Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

Massachusetts finally hit a cold spell...nay, a below freezing spell. All of last week the weather fluctuated between 5°- 20°F. Brrrrrrr! Needless to say, I wanted something to warm me up; and what better way to do so than by cooking and eating some hot 'n spicy food?! Now, I recognize that not all of you are fans of spicy food, but do not be afraid of the recipes that lay ahead. All of the recipes use the same "spicy" ingredient--chipotles canned in adobo sauce--and you can alter all of the recipes to include more or less of this spicy flavor, according to your personal taste. Also, do not scoff at the tofu recipe. It is INCREDIBLE. If you're not a fan of tofu (and unwilling to try it...though shame on being close-minded), then use the marinade on something else because the taste will blow your mind. 

The recipes are all fairly easy to make, absolutely delicious, and would be great for Super Bowl Sunday (for those of you planning ahead). Regardless of how spicy you decide to make these recipes, they'll definitely get you feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Was anyone else freezing last week? Did you cook anything to make you feel warmer?

Chili Fest Chili (from Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking For Health)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients: 
-1 onion, diced
-2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red), diced
-2 carrots, diced
-3 celery stalks, diced
-1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
-1 tablespoon ground coriander (this is ground cilantro...if you don't have this ingredient, don't worry about it. Try adding a bit more oregano instead)
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
-1 tablespoon paprika
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced (plus 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce)
-1 28oz. can diced tomatoes (preferably no salt added)
-1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar (I didn't have molasses, so I used brown sugar and I think it turned out great)
-2 15oz. cans red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
-1-2 cups water
-salt
-2 tablespoons oil
Optional:
-1 1/2 cups cooked barley, bulgur, or brown rice (adding some sort of grain makes the chili a bit bulkier)
-greek yogurt (to use as a topping)
-grated cheddar cheese (to use as a topping)

Directions:
1. In a soup pot on medium-high heat, warm the oil for a few seconds and then add the onion & bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. 
2. Add carrots and celery to pot. Cook for 5 minutes, until carrots start to soften.
3. Stir in all the spices (cumin through paprika). Cook for 5 minutes (make sure to stir, so that spices don't stick to the bottom of the pan)
4. Add the canned tomatoes, minced chipotle pepper & adobo sauce, sugar, beans, and water. Start by adding 1 cup of water and add more according to how soupy you want the chili to be. 
5. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir. 
6. Add cooked grain(s) to the pot, making sure to mix well. 
7. Serve hot, with greek yogurt and/or cheese on top!


Chipotle-Apple Turkey Burgers (from The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook)
Makes 8 palm-sized burgers
Ingredients: 
-2 celery stalks, finely diced
-3 green onions, finely chopped
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 apple, shredded (I used Granny Smith, but Gala or Fuji would taste good too!)
-1 pound ground turkey
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
-1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: 
-bread or slider buns
-sliced cheese
-sliced tomatoes
-lettuce or spinach

Directions: 
1. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook celery, green onions, and garlic until just browned. Set aside. 
2. Combine the grated apple, turkey, chipotle chili, salt, pepper, parsley, and cooked veggies in a large mixing bowl. Stir everything until well combined. Form the mixture into 8 palm-sized patties. At this point you can cook the burgers, or place them on plates (cover with plastic wrap) and keep in your fridge for a few hours, until you're ready to cook them
3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. Heat your sauté pan over medium-high heat and evenly space turkey burgers in pan. Cook until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes each side). 
5. Place burgers on a baking sheet and cook in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 175°F (internal temp. of meat)
6. Serve hot, on top of bread or salad greens. 
Tastes great with sweet potato fries and roasted brussels sprouts!

Tofu with Chipotle-Orange Barbecue Sauce (from Your Organic Kitchen)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup orange juice (preferably fresh)
-4 tablespoons honey
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced 
-1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from can)
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 slices

Directions: 
1. In a 13x9 inch glass baking dish, combine all the ingredients except the tofu. Whisk together. 
2. Add sliced tofu to the dish. Place dish in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Be sure to flip tofu slices over, every 30 minutes. 
3. Preheat your broiler
4. Place tofu on baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes on each side, until skin starts to become brown.
5. Serve hot!
*Tastes great with brown rice and sauteed greens (like collards, kale, or bok choy!)

Ignorance Is Bliss...

