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29
Apr
2010
 Couscous



 My boyfriend and I made a delicious dinner with fish, broccoli salad (well, he made a lot of the dinner :-D   I was practicing my fine culinary skills chopping an onion, slowly), and couscous. Couscous is one of the few cooked dinner grains that I actually enjoy. I’m not a big fan of rice or regular pasta, but I love couscous. 

(Pictured: Standard couscous on the left, Israeli couscous on the right is just larger like orzo)

It is traditionally a staple of North Africa, but most all countries in the Middle East and Europe eat couscous. Did you know couscous is just an itty bitty pasta? Yep, it’s just semolina wheat flour like all other pastas. This does not mean it is whole grain, but you can find some ready to cook packages of whole grain couscous.

Now, I know some of you, “ahh! No! I won’t eat white flour! ah!”. Do not worry. Pasta actually has a lower glycemic index than most non-whole grain products. All this means is that pasta will sustain your energy for a few hours. Unlike plain white bread or a donut which will likely cause that “sugar crash” soon after you eat. Pasta products are part of a healthy balanced diet. Just remember a serving size is half of a baseball. 

Quick Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Couscous Recipe: (makes about 3-4 servings)
1. Boil 1 cup water, salted.
2. Add 1 cup plain couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 mins with lid on.
3. Add chopped garlic, 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts (preferably the kind packed in oil), 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp. parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Put the lid back on and let the ingredients warm–up for 2 mins. Enjoy! 

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26
Apr
2010
 Tweets and Eats



Hello Bloggies. I have had a weekend away from my computer, so I have been a little out of the loop. I was at my boyfriend’s triathlon (he got 2nd place… I would say more, but I just like to keep my personal life private) and met someone from twitter there. Strange enough. It is funny how people from twitter come to life. I used to be big into twitter (still kind of am), but now that I am following so many people it is hard to keep track of what the heck is going on. How am I supposed to follow tweets every 15 seconds when they pop up on my computer? I need a better system. I guess I will just start categorizing the people I want to follow, and go from there.
Aside from my tweets, I am sure you want to know something nutritionally relevant for the day. Well, I learned about spirulina this weekend. It’s this blue/green algae (think friendly seaweed) that is generally sold as a health food item claiming to help keep you young (anti-inflammatory, heart healthy, antioxidant, etc.) and to prolong your abilities in endurance events. Anything made with spirulina is likely blackish-blue in color. Wacko. So… I researched spirulina a little more. Most research has just been done on animal studies (so, not enough research has been done to be very conclusive about the effects on humans).

Regardless, spirulina is like any other plant food–good for us! It contains many healthy essential fatty acids, is a complete protein, and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. Aztecs have been eating it for centuries; spirulina is a highly nutritionally dense food (like I said before–it is full of every nutrient you can imagine and a complete protein). So how do you eat it? Make smoothies, put it in dips, soups, bars, etc. The only way I have tried it was in a granola bar type product, and yes it looked gross, but did not taste as bad (though I hear most do not like the taste so they take it in capsule form for the health benefits). Of course it taste like you’re eating something “healthy”, but I think we just need to learn how to cook with it properly. I found this recipe for spirulina balls which seems very simple and healthy with almond butter, honey, raisins, walnuts, dates, etc. I am thinking about making something like this and having it as my granola bar substitute. I will let you know how it turns out or if it is even that easy/affordable to make.

I am beginning to think I need some spirulina right now for extra strength… I am about to fall asleep at my computer from such a long day of travel back to Georgia.

