When "healthy" becomes subjective...

How do you define a "healthy" food?  Something low in calories?  Low in fat?  High in nutrients?

We all have our own ideas of what foods we should choose, vs. foods to avoid.  Here's something I come across a lot as a dietitian:
What is "healthier"- sugar free yogurt, nonfat yogurt, Activia, Greek yogurt?
I know plenty of people that strictly go with calories.  No matter how many fake-y, chemical-y ingredients there are, hey, if it's only 50 calories per serving, I'm eatin' it.

Okay yes, I'm guilty of that from time to time.  But calories don't necessarily equal nutrients.  My own policy as a dietitian is that we should

• Eat a variety of foods
• Eat foods that are minimally processed (homemade is always best)
• Eat lean where it counts
• Eat fatty where it counts

          You've probably been asked the question "if you were stranded on a desert island and could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"  Well, if I were on Wunfud Island, it'd definitely be cereal, because there's a good variety within the category.  Kashi for breakfast, Special K for lunch, bran flakes for dinner, and repeat.  But then I'd get scurvy due to the lack of vitamin C.  I'd get kwashiorkor due to lack of protein.  I'd get anemia due to lack of iron.  Our bodies truly need a mix of fuel: healthy carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.  We get these by choosing fruits, veggies, whole grains, meats, seafood, eggs, milk, legumes, nuts, and beans. As corny as it is, I do like the government's new MyPlate as a point of reference (though the glass of dairy is not necessary). 
         
          Now I don't eat organic. I think it's nice to eat organic, but at this point, it's not something that I feel I should be spending money on. Someday when I have kids, I will probably choose organic milk and meat, because studies show those are the two products that tend to have the most chemicals in them.  Organic does not necessarily mean "healthy" though, as organic products can have just as much sugar, salt, and saturated fats as their regular counterparts.  What I do think is worthwhile is limiting the amount of preservatives in our food.  Take a can of beef stew- it doesn't expire for a whole year.  Convenient for food shelves, but kind of creepy to think of food being so processed and preserved that it lasts that long.  The shorter the ingredient list, the fewer chemicals/preservatives/salt/crud-in-general goes into your body.

          Eating lean implies that fats are bad.  Yes and no.  Our bodies need a certain amount of fats.  Fats provide energy, help with cellular function, aid in making hormones, insulate us, and help cushion our internal organs.  But not all fats are equal- avoid saturated fats (found in butter, fatty meats, and dairy products).  Really avoid trans fats, found in processed foods and margarine.  Instead choose unsaturated fats- "omega-3 fatty acids" fall under this category.  Get your good fats by eating fish, walnuts, avocado, olive oil, and flaxseed. 

       I always say this to my patients:
If you're going to consume calories, be sure that you get something out of them in return: either fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins and/or minerals.

Bananas for...bananas.

Fact: For the past 8 years, I've eaten a banana most every single morning.  If I take a crack at that math, that means I've eaten 2912 bananas, and spent $429.52 doing so.  I bet my potassium is juuuuuust fine. A note to Chiquita: I'm still waiting for my plaque. 

Sometimes I get a little overzealous with the banana-buying and they get a bit too ripe for my taste.  To me, if there are spots, it's over.  It's either destined for muffins, or for the trash.  Here's a recipe for jumbo banana muffins- and these certainly won't  end up in the trash.

Bananas Muffins
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup butter
-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
-2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
-2 eggs, beaten
-2 1/3 cup mashed over-ripe banana (I used 4 small bananas)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.  Stir in applesauce, eggs, and mashed banana until well blended.
3. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten (over-stirring will make the muffins tough).  Spoon batter into muffin cups to about 3/4th of the way full. I sprinkled a few oats on top for the pretty factor.  
4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a paper towel.  I like to eat mine warm with a bit of Brummel & Brown butter spread. 
Per muffin: 360 calories, 48 g carbs, 10 g fat, 7.5 g protein

These babies are filling, so they're more of a breakfast meal rather than a snack.

As a point of reference, the "banana nut loaf" at Starbucks is a slightly smaller serving, but contains 490 calories, 75 g carbs and 19 g fat. 

So this dietitian throws a party...

I love Christmas.  Loooooove Christmas.  Let's name him Oatmeal!/You'll shoot your eye out/Keep the change, ya filthy animal/Buddy the Elf- what's your favorite color?/She thinks I'm cuuuuuute!  Love the movies, love the music, love the decorations, love the general shiny/sparkly goodness that accompanies the holidays.  Love the parties as well.

This past weekend I hosted my 4th annual Christmas party.  In past years, in addition to eating, I've hosted a holiday-themed game.  My friends secretly hate this, as I expect them to be able to draw things like "Kwanzaa" and "the Maccabees" (I said holiday games, not Christmas games!).  Now that I'm married, I agreed to compromise on the chosen game: beer pong it was. Humbug.

