Food In Many Forms

Banana, Kale, and Almond Milk Smoothie In a blender, puree 1 medium  banana , 1 cup chopped  kale , and 1 cup  almond milk  until smooth. 201 calories | 5 g fiber | 5 g protein | 4 g fat We made these smoothies at work on Monday as part of an Employee Health Fair during Commitment Week. It generated a lot of great discussion, but people were not too eager to try it because of the strong kale smell and the bright green color.  We also used 2% milk because we didn't have almond milk, and a lot of people were hesitant to try it because they were lactose intolerant.  Next time we make smoothies, I want experiment with almond milk or soy milk, try using spinach and experiment with a combination of fruits.  

I think the "Cupcakes" turned out pretty well, but they really look and taste more like muffins. They would be great for a quick breakfast and are a lot better than some of those oatmeal breakfast bar recipes I've tried. I ended up doubling the recipe, which made 26 muffins. I ended up using almost an entire zucchini, two small apples, shredded carrots and chopped raisins, and I definitely recommend using some kind of dried fruit to add some sweetness. It seems like a lot of people just use the leftover fruits and vegetables from their juice smoothies, which I think is a great idea! 

In case you didn't know, it's National Nutrition Month ! Every year, RD's spend the month of March making posters and handouts, cooking up delicious food for others to sample, and devoting their time to educating the public and their fellow employees through health fairs and lunch and learns.  Please tell me what other health profession invests so much time and effort into helping others during the month they should be celebrated? Ahh.. to be a dietitian .  So naturally, we dietitians will be at the employee health fair next week... our focus will be fiber and we're planning on baking high fiber cupcakes for everyone to try. Because after all who doesn't want to feel full and poop on the regular? I plan to test them this week, so I'll keep y'all posted! Magic Fruit-and-Veggie Cupcakes Ingredients Cooking spray (optional) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon soy flour 2 tablespoons wheat germ 1/2 cu...

I always tell my patients, the worst thing that can happen to their diet is complacence . When you stop working to improve your diet, it will inevitably go in the opposite direction . So I recently set some goals for myself to improve my own diet. 1) Eat more meals at home 2) Cook more meals at home 3) Use more home-cooked meats , rather than processed/packaged meats 4) Bulk up on vegetables at lunch and dinner 5) Use only whole grain products at home A lot of this has to do with finding products and recipes I enjoy, but also making time to prepare meals ahead of time. At first, this meant using a lot of frozen vegetables and microwaveable rice, and cooking meat in large batches for several days. But eating 90-second brown rice and frozen broccoli everyday can get a little boring, even if it does help me meet my goals. So now that I have a regimen that I am comfortable and happy with, it's time to shake it up a bit . Asparagus is going to be in season in Maryland ...

Happy Chrismahannakwanzakah! Cookies are a great holiday present for those on a budget - they require time and effort and most of the ingredients are cheap if you don't already have them at home.  These cookies taste like the real deal, but have 75% less sugar because of the Stevia blend I used. I also chose a cookie icing from Betty Crocker that was really easy to use and had 0 g of fat. Ingredients:  1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup baking Stevia 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Optional Garnishes: decorative candies and colored sugars Directions: Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer in a medium mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually add baking Stevia, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to baking Stevia blend...

I didn't pick this recipe, but if you knew my friends, you would know who did. This one friend in particular is a HUGE fan of anything with sour cream, buttermilk, cream cheese, whole milk - you name a dairy product that would scare a dietitian and she keeps it in her fridge. The good thing is that otherwise she eats extremely healthy and is a normal weight. She also is a fan of "Colorante", a spice often used in Spain to give food the appearance that it has been seasoned with saffron, which explains the distinct yellow color of our fish.  If I did it again, I would probably add some extra spice to the fish, it needed a little bit more kick. I could definitely see putting paprika, taco spice or Cajun seasonings, especially since I am not a big fan of jalapeno peppers. HEALTHY FISH TACOS WITH BUTTERMILK AVOCADO PUREE - PUREE OPTIONAL Start to finish: 40 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: Guess which one was made by a chef, and which one I made? 1 large Ha...

Didn't I just say I would cut back on the alcohol in my last post? Well, I guess I'll keep trying. These delicious clams and mussels were just too perfect with a few glasses of white wine.  Maybe wine doesn't count... Anyways, I really lucked out with these little sea creatures because out of the 48 total clams and mussels I bought, only 1 was bad and didn't open up. It was probably because I bought them and cooked them on the same day and the lovely seafood lady at Whole Foods sent me with two heaping bags of ice to keep them cool. Although the mussel experts say you can store mussels in the fridge for several days, covered with a damp cloth. Giada, from the Food Network, is one of my favorite chefs. Every recipe I have made from her has been outstanding. This one was great because the crushed red peppers spice up the entire broth and give all of the seafood that little bit of kick. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but the two of us ate all of the mussels...