Tag Archives: Foods

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Cooking Fresh in the ‘Off Season’

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Fresh Winter Pears NCES CatalogAs winter settles in throughout most of the country, are you finding that you’re tired of cooking from a can? When spring arrives, it’s exciting to start buying fresh and cooking light, fresh meals with seasonal fruits and vegetables. But, why wait until spring? Instead, adjust your recipes to include fresh fruits and vegetables that are in-season throughout the winter months. Here are a couple of freshtastic foods that have more flavor this time of year than any other!

Brussels Sprouts: If you just said “Gross!” under your breath, you should be ashamed! The days of mushy canned brussels sprouts are gone forever… at least for us. Instead, we’ve found ways to bake, broil and sauté these little gems into tasty side dishes full of flavor and freshness.

Simple and Light Roasted Brussels Sprouts from Food Network

Fresh, Citrusy Brussels Sprouts with Walnut-Lemon Vinaigrette – If you close your eyes, you may think it’s summer

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions – Talk about comfort food!

Pears: Growing up, canned pears were always a favorite snack in my house. Probably because they were canned in sugary syrup. But, have you tried a freshly sliced pear that’s never seen the inside of a can? I prefer a freshly cut pear over the canned variety any day. So, for the spring and summer, remember that an apple a day will keep the doctor away. But, for the winter months, switch to pears for a naturally sweet treat. These are great fresh or cooked in to your favorite dish as a replacement for apples.

Sweet Potatoes: There is a reason that sweet potatoes are a staple at every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal… they are at their finest during the holidays. Although sweet potato casseroles are the most common way we see sweet potatoes prepared, there are so many different ways to cook and enjoy them.

Spiced Sweet Potato Chips – Forget store-bought chips. This is the only snack you’ll need all winter!

Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes – A sweet twist on an old holiday favorite!

Because of the selection of frozen foods in most grocery stores these days, we can enjoy most foods all year long. However, if you have a hankering for fresh (never frozen, never canned) foods in the winter months, remember that there are foods that are in season this time of year. You may have to think outside the box to prepare them. But, rest assured that your palate will appreciate the change in flavor! For a larger list of seasonal fruits and veggies, visit fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. What are your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter months? Share them here on the blog, on Facebook or on Twitter. 

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Fill your Plate with Colorful Foods

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As spring shows its beautiful face, it seems more appropriate than ever to fill our plates with colorful foods. Right now, fruits and vegetables are starting to show up in the grocery store with a new found sense of purpose! Their more colorful, more flavorful and fuller than they’ve been in quite a few months. So, let’s take advantage of the season and eat healthy!

We all know that, according to MyPlate, we should fill half our plate with fresh fruits and veggies. But, as we all know, it’s just hard to do that in the winter. We find ourselves having to get more creative to get the fruits and veggies that we need. But, this time of year, throw creativity out the window and start slicing up fresh foods to fill your plate. Plus, spring encourages us to go RAW… getting back to the basics. One of our RAW-10 Steps to Reducing America’s Waistline- tips is to avoid processed and prepackaged foods. So, in light of that and in celebration of spring, we’ve decided to share a few of our favorite RAW
recipes with you! Plus, if you haven’t had a chance to view our RAW tear pad, now is a great time. This handout will help you teach patients about the importance of ‘getting back to the basics’ by enjoying fresh foods and physical activity.

Snap Bean–Corn Salad with Yellow Tomato Vinaigrette
Source: Delish.com

Grilled Chicken and Garden Vegetable Penne Pasta with Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Source: MidwestLiving.com

Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken with Blackberries
Source: Health.com

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Heart Health: Are Supplements the Answer?

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So, you’re driving home from the doctor’s office and they’ve just informed you that you are at an increased risk of stroke due to cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or some other heart health concern. What do you do? Do you turn to supplements? Or, do you alter your eating habits and levels of physical activity to make your heart stronger? Well, the answer may be different for each person. So, here are some tips on determining the right solution for you, or your client.

The first thing I’ll say is that, no matter what you do, you need to consider your diet and start cutting out foods that are bad for your heart and learn to incorporate heart healthy foods. Even if you decide that supplements are the right choice for you, it’s important to remember that they are exactly what their title says, “Supplements”. They are designed to supplement your healthy diet and lifestyle. Just to get you started, here are the Top 5 foods that we recommend you avoid if you’re focusing on heart health.

  1. Processed Foods (i.e.: boxed meals, snacks, etc)
  2. Fried Foods
  3. Regular Soda
  4. High fat, sugary foods (i.e.: cakes, cookies, brownies, etc)
  5. Fatty meats

Okay, so at this point, you’ve made the decision to eat healthier. Now comes the time to decide if supplements are the right choice for you. Supplements have been proven to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL), especially Omega-3 and fish oils. So, if you’re looking to take your efforts up a notch, incorporating supplements will help you accomplish that goal. If you’re being completely proactive and working to prevent any heart related illnesses, then supplements may not be what you need.
Now that you have an idea of what you’re going for; diet change and/or supplements, it may be a good time to consult your doctor. You’ve learned the potential benefits of supplements. But, you should not doubt the professional medical opinion of a trusted physician.

Heart health is an important concern that often gets pushed off until a person is forced to face it because of a stroke or other major medical incident. Be sure to get your heart in check before it’s too late. If you’re a dietitian or physician, take advantage of every opportunity to teach your patients about heart health and how they too can have a healthy heart!