May 3, 2011

Cabbage, Onions and Squash

Author: Maria Ali

Veggies Fresh from the Farm

We have been receiving lots of cabbage, onions and squash in the warehouse lately. Do you know the disease-fighting power these veggies have? They are too healthy to be ignored!

CABBAGE
 
Cabbage can help lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of bladder, colon and prostate cancers. Sautéing is one of the healthiest ways to cook cabbage because it preserves nutrients. Overcooking destroys nutrients.

  Read More …

April 18, 2011

Prunes or Scallions … Anybody?

Author: Maria Ali

We recently completed GROSS with a group of kindergarten and first graders. Every week a different color family was highlighted. The one week I cringed at was the blue and purple week, simply because prunes haven’t been the most popular with any of the other age groups. I certainly thought this younger group of kids would be pickier than the others.

Well guess who surprised me?
The children loved the prunes so much they even took some home.

Prunes, which I promoted as “dried plums,” are a great treat to give children instead of candy. Naturally sweet and filled with antioxidants, this little fruit will provide a health boost to your whole family.

Ways to Eat Super Duper Prunes:

- You can eat them right out the bag … delicious!
- Chop them up and add to cereal, yogurt, or a peanut butter sandwich.
- Eat as a snack with cheese.
- Make Turkey Dunks: Roll up pitted prune halves with small pieces of turkey breast. Dip in honey mustard. (Recipe courtesy of: California Dried Plums)

Now what about these scallions?

The second recipe that was made with the children was Fiesta Black Bean Salsa. Sounds fun already doesn’t it? The party is in the colors. This recipe includes all 5 color families. There’s no simpler or tasty way to eat all your colors.

Black beans – blue/purple
Corn – yellow/orange
Scallions and cilantro – green
Tomatoes – red
Garlic – white

The kids willingly added the scallions and cilantro to their salsa. Woo-hoo! Give it a try yourself.

Fiesta Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained & rinsed (“no added salt” variety recommended)
2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
5 scallions, diced
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 TB of canola  oil
2 TB Lemon or lime juice, add more if needed
Salt to taste
*Optional: Cumin or Pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all non-liquid ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a cup, mix together oil and lemon juice, then pour into large bowl and mix all together.
Season with salt, *other spices or extra lemon juice as desired. Serve with no-added salt tortilla chips or with a meal.
(Recipe courtesy of: Oregon State University Extension Service)

Enjoy!

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

March 8, 2011

Eat Right with Color

Author: Maria Ali

By Kristina LaRue, Nutrition Intern at Second Harvest Food Bank

It’s National Nutrition Month! The American Dietetic Association designated the month of March to communicate the importance of making good food choices. This year’s theme is “Eat Right with Color.” This is the challenge to Americans— eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.

Why does color matter?
• Not all plants are created equal—Each fruit and vegetable provides different nutrients and unique health benefits.
• Live it up with color—Eating the same fruits and vegetables over and over again is boring, especially when you are supposed to eat 5 a day. Including a variety of choices will help you to enjoy your food a whole lot more!
• Rev up the flavor—Fruits and vegetables come in all flavors. Add a twist to a dish by including a new taste. Eat the rainbow.
• Red—watermelon, pomegranate, strawberries, radishes, cherries, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb.
• Orange/Yellow—rutabagas, sweet potatoes, lemons, pumpkin, yellow tomatoes, apricots, pears, peaches, butternut squash.
• Green—zucchini, spinach, lima beans, collard greens, avocados, artichokes, green apples.
• Blue/Purple—blueberries, figs, blackberries, plums, purple grapes, prunes, raisins.
• White—cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, onions, potatoes, turnips, bananas.

Take the challenge!

• Next time you are at the supermarket, put a new fruit or vegetable in your shopping cart!
• Make a list of the fruits and vegetables that you currently eat to figure out what colors you might be missing.
• Get creative—find new recipes that include fruits and vegetables. Make a fresh veggie dip, enjoy fruit smoothies, use dried fruits in trail mix.
• Keep ready to eat fruits and vegetables in the fridge.
• Double up. Increase the amount of veggies in the recipe.
• Have fruits for dessert.