I have fun planning the menu and even created some new recipes for the occasion.

Chicken Wild Rice Salad
-1 medium whole chicken
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-Poultry seasoning
-1 can cooked wild rice, drained and rinsed
-2/3 cup olive oil reduced fat mayonnaise
-1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
-1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
-1/3 cup slivered almonds

Go ahead and roll your eyes- yes, I want you to roast a whole freakin' chicken.  You'd be amazed at how much better tasting this recipe ends up being than if you used canned chicken.  It doesn't cost that much, and it's easy.
1. Rinse off chicken and pat dry. Place breast-up in a roasting pan.  Coat with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle poultry seasoning (about 2-3 teaspoons worth) all over the chicken.  Loosely cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes.  Remove foil and keep cooking for another 30, or until internal temperature is higher than 165 degrees (poke the thermometer around various parts of the chicken to make sure the entire thing is cooked).  Once cooled, cut up the meat into smallish chunks (you won't find this level of un-specificity in no stinkin' Williams Sonoma cookbook).  If you toss the meat into a resealable bag, it'll keep for a few days, so feel free to roast your chicken ahead of time if need be.

2. Mix chicken, wild rice, green onion, water chestnuts, and mayo in a large bowl.  I added a few sprinkles of onion powder, pepper, and salt to mine as well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Sprinkle almonds on top before serving.

Recipe makes about 8 servings.  Per serving: 250 calories, 8 g carbs, 8 g fat, 33 g protein.

I served this with King's Hawaiian rolls cut in half.  You could eat this plain, or on whole grain crackers or bread.  Your call.  If you want extra add-ins, try chopped onion, celery, or even red grapes.

I also tried another new-ish recipe:
Sloppy Joe Cups
-1 pound extra lean ground beef
-1 can Manwich
-1 can diced tomatoes, drained
-2 cups 2% Cheddar cheese
-2 packages of crescent rolls

1. Saute ground beef until fully cooked.  Add Manwich and tomatoes.  Let cool in the refrigerator.  This mixture will keep for a day or two until you're ready to use it.
2. To assemble the cups, roll out the crescent dough and tear apart the triangles according to the perforations.  I took a rolling pin and stretched them out a bit more.
3. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Mold one triangle of dough into each muffin cup, letting the extra dough hang over the edge of the cup.
4. Stir the cheese into the meat mixture.  Plop a large spoonful of meat into each muffin cup and fold the crescent dough on top (or else kind of mold it around the rim to prevent spillover while baking).
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.  This recipe makes 24 cups.

Per cup: 190 calories, 15 g carbs, 9 g fat, 12 g protein

The dietitian wish list

I have to say, I've been pretty good this year.  I've been able to avoid the post-wedding weight gain (*knocking on wood furiously*).  My house is 6-months pop-free, and I've been eating my fruits and veggies daily.  That deserves a payout from Santa, right?

I am largely content with everything in my kitchen, but it's still fun to dream...and not just about an item, but the storage space in which to put that item as well.  Here's my list.  Hope someone's taking a look, checking it twice, and...you get the idea. 

1. Kitchen Aid stand mixer
I'm a little greedy on this one, I'll admit, as I already have a stand mixer.  But mine is plain ol' white.  And it's on loan from my mom, so it's not even really mine.  I know!  So it's practically a necessity that I get this super fun hot pink one from Williams Sonoma.  I ask myself: WWBW?  (What would Barbie want?).  And there you have item #1. 

2. Williams-Sonoma cupcake stencils.

These would be cute for dusting powdered sugar or sprinkles on top of cupcakes and cookies.  They would make good stencils for piping frosting as well.   

3. "Farmer's Market basket" at Anthropologie

It's a stoneware dish similar to the cardboard baskets used at farmer's markets.  Definitely cute enough for a tabletop decoration, or to keep your freshly washed berries in (just set it on a paper towel in the fridge).

4. "Peas and Thank You" cookbook

I've been following Sarah Matheny's blog for a few months and she writes her recipes with wit and humor I envy.  I'm no vegetarian, but it's good to have a stockpile of meatless recipes.  I make her pumpkin molasses cookies almost weekly.

5. OXO pastry scraper/cutter

 

A few weeks ago I went to a baking class and the instructor used this 178 times throughout the various recipes.  It's great for when you roll out dough and need to then peel it away from the surface.  You could also use it for slicing & chopping.  It doesn't hurt that it looks like something a ninja would use either. 

6. The last item on my list would be monogrammed kitchen towels.  Reason #421 (low on the list) that I married my husband: last name starts with S, which lends itself well to a pretty scroll-y monogram.  

So there you have it.  Maybe if I leave out hummus and carrots, Santa'll be extra nice. 

It's all been done before...

