SimmeRDown Nutrition

I know I’m 6 days late but…..Happy National Nutrition Month!!

In case you didn’t know (and weren’t already celebrating) March is National Nutrition Month.  The themed month was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics  to promote healthy eating in this country.  I think March is a great time to revitalize your healthy eating and exercise habits that may have fallen to the wayside at some point between New Year’s Day and….well, now. Also, spring is coming and warm weather tends to be a great motivator to eat better.  No. More. Hibernation.

The theme for this month is “Get Your Plate in Shape!” And the icon features a heart-shaped plate pumping some iron.  It emphasizes whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and EXERCISE!

Speaking of plates full of veggies I wanted to talk about building a better salad.  Oftentimes we hear about salads clocking more calories and fat than cheeseburgers.  Last year, The Cheesecake Factory came out with its “SkinnyLicious” menu.  All entrees listed were under 590 calories, and some were salads (which makes me wonder how many calories are in their salads that remain on the original menu and didn’t make the “SkinnyLicious” cut).  Salads can be a great, healthy and filling meal, if you know how to build them right.

The Salad Bar SimmeRDown!:

Start with the base: Baby spinach, romaine, arugula and mixed greens all make good choices.  These leaves are packed with nutrition and using them to fill up your plate helps you stay healthy.  Not to mention, lettuce doesn’t weigh all that much, which is good to know when you are paying by the pound. $$$

Top with more veggies: Make it colorful! Most salad bars have fresh shredded carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, beets, celery, and mushrooms are good choices.  If you see corn, peas, or potatoes feel free to add a portion, but remember these are starchy vegetables and contribute more heft to your salad.

Healthy fats: Salad bars sometimes have avocado, nuts, olives, and olive oil.  A great way to add some healthy fats to your diet!  Also these fats will help you absorb all the nutrients in your salad(like vitamins A, D, E and K) But be careful not to pile them on just because the word “healthy” is in front.  These are still fats, so pick one or two and keep the servings small.

Protein: To make your salad a meal and make sure it keeps you full be sure to choose a protein source.  Here are some typically found on salad bars: beans, low-fat cheese or cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, tofu, grilled chicken.  Try and avoid tuna and chicken salads that look smothered in mayo.

Carbs: I also think salads need some carbohydrates to keep me full.  Think a side of whole grain pita or  roll.  Or (if they are available) add some grains or starchy veggies to your salad like brown rice, quinoa, potatoes, and/or corn.

The end of the line: This is typically where all the enticing toppings live.  Crunchy fried thingies. Croutons. Wasabi peas. And the dressings.  This section of the salad bar can really do some damage to the healthy salad you have been building.   I try and stick to dressing my salad with the vinegar and oil they usually have, but if you really love pre-made dressings watch your portions! Even the low-fat ones have some fat and typically added sugars.

And building a salad like this keeps it in line with the ‘Get your plate in shape’ icon-lots o’ veggies, some healthy protein and carbs.  I hope this helps you enjoy some yummy and nutrient rich salads in the future!

I believe this is an arugula salad with some quinoa, hummus and cherry tomatoes.

The office I worked in last summer has decided to create an office “Biggest Loser” challenge.  I think this is great for two reasons.

1. I truly believe that the office is a great place to form a wellness community. (think about how much time you spend with your co-workers every week!)

2. Some jobs tend to foster unhealthy habits (long hours, lots of stress) so you need all the help you can get!

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Here are some tips I have for staying healthy while at your desk:

Start the Day Right: Yup, eat your breakfast!!!! Try and choose healthy foods to fuel up for the day.  Fruits, whole grains, and some protein (an egg, low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt or milk, nuts) can make up a balanced breakfast.  Coffee is fine for a caffeine fix, but watch how much sugar and cream is going into your cup.

Oatmeal with banana, almond butter and chia seeds.

Take a Hike!: If your office allows, get up and get walking during your lunch break.  It’s nice to take a break from the screen and stretch your legs, not to mention it does a body good.  If you can’t take a break, try squeezing activity into your routine.  Take the long way around the office to get to the water cooler, get up and ask someone a question down the hall rather than email, take the stairs! Little things like this can add up. Take just a moment to breathe, stretch and avert your eyes from the computer screen.

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Healthy Snacking: Healthy snacks are ones that fill you up, add nutrients and don’t derail your healthy habits.  Fruits and veggies are always a great option(try cutting up peppers and carrots and leaving hummus in the office fridge).  Dried fruit and nuts are nutrition powerhouses but because they are high in calories, I would recommend portioning them out for the day, rather than leaving a bag at your desk for mindless munching.  For some non-traditional and super filling options try packets of plain oatmeal or a cup of broth-based veggie soup.

