Food for Real

When it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, the last thing on your mind is nutrition. Fried foods are quite literally thrown in your face and you’re probably up to your beer goggles in adult beverage options. So listen up! Don’t ruin your game on the big day just because you’re having too much fun to notice what you’re shoving into your mouth. Don’t be a cheesehead. Keep up with these 5 simple tips, and you’ll have a good time without sacrificing your waist line.

Photo Source

1. Bump and Run: Get a workout in before the game. And not just because it’s good for your body! Studies show that exercise can actually improve your mood. Don’t be a drag – liven up the party a little by getting your move on in the morning!

2. Chop Block: No, don’t tackle your friends in the knees…Chop up some veggies onto a platter and bring a healthy snack to the party! It’s an easy appetizer to make and transport, it will add some health to your huddle, and you won’t get flagged for it.

3. Option: Opt for the baked and grilled foods instead of the fried and sugary foods! For example, if you want chicken, call an audible and go for the grilled chicken skewers as opposed to the KFC bucket! And if you’re in the mood for something on the sweeter side, dig in to the fruit platter instead of the brownies. Of course, if you want to treat yourself, please do so! Just remember that moderation is key.

4.  Two minute warning! It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register that it’s feeling full and satisfied. Don’t rush through your snacking! Instead, take your time and enjoy yourself. If you eat too fast, you may end up eating more than your body can handle and spending the rest of the game feeling uncomfortably full.

5. No Unnecessary Roughness! Don’t get down on yourself for wanting a few beers or a couple of wings. Like I said, moderation is key, and you certainly don’t ever want your nutrition goals to impede on your fun goals. In my opinion, they are equally important!

How will you spend Super Bowl Sunday?

What’s your favorite game day snack?

I got an email a few weeks ago asking me if brown sugar is better than white sugar. Not long after I received this email, I read an article online somewhere claiming that sugar is the root cause of diabetes (this is not true…keep reading).  Seems to me that sugar is a hot topic, and a confusing one at that! Lately, a whole lot of information on high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, honey, and artificial sweeteners has been circulating the media. It’s completely understandable how all of this information can be perplexing.  So let’s break it down…

The Claim: Brown sugar is better than white sugar

The Truth: Surprisingly, the brown sugar sold at your local grocery store is actually white granulated sugar. Molasses is added to this sugar to give it the brown coloring. Brown sugar does in fact contain a slightly increased amount of minerals, but you would have to eat POUNDS upon POUNDS of it instead of white sugar for it to have even the slightest significance.

The Bottom Line: Brown sugar is not significantly different from white sugar.

The Claim: Sugar causes Diabetes

The Truth: If you have Diabetes, you should be working with a Registered Dietitian on watching your sugar and carbohydrate intake and monitoring your blood sugar levels. However, if you do not have Diabetes, eating sugar will certainly not give you Diabetes! Type II Diabetes is a chronic disease associated with a diet high in calories, sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight.

The Bottom Line: Sugar does not cause Diabetes. If you have Diabetes, you should monitor your sugar intake with the help of you Registered Dietitian.

The Claim: Sugar is the devil of all things related to diet

The Truth: The dietary guidelines recommend that we limit added sugars to about 8 teaspoons a day for an average 2,000-calorie diet. What is “added sugar?” you may be asking. Well, added sugar is all sugar that is not naturally occurring in that food you’re eating. Naturally occurring sugar is actually encouraged! You can find it in fruits and vegetables like apples (5 teaspoon), corn on the cob (1.25 teaspoon),  banana (3.5 teaspoon), and one cup raw carrots (1.5 teaspoon). These naturally occurring sugars are good for you, and you should be aiming to get a total of 5 servings of fruits & veggies per day. The added sugar, like the 8 teaspoons found in 1 can of cola, is the stuff you want to avoid.

The Bottom Line: The sugar found in plants and whole grains is good and should be eaten! Limit added sugar (like the sugar in cola and candy) to 8 teaspoons per day or less.

The Claim: Agave nectar has a lower glycemic index and is healthier than table sugar.

