What I Ate Wednesday

A little while ago, my friend and colleague Sharon Palmer, who just came out with her second book, Plant-Powered for Life (stay tuned for a giveaway later this month!) tagged me to participate in “What I Ate Wednesday, RD edition." Through blog posts, registered dietitians are asked to share what they eat on a typical week day. My days are always different, but here’s a little peek into some of the foods I love.

Breakfast: Breakfast is without a doubt, my favorite meal. I change it up often; it could be eggs with sautéed spinach, oatmeal with chia seeds and dried fruit, peanut butter and banana toast, or leftovers from dinner! On this day, I had a whole grain waffle hidden by a heaping spoonful of nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I stir vanilla and cinnamon into mine) with frozen, thawed mixed berries and a sprinkling of slivered almonds. I pour the juice from the frozen and thawed berries over my waffle, too – it acts as my syrup. I enjoy every bite.

Snack: Lisa and I have an ongoing joke that I need to carry snacks with me at all times. To keep my brain buzzing and my energy up during the morning, I like to have a snack before lunch. On this day, I had a small bowl of blackberries and handful of walnuts (I ate a few before I remembered to take the photo!) – they really are nature’s perfect finger foods!

Lunch: On most days, I like to have a big salad for lunch to get in a healthy dose of veggies. Here’s one of my favorite go-to lunchtime salads: arugula, a little bit of farro (or whatever whole grain I have cooked and ready to go), a small cucumber, cherry tomatoes, ½ of a chopped red bell pepper, two hard boiled eggs, and a spoonful of Basil Pesto from Trader Joe’s.

Snack: Our contributing blogger, Jaime recently wrote about my love iced tea in the late afternoon. She knows me too well! Here’s a typical snack: veggies with a spoonful of hummus and of course, my iced tea! I also had a few Way Better Snacks (in Sweet Potato).

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Dinner: On this particular day, I went on an early evening hike with a friend and we stopped off at Eat Real Café before heading home. It’s one of my favorite spots in my community. I ordered the Cali Wrap, which is made with grilled chicken, quinoa, red onions, tomatoes, kale, arugula, and artichoke pesto. It comes with a side salad, too. Their house garlic chia dressing is the best!

Dessert: I would say that most of the time I have something sweet after dinner whether it’s a small serving of dark chocolate (I had two small squares on this day), a tiny serving of ice cream, or even just candied ginger. To me, it’s all about portions and eating in a way that helps to keep me feeling good, happy, and nourished.

The WIAW Dietitian Tag! #WIAWRD

This blog post is a part of a ‘dietitian tag’ to see what other registered dietitians from around the world really eat!

To carry on this tag all you need to do is:

1) Copy and paste this section (marked within the ******) to the bottom of your WIAW blog post.


2) Tweet/Facebook the link using the hashtag #WIAWRD (What I Ate Wednesday Registered Dietitian).

3) Add your blog post link into the section below.


4) ‘Tag’ 2-3 other dietitians to carry on the tag via email!

We tag:

Caroline Kaufman

Jaime Ruisi (RD To Be!)

Previous WIAW Blog Posts (add yours here along with where you’re from!):

Nic’s Nutrition – Weekend Edition (West Yorkshire, UK)
Gemma Critchley, Dietitian Without Borders (Liverpool, UK)
Nic’s Nutrition – Week Day Edition (West Yorkshire, UK)

Helen West, Food & Nonsense (Uluwatu, Bali)
Diana Chard, Bite My Words (Nova Scotia, Canada)

Mark McGill, Glipho (Ottawa, Canada)

Debra Riedesel, CycleDiet.com, Sensitive Dietitian’s Kitchen.com (Iowa,Florida, New Jersey, USA)
Aaron Flores, Balance Variety and Moderation RDN (Los Angeles, CA)

Michaela Ballmann, Wholify (Los Angeles, CA)

Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Blog (Los Angeles, CA)
McKenzie Hall, Nourish RDs (Los Angeles, CA)

An InLinkz Link-up

An Angelcot Crumble

I think it’s safe to say that most people love the ocean. There’s a reason people flock to the beach on the weekends; it’s hard to beat the sound of ocean waves, the sunset (or sunrise) over the water, or even the healing power of ocean air.

Every time I see the ocean, it takes a lot of self-control not to jump in. But I jump in a lot. I’m happiest in the water.

Not only do I love the feeling of being in the water, I love how I feel for the rest of the day. You know that feeling you got as a kid after spending an entire day in the swimming pool with your friends? You’re tired, you’re hungry, you’re happy.

And those feelings call for comfort food.