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22
Apr
2010
 Change



I will not be posting this weekend because I am going out of town with my boyfriend to watch him race (super fast) a triathlon in FL this weekend! Yay! So, I will leave you with this thought for the weekend… And since today is Earth Day there could not be a better day to think about the world.
Last night on American Idol, Carrie Underwood sang this song, “Change” and she was definitely the best performer of the night and brought across the true message of the whole “Idol Gives Back” thing. Below is the song she sang:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H0EY4Rrpf4]

If you had seen the videos they aired on Idol Gives Back, and then saw this performance it would have really made you think about what we can do for other countries (even if, like me, you have no real extra money because you work for free at an internship… bah!). I just feel that since there are enough people who read my site, then I can spread word to my readers about what made me rethink how I feel about charities.
More about giving back and the causes involved:
The Children’s Health Fund (www.childrenshealthfund.org)
Feeding America (www.feedingamerica.org) This program feeds 37 million Americans.
Malaria No More (www.malarianomore.org) Every 30 seconds someone dies from Malaria in Africa.
Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org)
United Nations Foundation (www.unfoundation.org)

And don’t worry! When I get back Monday I will have some fresh new foodie posts for you all. A few new recipe ideas, a food review or two, and an update on some nutrition news.
Enjoy the weekend!

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21
Apr
2010
 Genetically Modified Foods



What does this mean, you ask? Genetically modified means the food was either genetically engineered (putting one gene from an organism into another organism) OR it means the food was changed through plant breeding (which has been done for many years).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTfuAbzAeB8]

So, what’s the big deal? What is genetically modified? Pretty much ALL corn, soybean, and cotton products are GMOs (genetically modified organisms). And do you realize how much corn/soybeans/cotton we come across each day? A lot. Corn products are everywhere now days… remember corn is how we get high fructose corn syrup. So, is this puzzle beginning to come together? The corn and soybean industries are behind everything in 2010. If they need to genetically modify their products, they will because their jobs and success are at stake. It’s all fine and dandy, but I am just not a fan of massive industries basically controlling the US. I don’t see any major health problems resulting from GM products, but I would like to support local farming as much as possible (and I plan to go to more farmers markets since the weather is getting nicer).

  • So why don’t we see GM foods in the grocery store? We do! They are just not required to label the products as GM unless they can cause an allergy or if they have less nutritional value. 
  • 72% of consumers are unaware that modified crops are evaluated for human safety, and similarly, 77% do not know that the crops are tested for environmental safety

End of story: GM foods are not a big deal to me, and I don’t believe them to cause any health problems. I don’t really care if my food is GM; I still think it’s more important to just be eating you fruits and veggies 5 or more times per day and to have balance :) And once again, to support local produce.

For more info: http://usbiotechreg.nbii.gov/
Sources:
American Dietetic Association. Statement on Biotechnology before the Food and Drug Administration; November 30, 1999; Washington, DC. Available at: http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/98_lg113099.cfm.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: Agricultural and Food Biotechnology



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20
Apr
2010
 Salmon Dinner with the Family



At dinner with my family on Sunday we had Salmon and pasta salad. The Salmon was amazing; they bought it from Costco in one large fillet. It was seasoned with lime chili seasoning and put on the grill. I helped my Mom make a salsa for the salmon.
Salmon Salsa Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 Mango, chopped into small pieces
1 can black beans
1 small bag defrosted frozen corn
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
Directions: Combine all of the above ingredients, and chill at least 30 minutes. After salmon is cooked, top with salsa.

The pasta salad was made with broccoli, cherry tomatoes cut in half, cubes of cheddar cheese, chopped onions, roasted garlic vinaigrette dressing, and salt/pepper.

Before Dinner we had bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and bread. The ingredients were bought from Costco and it was delicious and garlic-y! And after dinner we had the choice of some chocolate chip cookies (not so healthy yet, mouthwatering), or angel food cake with strawberries and light ice cream (better healthy option).

Until next time…



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18
Apr
2010
 Food Review



This weekend I was with my Mom traveling to Auburn, AL to see my sister run track (she did awesome! ran 4:50-something for 1500!), and we tried some new wacky granola bar, trail mix, Starbucks and Haagen Daz. Oh yeah, and my Mom got pooped on by a bird!