The Truth: Agave nectar does have a lower glycemic index than some sugars (below 55). But glycemic index is not a reliable marker for health benefits. For instance, a piece of whole wheat bread and a piece of white bread have essentially the same glycemic index. Despite some concern over the body’s ability to metabolize the fructose content (mostly in the form of a prebiotic known as inulin), there is not enough scientific evidence to claim health benefits of the agave nectar. In fact, some may even warn to limit it’s use because we do not yet have enough information about its effect on health.

The Bottom Line: Agave nectar is no “better” than table sugar, and there is limited scientific data on the effects it may have on health.

I hope this post cleared some things up for you! If you have any questions regarding sweeteners, please leave a comment, and I will get back to you in a jiff.

What’s one nutrition related claim you’ve heard that you question?

Be well, and enjoy the day!

What an amazing fun and food filled weekend! Friday nights have become my new “relax-time” nights, so I was excited to cook dinner and do nothing else for a scheduled block of time. I left my dietetic food service rotation around 5:15 and headed to Coolidge Corner to pick up some champagne, because a major celebration was to take place that night: Miss Bootsy was to participate in her first visit to the home of Mr. Pugsley (see fine specimens below).

Pug meets Cat

Cat meets Pug

Boots being elegant

Pug in a bath!

That night, I whipped up an easy dinner of Baked Rosemary-Pesto Chicken with a Harvest Grain Blend w/Green Beans and Yellow Squash. Here’s how:

Serves 2 with a little leftover for the next day:

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast
• pesto in a jar from Trader Joe’s
• 2 Yellow Squash
• Green Beans (about 4 cups)
• Harvest Grain Blend from Trader Joe’s
• Chicken Stock
• Olive oil
• Rosemary
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Cover chicken in 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of pesto per chicken breast, salt and pepper to taste, and a few pines of rosemary. Put into oven and let cook for 30 minutes.
3. Boil 2 cups of chicken stock and a teaspoon of olive oil. Also boil a pot of water for steaming the green beans and squash.
4. Add 1 cup Harvest Grains to boiling chicken stock, reduce heat to low, and let simmer covered for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Steam the green beans and squash.
6. Remove grains from heat once done, and chop up the veggies a bit.
7. Add the chopped veggies to the grain and mix.
8. When chicken is done, take it out of the oven.
9. Service chicken breast over the grain/veggie medley

About to put the chicken into the oven

Preheat oven to 450F, let chicken bake for 30 minutes

Veggie & Grain Medley - Photo Cred: R.Ferrari

Only 30 minutes later, dinner is served!

This takes 30 minutes! It’s perfect for a Friday night when you’re feeling tired and looking forward to watching a movie with a big glass of wine and your favorite pair of slippers.

On Saturday morning, Richie and I had the pleasure of cooking his adorable two nieces Deja and Aaliyah a brunch feast of pancakes, fresh berries, cheesy eggs, toast, and hot chocolate with marshmallows and/or whipped cream! Who doesn’t love Hot Cocoa on a Saturday morning?! This was truly the highlight of my weekend. We didn’t take any pictures, unfortunately, because we were quite involved in riveting conversation about elephants and their superior communication techniques and about the gene connection between dinosaurs and birds. Fascinating stuff!

That night I attended the MSDA New Year’s Potluck event! Needless to say, when you get a bunch of nutrition students together for a potluck, the food is probably going to be outstanding – just sayin’. I also learned that my article for the Massachusetts Dietetic Association Newsletter made front page! Check it out here (you may have to be an ADA member to see this).  The event was a great way to meet new people and catch up with old friends! Stay tuned for our upcoming events this year, including a Nutrition & Social Media lecture taught by myself and Elizabeth Jarrard, the Walk for Hunger, and yoga in the park!

MSDA New Year's Potluck 2011!

I brought an antipasto plate of tomato, basil, mozerella, spicy olives, cucumber feta salad, mini pickles, salami, and marinated mushrooms

Nathalia's Cat: Grumpy Bear!

Myself, Nathalia, Nikita

Sara and Kerry (check out Kerry's blog at http://kerryscookingchronicles.blogspot.com/)

Nothing like good food, a little wine, and good people to get the night going!

