Tag Archives: kale

Winter Soup Swaps and Additions To Maximize Nutrition

Especially this time of year when Old Man Winter is in full force, there’s nothing I love more than a bowl of soup as a meal. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or even a snack, soup is filling (hello Volumetrics!) and you can pack so much nutrition into a single bowl. Not to mention that soup is pretty fool-proof one-pot dish to make, and usually keeps well as leftovers.

Over the years, I’ve found that no matter what soup recipe you’re following, you can almost always up the nutrition and lower the fat and sodium with a few easy swaps and additions. The best part, because all the flavors in the soup meld together, as long as you keep the proportions right, no one usually notices the healthier changes!

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Get More Calcium in Your Diet

It’s important for everyone to get enough calcium, but women are especially at risk for calcium deficiency, which can lead to osteoporosis and decrease bone health later in life. Even though there is calcium in many of our favorite foods, it can still be difficult to meet the recommended daily allowance for the important mineral.

Dairy products provide calcium, but people with dairy allergies, lactose intolerance and vegans need to look to other food sources to fill their calcium needs.  Foods high in calcium include: almonds, broccoli, spinach, cooked kale, canned salmon with the bones, sardines and tofu.

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Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Antioxidant Checklist

Tune in this Wednesday, December 1 to the Dr. Oz Show to learn about the foods you need to be eating to prevent disease and enhance your longevity.

Dr. Oz’s ultimate antioxidant checklist makes healthy living and eating easy and simple for you. This list narrows down the top fruits, vegetables and supplements you need to incorporate into your diet to feel great and look younger. (more…)

Five Healthiest Foods for Fall

apple bushelAfter the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables all summer long, fall might seem lacking in variety. However, with a little research, there are some great fresh fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of flavor and nutrition in the colder months. Not only do they taste better, many of them are grown locally, and local produce is always a great choice. If it’s not shipped in, odds are pretty good that the fruit is more fresh and it’s also a great option to keep your food budget in check, a win-win situation. Add these cold weather choices to your meals for great taste and exceptional benefits to your diet.

1. ApplesStudies have shown that apples can help lower cholesterol, manage diabetes, and prevent several diseases, including cancer. Apples peak in the fall, and the flavor can’t be beat. They are full of fiber, around 5 grams per fruit, and are comparatively low in calories. (more…)

Vitamin K Helps Fight Diabetes

kaleExperts are always finding new and interesting benefits that come with certain vitamins or minerals. This time around, it’s vitamin K and how it may help you avoid diabetes.

In a study, those subjects (older men and women) who took a vitamin K supplement for three years had lower blood levels of insulin. They also experienced an improvement with insulin resistance as compared to another group who did not take the supplement.

Here comes the catch… (more…)

Have Your Kale and Eat it, too!

kaleGreen leafy vegetables are on the top of most lists for the foods you should eat because they are nutrient dense and low in calories. The beautiful leaves of the kale plant provide an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around. Kale is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, fiber (1 cup of kale provides 10.4 percent of daily value of fiber), folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, and phytochemicals/phytonutrients. Although kale can be found in markets year round, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring. This is when it has the sweetest taste.

How do you serve kale?

  • Before cooking kale, be sure to remove and discard the plant’s tough stalk center. Even without the stalks, kale will be chewy. Cooking it thoroughly is necessary to keep the kale from being too chewy. (more…)

What the Kale am I Eating?

We are constantly being bombarded with advertisements that tell us what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat- the propaganda is never ending! So, how do I decide what to eat in order to maintain my new weight? Well, I decided that I would let my taste buds be the judge. I continually try a little bit of everything. When I’m at a restaurant, I may order something I’ve never had before, but my favorite way to try new foods is to eat with my skinny friends – those faithful friends who plan their meals in order to not overeat.kale

Since coming home from the ranch, I have tried, kale, edamame, red quinoa, wild rice (the real kind that is really dark brown and a little scary to the novice health nut), tempeh, seitan, squash, and the list of foods that feel foreign on my tongue both in taste and pronunciation goes on and on.

Now that I have this plethora of foods at my fingertips, I can address that question of what to eat. Here are a few of the staples I keep in my refrigerator:

– Ezekiel bread, wraps, or English muffins

– Fage yogurt

– Fruit

– Turkey bacon

– Galeo salad dressing

– Crushed organic peanut butter (If you’re lucky, your grocery store will have a machine where you can make it yourself)

– Nature’s Path Synergy Cereal

– Silk Soy Milk

– Sliced turkey breast

– Chicken breasts for grilling, broiling, or baking

– Fish and shrimp

– I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter Spray

– Olive Oil Cooking Spray

As you look to try some of these recipes or foods, don’t be afraid to ask your market personnel for help on your shopping adventure and remember to persevere even if he/she asks, “What the kale are you eating?”.

Check out the Diet Blog tomorrow to learn two of my favorite recipes using this list of new kitchen staples, Tuna and Arugula Salad and Not-so-McMuffin.