(Vegan if omit cheese)
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Mediterranean Summer Grain Salad
(Vegan if omit cheese)
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Winter (and Fall) Squash Season
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale!
To truly amp up this macrobiotic dish, add some brown rice. Check out last week's blog on the macrobiotic diet. Prepare the Kabocha Squash and Azuki Beans with Kale or any of the other wonderful recipes and and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"
1 6-inch Piece of kombu
1c Azuki beans, dried
2c Kabocha squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, can leave peel on if organic, I prefer without
1t soy sauce or shoyu
Combine the kombu and beans in a bowl and cover with 3 c water. Soak for a minimum of 5 hours preferably overnight.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Winter is a great time for soups - Hot and Sour is easier than you thought
Keeping it brief, I bought a bunch of bok choy and wasn't sure what to do with it all. Searching for recipes, I came across a hot and sour soup. AND I couldn't believe how easy it was. I had to modify it a fair bit because I prefer more hot and more sour than the recipe had. Here is my SOUPED up version (every bit of the pun intended). Many of the ingredients are swappable, add more such as baby corn and water chestnuts. Leave out the egg if you want it vegan. The nutrition facts are approximate depending which ingredients you use. More soup recipes to come to battle this winter.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Super Bowl Sunday!! Are you ready for some healthy snacks? Wait I mean FOOTBALL!!!
Another guest blogger - Dietetic Intern Esteban Tlatenchi.
The Super Bowl is the most famous sporting event in the United States. The National Football League schedules it on the first Sunday of February, also known as Super Bowl Sunday. In the U.S., people view it as an unofficial national holiday. American football fans or not, people like getting together with friends and family to socialize, watch the commercials, cheer for their team or the underdog, and eat delicious finger foods.
The party will have plenty of food for the next couple of hours. Probably before the end of the halftime show, a person could eat at least one serving of everything. The Department of Agriculture ranked Super Bowl Sunday as the second-highest day of food consumption in the U.S. next to Thanksgiving. The top Super Bowl party foods are (in no order): sliders, nachos with a dip, pizza, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, or anything wrapped in bacon, hot dogs, popcorn, party subs, loaded potato skins, and ribs. Food and drinks combined can add up many calories of high fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium. Do not forget to include desserts and beverages, which include sugary drinks and beer. All these foods and drinks are delicious and tasty but come at a high price.
Imagine tallying the calorie values of some of the foods a person could eat during the game. Using CalorieKing and the USDA's national nutrient database, a person could eat about 4,000 calories, over 150 grams of fat, and 180 g of sugar from the items listed below.
Food | Qty | Cal | Fat | Carbs | Sodium | Sugars: Added | Cal Burn Time | Exercise |
Costco’s Pepperoni Pizza | 2 slices | 1240 | 48 g | 136 g | 2580 mg | 14 g | 142 min or 345 min | Jogging Walking |
Domino’s BBQ Chicken Wings | 8 pcs | 480 | 26 g | 36 g | 1680 mg | 20 g | 55 min or 134 min | Jogging Walking |
Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips | 22 chips (2 oz) | 300 | 16 g | 34 g | 360 mg | 2 g | 34 min or 83 min | Jogging Walking |
Regular Hot Dogs w/ ketchup & roll | 2 hot dogs | 630 | 37 g | 58 g | 1980 mg | 18 g | 72 min or 175 min | Jogging Walking |
Tostitos Tortilla Chips with a hint of lime | 12 chips | 300 | 14 g | 36 g | 250 mg | 1 g | 34 min or 83 min | Jogging Walking |
Tostitos Medium Salsa con Queso | 8 Tbsp (½ cup) | 160 | 10 g | 20 g | 1120 mg | 2 g | 18 min or 44 min | Jogging Walking |
Corona Extra Beer (39.3 g alcohol) | 3 cans 12 fl oz | 450 | 0 g | 42 g | 0 g | 2.1 g | 52 min or 125 min | Jogging Walking |
Pepsi Soda | 3 cans 12 fl oz | 450 | 0 g | 123 g | 90 g | 123 g | 52 min or 125 min | Jogging Walking |
Total consumed during the game | 4010 | 151g | 485 g | 8060 mg | 182 g | 7.5 hrs or 18.5 hrs | Jogging Walking |
The estimate of 4,000 calories is more than one day's total recommended caloric intake of 2,000. By the end of the day, a person could eat more than 6,000 calories between breakfast, lunch, and the Super Bowl Party. A person can gain about a pound or two depending on their body. Maybe it is one of the reasons many call in sick for work the next day. There are alternative food options that one can prepare that are still tasty and, more importantly, healthy. One can still enjoy the game, the party, and eat healthily. With a bit of research and preparation, one can make healthier delicious treats that everyone can enjoy. Hopefully, by the end of the game, your team and you won by watching what you ate.
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Plant Based for the Holidays? Yes You Can!!!