If you're interested in getting involved with the MSDA, contact us at msdaadmin@gmail.com

The weekend just kept getting better. On Sunday morning, I went to the S&S Restaurant for brunch w/Rich and we split French Toast and Eggs Benedict. If you haven’t been to the S&S, please go! It’s my favorite brunch spot, and reminds me a lot of an old fashioned New York diner (but a lot cleaner!). My dad used to take me here a lot when I was a little girl, which makes it that much more special to me every time I walk in. Plus, the mimosas are fabulous! Later that day, I made a quick visit to my parent’s house where they and my beautiful grandmother were watching Curb your Enthusiasm. Then I headed to my friend’s house for a bridesmaid meeting where we planned a bridal shower for one of my best friends who is getting married in July! As if it could get any better, I finished off the weekend with dinner from Kelley’s of a fresh New England lobster roll.

Monday was  Class Day for some of us Boston based dietetic interns. We braved the icy cold weather outside and made it to Brigham and Women’s Hospital where we reviewed information on tube feeding procedures.

My BU Gals at Class Day

Overall it was a successful start to my last week in the food service rotation! Next week, I start my surgical/medical rotation at Lowell General. I’m very excited to meet the dietitians there and can’t wait to get into clinical mode!

How have you been spending your weekends lately? How do you manage to fit in relax time? Do you have any pets? Anything else you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you!

Be well, and enjoy the day!

For those of us living in Boston, it’s been a snowy, icy, wintry mix out there lately. When the winter takes a turn for the worst, my comfort food cravings kick in. So I was thrilled when my roommate Julie sent me a recipe from active.com for Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese, because there’s nothing like a new healthy spin on an old favorite. I’ve recently been researching healthier macaroni & cheese options for Sargent Choice, so variations on the dish were already on my mind. During my research, I found a recipe by Whole Foods Market called “Macaroni and Trees,” which I thought was totally adorable and seemed easy enough to make. I took these two recipes and made a hybrid for Food For Real: Butternut Squash Mac n’ Trees! And for a side dish, I decided to whip up one of my favorite salads: Arugula Salad w/Pear, Cranberries, and Gorgonzola with balsamic vinaigrette.  This combo is perfect for a cold winter night when all you want to do is cuddle up on the couch – especially if you prefer to eat something healthy and satisfying while you’re at it!

The Recipes:

Butternut Squash Mac n’ Trees

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of 1 inch peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 5 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 and 1/2 cups fat free milk
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 2 tbsp. whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• Olive Oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Methods:

1. Combine squash, milk, and stock in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat
2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until squash is tender
3. Remove from heat, and mash squash while you stir in nutmeg, cayenne and salt. Season with black pepper
4. Preheat oven to 375F
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
6. Add Broccoli Florets and boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from the water with slotted spoon. Keep water boiling
7. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to instructions
8. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the squash mixture with ricotta, cheddar, broccoli, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Mix everything together thoroughly
9. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray and transfer the mixture to the dish.
10. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and a teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle it evenly over the noodle mixture
11. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes so the dish is lightly browned and crisp on top
12. Serve Immediately

For the squash mixture

The Ingedients

Squash, stock and milk - bring to a boil and let simmer

Once squash is tender, mash with a fork and add spices

Mix thoroughly and evenly

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes

Arugula Salad w/Pear, Cranberries and Gorgonzola

This recipe is one of my favorites. It’s simple and healthy and extremely flavorful.

Ingredients:

• Arugula
• 1 pear
• about a cup and a half of dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or store-bought…I used store-bought this time)

Method:

1. Slice pear into small slivers and add to a bowl with the dried cranberries
2. Add arugula to salad bowl and cover with pears and cranberries
3. Add Gorgonzola and mix so the ingredients are evenly spread
4. Add vinaigrette, and there ya have it!

Salad ingredients: Arugula, dried cranberries, sliced pear, gorgonzola cheese

Dinner is served!

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did! It takes a little time to make, so if you’re like me and you’re very hungry when you get home from a long day, I suggest snacking on some fruit while you cook. This time, I kept a bowl of fresh cherries nearby! Other great snacks are some pretzels with hummus or a freshly squeezed vegetable juice.

Fresh fruit is a healthy option for pre-dinner snacking

Be well, and enjoy the day!

Have you recently given a nutrition makeover to an old comfort food favorite?