Visit eatright.org for more information about National Nutrition Month. For more ideas and fun recipes visit fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

February 17, 2011

Pound for Pound Tips from Second Harvest Employees

Author: Maria Ali

What better way to inspire you this week than to let you hear what tips have helped Second Harvest Employees! 

 5 Tips from Our Leading Biggest Losers:

 1.   You can’t have it all. You have to make choices about which food items you decide to eat to keep the balance in your favor.

Take a situation like this:
Say you go to Cheesecake Factory for dinner one night. Of course you want to have some cheesecake—plan to order a smaller and healthier dinner like grilled fish and substitute a starchy side with a double side of veggies. Now you have created room for some dessert calories! Go ahead and split that piece of cheesecake with someone.  This is exactly how you have your cake and eat it too.

 2.   Plan ahead. Meal-planning is one of the most important habits in managing your weight and your health.

 Think about what you have planned for the week. Identify the days you know you will be going out to eat or eating a larger meal. Maybe you have a party to go to or you plan to splurge over the weekend? Balance out what you choose to eat and drink days prior to then. Pack a healthier lunch and cook lighter dinners in preparation for that weekend splurge or festivity.  Additionally, before you head out to a restaurant, look up your favorite meals online to see the nutrition facts. Then decide if that meal is a good choice for you to order or how much of a portion you can calorically afford.

 3.   Eat more low-calorie foods like fruits and veggies.  

Fruits and veggies are packed with nutrients and fiber. They are one of the healthiest additions you can add to your meals. Make it a goal to add some at every meal and snack that you eat. Add fruit to breakfast cereal, or eat a piece of fresh fruit with whole-grain toast and peanut butter. Pack fruit and veggie cuts for that afternoon snack. Double-up your non-starchy veggie portion at dinner…you’ll likely eat less of everything else, without feeling any less satisfied. 

4. Vary up your protein sources. You don’t have to eat meat at every meal.  

Eating smaller portions of meat and eating meat less often is a great habit to take on. Instead of grabbing a beef taco opt for a bean burrito once in a while. Consider eating vegetarian certain days or for certain meals of the week. 

5.   Push yourself to grow … Muscles that is.

There’s no better way to trim up than to combine healthier eating with exercise. You’ll see faster results and feel a difference sooner! Pushing yourself a little harder, further or faster than the day before keeps it interesting and makes you feel accomplished.

They shared some great advice didn’t they?

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager

November 29, 2010

Surviving the Holidays—Healthy

Author: Maria Ali

Thanksgiving is over, but the holidays are still in full effect! We have about 5 more weeks until we make it to 2011, but don’t take the back seat to your health from now until January.

Here are some tips to keep you encouraged and motivated:

Weight
• Goal: Maintain your weight.
• You DO NOT have to gain weight just because the holidays come around.
• If you’re motivated, continue with your weight loss goals, but if that seems too stressful, just aim to maintain your current weight, and pick it back up after the New Year.

Exercise
• Goal: Stay active.
• Be physically active everyday in any way for at least 30 minutes or more.
• If you can’t make it to the gym, make your holiday chores work for you.
   -   Shopping? Park farther. Take the stairs instead of the escalator. 
   -   House chores? Think of house chores as your new circuit routine—laundry, mopping, vacuuming, and scrubbing. Scrub that tub a little harder. Move the furniture around and vacuum all those areas you usually skip. I promise if you don’t take a break your heart rate will start pumping!

Diet
• Goal:  Balance out the calories.
• You can still enjoy your favorite holiday goodies without putting on the extra pounds if you balance out your calorie intake.
• Focus on portion and frequency. 
     – How much mac & cheese will you put on your plate? ½ cup would be an appropriate serving size. How many times this week did you eat dessert? Consider limiting it to only 2.
• The veggie tray is your best friend at a holiday feast…just don’t over-do it on the dip!

Follow these tips and enjoy all the holiday festivities guilt-free.

Maria Ali, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Manager