plant-based food. It contains no chemicals, artificial coloring, alcohol, preservatives, gluten and is certified Non-GMO (a GMO is a genetically modified organism). It contains some sodium naturally so you won't need to add table salt. It has a great, strong flavor, very similar to soy sauce, so a little goes a long way. It is a healthy substitute for soy sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup short grain brown rice (cooked with 2 cups water, for about 50 minutes)
1 tablespoon Smart Balance or butter
1 medium bok choy - remove the leafy part from the stalks, as the stalks take longer to cook
2 large carrots
oil for frying (or steam for a lower-fat meal)
2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
**Use whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. I recommend experimenting with new veggies, so if you've never tried bok choy, give it a go.

Cook the rice according to package directions. Add the Smart Balance or butter after the rice is done cooking (optional). I stir-fried the carrots and stalks of the bok choy for about 5 minutes, then added the leafy green part for an additional 3-4 minutes. Use your judgement depending on your vegetables. I like mine to have just a little bit of crispness because I can't stand overcooked vegetables. I added the liquid aminos while cooking. Scoop rice into a bowl and topped with the veggies. I even cooked some shrimp for Matt, that he added to his bowl.
This was better tasting than I expected it to be, so don't be scared off! And let me know if you try it and what you think.

Calories and Metabolism

When people are trying to lose weight, it is common sense that if you consume more calories than you burn you will gain weight. But calorie counting alone isn't going to work for everyone, and won't necessarily help with overall health. The quality of the calories you consume are just as important as how many you consume.
Humans have been evolving for tens of thousands of years. We are very capable of processing things that have been around for generations. This is why fruits and vegetables are the easiest thing to digest. Our bodies can efficiently use the nutrients and eliminate the waste. But in the last 50 or 60 years, food has evolved and changed at a rate much faster than the human body. We aren't as capable of digesting the artificial ingredients and chemical additives that are now considered food. The more the food resembles something your ancestors would have eaten, the better chance you have of properly digesting it. If you don't recognize the ingredients or have no idea how to go about making it yourself, your body will probably be just as confused as how to use it for energy. And if it isn't used, it is stored.
So, if you compare a person eating 2,000 calories a day of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts with someone eating 2,000 calories a day of fast food, processed food, refined sugars and white flour, chances are that the first person will be healthier and have a better metabolism (assuming other lifestyle factors are similar). Depending on how much weight a person wants to lose, they may need to only change the kinds of foods they're eating without changing the total calories. That being said, a person who needs to lose a significant amount of weight will need to restrict calories along with the kinds of foods they are eating.
As Americans, we have food available to us 24 hours a day. You can get food almost anywhere you go. So instead of eating when our bodies tell us we're hungry, we're eating just because the food is there. It has become a social expectation to have food available. Not to mention that portion sizes have become so grossly over sized. A pasta meal at an Italian chain will serve what is actually 6 servings on one plate. And that is after appetizers, endless bread sticks and free refills of beverages. People want to "get their money's worth" when they are going out to eat, but it's easy to consume an entire day's worth of calories in one meal.
One of the most effective ways to eat a healthier diet is to keep a food journal. For someone who doesn't need to lose weight or doesn't need to lose much, simply writing the food and the amount is easy enough. For a person who needs to lose a lot of weight or really turn their health around, it may be vital to not only record the food and amount, but the calories as well. And depending on the health situation, some people might need to keep track of fat, sugar, sodium or another nutrient. Keeping track of what you eat will give you an idea of how much you're eating (portion control) and also tell you if you're getting a variety of foods. And don't forget to keep track of drinks as well. Eat whole foods, foods in their purest state, unprocessed without any added chemicals or preservatives.

Here are a couple other resources for figuring out calories, serving sizes and recommended intake:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/
http://www.mypyramid.gov/