As my dietetic internship progresses, I find my days filling up more and more with interesting, fun, healthy activities! But as we all know too well, it’s not easy to keep up with our nutrition and exercise routines as our schedule books fill up and fill up some more. People often ask me how to plan out meals for the busy week days, so I decided to write a short post on my strategies for staying healthy and active during the busiest of times.

Over the weekend, I’ll go to my favorite grocery store (usually Trader Joes or Whole Foods) with a list. The list contains all the necessary foods I need for breakfast, lunch, and usually two or three dinners that week. That way, if I need to pick something up later in the week, the shop will be a quick stop instead of an epic one. Once I have everything for the week, I start planning…

First and foremost, even if you are running late, don’t skip breakfast! You’ve heard it before, but I’m going to say it again: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast will help you stay satisfied longer, so those 11:00 a.m. munchies don’t get the best of you! My favorite weekday breakfast: Uncle Sam’s Cereal, berries, and a piece of fruit like an orange. I use skim milk in the cereal for the protein. This powerful breakfast provides me with two servings of fruit, and a serving of whole grains all before 9 a.m.!

Uncle Sam's Cereal provides 190 calories, 7 g protein, 10 g fiber, and less than 1 g of sugar per serving.

While I eat breakfast, I make lunch. This isn’t the most mindful eating experience, but it provides me with the healthy fuel I need and it saves time in the morning. While I eat this breakfast, I pack my salad and snacks for the day. I enjoy having what I like to call a “packed salad” at lunch with all the veggies I can fit! And I pack 2 more pieces of fruit for snacks along with some whole grain crackers and light cheese. The lunch and snacks keep me on track for getting at least 5-a-day of fruits and veggies. Try it this week, and see how you feel! I guarantee you’ll have more energy and will feel better when you get home from work or your workout!

Some salad ingredients: greens, beets,peppers, hearts of palm, cucumber, tofu, etc. I also like avocados in salads for some healthy fat to keep my heart healthy!

Chop up the salad while you cook the protein (if needed)

On this day, I used tofu. Other days, I use beans or left overs from the night before

Pack some fresh lemons for dressing and top the salad off with ground pepper, and there you have it: Lunch!

Apples are a great snack and stay fresh in your bag during the commute

Over the weekend, break open a juicy pomegranate. Eat half and save the other half for a Monday snack. This ancient fruit is packed with antioxidants and flavor. One of my favorites!

I usually tell myself that I WILL get up in the morning to work out before going into work for the day, but I’d say that happens about 10% of the time. If you’re like me, you probably work out in the evening after a long day. Hopefully these healthy strategies will help you keep your energy up for a good workout! Then when you come home for the evening, you’ll feel good and ready to cook a quick and healthy dish to relax with. One of my favorites: Baked lemon pepper salmon, broccoli rabe, and brown rice (Takes 30 minutes, but if you cook the rice over the weekend and keep it in the fridge, this dish takes 15 minutes.)

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and boil some water and a teaspoon of olive oil for the rice
• When water boils, add rice to the pot and cook according to instructions (usually on low, covered, for about 25-30 minutes)
• Cover fish in fresh lemon juice, ground pepper, a little salt and some herbs like dill or oregano (usually a little less than a pound for 2 people)
• Put fish in the oven for 15 minutes
• While it’s cooking, wash broccoli rabe and cut it in pieces
• brown some garlic in olive oil in a pan and add the broccoli rabe
• Cover and let wilt for about 5-7 minutes turning the broccoli rabe over a few times to make sure you mix up the olive oil and garlic.
• Once the fish is cooked (the edges will rise up from the pan a bit as I learned from my sous chef that evening), assemble your plates!
• 1/4 should be the salmon, 1/4 should be brown rice, and 1/2 of the plate should be the greens for optimal balance

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your heart. For optimal health benefits, eat fish at least two times per week!

Leafy greens are some of the healthiest plants on the planet. Did you know they can even help prevent age related eye disease? Definitely power foods.

Dinner is served

If you’re like me, after dinner, you will most likely be extremely excited to RELAX! I will usually pour a glass of red wine while I carry out my favorite relaxing activities. And now, you’ve seen a day in the life! I hope these small strategies and recipes help you reach your nutrition goals this year. Feel free to ask questions if you have them!