I am amazed by the number of people who do not read nutrition facts panels. As part of my job I spend a lot of time in grocery stores...and I am constantly shocked as to how many people blindly swipe products from the store shelf, without so much as a twist of the wrist to turn the product over and look at the nutrition facts panel. Sure, some products are staple items and at some point long ago the customer took the time to look at the nutrition facts panel. But more often than not, people do not take the time to look at what they are actually eating. Ignorance is bliss...but isn't knowledge power? 

In addition to frequenting grocery stores, it is also my job to teach people the importance of reading nutrition facts panels, how to read a nutrition facts panel, and how to compare nutrition facts panels of different products. This is sometimes a daunting task. Without any previous knowledge, learning how to navigate through the serving size, calories, nutrients, etc. can take quite some time. But it is a necessary skill to acquire, if you want to make conscious decisions about the food you eat. Do you know what you are eating?

Personally, I am a label reading addict--I never eat something without first looking at the nutrition facts panel. I do not expect anyone else (aside from maybe some of my coworkers) to be this diligent about label reading. However, I do hope that--after all of the posts I have written--my readers are taking the time (or starting to take the time) to flip over products and scan what is listed on the side. 

At this point, you (should) know how to tell if something contains trans fats and how to calculate the number of sugar packets in a product. I shared the more complicated aspects of label reading with you first. The other components are less confusing: 
1. The serving size is always the first place to look on a label. Why? Because, if you eat more/less than the serving size, everything else on the label changes.
2. Unless you are trying to lose weight, "calories" is probably the last place to look. Why? Well, a calorie is simply a unit of energy. It is not a good or bad thing. Everything else that the food is giving your body (i.e. amount of fat, sodium, cholesterol, fiber, vitamins, sugar) is much more important to your health. We all need calories. So instead of focusing on "how many calories is this", ask "what does this product have to offer".
3. The fat, cholesterol, and sodium should be on the lower side (i.e. as close to 5% of your daily value or below). 
4. The fiber and vitamins should be on the higher side (i.e. as close to 20% of your daily value or above)
5. Fruits and vegetables do not have nutrition facts labels...think about it. 

So, are you one of the many people mindlessly purchasing items in a grocery store? Do you ever read the nutrition facts panel of the foods you buy? And more importantly, do you understand what all the numbers mean?

Source

Party Food vs. Healthy Food

The holiday season is over. No more cookie swaps, gift exchanges, or $200 ticket purchases for a new year's eve party that ends up being a dud. But just because the presents, trees, cookies, and awkward midnight kisses are gone does not mean that all fun times must come to an end. Parties, get togethers, and post-new years gatherings can still occur! Sure, you made the resolution to eat healthier; however, parties and healthy food can co-exist. Don't believe me? 

At my 2012 new year's eve party I made a wide array of dishes. There were vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free options. I tried to accomodate all potential food allergies, restrictions, and diets. Attendees of the party can attest that the food tasted awesome--leftovers were few and far between. However, unbeknownst to many guests, basically everything they ate at the party was healthy. A few treats went untouched by my magic healthy-food-wand (like the onion dip and cookies). But the other typically fatty and caloric dishes--like artichoke dip and caesar salad--were actually healthy versions of their not-so-good alter-egos. 

The next time you plan a party, cook dinner, or want to impress your friends, make some of these delectable party treats that are actually pretty great for our bodies too. It's 2013...we should all know by now that tasty food can be healthy too.


Caramelized Onion and Shallot Dip (from Bon Appetit)
(vegetarian, gluten-free)
This is still a "sometimes" dish. But to make it healthier, use all greek-yogurt instead of sour cream. That's the only "unhealthy" component of the dish. I followed the recipe verbatim, so I figure you can just look at the link, rather than have me type it all out for you!


Lemon and Herb Hummus (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)
(vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
-2-15oz. cans of chickpeas (preferably low-sodium), rinsed and drained
-2 cloves of garlic, cut into a few pieces
-2-3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
-1 lemon, juiced
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you don't like spicy)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped 
-3 tablespoons dill, chopped
-3 tablespoons basil, chopped
-2 tablespoons water (more if needed)
-1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Pulse.
2. Add water, to help mixture become a smooth consistency.
3. Scoop hummus into a large bowl and add all the herbs and salt. Mix well. 
4. Serve with raw veggies, baked pita chips, bread, or chips!

Tofu Salad (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)
(vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
-1 block of extra-firm tofu, water squeezed out of it and chopped into small pieces
-1/4 cup golden raisins
-2-3 celery stalks, diced (small)
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped
-3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, diced
-3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
-1/2 lemon, juiced
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. To make dressing: combine mustard, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside
2. Combine tofu, raisins, celery, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. 
3. Add dressing to tofu mixture and stir well, making sure that all of mixture gets coated. 

