11 of the Best Foods You Aren't Eating

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/?em

Esther sent a link to this NY Times article which appeared last summer. The author compiled a list of the healthy foods which people should be eating but aren't. If this were a test, I'd flunk it like crazy!!

1. Beets (I don't think I've ever knowingly eaten a beet in my life!)
2. Cabbage (I might eat coleslaw once a year, if that often---I don't I get any health benefits based on that!)
3. Swiss chard (what is that? some type of lettuce?)
4. Cinnamon (toast? in pie? does that count?)
5. Pomegranate juice (Can't say I've ever had this either)
6. Dried plums (ok...who is he kidding? Prunes!)
7. Pumpkin seeds (tried them once---they tasted like paper)
8. Sardines (haven't had any of these little babies either!)
9. Tumeric (I wouldn't even know how to use this!)
10. Frozen blueberries (Finally! A food I can relate to!)
11. Canned pumpkin (Does this mean I can have pumpkin pie more than twice a year?!! It's my favorite pie!)

If you click on the link above, you can find out how each of these foods should be served and what their health benefits are.

Tag...you're it!

I've now tagged all my posts so that you may easily search for recipes. All recipes have "recipe" as a tag. I've also included the title of the recipes, the main ingredients (i.e., chicken, beans, etc.), and a generic label (such as "soup") as tags.

So sorry it took me so long to realize I not only needed to do this, but should have been doing it all along!

Extreme weather...calls for more soup!

Ok..so our extreme weather isn't in the same category as Alaska where it is -50 something in Fairbanks (and it can get over 90+ there in the summer), but with the weekly 30-40+ temperature differences we've been having a person has to have access to summer and winter wardrobes. I find it rather annoying. Yesterday it was 72. Right now it is 36....and I just want to stay cozy in bed and read and surf the internet and eat soup.

I'm going to fix something I've never had before...ratatouille. What is it? It is an eggplant-based vegetable soup which roughly translates from the French as a stirable chunky stew.

Slow-cooker Ratatouille

makes 6 servings

120 calories per serving

1 T. olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

6 lg. garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium-sized eggplant, cubed

2 c. mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 tomatoes, cubed

1 c. low-sodium tomato puree

1/4 c. dry red wine, or wine vinegar

1 T. lemon juice

2 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 - 1 t. salt

1/4 - 1/2 t. black pepper

4. T. minced fresh basil (or 1 rounded T. dried basil)

1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Turn slow cooker on high for 2 minutes.

Pour oil into slow cooker and add remaining ingredients except parsley and fresh basil. [Note: If using dried basil, add it now.]

Cover. Cook on high for 2 hours, and then on low 4-5 hours.

Stir in fresh basil (unless you used the dry). Sprinkle with parsley.

Delicious served over wheat pasta or brown rice. Can also use it as a pizza topping.

[Notes: I think I'll roast the peppers first--I like a smoky flavor. If I don't have the wine vinegar, I'll just substitute chicken or vegetable stock. I have some leftover grilled chicken breasts--I'll bet this would be delicious served together!]

Sounds delicious, yes?

Shocking!

The current People Magazine is all about losing weight, diets, and what people really eat. It was the "What You REALLY Eat!" that caught my eye...

100 people (73 women, 27 men) were asked to keep a food journal for 4 days. Then the journals went to a team of dieticians and a nutrition expert for analysis. The results were shocking....and, in my humble opinion, probably representative of the majority of Americans.

95% do not get enough dairy.

93% do not get enough whole grain.

92% do not get enough vegetables.

86% do not get enough fruits.

67% ate no fish.

Recommendations:

Limit fast food meals to one a week.

You really can't eat too many vegetables.

A person tends to consume about 600 calories less a day by eating 6 small meals as opposed to 2 meals.

Women need about 800 calories less a day than men, but men need to eat more fiber.

Fix it and forget it----lightly....

