Raw Foods

The Daily Green had an article on 8 foods you should eat raw, it was quite interesting. The next time I go grocery shopping (which will actually be today) I plan on picking up some of the foods they suggested.

#1. Nuts - we already do this one. Family faves are raw cashews, almonds, pecans and pumpkin seed (we soak/sprout and then dry before using). We also roast them when we make Chilpotle nut mix, we try to limit how often we do this, you can't stop eating it once you start and nuts are not cheap!

#2. Broccoli - I am having a hard time with this one, I barely like cooked broccoli (only in quiche or roasted in the oven) I do not like raw broccoli at all. But the article says that it helps your liver detoxify carcinogens, well that's worth choking some down, I'm going to have to find a really good dip.

#3. Garlic - This is a no brainer, raw garlic protects your DNA, hummus anyone?

#4. Juice - I am not a juice fan, it is far better to eat the whole fruit or vegetable. But if you are going to drink juice, raw juice is much better for you. It has not been pasteurized so you get the beneficial enzymes. Watch chugging the juice, it is way easy to overdo it.

#5. Salt - regular table salt has been heat and chemical treated. Raw salt has trace minerals, but I like it because I think it tastes better and it looks really nice.

#6. Cacao - Chocolate! Raw Chocolate! I will have to go and look for this one, it's a natural mood elevator. If you've ever tasted cocoa powder before adding the sugar and milk you probably have an idea of what raw chocolate tastes like. I found 99% Cacao bars at World Market, I like them.

#7. Chia Seeds - Well this is a new one to me. The only thing I remember doing with Chia Seeds was spreading them on a Chia Pet. I don't remember anyone suggesting that you eat them. Well it turns out they are a nutritional power house; Calcium, magnesium, antioxidant, fiber and omega 3 rich, oh I left out they also provide iron. The article suggested making pudding with the Chia Seeds for a nutritious breakfast. Update - my son has started making the pudding, I am learning to like it.

#8. Kimchi - My niece and nephew love kimchi, I've only had it spicy and it was a little much for me. Fermented foods like kimchi aid in digestion because they provide probiotics (good bacteria). I will save this one for special occasions, but I do make and enjoy fermented cabbage and cucumbers also known as sauerkraut and pickles;-)

Quick Dinner Idea

I came home from work hungry and wanted to prepare dinner quickly, here is what we had:

Brown rice with Portabella mushrooms and green peas
Asian green beans
Tuna Steaks

Sounds impressive right? It was a breeze.

The rice dish was leftover brown rice and green peas from Monday night's dinner.
I cooked 2 cups of brown rice in 4 cups of chicken stock and and 2/3 cup of frozen peas on Monday to go with dinner. To "doctor" it up for tonight's dinner I sauteed a package of Portabello mushrooms in 2 TBSP of butter added it to the leftover rice and added a little chicken stock to moisten.

The Asian green beans were made by putting 1/2 cup of chicken stock into a pot and adding an entire bag of frozen green beans (I used the ones from Trader Joe's, they are really good, I think it's because they are so skinny). To that I added 1 TBSP of soy sauce (that's the Asian part).

The Tuna Steaks took exactly 4 minutes to make and I still over-cooked them, next time I will only grill them for 2 minutes. I drizzled olive oil on the steaks and sprinkle a little sea salt on them while waiting for the George Foreman Grill (my latest cooking gadget that I completely love, yes I know I am a little behind the times but I finally caught on) to get hot. Once the steaks were done (4 minutes) it was time for dinner. I added wedges of lime to squeeze on the tuna. Dinner was done in less than 1/2 hour. Time enough to eat and take my son to the library. I picked up Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four. I haven't read it in over 30 years.

It's been awhile

I have not posted anything since Sept. But after seeing Julie and Julia this weekend (wonderful wonderful movie) I am energized to start up again. Thanksgiving was wonderful, my side of the family joined us this year; Mom, brother, sister-in-laws, niece, nephews, sister-in-law's sister and niece. The only one missing was Courtland whom we miss terribly, when he gets back from Japan, I am going cook up a storm. Dinner was great, we started dinner with butternut squash and apple soup, of course we had turkey, sweet potato casserole, collard greens, mashed turnips, pickled beets and stuffing. I introduced my extended family to cippolini onions in champagne which they absolutely loved and my niece Kristin tried to hurt herself on the homemade cranberry sauce. I loved cooking everything except the crazy ham my mother purchased when she got here 10pm Wednesday evening. She had ordered a spiral cut honey ham to be delivered on Wednesday, but when it did not show up she canceled the order and tried to purchase one at Walmart, of course nothing was left and she came back with a hickory smoked turkey loaf (what in the world can you do with that)? I put it in the oven with three big slices of fresh pineapple on top (it's still in the refrigerator, we are feeding it to the dogs slowly).
Tonight is Greek Salad and bread, we are kind of fooded out and need to go light, for all of you late night eaters out there, bon appetit!

Plan or Pay!

I did not remember my lunch today. I decided to pick something up while running errands. It looks like one of my favorite cafes has taken a hit due to the recession, this is the third time that I have gone by there to eat and they were closed. What to do?

I could go to a fast food restaurant but I try to avoid them, as a nutritionist I try to live up to what I preach. I decided to try a little experiment, just how hard is it to get something to eat, that is healthy, tasty and doesn't cost a fortune. I mean this is what people are expected to do right? We are not supposed to eat fast food all of the time, we are to use it as a treat, at least that is what I tell people during my lessons. Here is what I purchased and what it cost me:

6 Triscuits + .36
1 4oz. yogurt + .67
1 oz. sliced turkey + 1.16
carrot pack with dip + 1.00
1 large apple + 1.00
= 4.19

Now this lunch met the criteria for healthy although it was a little high in sodium to me, I generally don't eat luncheon meat for a variety of reasons, sodium is just one of them. The sliced turkey had 410mg sodium, the Triscuits 180mg, the yogurt 65mg, the carrots & dip 180mg (I didn't eat much of the dip, I hate ranch so the total sodium is probably a little lower)and there is practically no sodium in the apple. Total sodium added up to 835mg which is a little over a third of the 2300mg maximum you should shoot to stay under each day.

As far as tasty goes it was all right, maybe a little bland.

Now the $4.19 is the cost of what I ate for lunch, not bad. I had to put out a little over $15.00 to purchase everything up front, but I still have 9 servings of triscuits left, 5 servings of yogurt, 2 servings of turkey and two servings of carrots and dip.

The lesson is this is planning. I could have had these items on hand and brought them for my lunch (it would have saved me some time), I could have even jazzed it up a bit to make it more interesting. I came so close to just grabbing something quick (fast food) because I was hungry and if you are hungry enough you don't care what you eat and that costs you in nutrition and/or money.

Eat Your Fruit and Veggies!

Gen 1:29 God said "I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. These will be yours for food."

Salmon is a good buy!

I was really surprised to find out that Salmon was less expensive than hot dogs (see post below). Now we're talking Hebrew National here not Carolina Packers (for those who know what they are). For someone who is a little picky about food this is good to know, not because I will even eat a hot dog, but I have friends who do and this is a really good way to take away one of their excuses for eating them. It's one thing when you eat them because you like them, it is another thing entirely when you are eating them and telling yourself it's because healthier food is too expensive.

Salmon is less expensive than hot dogs

Salmon is less expensive than hot dogs

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