Winter holidays are
here. It means delicious food will be on the tables of many Americans. While
the current pandemic may destroy traditional gathering plans, it will unlikely
affect the contents of the American holiday table. During the holiday season,
there tends to be a spike in overindulgence and poor diet patterns. According
to the Cleveland Clinic, 40% more calories are eaten at a holiday buffet by the
average person versus dining alone.[1]Overconsumption affects people not only on Christmas or New Year’s Day
but during the whole holiday season. Families experience a lot of stress during
preparation, and some people experience loneliness[2] as well which contributes to overeating. Loneliness is intensified for
many during the COVID-19 pandemic. The minimal consequences of such behavior
may be a weight gain due to extra calories being consumed; people also may
experience tiredness, mood swings[3], due to the type of unhealthy food they consume. Those who suffer from
preexisting conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and
metabolic syndrome can have more severe consequences.
In holiday stories we often see how people enjoy goose or pork, candy canes, and gingerbread cookies with eggnog. Unfortunately, replicating these habits at home, people don’t think that goose or pork have high-fat content, specifically high in saturated fat. A traditional symbol of Christmas - the candy cane has 22 grams of added sugar and that is just for one candy. The list can go on and on. No wonder that for many people holidays is a true test of will power. Regardless of one's culture, the holiday table can vary significantly but they all have the same problem. The type of food chosen is extremely important during the holiday season. Many traditional dishes contain a lot of sodium, sugar, saturated fat and even trans-fat in numerous holidays bakery goods.[4]Trans fat destroys cell membranes, that is why it was banned by law. In small amounts trans-fat will not harm you. A single cookie or slice of cake is allowable; however, a holiday syndrome of overeating can increase consumption of trans fat. The hidden danger of trans fat can be also due to overconsumption of cooking oil, red meat, dairy products, and butter, whereas trans-fat exists in amounts less than 0.5g per serving and is not labeled. Several servings of such products certainly have the ability to be on the holiday table.1 Nothing but the combination of food high in sodium, saturated fat, and alcohol can spoil holiday days. The condition known as “holiday heart syndrome” sends many people to the hospital every year.2
To avoid such an unpleasant surprise during the holidays, a plant-based approach can be used. Many studies showed improvement in glycemic control and lipid balance in people who followed a plant-based diet, especially with type 2 diabetes.[5][6][7] Even simply replacing some saturated fat with walnuts that have essential fatty acid and a high concentration of omega -3 (3.4g per 3 oz.)[8]may not only help with bad lipid management but also enhance mood and regulate inflammation.[9] While completely switching to a vegetarian diet is a challenge for many people, the replacement of some food during holidays can bring much more joy than stress and prevent health conditions caused by traditional food consumption. Replace salty and fatty foods like pork or goose with plant-based protein such as beans, legumes, and tempeh. Replace sugary treats with more fruit-based reduced sugar desserts. Overconsumption will not be as detrimental if the holiday table is full of healthy plant-based food.
[1] "Holiday Heart Health Secrets: Here's how to navigate a tempting
holiday buffet without overeating and compromising your health." Heart”
Advisor, vol. 21, no. 12, Dec. 2018, p. 4+. Gale Academic OneFile,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A563571526/AONE?u=cuny_hunter&sid=AONE&xid=e9a1ff1b.
Accessed 13 Nov. 2020.
[2] "Avoid holiday heart and other seasonal threats to your health: alcohol use and overeating can lead to heart palpitations, but holiday heart isn't the only cardiovascular risk this time of year." Heart Advisor, vol. 17, no. 11, Nov. 2014, p. 4. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A387829468/AONE?u=cuny_hunter&sid=AONE&xid=92c14164 . Accessed 13 Nov. 2020.
[3] MD ES. Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Harvard Health
Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626.
Published March 31, 2020. Accessed November 30, 2020.
[4] Trans fat: Double trouble for your heart. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114.
Published February 13, 2020. Accessed November 30, 2020.
[5] Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, et al. A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional
diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled,
74-wk clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(5):1588S-1596S.
doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736H
[6] Trepanowski JF, Varady KA. Veganism Is a Viable Alternative to
Conventional Diet Therapy for Improving Blood Lipids and Glycemic Control. Crit
Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2015;55(14):2004-2013. doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.736093
[7] Turner-McGrievy G, Harris M. Key elements of plant-based diets
associated with reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Curr Diab Rep.
2014;14(9):524. doi: 10.1007/s11892-014-0524-y. PMID: 25084991.
[8] Gropper, S., Smith J.L., Carr T.P. Advanced Nutrition and Human
Metabolism. Seventh edition, Student edition. Boston, Massachusetts:
Cengage Learning, 2018; 137.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
APPLES!!!! One of the reasons I love Autumn!
Apples can be a combination of sweet and tart and a spectrum from crisp to mealy. Ever have a spicy apple? Try a Winesap. Or the newest apple from Washington State that was developed the old fashioned way - COSMIC CRISP. A cross between the Honeycrisp and Enterprise. It's juicy sweet, and tart. Learn a little more from this NPR clip.
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp oil - Olive, Walnut, Avocado
1/2 tsp table salt
2 cups cabbage - Napa, savoy, purple, green varieties; thinly sliced or chopped
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, shredded
2 medium tart apples - Granny Smith, Cortland, pink lady, empire, McIntosh, Braeburn, Jonathan; cored and coarsely grated or shredded
2 medium shallots, minced
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries, chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
First, make the dressing. In a large bowl add apple cider vinegar, honey, oil, and salt. Whisk together for 30 seconds to a minute until well combined.
Add cabbage, celery, apples, shallots, and dried fruit. Toss. Season with pepper.
Prep time: 15 minutes