1. Budget-friendly and nutrient-rich. Not only are canned foods one of the most affordable ways to meet the Dietary Guidelines goals on MyPlate, they contain comparable nutrients to fresh, frozen and dried forms. Think about it. They are picked at their peak and packed immediately which means valuable nutrients are retained. In some cases, however, canned choices may have even more nutrients than their fresh counterpart. Peaches are my favorite example. Research shows that canned peaches ...
Red Velvet, Green Apple & Hot Wings on Game Day
Still haven’t figured out the line-up for your Super Day of Eating menu? Consider these crowd-pleasing ideas. Dessert: Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Icing. Simple to make and so much easier to cut into bite-size portions than a huge Red Velvet Cake. You’ll still get rich red velvet flavor with irresistible cream cheese icing, though. Appetizer: Hot Wings Hummus. Fast, easy and a fantastic substitute for the more calorie-and fat-laden but oh-so-delicious Hot Wings or Buffalo ...
Zippy, Zesty, Super-Saver Salsa
Zippy and zesty because it packs a punch of jalapeno pepper, lime and cilantro. Super-saver because it features in-season mango and strawberries. And in-season translates to “at their most budget-friendly price right now.” So it makes perfect cents to take advantage of both antioxidant and nutrient-rich fruits over the coming weeks. But instead of just enjoying them “as is” for a snack or side dish, or adding them to yogurt, smoothies and cereals, try this easy-to-make salsa. You’ll find ...
Dining with the Guys at Korn Country: Boost, Sub, Switch
Time to visit the guys at Korn Country 100.3 FM and talk all things nutrition! And celebrate registered Dietitian Day, too! I'm taking them a variety of foods, and all have been changed a little to boost nutrition or cut calories/fat. I boosted nutrient-rich onions and garlic in my Zesty Guacamole. I substituted lower-fat and lower-calorie cheese and cream cheese and dressing in my Hot Buffalo Dip and I switched to all whole wheat flour in my Oatmeal Raisin Date Bars. Still rich flavor, but more ...
A Dietitian’s Football Party Strategy: No Fumbles, All Extra Points
Formation for Winning Strategy: Flavorful + Nutrient-Rich Foods Forward Pass: Lean Beef in Chili & Burrito Meat + Lean Pork Tenderloin Field Goal: Vegetable-Rich with Beans, Corn, Tomatoes, Chilies & More in Chili & Salsa Touchdown: Fruit for Dessert with Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip Celebration: Fantastic, Flavorful and Colorful Foods = Happy Party Guests Hearty Three Bean Chili with Beef 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 ½ cups chopped onions 1 to 2 tablespoons minced ...
Holiday Party Foods with Perks
Holiday Party foods - great tasting and filled with nutrient perks....the perfect choice to please holiday guests. Add some red to your spread - with antioxidant-rich tart red cherries and make a sweet-tart punch with half the calories of a regular punch. Triple Cherry Sauce pairs well with lean pork tenderloin or lean ham. Add green to your holiday spread with Super Spinach Dip filled with more spinach and lower-fat versions of sour cream and mayonnaise. Happy Holidays to all. Merry Cherry ...
Thanksgiving Favorites
I’m not one to tamper with tradition too much when it comes to holiday foods. Stuffing still needs to be made with white bread/stuffing mix, mashed potatoes still need butter and maybe even cream cheese and sour cream, and pumpkin pie needs a pastry crust. But with just a few minor tweaks, I’m able to keep all the traditional taste and save a few calories and fat grams. Simple substitutions. Great flavor. Comparisons: Stuffing: 75% less fat and 65 fewer calories Smashed Potatoes: 50% less fat ...
Perfect Halloween Menu for Procrastinators
Beef & Black Bean Chili. Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip with Pears & Apples. Ghosts in the Graveyard Pudding Dessert. No tricks – only treats with this fun, tasty and nutrient-rich Halloween menu. I’m reposting these recipes, because I realize many of you have waited until the very last minute to decide what to serve for your Halloween party. Plus, this also works for a quick dinner before the kids head out for Trick or Treating. Or for busy weeknights. Get the kids involved with the ...
Spinach Dip Sans Bread
Most spinach dips are a little too sparse on the spinach and way too overloaded with fat, in my opinion. So I took the traditional recipe and doubled the spinach and increased the onions – all to boost antioxidants and nutrient richness. Then, I switched the sour cream and mayo to low fat/reduced fat versions, and even replaced just a tad of it with plain yogurt to boost the calcium a bit. Now I realize that most people prefer to serve spinach dip in the hollowed out Hawaiian bread and it’s ...
Double-Dipping Allowed
Need some inspiration on what to take to the next office pitch-in, weekend party or Monday night football get-together? Try a nutrient-rich dip, like White Bean Dip. It’s a great vehicle for eating more whole grains and vegetables! I love to serve this dip with 100% whole grain crackers - my favorites are Triscuits Reduced Fat and Kroger's 100% wheat squares - and a slew of fresh veggies, from carrots and celery to sugar snap peas, red, yellow & orange bell pepper strips and zucchini ...