Pack a Lunch: Not only is bringing your own lunch more cost-effective, it also tends to be healthier than whatever you would buy.  Sandwiches, made on whole grain bread, are portable and when packed with a lean protein(turkey, reduced fat cheese) and some veggies(either on the sandwich or on the side) are nutritious too! Other great options are dinner leftovers.

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Prioritize: You do this all day for work related tasks, now do it for your health.  If you planned on working out in the evenings, for a month and never made it-maybe it’s time to think about setting the alarm for an early AM workout.  If a three PM slump has you running to the vending machine, pack a healthy snack to munch instead.  It’s important to learn about your own barriers to staying healthy and work on breaking them down!

I hope these tips are helpful, for those embarking in an office competition, and anyone in the working world who might stumble across and read this.  Don’t forget to have fun work hard!

Last night, I had the urge to bake something healthy and a couple of ripe bananas that needed using up. I threw together some ingredients and boom…healthy cookies! Not too sweet, whole grain, with fruit and vegan(depending on your sweetener) to boot.

Banana Oatmeal Healthy Cookies (makes 12 big cookies)

These healthy cookies have a limited amount of added sugars, and no added fats.  Think of them as a great granola bar substitute for a snack on the go.  Enjoy crumbled over yogurt, or try with a thick schmear of almond butter or peanut butter.

Wet Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas mashed

1 tbsp ground flax seeds or chia seeds, mixed with 3 tbsp warm water(stir together to form a gel-this acts as your egg)

1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or agave

2 tsp vanilla

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup oats(not quick cooking)

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour(can use reg. whole wheat but cookies will be denser)

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Optional add-ins to equal 2/3 cup: chocolate chips and/or dried fruit and/or shredded coconut and/or nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix wet ingredients and add in dry ingredients(I added the dry ingredients on top and stirred them together before incorporating to the wet ingredients to prevent dirtying another bowl).  Stir to combine, but don’t over-mix.  Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes or until bottom of cookies is golden brown and cookies appear firm to touch.

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think! But know that they definitely taste “healthy”, not like a traditional cookie.

In other news…I caught Food Network’s  The Worst Cooks in America and my boyfriend and I had quite the chuckle watching all the contestants in the kitchen.  It got me thinking of my own kitchen mishaps.  Back when I first started baking, I was so excited to make peanut butter and jelly muffins. The batter looked delicious but as they were baking an awful smell was coming from the oven.  I had accidentally sprayed the muffin pan with garlic flavored cooking spray.  Into the garbage they went.  Has anyone else had a funny screw up in the kitchen?  I know I can’t be the only one.

One of my assignments as a dietetic intern was to come up with a Holiday themed menu to be used in the cafeteria throughout the year.  We did some heart-healthy stuff for Valentine’s Day, a BBQ theme for the Fourth of July and a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with mashed potatoes and turkey.  President’s Day is a holiday that doesn’t exactly scream “theme meal” however. The day honors all of America’s past presidents, but especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

There are rumors floating around the internet that Lincoln invented peanut butter, but none from credible sources.  Apparently George Washington enjoyed peanut soup.  And Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, was a peanut farmer from Georgia before being elected.

Additionally, my favorite food is peanut butter and I never tire of talking about it.  Peanut butter has Vitamin E and B6, as well as magnesium, protein, fiber and healthy fat.  You can read more about peanuts and nutrition at the national peanut board’s fact page.

The Line-Up:

It’s hard to tell from my pic, but here we have

Unsalted Natural Peanut Butter(ingredients: peanuts)

Skippy Creamy(ingredients:peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils(cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed), to prevent separation, salt.

Reduced Fat Skippy Creamy(ingredients: peanuts, corn syrup solids, sugar, soy protein, salt, hydrogenated vegetable oils(cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed) to prevent separation, mono and diglycerides, minerals, vitamins)

As you can see, the first all natural peanut butter has the shortest ingredient list by far.  The reduced fat versions of all peanut butters (not just Skippy) takes out the healthy peanuts and replaces them with sugar. For a savings of about 10 calories you now have a product with more sugar, less protein and less healthy fats-not to mention many more ingredients.

The difference between the natural peanut butter and your traditional, commercial peanut butter is that the commercial type has added oils(hydrogenated, sometimes partially hydrogenated) and sugar(sometimes in the form of high fructose corn syrup).  It can be a little bit of a pain to stir up the natural kind, which is made with peanuts(and sometimes salt), but it is worth it in my opinion to avoid the addition of unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients in my peanut butter.  The jar pictured is from Trader Joe’s(where I think they have good prices) but they sell all-natural peanut butter right in the regular grocery store, in the regular peanut butter aisle.  Scoop some up now… I think prices are only expected to go up.

Barring a food allergy, I hope you all managed to celebrate the holiday with some peanut butter.