P.S.- I am not getting incentives or paid to write these reviews ;)
1. Emerald’s Breakfast-on-the-Go Fruit and Nut Pouches
First of all, there are two servings in one pouch making your total calories 240 and total grams of fat 12. And it contains trans fat! Yikes. And hello, I could eat four of these pouches if I wanted to. There is probably 3 tablespoons in each pouch (contains granola, peanuts, dried blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and about 2 yogurt covered raisins). It was supposed to have walnuts in it, but they seemed to be missing. The granola and peanuts were tasty, but the dried fruit tasted like I bit into a Yankee Candle. Yuck! The dried strawberries were waxy and way too aromatic. The dried blueberries had a mushy, blueberries-gone-bad texture. Gross. I will never buy this product. It was just not satisfying.
2. Cascadian Farms Organic Chocolate Chip Granola BarsMy Mom bought these for my sister for an after her race snack. We tasted one bar, and almost spit it out because we tasted a coconut flavor. So odd because the ingredient list doesn’t even say “coconut” anywhere. No coconut oil, flavor, anything.

If you like “chewy” organic bars (with little fiber and protein, mainly just straight carbs) then this product is for you. The texture is very chewy. They are good, but I prefer Kashi because I like more protein and more fiber (and less sugar) in my granola bars :)

3. Starbucks Sandwiches and Iced Tea
This weekend I discovered that almost all ready-prepared sandwiches have up to 1000 mg of sodium per sandwich! Ah! This is about half the sodium you need for the day. Way to give everyone high blood pressure, Starbucks. If you have to choose one…

My pick for Starbucks Sandwiches: the Chicken and Vegetable Wrap (under 530 mg sodium, 290 calories, 9g fat, 36g carbs, 4g fiber, 19g protein)

I also had an unsweetened iced green tea, and put my own sugar-free lemonade powder in it. It was delicious and refreshing! I would recommend getting regular unsweet black tea if you are not a fan of green tea because Starbucks green tea can be very bitter with a minty aftertaste.

+
4. Chick-Fil-A Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
Nutrition Facts for Chick-Fil-A Parfait: 180 calories, 3g fat (1.5g saturated), 37g carbohydrates (mostly milk sugars and fruit sugars so do not worry!), 6g protein, and 45% vitamin C!
My Mom tried this and absolutely loved it (and she is hard to please when it comes to yogurt and fruit). The strawberries were very fresh and tasty (not frozen or canned or anything!). She got this instead of food from Starbucks (I don’t blame her! Chick-Fil-A wins!).
And if you are very calorie conscious, you could leave out the granola they give you and just eat the yogurt and fruit (this will save a couple calories, and bring you down to almost 100 calories for the cup).

5. Haagen Daz Java Chip Ice Cream (Sinful- not being health conscious here). Haagen Daz has the best coffee ice cream–you can really taste the coffee bean flavor. Of course it taste great because it is full of fat and calories. I had some with hot fudge and whip cream, and I do not feel guilty about it at all (because it was so worth it).

Of course I must offer all my readers a healthy alternative: Starbucks Lowfat Latte Ice Cream (3g fat, 170 calories per serving)
Haagen Daz Coffee Frozen Yogurt (200 calories, 4.5g fat)
Edys Light Coffee Ice cream (105 calories, 3.5g fat)–but this one is full of air


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16
Apr
2010
 7 Days ’til Earth Day: Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From?



There has been much debate and controversy on this topic ranging from animal cruelty and various genetically modified food issues. This below video explains the basics on why we should understand how our food gets to our plate:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIsEG2SFOvM]
Canadian video about where our food comes from.
I feel like we all know quite a bit about this topic, but most people don’t care that much. So, I am not going to discuss it a whole lot. I would just like to stimulate your brains and remind you of the importance of knowing where your food comes from and hopefully you will become more thankful ;)
Even organic products are owned by huge major industries. This is where your organics come from (chart from Go Green Travel Green):
Image Source
10 Things You Can do to Help (from Food Inc):
1Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages.
You can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).
2Eat at home instead of eating out.
Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home.
3Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.Half of the leading chain restaurants provide no nutritional information to their customers.
4Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food, and sports drinks.
Over the last two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years.
5Meatless Mondays—Go without meat one day a week.
An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.
6Buy organic or sustainable food with little or no pesticides.
According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S.
7Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.
Farmer’s markets allow farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.
8Make a point to know where your food comes from—READ LABELS.
The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate.
9Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
Each year, contaminated food causes millions of illnesses and thousands of deaths in the U.S.
10Demand job protections for farm workers and food processors, ensuring fair wages and other protections.Poverty among farm workers is more than twice that of all wage and salary employees.
For more information:
Real Clean Markets Article
The Early Show Article
Happy Cow Veggie Blog
The Green Girls
Eco Habits Article