Since it’s been over 100 degrees LA this week, most rich comfort foods don’t sound too appetizing. Enter the fruit crumble: summertime’s comfort food. This Angelcot Fruit Crumble is a comforting dish to share on your patio after the sun has set. Bring along a couple extra spoons or forks for sharing with those you love.

If you don’t have access to Angelcots – white-fleshed apricots grown exclusively in northern California – other stone fruit, such as apricots, peaches or nectarines will certainly do the trick!

Ingredients:

For Fruit Filling:

11-12 Angelcots

Juice of ½ Meyer Lemon

Pinch of salt

1/8 cup whole wheat flour

For the Crumble:

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup whole rolled oats

1 stick organic unsalted butter, softened (not melted!)

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup slivered almonds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2.      Dice Angelcots into equal-sized pieces.

3.      In a medium bowl, combine Angelcots, lemon juice, salt, and whole wheat flour. Stir ingredients together. Set aside.

4.      In another medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla. (You may want to use your hands to mix the ingredients together.)

5.      Spread fruit filling into a small casserole dish and top with the crumble.

6.      Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.

Disclaimer: We were not compensated by Frieda’s Specialty Produce for this post. But, they did provide us samples. And that made us very happy!

Homemade Almond Milk + Triple Berry Smoothie

McKenzie loves an almond milk latte in the morning.  My usual is an Americano with a little half-and-half.  But I do keep almond milk on hand for smoothies.  In the summer, I make my husband a smoothie every morning for breakfast.  (In the winter, it’s oatmeal.)

This week, I experimented with making my own almond milk.  I have to say, I’m hooked.  It has a delicious, nutty flavor and a great mouth feel, similar to milk.  I might even switch to almond milk lattes now. 

And it’s ridiculously easy.  Just soak raw almonds in water overnight.  Strain, cover with water again, blend for a few minutes until the almonds are completely pulverized, and then strain the resulting liquid through cheesecloth to get out the almond meal.  There you have it!  Almond milk.

Homemade almond milk keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days, so only make as much as you’ll use during that time.  With at least one smoothie a day, we’re going through a lot of it!  And don’t throw away that almond meal.  Add it to pancakes, muffins or cookies for added protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Here’s the recipe for almond milk, and a bonus recipe for our current favorite smoothie:  the Triple Berry Smoothie.  Frozen berries make the smoothie thick and rich, and add a lot of satisfying fiber.  Ground flax adds even more fiber and heart-healthy essential fatty acids.  Whole dates add sweetness (and even more fiber!) without any added sugar.  The homemade almond milk adds nutty richness, but you could certainly use store-bought almond milk instead.  Just look for an unsweetened variety. 

I hope you enjoy, making the almond milk and smoothie for someone you love!

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

Water, plus more for making the almond milk

Add the raw almonds to a bowl or jar and cover with water.  Place in the refrigerator and let soak overnight, or up to 2 days.

Strain the water from the almonds.

Place the almonds in a blender and cover with 2 – 3 cups of water, depending on how thick you like your almond milk (I used 3 cups).  Blend on high for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the almonds are completely blended and the water turns a milky color.

Strain the almond milk through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.  The almond milk will keep for about 3 days.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.  Save the almond meal and add to cookies, muffins or other baked goods.

Triple Berry Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 dates, pitted

1 cup berries (I used a combination of raspberries, blackberries & blueberries)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Enjoy!

Although we do work with the National Raspberry Council, we were not compensated for this post.  All our opinions are our own.  We really do just love berries!

The Dietitian Is In: Mustard

When we meet someone for the first time and share what we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent question we were asked...and here's the answer!

Question: Is prepared mustard really good for you?

Photo courtesy of Bread & With It and Healthy Aperture

Answer:  You can thank mustard for that tingle on your tongue when you bite into your favorite sandwich. Yet, mustard—yellow, brown, or Dijon—may offer more than just flavor enhancement. Prepared mustard, the condiment we typically buy at the supermarket, is made from the seeds of a mustard plant. The seeds, which may be black (Brassica nigra), white (Brassica alba) or brown (Brassica juncea), are combined with vinegar, water, and sometimes spices and other flavorings. A one tablespoon portion of unprocessed mustard seeds contains a healthy amount of selenium, manganese, omega-3 fatty acids, and glucosinates—phytochemcials found in brassica vegetables, which are well-touted for cancer-fighting abilities. Yellow mustard, the most popular variety in the US (often referred to as “American mustard” in other countries), credits it bright yellow hue to turmeric, one of the most celebrated spices in the research world for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities. Keep in mind that, while mustard is often praised for its lower calorie and fat profile compared to other condiments, it is high in sodium; one tablespoon can contain 200 milligrams or more (about 8 percent of the Daily Value)—depending on the mustard variety. So, enjoy this potent plant-based flavoring in moderation.