I could be wrong in saying this, but I'm pretty sure the better the idea I have, the more likely it is an original thought.  Case in point: I'm sure no one in the world has ever thought to add apples to cranberry sauce.  Spectacular, no?  The other night I got the crazy idea to toss in some blueberries as well.  Crazy-brilliant!  

Alright so in reality this may be a recipe you've seen before.  But in my mind, it's already trademarked by meeeee!  This is a delicious & easy sauce that is good just plain, or else stirred in with oatmeal or yogurt, or even spread on some toast or waffles. 

Winter Fruit Sauce
-1 bag whole cranberries, rinsed
-2 large apples, peeled and chopped
-1.5 cups fresh blueberries (frozen would work ok too)
-1 cup orange juice
-1/2 cup white sugar

1. Combine cranberries, apples, OJ, and sugar in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir every few minutes until mixture begins to bubble and cranberries burst.  Continue stirring- mixture will become bubbly.  After 10 minutes or so it'll start to thicken up.  Dump in the blueberries and gently stir for another 5 minutes until nice and thick.
2. Serve warm or cold.

Makes about 8 servings (~3/4 cup).  Nutrition: 104 calories per serving.

Emergency Chili

I am a believer in stock piling certain foods.  If a non-perishable is on sale, stock up!  Shoot, even if meat is on sale, stock up!  It'll freeze just fine.  With that in mind, I raided my pantry (and deep freezer) in search of a meal that I could make without having to hit the grocery store.  Here's a super easy recipe for a quick dinner.


Emergency Chili
-1 can chili beans (mild or hot, depending on your preference)
-1 lb lean ground beef/turkey (thawed if frozen)
-1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-1 medium/large yellow onion, chopped
-half cup water

-Saute the onions along with the ground turkey until meat is fully cooked.  Soak up any fat with a paper towel.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add hot sauce and crushed pepper to taste. Serve with a slice of wheat bread or crackers for dipping.  Optional: instead of topping with sour cream, try plain nonfat Greek yogurt.  Yeah, sounds weird, but plain Greek yogurt is really similar to sour cream, but the benefit is that it's lower fat, no fat, and packs a ton of protein. 

This makes about 6 servings.  It also freezes pretty well- just portion out into an individual-sized Tupperware. 
Nutrition: 270 calories, 29 g carbs, 8 g fat, 27 g protein

On my way to rob a bank

It snowed about 3 inches Saturday night.  So beautiful!  I knew I had to wake up early on Sunday for a jog just to admire the fresh white snow cover (and to listen to the a few of the 118 Christmas songs on my iPod).

It got me thinking that I should share the tools/clothing/accessories that I use to do winter jogging.  It's not for everyone, but that or even just walking in the outdoors is something you should try.

First up on my list:
-Petzl Tikka 2 headlamp

Nerdy?  Yes.  All of this stuff is nerdy.  But there's so little daylight, and running at night is dangerous if you can't see where you're going.  Plus others need to be able to see you as well.  This is actually pretty comfortable to wear and it stays put while I'm running.  You can adjust it to light up your path up to like 40 feet in front of you.  It's also convenient for if you happen upon a mine. 

Nike Pro Hyperwarm leggings.  Go ahead and squeeze into these babies.  They'll keep you warm and allow you to freely run without the bulk of sweatpants.  No shame in putting on a pair of shorts over these to cover your booty.

Yak Trax are amazing.  It's like the equivalent of winter tires for your feet.  You just loop them onto your sneakers and they give you great traction on snow/ice for running or even just walking.  I was skeptical when I first got them, but they allow you to run/walk with confidence on all surfaces.

  

SERIUS Neofleece Combo Clava at Sports Authority.  Now you understand the title of this post.  This is a horrifying thing to put on your head.  But it works.  You will keep your face warm, but still be able to easily breath.  The windchills in Minnesota can be awful, and this blocks the cold.  

So there you have it- my list of winter running essentials.  I'm not a super serious runner.  I just think it's a great feeling to be outdoors enjoying the scenery and getting your muscles moving.  Plus you can't eat things like peanut butter balls without compensating. 

Easy. Fast. Super nutrient-packed.

Can it get any better?  Oh, I should mention this meal is pretty cheap too.  My husband's been out of town for the past three days and I wanted to make him a nice meal.  Not "hi honey, glad you're home- have a cold sandwich for dinner."  Which is what my dinners had been without him.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons apricot jam
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Place chicken in a ziploc bag.  In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.  Pour over chicken; seal the bag and refrigerate all day.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

I chose a frozen Trader Joe's rice mix paired with broccoli for our side dish.  Easy dinner + nice lunch tomorrow!

Nutrition facts:
Chicken- 230 calories, 24 g carbs, 10.5 g fat, 14 g protein
Whole meal- 390 calories, 21 g fiber, 33 g protein