Move over Red Velvet Cupcake…it’s time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. During the month of March, stores are filled with Irish-inspired items, most of which fall under the not-so-good-for-you category.

Whether you’re the parent in charge of bringing slimmer shamrock-style snacks to your child’s class party or you’re looking to lend a little luck of the Irish to your own family, think beyond Lucky Charms this year.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread: Instead of traditional white flour, this year you can opt for a whole wheat version of this favorite Irish treat. Think soda bread at its finest – unadulterated without bells and whistles – and without a lot of added fat or calories.

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St. Patrick’s Day has very little (in fact, nothing) to do with drinking. According to legend, St. Patrick was responsible for ridding Ireland of bothersome snakes. One can’t believe everything one hears, but St. Patrick is in fact the patron saint of Ireland. His feast day, March 17th, has been celebrated by the Irish for centuries but the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City during the year 1762.

Even though the origins of the holiday have little to do with the U.S., it’s nice to celebrate the rich culture of the Irish and in the process, have a few Irish drinks. Porters and stouts, while they pack a lot of flavor, contain large amounts of calories. The very nature of Irish beer is the exact opposite of light. Irish style drinks are delicious, and certainly essential to your St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but watch out. Alcohol has a way of packing on the pounds so indulge carefully and as always, drink responsibly.

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We all know that St. Patrick’s Day is more like “national drink some beer day.” But, what is the holiday really all about? St. Patrick, not of Irish descent, is known for establishing monasteries, churches, and schools all over the country. He used these aids to help him convert the Gaelic Irish to Christianity. He used the three-leafed shamrock to help represent the combination of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. St. Patrick died on March 17, thus this day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.

Why is alcohol associated with St. Patrick’s Day? This is a generalization and a huge stereotype. In Ireland, people drink as a social past time as they do here in America. As it rains quite a bit in Ireland, so the tradition is to hit the local pub for a pint or two. Seems to me that people in America hit the local bar whether it’s rain or shine! So, with that being said, you might as well indulge in some healthy choices of beer if you are going to partake in this festive holiday. Below is a list of the healthiest choices of beer, both foreign and domestic.
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St. Patrick’s Day – A day to indulge in your favorite beer (or beers), corned beef hash or McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes.

Whereas most items at The Golden Arches can be purchased all year long, the Shamrock Shake is only available during the month of March, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

So what exactly is the Shamrock Shake? It’s a light green shake with a mint-meets-vanilla taste. These seasonal shakes are a seriously hot commodity among milkshake connoisseurs. And since not all McDonald’s locations offer them, die-hard fans might themselves cruising around town to find one that does.

But taste aside, how does the Shamrock Shake stack up?

Here is the nutritional information for one 16-ounce shake.
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Joining us in March as the Featured Guest Blogger of the Month is California Raisins. They’ve got a team of nutrition professionals who want to ensure all of us are living as healthy as possible, providing information about healthy, natural snacks.

The first St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States date back to parades in the mid-1700s and to this day the tradition continues. Today, four-leaf clovers, wearing green, tales of Leprechauns, and of course, serving Irish foods to friends and family, are all iconic of a cheerful stateside St. Patrick’s Day celebration. One of the most popular Irish foods for St. Patrick’s Day festivities is Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread is a dense quick bread that uses baking soda for leavening, rather than yeast, making it a quick and easy recipe to bake at home. Various recipes for soda bread are popular throughout Ireland, but American versions of Irish Soda Bread traditionally include California raisins, which add a scrumptious sweetness and also help to keep the soda bread moist. Raisins are naturally fat- and cholesterol-free and contain potassium, fiber and iron – all important to help keep up strength for St. Patrick’s Day merriment! Below is our guilt-free, yet indulgently delicious, Irish Soda Bread recipe made with the natural goodness of whole grains and raisins.
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