Baked Artichoke Dip (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)
(vegetarian, gluten-free)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
-3/4 bag frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out of spinach
-1.5-15oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
-1-14oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained
-2 garlic cloves
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 lemon, juiced
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Coat an 8x8 baking dish with oil.
2. Combine the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and parsley in a food processor. Pulse a few times, to coarsely chop.
3. Add the beans, artichoke hearts, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until a chunky puree forms. Place mixture in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. 
5. Add half of the cheese mixture and the spinach to the bowl with the bean-puree. Mix well.
6. Spread mixture into greased 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes (top should be browned and bubbly).

Caesar Salad
(gluten-free)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
-2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
-2/3 cup silken tofu
-1/2 lemon, juiced
-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
-2 cloves garlic
-2 teaspoons anchovy paste
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. To make dressing: combine tofu, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, anchovy paste, salt, parmesan cheese, oil, and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is a smooth consistency. 
2. Toss romaine with dressing. 
*Try adding some croutons, shaved parmesan, or chunks of cooked chicken!

Sweet Potato Wedges (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)
(vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
-10 sweet potatoes, cut into thick wedges (leave the skin on; just be sure to wash the sweet potatoes well)
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-4 teaspoons paprika
-2 teaspoons garlic powder
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1/4 cup fresh rosemary, minced
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients together, making sure to evenly coat the potatoes
3. Spread potatoes evenly onto baking sheets. Be sure not to overcrowd the baking sheet--otherwise potatoes won't become crispy
4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Check every 10 minutes to toss potatoes and make sure they are browning, but not burning (black color).

Cranberry-Chip Cookies
These are so darn good that trying to make them healthy would just be a sin. One cookie never hurt anybody...just don't eat all 60 at once!
Makes 60 cookies
Ingredients:
-2 sticks butter, softened
-1 cup light brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-2 large eggs
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1-12oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1/2 12oz bag of white chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
-1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, baking soda, and salt
4. On low speed, gradually beat in flour until well combined
5. Using a spoon, add both kinds of chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
6. On non-greased baking sheets, drop heaping teaspoons of dough about two fingers apart. 
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are brown. 

This is not "health" food, but every party should have a few treats!

Eat Your Colors

I apologize for such a belated post. As you can imagine, the past week of finishing up work in time for vacation can be quite hectic and to be honest, I just did not have time to finish this post. But, here it is--Eat Your Colors!

You have probably heard it before--eat as many colors of fruits and vegetables as possible. Eat a rainbow. Sure it may sound silly, but this motto has merit. Different colors mean different nutrients. Each color helps your body in a unique way. For example, red fruits and veggies help your heart and blood system, whereas green fruits and veggies help your bones. Do you see where I'm going with this? That perhaps it is a good idea to eat a variety of colors of fruits and veggies? Well it is. Remember what you learned in elementary school...you want your plate to look like a rainbow (or to have at least three different colors present at all times). During the holiday season, it is especially difficult to eat healthfully. But, if you try to keep as many different colors of fruits and veggies on your plate, then at least you'll be giving your body some of the TLC it needs during a time of cookies, cakes, and other not-the-best-foods-for-us. 

In need of some recipes to make the rainbow on your plate complete? I have orange, yellow, green, and purple recipes below! 

Harvest Medley (from Southern Cooking)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
-1 winter squash (I used a sugar pumpkin, but you could use butternut, acorn, delicata, et.), cut into chunks
-2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-1 apple, chopped

-3 tablespoons butter, melted

-1/4 cup honey

-1/4 cup orange juice

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

-1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (if desired)

-canola oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. 

2. Combine winter squash and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and mix. Spread onto a baking sheet. 

3. Combine sweet potatoes and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl and mix. Spread onto another baking sheet.

4. Bake squash for 10-15 minutes; bake sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes (should be able to easily pierce with a fork).

5. Meanwhile combine melted butter, OJ, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-60 seconds, until mixture starts to bubble and is hot to touch. 

6. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with spray oil. Combine the squash and sweet potatoes in the baking dish. Pour the butter mixture evenly over. 