This Q & A was written by McKenzie for the March 2014 issue of Environmental Nutrition.

It's Monday! And Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans

Although Sunday is our favorite day of the week, there's something special about Monday. Every week, a new beginning rolls around—a new weekly goal list, filled with possibilities.

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. – Gloria Steinem

This week, I’m going to sign up for the painting class that has been on my mind for months.  I’m going to continue to practice yoga (for at least a few minutes) each morning.  I’m going to spend time each day in silent prayer and meditation.  I’m going to give myself permission to take breaks from my to-do list to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  And I’m going to make these Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans, because they remind me of my childhood and family picnics.

First, make the Bourbon BBQ sauce.  This will make more than you need, but you can use the leftovers as a substitute for ketchup or any other BBQ sauce.  It freezes beautifully.

For the baked beans, you can start from dried (which I usually do), or you can use canned beans (which is absolutely okay!).  Either one will work, and they will both make a delicious dish.  The secret is in the slow cooking, so the beans get silky and the sauce gets thick, with concentrated spicy-sweetness.

Beans, obviously, are filled with fiber and a good source of plant protein.  These Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans are meatless, which makes them a great potluck or picnic dish.  Add a salad filled with beautiful local greens, and you can call it lunch, or dinner.

Here’s to dreaming, and a week filled with possibilities.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

½ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ginger

1, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup Kentucky Bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark

2 tablespoons mustard

¼ cup blackstrap molasses

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Add olive oil, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt.   Sauté about 20 - 30 minutes, or until onions are almost falling apart and starting to brown.  Add cumin, allspice and ginger and stir. 

Add tomatoes, bourbon, mustard, molasses, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.  Simmer for about an hour, or until sauce has thickened.  Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.  You can puree the sauce if you want to, or you can serve as is.

Southern Baked Beans

Serves about 8 - 10

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cans of pinto beans or 8 cups cooked pinto beans, with some of their cooking water

1 ½ cups Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 10 – 15 minutes or until onion is translucent and very tender.  

Drain the beans, but reserve the cooking liquid.  Add the beans to the pot and add just enough liquid to come up to the top of the beans.  

Add about 1 ½ cups of the barbeque sauce to the beans and stir.  Pour the beans into a large casserole dish.  

Place in the oven and cook for about 2 hours, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  The beans should be thick.  Alternatively, you can cook this in the slow cooker.  Just cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.   

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love!

To cook the beans from scratch

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 onion, halved

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

2 – 3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon salt

Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water by at least 4 inches.  Cover and let soak at least 8 hours.  Alternatively, bring the beans to a rolling boil for a few minutes.   Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.

Drain water off the beans and discard soaking water.  Return beans to pot and cover again with fresh, cold water, covering by a few inches.  Add onion, carrot, celery and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking about 1 hour or until the beans are almost tender.  Add the salt and continue cooking until the beans are very tender.  Taste and adjust amount of salt, if necessary.  It should have the saltiness of a good chicken broth.  Discard onion, carrot, celery and bay leaves.

Raspberry & Oats Bars

A lot of people seem to be in summertime mode this week. I love seeing individuals, couples, and families in my local community taking longer lunch breaks, more afternoon dips in my community pool, and leisurely strolls after dinner. There’s something to be said about doing nothing except simply enjoying the moment.

These raspberry & oat bars will make for a nice treat to take to the pool later today for sharing with my neighbors.

Happy sweet summertime, everyone.

Raspberry & Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup almond meal

1 cup rolled oats

1 mashed avocado

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup raspberries (slightly blended)

1/2 cup walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.      In a bowl, combine almond meal, oats, baking powder, and cinnamon.

3.      In a separate bowl, mash an avocado. Stir into flour mix.

4.      Coat a small baking pan with oil. Press half of the mixture down onto the bottom of the pan.

5.      Top with raspberries and walnuts.

6. Spread the other half of the mixture on top of the raspberries.

7. Place in the oven for 40 minutes.

8. Cut into desired size bars.

Serves 6-8

Enjoy, preferably with those you love!

Healthy Summertime Tips and a recipe for Creamy Spinach Dip

Last week I visited Tami and Dave – the dynamic duo of SCV Today to share some of favorite tips for how to healthfully fuel your body during summertime. As always, it was so fun to spend my morning with them. You can watch the full episode here.

As a disclaimer, I have to admit that I tend to get overly excited about summertime which is kind of funny considering that we hardly get much of a winter in Southern California. Regardless, I love any excuse to celebrate a season that embraces a carefree lifestyle, naps on hammocks, bright fingernail polish, spontaneous dips in the pool, outdoor dinners, and tiny umberellas in my beverage.