How do you incorporate enough fruits and vegetables into your busy days?

Desserts can be challenging when you’re trying to be health conscious, but we know those sweet cravings all to well! Not to mention, it’s tough to take the time to look up healthier dessert recipes when you’re working all day and then fitting in a workout at some point! How can we conveniently satisfy our dessert desires without ruining all the hard work we’ve done to keep ourselves in shape? Here are a few of my favorite low-calorie, more nutritious dessert options!

If you’re craving pudding: Kozy Shack No Sugar Added Rice Pudding is only 70 calories and 5 grams of sugar per serving, and it’s absolutely delicious! I like to add strawberries and sprinkle with cinnamon for extra flavor. A good trick to add to your enjoyment is to serve this in a pretty serving dish!

If you’re craving ice cream: Stonyfield Organic Frozen Yogurt in After Dark Chocolate is one of the best frozen yogurts I’ve ever had! Half of a cup is only 100 calories and 18 grams of sugar. This dessert is great without any toppings, or you can add fruit or possibly a small glass of dark red wine on the side…dark chocolate and wine are my favorite indulgences!

If you’re craving cake: Stop & Shop offers Sugar Free Angel Food Cake. An entire quarter of this cake is 110 calories and ZERO grams of sugar! Sweeten it up with fresh berries and low fat whipping cream or Chobani Greek Yogurt in Vanilla or Honey and you’ve got yourself a nutritious, satisfying treat.

If you’re craving cookies: Kashi’s TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies are delicious. They come at 130 calories and 8 grams of sugar (plus 4 grams of fiber) PER cookie, so you will want to watch your portions here and maybe pair it with a glass of skim milk for extra protein! There are also a lot of healthy cookie recipes out there that are quite good. One of the best out there is Sargent Choice’s Whole Grain Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies at only 125 calories for TWO cookies! I recommend whipping up a batch of these at home on the weekend and savoring them throughout the week.

If you’re craving something sweet, but you’re not sure what you want: Try a fruit salad with your favorite fruits, a little honey, and your favorite brand of vanilla nonfat yogurt. It’s a satisfying treat that also provides you with protein, vitamins, minerals, and flavor.

If you have any favorite “healthier” dessert recipes or products, please do share! Be well, and enjoy the day!

It’s been a busy New Year so far! I’ve started my Dietetic Internship with a Foodservice Rotation at Sargent Choice at BU. I’ve been spending my days creating healthy recipes and writing about wellness! Pretty perfect, wouldn’t you say? I start my surgical/medical rotation at Lowell General Hospital in three short weeks, and I’m really looking forward to it!

With nights free, I’ve had a great deal of time to do some cooking. I’ve made a different dish every night including stuffed peppers with spanish rice and fire roasted pepper chicken sausage, my favorite root vegetable and beef stew, a Stephanie-version of chicken cacciatore, a lot of salmon and cod and green leafy vegetables! These recipes soon to follow.

I also found a new favorite product: Uncle Sam\’s High Fiber Cereal with 190 calories and 10 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per serving! I’ve been having this cereal every morning with skim milk and at least one serving of fruit (1/2 cup berries or an orange), and the healthy start to my days have been making it much easier to fit everything in the very short 24 hours we have to work with!

Yesterday, I attended an interesting lecture series at Tufts Medical Center. One of the most fascinating things I learned during the day involved eye-health! Apparently, lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables that when consumed, have the power to prevent some age-related eye diseases. Just 2 oz. of cooked spinach contains 11g of lutein, which is more than enough to keep your eyes healthy! These carotenoids literally travel to your eye and line the part of your eye that protect the retina from light exposure. How amazing! And, although more research needs to be done, these carotenoids may even help prevent age-related neural degenerative diseases. Nutrition research is really doing some amazing things these days. So exciting!

Eat your spinach for eye health

Also,   Guiltless won “Best Body Image Blogger” on Nourishing the Soul! These are exciting times, and we are honored to accept this award.

I hope  you are all starting the New Year off healthfully and happily! Be well and enjoy the day!

What are some of your health goals this year?