7. Bake for 15 minutes and then sprinkle chopped apple on top. 

8. Serve warm and sprinkle with walnuts. 

Roasted Squash and Brown Rice Casserole with Lemon-Tahini Sauce (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
-1 winter squash, cut into small chunks (I used butternut, but again you can use whatever type you want!)
-1 tablespoon canola oil
-juice from 1 lemon
-1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste...it's what you use to make hummus)
-1/2 cup uncooked brown rice (or any other grain you want--barley, bulgur, quinoa)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit; cook rice according to package
2. Combine squash with oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking every 15 minutes to give the mixture a stir.
3. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and tahini. Mix well. 
4. When squash is done roasting, drizzle the tahini sauce on top and mix well. 
5. In a bread pan, layer the brown rice on the bottom and top with the squash mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven.
6. Serve warm!

Brasicca Oleracea Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients:
-1 head of romanesco, cauliflower, or broccoli chopped into chunks
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-8 black oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
-1 tablespoon capers
-1/4 cup parsley, chopped (you can add more or less parsley, depending on your taste) 
-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. 
2. Combine romanesco/cauliflower/broccoli with oil and ground pepper in a medium bowl. Coat well. 
3. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes (check every 10 minutes and once the veggie starts to brown, it's done).
4. Combine remaining ingredients with roasted veggie in a bowl. Serve at room temperature


Red Cabbage and Apple Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1 red cabbage, thinly sliced

-2 apples (I recommend honey crisp, gala, fuji, or golden delicious), thinly sliced

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 1/2 teaspoons salt 

-1 teaspoon fennel seeds

-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

-ground pepper

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat
2. Add the sliced cabbage and cook for about 10 minutes--stirring constantly--until cabbage starts to wilt and turns a deep purple color
3. Add the apples, fennel seeds, salt, and cider vinegar. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes--stirring occasionally--until apples are soft 
4. Top with freshly ground pepper and serve warm

Got Milk?

The milk in my fridge had a sell-by date of December 1. So yesterday--December 2--I decided to take a whiff and make sure the milk was still okay. Thankfully it was fine (there's nothing worse than smelling sour milk), but I knew I needed to use up the milk because you only a get a few days of good milk after the sell-by date. For those of you thinking "ew, but the date said December 1!" a tad bit of info: the sell-by date is just the date that the grocery store must sell the product; it is not the same thing as an expiration date. 

Anyways, I was trying to think of a way to use the 3+ cups of milk I had lingering in my fridge when I had a genius idea...macaroni and cheese! Not the boxed stuff with the bright orange "cheese" (term used loosely). Real homemade mac & cheese (which thankfully uses a couple cups of milk to make). 

I also have a few sugar pumpkins sitting on my counter and so I thought, why not add some pumpkin to my mac and cheese? Pumpkin...good. Cheese...good. It's settled...Pumpkin Mac & Cheese for Sunday night dinner.

I modified Michael Bittman's "Baked Macaroni and Cheese" recipe from his cookbook How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. The result...absolutely phenomenal macaroni and cheese. I am talking prize worthy. Sure, I am biased, but seriously this stuff tastes amazing. The recipe makes about 8 servings, so you can expect to have leftovers for lunch and another dinner or two. And you can always freeze some of it if you've had too much (what a silly statement...too much mac & cheese? HA!).

No, the recipe did not use all of the milk in my fridge. But it used most of it. So, if you are looking for a great way to use up some about-to-go-bad milk (or you are just in the mood for some damn good mac & cheese), then follow the recipe below: 

Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese
Serves 8

Ingredients:
-1 sugar pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cubed
-2 tablespoons canola oil
-2 1/2 cups low-fat milk (I used 2%)
-2 bay leaves (if you don't have bay leaves, just skip this ingredient)
-4 tablespoons butter
-1 red onion, chopped
-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
-1/2 pound of pasta...aka half a box (I used gemelli, but you can use elbows, penne, or whatever kind of pasta you like!)
-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-1/2 - 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (really it is more like chunks of bread than crumbs. this is an optional ingredient)
-parsley, chopped (as garnish)