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15
Apr
2010
 The 7 Days ’til Earth Day: Post 1



There are 7 days until Earth Day 2010 (April 22nd) when the nation is supposed to recognize this planet we live on, and make efforts to keep our planet healthy. It is sort of a thank you, Earth, for letting us live here on this amazing planet. I do not usually do a good job of being “green” all year round. I am guilty of throwing a few water bottles in the trash (yikes!) and even though I am well-educated in nutrition, I do not eat a lot of organic produce (this debate can be discussed in another post). Anyway, I will post Earth-friendly food and nutrition tips for the next 7 days until Earth Day :)
I will leave you with a few quotes from the Earth Dinner booklet:
A Chinese proverb says, “He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician,” and John Redman Coxe once said in 1800, “The longer I live the less confidence I have in drugs and the greater is my confidence in the regulation and administration of diet and regimen.”
We spend so much time in front of computers and TV screens—everything becomes bland. That’s what’s driving the desire for ‘food with a face’ and food that has flavor. You don’t get flavor when food is bred to withstand traveling a long distance. Robert Karp, Practical Farmers of Iowa 
Can organic agriculture feed the world? Absolutely. The real question is whether conventional agriculture can do it, or at least without fatally damaging the very soil on which we need to grow the crops of the future. Carol Trauner, “Can Organic Feed the World?”


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14
Apr
2010
 Workout Music Ideas



I have recently been organizing my Ipod and putting some better running/workout songs just on my smaller Ipod so that I have it just for exercise (I use the old Ipod nano and clip it on my sports bra).
  1. “Backstabber” by Kesha (I was boycotting Kesha because she just did not seem like a singer to me, but I have taken her off the boycott list because she has some good tunes for running).
  2. “Dreaming” by Goldfrapp
  3. “Rude Boy” by Rihanna
  4. “Kiss ‘n Tell” by Kesha
  5. “Break your Heart” by Taio Cruz
  6. “Hard” by Rihanna
  7. “Sexy Bitch” by David Guetta feat. Akon
  8. “Rocaway Live” by Kenna feat. Justin Timberlake
  9. “Obsessed (remix)” by Mariah Carey feat. Gucci Mane
  10. “Replay” by Iyaz
  11. “GoodLife” by OneRepublic
  12. “So Happy I could Die” by Lady Gaga
  13. “Love Game” by Lady Gaga
  14. “Revolver” by Madonna feat. Lil Wayne
  15. “Dear Miami” by Roisin Murphy
  16. “Cry Baby” by Roisin Murphy
  17. “Whyyawannabringmedown” by Kelly Clarkson
  18. “Runnin’” by Jesse McCartney
  19. “Make Up” by Jesse McCartney
  20. “Murder on the Dance Floor” by Sophie Ellis Bextor
  21. “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit
  22. “Creator” by Santogold
  23. “Tomorrow” by Ladytron

There are more songs I would like to include, but I will save it for a later post. Enjoy these ideas!


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12
Apr
2010
 Fear Not Frozen Broccoli



Have you cooked frozen vegetables, and they come out watery, mushy, and bland? Fear not! I will share with you the best way I know to cook frozen broccoli. Frozen broccoli can taste delicious–I promise you that. And broccoli is full of health benefits which include anti-cancer properties.
Step 1: Thaw (in the microwave) about 3 cups frozen broccoli in a 9×9 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2: Once defrosted, drain excess water and pat dry with a paper towel. (I know, I know some of the vitamins are leached into that water that I just told you to drain, but you will live). Place broccoli in the oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes until heated through. Meanwhile, Grate about 1/2 C- 1 C reduced fat mozzarella and reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese.
Step 3: Drain excess water/pat dry once again. Top broccoli with cheese mixture, salt/pepper to taste, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning. Broil in oven for up to 5 minutes (keep an eye of the broccoli and remove when it looks slightly crispy).
Step 4: Eat your veggies!


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