Another reason I love this sunny season? There’s no better time of the year to embrace outdoor activities, such as hiking, bike riding, playing tennis, swimming, going to the park, or even walking.  While it may be the weather that keeps us moving and motivated in the summer, food should be able to keep us fueled, energized, and feeling good the whole season through. But, like any time of year, there are still ways to give into not-so-healthy habits.

Here are the six summertime tips I shared on SCV Today that will keep your body running like a smooth operating machine, even during the hottest days this summer.

1.      Dip it Real Good. Summertime and dips seem to go together like summertime and popsicles. Whether its guacamole, salsa, or fruit dip, dips are the perfect poolside snack and barbeque side dish. When it comes to choosing your dips, choose dips that pump up your nutrient intake for the day rather than choosing those that leave you feeling sluggish and stuffed. Both these recipes for this Tomato, Bean and Avocado Salsa and  Pomegranate, Avocado and Orange Salsa are packed with a serious amounts of fiber and antioxidants. Our simple recipe for Avocado Yogurt Dip is packed with heart healthy fats. And our healthy spin for Spinach Dip (below) is guaranteed to leave you feeling healthy, happy and nourished.

2.      Choose Dip’s Perfect Companion. What's a dip without a chip? When it comes to selecting products in the market to accompany your main dishes or side dishes, there are some that offer more nutritional benefits that may meet the eye. Way Better Snacks are my chip of choice for the quality of their ingredients – which are sprouted. Sprouted seeds, beans and grains are certainly growing in popularity, and you can now find a variety of sprouted items in your local market. When a grain or seed sprouts, or is germinated, the nutrition properties become more available to the body, and also pushes up certain nutrients like vitamins B, C, and E.

3.      Create a healthy Salad. If there’s one time of year when people actually start to crave fruits and veggies, its summer. It could be the onslaught of farmers markets now in full swing, the delicious in-season produce available, or the fact that refreshing fruits and vegetables simply sound good this time of year. So if you’re craving a full-meal salad for lunch or dinner throughout the summer months, skip the bottled, creamy dressings, cut back on the cheese and bacon, and embrace all the gorgeous seasonal plant foods available. This recipe for Quinoa, Grape, Walnut and Arugula Salad is one of my all-time favorites. When I’m on the go, I simply layer the individual ingredients in a mason jar (with the dressing on the bottom so the salad doesn’t get soggy), and give it a shake to mix it up right before meal time.

4.      Set Yourself Up for Fruit Success. As soon as you get home from the farmers market or supermarket, slice and dice your produce picks and store them in individual containers. If it’s cut and ready-to-go, you’re way more likely to eat it. How many times have you bought a cantaloupe or pineapple with the very best intentions only to see it go to waste? If you know yourself well enough to know that you likely won’t cut up a melon or pineapple, spring for the extra dollar or two and buy the pre-cut varieties. It will be well worth your dollar (and waistline) in the long run. You can also opt for frozen fruits, such as pitted cherries or mango to give you some extra time before it spoils. I love creating fruit and yogurt parfaits made with non-fat plain Greek yogurt for an on-the-go light lunch.

5.      Be a little Nutty. Trail mix is such a great snack to keep with you throughout the day. I usually carry a small container of homemade trail mix in my purse so I have something on hand to prevent myself from getting overly hungry (and subsequently not very fun to be around). The fiber, protein, and flavor of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and even a little dark chocolate helps to curve my cravings in-between meals. Here’s my basic trail mix formula:

6.      Hydrate Healthfully. During the hot days of summer, staying adequately hydrated is so important for your body to maintain certain internal functions, such electrolyte balance and a healthy internal temperature. Rather than opting for high-calorie sweetened beverages or zero-calorie, artificially sweetened beverages, turn to water most often. To add a little flare to your plain glass of H20, freeze fruit, herbs, or even lemon juice in your ice cubes. As they melt, they’ll add a hint of flavor. Another fancy spin on water? Combine sparkling water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.

Check out our recipe for Creamy Spinach Dip, paired with Way Better Snacks as an excellent nutrient-packed summertime snack.

Creamy Spinach Dip

This recipe is a littler spin on the classically high-calorie spinach dips we see in the stores. It’s packed with both calcium and iron – two key nutrients that merit special consideration for women. Enjoy it as an appetizer before dinner or as a light, satisfying mid-day snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup Greek yogurt

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoon dill, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bag Way Better Snacks (Black Bean) tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out extra water.

2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.

3. Serve with Way Better Snacks!

Disclosure: As a Nutrition Ambassador of Way Better Snacks, I was compensated for my time for this post. My thoughts and opinions are my own – and I truly love Way Better Snacks for their quality of ingredients and nutritional profile. I recommend them to my friends, family members, and clients often.