Directions:
1. Roast the pumpkin: preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Combine pumpkin cubes and canola oil in a bowl; make sure pumpkin is coated. Spread pumpkin onto baking sheet (may need to use 2 baking sheets) and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check and stir every 10 minutes. 
2. Cook the pasta according to package. I recommend heating the pasta pot while you do step #3. The pot should be boiling by the time you're done with step #4, at which point you can cook the pasta. 
3. Heat the milk: in a medium saucepan, combine the milk and bay leaves. Heat for about 5 minutes, until bubbles start to form on side of saucepan. Keep your eye on the saucepan and be careful not to burn the milk. Once bubbles form, transfer milk to a metal bowl. Remove bay leaves. 
4. Make the sauce: rinse out the saucepan you used to heat the milk. Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the red onion. Sautee for about 5 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Using a whisk, add the flour to the saucepan. Once flour and butter have started to clump, slowly whisk in about 1/3 cup of milk. Continue to whisk, until mixture is creamy, then add more milk. Continue whisking and slowly adding milk until it is all in the saucepan. Stir in the cheddar cheese. 
5. Combine it all together: in a big bowl combine the roasted pumpkin, pasta, and cheesy sauce. Add the parmesan cheese and pepper. 
6. Grease a 9x13 baking dish (or two 8x8 baking dishes) and pour in the pasta mixture. 
7. Top with fresh bread crumbs and bake for 15 minutes (should be bubbling)
8. Serve and garnish with parsley!

**For a spicier version add 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper to pumpkin before roasting, then another teaspoon when combining all the ingredients!

Breakfast Before the Big Feast

This is just a friendly reminder to eat breakfast on Thanksgiving day! You may think that skipping breakfast makes up for that third helping of your favorite Turkey Day foods...but you are wrong. 

Eating something in the morning...anything...jumpstarts your metabolism and gets your body to start burning calories. So if you eat a second helping of stuffing and cranberry sauce, at least your body is prepared to burn off some of those extra calories. But skipping breakfast slows down your body's metabolism. That third slice of pumpkin pie is going to sit nicely on your hips because your body isn't in the mood to quickly burn any calories.

I encourage you to review my words of wisdom from last year, on how to have a delectable Thanksgiving without feeling disgusting the next day. But if there is one piece of advice you are going to heed to tomorrow, let it be to eat breakfast. A large breakfast is unnecessary - you just need to get a lil bit o' something to start your metabolism. Here are a few suggestions for a light, yet substantial Thanksgiving breakfast: 

-one egg (boiled or sauteed) on top of a whole wheat english muffin
-1 cup cooked oatmeal with 1/2 cup chopped fruit (banana, apples, frozen blueberries, etc.) and 2 tablespoons almonds
-1 slice of whole wheat toast topped with 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter) and 1/2 a banana 

Happy Thanksgiving! Eat well and be well!

Trans-Fats: Clarification

Hopefully by now you are all reading the ingredient lists of the foods you buy and looking for products that contain zero trans-fats. And hopefully you are looking for the word "hydrogenated" in that ingredient list, which should trigger an automatic response of "ew! no trans-fats for me!" Good. 

However, a few weeks ago when I was shopping for Halloween candy I kept finding different words listed in the ingredient list (yes, I read the ingredient list of candy). Fully hydrogenated vs. partially hydrogenated vs. hydrogenated ...This got me thinking: do all these words mean the same thing? So after a little research (and a longwinded discussion with my co-workers) I came across some useful information regarding these variations of the finicky word "hydrogenated". Based on this newfound information, I must clarify parts of what I said in my previous post on identifying trans-fats. 

To clarify: if the ingredient list says...

"Fully (or Completely) Hydrogenated"... the product does not contain any trans-fats. Apparently the process by which fully hydrogenated oils are made does not result in trans-fats. Good to know.

"Partially Hydrogenated"... the product does contain trans-fats. As soon as you see these two words together, put the product away and look for a trans-fat free option.

"Hydrogenated"...the product may contain trans-fats. Ugh. How typically complicated. I would err on the side of caution and look for an alternative product. There is probably a healthier option that contains fewer ingredients anyways. 

I do not want to ruin anyone's love of candy, especially those who are big fans of Halloween. And annually having a few pieces of candy that are laden with partially-hydrogenated oils is not going to kill you. So feel free to stop reading now, if you would rather stay in blissful ignorance of the candies made with and without partially hydrogenated oils. For those who wish to be well-informed, read on. 

Candies that do not contain the word "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated":

--Reeses

--Kit-Kats

--Nestle Crunch bar

--Payday

--Peppermint Patty

--Mounds Bar

Candies that contain the ambiguous word "hydrogenated":

--3 Musketeers

--Milky Way

--Butterfingers

--Twix

--Snickers Almond

Candies that contain partially hydrogenated oils: 

--Snickers Dark

--Snickers Original

--Snickers Peanut Butter

--Baby Ruth 

**This is not a comprehensive list - just candies for which I was interested in knowing the ingredients lists. If there is a candy missing from the lists that you want to know more about, feel free to let me know or look it up yourself and report back!