Mother gave me a new cookbook for Christmas titled "Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker" by Phyllis Pellman Good. You've seen them in Target and Wal-mart. While this is advertised as a slow cooker cookbook, you can certainly make any of these without a slow cooker. I usually prepare my stuff the night before by putting most of it in the crock and then in the fridge so that I can quickly get it going the next morning before I leave.

I manage a healthier consumption of food so much better if I have previously prepared food, so I requested this cookbook hoping that it will help me through the rest of the school year. While I certainly don't come home as exhausted (mainly from DRIVING so far!!) as I have the past 2 years, I often come home hungrier because I've eaten very little throughout the day. In fact, it got to the point about 2 months ago that I had to lock the library doors and turn out the lights just so I could eat lunch!

I've marked several recipes to try during the next few weeks and bought ingredients today. I'm looking for recipes that are under 200-210 calories per serving.

Hamburger Soup

makes 6 servings

160 calories per serving

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. seasoned salt (I didn't have any--so just used sea salt)

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

3 c. hot water

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 T. low-sodium soy sauce

1 c. carrots, sliced

1 c. celery, sliced

[I also added 1/2 of a zucchini, sliced and quartered)

1 c. macaroni, cooked (I don't have any, so am going to use some pesto-filled mezzaluna)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I decided to leave this out and throw in a slice of American cheese)

Combine all ingredients except macaroni and cheese in slow cooker.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Turn to high. Add macaroni and cheese.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Postscript: This soup turned out delicious! Great flavor and very filling without feeling heavy. I think this is a soup that would appeal to kids because of the flavor---and a good way to sneak in more veggies.

Cinnamon Kick

Kari & I both love cinnamon toast....and the best in the world is made by Donnas Kay (the secret is to broil it). However, I've just recently discovered that we've grown up using the cheapest grade of cinnamon and haven't had sense enough to know what we are missing! I bought a bottle of Saigon Cinnamon....and could immediately tell the difference in just the smell!

Since I've really begun to feel rotten from this head hold (which seems to be located in just my nose!) I made my mulled cider last night (or course, the 22 degree weather spurred me along, too) and made me 2 pieces of broiled cinnamon toast. I woke up in the night with my throat on fire, so heated some more of the mulled cider almost to the boiling point and downed it using a straw so I wouldn't burn my tongue. It was a good pain! lol

Facts about cinnamon:

*It's a small tree that grows in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Egypt--it's the bark that is used for spice.
*There are 4 varieties of cinnamon, but the two popular ones are Ceylon and Cassia.
*Ceylon cinnamon is sweeter and the bark is thinner than Cassia.
*Cassia cinnamon is the least expensive and is commonly sold in supermarkets in the U.S. [Saigon cinnamon is the high end of this variety.]
*Ceylon cinnamon sells for about $32 a pound and is sometimes called the true cinnamon.

[Ceylon cinnamon on left; Cassia cinnamon on right]

Health benefits of cinnamon:

*Cinnamon can help lower cholesterol.
*It may help regulate blood sugar.
*It can stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
*It can reduce the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
*It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
*It can provide significant arthritis pain relief.
*It inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage.
*Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
*It fights E. coli bacteria in unpasterized juices.
*It's a source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

'Tis the season...for Mulled Cider

Mother gave me a small candle that she'd bought at Wal-mart for $1.00...it's called Mulled Cider. She got her money's worth and more! The scent from this candle is so strong and "life-like" that I've caught myself several times thinking I needed to go in the kitchen and pour myself a cup!!

Mulled Apple Cider

4 cups of apple cider (or about a qt.)
6 whole cloves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces (or sprinkle a spoonful of ground cinnamon to taste)
1/2 orange, sliced
1-inch peeled, fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices (you can substitute a bit of ground ginger to taste)

Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over a low flame for 20 minutes. Strain and serve. [About 130 cal. per serving--and this makes about 4-5 servings]

Note: You can also add about 1/4 c. orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice and/or sliced lemons...whatever you might have on hand or have a taste for.